Chapter 16: The Sparks of Youth
Szayel's Lab, Las Noches
The pink-haired Arrancar, known as Szayelaporro Granz, sits within his dimly-lit main laboratory inside the great Hollow palace: Las Noches. He is intensely focused on the corpse of a mouse-like Hollow on the table in front of him, beginning to cut it open with a scalpel. The bespectacled scientist pauses, however, and shifts to a slight smirk as he hears footsteps approaching from the adjacent hallway.
On cue, a group of three Arrancars wearing the standard white Gi of Las Noches as a uniform suddenly walk into the room, prompting the scientist perk up slightly and regard them with excited curiosity. Leading the group is a humanoid individual whose head is a bull skull, possessing two white horizontal horns protruding from the side. Flanking the leading figure are two similar humanoids possessing non-horned, much more human-like skulls for heads.
The horned Arrancar reports with a masculine, somewhat distorted, voice, "The northern laboratory was completely destroyed by the dragon, White."
Szayel can't help it as his smirk widens, pleased by this news, "Very good, White… you are as impressive as I thought you'd be…"
The pink-haired Arrancar notices the expectant silence of the other three, which prompts him to shift to a much more neutral expression as he asks, "Have you informed anyone else?"
The horned Hollow immediately responds, his tone relaying a sense of caution, "I have not. You know as much as I do that Lord Barragan cares not for such things. But I would insist that you ask His Majesty to send reinforcements to the northern sands while we are certain of White's whereabouts."
Szayel narrows his yellow eyes slightly, "You sent the Exequias, didn't you, Rudbornn?"
The horned Arrancar, known as Rudbornn Chelute, nods in confirmation, "I had sensed White release a Cero while I was out on patrol. After investigating the remains of the lab, I sent over 50 of the Exequias to track him down. It seems that he is nothing but hostile toward them, so I fear they will not last very long."
The pink-haired Arrancar hums thoughtfully for a moment before looking back at the other Hollow, "Very well, I will ask Lord Barragan to start sending out his more elite Adjuchas to finish off the dragon. As powerful as he may be, he will not be able to fight forever with a wound from His Majesty's Respira..."
Meanwhile, Northern Sands, Hueco Mundo
White stands on the desert sands north of Las Noches, surrounded by scores of identical Arrancars. These Arrancars have skulls for heads, identical to the ones that flanked Rudbornn, and all have their blades drawn, pointed at the dragon. They are the soldiers that comprise the Exequias that the Hollows in Las Noches were referring to—an armada that follows Rudbornn's will. The horned Adjucha couldn't care less who they are, however, as he glares at them hatefully with his golden eyes with black sclera, unable to shake the visage of Kenpachi Zaraki from his head.
"Shinigami…", White quietly utters with disdain.
Before any of the soldiers realize it, the dragon pounces on one of them, pinning them to the ground beneath his large, black front claws. The Arrancar struggles briefly before the Adjucha savagely bites their head off and devours it, the crackling and snapping of bone heard as he does so. After swallowing, the orange-haired Hollow carelessly discards the remains of the soldier's body while returning his gaze on the others lunging at him.
Out speeding any and all of the Arrancars, White pounces once more at the nearest group of them, using his claws to rend each and every one of them in two. The sight causes the remaining soldiers to rush in with greater intensity and strike at the beast with their katanas. Their swords manage to leave shallow, surface wounds across the dragon's hide, leaving blood to flow from multiple locations.
White growls darkly at the surrounding Exequias before repeatedly slamming his tail down on them, crushing scores of them instantly as though they were bugs. He follows up by spewing furious blackened red fire breath from his mouth, incinerating even more of them and charring the sands, leaving a trail of smoke to start coating the sky.
Seeing that their combined efforts will not defeat the winged beast, the soldiers begin to flee in instinctual fear, causing the white dragon to launch into the air, leaving a shockwave to blow across the desert as he does. Once high in the air above the several fleeing Hollows, the Adjucha charges an intense Cero between his horns before releasing it, igniting the entire landscape below in a crimson explosion, instantly killing all of them. Seeing his obvious victory, the infamous Hollow releases a carnal roar of triumph, which echoes across the sands of the desert.
As his roar subsides, White takes another moment to inspect the glassed-over, charred sands below. Suddenly, however, the dragon winces and claws at his chest, the darkened purple miasma beginning to surface once again. The wounded, dying Hollow's haunting golden eyes dart across the desert just then, desperately looking for something to relieve him of this pain.
As if on cue, the dragon notices an approaching party of Adjuchas in the distance, making his hungry eyes dilate in further bloodlust. Wasting no time, he immediately lunges down at them before beginning to savagely tear them apart and devour them one by one, once again displaying not an ounce of mercy.
