Sector JP, Part 6

Chapter 6: Karin Again

Sector JP Treehouse

Karin stepped out onto the balcony and viewed the city in the distance. It was a chilly, cloudy night, and wind breezed her short hair. After minutes of waiting, the spirit child with red eyes and hot pink hair, Yachiru, appeared. "Hello, Karin-chan!" the child beamed. "I see you're up and early!"

"Hey, Yachiru-san." Karin gave a light smile. "Do we have a job tonight?"

"Oh, you know the answer to that, silly!"

"Yeah…" Karin looked down and blew out some blue breath. "I have that chill-mouth. So, where are they?"

"Oh, just in the forest, a little north from here. It shouldn't take long. I promise you'll get back to bed in a jiffy!"

"Great. Yaaaawn," Karin stretched her arms and rubbed her eyes. "Man, when I get older, I never want a night job."

"You don't have to do it, you know. The Spirit KND has plenty of operatives, so if you'd rather stick with your own…"

"Thanks, but I can handle it. After all, it is my hometown. I feel like I have a responsibility."

"Okay, then! LET'S GO!" Yachiru flew under the balcony. Karin hopped up on the railing before jumping off.

Yuzu's room

Yuzu Kurosaki lay in peaceful slumber in hers and Karin's shared treehouse room. With both her halves at rest, she was unaware that the bed beside her was empty. "Mmmmm…" Yuzu moaned softly, shivering from a nightmare.

"Waaaaah!" She startled awake. "Oh, my! I had a nightmare that I forgot to put Jinta's clothes in the washer! Lord knows he needs it." "Chill out, Girl, he likes to stink!" Yuzu shrugged coolly. "But it isn't healthy for him. He might develop an infection." Yuzu contradicted. "So what? I never wash my clothes, and I smell like the boxing ring. Probly because I visit it every Sunday." "Well, that's nice." Yuzu replied with a sweatdrop. "Uh-?" She flinched, realizing she was conversing with herself.

Yuzu's right eye was bright and lively. Her left eye was shady and cool. Yuzu felt around her face. "Wait…" The livelier Yuzu spoke.

"You're…" The cooler Yuzu followed.

The girl pointed both index fingers at each other. "You're my other half!" "…Wow, it's nice to finally meet you!" Day Yuzu beamed.

"You, too! They been talkin' about you." Night Yuzu returned.

"This is so weird." Yuzu tipped a finger to her chin. "I wonder why this never happened before.

"Probly b'cause whenever I wake up, you asleep.

"But now that we're asleep at the same time, either one of us could wake up." Day Yuzu configured.

"Or both. It's so weird, I ain't even feel like I'm me. And… I am me, too. Like, more o' me.

"Hmmm… Well, now that we're up, I suppose we'll check on that laundry. I know I promised my friends I wouldn't work so hard, but-… Karin-nee?" Yuzu looked at the other bed. It was empty.

"'Guess I ain't the only gal with another side." Night Yuzu said.

"Oh, don't be silly." Day Yuzu smiled. "She's probably just getting a drink of milk. Karin always does, considering how loud she snores. Let's get some together."

Yuzu threw off her blanket and placed both feet on the floor. "W-Whoa-whoa…" Her legs wobbled as she tried to walk. "Ohhh!" She stumbled and leaned against the open doorway. "I'm having trouble!

"No, you making me slip!" Night Yuzu argued.

"I am not! Okay, let's take it slow. I'm right foot, you're left foot."

Yuzu took slow, steady steps down the hall, holding arms out to either side. "I think… we got the hang of it.

"Yah, but we still gotta hold weight… on the other leg, or we trip." Night Yuzu noted.

"I know… but it's a matter of taking turns, you know?" Day Yuzu smiled.

Yuzu made it to the laundry room and turned on the light. The basket was empty and the washer was still active. "Hoo." Day Yuzu sighed.

"See, you worry. Even with all the work you do." Night remarked.

"It's still worth it in the end. Hey, doesn't my body feel tired after I used it all day?

"Nah, I feel refreshed and rejuved or whatev'. Don' you feel pooped after my clubbin'?

"Well, you always seem to knock yourself out. Let's get that drink."

Yuzu limped to the kitchen and opened the fridge, working with her other half to pour a glass of milk. They stumbled and spilled a little, but managed to get a whole glass. "Still, I really enjoy having another half!" Day Yuzu said happily. "It makes me feel closer with my inner self. In fact, Yuzu, you may even be… my shadow.

"Wait, so I a shadowbender?!

"N-No, no. But me and Karin read a book that describes how people can get in touch with their shadows if they're going through trouble. And you don't even have to be a bender.

"Makes sense, 'cause they said you workin' too hard. What's a deal with that?

"Oh… It was because our mom died, so I tried to do all the housework." Yuzu blushed. "Now the others are helping me with chores. It's really sweet of them…" Her mind zoned out in reflective thought. She shook back to focus and said, "You know, Yuzu, you're kind of like a member of this team now, too. The sixth member we never had.

"Oh, cool! Does this mean I get a chapter?

"No, I think that's just for both of us." Yuzu blushed. "Still, you deserve some kind of welcome party. I should tell Karin-nee to…" She remembered how her sister was absent from bed and turned around. "Huh… I didn't see her on the way down the hall. I wonder where she went?

"I teeeell yoooou. Other half.

"Come on, Yuzu. I'm sure you of all people would be aware of that. …" The girl stared at the balcony thoughtfully. Both halves held the same look in their eyes.

Karakura Forest

Karin ran stalwartly through the woods, jumping every fallen branch and bush as she followed Yachiru, who was flying. Karin breathed, and her blue breath flowed out. "We're getting close now, I bet."

"Uh-huh." Yachiru nodded. "They're right here."

After rounding another group of trees, they found them. There were eight monsters with holes in their chests and skulls for faces. They had various colors and were on all fours like apes. The monsters smelled the girls' presence and turned to snarl at them. "Hollows. Same as ever." Yachiru said, glaring. "Wherever there's energy to feed on, it's all-you-can-eat."

"Disgusting monsters." Karin cracked her knuckles. "Want to eat me? Think I taste good? Well, get ready. Because I taste a little spicy!" She thrusted her arms to either side. Bright blue flames encased Karin's body.

A black robe with white edges, similar to Yachiru's, spawned over her body. She had blue flames around her ankles, and her body had a white glow. She grabbed her soccerball, tossed it in the air, and when her foot made contact, it became a burning blue ball that rocketed through two Hollows and destroyed them. The ape-like demons lunged at Karin, who dodged and smashed their masks with her kicks, causing them to disappear. A larger Hollow tried to grab Yachiru, but the small child ran up its arm and stabbed its skull, destroying him. She leapt and cut a thinner Hollow in perfect half. With two Hollows left, Karin and Yachiru exchanged pleasant nods. They charged an energy ray in both their hands, blasted forward, and destroyed the two simultaneously.

"Phew. Another easy job." Karin sighed. "Nothing big. Is there anything else to do?"

"Well, they did want me to hunt for Poes wandering the city. But Karin-chan, you should go to bed; it's not often we get a short job."

"No, it's all right. I need to work on my Ghost Sense, anyway. When those ghost pirates attacked us, I didn't see it 'til it was too late. If I don't get better, something bad can happen."

"Well, okay. But don't push yourself."

"Lemme just fly back to the treehouse, make sure there's no one attacking." Karin flew above the trees and toward the distant colossal tree. A gray bird was perched on a branch, and its beady black eyes seemed to zoom on the spirits.

She phased through the outside of the treehouse and became visible inside the kitchen—"Hu!!" She was caught within the peripheral vision of Yuzu's right eye—the sister looked over, Karin turned invisible.

Yuzu gasped and dropped her glass of milk. Karin floated still, but didn't dare become visible. Her ghostly heart was racing. "Di-Di-Di…Did you see that?

"Huh? Sorry, I blinked." Night Yuzu said.

