She fell back, asleep on Ichigo's bed while he was out. Her long brunette hair laid there messily on the pillow as she looked nearly dead there, though it was mainly exaustion and the fact that the last hollow attack left her a bit bruised up. They had been searching for bounts and ran across a very powerful hollow instead. When it was over she was the one to stick her zanpacto into the face, diminishing its existatance. She was the soul reaper at the time in place of Rukia as she rested, but Rukia and the others were at Urahara's shop resting up and planning. This girl didn't like being around all of them so, being more of the tactical part of the group, she was allowed to go back to Ichigo's to sleep.

No one besides herself realized she was bleeding badly at her stomach from a large gash she got from the hollow's claw. In her sleep she was slowly healing herself, though she knew she couldn't sleep long enough to fully heal it. In the back of her mind she wondered what the others were doing. Deep down she wanted to be there, but didn't want anyone realizing her injuries. Anyways she blames herself to why Nova had been hurt. He was about ready to get her out of the way of the sharp claw, but she pushed him aside. This she remembered through her dream.

~The hollow roared out; he was after her and her strong spiritual energy. "Everyone get away from here, I can handle it!" she screamed, knowing if anyone got hurt it'd be her fault in the first place. A claw came at her right after she said that and Nova was right beside her, about ready to warp her to a different place, but may it be cowardice or not she pushed him. He fell back and she was slashed hard in the stomach, bleeding badly.

Her eyes grew serious and she unsheathed her zenpacto, whispering, "Rise, shiro ookami," sternly as it changed into a large white sword with a red streak down the center. She bounded at it herself, telling everyone else to stay back, and sliced the sides of the hollow first before being thrown back.

A bit of blood poured from her mouth, but she rose herself up, determination in her eyes. She was playing with her prey by this point, taunting it and teasing it. She sliced the legs where for a few moments it couldn't stand, but regenerated them in moments. In all honesty she was having fun; she loved to tease hollows.

"What, little girl, you can't do better than that?" the hollow roared out, slicing at her again. This time she jumped back, clentching her sword tight to her. Shiro Ookami, which means 'white wolf' has the power to kill or nurture. With how she held her close to her Shiro Ookami started to heal her stamina. The second power of it was even not in bankai it could glow a deep red and anything she aimed roughly on could feel the slice from even a mile away, depending on the weilder's strength. Because it was her that controlled it, the beam was stronger than probably even Ichigo's zenpacto could pull off without bankai.

She sliced some more and taunted, "No, I just enjoy playing around."

"Your playing around would be your doom!" the hollow screamed before throwing her against a building. She coughed some more blood and could see Nova at the corner of her eye coming up to her to help. Simply she shook her head to him and rose back to her feet more like a zombie than a human or soul reaper. Her brunette hair was bloodstained, but she didn't quite well care. The girl was strong, but the hollow was quite a fighter too; even Ichigo from the sidelines could see this.

"Are you sure you don't want any help, Aika-Kun?" Orihime screamed from down below. As you now know, this strong brunette fighter's name is Aika, Aika Ichimaru. Yes, she's the sister of Gin, but that's nothing to hold against her or further prelong this story about.

Aika shook her head once more and sliced right through the head of the hollow. "Sadly it seems playtime is over, ne, hollow-san?" she says cynically as it burst into air and disappeared. She sighed and slumped herself down against a tree where Orihime and the others all ran to her. Well all besides Nova. He was somewhere, but she couldn't even pinpoint where at the moment. Her vision was much too hazy to figure anything out.

"Are you alright?" Orihime asked with concern.

Aika brushed herself off and hid the wound on her stomach. "Yeah."

"Why didn't you let us help you?" Ichigo asked, slightly irked.

She smiled. "There was no need; I was enjoying it."

"That's reckless though," Rukia added.

Aika's smile turned into a smirk, not as creepy as Gin's though. "I know, Rukia-San, you may punish me if you wish," she said softly. "I just enjoy playing with the hollows before finishing them and clearing their souls. Anyways Shiro Ookami was enjoying the time too."

Rukia merely sighed and Ichigo smiled while Orihime checked Aika over for wounds. The only main one besides a few minor bruises was the one on her stomach which she held her over shirt in front of. Through all of this checking over she realized something which brought a pain into her own heart.

"Where's Nova?" she asked, slightly worried.

Claud, the only other male mod-soul there answered with, "He teleported himself to Urahara's after you pushed him out of the way," he said informatively. "He wasn't saying that much but even I got a bit worried of him, though I was much more worried if you'd be okay. Are you sure your fine, Aika?"

She nodded and started to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Ichigo questioned. "Urahara's is that way."

She sighed. "I'm going to go rest at your place, hope you don't mind."~

She woke suddenly, be it from fright or pure instinct, but a tear seemed to be in her eyes. "I knew I forgot something," she said slumping down, saddened. "I can't believe I pushed him." Aika frowned. "He's probably mad at me now."

"He's not mad at you, no," said a voice from next to her. She jumped up, not realizing there was someone next to her. It was the pervy shopkeeper Urahara Kisuke sitting right next to her on Ichigo's bed. "I believe you mean by 'he' is Nova, right?"

She nodded.

"He seems worried, not mad though," Urahara said softly.

She sighed. " Why would he be worried about the girl that pushed him out of the way?" she said, blaming herself. "If he didn't do his thing fast enough both of us would have been slashed." A tear brimmed in her eyes. "I didn't want him getting hurt."

Back at Urahara's shop, which he most definitely wasn't there, there was everyone resting up and chatting over dinner. The atmosphere was peaceful and inviting for anyone that would step inside and the food was just perfect after a good battle. Well mainly it was watching Aika battle, but that didn't quite well matter. They had a few hollow attacks before that which she didn't completely take over, so they all had some healing to take. The mod-souls were in plushy form at the time and to leave Aika mostly alone even Cone was there.