Morning, Xcution Hideout
Yuzu's training has been progressing quite smoothly, as she is now locked in combat with Chad. In order to cut off their Reiatsu from the outside, Yukio used his Fullbring, Invaders Must Die, to put them into the virtual world. Yuzu is demonstrating the use of the offensive version of Blut Vene—Blut Arterie—which greatly amplifies the power of her Heilig Pfeil (Holy Arrows). Combined with her Fullbring abilities, the blue and red arrows pack quite the punch—although Chad avoids them with relative ease. Chad has been doing some training of his own, evolving the Fullbring of his left arm to have a kind of shield structure, allowing him to block her arrows even when they do hit.
Chad shouts at the girl, "Stop holding back, Yuzu!"
Yuzu flinches at the boy's call, as he launches a reishi attack of his own. Yuzu doesn't jump out of the way, rather quickly switches off her Blut Arterie, before activating Blut Vene and catching the teenager's attack as it pushes her back. She struggles for a bit to hold it before absorbing it into her Quincy Cross.
"Woah! I didn't think you had that good of mastery over your Blut yet!", Candice shouts from the sidelines, having been watching the fight from within the virtual world this whole time.
Ginjo, standing next to her, also has been observing the fight, with an impressed look on his face. Yuzu cracks a smile but falls to her knees and starts panting from exhaustion.
Chad runs to her side, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you like that…"
Yuzu shakes her head, "No! It's my fault for trying to switch between Blut so fast in battle despite never doing it before! I should have evaded the attack, but for some reason my instincts told me not to!"
"Honestly, I'd say that's a good thing." Ginjo states, approaching the two, alongside the Quincy woman.
Ginjo continues, "You'll only be able to grow as a fighter by testing your limits and gaining experience."
Chad nods his head at this, "I agree. If you don't know your powers, you could end up hurting those around you or yourself. I honestly think we're fortunate you decided to try this here rather than in a real battle…"
"Well, I think this just shows that you still have a ways to go, kid. You won't be rid of me just yet!", Candice declares, causing Yuzu to chuckle.
Yukio, seeing that the battle is over, releases the group from his Fullbring, leaving the group to find themselves back in the hide out.
Ginjo regards Yuzu and Chad, "As you know, there's a restroom with shower in the back; you two can go clean up and change there. I'd prefer for people to not see you two coming out of here with soiled outfits. May raise some suspicions…"
Yuzu and Chad look down at their clothes. Yuzu finds her clothes, including Candice's cape, scorched, while Chad finds his pants and shirt to be tattered from the various arrows from Yuzu's attacks.
Yuzu removes the cape and looks a bit sad at Candice, prompting the woman to comment, "Don't get me wrong, I'd be upset to find out my outfit was ruined too, but as I told you before: don't worry about it. I have plenty of spare capes back at… uh, well I have plenty of spares."
The woman awkwardly chooses to avoid specifying where she keeps her capes.
Yuzu shakes her head, "I still think I'll salvage whatever I can from it, somehow. This cape's important; it marks my first steps towards becoming a Quincy…"
Candice rubs the back of her neck sheepishly, still not completely used to the girl's sentimentality, "Well, I sure as hell can't have you wearing it—the thing's trashed!"
Yuzu giggles, "Well yeah, I guess that's fair."
Chad emerges from the back, having quickly taken his shower and getting dressed in a fresh new, main brand shirt and pair of pants that he kept at the hide out.
Ginjo whistles, "Nice drip."
Chad to nods his head in appreciation, "Thanks."
Yuzu makes her way to the bathroom as well before she realizes something, "I don't leave any spare clothes here!"
This prompts Riruka to shout from the table, where she is currently organizing various things in her dollhouse, "I left one of my old outfits hanging up in there for you."
Yuzu nods, before going into the restroom, curious about what the girl selected for her.
Yuzu lets out a light gasp at the sight of the outfit, "Is that—?"
Yuzu slaps her cheeks with both hands, shaking her head, "I'll shower first!"
After Yuzu emerges from the shower, everyone except Riruka sweat drops at the sight of her doing weird hand gestures.
Yuzu then declares, "I am the pretty guardian, who fights for love and for justice! And now, in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
Yukio blushes slightly as Yuzu points directly at him at the last part, before the girl starts giggling. She is wearing a sailor school uniform with a blue bow on the front and long white gloves. She is also wearing long pink boots and a gold tiara on her head with a red gem.
Riruka, now away from the dollhouse, has a smile on her face, nodding her head in approval, "It's good to see someone who appreciates cute things around here! No one else appreciates my preference towards cute, adorable things, like Sailor Moon."
Yuzu giggles some more, "Not exactly, I'd say I more like the anime. There would always be reruns on that I'd watch during the morning on the weekends. Ichigo would let me have the TV after he got done watching Looney Toons and Tom and Jerry on the American channel we had set up… he always hated Jerry for some reason…"
Yuzu looks contemplative, as if wondering what his beef with Jerry was.
"Well, I think it looks much better than anything Candy here would dress you up in…", Bambietta finally decides to comment, getting off the couch she was previously seated on.
"Seriously, would you back off already?! It feels like you try to get jabs in at my sense of fashion at every turn!" Candice snaps back.
Bambietta scoffs, "Well someone has to reign you in when Gigi isn't here. Also, you call that fashion? You're hardly wearing anything!"