"J-Just now… I saw… Karin-nee…

"Whut? Where?

"Well, it… looked like… nee. Did I imagine that? Or… did you imagine it? …Where is Karin, anyway?" She looked around.

"HIGH, Karin-!" Yachiru popped in.

"Sssssss!" Karin clamped the spirit's mouth shut.

"Hu!" Yuzu gasped. "I heard something! It sounded like a snake!

"A SNAKE? Dude, I want it!" Night Yuzu yelled.

"No! T-Turn on the light, and watch where you step!"

Panicking, Karin flew out of the treehouse with Yachiru in tow. She released the pink-haired spirit. "Huff, that was too close!"

"You almost blew your secret identity!" Yachiru said. "That means you'll have to work for Marvel instead of DC."

"Sigh… Okay, GOTTA be more careful with flying in the treehouse. Let's just go and catch those Poes. If Yuzu already knows I'm not in bed… I don't think it'll be safe to return." They flew to town.

Panda Bubba's Hideout

Ember McLain sat on an old, rotting couch, disgusted over the layout of this sewer lair. As she was tuning her guitar, a green light began to spawn beside her, with green molecules. "HUUUUFF!" Youngblood gasped. "You didn't even TRY to help me collect my particles?"

"It seemed like a chore."

"Well, thanks for nothing! You know how hard it was to clean the particles with spinach on the tastebuds?"

"Cease your mindless chattering!" Panda Bubba yelled at them. "He is here."

The entrance to the hideout opened. The black and white door guards bowed before the dark, burly robot, whose boots clanked forcefully with each step. "Lord Hannibal Bean." Panda bowed. "A thousand apologies for our humiliating defeat. Those children of Sector JP were stronger than expected. We-"

"Oh, what's life without a few bumps in the road?" Hannibal's country accent echoed from the robot. "I don't mind about the yo-yo so much, anymore. Rather… I am curious. In the story you reported to me, over JP's brisk invasion… you described and named a very peculiar operative. I think it's time for a long-awaited meeting."

Kurosaki House, the next morning

A rooster cawed, signaling the arrival of the sun. Karin Kurosaki woke up in the room she shared with Yuzu. Her eyes were still weary after the long night of hunting for Poes. With her faulty Ghost Sense, it took roughly three hours to find 12 Poes wandering the city, and it may not've been all of them. She was afraid Yuzu would catch her after being out so late, so she decided to retreat to their main home. I've gotta get better at this. she thought to herself. The elder twin climbed out of bed and to the hallway.

"KARIN-CHAAAAAN!" Her excitable father dove at her exuberantly.

Karin kicked up with her leg perfectly straight and struck her father upside the chin. Isshin Kurosaki was a pudgy man with standing black hair and a 5-o'clock shadow. His pajamas consisted of a black shirt, blue pants, and white socks. "Dad, this is why I like sleeping at the treehouse. I don't like dealing with this every morning."

He was quick to get up on his feet, smirking energetically. "You should get used to it, Karin! Danger can come at you when you least expect, so keeping your eyes and ears open is a must."

"The Kids Next Door gave me that training, plus more." Karin said as she walked to the kitchen. "An average adult like you wouldn't stand a chance."

"I'm sure you and your friends get into lots of life-or-death games." Isshin shrugged as he followed her. "You've been playing so much, when do you have time to spend with your old man?"

"When that old man stops being a lunatic." Karin glanced at a huge poster of a beautiful, orange-haired woman in the dining room. "When are you gonna take down that poster of Mom? I know it's in her memory, but it just feels… creepy."

"DON'T SAY THAT ABOUT MASAKI!" Isshin cried and pressed his body on the poster. "My dear sweet Masaki-chan, why did you have to leave!" He kissed the protective glass lovingly.

Karin stared with a totally weirded look. She heard a knock at their door and said, "I'll get it." When Karin answered, her sister greeted her with shock.

"Karin! There you are!"

"Oh, Yuzu. Hey, I… guess you saw me missing in bed last night?"

"So I wasn't dreaming!" Yuzu said scoldingly. "Karin, you tell me where you were right now!"

"Take it easy! I remembered this homework assignment we got and I left my stuff in our house, so I rushed down and tried to cram it in. Yaaaaaaawn." She smacked her lips after yawning, and there were bags clean under her eyes. "Took me all night."

"H…Homework?" Yuzu blinked in confusion. "Is that what… you were doing?"

"W-… Yeah. What'd you think I was doing?"

"I…I don't know." The two stared at each other for a while. Karin suspected she didn't believe the lie, and yet, Yuzu wasn't sure what she saw last night, either. "Well, I can cook you breakfast if you want."

"Not now. I wanna take a bath, then I'll probably take a quick nap."

"Oh… alright." Karin turned to head for the bathroom while Yuzu entered the house. "Oh, Karin? When you get done with all that, do you want to… go to the beach with everyone later?"

Karin stopped to let her finish the question. For a second, Yuzu believed Karin would make some excuse, regarding what she saw last night. But the elder twin turned and sported a smile. "Sure, Yuzu! It would be great to catch a few rays!"

"Hmhmhm!" Yuzu smiled back.

Once Karin was settled in her bath, she let her mind and body relax. She let her exhaust flow away like twigs in a river. Soon, she would get another mission, either at day or at night, so her chance to recover was now. Karin held her left hand above her floating head and stared at the palm. "Everything has a soul…" She thought aloud, softly. "People, plants, and objects… Everything that exists in this world has life. That's why we defend it all. Look closely, and you'll see the soul in everything."

Karin sat up and scooped water in her hand. "So does that mean this water has a soul?" She stared at the tiny serving. Her eyes, bleary from tiredness and the heat, narrowed on the water in her hand. She tried to see the soul it possessed… feel it… "Mmmmm." She let the water spill back in the tub before laying back. "I don't wanna deal with it now. I just wanna get my strength back… and spend it having fun. Don't wanna deal with this until night comes." She took a long inhale through her nose and released, making ripples on the water.

Karakura Beach

Karin and Yuzu played against Jinta and Ururu in a rivalrous game of tennis. Karin wore a black one-piece with big gray stripes down the sides, Yuzu wore a green- and yellow-striped two-piece, Jinta wore red shorts, and Ururu had a white two-piece with pink polka-dots. The only two determined players were Karin and Jinta, powered by a passion to beat the other. Yuzu and Ururu held their rackets ready just in case, but they made only weak bounces, while their leaders struck the ball more forcefully. "You've fallen for my trap NOW, Karin!" Jinta yelled, jumping at the ball just inches from the net to bash it over again.

Karin slid along the sand, hit the ball under the net, and let it land on Jinta's side. "You fell for mine."

"DARN IT! That was a cheap!"

"Strategy wins wars, too." Karin smirked.

Kodama released a firework that popped into a '5'. She wore a blue two-piece with yellow explosion designs and was knelt on the sand. "That's five points for Team Kurosaki and," she released one on the other side that popped a '3', "three for Team Lovers."

"I told you not to call us that." Jinta said through gritted teeth, while Ururu giggled.

"Just give me your snack money." Karin held a hand out.

"Fine." Jinta reached in his pocket and smacked the money in her hand. "I wanna grape bar."

"I'll decide when I get there." Karin walked to the snack bar.

Once she was far enough away, Yuzu put on a serious look and spoke to her teammates, "Guys, I need to talk with you about something. It's about Karin."

"Gossip 'bout Karin? I'm up for it." Jinta remarked.

"No, it's… I woke up last night and Karin wasn't in bed. I wondered where she was for a while, and when I got up to get a drink, I… thought I saw here. S-She was in a black cloak, but I only had a short time to notice before… she vanished. Then I heard a hissing sound that sounded like a snake, but there was no snake when I looked."

"A-Are you sure?" Ururu asked, quivering at the thought of a snake in the treehouse.

"I'm just saying, it was too weird for me to imagine both things. I found Karin in our house this morning, and she said she'd been doing homework. I think… Do you think Karin has something… that she's not telling us?"

