Shinji stared at the hollowish creature before them, his eyes wide.
"K-Kensei?!" he whispered as he shielded Hiyori. The hollow let out a deafening roar, before lunging forwards at them. Shinji put up his zanpakuto, but something leapt in front of him and blocked his former friend from attacking.
"Kensei!" she cried, her voice full of many emotions, "Don't hurt them!" The hollowfied captain fell back with a roar, before charging again.
"Aiko, what are you doing?!" yelled Shinji, "Get away from here, he's not Kensei anymore!" Akio glanced at him, tears just barely held back,
"I can't." she said, trying to keep her composure as she stared at the hollow once known as Kensei, "I really can't…" The hollow slammed into her, sending her skidding backwards across the ground. Aiko gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing to Shinji and Hiyori for a moment, "Hiyori, are you okay?" she asked, noticing the couple of scrapes and cuts on the girl's body.
"Onee-sama this isn't the time to ask me how I'M doing!" she snarled, watching as the hollow slammed into her again and again. Aiko could hear the fear and pain in Hiyori's voice, she could relate to it. My beloved… she thought as she stared at hollow-Kensei's face, Please do not be gone from me… Aiko blinked back tears that threatened to spill, her body almost convulsing with sobs, Kensei…
"KENSEI!" she suddenly cried, "Stop, please!" He's still in there, somewhere…there's a chance I can reach him…I know it! Aiko couldn't help the tears that flew freely down her cheeks, as she stared at him. He slammed into her again, his face inches from her own. "Fight it!" she yelled at him, "Come on Kensei, and fight it! I know you're stronger than this!" she struggled to stay standing, "Goddamit, fight!" The hollow reeled backwards, letting out an angry cry. Aiko couldn't tell if her words reached him or not, but she wasn't giving up. "KENSEI!" she yelled, even as he thrust out an arm and sent her staggering backwards, blood dripping from her lips, "Kensei!" She fell to her knees, her vision totally blurred. She felt his footsteps in front of her, and she didn't move, "Please…" she whispered, "Come back to me…"
"KENSEI!" screamed Aki, jolting awake. She sat bolt upright, her body drenched in a cold sweat and her face wet with tears. She sluggishly wiped at her face, the whole time thinking why do I continue to dream this? Who are these people? And why does it hurt me so much every time I see it? She shook her head in a dog like fashion, trying to shake off the emotions clinging to her from the dream. "Ugh." She muttered, lying back down, "I hate recurring dreams…" She closed her eyes and went to sleep.
RING RING BRRRING!! Aki slammed her fist down on the snooze button with a groan, cursing the fact that she had to get up. She slid out of bed, wiping the sleep from her eyes and stumbling towards the dresser where she pulled out her outfit for the day.
She had just buttoned her jeans when the alarm clock shot off again, making her cry out and do a strange tap dance as she fought to keep her balance and make it to the alarm so she could turn it off. She did so and then hopped down stairs, her eyes falling on her roommate, who was watching the news. He grunted in greeting as she plopped down beside him, a piece of toast dangling from her teeth.
"-strange explosions have been happening across town, with no apparent cause of explanation. We will now go to Tsuchi Amaraki for more," said the female new reporter sitting at the desk, her serious face and her perfect makeup contrasting perfectly. The picture then changed to show a man standing outside of a strange looking shop that said "Uruhara Shouten"
"Just near this neighborhood were the reported explosions, though no one in the vicinity can explain them or the cause…" he continued to go on, but Aki zoned out. Explosions, huh? she thought, strange. Aki got to her feet,
"Later," she said as she turned to the door. Her roommate didn't even answer, which didn't surprise her as he wasn't one for talking much.
Aki walked into the grocery store, donning her apron and plastic little apron along with a distant expression. Lately the dreams she had been having were becoming more vivid, and they were beginning to scare her. She wasn't sure what they meant, or why she was having them, only that they caused her to wake up with a scream and a feeling of loss and immense sadness.
She ended up working the back room today, which meant she could relax and stay zoned out. Aki wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery of her dream, so she could move on and maybe get a good night sleep for once.
As far back as she could remember she had been plagued by the dream, and her memory of far back was short. Supposedly she suffered from a type of amnesia caused by intense physical and emotional shock, and as proof of such, she couldn't remember from what.
I could have a family out there somewhere… she thought as she rearranged some items on a dusty shelf, I could be some wealthy aristocrat or princess for all I know she laughed at the last thought, before sighing heavily and sitting down on a crate. I really wish I could remember… Even if it's something bad, I want to remember…
"Hey, Aki!" called a male voice, "We need clean up on aisle 4!" Aki stood up and went to the doorway,
"Yeah, all right!" she answered back, grabbing a broom and making her way towards the mess.