The two women proceed to banter, as they often do, before Ginjo sighs, deciding to go to the bar and drink some of his liquor.
"Anyway, Riruka, I would like your help dressing up Bostov!" Yuzu retrieves the stuffed lion her dad had left for her about a couple of weeks earlier.
The girl brings the plushie to the pink haired girl, "Right now, Bostov really isn't all that cute…"
"Ugh, you're right about that. Hold on, I think I have some cute fabric in my dollhouse." Riruka releases a pink cabinet from her dollhouse, retrieving a sewing kit and pink and white fabric.
20 Minutes Later
After about 20 minutes, Riruka has constructed a pink dress with white frills, which she has placed onto the plushie.
Kon can't take it anymore, "I'm a Lion! I'm not supposed to look cute—I'm supposed to look cool!"
Everyone in the hideout lets out a gasp simultaneously, wearing shocked expressions.
Kon realizes he messed up, "Oh shit... uh, don't be alarmed I am one of those new talking models, y'know! –uh yeah, I'm one of Don Kanonji's sidekicks…"
"I don't buy it. I doubt you know who Don Kanonji even is." Yukio shakes his head.
Kon continues to attempt making up excuses, that only seem to make Ginjo begin to see the whole picture, "Oh, I get it. You're a Soul Candy—not only that, I suspect you're one of those Mod Souls that somehow managed to escape the Soul Society. I bet you then decided to hide yourself away in a plushie, waiting to get bought on a shelf. So that leaves the question, what are you doing here? What do you want with Kurosaki?"
Ginjo glares at the stuffed lion menacingly, a look shared by most of the others present.
"Uh, I just wanted to look out for her y'know! A poor girl like her, losing her brother so young…" Kon isn't lying, as over the last 2 weeks, Yuzu had absentmindedly confided in the stuffed creature, thinking he was an average everyday plushie. This, of course, included the times she would cry herself to sleep either from the loss of her brother or the fracturing of her family, as well as the associated nightmares.
Yuzu's eyes widen slightly at this, pursing her lips before deciding to change the subject, "What's your name, Mr. Mod Soul? I assume it isn't Bostov…"
Kon brightens up at this, "Indeed! You can call me Kon! Nice to meet ya! Although, I believe we have met before…"
Kon blurts that last part out carelessly.
"Really? How?" Yuzu asks, confused.
If Kon could sweat, he'd be sweating beads right now.
Ginjo once more explains what he knows of Mod Souls, "Mod Souls, like Soul Candy, have the ability to enter and take control of any physical body that consumes them. This apparently includes stuffed animals, but they were created with the intention for use in Gigais—or human bodies. He must have hijacked someone else's body and ran into you at some point."
Ginjo shrugs after adding his own theory of what the Mod Soul meant.
Yuzu's eyes widen, "So you were the one in my dad's body the other day!"
This causes both of the Quincy women to slowly creak towards the stuffed lion with scary expressions on their faces, leaving Kon to run for his life.
"Come here, you little pervert!" Candice shouts, grabbing at the plushie, who just barely manages to leap off the table in time.
His victory is short lived, as a boot grinds him into the floor.
"Dirty little perverts like you belong with their face in the mud. A suitable position for degenerates like yourself, wouldn't you agree?" Bambietta states sadistically with narrowed eyes.
Kon grunts something almost inaudible.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Bambietta applies more pressure.
This causes Kon to blurt out, "Harder, mommy!"
Just about everyone has a face of either disgust or confusion, or a combination of the two, save for Bambietta, who smiles sadistically, "You get off on that, huh? You really are a disgusting pervert!"
Bambietta's grinds her heel into Kon harder, prompting the plushie to make weird moaning noises.
Yuzu can't stand to watch it anymore, "Ms. Bambietta, can you please leave him alone?! I don't really understand what's going on, but it looks like you're hurting him!"
Bambietta scoffs, releasing Kon, before walking next to the girl, staring down at her, "You should know, Yui, that some people actually enjoy being hurt. I can't blame you for not understanding this concept yet, as you are so young, but I'm sure you will with time…"
"Not if I ever have anything to say about it." Chad speaks in a stern voice, next to the two, forcing Bambietta to look up at the boy to match his gaze.
Chad is dead serious, "I won't allow you to pollute her in that way…"
Bambietta chuckles at this, "Oh, I surely doubt that I will play a part in her making those revelations. It's a forgone conclusion."
Bambietta then walks towards the corner of the room with a satisfied look on her face.
Yuzu doesn't think about what the woman said, rushing to Kon's side under the table, "Are you alright, Mr. Kon?"
"Never better…", the lion states, still dizzy from his experience.
"Oh no, this is bad—" Yuzu is nearly in tears, seeing her stuffed lion friend crumpled and disoriented.
"I'm sorry, I should have protected you from her!" Yuzu hugs Kon close to her chest, the sound of her heartbeat finally snapping him out of his daze.
"This girl… she exudes such warmth and kindness despite the hardships she's faced…" Kon thinks to himself with widened eyes.