"W…Whaddo you mean?" Kodama questioned.

"Well… like something she does only at night?" The others exchanged glances. They got the hint Yuzu was also referencing her second half. "I don't want to make any wild assumptions, but…"

"Guys, I'm back." Karin called upon returning with food and drinks. "I hope I remembered the flavors you wanted." She passed them to each of her friends. "So what were you guys talking about?"

"Uh… Yuzu was just telling us…" Jinta began, but paused midsentence as he tried to think. Karin glanced at Yuzu.

"About this hard homework she had to do." Ururu finished. "Yeah…"

"Homework?" That registered a subtle response in Karin's eyes. She stared curiously at Yuzu, who looked so lost with words, she wanted to put on the Tiny Devil and shrink away from her sister's vision. "Um… Alright, the score's 5-3, so let's see if Team Dollhouse can catch up." Jinta scowled at the new team name. After finishing their snacks, the second round began.

Downtown, that evening

"So Yuzu, you were really possessed by your other self last night?" Jinta questioned as they walked downtown under the twilight.

"Not really 'possessed,' more like… shared. And she told me about this soda bar she goes to, I figure we could check it out. I probably won't recognize anybody…"

"So that's why you were…" Karin said very lowly.

"What was that, Karin?"

"No, nothing."

"Are you really sure we should be out like this?" Ururu questioned. "What if the Brotherhood attacks our treehouse again?"

"No worries, I set up the Sooper Defense System." Kodama replied. "Let's just hope my grandpa doesn't decide to approach the treehouse and shout at me."

"I thought all those Brotherhood guys were supposed to be frozen." Jinta said. "How come last summer, they all decided to unfreeze all of a sudden?"

"Someone must have done it." Ururu replied. "When I was inside that Panda guy's office, he mentioned a name, but I don't… I think it was Lord Bea or something…"

Karin felt a tingle in her skin, but she wasn't sure why. "Either way, it's nice to have a day without missions or drama." Ururu said after a moment of silence.

"Yeah…" Karin smiled awkwardly. Just then, her cellphone started beeping.

"Whuh? A mission?" Yuzu asked.

The dark-haired twin pulled out her phone to see a skull icon on the screen. "N-No, it's… I'll be right back." Karin jogged down an alleyway, far enough from her team, but kept in sight so she didn't look suspicious. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hi, Karin-chan! It's me, Yachiru. I got in my Gigai and figured out how a phone booth works! At least, I think it's how it works. We're allowed to take the money out of the machine, right-"

"Get to the point, Yachiru!" Karin whispered angrily.

"Right, okay… I picked up a huge spiritual pressure in the forest again. It feels more like a Poe's soul than a Hollow. I wonder if it's the boss of the ones we captured? I would say I can handle it myself, but my teammates are busy, and he feels…"

"Sigh… alright." She hung up. "Guys, that was my dad, he got stuck under the hood while trying to fix the car. I gotta run home." She ran past her friends and down the opposite road.

"Wait, we can help, too!" Yuzu yelled.

"No thanks, bring me back a soda!" she yelled and kept running.

"…" The friends exchanged nods. "Did you bring it, Ururu?" Yuzu asked.

"Mm-hm." She nodded, dropped her backpack, and took the Tiny Devil out of it.

Karakura Forest

Karin doesn't remember the last time she became a ghost during sunset. The orange highlights on her hair complimented this form, and the view was amazing from up here. Yachiru was able to find her. "Sorry if I interrupted anything, Karin."

"Let's just get it over with. Where is it?"

"That way!" Yachiru was quick to point in a direction as Karin chased.

The younger spirit led below the trees, so Karin made herself intangible to phase through them. "RAAAAAH!" They gasped and dodged when a massive ghost lashed its scythe. The Grim Repoe wore a white cloak with narrowed eyes in the dark of its hood, wore a necklace emitting purple flames, and a large white scythe.

"I'm guessing he's it!" Karin exclaimed before dodging the scythe. The Repoe twirled his weapon and created whirlwinds that blew around in circles. They caught the leaves from bushes and trees, which were directed at the spirits afterward. Karin squinted her eyes, unable to see in this debris, but saw the Repoe's slash just in time to dodge back. The front of her chest was scratched, and she winced with pain.

"YAH!" Yachiru yelped, striking the Poe from the side. The monster swung at her, but Yachiru shot upward and tried to stab her sword down, only for the ghost to counter with equal strength. "Karin, now!" The older girl kicked her ball, which caught aflame and struck the ghost's necklace. The Repoe flew through several trees and caused them to tear down, but the ghost was still strong.

"Kariiiiiiin!" a distant voice called. The Repoe perked up its attention, and Karin felt a skip in her heart. "Karin, where are yoooouuu!"

"No!" Karin yelled, growing tense at the sound of her sister's voice. The Repoe abandoned his fight and flew in the sounds' direction.

"Are you sure you saw her fly in here, Ururu?" Jinta asked as the girl floated normal size in her Tiny Devil.

"Who else would it be? She was just floating, talking to herself, and then she flew-" The trees ahead were suddenly chopped down. The Grim Repoe screeched at them.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" The kids screamed in utter and horrific shock. The ravenous ghost raised its scythe to stab down, but Karin flew in the way and blocked the blade with her own hands. It was painful, but her ghostly strength withstood, and she kicked a foot to hit the ghost's necklace with an Ecto Ray. When the Repoe backed away, Karin held her kickball, spun around and around while lighting it with ecto, then kicked it at the necklace with a more powerful burst. The ghost's body disappeared, leaving only the soul that came from the lantern. Yachiru trapped it in her bottle and gave thumbs up. "Mmm!"

Karin returned the nod and gesture. She then flinched, whipping around to view her gaping teammates. She glanced back at Yachiru, who shrugged. If her info was correct, her friends could not see Yachiru or any spirit. But they could see ghosts. Karin sighed and set foot on the ground, admitting defeat as she morphed back into her human form. "Hey… guys."

The friends were still awestruck, and the fact Karin would submit so easily was even more surprising. "…AAAAAHHH!" Jinta ran and hurled his fist across Karin's jaw. The girl stumbled away slightly, but recomposed as she rubbed her jaw and glared at her teammate. "AAAHH!" Jinta ran and swung punches at Karin left and right. The others covered their mouths and stared with silent horror. Karin made no effort to block his assault. "It's no wonder you never get tired if you're already DEAD!"

Karin finally grabbed his fist. "Cut it out, Jinta! I'm not dead, I'm… Well, I dunno what I am, but it's none of your business!" She shoved him away.

Jinta regained his footing and stated, "None of my business, my ass. Who's the girl that yells at me for disobeying her orders? The one who's always about having a good team, making sure the others pull their weight. Well, it's sure as hell hard to do that when you don't even let your team IN on stuff!"

"Augh! I don't wanna deal with this right now, so let's just go home." Karin tried to stomp past them, but Yuzu grabbed her shoulder from behind.

"Karin, why would you never tell any of us this? Me, of all people?"

"You're the last person I wanted to find out, Yuzu. With all the work you do, you would've gone bat guano crazy if you knew this."

"At least I would have a reason to! Don't you think your own sister would want to know if you were DEAD?!"

"I SAID I'M NOT- ugh! …" Karin clenched her teeth and shut her eyes. It was hard to process her words in her aggravation. "None of what I'm doing concerns you guys at all. But I've been doing this for a while, so you can rest well knowing that I can handle it."

"But this has something to do with where you're getting the ectoplasm, right?" Kodama questioned. "As a pyrotechnician, I need to know where I'm getting my illegal substances. (That doesn't mean I wouldn't still use them, but I still wanna know.)"

Karin released a calm, though annoyed sigh. Her teammates weren't going to let it slide. She opened her eyes halfway and said, "The truth is, I'm a Halfa."

"A Whata?" Jinta asked.

"Half-human, half-ghost. That's what they call us."

"'Us'?" Yuzu asked.

