Uryuu was stuck, trapped in a cold embrace. He could feel something warm drip onto his skin, slowly seeping into his clothes. He couldn't move for the arms around his chest where cold, unmovable. He was surrounded by cold and heat at the same time: the coldness of the rigid body on top of him, warm from the liquid flowing onto him. Where was he? Why was he here?

"U…ryuu…" a small, weak voice called out. Uryuu looked up with his vision blurry , not only because of his broken glasses but because of the tears in his eyes. "Get…out of here…go…to safety…" The woman choked out. Uryuu blinked and the tears began to stream down his dirty, bloody cheeks.

"N-no…! I'm gonna' stay here and… and protect you! " Uryuu whispered, his small form quivering. "I won't let…I won't let them hurt you anymore!" Uryuu sobbed, his face buried in the woman's long raven hair. The woman smiled, her lips pale due to the loss of blood. Uryuu didn't notice the shadow looming atop of them, nor did he notice the flash of black-blue. He did, however, note the searing pain in his abdomen, the gasp of pain from above him and a cackle somewhere in the room.

"Be…strong…Uri…don't be…bitter…do your best to…protect as many people….as you…can…"

"No…don't talk like that…don't say your goodbyes…!" Uryuu whispered, eyes heavier by the second. "Don't…please…"

"Fight, but…know who you're…trying to…protect" gasped out the woman. "Never…give up and remember…I will…always…love…you…"

Uryuu closed his eyes and the tears that roamed down his cheeks grew into a steady stream. He couldn't move, couldn't stand the ache in his heart nor the pain in his stomach. The raven hair in his face was lusterless--lacking life and the silver eyes that pierced his own where dull. He shouted, in both pain and fear, but no one came, no one came to him.

"Please! Please!"

XXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Uryuu sat up, his chest heaving, heart hammering at his chest and his entire body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. His throat was in a million knots, his mouth was dry and his lungs had to work double time with every breath. He closed his eyes and opened them repeatedly, as if to make sure he wouldn't appear in the scene once more. A million thoughts ran through his mind, but they had all spawned from the original question:

What could it all mean?

He groaned as he turned over on his side, his body finally calming. He could tell it was getting worse--this was the eighth time he had awoken early into the morning. He fumbled for his glassing, feeling the top of the nightstand before feeling his fingers brushed the frame. He picked them up and put them on, instantly clearing his blurred vision. Uryuu glared at his alarm clock, which glared "2:37" back at him.

Uryuu sat up once more and moved his legs over the side of his bed. He yawned and rubbed his eyes before getting up. He changed into some tight gray pants and an old gray-blue shirt. He threw his pajamas into the clothes hamper in the corner of his room and started for the door; he stopped momentarily to grab his wallet and coat and then left his house.

It was brisk outside and Uryuu was glad he had taken his coat. He flew down the stairwell as he buttoned up his coat and deposited his wallet into one of the pockets. He sighed and shook his head, trying to shake away the memory of the nightmare. He let out his breath in puffs of smoke against the cold air and rubbed his arms as he began to walk faster.

He looked up at the dark night sky as he walked, eyes drawn to the stars. The moon was a smile, an all-knowing grin shining down on Karakura. He crossed the empty street and began to walk down the long stretch of sidewalk that was lined with houses. He looked at a familiar sign that read "Kurosaki Clinic" and stopped, pondering for a moment what the son of the owner was doing. He shook his head and started walking with a fast pace, shaking off his thoughts as those of a restless teen..

He crossed the street again and started to slow down, enjoying the night time breeze that blew past him. He threw his head back and sighed, enjoying the sensation--it was as if an invisible force was running their fingers through his hair in a comforting way, like a mother cooing her son to sleep. He smiled softly to himself as the sound of leaves and branches swaying in the wind met his ears.