Deciding he wants to shift the girl's attention to something more wholesome, Kon changes the subject, "Y'know, I might not like to be dressed up all cute, but I would like a cool outfit, if possible…"
Yuzu's eyes shoot open at this, as she holds Kon out in front of her, "Are you sure about that, Mr. Kon?!"
Kon nods enthusiastically, "Sure, kid. Why not? Also, I'd appreciate it if you just called me Kon. We're friends now, aren't we?"
Kon gives the girl a smile, which she returns, wiping the tears from her eyes. Riruka scoffs, the idea of dressing plushie up to look cool utterly disgusting to her but gasps a bit as Yukio leans down next to Yuzu, offering his support in this.
The boy states, "Y'know, even I could use a break from video games sometime. I'll help you come up with a cool design if you'd like. I'm not the best at this arts and crafts stuff, though, so you'll need to find someone else for that. Regardless, I know I have plenty of material at my place, so you can stop by later if you want."
Yuzu agrees with great enthusiasm as the boy gives her his address before rising to his feet, "Swing by in the afternoon, I'll need to make some preparations first."
Yuzu nods, prompting the boy to leave the hideout.
Yuzu gives Chad a look, "I'd like to go alone, if that's ok with you."
Chad shrugs, "So long as you stay out of danger, I'm good. Just give us a call if anything bad shows up."
Yuzu thanks the older boy for giving her some space and turns to leave before suddenly stopping. The girl looks back to the tattered cape on the table and walks back and picks it up.
Candice gives her a look, "If you plan on using my old cape as a costume for that pervert, I'll have to say no."
Yuzu sees the woman wearing a look of mild disgust and discomfort.
The girl shakes her head, "No. But I might want to integrate it into a new outfit for myself."
The green-haired woman shrugs, "I can live with that."
Yuzu smiles before taking her leave.
Karakura Town
Yoruichi is perched on the top of a fence along the side of the road, beginning to give up on talking to Yuzu by herself. The cat was beginning to think that forcing a direct confrontation would be the only option. As fate would have it, the cat's ears perk up at the recognition of a young girl humming some type of melody (Sailor Moon theme song, if you know, you know). The cat turns their head to find the girl in question dressed in some kind of sailor uniform, skipping along the road, carrying a plushie in her hands.
"Now's my chance!", the cat leaps off the gate, right in front of Yuzu, startling her so much she stumbles, falling on her butt, having instinctively activated Blut Vene when she hit the ground.
Yuzu stares at the cat curiously, which the cat returns locking eyes with the girl.
The cat opens its mouth and what comes next causes Yuzu's eyes to widen in mild shock, "Yuzu Kurosaki… I have been monitoring you for some time now. You and your family are of great interest to me, so I have become concerned to find you associating with such shady people as those women and the man with slicked back hair."
Yuzu's expression becomes more serious, the cat taking note of how quickly Yuzu's surprise fades.
The girl questions, "Are you the enemy of Candice and Mr. Ginjo? I won't listen to you if you are, they're my friends!"
Yoruichi notes how Yuzu didn't count the other woman in the list of friends, before shaking their head, "No, I do not currently consider myself their enemy… but—"
"Wait!" Yuzu cuts the cat off, her eyes widening in recognition, "You're the cat who was with the shady candy shop guy at the funeral! You're one of dad's friends!"
Yoruichi is mildly surprised by how observant the girl was, as their initial judgement of the girl was that she was far too emotionally absorbed in her own feelings to have noticed her father's friends. In fact, Yoruichi only recalls Karin looking in their direction out of the two sisters.
The cat lets out a sigh at being found out, "Indeed, Miss Kurosaki. As you know, your father is quite the… unique individual, so as such he has amassed a collection of unique allies, such as myself."
Yuzu's eyes narrow as she considers something. The girl quickly scans the area for any signs of reiatsu or bystanders. She can feel a few Shinigami nearby but judges them to be out of earshot.
The girl sighs before phrasing a question very carefully, "Are you… a Shinigami?"
Yoruichi's eyes relay an expression of dread, finding that their suspicion was not unfounded.
The cat composes itself before giving an answer, "I used to be… but not anymore. Where did you hear about the Shinigami anyway?"
Yuzu's breathing becomes a degree more uneasy, "From my father…"
Yoruichi can't believe what they are hearing, recalling that Isshin specifically told them that Yuzu knows nothing about her spiritual heritage. Yoruichi runs through multiple plans in their mind, considering telling Urahara and Isshin.
Yuzu then phrases a statement that causes the cat to drop all such considerations immediately, "If you are a Shinigami, just arrest me and be over with it. I won't sell out my friends."
Yoruichi is mildly confused, seeing a look of absolute resolve in the girl's eyes that is reminiscent of her parents.
Yoruichi then recalls who Yuzu was with the night White appeared, "Ryuken… no!"