"Yeah, it's happened before a few times. If a human is hit with a large force of spiritual energy, they gain superhuman powers."

"Like metahuman?"

"Kind of, but more ghostly. Look, let's go back to the treehouse, I'll explain how it happened…"

5 years ago…

There were no clouds in the orange sky on a peaceful evening in Karakura Town. Masaki Kurosaki, a beautiful woman with a pink blouse and blue dress, walked her twin 6-year-old daughters up a white, stone stairway, carved within a grass hill. Her shiny orange hair had the same color as the sunset.

The top of the hill provided a lovely view of the town's main river, which glinted the fiery twilight. "Here we are, kids." Masaki said.

They were at a graveyard with solid white stones. It wasn't enormous, but there were still a large amount. "So many!" Yuzu said, her young, adorable eyes widened. A child as young as herself was still astonished by any big quantity.

"So, who died again? I forget." Karin said.

"Hm, nobody died." Masaki smiled and chuckled at the misunderstanding. "Well, a few of our relatives are buried here. But I mostly brought you kids to embrace the environment."

"Environment?"

"Yeah. All these people have died, sure… but I feel their spirits still linger. They leave a kind of energy and… essence."

"Sure they do. Their dead bodies are buried underground. Getting dirt in their bones and stuff."

"Karin!" Yuzu gripped and hid behind her mom's dress in terror. "Don't say things like that."

"But it's in my game, Zombie Hunter. Where zombies come outta the ground and you shoot 'em."

"I told Dad not to buy that game!" the younger twin shivered.

"It's rated E10. That's close enough to my age."

"Both of you are missing the point!" Masaki giggled.

"What? You mean about the ghosts?" Karin asked.

"No- well, yes… I just want you kids to understand what… spirits and ghosts are. Most children like you find them to be scary like the ghosts in movies. But spirits are gentle beings. They're one with nature. They're everywhere. They give humans the sense that we're never alone. And ghosts are the same, too."

"What's the difference between a spirit and a ghost?"

"That takes a little explaining." Masaki said sheepishly. "But I don't wanna drive you away from the main point. I want you kids to understand that, even if there's no one in the same place or room as you, you never have to feel alone. There will always be a spirit watching you."

"Like when I'm taking a bath? Ew!" Yuzu quivered.

"Not all spirits are respectful." Masaki blushed.

The family of three walked around the graveyard for the next several minutes. The children were merely skimming the names and dates on gravestones, not paying any sort of mind. They were really just bored and waiting for their mother to say they could leave. The sun was sinking lower over the horizon, so the opposite side of their bodies were shading.

Then Karin saw something pretty. It was a small blue light floating around the air. It glinted off her dark gray eyes. She smiled with curiosity and chased it. She climbed the short stone wall around the graveyard and chased it into the forest.

"Karin?" Masaki saw her daughter run off. "Karin, come back here! Don't just run off! Yuzu, wait here." The woman hurried after her older daughter.

Karin followed the light to an open area of forest, before it stopped and floated in place. She slowly approached and reached a hand up, even though she was too short to grab it. "Karin!" Her mother caught up. "Sigh, what has gotten into you?"

Karin turned around, still giving a curious smile as she looked up at her mother. …Karin frowned. Up in the trees above Masaki's head were a pair of glowing red eyes. "MOM-!" she tried to yell, but the monster came down, and everything went black.

Somewhere dark

Karin felt herself regain consciousness, but the world was still black. Her hands and feet were binded by huge cuffs as she lay on a table. "AAAAAAHHH!" Karin screamed when a green electricity shocked her through the cuffs.

"She regained consciousness." an old, hoarse voice spoke.

"Good." Karin lifted her head up. There was a bald, skinny old man in a blue uniform, and a huge dark robot with horns. The clanks of its metal boots echoed in the darkness. "Now we can finish our experiment." The robot spoke in a country accent.

"When do I get to eat her?" a dark voice that was behind Karin asked. "You said I could eat her!"

"In due time, Mister Lucy. First, I need to be sure…"

"Sigh…" The old man sighed. "I can't believe you persuaded me to work with these creatures. These… Hollows."

"The very reason I awoke you and Madame Rouge before the other villains." The robot said. "General Immortus, your knowledge is a gift. A man cursed into eternal life by the negligence of the Great Clock's caretakers. What Ah wouldn't give to have more people like you in my care. You said these monsters were very much like the Heartless Lord Gnaa awakened, correct? I wish to reawaken them myself. It could not be impossible, given what's coming."

"AAAAAHHH!" They shocked Karin with the green energy again.

"This same project was what Darth Genious intended to use to transform Emily Matthews into a Heartless. Instead, she became a half-ghost. An impressive feat, nonetheless. But I believe if I take it one step further, we can achieve different results."

The table began to shift vertically. Karin was gasping after so many shocks, yet it was surprising that her clothes were only slightly torn. The monster that she saw earlier crawled around in front of her. It was… some kind of huge two-legged fish with a skull face, glowing red eyes, and reddish-pink skin. Karin gasped: her mother, Masaki was tied up and dangling by his face from his angler.

"My Dear, allow me to introduce Lucifer." The robot smirked. "He is an Arrancar-type Hollow. How ironic, that the earliest known Arrancar in history would be a Nimbi. They were really God-heavy back then, heh heh. I thank you for helping me with this project, Lucy. You may eat now."

"Oh, it was my pleasure, Lord Bean. I'm always up for a free meal. I just hope it isn't as sour as my last one." The fish-like demon opened his mouth and moved Masaki closer.

"NOOOO!" Karin tried to shake free desperately, but the child was too weak. Tears streamed from her eyes. "MOOOOOM!"

"Ka…Karin…" The woman spoke lowly. Her orange eyes opened, and she saw her daughter's despairing look through the monster's teeth. Masaki smiled. "I'll always… be with you…"

Lucifer's teeth bit through the flesh and soaked red in blood. Karin choked on her own breath, unable to look away from the horrific sight. Lucifer munched the flesh, but he didn't seem to swallow anything. "BLUCH!" The demon spat the mangled corpse on the floor. "Oh, it is sour! It tastes like love! UCK!" The monster quickly brushed his tongue. "I can't possibly stomach that."

"No matter." said Lord Bean. "As long as she's dead."

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!" Karin's screams were mixed with the deadly green shocking. The transfer of energy didn't stop. It was touching her very nerves, her heart. Her despairing, turmoiled heart. She was becoming one with the darkness.

"I feel her darkness rising." Bean smirked. "One strike with the Darkness Cannon should close the lid." He grabbed a large black gun and charged its purple light.

A pair of sharp red eyes glared at them from the black ceiling. It leaped down, its target Lucifer. "Huh? UAAAAH!"

A sword cut down the middle of Lucifer's mask. The two-legged fish dispersed into darkness. "Lucifer!" Bean exclaimed.

"Augh, no great loss. That body was failing me. I'm returning to Mexico." His dark essence disappeared.

The mysterious figure chopped the Darkness Cannon, then sliced the cuffs binding Karin. She hit the floor, body still shining with a supernatural green. "Nnnnnnnn!" Pain overcame her, she couldn't push herself up from the floor.

Lord Bean grabbed Immortus and flew away with his jetshoes, pressing a self-destruct button. "This ain't the last you'll hear o' me, you brats!" And they were gone to let the hideout and everything in it explode.

…

Karin fell asleep again. Her body felt light and one with air. She thought her eyes were open, but she could see nothing, not even her own limbs. She had no idea she was descending through the very earth, deeper and deeper into the mantle.

Finally, she fell beyond a surface and had sight again. Karin looked up and gasped: she was falling into a pit of lava. She had fallen all the way into the Earth's core. Very slowly, but the danger was all too apparent. Karin flailed her young arms and legs, but the molten inferno awaited. The light grew brighter in her eyes. Unlike the beautiful sunset that matched her mother's hair, Karin saw death in that light. In just minutes, her weightless body would burn. She would be in Heaven with her mother.

