Experiments 7

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…

After getting approval from Orihime, the girls headed to the Kurosaki household.

"We should team up on that project we were assigned today." Yuzu suggested happily.

"Yeah." Karin agreed "More people would make it go faster. And the teacher did say we could work in groups."

They all agreed and began working.

Isshin Kurosaki made his appearance soon after the girls got to the house.

"Is anyone home? Daddy's back!" He entered the room and paused. "Well, it looks like my girls are making more friends." He grinned widely "That makes me so happy!"

Karin rolled her eyes "Dad, it's not like we don't have any friends."

He introduced himself to the girls, and as they introduced themselves he shook their hands.

Emerald felt a shock of energy as they connected and she sensed a deep power hiding in this goof ball of a man. Who exactly was he? It's no wonder Ichigo had such strong powers as well.

"Well now, are you girls staying the night? You could make blanket forts and tell ghost stories!" He exclaimed excitedly.

Yuzu giggled and Karin sighed "You never grew up did you? Besides, ghost stories are lame."

Her father, being defeated, slunk back into the kitchen.

"You don't believe in spirits?" questioned Sapphire interested.

Karin grimaced "Well I do actually, but they're just a bother."

Sapphire and Emerald eyed each other. What if Ichigo's sisters were "freaks" too?

What if they had powers as well?

"So you can see them then?" asked Sapphire.

Karin nodded "Yeah, but it's not as cool as you think. They do get annoying sometimes."

Yuzu whined "She's always had a special gift, but I can't see anything. Even our brother can…"

Karin interrupted her "Yeah, yeah, it must be a bad luck streak in the family to have two of us." She looked quickly at Sapphire and Emerald. "But, you guys probably don't even believe in ghosts."

Sapphire sat on the edge of the couch and kicked back cockily "Ha, if you think you're a freak then we're major freaks."

Emerald pushed her causing her to flop backward on the couch. "Don't pay attention to that one" she rolled her eyes calmly.

"What did she mean that you're major freaks?" asked Yuzu, "Do you see spirits too?"

The little girl looked hopeful and delighted to meet others with strange powers besides her family.

Sapphire looked up at her from the couch. "I only meant that I don't think seeing ghosts is all that weird." She paused feeling Emerald looking at her with cold beryl eyes. "I'm kinda in to all that occult stuff." She laughed nervously, and was spared further interrogation by Isshin offering them cookies.

Work on the project started, but suddenly Emerald went paler than usual. Grabbing her things in a hurry she ran towards the door.

"Where are you going?!" called Yuzu after her.

Jamming on her shoes she explained "I forgot about something I was supposed to do." She ran out and Sapphire turned to the two siblings.

"I think I should go after her, just in case. Thanks for everything!" She took her bag and followed Emerald out.

Catching up to her she called out "Emerald wait!" the girl didn't pause.

"Did you feel it?" the midnight haired girl asked as Sapphire fell into pace beside her.

"That weird spiritual pressure?" she replied. "Yeah, but so what? Chad probably already…" She stopped speaking as she realized where they were headed. "It was at home wasn't it?"

Emerald nodded as she continued to run. Making it to the bottom of the stairs they quite literally ran into Ichigo and Chad.

"What are you doing here!?" demanded Emerald glaring up at them.

Chad spoke first "We came to visit Orihime." His deep calming voice did little to set Emerald at ease.

"What happened?" questioned Sapphire just as worried.

Ichigo and Chad exchanged looks. "We don't know." Ichigo shrugged "She said it was nothing, but…"

Chad interrupted "But I thought I felt her in distress."

Emerald nodded "I'm sure it was nothing. You had better go now. Forgive us for delaying you."

She walked up the stairs quite calmly and Sapphire shrugged "Have a good day guys."

She too moved up the stairs slowly and entered the apartment to find Emerald was nowhere to be seen. Orihime stood in the kitchen staring into the sink at nothing.

"Are you ok?" she approached slowly so as not to scare the woman before her.

Orihime looked up. "Hm? Oh! Yes, I'm fine. I was just distracted a little." She paused moving to open the cupboards "I didn't know what to make for dinner is all, and I got lost in thought."

Sapphire sighed and moved closer. "Is Emerald in the back room?" Orihime nodded and the blue child leaned against the counter her arms folded. "What happened today?"

Orihime froze and looked almost lost. She shook her head slowly blinking as she recalled it. "I don't know."

Sapphire's brow knit and her lips drew to a hard line. "You don't know?"

Orihime closed her eyes "All I know is someone showed up claiming to be the one that hurt Uryu, but that's impossible… he… I could swear that… he's my friend too."

Sapphire looked at her in confusion and Orihime caught the look on her face. "I'm sorry. It makes no sense to me either. I guess I just need to think it over a little before I tell anyone." A sudden panic went through her features "Sapphire, don't tell Ichigo about this. Please, I don't want him to worry." She looked away thoughtfully "Especially in his current state."

