He returned to the location where the Hollow had arrived. He remembered of course which direction the girl had seemed to be running from. He retraced the most logical path her steps would have taken her… He saw a park and he saw a few children in the street, looking at some bugs and such things… He wondered if perhaps this was what had made the girl draw off the Hollow.
Reason would state that if the girl could see the Hollow that perhaps instinct to run in the other direction was overridden by the sight of those children. Had she not gotten the Hollow's attention it would have attacked the children. He wasn't sure if she had any way to know that or not, but just looking at a Hollow it was easy enough to discern that it was certainly not something good.
The children were oblivious to what was going on. Of course that meant that they could not see or in any way sense any of this. He added to the list of growing questions in his mind. He after all had to handle this situation, as the Captain Commander had ordered. Once the girl was awake he would have to question her. They had to come to understand the full of this situation. So he kept track of the questions that needed to be asked, that should be asked and perhaps that he wanted to ask.
He was after all curious about that marking on her back… He could explain merely that he had seen it when he had assessed her injuries which was the truth. Though it had no bearing on the investigation in truth, the fact that he had been having dreams which contained that symbol before the Captain Commander had given him this mission, to his mind it had everything to do with this case.
He began attempting to sense and discern the residual reiatsu in the area, but after his battle with the Hollow, his own reiatsu had pretty much decimated what residual traces there might have been. Seeing that any cursory searches he would make now would be pointless, he began to make his way back to Uruhara's shop.
The blackness of her dreamscape should have been worrisome. But she felt so tired, desperately tired… Wasn't she too tired to dream? However she was there, in the dreamscape. She hurt, it felt like her soul hurt. Of course that wasn't far from the truth. The Hollow's claws had done a number on her. She was alive yes, and her wounds had been healed but some wounds took more than healing kido to ease..
The panther loomed in the shadows, watching over her. "You came very close to death tonight. Why did you bait the Hollow?" A dark, purring voice asked.
She looked around trying to figure out where it was coming from. "Hollow… what is a hollow?" She asks weakly.
The shadow split from the ones that marked the landscape almost casting everything here in shades of darkness. "That very large thing that attacked you… it is called a Hollow." The shadow panther explained.
"How do you know this?" Erisia inquires, wondering idly how it was that a panther could talk.
"I know many things… things I cannot explain at this time. Answer the question."
"There were children there. If I did not draw it off, it would have attacked the children… Should I have let it?"
"No, you should not have… I merely wanted to confirm your motivation." The voice answered.
"What was that man?" Erisia inquires.
"What man?"
"The one who stood upon the very air itself… the one that attacked the thing you called a Hollow?"
The panther, if she could have seen its face was a little surprised. He had thought that she had passed out from the pain by the time the Shinigami had joined in the fight…
"That is not a question with a simple answer."
"What makes it so difficult?" She inquires.
"There are things you are not yet ready to know… What that man is, is a part of that truth. More will be explained after you rest. When you wake, I am sure you will see that man again and that there will be questions. You must be strong, Erisia. Do not fear them, for they will help you."
"You know my name but I do not know yours. Who are they?" She asks.
"You are not yet ready to hear my name, Erisia. But you will hear it when you are ready. As for who they are… that may be explained to you before they ask you questions about what happened. They will want to know how long you have seen things like the Hollow. They will want to know why you ran as you did. They will want to know about the shadow they saw… which is to say that they will want to know about me. I have little fear of them, tell them what you can remember… I am sorry for my role in this, Erisia… I hope you believe that… because of me, I fear your life may be changing… I hope in time you will be able to forgive me." The purring voice says in a softer tone.
"I do not understand." Her head was starting to throb.
"I know, and I am sorry. I have to leave you be for now, you will need rest. I am sorry I cannot answer your questions right now Erisia… but to everything there is a time and place." From there the shadow faded out. She wanted to ask it to stop… but the throbbing in her head and the soul deep aching, tugged her down into a deeper oblivion of sleep.
He arrived back at the shop. Uruhara and Tessai were no where in sight. Neither were the other two… He paused momentarily by the door to the room that Tessai had placed the girl in. There were questions in his mind. Of course they would have to wait…
"What has you so curious Byaku-bo?" Came an unfortunately familiar voice. He looked towards the source of the sound, frowning, seeing the black cat.
"She was outrunning a Hollow. She is human and yet she saw and baited a Hollow to save children."
"How do you know this if you have not spoken with her?"
"It is the logical conclusion. Returning to the scene where the Hollow appeared there were children. Since she was running from the Hollow it stands to reason that she could see it or at least sense it well enough to know that it was a danger to those children… What she hoped to accomplish after drawing it off will only be discerned once she wakes and can be questioned." Byakuya muses.
Youroichi could only nod… As cold as the conclusion was, it also made sense… However she did find it somewhat amusing that her usual term of endearment for him got no rise out of him. It must be serious. "You should rest, Byaku-bo… you wouldn't want to frighten the poor girl when you go to question her and if you get any more frosty I'm sure you'll freeze her very answers before they can leave her lips." The cat chuckled.
Byakuya glared at the insufferable cat. "I will sleep, but there is still work to be done yet."
"All work and no play…. My how things have changed… You used to be so much more interesting."
"Go away Youroichi, this is a serious matter and you are incapable of anything remotely resembling seriousness." He scoffs.
"Fine, suit yourself… my you're even more surly than usual… I fear for the poor girl, sleep is clearly not going to help you enough." She muses as she hops up on the sill then out of the window that had been left open. He just sighed… She would never change. He shook his head and set to writing down what he would need to address with the girl when she awoke. Once done, he retired… The new day was likely to be very interesting if this day's events were anything to measure by.