He turned right and was met with the sight of scattered trees, benches and an abundance of grass also known as Karakura Park. He trotted to a bench and sat down, trying to clear his bustling mind. How many times had he woken up at the same time, and never returned to sleep? Almost a week. He probably was insomniac, but if he had to go to the hospital he would have to face his father and tell him about the nightmares, and looking weak in front of his father wasn't something Uryuu would look forward to.

He could also go to the Kurosaki Clinic. Uryuu thought about that for a moment before rolling his eyes. Ichigo would probably get all fussed and probably make him go to the hospital anyway. Uryuu smiled softly to himself. Idiot; always so protective of his 'friends'. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, finally relaxing.

He seemed to relax a lot more when in the park; this Uryuu had noticed the second day of his night terrors. He had been wandering aimlessly through the town when he came across the park. He recognized it and entered, taking residence in one of the benches. It helped take his mind off the nightmares that, everyday, got more vivid.

"Ishida Uryuu…" Someone whispered, effectively pulling Uryuu out of his stupor. Uryuu gasped and sat up, rigid in fright.

"Who's there?" Uryuu called out, standing up. He sensed an odd energy, just for a split second. He closed his eyes and focused, focused. He could sense Ichigo, Orihime, Chad and even Mizuiro, Keigo and Tatsuki. That's when he materialized the energies, and called on the abnormal Reiraku. He opened his eyes and gasped at the light lavender Reiraku that was wrapped around his index finger.

"Who--or what, are you?" He asked, but received silence. He tried to pinpoint the energy buy it slowly began to fade and with it the ribbon. Uryuu scowled. Whatever, or whoever, it was, they had tried to make sure that Uryuu knew it was there and then hid their reiatsu. Uryuu looked around, searching for any and all signs of a person, hiding or otherwise.

"Uryuu Ishida, you are in grave danger! Leave at once!" The person, clearly female, shouted. Uryuu had to shiver at the implications and tried to seek out the power but it seemed like the person had gone, that or the person had cleverly hidden all traces of their spiritual pressure. Uryuu calmed his racing heart and shook his head.

"I'm imagining things, yeah, that's got to be it. I'm hallucinating due to lack of sleep. Yeah, that's it." Uryuu thought to himself as he continued to shake his head. He took off his glasses ad rubbed his eyes and then placed them back. He sighed and continue to busy himself with trivial matters, hoping it would take his mind off of the…situation at hand.

Uryuu sat down on the nearest bench and tried to calm his heart once more. He couldn't get his mind off of those words, "leave at once", what was he in danger of? Why did he have to leave? Uryuu's thoughts couldn't get any clearer and as the time passed, he seemed to get more confused. First the nightmares and now a warning, a mysterious power that wasn't human, Shinigami and most definitely not Quincy.

A ominously familiar energy and then a menacing growl reminded Uryuu that, despite his personal problems and current predicament, there were other, more external conflicts. He sighed. His mental issues were affecting his physical health, making it harder to fight hollows. Still, duty was duty, and although he didn't kill the hollows, he'd weaken them so that Kurosaki could cleanse their spirits--a contract they had both made together in order to keep fighting together.

He took off east of the park and saw the hollow, the large monster with the physique of a bat and a lizard combined. It was large, very much like a building, and it's wings were large fleshy things that seemed to be on the brink of total decay. It's tail was swinging wildly behind it, a mass of white bone that scraped the cement and its mask was a long beak that was jagged at the end; the body was long and thin, still large, though.

Uryuu scowled at it's immense body but continued charging towards it. He raised his bow and shot a few arrows, but the long blue bolts simply fizzed and broke into charges of spirit particles. Uryuu cursed under his breath and dispersed his bow as he ran closer to the Hollow, finally only a few yards away. The hollow screeched and turned, swinging it's tail at him. Uryuu dodged left, leaping over the tail, but was too slow in dodging the sharp talon that had swiped at his right. It managed to get his upper arm and he fell, clutching the bleeding wound.

Uryuu took off his coat. He ripped off the sleeve of his coat and tied it on his bleeding limb and took off, brisk air awakening his dulled senses. He reformed his bow and attacked, sending more than a dozen arrows towards the huge beast. The arrows hit it his arm and the long, wiry thing was sent crashing into the floor. Uryuu smiled to himself. So it wasn't impossible to destroy the hollow.