Sapphire nodded "Sure, whatever you say." She looked at Orihime's fake smile and suddenly felt nostalgic. "You don't have to pretend to be ok in front of us. I know you think it's for the best, but I never had a mother. You are the closest thing I've ever had and it hurts when I know you're suffering, but won't share it with us." Orihime looked guiltily down at her. "Emerald can't express what she feels very well, but I can. In fact I do it a little too much. I wasn't taught to suppress my emotions, rather, I was taught to use them." She took a deep breath "So, I'll tell you this once and only once before I get pissed off. Emerald and I both care what happens to you and if you don't let us know what's going on, then we can't help you." She glared up at the orange haired girl and watched her nod slowly.

"I understand, but right now I don't know what's going on either." She looked dazed and very confused. "I really just need to figure this out first before I drag you two into it."

Sapphire shook her head "We're already in it."

Orihime nodded once more. "Yes, I know" She looked at the young arrancar mix and reached out to her, combing back her side swept bangs. "I'm sorry about your mother, but I'd be happy to fill in, if you'll let me."

Sapphire smiled. "You kind of already have." She blushed "I've thought of you as a mother for quite some time to be honest. And I'm sorry if I was a jerk at first. My dad wasn't the most sociable role model."

Orihime giggled "I suppose not, but it's ok. I don't mind at all taking care of you. I wouldn't mind taking you as my daughter."

Sapphire bit her lip. "Really?"

Orihime nodded "Yeah. I think you're wonderful. A little stubborn, but so am I."

Sapphire laughed. "Nowhere near Emerald though. She's too much like her father."

Orihime smiled to herself "Yes she is."

…

Later that night after the girls went to bed, Orihime called Chad to explain what had happened. She felt guilty for leaving them out, but then, she didn't know why to feel guilty. The effects of the attack were worsening and she was slowly losing what was reality and what was made up.

She kept her struggles from the girls as much as she could, but soon conflict would throw things into the open. Ichigo started to regain his powers, but Orihime wanted to help out as much as she could. This led to her being away from the girls for extended periods of time.

She found that it effected them more than she had thought. They grew jumpy and withdrawn. Emerald wouldn't stay in the house for very long when Orihime was at home and this raised questions in Orihime's already confused mind.

…

"Why does she run away?" she wondered out loud after Emerald exited the apartment one afternoon.

Sapphire paused with her spoon halfway to her mouth. She was sitting cross legged in front of the TV eating ice cream, when Orihime let slip the inquiry.

Placing the spoon back in the bowl she sighed. "Something is wrong with you and she can't stand to be around it."

Orihime had fallen under the effects of her attacker's power and Emerald knew her mind had been tampered with.

"Wrong with me? ... I don't…" She paused going through her mind and memories trying to decipher what could be wrong.

"That guy that attacked you left some sort of power on you, and she can sense it." Sapphire stirred the frozen treat in her bowl distractedly as she continued. "I'm also guessing she goes to train at Urahara's place a lot, now that she knows something is coming."

Sapphire stood and dumped her bowl in the sink. "I'll go find out."

Leaving the apartment she walked off in the opposite direction of Urahara's. "I'll take the long way." She murmured to herself.

She walked along the quieter part of town up towards the grave yard. It was always quiet up there so she liked it. Passing the graveyard she made it up to the hillside and flopped down in the grass.

"Should I be worried?" she asked out loud to no one.

Closing her eyes she envisioned what her father might say. "If something comes to fight are you gonna just lay there?"

She shook her head. "No, I'd fight."

His voice entered her mind again. "Then why aren't you training to fight it? Being lazy won't solve your problem."

She snorted. "I train a lot, but Orihime needs someone to look after her right now. I don't want to spend that much time away from her."

She could hear his snarl in the back of her mind. "Pathetic! I don't care what you feel about that girl, you were born to prove your strength and I don't see much of that."

She answered back with equal intensity "What if I don't want to fight!? I'm sick of being used as a weapon. That's all I ever was to Aizen and that's all I ever was to you! I don't want to be that way!"

She would have braced herself to be dragged to her feet and caused to look into his face, but the specter in her mind could do none of that.

"You're damn right you were just a weapon to us." The voice continued "But you are also my offspring and a direct representative of our strength. So get up and move. Something is coming and you need to be ready…you don't want to die do you? And leave that girl to weep over you?"

She sat up quickly. She hadn't thought about it that way. She raced down the hill and ran to the shop bursting through to the underground chamber. Emerald was standing in a fighting stance, sweat glittering on her brow and her breath coming in short puffs.

"About time." She spoke as Sapphire approached.

"I realized why you are working so hard, and that I probably should too." She watched as a smirk spread across Emerald's face.

"Then let's get to it."