Shinji saw a nightmare in front of his eyes. Emily was fighting for her life, even using her mask. The hollow punched her so hard she stumbled backwards, barely able to move. The enemy was heading her way and Shinji reacted before he thought. "Hado No. 63: Twin Lotus of Crashing Blue Fire!" The Kido did little damage, causing the Hollow to turn around and come at him instead. Shinji unsheathed Sakanade. 'Yeah, that's right, leave Emmalin and come at me.' What Shinji didn't notice however was that Emily had steadied herself. He only noted that when he heard her voice. "Way of Travelling No. 97: Seal off to Hueco Mundo!" She threw a yellow spear at the King, which made him disappear engulfed in light. The hollow was screaming. "Insolent shinigamis! I will be back to kill you before you know it. You are defenseless without the Senkais…"

~~~~~Shinji's POV~~~~

Normally, I would have thought about the hollow's last words. This time, however, I was way too freaked out to ever consider that. Emily was panting heavily, looking as if she would pass out any second. She was resting on Jyubi. Her hollow mask shattered and for a moment I caught glimpse of her eyes. My heart dropped in that instant as I did my best not to panic. Her eyes closed and I caught her as she fell. I didn't waste a second, I didn't look back, I didn't think that I had left Jyubi out in the open, I didn't care that the hollow may be back or that there may have been more around, I just focused on getting to the 4th Division as soon as possible. My mind was haunted by all those nightmares I've been having, where that exact same thing happened and I didn't make it in time. I shook my head of these thoughts and sped up. Emily needed me, for the first time her life depended on me and I felt so weak, useless that I couldn't do more. The truth hit me in the face. Captain or not, I was weak. I needed to train. I just prayed that she would be there to help me get stronger. Her pulse was barely there and her breathing was less and less audible. "Emily, please don't die." I said, feeling desperation slowly take over.

~~~Normal POV~~~~

Shinji stormed into the 4th Division, more specifically, into Unohana's office. The woman seemed less than pleased to see him carrying a half-dead Senkai. She could only deduce what they had done, but if there was a chance, she wouldn't let Emily die. Shinji followed Unohana to a hospital room. The healer quickly diagnosed Emily and searched for something around her neck. She palled. "Her Soul Necklace…" Shinji quickly took it from his neck and gave it to Unohana, worried about its need. Unohana started using a strong Healing Kido and soon dismissed Shinji.

~~~~~Next day~~~~~

Shinji was waiting in a hospital room. For what? He had no idea. Unohana had told him that Emily's survival chances were slim, that was considering that she was Senkai. His mind kept replaying last night's events, focusing on his last glimpse of her emerald green eyes. 'Desperation… fear of death.' She was pleading for him to help her. His fists clenched. He didn't know whether he had managed to do it. He felt as if he had failed. As if he was useless. His eyes slowly closed. No, he didn't fall asleep. Somehow, he feared that if he fell asleep something bad would happen. Unohana's words rang in his ears, the echo haunting him. "Her wounds aren't too bad. Small stabs and slashes that were mostly healed when you brought her. I'm more worried about one particular stab on her chest. She had fought the King of Hueco Mundo. The poison he posses is unique. It causes everything it touches to rot. Somehow, her body had neutralized the small concentrations and I have managed to slow it down. But that place where his sword pierced her is full of poison. It's dangerously close to her heart and lungs. I don't know what will happen. In a week we'll know. The poison will have vanished until then and she will either be dead or conscious." Shinji sighed. 'And it all happened in this cursed night.' He couldn't believe how fast she had been wounded that badly or how she had fought with a wound like that, but one thing was for sure: he could never forgive himself for allowing her to fight on her own.

Shinji listened to the various life-supporting machines in the room. He just felt relieved hearing her constant pulse, proof that she was alive. Beep… beep… Realization hit him, a soothing thought finally coming into his mind, somehow setting him at ease for the moment. 'Yeah, she's gonna be fine because she's Emily. There's nothing more to it.' Of course, in the back of his mind, he knew things weren't going to be that simple. They never were.

The end.

A/N: Stay tuned for a sequel!