Soul Society6:
Just as I thought, Lukia yelled something and the grasp on the arm loosened. As I started falling backwards after her sudden release, just like before, everything turned back again. The cold felt like it was melting on my face and everything had the regular color now.
"Allison?" Lukia's voice sounded like question.
"I'm back." I said. I just realized that all the while, we've been running top speed through darkness and the strength was finally taking its toll. I took in a jagged breath and shouted, "Why are we running so fast?" Lukia looked back,
"It's not that fast really,"
"You know what I mean." I couldn't believe her laid back style
"There are Hollows right behind us."
"Really?" I looked back too but didn't see anything.
"How come I can't see any of them?" Lukia opened her mouth to answer me but just then I saw red glint of a Hollows' eyes. Make that 20 glints.
"Don't answer, please keep running." I interrupted.
"Although why we don't just eliminate them, I don't understand."
"We can't, if we kill many Hollows at the same time, Menos will appear. They are way bigger than Hollows and much, much harder to kill. I suppose you can say that many dying Hollows at one location calls a Meno" She spoke in between calm breath as though she ran like this everyday. As if she read my mind, she said, "This is basically how I travel everyday. I'm in charge of the California region so I pass through her a lot." She looked back and then at me, "Though not with that many Hollows wanting to make me meal, that is." I grinned apagogically and she grinned back. I was really starting to like her.
We continued running as fast as we can for a long time. My knees were shaking and my arm felt like there were needles stuck on it. As I took another painful breath, I felt Lukia chanting again. In this emptiness, I couldn't possibly see anything except the glow that reflected off a person. Lukia was chanting something in a low, serious voice that gave off a subtle vibration. Before I knew it, there was the same gate again. IT seemed like ages ago that I've seen it last. When we got under the gate, there was still darkness, as though it hadn't opened yet. Lukia and I both stopped short, our hands on our knees, trying to prevent from doubling over.
"Open it." I gasped,
"I can't-have-to-wait-"it startled me to see Lukia as tired as I was. We both snapped our head back at the same time to se the Hollows closing in on us. As the Hollows slowed down upon reaching us, the gate made a humming noise and blinding light shined from the middle, and then spreading to either side of the pillar. We both jumped back, and then our bodies were sucked into the light, the screams of Hollows echoed endlessly behind us.
later
I came to when I felt eyes on my face. As I slowly opened my eyes into the blinding light, I stared into many unrecognizable faces. Most of them wore the same black dress as Lukia but they each had a strong, distinguishable flavored scent. In my mouth, they clashed so much that they almost tasted bitter. My eyes started adjusting to the light and voices became clearer than a buzzing in the background.
"Where am I?" I asked in a mumbled voice.
"Welcome to Soul Society." Someone said behind me. I looked back into the face of a motherly lady who wore a black dress like everyone else's but she also wore a white shawl. She was comfortably pretty and her face awas ageless. I wouldn't be surprised if she was 36 or 63. Everyone backed off as she came into the room. I looked around. I felt like I was deep inside a mountain. The building had an isolated feeling to it and there were about 12 beds lined up against the wall of the room. This was probably the infirmary. I cringed after glancing around and seeing awestruck faces looking at me too. My breath finally slowed down to normal and the lady had already walked ever so gracefully to my side.
"Rest well, my dear. I'm Captain Aisha of squad 10." She saw my confused face. "Lukia didn't explain you the status here?" I shook my head. "Well then, I'm sure the Captain you are assigned to can help you with that." A commotion began at the door as all other Death Angles moved out of the way. Even before that person came in; his presence was very evident in the silent air. Captain Aisha straightened up. "Then again, I suppose I may be wrong." She said quietly to me.
"Where is she?" the voice was quiet and I couldn't have imagined the amount of violence mentioned in his tone alone. His voice was like velvet, but sharp as a knife and he spaced his words clearly and slowly, making me feel inferior and simple minded. I felt his strong spirit particle leaking out of him and the smell of cherry blossom seemed to fill the air, making my feel light headed and drunk. I didn't dare look in the direction of his voice.
I felt a shiver run down my spine as the room became so quiet, I couldn't have guessed there were so many people within this room…had I not the taste in my mouth of course. I closed my eyes, hoping that he, whoever it was, wasn't talking about me. No one moved, and I could tell that the new comer wasn't so pleased. "Well?"
Captain Aisha spoke up, "I'm sorry Captain, but I will not have you come in here and interrupt the resting patients."
"Where is she?" his voice was gentler but had the opposite effect of what gentler voice usually does.
"I don't know who you are speaking about. You are talking about 51 of human population when you specifies 'she'"
"Lukia." His answer caught me off guard. I was so sure he had been here or me, what had Lukia done that angered him? I continued playing the sick and sleeping patient.
"She is resting. As you know, she just came back from a mission."
There was a brief silence and then, "When she is better, send her home. I want her home before tomorrow evening." Captain Aisha's voice lost some of its gentleness, "even if she is not well enough to travel?"
"Even if that." I felt air sucked into everyone's lungs and couldn't stop the laughter that came out of me. It was merely a giggle, a breathless, soundless one at that, but I felt that one gaze on me. I cursed myself.