Alright, well I did my best to crack this out as soon as possible. I wanted to post it faster, but at home I'm on really horrid dial up, and I couldn't seem to get the doc. uploader to work (after ten refreshings and reconnectings, I gave up). Well, it's not like I made you guys wait too long this time, right?

Hm. Rereading this, it seems a bit too fast...but maybe it's just me?

Regardless, I hope you guys like it!

-Okami

Oh, and thanks for the flood of reviews, faves and stats! I was very delighted!

And hey, check out the new poll on my profile!

kitcat 1995: Heheh yeah. Well, here's the new chap. ^^ thanks for reviewing.

Moka-Summers-Well, welcome newcomer ^^ Thank you for reviewing.

Lady Skorpio-Heheh, you'll see soon enough. Thanks

Ivoryclaw-Or will I be mean to them? *grins* Thanks XD

tifa42-Hey, yeah, it's been a little while, hasn't it? Thanks for not being anonymous and for reviewin'

FreakingAgro-well, they never were really dead...just mortally wounded? lol thanks

SprinkleKissez-o.o whoa...lol Heheh, I know that song--it used to be on my itunes before my laptop fried, but I do love that song XD

.dragon-XD aw thanks so much

grenouille-85-They sure could XD But I do feel some guilt... I've never been so unfair to a character before.

Arrancar14-Aw, I'm glad it was able to cheer you up! And as for your question; I remember in the chapter where she first used the ability it was explained that any longer than five minutes and her reitsu would be sapped, meaning she would get stuck there... And being stuck there would be a big problem, as well as probably kill her. You know, no food, water, etc.

ViolentxLove-Heheheh, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks XD

*Chapter 35*

*Yume's POV*

"Kensei, I love you!"

He didn't answer.

All Kensei would do is stare down at me…what expression he had, I couldn't be sure through my tears. And I couldn't hold his gaze anymore; I had to drop it and instead stare at my hands which were clenched together in my lap.

And so the truth finally comes out…

I had finally admitted it, to myself and to him. I was in love with Kensei. And I had been, for a long time.

The wounds on my body were strangely numb…even my arm…but it didn't matter. All that mattered to me at the moment was what he was going to say…

But…

Why isn't he saying anything?!

My eyes slowly, painstakingly moved upwards, past the large wound in his upper stomach, past his tattoo and just up to his chin, before I found I could go no further.

I was terrified!

What if he decided that he didn't feel the same for me? That he didn't want me?

Everything rested on this moment.

"K-Kensei…" I muttered, forcing myself to look him full in the face. "I-"

My words cut off as I saw his expression.

His brown eyes were soft, softer than I had ever seen them. And his face was relaxed, almost relieved.

"Yume…" he replied, his hand slowly moving to brush my hair out of my eyes. I caught it and squeezed it gently, something between a laugh and a sob coming out of me.

His other hand moved to rest on my shoulder, before he started to lean towards my face.

My eyes closed as I leaned forward as well, the world around us grinding to a blissful, muted halt.

Kensei…

GRRRRRR….

A deep growling filled my ears, making my eyes shoot open with surprise. Kensei's eyes did the same and we stared at each other for half a second, before something locked around my legs and tore me out of Kensei's arms.

No!

"KENSEI!" I screamed, my hands clawing at the ground as I was dragged away.

"No!" he screamed, staggering to his feet and attempting to come after me, only to fall to his knees, hands clasping his middle.

Why is this happening?!

I started kicking my legs, ignoring the pain racking my body from the effort of it. But I was still being dragged; the only change was now the thing had a tighter hold of me.

"Shi-!" I cried, before twisting my body to see what had me.

It was the same hollow from earlier. The same hollow that had been Moru.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, kicking again, "Moru!"

There was no response from him, only the same low growling as he continued to drag me away, claws tearing into the flesh of my legs.

I came to a realization; this hollow wasn't Moru anymore.

My hand struggled to reach for Kurosasori, only to find him gone from my side; I had left him on the ground next to Kensei. But I wasn't defenseless, no, not when the best thing in the world had happened, the best person, the person I loved was only a mere twenty feet away.

I was able to twist onto my back, my right foot breaking free for a second—which was more than enough. I put my hands together and turned them towards the hollow.

"Hado 33, SOKATSUI!"