A hand grabbed the ankle on Karin's left foot. The girl looked down (which was actually up). A child with hot pink hair, red eyes, and a black robe with white edges was floating. "I was wondering where you were! It's good that I came before you cooked like a turkey." She grinned spritely.

"Who…Who are you?!" Karin asked loudly.

"I'm Ya-chi-ru." She sounded the word with her lips. "Numbuh Crossbones of the Spirit KND. I came to save you from burning like cookies in the oven. Say the word, and I'll take you back to where you came from. Unless you'd rather die."

"No! No, I don't wanna die!" Karin panicked.

"What?" Yachiru blinked. "No?"

"No, I don't wanna die! I don't!"

Yachiru smiled. "Those are very important words for kids to know. Be sure and remember them when you're a grown-up." And fast as the wind, Yachiru flew up and through the earth's mantle, carrying Karin with her. The Kurosaki child felt her vision whip past the endless layers of rock, surrounded by so much force, but touching nothing.

Before she knew it, they were flying over the indigo skies of Karakura Town. "There. You can fly now, right?" Yachiru asked, releasing Karin's leg.

"Wh-Whoooaa!" Karin flapped her arms rapidly, her body shifting right-side-up. She looked at the thousand-foot drop beyond her hanging bare feet. She noticed the white glow around her feet. The same glow was around her hands. "W-Whuh…What is this?"

"You're a ghostie." Yachiru said in her childlike fashion.

"A ghost?" Karin turned to her.

"Well, you look ghostie. But I still hear a heartbeat from you." Yachiru's look was quizzical. "So maybe you're half-ghostie."

"I'm half-ghost?"

"Uhhhhh-huh!" She made a nod. "But a ghost is still a ghost! Wanna join the Spirit Kids Next Door?"

"The…The Spirit…?"

"The Spirit Kids Next Door is for ghost and spirit children. The other Kids Next Doors don't know about us because they're alive. The Spirit Next Door isn't for them. But then," Yachiru held either hand by her face, raising them as she named the respective topics, "you're a ghost AND a human. Humans aren't ghosts and ghosts aren't human. The Spirit KND is for spirits, and the Human KND is for… living people. Alive? Dead? Half-a…live. A Halfa! You are half a human, half a ghost!"

"Uhhh, I don't…" Karin was confused.

"I'm only teasing." Yachiru grinned. "We find Halfas all the time. There's other boys and girls like you. But I wonder what your power is?"

"Power? W-Wait, if I'm a ghost, am I… dead?"

"No you aren't. Or, are you? I dunno! But you can change back anytime you like. I'll teach you how, and if you want, I'll take you home. But it's gonna be trouble if you don't know what to do. Maybe I'll teach you how to use your power."

"You'll… teach me?"

"Yep! In time, you'll feel like you always had these powers. If you want."

"…" Karin stared at her glowing hands and feet. She hung in the sky like a chandelier. "…Can you teach me tomorrow?"

"Sure! I'll come back tomorrow night. Oh, and you will address me as 'Yachiru-san.' Since I am older than you, you'll call me '-san.' Or maybe '-sama'? Nah, just -san! Okay?"

"Okay. Um… Yachiru-san… where's my mom?"

"Oh… I had a couple operatives retrieve her body. We managed to patch her up, but… we couldn't save her."

She gestured for two more spirit kids to fly up, using an unseen force to make Masaki's body float. Most of the blood was wiped clean and the cuts were partly sewn back. Her mother was still beautiful in eternal slumber. Karin, her eyes trembling, slowly reached for her face. Her ghostly hand phased through.

"You might wanna morph back first." Yachiru blushed. "But not when we're so high up. Where do you want me to take you?"

"Th…The graveyard."

The spirits floated to the graveyard overlooking the river. No one, not even Yuzu, was in sight, so they floated into the forest. "MOOOOOM!" a familiar girl's voice yelled. "KARIIIIN!"

Yachiru helped Karin fly around some trees. They saw Karin's father, Isshin, and her sister, Yuzu, searching around frantically. "Yuzu, I don't think they're here, anymore." Isshin said regretfully. "We would've heard them by now."

"Sniff, sniff!" When Yuzu turned, Karin and Yachiru saw the heavy tears flowing from her eyes. "I'm so sc-sc-scared, Daddy! What if-, w-what if, they got eat by a zombie, buh-because Karin shoots them too much, i-in her game? If s-s-something happened to them, ah-I-; I wouldn't know what to do! Sniff, sniff!"

"It's gonna be alright, Yuzu." Isshin hugged the child close. "We're gonna call the police and round up a search party of all our friends. We'll get Jinta and Ururu to help, and we won't stop 'til we…?"

They heard a rustling of bushes and looked. Karin finally appeared, her skin and clothes scratched by the forest's natural obstacles. As she stumbled over the bush, her feet drenched in mud, she struggled to pull her mother's fallen body with her. "Oneesan!" Yuzu exclaimed.

"Karin!" Isshin said in surprise. "Is that…"

The two approached and saw the fallen body Karin was dragging. "M…Masaki…" Isshin's eyes began to water.

"Karin-chan-!" Yuzu clamped hands over her mouth. "What happened?"

"…She…" Karin's heart tinged at her own words. "She got mauled by a bear."

Sector JP; current time

The four friends forced their selves to retain their horrified feelings, especially Yuzu. "Well, that ends the sad part of it." Karin said, maintaining a cool look. "I didn't wanna distress my family even more, so… I kept it a secret. Yachiru met with me every night to help me master my powers. I didn't officially join the Spirit Kids Next Door, but I began to help her track down Hollows, the evil spirits they fight. I began to think it was my responsibility, so no one suffers the same fate. But my Halfa powers gave me an increase in my average strength, so I thought I would be good for the normal Kids Next Door. I guess I kinda… cheat in soccer, but that's beside the point."

"Karin-nee…" Yuzu's eyes trembled. The older twin could tell it was not because of the memory, but it was a look of hurt and betrayal. "Why…"

"Because, I didn't want you guys to make a big deal out of it. Aside from the everyday missions, you guys are always going through something like Yuzu's chores, Jinta's manhood, or Kodama's… insane nature." The fireworks expert shrugged. "We just get so stressed every day, and at the end, all we need is a good night's sleep so we'll be ready to take on more tomorrow. And before you ask, I still sleep fine; I don't gotta go out EVERY night."

"Humph." Jinta stood up and proceeded to walk away.

"What? Bored?" Karin remarked.

Jinta stopped, but didn't turn around. "…Always yelling at me to follow your orders? Huh. I don't have a shred of respect for you as my leader, anymore. What kind of leader blows off her team to hang with super cool GHOST PEOPLE?!" The boy whipped around and chucked his baseball at Karin, which she caught easily. "We're not cool enough to know about it, is that it?! You're embarrassed by us! It's a wonder you never get tired when we fight, you have an unfair advantage and you like to TROLL ME! All you're doing is TEASING us!"

His words made Ururu think back on their own talk. Karin replied, "Jinta, listen to yourself for a second and you'll hear how stupid you sound."

"No, I'm not. Because you don't trust us enough to let us in. You don't CARE enough about us! You're just…!" Jinta stomped a foot, "selfish! And I don't want you as our leader, anymore." Jinta turned and sat on the floor. "When I turn back around, I want to be out of this treehouse. You got it?"

"Jinta, I'm not going anywhere. I'm still you guys' leader, and you need me."

"BUT YOU DON'T NEED US, DO YOU?!" he turned his head and yelled.

"Of course I do! I just… I don't want you guys to exhaust yourselves more than we do!"

"Oh, so NOW it's 'we'?" Jinta questioned.

"YES, because we… ugh!" Karin smacked her forehead.

"Karin-san." Kodama stood up and faced her leader with a stern look. "If you really don't want us to get involved with this whole thing and let you worry about it… then we won't." She returned to the couch and lied on her back, resting her head on her hands. "We'll mind our own business and forget you ever said anything. Our lives can go on the normal routine. You with me, guys?"

