Daisuke carefully tied his narrow sash, picking up the sheathed sword that was leaning against the wall. His movements were smooth, almost mechanical as he slipped the sheath through his belt, then drew a cloak over his peasant's garb and raised the hood to shadow his face.

If the village lord wouldn't approve a search party to go after her, he would go himself. He wasn't going to leave her to her fate at the hands of those brigand scum. She was worth more then that…

He wasn't losing another loved one.

The young man slipped out into the night, leaving his small village behind. The danger of leaving the relative safety of those buildings at night was very real, as had been clearly demonstrated in the past month. Two men had been found dead, throats cut, who had wandered into the forest outside their walls, and three woman unfortunate enough, stupid enough, to go out alone had disappeared. One had been missing for nearly four weeks, one for three…

And Yuki, taken just hours ago.

Daisuke moved silently as he crept through the forest. He was the closest thing the village had to a healer, and he had often traveled this forest in search of herbs for use in his potions. Silent movement was natural for him, and the darkness of the forest hardly hindered him. He knew he would not be detected, not unless the bandits had found someone surpassing even him in awareness.

He never missed anything, not even in the moonlit night, and he soon spotted a fragment of cloth caught on a bramble. He carefully removed it, feeling the smoothness of the cloth, the slight dampness on one side and the frayed ends. One dark eyebrow raised for a moment. She had torn it off with her teeth, and not too long ago.

She knew he was coming for her. Good.

She was all he had left, really. After his sister had died, Yuki had become the last living person he had ever felt anything for.

The other villagers were wary of him because of his lack of belief in their traditional ways, though that did not stop them from coming to him when they were ill. Yuki never looked at things like that, she had come to him wanting to learn his heart, find out who he really was. And they had fallen in love.

And, despite the other villagers' disapproval, they had married.

Now she was gone, and he was not going to let that stand. He was going to find her, rescue her, and take her far, far away. Find somewhere where their neighbors didn't know them, didn't scorn them, and where those lawless, honorless brigands wouldn't follow them.

His black cloak brushed against a bush, and he stopped, realizing that the underbrush was becoming too dense for him to continue while wearing the heavy cloth unless he wanted to risk being detected. He silently removed it, folding it and laying it aside. The chilly air made him shiver, but he ignored the discomfort and continued moving.

It was like that that he found the brigands camp, in a sheltered cave in the depths of the forest.

The men were not making much effort to hide their presence. Some were laughing, and it sounded like a heated argument was taking place as well. But, to Daisuke, the only sound he cared about was the crying voice of his wife.

His sword clicked slightly as it left its sheath, his finger trailing against the blunt edge as his eyes hardened. He looked into the fire-lit cave, saw the dark shapes of men moving to and fro.

"Die," he whispered, and like a ghost moved towards them.

The sentry at the cave's entrance was simple, one swift movement and his life was extinguished. And then Daisuke was inside the cave, katana diving forward to stab through another brigand's back, spearing right through his heart and out his chest.

He wasn't paying attention to the screams, or the threats and promises of death that followed. His analytical gaze flicked from intended victim to intended victim, calmly weaving through their attacks and returning his own, light but deadly.

He had not always been a healer.

The villagers were right to fear him.

"Daisuke!"

"Stop right there, healer!"

Daisuke turned, whipping his katana to the side to free it of blood. Roughly half of the brigand band, nearly half a dozen, lay around him, some groaning, others lying quietly in pools of their own blood. The others watched him warily, weapons held ready, though none with the casual elegance of the trained swordsman they faced.

But Daisuke's attention was held by the one that had Yuki by the hair, the blade of his sword at her vulnerable throat.

The brigand smirked as Daisuke froze, eyes narrowing.

"I thought as much. Now lower your weapon to the ground."

Daisuke didn't move, weighing methods of attack and possibilities.

