I was eight years old, when I was lost both my kaa-san and my tou-san to a Hollow that came after the three of us. At the time, I didn't know what the creature was or why its odd energy made my skin crawl, nor why it cackled darkly, whispering to me that it was going to have a good meal that night. My parents and I had been camping in the mountains that week since school would be starting up soon. It was a family tradition we had every year and always I looked forward to getting out of the city just to spend time with her family since they refused to work for that one week. But that year, it turned out differently...
It was the last day of our trip and we decided to go for a midnight walk, another tradition we had just so we could enjoy the wildlife around us as they went on with their lives without disturbing them. It was during this walk when I heard something like a large twig snap and a roar in the distance. I turned to look behind me, but I saw nothing, having stopped in my tracks because of it. I turned back around after my parents asked me what was wrong, and I had asked if they had heard the noise. Before my parents could answer me, it happened again, that time though; it was louder, as if a tree had been snapped in half and shook the entire forest. My parents stiffened at that, their forms rigid as they looked down at me in surprise. I had curiously wondered what was frightening them, since their eyes were wide in fright as they glanced at one another. My tou-san said something to my kaa-san as the ground began to quake and the dark footsteps began to get louder. I felt a shiver run down my spine, the hairs on my arms and neck had stood on end as I asked my parents frightfully what was going on. Turning to me, I felt my insides grow cold at the somber looks on their faces.
My tou-san pushed something into my trembling hands, telling me in a rushed, hushed voice to find a shrine and hide in it. He had also told me not to come out until I saw them or when the negative energy disappeared. When I asked them, in a trembling voice; what to do if I didn't see them or if the bad energy didn't disappear, my kaa-san turned me to her and told me in a gentle voice that I should wait five minutes before opening the phone in my hands. She told me to press one of the buttons on the phone and wait until someone answered. She then told me that I was to tell them that there was a creature known as a 'Hollow' in the area and that I was the child of Yamauchi Daichi and Yuri. While the footsteps decreased the distance between it and us, my tou-san squatted to my height so he was right next to my kaa-san before he told me that he loved me and that he and kaa-san were going to protect me.
The last thing they did was bringing me into a tight hug while reminding me that they loved me before pushing me into the forest, away from them while telling me to wait ten minutes before using the phone and to run without looking back. I had always listened to my kaa-san and my tou-san, even then, when I was worried about their safety, I listened. As I ran, I silently begged for my parents to come back safely, but in my gut, I knew that I wasn't going to see them again. While I ran, I found a shrine and took refuge in it just as it started to rain; the clouds were dark as if something else was controlling them. I huddled in one of the small corners of the small shrine and waited ten minutes. I stared at the numbers on the clock of the phone while tears streamed down my face. The bad energy hadn't disappeared yet and still no sign of my parents. With shaky hands, I opened the phone and pressed the button my kaa-san told me to use, listening as it rung, tears streaming down my face as I pressed the phone against my ear. A few seconds later a voice asked who it was and I replied in a quiet, shaky voice.
"Ya-Yamauchi... Sa-Sayomi..." I whimpered out as a tree crashed somewhere in the forest near the shrine I hid in, "Ya-Yamauchi Dai-Daichi and Ya-Yamauchi Yu-Yuri are my tou-san and my kaa-san... they said... they said..." I broke off as a sob rippled through my mouth and more tears ran down my face. The voice on the other end paused in mid irritated sigh, before asking what was happening, "Kaa-san said a thing called a... H-Hollow is n-near here..." I sniffed, trying to gain some control over my emotions, though even I knew it was useless, "B-But kaa-san and tou-san told me to run and hide... they said... they said to use this phone to get help... Is kaa-san and tou-san alive?" I asked frightened at their answer.
Then the voice sighed again, but I heard something in the background before it was quiet on the other end. I asked if anyone was there and when I got no answer I started to panic, asking frantically if there was anyone on the other end. But before I could ask again I heard a loud screech from the forest and shook in fear, covering my ears while huddling into a small ball. A few minutes later it was quiet and the bad energy was gone, but I wasn't alone, for there were other energies out in the forest. I waited for a few minutes, not daring to leave my spot of security, the phone laid forgotten on the floor, for my hands were occupied with covering my ears. I felt two different footsteps on the floor of the shrine as they stepped up the stairs, opening the shrine doors, only to pause as the people took a look around the place, trying to spot something before stepping inside more.