Yoruichi's gaze falls back on the girl, still standing there with resolve as the cat swears it can see the plushie on the ground next to her twitch, "She's chosen that path… I would like to tell Isshin, but after that Mod Soul situation, he is surrounded by Shinigami at all times… the Soul Society still sees us as criminals, so regardless of what happens, if they catch so much as a whiff that this girl is what I think she is, then her entire family is at risk of being arrested and executed!"
The cat hangs their head, "No, I will do no such thing. I can see the path you have chosen is one riddled with danger. As someone who wishes to protect their friend's daughter, you have put me into a difficult situation where the best-case scenario requires my silence. As it stands, Isshin can't yet know that you are… that you are…"
The cat struggles to say the words, as if the mere mention of them is associated with great peril.
Yuzu looks at the cat dead on, ever with resolve, "I am a Quincy, like my mother was."
The cat shakes its head again, "I can see that, but you'd best avoid saying that in public, girl. Honestly, I would prefer if you went home and forgot about all this…"
Yuzu shakes her head at this, "No can do, Luna! If I quit now, it will only put my friends in danger, and I refuse for anyone to get hurt because of me."
Yorucihi snaps back at the girl, "Ok, first of all, my name is Yoruichi, not Luna! And secondly, what about you?! You could still get hurt, and I couldn't face your father again if that happened!"
Yuzu gives an innocent looking smile, "Then you'll just have to guide and protect me, like Luna does with the Sailor Guardians!"
Yoruichi sweat drops, "You're comparing me to a magical cat from an anime?"
Yuzu nods her head, "Yes. You and Luna are both black, talking cats who watch out for the young schoolgirl with powers. I even have the outfit on today and everything!"
This prompts the cat to sigh, "Fine, whatever you say… but please, for your father's sake, spend more time with Ryuken instead of that other group. They aren't your family's friends. I don't trust them."
Yuzu gives a contemplative look before answering, "I guess I can do that… so long as you don't want me to stop seeing them entirely."
Yoruichi sweat drops, thinking to themselves, "Actually, I do want that, but I know that's too much to ask of you at this stage."
Yoruichi finishes, "I don't think I have to tell you to keep quiet about our meeting here."
Yuzu nods, "Your secret's safe with me!"
Ishida Estate
Both Yuzu and Yoruichi arrive at Ryuken's Manor, the girl knowing exactly who she wants to approach to help with Kon.
Yuzu asks one of the servants, "Have you seen Uryu around?"
Before the servant can answer, a voice calls out, "Kurosaki? Where've you been? I thought you wanted to do Quincy training this weekend… I looked around town, but I couldn't find you."
Yuzu turns and sees her older cousin, Uryu Ishida, with a surprised and irritated expression on his face.
Yuzu rubs her neck sheepishly, "Oh, I already did some Quincy training today! Sorry, I didn't tell you."
Uryu's eyes widen in shock, "You mean you trained with Ryuken?!"
Uryu can't believe it, but his disbelief is soon increased by the girl's next words, "No… Uncle told me he'd be busy with surgery today anyway. I guess you could say I found some other people to help me out…"
Uryu is shook by the implication that there are still Quincies alive other than the three of them.
Yuzu recalls her plans with Yukio, regarding the boy, "I heard that you were in the Sewing Club, can you help make a cool costume for Kon?"
Uryu shakes out of his momentary shock and scoffs, "Sure, I can help you with your stupid project."
Yuzu pouts at this, "Kon isn't stupid! He's just a bit silly sometimes…"
Yuzu then widens her eyes before jumping in excitement, causing those around her to sweat drop.
"By the way…", Uryu decides to add, "What is Kisuke Urahara's cat doing with you? Don't tell me you're actually planning on collaborating with the Shinigami?"
Yuzu's eyes widen, not realizing that was the candy shop guy's name, looking to Yoruichi for an explanation.
The cat shakes their head, "Quite the opposite, young Ishida. I want to protect Miss Kurosaki just as much as anyone else in this house. And besides, the Shinigami still view Kisuke and I as criminals."
Uryu stumbles backwards, "Ahh! The cat can talk!"
Yoruichi sighs, "Come now, I thought you already knew that. And considering you deal with hollows normally; this should hardly be surprising to you."
"Yeah, Uryu, calm down. It's not a big deal…" Yuzu's face looks a bit disappointed in her cousin at his dramatic display.
Uryu adjusts his glasses, embarrassed, "You're both right. How careless of me…"
At this, Yuzu giggles a bit.
Uryu growls, "What's so funny?"
Yuzu states, still giggling, "I was wrong. I always took you for the serious type like Uncle Ryuken, but you were closer to dad just now, I think!"
Uryu feels a bit offended at being compared to his father at first, but lets out a sigh, "Just… let her have this, Uryu…"
Yukio's Mansion, Naruki City
The triad arrives at Yukio's house, Yuzu being surprised to find that it was another Western styled mansion. A servant walks out, unlocking the gates for them before escorting the group inside. As they are guided upstairs, the trio can't help but notice that the mansion feels eerily vacant.
Yukio awaits them at the top of the stairs, raising a brow at the sight of the added company, and shrugs, "No one can monitor what goes on in this house… I've had electronics placed throughout the walls, so I can use my ability at any time…"
Yoruichi and Uryu seem confused at this.