Someone had knocked over a glass container of coffee grounds, and they were all over the floor. The culprit was nowhere to be seen,
"How surprising…" she muttered as she swept the grounds into a pile. Aki then went back to the room to get the dust pan.
As Aki walked out of the room, she heard a guy whispering,
"Okay, it says… chips, soda, more ice…" She caught only a glimpse of short silvery hair as he walked by, which she thought was kinda strange but not enough to make her nosy.
Aki swept the coffee grounds into the dust pan and carefully walked towards the garbage can, making sure not to spill it. She had just gotten out of the aisle, when someone walked right into her, sending her to the floor and the coffee grounds to fly through the air while the dust pan clattered to the floor.
"Agh!" cried the bumper as he dusted off his clothes, "watch where you're going you-" he stopped as he stared down at her, his eyes wide.
Aki stared up at him, taking in his short hair, eyebrow piercing, basketball tank top, baggy pants, and punk expression all at once. She got to her feet, her eyes and his meeting.
"Aiko?!" he whispered, his eyes full of shock. Aki stared at him, before suddenly backing away, her hands to her head painfully.
As soon as he had said that name, it had felt as if an ax had come down on her head. She backed up into a shelf, sending cans to the floor. "Aiko!" he cried again, coming forwards.
Just when she was within fingers breadth Aki pulled away and went stumbling down the front of the store, suddenly frightened and upset at the same time. Her head was throbbing and her vision was mixed with different colored dots.
"Aiko!!" she heard him yell, but before he could chase after her, she had disappeared out the door and up the street, her lithe build and fear making her run like a cheetah.
She didn't stop running until she got to her house, and when she got in the front door, she locked every lock and fled up the stairs past a bewildered roommate and into her room.
Aki fell to the floor, still cradling her head in her hands. What's happening to me?! She thought as she gasped for breath, Why do I hurt?
Kensei's P.O.V
It was Aiko, he was certain of it, somehow. He couldn't believe it, she had come back after all these years, but why did she run away? He jogged down towards the hideout, is it because of what happened so long ago? He wanted to chase after her, find her, explain to her what had happened, but he was afraid to. As tough as he was, he was terrified of her not wanting him anymore, for her to reject him.
Aki's P.O.V
Aki had fallen asleep curled up on the floor, overtaken by many images and sounds. She kept seeing the face of the man from earlier in her head, and then kept coming back to the same dream she always had.
When she had woken up, it was morning.
"Ugh…" she groaned and sat up, "What happened?" Aki pushed her long dark hair out of her face as she took a few deep breaths. Was all of that a dream, or what? "Oh crap!" she suddenly cried, remembering herself fleeing her work, "What am I going to say to Yomada?" She jumped to her feet and ran out the door, and I'm late!
Aki ran down the street, her hair flying back in the wind and her strides long and powerful. People around her only saw a blur as she ran past, leaping over items that blocked her path and dodging people.
As she passed by the park, the ground beneath her feet exploded, causing her to roll head over heels and somehow on reflex land on her feet again. She spun around to see a huge hulking creature standing over her, sunlight pouring onto her face through the hole in its chest. It wore a white mask in the shape a spiders face, and it had many legs. Her mind flashed the image of the creature from her dream, along with the word, 'hollow'.
"A hollow?" she whispered, staring up at it in frightened awe, "What's a hollow?" The monster laughed,
"What's wrong little shinigami? Don't you know what I am?" Aki staggered backwards,
"W-what?" she asked, her eyes wide. The hollow thundered forwards,
"Hn. Well you will find out soon enough in my belly!" Aki screamed and ran for it, the hollow on her heels.
It reached out and threw her ten feet, causing her palms and knees to get scraped and bloody and the breath knocked out of her. Her head also hit the asphalt, causing her to black out for a second or two before she was able to snap out of it. She rolled onto her back just as it leapt into the air, ready to crash down on her and kill her, but suddenly a voice cried out,
"Blow, Tachikaze!"
The hollow exploded and shattered into tiny pieces that disintegrated as Aki watched, leaving her lying on the ground panting. She let her head drop onto the ground with fatigue and pain, her eyes falling on her savior. It was the man from her work, and he was walking towards her.
"Aiko…" he said, his voice echoing as she passed out.
Everyone's P.O.V
"Hey Kensei, did you get the-" Love stopped as he saw the unconscious girl in his arms. His jaw dropped and his eyes went wide behind his sunglasses. "A-Aiko?!" Kensei dipped his head in response as he walked into the compound,
"Yo, Hacchi!" he called, his voice serious and grim. The large pink haired man lumbered forwards, his eyes falling on the girl and filling with tears,
"Aiko!" he whispered, watching as Kensei lay her down in front of him.
"She's got wounds…" said Kensei, kneeling down beside her, his hand brushing her cheek, "Take care of her, Hacchi."