Ichigo sighed. "It's not that fun without Aika here, ne?"

"I wonder what's been up with her lately," Orihime added.

Cone spoke out with, "I miss my Aika's soft, beautiful~"

Ichigo stepping on him cut him off. "DON'T even go there," he ordered.

"She did seem worried about Nova before she left," Claud cut in.

Ichigo got an 'oh' expression on his face and thought for a moment. Then he slumped back and smiled to himself, not going into what he had figured out. Rukia had the same type of smile on her face, though they were keeping everyone else out of the loop. Renji slapped him on the back of the head.

"What are you keeping from us?" he murmered.

Ichigo smiled more. "Nothing."

Urahara had been explaining many many things to Aika as they sat there, her eyes still brimming with tears. "He just wanted to help you and he saw you get that wound on you," Urahara continued. "And you not coming back to the shop was careless too; with a wound like that you could have bled to death."

She simply nods and says, "I can take care of myself though. Every time I let you all heal me I'm just being a burden. I don't want anyone getting hurt for me or taking time to fix my wounds. It's not right for me to ask of anyone to do something like that."

"You really are the queen of long winded self pity, aren't you?" he spats.

Her eyes glow red. "I'm no~" she started before she was cut off with herself dropping lifeless-looking to the floor, clenching her stomach wound. Urahara sighed and picked her up bridal style, slipping out the window and starting to walk to the shop to get her fixed back up.

"If Nova feels how weak her spiritual energy dropped to then he'll worry."

Her spiritual energy almost disappeared, Nova thought to himself, stopping in place from putting away a dish. He set the dish down and started to walk to the door, feeling a sense of worry before being suddenly pushed back as the door opened. The poor plushy form of Nova was stepped on, unable to sense the spiritual energy that was coming through since he was blinded by worry.

"Sorry, Nova," Urahara said quickly, Aika limply in his arms.

If Nova were in his gegai then maybe his eyes would have widened at the sight. "W-what happened to her?" was what he said softly, the normally silent boy finally speaking out of a fear coming over him. No one could really blame him anyways, but this was much unlike him.

Urahara didn't answer him either, which was again unlike him as well. Anyone could tell he had been worried too, there was something wrong with that hollow that attacked. Maybe it was poison or something, but she wouldn't get up no matter how much they worked on her. Even Cone poked and prodded at her, but in the end the only one left by her side was Nova.

Ichigo and the others left Nova and her as they went to go find the bounts. A week after she had been brought there she still seemed lifeless laying there; her wounds were barely healed. Right now Nova was in his gegai sitting next to her, a pain in his mod soul where the heart would normally be in a human being. His mask was on, but not zipped. He didn't want to close his eyes incase she woke up.

With that about a day later she did wake, her green eyes weakly fixating on the ceiling. "W-where?" she asked herself. "W-why?" She sighed and closed her eyes again, letting a silent tear fall down her cheek and she turned herself to where the window would be. Nova was on the other side so she didn't even realize him there. "Didn't I tell him I-I didn't want to be a bother to anyone?"

She bit her lip so she didn't cry, though the pain was hard to handle. Her eyes were closed as she shook her head. Aika didn't realize anyone else was in the room. With her senses a complete blur from being asleep so long she didn't even realize after she got up and went to the window. Nova just watched her.

"It seems I failed," she whispered to herself.

He heard and replied with, "Failed at what?"

She turned around, still teary-eyed, to see Nova standing there to her now front side, his mask unzipped and his eyes worried. With that she turned back to the window. "G-gomenasai," she whispered, looking out the translucent window, a tear breaking down on her cheek. Aika listened as he walked closer to her. A hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Gomenasai," she repeated, slumping her head down and trying to stop her tears.

He spun her around to face him, his eyes still feared with somewhat a worry at least. "Stop," he commanded in a soft toned way. She bit her lip harder and couldn't even look into his beautiful eyes. Aika couldn't face the pain her heart and body were being put through.

"You're mad at me, so I'm sorry," she repeated.

He placed his other hand on her shoulder, and pulled her close to him, something no one could ever expect. Nova held her close to him and rested his head on her shoulder. A whisper from his mouth lingered into her ear, saying, "Please stop, Aika-Kun. I can't be mad at you." She was stunned, her heart beating faster than it should. Her arms wrapped weakly around him.

"N-nova?" she whispered softly.

He looked up at her. "Yes?"

"I uh kind of sort of have something I've wanted to say," she says nervously.

Nova, before she can say anything, pulls his mask down and kisses her softly, leaving her shocked. She snakes her arms around his neck and smiles as she kisses him softly back. Though it lasts many moments it doesn't seem as if it's enough for her, but she looks at him in a daze, smiling. "I like that smile of yours," he says sweetly, then realizing what he says and does he starts to zip up his mask.

She stops him and opens it back up. Staring deep into his eyes she whispers, "I-I just want to say this," she starts nervously. "I l-love you, Nova-Kun." By this point her tears turned to blush and she hid her face with her hair.

He brushes the hair from her face and returns with, "I love you too, Aika-Kun."

His words are shy and he at times keeps trying to zip his mask back up, but she pulls it down from his lips and presses hers against his again with passion and happiness. Nova's arms reach around her waist and pull her body close to his, blush on both their faces. When they pull back she smiles at him, as he smiles at her.

"Will you be mine?" he asks softly.

She nods and whispers, "Yes. I'm yours for all you want me."

"Forever," he says, giving her a peck on the lips.