Yuzu takes this opportunity to introduce Yukio, "This is Yukio—one of the people who helped me train earlier! Kon, you can stop playing dead now."
Uryu is once more shocked to find a walking, talking plushie, "Ah! It's alive!"
Yoruich shakes their head, "I heard about you from Urahara…"
Yuzu, for whatever reason, just realizes something, "My dad has you watching me, doesn't he Kon?"
Kon, gets on his knees and starts begging, "Please Yuzu, he can't find out I blew my cover!"
Yuzu gives the lion a friendly smile, "Of course I won't. My powers have to be a secret to him, remember. We're accomplices."
This works in calming the plush down.
Yukio interrupts, "So, are you guys going to talk all day, or are we going to give Kon here some proper clothes?"
Uryu and Yuzu give the boy a nod, as Yoruichi decides to find a comfy looking area to lie down and nap, although still observing the boy carefully.
Yukio shows Uryu to the cabinet where he stores his 'raw material', which prompts the teenager to complain, "There's only black and white fabrics! I can't work with this! Go get some more colors!"
Yukio shrugs, "I thought you were an expert… or are you saying you're not good enough to work with limited resources? Talk about Skill Issue…"
The boy's taunt causes a vein to pop on Uryu's forehead, "Why you! I'll have you know I am the most efficient member of the Sewing Club at Karakura Highschool! Everyone comes to me when they need something sewn! Black and white fabric for Kon? Child's play!"
Uryu, faster than the naked eye can perceive, grabs Kon and sews black and white fabric vigorously.
"Done!" Uryu declares, showing off his work.
Yuzu sweat drops and Yukio snorts.
"What is something wrong?" Uryu asks.
"I… I don't know. How do you feel Kon?" Yuzu instead asks the plush the question, prompting Uryu to give him a small mirror.
"Ahh! I want to look like a superhero, not a punk rockstar!", the brown of Kon's mane was replaced by black while the light brown of his face what white. His torso was alternating black and white.
Yoruichi decides to comment, "Indeed. You'd fit right in with one of those Western rock bands. I'm not so much a fan of their music myself, but I have a friend who would like the look."
Yoruichi thinks of a certain man with long blond hair.
"Hmm… superhero, huh? Well, I just thought you wanted cool, but I can make the necessary modifications." Uryu proceeds to vigorously work on Kon once more, while Yuzu can't ignore something in the corner of her eye.
The girl notices various black hats in the cabinet as well as white masks.
Uryu follows the girl's gaze, "Those were other aspects I considered for my outfit before settling on what you see now… I don't really have any use for them."
Yuzu grabs one of the hats and masks before approaching Uryu, prompting the teen to stop his work and face the younger girl, "What are you—"
Before he can finish his sentence, Yuzu has placed the hat on his head and mask over his glasses, before she grabs the mirror and shows Uryu his reflection, "See, you look like Tuxedo Mask! The super handsome vigilante who always makes sure Sailor Moon is alright!"
Uryu sweat drops at this, "Uh, thanks…? But what exactly does this have to do with Kon?"
Yuzu pouts, "Well, I am Sailor Moon, while Yoruichi is Luna. Yukio is… well, he can be Jadeite I guess, we need a more villainous character. You and Kon can share the role of Tuxedo mask!"
Yukio shrugs at this, "Yeah, I'm down being the villain. So, how's this game work?"
Yuzu shakes her head, "Well, first I want Uryu to finish Kon… please?"
The girl wears puppy dog eyes as she looks at her cousin.
Uryu gives Yuzu a curious look before sighing, "Fine, I can finish up with Kon, but don't expect me to play!"
Yuzu once more shakes her head, "Oh no. You and Yoruichi just need to shout some supportive lines. Tuxedo Mask's lines must be especially cool and romantic…"
Yuzu swoons, prompting Uryu to raise a brow, "Right… and this is strictly play, correct?"
"Of course!" Yuzu answers Uryu with a friendly face.
Uryu turns back to finish working on Kon, now having ample reference material.
Yuzu addresses Yukio once more, explaining the rules, "You said you have screens throughout the house, right?"
"Correct." Yukio states curiously, not understanding what she's getting at.
"Well, basically I want you to use them as traps, y'know with virtual enemies and what not! Once it looks like I'm surrounded, Luna and Tuxedo mask will call out in support, and I will get my second wind and defeat the enemy! It'll be fun!"
Yukio thinks about this for a moment, "You're right, that does sound interesting. I'm down."
The three others sweat drop, finding Yuzu's 'game' to be more akin to training.
Yuzu glances at Uryu's finished product, "Oh Kon, you look just like Tuxedo Mask! Everyone else is gonna be so jealous!"
Kon doesn't look fully convinced, "Well if you say so, kid. I can live with this look."
"Alright let's…" Yuzu pauses.
"What?" Yukio asks, almost finished with the preparations.
Yuzu pulls a tattered, balled up white fabric from her backpack, before handing it to Uryu.