Uryuu took off to the left as the Hollow began to thrash it's lone arm and tail furiously. Uryuu scowled. It lost its arm and temper. Now he was pretty screwed. Uryuu took off, using his hirenkyaku to make a great deal of space between himself and the Hollow. The Hollow roared loudly and Uryuu turned around in time to see it start to bat it's wings.

"I have to finish him off before he destroys anything else--or worse. If he eludes me." Uryuu whispered to himself. He readied his bow and shot out a couple dozen arrows which the hollow bated out with his tail and it shot towards Uryuu. Uryuu groaned. Why did he have to be in such an enclosed area? Uryuu swore softly and he used his hirenkyaku to end up above the building closest to the park. He panted slightly and turned to see the hollow charging towards him with something large in it's forefront.

Uryuu fired the most arrows he could, approximately 1000, and waited for the air to disperse. He gawked as something big and sharp looking darted out of the misty explosion. He jumped, but not high enough, and the projectile caught his legs and he was sent tumbling onto the street below. It was over--the dreams, the nightmares, the hope.

It was all over.

Uryuu gasped when he felt his body hit the ground. It wasn't painful, and he could still feel. What exactly had happened? He cracked open his eyes in time to see a blade, black, gleam in the artificial lighting of the street post. The night had gotten darker and with his mind in a fog, Uryuu could only make out quick movements and then nothing.

Uryuu awoke again a few seconds later. This time he couldn't feel a thing, other than the throbbing in his arm and two strange objects holding him by under his knees and neck. He groaned and shuffled around. He felt the two articles move with him, felt muscles flexing and then understood that they were arms.

"Uh, Thank god, Ishida, you're awake." A familiar voice said with a sigh. Uryuu cracked open his eyes to see a familiar tuff of orange hair and scowl and couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction. He wasn't dead, huh? Uryuu smiled, an ominous sign to Ichigo. "Oi! Don't go through the tunnel! Do not go to the light! OI!" Ichigo shook Uryuu who smiled wider.

"Idiot." Uryuu mumbled. Ichigo sighed in relief and kept walking. "Thank…you…" Uryuu whispered before passing out for the second time that night. Ichigo kept running ahead, eyes glued to the unconscious Quincy in his arms. Ichigo's scowl intensified as he looked forward, pace quickening.

"Tch, don't thank me. I wasn't the one that saved you."

XXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A tall, skinny man walked down the vacant street, a lightness to his step. His long, jean clad legs pumped faster at the sight of a crumpled heap of black; his hands left their solace of the sweater pockets and he leaned down on one knee to scoop up the ripped cloth. His lips curled into a smile and his sky blue eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Hai, sensei." The man said, flipping out his cell phone. "Yes, I have it here." He waited a moment before responding. "Hai, let me check. Pardon me, but I must put the phone down for a moment." The man put the cell down, screen and buttons face up, as he rummaged the hunk of cloth. He finally found a pocket and sifted through it until he brought out a small, sleek wallet. The man picked up his phone, grin larger, and began to report back.

"Hai, it's here." He said as he opened it, keeping the phone trapped between his ear and shoulder as he used both hands to open the blasted leather case. He pulled out a small plastic card and, if possible, grinned more. "Ishida Uryuu, it has his date of birth, picture and address 'n everything." The smile quickly turned into a smirk.

"Is there any sign of…her?" The voice on the other line asked tentatively. The young man tossed the wallet and kicked away the cloth and pocketed the ID card. HE looked around and sighed, smugly smiling against the electronic device.

"No, no sign of--" The man froze as his shoes crunched something beneath them. He leaned down and picked up a feather, silver with spots of teal. His smile faded, replaced by a deep frown. "She was here." He listened to the voice on the other line. "Hai, I will move the mission, We need to get him now, before she does. We have to take him within two days."