-Home - Dojo-

Seiryoku and I were taking a break, though I didn't want to.

I've trained for countless hours since I got home from Uryu's.

This was our first break.

I was breathing heavily and sweating. Even Seiryoku was breathing unevenly and sweating a bit, but he was in his gigai.

I gulped my water down as fast as I could without choking.

"I think you overdid it today." He said, managing to keep his voice steady.

I slammed my cup down and glared. "No, I didn't. I didn't work hard enough."

He frowns, "Look at yourself. You're obviously exhausted. You could hurt yourself if you do anything more."

I got up, "Shut up! Why should you care? Aren't you just supposed to let me and not worry if it's too much? You're supposed to expect me to be stronger than what I am! You're my mentor!" I yelled.

He shook his head, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Is that your idea of a mentor? And here I thought I was your friend, not someone who tries to kill you because you think you're weak."

He didn't raise his voice, but it felt like my back was being clawed.

"I don't think I'm weak, I know I am." I started running up the stairs and went for the front door.

"Dad, I'm going out for a bit." I said and left the house before he could object or anything.

-Woods-

I stood in the middle of the forest where I'd defeated that Hollow myself.

'Okay... Just use my surroundings..."

I put my left arm up and my hand in a certain position to look like it was hokding soemthing invisible. My Celtic Cross hung from my wrist so it was in plain view, since I didn't wear sleeves and it was the only thing on my arm at all.

"Okay... I can do it..."

I flexed my right hand and riased my rigth arm up and felt stupid because it probably looke dlike I was holding an invisible arrow and bow by now.

I took a deep breath, which was still heavy and uneven since I ran all the way here.

I started concentrating my reiatsu into my left arm.

Before I really realized it, a light blue blob of spikes was strugglign to keep its size in my left hand.

I could feel the stress on my body by now.

C'mon... Atleast form into a stick!

It started to become taller and thinner slowly, but it was still not enough.

"Dammit... More!" I urged myself.

I quickly lost control and tumbled backwards.

I found myself panting and strugglign to even stay concious.

"Da... Dammit..." I cursed, wincing.

I put my hand on my forehead, wriping the sweat beads that were forming.

Now I realized what was going on.

"I'm so stupid..." I managed to get out.

"You are." A familiar voice said.

I opened one of my eyes and frowned at the sight. I turned my head to the left stubbornly. "I don't need your opinion, Siryuki-bozu."

"Oish, you're a pain." He said and bent down next to me.

"Can you move?" He asked.

I still didnb't look at him. "I can handle myself."

I tried to lift my arm off of my head, btu failed.

"On second thought, you can help me up." I said.

He started helping me up, but when I did get up, I couldn't stand on my own. He had to his his arm around my waist and the other on my shoulder closest to him so if I leaned forward unintentionally, he could easily keep me straight, mostly.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, and started walking with his arm around me.

"I've told you. To protect everyone."

"I don't think that's the main reason you're doing it." He said.

I had a straight face, "Then what do you think it is?"

I felt his arm tighten up a bit around my waist. "I'm not sure what it is yet, but I know it's more than what you say."

-3 AM-

The sound of people shuffling and bustling about was clear as a bell. But... They were all souls. Their Chain of Fate's on their chest were easily noticible.

I looked around anxiously. I felt so claustrophobic.

I saw Ichigo towering over most people and heading my way. He was looking straight ahead, not me.

He was wearing his school uniform and had his school bag swlung around his torso.

I started running his way and stopped right infront of him, but he didn't stop.

"Ichigo!" I yelled and put my hands up to stop him and automatically cringed, preparing for him to crash into me.

I felt nothing.

I opened my eyes and he wasn't infront fo me. I spun around and looked to see Ichigo.

He was in a Shinigami outfit... With the biggest zanpakutō or even katana I've ever seen.

He had it strapped to his back with some sort of red chain.

He took the handle of the vast zanpakutō and unsheathed it, and he kept walking, holding his zanpakutō out.

I started running after him, but I couldn't help but notice that my surroundings were fading away and the souls were gone.

I tried to pick up my feet faster, but no dice.

It seemed like the more I tried, the farther he got.

Ichigo was fading away now, too.

He disappeared completely into the darkness and I started hearing the wails of a Hollow.

A Hollow suddenl appeared infront of me.

I was motionless, but wanted to move.

Move! Why can't I move? Dammit!

I looked back up to the Hollow. Its mask was suddenly in half, then it started deteriating.

What...?

I was shocked when another image appeared before me.

