Nightmares of the Past

Setting: Sereitei; START- Squad 0's barracks and Captain's Quarters.


Aka was sleeping on his bed when he started to dream of his time when he was alive. The peaceful time when he was growing up then the clashing of the battle before his death. It was vain he felt every Strike like the blade was again in his hands again and then he was stabbed in the chest with the nodachi, then struck in almost cut in half with the jin tachi and staggered back as he gazed in his opponents eyes as they soon gazed over and he fell on his back Blood Squirting out of the wound Aka gave him. Blood also came out of the pipes end, making a puddle on the cement floor as Aka staggered back and fell off the edge of the 10th floor of the warehouse he was at. And slowly as it felt like an eternity landed on his back making a loud Crackling thud on the pavement. The last things he could see was blackness and the Girl he was going to ask out the next day for Prom two days away after the final match of the kendo Tournament. He was going to Show her the trophy and that would have given him the advantage for her to say yes. But he never had the chance. as he continued to stare at her in a gaze that was fading, blood covered her. Head to toe. on her legs, Shoes, socks, Skirt, and white School blouse. The Blood Curtling Scream was heard as his world Faded into Nothingness.

Aka quickly sat up panting and sweating. he was Trembling and put his palms to his eyes and laid back down.

"why... why wont the dreams stop?"

At about 10am he was heading to the squad Offices to Pick up some paperwork so he could start his day on filing and sorting paperwork for his next patrol in teh world of the living. He was seen by other walking slowly and with dark bags under his eyes showing his lack of sleep lately. Maybe it was because Of being around Resu and toshiro, showing affection to each other and all the lovey dovey stuff. He just shook his head and Continued on collecting paperwork.

Resu softly prodded Aka in the back, a slightly worried expression on her face.

"Hey, you ok? You look really exhausted..."

Aka jumped to the poke. Almost flinging the papers ins his arms to go flying.

"AH! ... S-sorry... i haven't been sleeping well... I have been having Nightmares from when i died..."

He re-positioned some of the paperwork that slid out of order.

"I have been having it for a couple weeks now."

"Oooh..." Resu frowned, gently messing up Aka's hair. "Something on your mind that caused the nightmares to appear...?"

"I dont know what triggered them. But I remember it all in Detail... I was fighting a guy from an opposing school in a kendo tourny and he wanted to cheat and get the Trophy for him self. But i Thwarted his plans. He hospitalized my whole team but me. He used anger and Greed to try and take me down... And used my own swords against me. And had me at deaths door.... I took a rusty broken pipe and stabbed him in the throat with it killing him. But... I stumbled off the edge of some 10 story ware house... and plumbed to the Ground."

he Shivered as he spoke. and set his paper work on the railing and weighing down his paperwork with a rock.

"But when i fell... I fell infront of the girl I was going to take to Prom two days after the tourny. Which was the next day. I was going to use the Trophy to ask her to it. But i ended up splattering her head to toe in blood, brain, and gore..."

he Choked slightly as he spoke.

"When i got into the Gotei 13 i used the records of the Deseased. I found out she went on a rampage during a school class a week after my death and took lives of a few of the students before killing her self...."

He was almost in tears.

Resu sadly sighed and rubbed his back in a comforting way.

"That's..." she sighed, unable to find the words she wanted to say.

"Yeah... Tell me about it... My entire life when i was alive was a utter tragedy. My parents Died of a Car crash and my uncle took me in. he died when i was 13. so i lived on my own doing some odd jobs as well running a kendo Class across town for kids. And i still went to school. My uncle and parents would be proud."

he wiped a stray tear trying to escape from his right eye.

Nigori enters, trying not to pay too much mind to the two, seemingly only wanting to to drop off her papers. But she pauses hearing Akasaki mention his life during the living. "You.. remember that much?" She paused and thought before mumbling to herself "It's not always a blessing to remember," She shook her head trying to get the negative thoughts out of her head, trying to forget the small things she remembered of her time in the living as well. Nigori changed her mindset to more disconnected, she noticed Akasaki's tears and cloudy eyes, "Boys don't cry...right? I thought you were stronger than that, seems I was wrong..."

She paused again, and seemed to realize how rude she seemed. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean- I'm out of sorts," She spoke, apoligizing with a bow. She seemed nervous and fiddeled with her long hair, stroking her fingers through it,"How- How did you die?" She questioned Akasaki, wanting to know, but knowing that may have also been out of line to ask. Perhaps she was just making things worse by asking.