Karin raised a brow at this. She looked around, expecting an answer from her teammates. Ururu looked like she didn't know how to respond. Yuzu was only facing forward, still heart-struck. Jinta still faced away. Karin said to Kodama, "You're being sarcastic."

"Maybe a little. But if you really don't want us to, we won't ask about it or get involved. If it was fine up to now, then I guess it doesn't matter. Can you all agree to that?"

"…Hmm… Fine, I guess." Jinta got up and came back to sit on the floor by the couch.

"Well, if you three think so, then… I guess I am, too." Ururu complied.

"Well… thanks." Karin said with slight surprise. "Yuzu?"

"…" The younger twin stood up and slowly walked toward the bedrooms. "I need to lie down…"

"…" Karin looked down in regret. She decided to take the unoccupied chair, sitting so her back leaned against the left armrest while her legs hung over the right rest. They flipped on the TV and watched whatever anime was on. "Are you guys tired?" Karin decided to ask.

"Uh-uh." They chorused.

Karin shut her mouth, figuring that question was awkward. She sat in silence in her own odd chair position. Her team may claim there's no more quarrel, but Karin could almost feel the tension, the thoughts they were all concealing. She thought that they should settle it completely, but felt that bringing it up again so suddenly would be awkward as well. "Hu!" A blue breath emerged from Karin's mouth.

She glanced at her friends. They were looking at her. The unchanged expressions that were Ururu's sad look, Kodama's curious, and Jinta's scowl, were facing her. "Karin-san." Ururu spoke up. "If you have to leave, you can."

"…Right." Karin swerved on her seat to get up, putting her shoes on before heading for the balcony. "Um… Good night." She said before closing the door. The friends continued watching anime, showing no concern.

"Man, One Piece is a boring show now." Jinta commented. "I'm switchin' to manga."

"Still better than Naruto." Kodama commented.

Outside

Karin flew several miles from the treehouse before stopping. She looked back at the treehouse, regret still tugging at her heart. She held her soccerball and stared at it; pretending it was shinier and bore her reflection. She was always afraid of the day they would learn her secret… revealing that story was hard for her, too. She cried so much back then… she was so afraid… She didn't want to feel that way, anymore. She wanted to master her powers so that she could become stronger. She needed to be strong, as the leader of her team. She forced herself to sound and remain cool while telling that story, so her team wouldn't believe she was still pained by the memory. But she didn't expect them to feel so betrayed by their own leader. Maybe keeping a stern and strong appearance wasn't enough. It isn't a matter of representing the team as the sure and steady leader. But Karin… wasn't sure what it was.

"Ahem." Karin turned and saw the ghost she had sensed. A teenage girl with flaming sapphire hair, dressed in black, and baring an electric guitar.

"Oh. You're the ghost from that brat's ship." Karin recalled.

"My name is Ember," she said offended, "and I'm only in his crew part-time. I still got a band who needs me, you know."

Karin's eye twitched; she hated how stuff lines up like that unconventionally. "You gonna fight me, or can I just catch you here?"

"No thanks. I'm actually here on business. My boss wants to see you." Ember smirked. "He said he knew you. And you know him. Hannibal… Roy… Bean."

Karin felt that same, brief stop in her heart. The same one she got from that Nighlok, Threezore. "By order of Lord Hannibal Bean…"

"Hannibal… Lord Bean…" Karin stuttered. "He's the Brotherhood's new leader?!"

"Yes, we appointed him after that crazy business with your leader, Cheren. So I guess you never learned, huh? Well, he was pretty surprised, too. After he arrived at Panda Bubba's hideout, Hannibal was surprised to hear your name. Karin…Karin… It was the same name that redheaded woman said before she died. That's what he said, of course, I don't know what he means. At the time, Panda was quoting something that Jinta boy said. I guess it's thanks to him that Hannibal found out. The words were, 'Eh, you're lame, Karin.'"

Ember saw how Karin was clenching her teeth in a forceful, furious fashion, and pressing the soccerball harder to her waist. "Why does Lord Bean want me?"

"He didn't say. So I guess if you want, you can stay here. What he did say was that you probably want to see him." Ember smirked. "For a lot of reasons. So, whaddya say? Comin' or what?"

". . ." Karin glared at the ghost teen. She hated her for saying all this. She wanted to tear up her molecules. But she knew she wasn't the one. "Alright."

With that, Ember flew beyond Karakura Town and Karin chased her under the night. In time, it became sort of a race, for Karin already knew where they were headed.

Hong Kong; Panda Bubba's sewer

Ember phased under the street, and Karin mimicked the action. They set foot on the hideout's floor. The sapphire-haired ghost casually walked down the corridors, and Karin calmly followed her.

When they passed through a door, they were in a hall where the Brotherhood villains were hooting and hollering at her. Panda Bubba, Tubbimura, Youngblood, Threezore, and Ember chose to join them on either side of the passage. Karin knew that Bean must've told them his own interpretation of the story, and they were excited to see the inevitable throwdown. If they were going to confront each other so simply, Karin wished he didn't make it a show. She hated these guys. The ghost child ignored their chants and walked to the room ahead. She opened the door and slammed it shut on the jeers. She faced the thin stairway in the dark chamber.

"I must say, I was almost certain you died back then." That country accent echoed from the throne up top. That dark, horned robot was seated. "But I see you're more alive than ever." The robot stood and stepped down the stairs, his boots clanking. "I am honored… Karin. I am honored to meet my result for the first time in years."

"UUUUGH!" Karin kicked her ball, which caught fire and struck the robot's chest. It fell on its back on the steps. Karin panted as the flaming ball rolled beside her.

A tiny hatch opened on the robot's "mouth." A small, red bean hopped its way over. "You've gotten so big and strong. I must say, you're beautiful."

"Uhh… you're really little." Karin said with disbelief.

"Oh, size stopped being a matter a long time ago. You don't need to be big to be strong, just like you don't gotta be a demon to be Demon Saint. It was a title I was given along with five others."

"Bean, why the hell did you want to see me?"

"To chat, of course. You obviously wanted the same, 'else you wouldn'ta come to see me. My bird, Ying-Ying saw you the other night. Fighting Hollows is your profession now. And I am no closer to making a Heartless. I wanted to surprise the Brotherhooders before I awakened 'em, but it seems it's what I get for holding off."

"But you're the Brotherhood's new leader, and I'm a genuine KND operative. I can catch you in a jar and fly you straight to Arctic Base."

"Are you sure? The knowledge of your Halfa identity would be very juicy to some people. And I could break out easy. Why not just hang out here with me and forget all this work? When you get older, you c'n be mah queen. And this can be our song." Hannibal pulled out a him-size radio and began swaying to its music.

"Yes, a lapdance is so much better when the stripper is cryin'." There were violin strums. Karin stared blankly, but Hannibal kept swaying softly. "Yes, a lapdance is so much BETTER when the stripper is-"

Karin gripped the little bean in her hand and silenced his song. "I'm not buying anything you're serving! Now, I wanna know what the Chaos Kin is! Ururu said your boys mentioned it, it's why you want the yo-yos, so what's this about?!"

"Hm hm hm." He smirked with his rotting teeth. "You have no idea what's comin', do you? Heh heh heh… HEH heh heh! HEH HEH HEHR HYAR!"

Karin bit her teeth and hurled the bean against his downed robot. "I'm stopping you once and for all!"

"Ah don't think so." Bean hopped into his robot's mouth and stood it back up. "Because you are mah experiment. My authority is absolute! You shall soon SEE!"

The robot lunged over and punched, but Karin dodged left and punched him toward the wall. She tossed her ball up and kicked it at him, forcing the robot against the wall. Karin flew forth, but Hannibal grabbed her fist in his robot's hand. She flipped and kicked him in the face to get free. Karin blasted consecutive Ecto Rays, but Hannibal evasively dodged and rolled over to grab her legs and toss her away. However, Karin recomposed, flew, and kicked the robot away. She landed on the floor and smirked at him.