"Sei... Ryoku..." I said slowly.

He smirked and tapped his zanpakutō on his shoulder, "Hey." He greeted.

I suddenly found myself in his arms, my forehead to his chest.

I saw that our surroundings surroundings had changed.

Now, it looked like an old Japan, like the Edo Era, or maybe a bit before.

I could see my outfit I was wearing. A black kimono with dark blue butterflies.

How long was I wearing this?

and why was Seiyoku wearing black hakama.

I saw a certain hut, in the corner of my eye, that interetsed me.

I lifted my head and pushed myself away from Seiryoku, he did not object.

I slowly walked over to it and moved the wooden plates and small rope that kept it together out of the way. (It's like a door)

I stepped into the hut to see only darkness within it. I could only see one thing. A girl.

She was beyond pale, she was literally white, just like her clothes and hair. the whites of her eyes weren't white, but black, and her pupils were dark gold.

She had the most sadistic look on her face, even her sitting position was frightening.

She was sitting on the black ground, her knees upright with her wrist on them. Her head was tilted to the side a bit as she grinned wickedly.

I didn't know how this was happening, but... That girl was me.

The facial features were all mine: the soft pointed nose, bit of a pointy chin, bang style, and even the way her right thumb nail was the longest and sharpest of the rest.

I took a step back, then turned around to go back outside. the door was gone, adn in its place was the white me.

She stood five feet away from me, licking her lips like a serial killer in the movies.

"Hey there, Princess." She greeted.

Her voice was beyond creepy. It was even scarier than a Hollow's voice.

It was even hard to explain to myself what it was like, but I was scared shitless.

I took a step back, "Wh-what... Are you..?" I managed to get out.

She shrugged, making a gesture with ehr arms along with it.

That's when I saw all the blood dripping from her elbows, but starting at her wrists.

"I guess you could say I'm you tiara, Princess." She said.

I didn't take my arms off of the blood, I don't think I could look away.

She snickered a bit and took one hand and wiped the blood away on the right arm and recognized something right away.

The cuts she had; they were cut in certain ways and directions. It made kanji. It said "Spirit".

She did it to the other arm and it had "shinigami".

The blood poured from the wounds and covered the engravings.

I put my hand to my mouth, to keep from screaming.

I've never, in my life, have seen that much blood. Not even on TV.

She walks over to me and puts her blood-covered hand on myleft shoulder. "No need to fret, Princess. It's only blood."

I slowly looked to my shoulder where her hand was.

My clothing was turning white and starting to spread to my side and chest.

I panicked and attempted to push her away, but she jumped back.

"Wakey, wakey, Princess!" she said.

-5 am-

My eyelids flew open and I realized I was breathing heavily and sweating like a sponge being squeezed.

I sat up slowly after a moment of recovering my normal breathing pattern.

I slowly turned my arms over, sared to see what would be on them.

Nothing. The only thing on my wrist was my Celtic Cross bracelet.

I sighed in relief.

That was... The most... Frightening nightmere I've ever had...

I took my right hand and wiped the sweta off of my forehead. It felt gross and graesy.

"You feeling okay?" Seiryoku's voice asked.

I felt frozen for a moment.

Since when was he in here?

I wasn't used to being surprised like that, so my heart was going a mile minute.

I slowly looked to my left where his voice came from to see he was sitting in my cmputer chair with his elbow on the arm rest and his fist on the side of his head.

He was in his Shinigami form.

I took a moment to read what exactly was going on.

I looked to the wall where my body faced.

"I'm... Fine... I think..." I said slowly.

I suddenly remembered my dream, the part where I was in Seiryoku's arms.

What was with that part...?

I huffed, angry about my dream now.

"why are you in my arm?" I asked.

"I was concerned." He said.

"Have you learned your lesson?" He asked.

"Not really." I said plainly, now looking to my blankets.

"Why have you been so stubborn lately?" He questioned.

I laid back down and laid on my right side, facing the wall with the window; away from Seiryoku.

Should I tell him about the nightmere? No... It doesn't matter... It's just a dream...

"I don't know... I just... am..." I answered.

It was silent for a moment. It irritated me a great deal.

A boy was in my room and I was in bed. Something I thought wouldn't happen until I was atleast 18 or something.

"Tell me..." I began.

"Hm?" He said, giving me his attention.

"Have you ever regretted what you were born as? Personality wise?" I asked.

He didn't answer for a moment, but then answered. "No. I can't say I have." He said.

I closed my eyes, smiling a bit now, "Hn..."