A few seconds passed before I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, causing me to jerk back and hit my head against the wall when I looked up in fright, only to have the male in front of me catch my head before I hurt myself. I was first greeted by a male with long white hair and gentle green eyes. He was dressed in a black kimono with a white haori over top of it. Behind him was a taller male with wavy brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail and gentle grey eyes. He was wearing a black kimono with a white haori, and what looked to be a pink flower patterned kimono over top of the haori. His face, along with the one with white hair in front of me read relief and sadness while they looked down at my frightened form.
"Are you Sayomi-chan?" he asked me in a gentle voice and I found myself nodding my head uncertainly after he moved his hand again while he knelt down in front of me, "I'm Ukitake Jushiro and the man behind me is Kyoraku Shunsui. We knew your otou-san and okaa-san." He told me softly and gave me a gentle look, seeing as I was still trembling, "You must have been scared Sayomi-chan. I'm sorry about your okaa-san and your otou-san..." he whispered sadly, telling what happened to my parents without actually saying the words.
The realization brought fresh tears to my eyes as I launched myself at the male, Ukitake and started to cry into his chest. I always needed some sort of comfort whenever I cried, for I needed reassurance that everything was going to be fine and he was the only one there within arm's reach. My fears had been confirmed, my parents were killed and I no longer had anyone to go to. My parents told me a long time ago that they had left their homes behind to be with one another and in doing so they had no contact with the rest of their family. I hadn't minded until then, for now I had nowhere to go, even though I did have an uncle, whom was a family friend of my tou-san and kaa-san, I didn't know where he lived, for he only came to our home once every few months to check in on us. I felt Ukitake-san gently rub my back soothingly as I cried and his friend squatted down next to us and gently ruffled my hair.
"Oi, oi, oi Sayomi-chan, you shouldn't cry like that." The other male said with a small smile on his face when I looked up at him while hiccupping, "Your kaa-san and your tou-san wouldn't want you to cry because you lost them. They would want you to live your life happily and with a smile on your face." Kyoraku-san said as I sniffled, trying to wipe away the tears that still streamed down my face, "Ah, see, there's a cute lil face." He said with a grin before poking my nose playfully and for some reason, I couldn't help but smile back at his silly remark and action, "There we go; see there's the smile I knew you had. Now Sayo-chan, how about you come with us back home?" he asked curiously as I stared up at him and his friend curiously, "You have a very special gift that can be of great help not only to you, but to others as well. I'm sure your kaa-san and tou-san would want you to know how to use this; don't you think?" he mused curiously, and I couldn't help but think back onto a few conversations I overheard my parents talk about when they thought I was asleep.
My tou-san and more than once told my kaa-san that I would have to go back to their home to train, for I was developing 'gifts' as they called them, much quicker than he figured. My kaa-san and disagreed, stating that I had no powers and that tou-san had been imagining things. But I knew kaa-san was trying to protect herself from the truth. I nodded my head hesitantly, for I knew I had something inside of me, but I never knew what it was. After all, I heard what that thing... that Hollow as my kaa-san had called it, before either of my parents did. It was as if I was more sensitive than they were to the supernatural... but I suppose that made sense, for I was often seen talking to no one or playing with no one, when I was really talking with ghosts. I had actually learned a lot from one older man, who told me stories and taught me some useful tricks to get away from the bully's who picked on me because of my hair colour.
"Good Sayomi-chan." Ukitake-san said softly as quickly brushed the tears from my eyes, "Now all you need to do is sleep. Kyoraku-san and I will take care of everything." He said gently, but I shook my head feverously.
"Iie, I want to say goodbye to kaa-san and tou-san!" I told them, looking up at them pleadingly. The two males looked at each other hesitantly, knowing something that I didn't. After a few moments, they nodded to each other again, making a decision.
"Gomen Sayo-chan, but... the Hollow... it destroyed your parent's bodies..." Kyoraku-san said sadly. This brought a new round of tears to fall from my face as I started crying again. The two males looked down at me as I cried with pity. Ukitake-san started rubbing my back again while Kyoraku-san sat down on the ground next to us, sighing a little while setting his hand on top of my head. I don't know how long I had cried that day but eventually I fell asleep, tears still streaming down my face, but I had been safe in the presence of two men, the only ones who seemed to care and the ones who became two of the most precious people to me.