"This thing's totaled…" Uryu murmurs as he inspects the piece of fabric.
"Yeah… that used to be a cape—a very important cape to me… but I forgot to take it off during training, so this happened."
"I see…" Uryu nods, "And what would you like me to do with this?"
Yuzu grabs the blue handkerchief on her outfit, "Could you please make one of these out of it? Maybe add some Quincy flare to it too?"
Yuzu looks at him with puppy dog eyes again.
Uryu scoffs, adjusting his glasses, "Of course."
The teen is caught off guard by the girl embracing him, "Thank you so much, Uryu!"
Before the teen can react, Yuzu turns to Yukio as the two start playing their game.
Uryu, returning to his work once more, pulls out a smaller sewing kit from her the inside of his jacket—his personal emergency kit for situations such as these.
As he pulls out a already pre-made blue handkerchief, he grumbles to himself so that the pre-teens can't hear, "Kurosaki, you punk. How dare you go and die while leaving a sister as young as her behind…"
A Few Hours Later
Hours later, Yuzu finally had her fill playing in Yukio's virtual world, or perhaps more accurate—virtual fortress.
Uryu hands Yuzu a blue handkerchief with white highlights, "For some reason, lightning bolt markings formed along the sides… must be something about the fabric you gave me."
Yuzu looks the handkerchief over, indeed finding two lightning bolt markings on each side. The girl removes Riruka's handkerchief from her cosplay before slipping the new one around her neck, fastening it, before looking in the mirror to see the markings below each of her shoulders.
Uryu adjusts his glasses, "I can try taking them out—"
Yuzu interrupts, wearing a steadfast expression, "No. I like it like this…"
Uryu shrugs before walking out of the room. Yuzu decides to let Yukio know about what she and Yoruichi discussed.
"Tell everyone back at the hideout that I decided it was dangerous to hang around with them so often… I'll try to stop by at least three times a week, but I'll be staying with Uryu and Uncle from now on…", Yuzu looks almost sad to say this, while Yoruichi nods in approval.
The boy is silent for a moment before answering, "No sweat, I get it. But you'd better make good on that promise. I wouldn't want you forgetting about us… hold on."
Yukio considers something else, "They won't like this very much…"
Yuzu nods, "That's why I'll try and come by at least three days. Make sure they know I'm not shirking my training…"
Yukio sighs, "That's a lot to ask… but I'll do it."
Yuzu nods, giving the boy a brief hug before bidding him farewell, following Uryu out of the house alongside Yoruichi and Kon.
Ishida Estate
Upon returning to the manor, the group tries to be covert, not making too much noise as to avoid waking any of the servants or Ryuken, since they saw his car parked outside. Suddenly, the light of the main chandelier comes on, revealing Ryuken looking down at them from the top of the main staircase.
The man calls out in a somewhat condescending tone, "I was wondering where you had gone, Uryu. I hope you haven't wasted this day trying to teach my niece about the Quincy Craft. She has nothing more to learn from a talentless individual like you."
Uryu barks back, "Oh yeah? We'll it's certainly better than for her to learn from strangers because you're too much of a coward to teach her yourself!"
Ryuken raises a brow, "What do you mean by this?"
Before Uryu can respond, Yuzu steps forward, trying to be a mediator, "Please stop fighting! I don't want to be the reason your family breaks apart too!"
Yuzu has a sad, desperate look on her face.
"Kurosaki…" Uryu backs down, only having caught glimpses of this side of Yuzu—the deeply scarred little girl whose family fell apart once her brother died.
Ryuken shakes his head, "My niece, the relationship Uryu and I have is already broken. Each and every day I consider disowning him entirely."
Uryu growls at his father in response while Yuzu casts a saddened gaze to the ground.
Ryuken continues, "But out of respect for you wishes, I will refrain from antagonizing my son while you are here."
Ryuken glances at the suitcase next to Yuzu, as well as the cat sitting next to it.
The man's eyes narrow at the sight of the cat, "Yoruichi… so you ignored my wishes…"
Yoruichi glares back at Ryuken before shaking their head, "Partially. She will stay here at night to better keep up the front that you are taking care of her for Isshin—"
Ryuken cuts the cat off, "I am taking care of her."
Yoruichi is silent before responding, "She must have neglected to tell you she was training with those people I tried warning you about last time."
Ryuken briefly shifts his cold gaze on Yuzu before regarding the cat once more, "That is purely a Quincy matter. You have no place meddling in it. I will see to it that she never associates with them again—"
"No!", Yuzu cries, taking everyone else off guard.
Ryuken narrows his eyes, "It's for your own good, girl. We've been over this."
Unlike last time, Yuzu refuses to back down, "You should know by now, Uncle, that I am unable to let someone else get hurt because of me! I'll—"
Ryuken raises his hand, "That's enough… I can see I was too lenient in the amount of freedom I gave you. I thought giving you more freedom would help you start to see things from Isshin's perspective, but it seems I was mistaken… We'll continue this conversation in the morning."