"Daisuke!" yelped Yuki as the edge of the sword pressed against her throat. The brigand and Daisuke continued to read each other's eyes, then Daisuke gritted his teeth and slowly, cautiously, crouched down to lay his katana against the ground.

"Look out!" Yuki screamed suddenly, and Daisuke whirled, lashing out with his foot at the brigand who had been sneaking up on him. Someone cursed, and then Daisuke had his katana in hand and darting forward to take the nearest standing brigand through the throat. A moment later he had turned to block the sword of the brigand who had been holding Yuki, bracing his katana with his free hand.

A shadow falling over him was the only warning he had before something slammed against the side of his head, blurring the world and making him lose his balance. It didn't stop though, as he fell. He didn't seem to react as they beat him again and again, until eventually he lost the last thread of awareness and drifted off into unconsciousness.

Even there, though, he seemed to hear Yuki's sobs.

.

Daisuke blinked his eyes open, his head throbbing and vision blurred. His wrists and shoulders hurt, and he realized after a moment that that was because he was tied roughly to a small tree, arms wrenched in a very awkward position and tied brutally at the wrists.

"Daisuke, you're awake!"

He followed the sound of the voice, and spotted Yuki tied to the tree next to him. A quick glance revealed two guards nearby, watching them with apparent carelessness, but Daisuke knew they were on their guard.

"Are you alright?" asked Yuki, and he directed his attention back to her.

"Yes…" he said, though it was a lie. He felt horrible, his head, back and ribs all ached and throbbed, and he was worried about the continued fuzziness of his vision, and the fog that seemed to lay on his mind.

Head injury… needs treatment. "What about you, Yuki?"

She shrugged, as best she could while tied, and tried to smile. "I'm fine. I've just been so…"

Whatever she was going to say was cut off as one of the guards approached, glaring at Daisuke even though he was approaching Yuki.

"You're going to get it," he growled, then thrust a bowl of water at Yuki, redirecting his glare to her. "Drink, woman."

She glanced at Daisuke, then back that the guard. "Please, give my husband water first. He needs it more then me."

Daisuke's throat was burning, but he had the feeling the guard had no intention of giving him anything to drink. The guard seemed to be thinking the same thing, for he grabbed Yuki by the hair and jerked her head back, glare intensifying.

"You will drink, woman, or I'll make you."

"Not until you…" Yuki began to protest, then choked on her words as the guard mercilessly poured the water down her throat. Daisuke tensed against his bonds as she began to cough violently, straining to break the ropes that kept him from pouncing on her tormentor.

"You don't talk back to me," the brigand snarled, leaning in close to Yuki. "Next time you resist, it's going to be worse for you."

She was gasping when he let her go, chin dripping with water that she was still coughing from her lungs. The guard noticed Daisuke's hate-filled glare and his eyebrows lowered slightly.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, walking over and repeating his actions with Yuki, grabbing Daisuke's black hair and forcing him to look up into his eyes. "You're in no position to threaten me like that."

Daisuke merely glared, and with a curse the guard released him, then drove a fist into Daisuke's stomach. The smaller man nearly doubled over, shoulders wrenching further as he gasped at the pain, his already damaged ribs protesting the abuse.

"I'm going to enjoy watching you die," hissed the guard, and then turned and stalked away. Daisuke ignored his threat, and Yuki's whispers of worried encouragement, he simply couldn't find the energy to spare.

It hurt enough just trying to breathe.

By the next day, Daisuke could hardly speak through his dry throat and mouth, and the sunlight seemed to burn right into his brain through his eyes, so he avoided it as best he could, with closed eyes and averted head. He only opened them when he heard a guard approaching again, and then only narrowly, just enough to see by.

""Drink, woman."

"Daisuke needs…"

Her words became a yelp as the guard slapped her across the face, then grabbed her hair again, forcing her head back.

"Drink!"

Daisuke closed his eyes again, and merely listened as Yuki protested and the guard again poured the water down her throat, resulting in another fit of intense coughing. He wasn't at all surprised when the guard turned to him, using the battered, tied swordsman as an outlet of his frustration before walking angrily away again.