Aki's P.O.V
Aki jolted awake with a scream, her dream attacking her again. She quickly snapped out of it and realized she had no idea where she was, only that she was in a small room like area.
Where? she thought, and how? She suddenly had a flash back of earlier, and a clear image of the man again. Kensei she thought, that's his name… Aki got to her feet, that mean's he knows of my past… and probably why I don't remember it!
"Hey," called a male voice. Aki froze and spun around to see a blonde haired guy with a bored expression watching her. Aki recognized him immediately from her dream as well, and his name suddenly popped in her head,
"S-Shinji?" she whispered confusedly. He looked surprised as he waltzed towards her,
"So you recognize me then, Aiko?" he asked. Aki shook her head,
"My name is Aki, not Aiko…" she protested as if it was the answer to everything. Shinji sat down across from her,
"Hn. Okay then, Aki," he muttered. Aki sat down too,
"What's going on here?" she asked, "Who are you people and why do I keep dreaming about you?" her voice rose with frustration and anger, but she kept herself in check. Shinji smiled,
"This is going to take a while…" he closed his eyes, "First tell me what you keep dreaming about, and don't leave out any details…"
Aki nodded and began.
Later
Kensei's P.O.V
"So?" Kensei asked his bare arms over his chest. Shinji eyed him,
"Well, it is her, but…" he sighed, "she seems to have lost most of her memories." Kensei hissed through his teeth, glancing away sharply so not to show the pain of Shinji's words. "She claims to have constant nightmares about…" he paused, not sure if it was wise to go on. Kensei looked him in the eyes and read the answer,
"Me." Shinji nodded, placing a hand on his friends shoulder,
"In time, she might remember everything…but it can't be certain. I'm sorry Kensei." Kensei closed his eyes, fighting to keep in composure and not let his rage and or sorrow take over, Aiko, my Aiko… he thought, Why? "Kensei," said Shinji, causing him to open his eyes, "Go and see her…" Kensei shook his head,
"No. I'm the cause of her nightmares… If I go to her, she'll probably run away again."
"Not this time," replied Shinji, "I explained a lot of it to her… She won't run." He pushed Kensei towards where Aiko was staying, "Go." Kensei took a deep breath and began to slowly walk towards the room, his room.
Aki's P.O.V
Shinji had left her alone to mull over what he had said, as well as to let her sort out her own emotions and thoughts. Aki finally understood what was going on.
Once, she had been Aiko Yurumeshi, a shinigami like Shinji and Kensei, but something happened and Kensei turned into a hollow. He had gone on rampage and killed her; at least, that's what they had all thought, until today. Somehow Aiko had ended up here in the human world, where under a high amount of physical and emotional pain she had lost her memories, even though they were trying to come back through her dreams.
Now that she had that much covered, she began to explore the room and the few items that lay around. There was an old basketball on the floor, a couple of shonen jump magazines, and a mattress that served as a bed. Aki went and sat down on the bed, her sensitive nose catching a somehow familiar scent.
She suddenly froze as she felt eyes on her back. Slowly she turned around, to find Kensei watching her from the doorway, his eyes showing his shock as he looked at her. Aki stared at him, feeling a mixture of emotions. She felt pity for him, because it was obvious he was guilty for what had happened, and also she felt a strange feeling she couldn't explain, one that made her want to run into his arms, even though she felt he was a stranger.
Kensei didn't move from the door way, obviously hesitant and afraid of her running away. Aki smiled at him reassuringly,
"It's okay…" she said quietly, "I'm not going to run." She patted the mattress in gesture for him to come in, the emotions in her blazing.
Kensei took slow steps towards her, his eyes serious and sad. He took a seat at the far end of the mattress, his eyes on her the whole time.
"Do you really not remember anything…but that day?" he asked quietly. Aki nodded,
"Yes…" Kensei sighed and looked away, his hand curling into a tight fist as he tried to control his emotions. Aki stood up and silently came towards him,
"You probably think me a monster… seeing me only in that one memory," he muttered, "You're afraid of me, right?"
"No." she answered, kneeling down in front of him, "I may not remember you…" she reached out and put her hands on the sides of his face, tilting his head upwards so he was looking at her, "but I know what I feel." Before he could move her lips crashed against his, causing his eyes to widen before slowly closing. His arms wrapped around her as she crushed her body against his, tears not belonging to him dripping onto his chest.
They broke away slowly, only to instead embrace in a tight hug.
"I wish I could remember, Kensei…" she whispered into his ear,
"You will, in time…" he answered back, pulling her away so he could look into her eyes, "And we have all the time in the world…"
They kissed again, before lying down on the bed; Aki snuggled close against his chest, his arms around her.
In minutes she was asleep, and for the first time in a very long time, she had no nightmares.
Okay, so that's it
I hope you liked it!