"Serpent's Tail!" Tubbimura flew in and rammed Karin from the side with the ghostly item. Karin recovered to try and counterattack, then Ember strummed her guitar to hit her with sonic waves. She landed against Panda Bubba's Two-Ton Tunic, and the crime boss held her in place while Youngblood came to stab Karin several times with his sword, resulting in ectoplasm leaking out. Panda pushed her away, then Threezore wrapped her up in his tentacles.

"I may be a new leader, but I haven't forgotten the Brotherhood's philosophy." Bean said. "We are an army of freaks and inhumans. Together, we are unstoppable. And our teamwork is superior!"

Karin channeled her strength and burst free of the tentacles, lighting her fists with ecto and flying at Bean with rage in her eyes. The robot jumped and crushed her against the floor. He got off, and Ember shot Karin with a guitar ray that prevented her from turning intangible. Hannibal picked her up and hugged her to his robot's chest.

"Do you know why a lapdance is better with the stripper cryin'?" Bean asked darkly. "It's because tears, especially a woman's tears, are delicious." As Karin struggled to break free of the robot's arm, his other hand squeezed her cheeks. He was intending to squeeze out tears with the pain. "So much sadness and despair contained within little droplets. Tears are the final river that leads into the plane of darkness. I still want to make you a Heartless, Karin. I can squeeze the info of the yo-yo out of your friends later. That's it, Karin." Tears were leaking out. "Cry. Let me taste those salty tears."

Hannibal stood upright and ordered, "Fire up the Darkness Cannon!" as he still kept Karin in his grasp. "It won't affect me, but I want me a Heartless."

Panda Bubba hauled out the black cannon and aimed at the squirming Karin. The purple beam charged and would shoot. "THAT'S JUST CREEPY!" Jinta leaped in and SMASHED the Dark Cannon under his giant bat. He swung and knocked the panda away, Kodama's fireworks rained in and created a smokescreen over Bean, then Ururu flew in and punched the robot's head with Tiny Style, pulling Karin away.

"Aaaah-!" Karin stumbled after Ururu released her robe collar, and the Tiny Devil puffed to normal. "Guys! How did you find me?"

"Before we answer that obvious question," Jinta began as Ururu held up two fingers, "someone wants to say something."

Karin looked as her younger, light-haired twin approached. "Yuzu…"

"YAH!" Yuzu threw a smack and knocked Karin on her rear. "'The hell is WRONG with you?! Not telling your own sister you're a GHOST?! I dunno how I didn't see it BEFORE!"

"Wait… you're the other Yuzu?"

"Yeah. The main Yuzu is still upset, so I gotta fill in for her. Some leader YOU are." She folded her arms.

"Karin-san." Jinta marched up from her right. "Aren't you going to ask us something?"

Ururu was on her left and Kodama was behind, so the four kids were standing over their leader. Jinta and Yuzu scowled, Ururu was sympathetic, and Kodama looked inquiring. The four kids she had been on a team with for four years. Her teammates from Sector JP. Her friends. "Y…Yeah… Yuzu, Jinta, Ururu, Kodama?"

Then Karin was on her knees and bowing her head. "PLEASE HELP ME!! PLEASE!" Tears streamed from her face and hit the floor. "I'm sorry I didn't tells you guys what happened! I'm sorry I didn't let you in! But I can't do this by myself. I can't beat them all! I need you guys to help me! Please!"

Jinta stuck his foot under Karin's head to make her look up. "You're not a football, Karin. So get up off the ground before I kick you."

Karin got up on her feet and faced Jinta at equal height. Her face was still wet with tears. Jinta smirked at his leader, and Karin smiled back. "Oh, pardon me?" The five operatives made a scowl when Hannibal Bean spoke. "I do believe I said I was thirsty for tears. Well? Don't I get a taste?"

Karin kept turned away as her fists shook. "You wanna see my tears?" She whipped around and pointed at her eyes, "THEN HERE THEY ARE! I'm crying because my friends are here to help me! Not all tears are filled with darkness, Hannibal, but I bet you never learned that."

"Sigh, morals, morals." Bean sighed. "Oh well, they never stopped me. GET 'EM, BOYS! (And girl.)"

"Sector JP, battle stations!" Karin yelled. The gang split up to attack a choice villain.

Kodama placed fireworks down and launched them at Panda Bubba, but his "Two-Ton Tunic!" provided a perfect defense against the explosives. Kodama pulled out her bazooka and blasted deadly shells, but the panda remained tucked and safe in his armor. "Foolish girl! No powerful force can rupture this impenetrable armor!"

"Oh, so 'powerful' is the key word here. Then I guess I need the opposite!" The pyrotechnic unveiled a medium pink missile from under her robe, with images of a pink steam-like spirit. "Say hello to the Softwork! The stronger a force is, the more strength gets reduced!"

"But that's impossible! (And how do you hide that under your robe?)"

"Firing NOW!" Kodama launched the cracker and exploded the armored panda into pink steam.

When the mist cleared, the tunic appeared to be in one piece. "It didn't work!"

Kodama smirked. "Oh, look! Right when the English Patient was getting ready!" She pulled out the blue-striped, very slow firework, and threw it beside Panda. The fuse was very tiny now, but it took three minutes to completely burn. … … It was done. It made a very weak pop. "OOOOF!" It forced the weakened Panda against the wall and knocked him out.

Jinta ran and swung his bat into Tubbimura's belly, but he bounced the large weapon away. "Ha ha ha! That tickles!" The fat ninja laughed. Jinta roared with anger and threw a storm of rapid punches on the blubbery belly. Tubbimura wobbled and wobbled, his body molding like goo. He fell on his back as Jinta got on top, still punching as the space he was on grew more flat. "You're weighing this area down. You will smother in the area around it!"

The belly around that spot rose up and came over Jinta like a wave. The boy kept punching, trying to break free, he struck every area of gooey flesh he could. Tubbimura felt no pain, he knew his opponent would wear himself down. …Until: "OOOOOOHH!" Tubbimura's eyes popped open. "No! You have… found them…" He fell unconscious. Jinta escaped from the fat and stood proudly.

Yuzu Kurosaki was standing before Ember, exchanging smirks. "This is as far as you go, brat. I call this little number my Death Note!" The ghost turned her guitar's dial to face a skull in black flames. She strummed the instrument and caught Yuzu in its sonic wave. The girl was unphased. "No good? Well, a little higher." Ember turned her volume up and strummed louder. Nothing happened. "Grrrrr! HIGHER!" Ember turned up louder, but Yuzu withstood the fatal force. "HIGHER!" Ember played as loud as she could… the sounds of her own notes caused her to explode.

Yuzu pulled the earplugs out. "Didju hear somethin'?"

"YARRR!" Youngblood rammed her from the side and knocked the cook out. "That's for trickin' me to eating healthy, ye salty-"

"SHYAH!" Yachiru shot down and sliced the ghost boy on the cheek. Youngblood held the cut and glared at her. "You need to pick on someone your own age!"

"Well, ye cherry-haired puppy, Ay'll chop ya into juice and drink you whole!" He aimed his sword.

"EW, that sounds gross! Okay, bring it on!" The two engaged in a clash of their tiny blades.

Ururu swiftly flew around in her Tiny Devil and avoided Threezore's tentacles. She flew as far as she could, but the suction devices had no limit. "It's no use! The minute my tentacles touch this tiny fly's noggin, she'll lose her very SOUL!"

"Duh, but I thought we were hitting duh head?" the dumb head said.

"No, not her sole, her SOUL!"

"Say, did ya ever wonder why a romantic partner is called a soul mate?" the funny head began.

"Speaking of, you three deserve each other." Ururu said as she flew for the Nighlok. "How about you suck on each other!"

She zipped over their heads, and the twin tentacles caught the leader's and joking head's faces. They tried to force their selves off, but they sucked each other's minds dry. When the arms plucked off, both heads hung limp. "…Deeeeh… Boss?" The dumb head was the only one left.