"Daisuke…" Yuki whispered a minute later, her words cutting through the haze of pain and confusion that was clouding Daisuke's mind. "I'm afraid."

He winked one eye open and looked at her, then closed his eye again. I know, he thought, but didn't say anything. Didn't even try. He knew he wouldn't be able to manage it, and his inability would only alarm her more.

And yet, the words stayed in his head.

I'm afraid.

.

He wasn't sure what it was that made him wake up. He had been sleeping, and this time it had been actually restful. Such a shame to ruin it, but even as he opened his eyes he realized he wouldn't have woken up unless it was important. He trusted his own instincts in these things.

He looked over and saw Yuki sleeping fitfully, whimpering in her sleep and flinching away as if fleeing from some dark dream. He reached over and touched her shoulder, intending to comfort her, when he realized that something was very wrong.

He was no longer tied to the tree. He couldn't feel Yuki's shoulder.

He couldn't breathe.

He jerked back, away from her, and something tugged at his chest, as if there was a chain connecting them that tightened as he pulled away. Actually, he realized as he looked down, that was exactly what it was. A narrow chain, attached to a small plate of metal in his chest, trailed from him to her, curling around her leg up to the knee.

"Yuki…" he breathed, and then put a hand against the tree to steady himself as he struggled to breathe. He looked at his hand, wondering why he could feel the tree when he couldn't feel Yuki, and jerked back again, tripping in his haste and falling to the ground, chain clattering after him.

What…?!

He saw himself, still tied to the tree, head hanging limply towards his chest. That version of himself wasn't moving, not at all. Not even breathing.

Daisuke looked at his chest again, and then at his hand, clutching at the ground as a steadying point. Slowly, the pieces clicked together.

Did I just… die?

Slowly, his more practical side took over, and he carefully approached his own, limp body. He had to do his examination by sight alone, which was irritating, but he quickly determined that he was, indeed, dead. He denied the momentary flash of fear that threatened him at that realization and looked around, trying to decide what to do now.

"What can I do?" he whispered, looking again at Yuki, and the chain still wrapped around her leg. He couldn't leave her, he had never been able to before in life and couldn't now in death. But what could he do now? He was dead. She wouldn't be able to hear him… see him… he couldn't let her know he was still there…

A hopelessness at his situation suddenly choked him, and he sank to ground, chest tightening and eyes beginning to burn. He was dead. He couldn't do a thing to help her now.

"Yuki…"

.

"Drink, woman."

And she drank. Mechanically, emotionlessly, her eyes dull with no tears left to make them sparkle. She drank what they offered and she ate what they shoved at her, and at night she listened to their plans with no emotion left in her to spare on fear.

The brigands had sent their demands to the village. The village had not responded. Her time was almost up.

If there was one emotion her plight hadn't drained from her, it was hatred. Somewhere deep inside, she hated these men, hated them for capturing her, hated them for torturing her, hated them for killing Daisuke…

The spirit, sitting on a branch of the tree she was tied to, could feel that hatred radiating from her soul, traveling into him through the chain that connected them. It hurt, like a knife in his heart. He didn't like it that she hated, and he had no idea why he didn't like it, but he wanted it to stop.

Why am I tied to her, again?

He fingered the fragile chain in his chest, eyes downcast as he thought. She was the cause of the pain, he was certain of it. Her hatred was crushing his heart, and this chain was letting her do it. So… what if the chain wasn't there?

He twisted his finger around the chain, feeling as if he could break it if he wanted to. It seemed like it would be so easy, but something made him hesitate. There had to be a reason why he was chained to this woman. To break the chain… it might stop the pain, but then what? He might ruin his chance of learning why.

His eyes traveled along the chain, finally stopping on the woman. He examined her, noting without pity the broken posture, the helpless, hopeless state, the dull eyes.

