Chapter 4 – Dark Energy

His hollow tracker was quiet for once thanks to Urahara's reiatsu blocking kido, allowing Renji to relax a bit. She didn't speak on the way there. There was really nothing to say. At least she's not sniffling. She didn't look at the faces of people staring at her as she walked by them. She had one a pair of Urahara's too large slippers and was in her pajamas. Shoppers seemed to walk right through her "bodyguard," which she found oddly amusing. He didn't seem to notice them; his eyes were scanning for Hollows. Luckily, none appeared.

The apartment was just as she left it, in spite of leaving the door wide open. It was small, with one bigger sized futon that was enough for two people shoved in the corner. It had a small kitchen, and a tiny closet. She was lucky enough to have a shower though.

Motomi went to pick up the cell phone she had thrown. "It's broken." She said, looking at the pieces.

He took the pieces from her. "Yeah, Sasaki-san, it's broken. You can use mine." He handed her his cell phone. He had one when he was in the living world. It made getting a hold of Ichigo or Inoue easier.

"Ummmmm. . .how am I going to explain you?" She asked, taking the phone.

He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, uh, didn't think of that." He chewed his bottom lip while thinking. "I'm your boyfriend." He said suddenly.

She practically recoiled. She opened her mouth for a retort and then closed it. Even if he does have the body of a god, she said to herself, he would be the last man on earth I would want to be with.

His eyebrow lifted when he saw her reaction. "Well do you have a better idea?" He asked, oddly startled and judging by the look on her face, she didn't like the idea at all.

"I guess that will work." She said finally.

You guess? He said to himself. You guess? He was strangely amused, and kind of offended.

She dialed a bunch of numbers. Renji looked out the window. He was hoping that no Hollows showed up while she was on the phone as the space was confining. He didn't like the feeling of not being able to move. The sooner they were out of here the better. He heard her muffled voice in English. She was talking to her mother, trying to hold back tears. Her reiatsu was shielded but he knew it wouldn't last long, especially if she got upset. He looked at the pictures on the wall of her family. The twins stared back at him. Which one was Motomi? He wondered.

He heard her say "I'll see you tomorrow Mom, thanks for sending plane tickets" And then she finished the call.

"Done?" He asked, reaching for the phone. She nodded.

"There wasn't much to say." She said. "She's sending us plane tickets. Thank you for the phone." She went to the closet to begin packing. He watched her go. She was trying to be brave, trying to keep her shield from disintegrating. She struggled to get a suitcase down from the closet shelf.

"Here, let me." He easily pulled it down. She looked at him while he got the case, tracing the tattoos with her eyes. The seemed alive, dancing as his muscles flexed.

She averted her gaze and took the suitcase. "I cleared out half the closet for her." She said, looking at the partially empty closet. He nodded, not knowing what to say. She reached into the empty space, half hoping that her sister would pop out and yell surprise! She grabbed some clothes and went to stuff them into her suitcase.

She looked at him, "Abarai-san?" His eyebrow went up. "Can I take a shower?" She asked. Motomi felt horrible, she needed a shower. "I will be quick."

He nodded and sat on the floor; the only other available seating place being her bed. And he wasn't going to sit there. He sat cross legged and placed his zanpakuto on his lap. He would be ready if something showed up. His muscles quivered with tension.

He heard her humming in the shower and could barely feel her reiatsu due to the shield. His head wasn't pounding as bad as when she was flaring. He could be thankful for that. His mind thought about tomorrow's flight. A plane, what a contraption. Crazy humans and their flying machines and their fast cars. He pinched his nose and sighed. He was going to have a permanent headache from her reiatsu. He groaned. He would ask Urahara for a solution, maybe he had one.

She was true to her word and came out of the shower quickly. She had on a red knit jersey and long black pants. It looked so much better than her Hello Kitty pajamas, whatever Hello Kitty was.

She grabbed the photo off the wall and shoved it in her bag. She wasn't taking much. There was really not much to take. Pulling on her long black boots she and Renji left the apartment.

He anticipated a long silent walk back, but Motomi broke the silence. "My sister was killed because of me."

He looked at her and scowled. "It's not your fault." Her shield didn't last one hour, it was already starting to disintegrate.

"Yes it is, she was coming to live with me and her boyfriend…..k..illed her." Her voice started to quiver. Renji picked up the pace. Her reiatsu blazed, an ugly black, a color he hadn't seen before, no, not a color – the absence of color. The color of hate.