"Neeeflllle?" Leader head asked.

"Nwwwwweeeeee." Joke head moaned.

"Deeeeh…" The dumb head became the new boss.

Yachiru and Youngblood's clash of swords was too epic for description or chapter time. "Yowch!" Yachiru yelped when Youngblood stamped his peg-leg in her foot, then he batted the sword out of her hand.

"YA-HA!" He pointed his sword at her. "Any last words before I skewer yer pretty face?"

She blinked. "You think I'm… pretty?"

"Er…" Youngblood thought for a second. "In a manner of speaking, aye…"

She smiled. "I think you're cute, too."

"Ye… You do?"

She nodded. Yachiru stared into his ghostly green eyes. Youngblood stared into her red ones. Her hot pink hair with a cute crossbone ribbon… His adorable pirate costume and silly accent. Their faces loomed closer. Young love would ensue between them.

Yachiru swiped his sword and sliced him in half. "Like I'd ever! BOOM! Right down the middle!"

Karin flew at Hannibal, who grabbed her fist, whirled, and directed her at the floor, but she phased through, came back up, and punched the robot to the air. She swung kicks and kept Hannibal airborne, then blasted twin Ecto Rays to force him against the wall. He fell on the floor and tried to stand, but Karin shot rays that destroyed his right arm and the left of his chest. The robot switched on its rocket boots and flew at Karin, grabbing to smash her on the wall. He pressed harder, almost intending to squash her into green goop.

"It's not just the Brotherhood you need to worry about! There're others who want people like you. People who like good specimens. This is a cruel world, Karin, it may seem happier than 20 years ago, but evil is still a thing. B'fore long, y'all brats will have to face something y'all never prepared for. Then you will be BEGGING for Lord Bean's aid!"

"Like hell I will, you unwanted VEGGIE!" Karin kicked both feet and pushed him off. As he still floated midair, Karin flew down, grabbed her soccerball, and sent it rocketing up at his pelvis. The robot smashed against the ceiling, and before Bean could recover, Karin shot up and stabbed her fingers through its chest. "Hado Number 74!" she announced as green lightning charged in her hand. "Ectoplasmic LIGHTNING!"

"UAAAAAAHH!" Hannibal took the surge of supernatural jolts as his robot was overpowered. The suit of armor exploded and blew a hole in the ceiling, exposing the night's stars. Hannibal landed on the floor as the four Sector JP kids (minus Yuzu, but including Yachiru) stood over him.

"Hannibal Roy Bean, next time you visit Japan, never go near the Kurosakis, OR Sector JP! Because now you'll see why we are the top sector!" They prepared to strike him with all their weapons.

"SCREECH!" A gray bird suddenly swooped down and caught Hannibal in its beak. His faithful spirit bird, Ying-Ying tossed her tiny master onto his back.

"THIS AIN'T OVER, you brats! I will free the Chaos Kin and save the universe! Then all mortals will BOW before HANNIBAL ROY BEAN! Uwuuuuh huah huah hwuh!" They watched the bird vanish into the sky.

"Save the universe? What's he talking about?" Jinta questioned.

"He's just crazy." Karin said. "But never mind him, where's… Yuzu!" She saw her sister knocked out on the ground. She rushed over and held her head up. "Yuzu, are you okay? Please wake up!"

"…" Yuzu's brown eyes opened slowly. "Karin-chan…"

"Yuzu… I…I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. You're my sister, so you deserved to be the first to know. It was my fault Mom died, and that you had to take her responsibility. I'm-"

"Chill out, Karin, I heard you the first time."

! Karin gaped. "Huh? …You mean-"

"It was me all along!" she revealed happily. "I make a pretty good impression, huh?"

"…Hahaha!" Karin smiled ecstatically. "Yuzu!" She hugged her younger twin.

After helping her to stand, Karin walked over to the pink-haired child. "Everyone, this is Yachiru, the girl I told you about. Yachiru, these are my friends from Sector JP."

"Where is she?" The humans chorused, looking both ways. "We don't see."

"Huh? Oh, that's right. You guys can only see ghosts. You can't see normal spirits or Hollows…"

Yachiru grinned and shot into Jinta's body. The boy screamed and squirmed before his eyes turned red. "Hello, everyone! I'm Yachiru! I was born in the 3rd Age KND and was the youngest member in Sector JP. I'm now leader of Sector BOO in the Spirit Kids Next Door. Thank you guys for watching Karin-chan for me. She was a good student, but boy is she rambunctious. It was good talking to you, but I better get outta this boy's body before he dies. … …" She stood still, and appeared to be stalling for time. "Okay, see you later!" She flew out, and Jinta gasped in desperate need of breath.

"OH GOD, my life flashed before my eyes!!"

"Bye-bye, Yachiru-san!" Karin waved. "I'll see you later!" The spirit child flew into the sky.

"So, what'll we do now, Karin?" Yuzu asked. "About your… night job?"

Karin thought for a second. "You know, maybe I'll level off a little with this whole thing. I should've remembered what I told you, Yuzu… we do everything as a team from now on. I want you guys to get your night's rest, but I want to get it with you. And if we find a way for you guys to see what I see… I want you all to fight these monsters with me."

"It's a promise." Yuzu nodded.

"Sweet." Jinta said, still feeling odd from Yachiru's possession. "Let's go home and get the ghost sweat off." He turned to walk out.

The four girls gaped at him. "Uh… J-Jinta-kun?"

The back of the boy's red hair was hot pink. He turned around, "What?"

". . . Nothing." They chorused. Jinta shrugged and walked ahead while they followed.

"Hey, whaddo we tell Dad?" Yuzu asked.

"Hmm… I guess he deserves to know, too. Sigh…" Karin dreaded what would happen.

Kurosaki House

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Isshin hugged his baby girl tight and shook her as he cried. "My little girl's been a ghost all this time and I never noticed! I should be ASHAMED as a father for not knowing my own daughter was dead!" Isshin grabbed the table and yelled, "Bad dad, bad dad, BAD DAD!" as he hit his head against it. "WAAAAAH-hah-haaaaaaa!"

"E-Easy, Dad…" Karin made a sweatdrop. "I'm not really dead, I'm just… Halfa."

"Sniff sniff, it's okay, Darling." Isshin wept. "You can go in peace now, because your family will always remember you. In fact, I had something made just for this very occasion. Sniff… I call it:"

He presented a giant gold statue of Karin in the back yard. "THE KARIN MEMORIAL!"

"HOW DID WE NEVER SEE THIS?!" the twins screamed.

"Well, Karin, you'll have one hell of a funeral." Jinta remarked.

"Uhhh…" Karin drooped. (Play "Life Is Like a Boat" by Rie fu.)

Sector JP: Cast:

Kate Higgins as Karin Kurosaki

Janice Kawaye as Yuzu Kurosaki

Cindy Robinson as Jinta Hanakari

Wendee Lee as Ururu Tsumugiya

Alese Johnson as Kodama

Sharon Mann as Cheren Uno

Charlyne Yi as Ruby

Erica Luttrell as Sapphire

Jennifer Hale as Panini Drilovsky

Dina Sherman as Yachiru Kusajishi

Hannibal made it to Japan and went to a girls' bathhouse to cool down from his defeat. He enjoyed every minute.

Tom Kenny as Hannibal Roy Bean and the American President

Tara Strong as Sheila Frantic, Anthony McKenzie, Maddy Murphy, and Ember McLain

Taylor Lautner as Youngblood

Kevin Michael Richardson as Panda Bubba and Isshin Kurosaki

Maurice LaMarche as Tubbimura

R. Bruce Elliot as Odama

Grey DeLisle as Chimney

Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Blinks

A gray-skinned creature with orange horns waits on Cleveland Beach.

Original Bleach characters owned by Tite Kubo

Published by Webnovel

Presented by Gamewizard2008

Sector JP: END