The moon beamed down on the abandoned warehouses. Ayumi had followed Orihime to this creepy place. She had to admit if you were on the run and didn't want to be found this is a good place to take refuge.
"How much further? This place is creepy Orihime." Ayumi whined at her guide. The trip there had been rather quiet. Both had a million questions; one had found out her friend knew about the spirit realm, and the other found that the other knew how to summon a hollow mask.
"Um, it's straight ahead of us. Hachi makes his barriers really good." Ayumi froze at the name.
"Hachigen Ushoda?" Orihime failed to realize her companion had stopped; she kept on walking forward.
"You know I don't think I've ever heard his full name." looking over her shoulder she stops "What's wrong Ayumi?"
The brunette took a few steps backwards. "How many of them are there?"
"Um counting Kurosaki?" Orihime taps her index finger against her chin as she mentally counts. "There are 9. 10 if we count you." She smiles cheerfully. "Come on." Grabbing Ayumi's wrist she pulls her along.
They both could feel the change as they passed through the barrier. Ayumi yanks her wrist back scowling.
"You didn't have to drag me, you know. Kind of hurt." She mumbled rubbing her wrist. But Orihime wasn't in ear shot anymore; she was already at the door way announcing she had someone they should meet.
"You idiot! You can't just bring random people here!" a familiar female voice bellowed out the door. "We'll have to get rid of them somehow."
That was all Ayumi needed to hear, she reached around pulling out her katana and tossing the scabbard to the side, then she pulled her mask down and on.
The short blonde Vizard came out wearing her mask and twirling her zanpakuto.
"I don't know who you are but-"Hiyori froze looking at the mask. "Hey, Shinji, you'd better come out here!" the blonde called over her shoulder.
Ayumi felt the blood drain from her face; it was him. He was still alive. Her knees felt like they were going to give out. Fate was playing some twisted joke on her.
"I think I'm going to be sick." She muttered, as she turned lifting her mask.
"Are you ok?" Orihime ran over kneeling next to her. She pulled her hair back looking at the side of her pale face.
"I told you your face was ugly! See? You made her sick just by looking at you." Hiyori pulled up her mask and stuck her tongue out him.
"Pfft! You're masked freaked her out Hiyori."
"This can't be happening, they aren't real." Ayumi muttered as her fists tightened against her jeans.
"Hirako and Sarugaki are real. I told you there was more." She watched as her eyes widen again. Ayumi pushing herself up with her zanpakuto; finally gets to her feet, she braces herself against Orihime's shoulder. Her back still to the two Vizards; she peers over her shoulder; her bangs still hanging in her face.
"Orihime, I can't be here. I wasn't ready for this." She holds back her tears as she whispers to her friend. "The two people I missed the most still don't get along. Nothing changes between those two. Thank you Orihime, but I can't be here." And with that statement she's gone.
"What the hell was that about?" Hiyori snaps
"I've never seen Hitmori act so strangely. Then again I didn't know she had a zanpakuto either. Oh, that was my friend Ayumi Hitmori, she owns…" the two blondes look at each other than to Orihime.
"What did you say?" Shinji steps closer, his face looking concerned.
"Ayumi Hitmori? She owns a dinner right around the corner from me."
xXx
"You knew we'd find you someday." A low voice startled the waitress as she rummaged thru her bag for her keys. She spun around pressing her back to the dinner door; only to find a small black cat sitting on the side walk behind her.
"I'm pretty sure you thought I was dead, Yoruichi." Ayumi gave a sigh of relief before resuming her search for her keys.
"Ah, not true! So you didn't forget about me." The cat spoke again.
"Ha! My parents only wished I had turned out like you!" the cat could hear the hurt "I did what any noble's daughter was supposed to do. I went to the academy like they wanted; I served under Captain Kuchiki for years but that wasn't good enough. So I left. Left it all and started my own life. I did something I loved doing, I took care of some my loved ones, and I even married someone I was in love with." The waitress sniffles loudly, using the back of her arm to wipe away her tears. "And in one night I lost it all!"
"And now you have a chance to get it back. What are you running from this time?"
"You know nothing! I'm not the same person they knew!" Finally locating her keys she unlocks the door pushing it open, the small cat runs in before the door closes.
"Let's face it; you're scarred to hear the truth."
"What truth is that? Hm? The Hiyori never missed me? Shinji moved on? Because you're right! God, just seeing his face made my heart hurt!" Both moved to the back room of the dinner, where there was another door with stairs. Leaving the cat at the bottom of the stairs to listen to her pack.
A small bell chimes at the front of the dinner.
"We're closed!" Ayumi shouts from the top of her stairs.
"You're so slow Hirako." The cat whispers in his direction as he makes his way to the stairs.
"Hush, you trying leaving Hiyori behind." The cat nodded her head towards the stairs. The blonde quietly approaches the stairs; slowly he steps up, listening to her cry. Once hitting the top of the steps he peeks into the open apartment; there she was, curled up in the corner sobbing.
"I knew you'd follow me." She flatly states thru her tears.
"Then why run?" Shinji steps towards her.
"I didn't want to face you." She wipes her tears again as she pushes herself up to meet him. His face still the same; she wanted to touch him so badly. She needed to make sure he was real. Her thoughts betrayed her as she found her hand caressing his cheek. And there he was placing his hand on top of hers; pulling her face towards his. He rested his forehead against her sighing in relief.
"You actually think you can run from Hiyori?" he whispers as he pushes her bangs back. Ayumi laughs and sniffles at the same time.
"Where do we go from here?" she whispered before her lips met his. Their night was about to get interesting.