He looked down at her. "We have to hurry, your shield is failing. I can't carry you using flashstep, we will be seen by humans." She quickened her pace. "Can you try and calm your reiatsu?" He hoped, asking the impossible of the girl. "It's giving me a headache."

"Sorry." She said, averting her gaze. She knew she was giving everyone trouble, but Renji seemed particularly irritated by his assignment.

He saw her pout. "I'm sorry Sasaki-san. I know you can't help it." But his words were drowned out by a Hollow's screech.

"Dammit!" He yelled, putting her down. "Stay behind me." He unsheathed his zanpakuto and went toward the hollow dead on.

Motomi tried to calm her reiatsu, but didn't know what she was trying to do. Meditate? Focus on breathing? Make her mind go somewhere else? She watched him fight from her little hidey hole she found between a post and a mailbox, trying to take slow deep breaths. But the noise from the Hollows screeches made her shake. Renji was fighting hard. She saw him take a hit; the impact of it slid him back to where she was hiding. She hated this. She heard him mutter curse words under his breath as blood dripped from his wound. He was hurt! She felt her anger rising. These stupid Hollows! And her stupid life! Her fists clenched as she listened to the sharp sounds of Renji's sword meeting resistance. Without realizing she stood up and faced the Hollow.

"Just take me already!" She yelled at the top of her voice, while waving her hands. Her reiatsu pulsed away from her, like a heartbeat. The Hollow turned to her. "Just do it now, get it over with!" She yelled, her voice echoing of apartment walls. "Come get me, I'm tasty!" She yelled again.

Renji turned, a bead of sweat dropped from his brow as it furrowed. "Sa-ssaki-san" He said, breathing heavy. Each word she uttered sent out a spike of energy and his head exploded. He bent over, trying to catch his breath.

The Hollow ran for her, screeching madly. Her reiatsu flared again, sending out sharp spikes towards the Hollow. Renji leapt for it but missed as it sped towards Motomi. The energy spikes engulfed the Hollow, and it stumbled, shattering a bus stop to dust. Her reiatsu flashed again, and hit the Hollow in the chest, crushing it into pieces. It was gone.

Renji stood for a moment, breathing heavy. A human taking out a hollow? On its own? What was this? He asked himself.

Motomi crumpled, her energy spent. They need to get out of here and fast. Humans were starting to come to check out the noise.

Renji grabbed her and flash stepped towards the shop, hoping they wouldn't be seen if they moved fast. It was only a few minutes when they made it back to Urahara's place and he met them out front. He had noticed her odd colored reiatsu right away. "Trouble?" He asked, looking at Motomi.

"I…" She started to say something.

Renji interrupted, "She took out a Hollow with her reiatsu." He said, confused. He stormed off, his head in his hands. His head was pounding again. Urahara's brow furrowed.

"I don't know what I did," She whispered. "I need to be able to control, whatever I did. Renji can't fight if my reiatsu bothers him so much. He's injured," her concern rose along with her voice.

She stood and bowed, "Please teach me Urahara-san."

He smiled. "I will do whatever I can." He said, as he went to check on Renji.

XXXX

Training started that afternoon. The basement training grounds served to shield their drills from the rest of the world. She would be safe here, for the moment. She tried to concentrate on training rather than the odd world she found herself in, but it was difficult. I still can't believe this is real. She thought.

He taught her to focus her energy on one spot on the wall, letting her mind block everything out. It would take her years to complete the training, but at least he could help her get some control in the meantime, until the Soul Society had a solution.

"I have something for you that will help, Sasaki-san." He said. It's normally worn by Shinigami but you can wear it until we figure this out. It's my own invention." He said, rather proudly. "It's a Reiatsu Concealing Cloak."

He put the cloak around her. It felt oddly warm, like a sweater, but it was light. It had pretty pink flowers all over it. "This will shield me?" She asked, touching the fabric. How could a piece of fabric do this?

"It may help. That with the techniques you are learning you can prevent further hollow attacks." He explained. "I had to modify it for a human, so I can't vouch for how effective it will be, but it's better than nothing." He said, while fixing the collar.

"Abarai-san," she asked, "is he ok? Will this help his headaches?"

He shook his head, "I think his pride was hurt more than his body and I don't know why he is having headaches when he is around you. I think his reiatsu and yours, uh….." he searched for the right word, "clashes."

"Yeah, I get that concept. I don't think he likes me much. I'm sure he'd rather be doing something else than guarding me." She said, frowning a little.

"To borrow a human phrase, methinks he doth protest too much." He said, as they climbed the ladder out of the basement. Motomi laughed.