Blue flame exploded from my hands, slamming the hollow right in the face—

A horrid cracking sound followed before the hollow let out a pained roar and let go of me; I thumped to a stop on my back, my chest heaving and my head spinning.

I should have gotten up and run away without looking back, I shouldn't have raised my eyes to look at the damage I had inflicted…but I did.

I felt my blood run cold at the sight.

The hollow let out another roar, hands clutching what remained of the shattered mask. But that wasn't what stopped me. It was his face.

Moru…

Through his fingers I could see his face; red blood streaming from his hollow eyes like tears…it was the most painful face I had ever seen-

"Ah…" he started, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

My hands shot to my ears as he screamed; I wanted to close my eyes, but I found I couldn't tear away from the sight of him screaming as the mask reformed over his face, turning his voice back into the hollow roar.

As if a switch had been flipped, he was back in attack mode and came barreling towards me, claws outreached.

I turned and made to run away, but I wasn't fast enough—I had just enough time to glance over my shoulder to see him already inches away from me-

"HYAA!" cried a voice, before something sent Moru stumbling backwards with a flurry of sparks and glinting metal. I blinked to see Hiyori standing in between us, her zanpakuto drawn.

"H-Hiyori?!" I gasped, surprised.

She glanced back at me; her eyes gleaming with a mixture of fear and determination.

"Yume! Get Kensei, and get away from here!" she yelled, before charging at Mamoru. I didn't argue and jumped to my feet, before nearly falling over, my senses numb and muddled. Wha?

"Guah!" cried out a voice from somewhere off to my right. My head jerked up as I recognized the voice.

"Kensei!?"
My eyes flashed towards the sound of his voice before I started running blindly towards it, my legs moving awkwardly beneath me.

I found him on his hands and knees at the bottom of a gulley; he must have tried to run after me, but with his wounds…

"Kensei!" I cried, pushing myself to move faster.

His head jerked up at the sound of my voice.

"Yume!"

My left leg gave out on me as I reached the edge of the gulley, sending me sliding feet first into it, and right into Kensei's arms. He let out a grunt of pain, but held me securely.

"Are you alright?"he panted, pulling me back to look me up and down.

"I…don't know," I replied, "I-Kensei, you're bleeding!" I cried, my eyes wide as I saw the copious amount of blood running down his chest from the stab wound. He looked down, letting go of me to put his hand on the wound.

"Shit…it must have reopened when I fell…but I don't feel anything."

"We need to stop the bleeding," I replied, reaching down and tearing the leg of my hakama off. I balled it up and started to move to press it to his chest, but Kensei suddenly doubled over with a loud cough, his hands moving to his face.

"Kensei?" I reached out to touch his shoulder.

"…something's…wrong…" he managed to gasp. "I-HIGACK!"

I could only stare in horror as something white poured out of his mouth and exploded upwards against his face; he sat back and tried to pull at it, his hands scrabbling and not doing a thing against it as it spread over half of his face.

"Kensei!" I cried, my eyes as wide as they could get. The white substance was starting to harden into a shape—a hollow mask. "No! Kensei!" I threw myself against him, my arms tight around his middle as he let out a scream. But I was screaming too.

Suddenly he was pushing me back, his scream cutting off.

"Run away!" he cried, "Run, Yume!"

I tightened my grip, sobs racking my body.

"No," I gasped, "Kensei, I won't lose you!"

He let out another scream, his body convulsing beneath me. I held on for dear life, a scream tearing out of me. I was losing him.

His scream suddenly changed pitch, becoming more hollow than man. Something slammed against my ribcage, sending me reeling back, blood flowing into my mouth.

OOOOH….OOOOOOOOOHH!!!!

My eyes traveled upwards to see Kensei standing over me, his hands clinging to the sides of the freshly formed hollow mask. He let out another roar and backed away, more of the white stuff coming out of his mouth and rolling down his arms to make armored fists; with a sickening sound, strange cylinder like shapes exploded out of his back and shoulders, spraying the ground with blood.

"KENSEI!" I screamed. I had lost him. He was turning into a hollow.

I started to scream again, but it was quickly cut off as something exploded out of my throat, quickly reaching up and covering my face. I gagged and tried to rip it away, but my fingers slipped right through it.

No… It was happening to me too.