Perfect Imperfection (Mayuri Kurotsuchi)

Conversation

"Since I lived with Kisuke he was adamant about me never using a zanpakto and being careful not to over exert myself. I've even been told my cheeks turned red before." I walked up to my father.  "Dad, please, what happened that night?"

Dad stared at me. He didn't look surprised or speechless so he was expecting me to ask. He knew that this would happen one day when we met.

Dad sighed and, for the first time ever, closed all the books that were open in front of him. He stood up carefully and walked around the desk and stood in front of me.

"..." I looked up at him.

"We should go for a walk. You're going to need the air." Dad offered me his arm with a sad look.

I latched on and allowed him to lead me to the gardens behind the mansion. We walked in silence. It was obvious that dad was trying to gather his words. We walked into the garden and after taking two odd turns, dad sighed.

"The experiment that I was doing on you that night, wasn't really for your perfection specifically. It was more for your zanpakuto." Dad admitted, shamefully.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I thought the perfect girl deserves the perfect zanpakto. Yours was only water attribute, but what if it could change at your will. Of course,  to change your zanpakto I had to change some things about you."

I remained silent and waited for him to continue.

"Of course, I was so confident that this experiment would succeed. I used Phoenix blood to try and add to your zanpakto attributes. I didn't count that the Phoenix blood would try to restore the one it came from. When Kisuke showed up that night,  I injected it and almost instantly you started to turn into a Phoenix."

... We came to a garden relaxation  area but continued on walking.

"I had a cancellation shot on the table and Kisuke used it but apparently it didn't completely destroy all the Phoenix blood. From what I heard, something happen all couples years back and you got stabbed?"

I jolted." Yes, who told you?"

Dad seemed unwilling to answer." Nnn, Kisuke and Unohana on two different occasions."

"What about it?" Had Mayuri kept me for a long as a project and I just showed up somewhere? But he would have removed my zanpakto, right?

"Apparently you had transformed into a Phoenix. Caused a lot of damage. Kisuke said that he watched you transform back into yourself  after someone else calmed you down."

I came to a halt, causing my dad to look at me. Wait, so... who all knew? Kisuke, Unohana, Dad... Mayuri?! Did Mayuri know when he stabbed me? He definitely knew after.

"So the reason I can't use my zanpakto is because it aggravates the Phoenix blood and the blood pretty much tries to consume me?" It was slowly turning into noise.

"Yes."

My heart was speeding up as thousands of questions entered my head. "If I don't use my zanpakto?"

"You'll live a mostly normal life, it may show when you get frustrated or over exert yourself but no more."

"... if I choose to use it?" How could I be a crowned princess who couldn't use her powers? One day I would have to lead the Onmitsukidō, The Stealth Force, right? It has always been a head of Shihōin family.

"You have 2, maybe 3 uses before the Phoenix overwhelms you. And that point it could be you or the Phoenix residing in that body as a bird. As a bird." Dad stepped toward me.

I looked at him. He had tears in his eyes as he knelt down before me." I am so sorry. Forgive me, your daddy was too greedy. He has cost you your independence."

I looked around the garden. To think that only 120 years ago, Kisuke and I played here. I gave a deep sigh. " It's okay dad. I can't hate you. You wanted me to have the best chance, right?"

Dad blinked at me and began to whale, picking me up in a hug. "WAAAAHHH WHEN DID MY DAUGHTER GET SO COOL!"

Eventually Dad let me go and stopped crying. We walked back inside and parted ways. I went to what would be my room in this mansion. They didn't give me back my old one. It wasn't "befitting a crowned princess".

It was a grand room draped in the grandest purple and orange silk. The bed was a California king with descending steps. It was a room to behold and a room I felt guilty receiving knowing that it should be Yourichi's.

My thoughts were scattered as I changed and crawled into bed. My mind spun around the thought of Mayuri knowing about all of this and instead of saying something, he observed me like a test subject.