Yuzu looks down in dread, something that rubs both Kon and Uryu the wrong way.
Uryu snaps at his father, "Ryuken! Who are they anyway? You said that we were the only Quincies left, but then I found out Kurosaki's mom was a Quincy too! Now, I am hearing that there are even more Quincies I don't know about?! Explain!"
Ryuken adjusts his glasses, "Have you ever considered that some Quincies left Japan in the wake of the purge 200 years ago? What do you think became of them—that they simply died out? No… the Quincy have been hiding in plain sight from the Soul Society for hundreds of years; we are not so easily killed. That much should be obvious, even to you, Uryu."
Uryu's expression contorts into one of deep contemplation.
Yoruichi decides to speak up, "Do you mean to tell me that the Soul Society could still face a potential crisis by the hands of the Quincy?"
Ryuken shakes his head, "I never suggested anything of the sort—only that it was possible that more Quincies than my family and that of the Kurosakis would have survived the purge… you've surely noticed their foreign appearance, haven't you, my niece?"
Yuzu nods hesitantly, realizing that Candice and Bambietta seemed like foreigners since the first time she met them.
Uryu decides to phrase a different question, "Ok, that explains that, but how could Yuzu ever possibly learn Blut so quickly? Her father isn't even a Quincy, so she shouldn't be Echt!"
Ryuken's eyes widen briefly before narrowing. Yuzu looks at Uryu, confused what her bloodline has to do with it.
Ryuken is silent, prompting Uryu to wear a disgusted expression, "I know now that you still must've felt love in your heart for Kurosaki's mom… don't tell me that you and her mother—"
"How DARE you suggest that Masaki was unfaithful towards her husband! You don't know the first thing about her, boy!" Ryuken, uncharacteristically, roars at his son.
Both Uryu and Yuzu wince at this sheer display of rage.
After a moment passes, Ryuken exhales loudly before readjusting his tie, "I'm uncertain about the exact details of Yuzu's conception, or how exactly her powers work, but I know this much: Masaki and Isshin are her parents—and that goes for Karin and Ichigo as well. So, the next time you assume something you think you know—don't."
Ryuken turns to leave before glancing at Yuzu, "You are welcome to stay in any of the guest rooms you'd like, my niece. You mother's old room is the third door to the left of where I'm currently standing… goodnight."
Ryuken walks deeper into the mansion out of sight of the group.
Kon finally decides to speak now that Ryuken is out of earshot, "What a dick…"
This prompts Uryu to nod in agreement while leaving Yuzu to feel conflicted. The girl grabs her bags, and starts walking up the stairs wordlessly, followed by Yoruichi and Kon.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow then, Yuzu. Goodnight." Uryu calls out to her, but she doesn't respond, not even acknowledging the boy calling her by her given name.
The girl opens the door to the room Ryuken says was her mother's and exhales before walking in and turning the light on. She looks to the right to see a picture of her mother under the lamp. In the picture, Masaki, holding two babies, has one of the kindest smiles Yuzu has ever seen. Next to her is Isshin, bawling his eyes out, wearing one of his signature goofy expressions. Next to Masaki, holding onto one of her arms and wearing a proud, toothy smile is a boy with bright orange hair.
Tears start to fall from Yuzu's eyes as a result of this, "Oh, Ichigo-!" Yuzu collapses on her knees placing her face in her hands as she starts to weep uncontrollably.
Kon starts to comfort the girl, patting her back, while Yoruichi closes the door behind them, using the momentum of a jump from the doorknob. The cat expresses sympathy for the girl as well, through their eyes.
Karakura Cemetery
Meanwhile, in the Karakura Cemetery, there stands a brown-haired girl, wearing a white dress. Notably, she also wears a large white hat that obscures half of her face. There is a crackle of thunder as rain begins to pour onto the cemetery; however, the girl is unaffected, as the rain seems to slide around some type of barrier surrounding her figure. She looks at a grave, which she was strongly drawn to, with a neutral expression. A bolt of lightning occurs, bringing momentary light to the gravestone that reads 'Ichigo Kurosaki.'
Author's Note:
Ryuken and Yoruichi have to both be very careful in how they handle Yuzu at this point, as telling Isshin might do more harm than good, knowing how he would drop everything to help his daughter… the thing is, Karin is now in the clutches of the Soul Society, so his hands are kind of tied… (I'll bring that up in a later chapter).
Ryuken is also quite adamant, in that he wants any and all secrets of the Quincy to be kept from the Soul Society. I believe a big reason his plan with the silver arrow worked in canon (from a lore perspective) was due to his not so much as mentioning the Wandenreich or Yhwach, which would make the Soul Society unaware, and by extension it would make the Wandenreich unaware of any potential of Ryuken acting against them.
The next few chapters will wrap up this first arc and will continue to focus primarily on Yuzu. After that, the story will appropriately shift its focus on White and Hueco Mundo in general. My intention is that the 3 separate plotlines will converge into a big, explosive arc down the line, which will require appropriate set up for each of the Kurosaki children.