This is not a person I need to be tied down to.

His fingers tightened, and the chain snapped.

The pain did not stop, it only intensified.

.

A roar shattered the otherwise peaceful semi-silence of the forest, a reverberating bellow that was more then half wail and no one could really hear.

Yuki glanced up, her dull eyes scanning the area. She didn't know what it was that sent a shiver down her spine, or the sudden tight feeling in her chest. She just knew there was something horribly, horribly wrong.

Then one of the brigands guarding her screamed, lurching forward. Yuki's eyes widened as he was literally ripped in half, dark blood raining to the ground. Her breath caught as he fell, and the other guard bolted upright, eyes wide in terror.

He was next to die, stabbed through the chest by something none of them could see.

"What... is this...?" she gasped quietly as the other brigands rushed out of their cave to investigate... and meet the same fate as their companions.

This time, however, against the darkness of the cave and by the faint, faint light of the sliver moon, she saw something as the first brigand fell, something that flashed through the air in front of him moments before his chest was sliced open. She tried to follow it with her eyes, but it blurred against the forest and disappeared again.

It was almost as if this thing wasn't fully there, as if it didn't quite belong in this world.

She heard a faint crack, and one of the confused, half-asleep brigands was yanked off his feet, yelping in fear. A moment later he was slammed to the ground again, the snap of bones painfully audible. Yuki could only stare in horror as the unseen assailant tore through the remaining brigands, finishing the job her husband had started nearly a week before.

And then she was alone, tied to a tree with dead men scattered all around her, killed by something she could barely sense.

She did hear the rush of wind, the faint snap of wings, and she saw a faint outline, blurred by darkness, as the thing settled onto a branch above her. She stared up at where she thought the thing perched, terror replacing the void in her emotions that had been consuming her for the past week.

"Are you afraid... woman?"

She heard the uncaring, reverberating voice, and something nearly broke inside of her. Her eyes widened.

"D...Daisuke..." she breathed, and she thought she saw a flash of green in the blurred area above her.

"Are you afraid?" she was asked again, and the weight on the branch disappeared. Then those green eyes were in front of her, peering at her with something that might have been curiosity, but certainly nothing beyond that.

"Daisuke, it's me," Yuki said, trying desperately to find a semblance of familiarity in those blank eyes. "It's Yuki."

Said eyes disappeared for a moment, and she thought she heard a faint sigh. Then something speared into her throat, in a single instant crushing her windpipe and spine, nearly hitting the tree behind her.

"You are afraid," breathed that familiar, but horribly cold voice. "You are nothing but trash after all."

Yuki couldn't even gasp as she died, her vision blurring even as the creature before her became more real. The last thing she saw was a long, whip-like white tail flicking past her face, a pale claw dripping with her own blood, and the blank eyes of the monster, the exact same shade as those of her dead husband.

There were many spirits for him to devour that evening, all too confused to even know what had happened to them. They were easy additions to his strength.

And, for some reason, it made his chest burn. There was emptiness inside him, a hollowness he needed desperately to fill, but there was also a horrible sensation in his chest that made him shudder. And it wouldn't stop.

He hunted to fill the emptiness, and with each kill the spot in his chest hurt more. He stopped hunting to try and make the pain stop, and the emptiness threatened to destroy him.

And so he continued hunting human spirits, and when that became too painful for him, he devoured others of his own kind. And as his strength grew, the pain slowly began to fade away, until the day came when all that remained was the emptiness.

He never did notice the acid tears that were forever dripping from his eyes, or the blood that flowed from the hole in his chest. He never realized that the pain that had once made him cry was the pain of a Hollow whose heart had never completely destroyed itself, a thing constantly bleeding and never healing. Nor did he realize, the day he became dominant over a thousand Hollow souls, that that bleeding heart had finally given up.

But it didn't vanish completely. Centuries later, he found it again, staring at it from between pale, ashen fingers, in the palm of one that wasn't afraid.