"No its Quite alright Nigori.... I died from being stabbed in the chest and stomach with my own blades, and falling 10 stories on to pavement. Creating a bloody mess...." he rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.

"I do not know why I remember so much. It never left me like everybody else. it never seems to Fade for me, no matter how much time has passed." he sighed taking her paperwork.

"...suicide? Bet that would have been quite a story for the police and quite a hand for the janitors," She said out loud without thinking and teasing. He was being vague to her which made her quite curious instead. She didn't realize how dark Akasaki actually was, he always seemed... happy. To her at least. Then again she wasn't around and didn't associate herself with others too much.

"It's normal to remember it sometimes, some scarring memories stick in our heads. I know I have a few." She spoke softly. She started thinking on to random thoughts and mumbled them outside to herself "What if these memories were implanted? We're meant to dream of the unacheivable and impossible And it was all just a hoax? Now that would be something huh Kage?" She laughed out loud to herself.

She jumped up a little in surprise when he took her paperwork "You- I- I was just going to place it.. in the folder there..." She rambled pointing lowly to said folder "You didn't have to take it yet..." She mumbled looking down, wanting to not make eyecontact.

"No its fine. And it wasnt suicide. I was killed by a person who took my blades and wanted to kill me so they could win a Kendo tournament held the next day. I killed him with a Rusty ragged pipe to the neck. We killed each other but i didn't end up in hell...." his eyes look away again and sighed.

"If I love something It dies, Every time...."

"How selfish!" She said in surprise "Well if you didn't go to hell, then I'm sure it was understood and you were put into soul society for a reason," She graced her face with a smile "To save those in need,"

"Maybe you should just -Almost- love something? I don't believe what your saying is true," Nigori spoke, giving advice and her opinion stubbornly, crossing her arms. "You don't realize what you have til it's gone"

"I have. 4 times. My parents death, my uncles death, The girl i loved homicidal rampage and her suicide, and My Life." he held up four fingers showing his point.

"And they are all gone and i cant get them back. Because 1 they where eaten by a hollow. or 2 they Killed 5 students in my highschool class and killed her self and went to hell. So i realized What is gone."

"Any during your time in the Seireitei? Sure once something is gone, it doesn't come back, but there's plenty of things to build anew" Nigori said passing on her thoughts, stroking her fingers in her hair, "Go to hell maybe? Get the answers you want, see her again, or move on, find someone here, you'll have a long time with them, it's a long life here," Nigori spoke in a serious tone. But soon mumbled to herself about wondering what hell was like..

"We are not allowed to go to hell remember? And besides after the my fight with Aizen and killed him, all of the shinigami here became afraid of me. Even you felt my Spiritual pressure, you of all people should know that. Even if i do i cant get out of this Gigai unless i want to turn her to ash."

"Breaking the rules should be fine once in awhile... If you find it neccisary. Hit me, do what you want, tell me I'm wrong, but that's my opinion," Nigori stubbornly stated.

Nigori laughed a little at Akasaki bringing up fear, "You wanna talk fear? Kage here knows all about it," Nigori patted the hilt of her sword, "I know people are afraid but you shouldn't be afraid of talking to people or growing close to them because of that. You can be friendly with me I suppose, I'm well trained in the fear area, I got nothing left more to lose anyways," She said matter of factly.

"Maybe get some scientist to work on something for you specifially so you don't turn her to ash? I'd ask my friend but... She's not physcially around anymore," Nigori spoke a little solemnly. "I suppose I could bug her about it though... she what she thinks."

"The gigai Is the best our R & D has to offer. With out proper Guidance they cant finish anything. they are The second most swamped Area besides the Sick bay."

"And I am not a rule breaker. Im On a tight leash as it is being a Vizard Captain for A squad only for vizards if i skrew up I would be dead. And Central 46 Dont have a kind heart for a Ex Captain Commander."

"But even if i do grow close, How would i even do that?! HOW?! My life has been leaving me Lonely... If i do gain some one... they will just die anyways...."

"Sure... Our R&D.. What about someone else? Kage says it could be possible..." Nigori pouted. "What if... I went in your stead? Got nothing to lose.. I think it'd be fun,"

Nigori laughed at Akasaki "Everyone has their own little worlds, one thing doesn't make sense to the other, it's why everyone has such a hard time understanding each other and getting close. Don't be so down about it, instead of spending your time wallowing in it, be productive in it, talk to new people, whether it goes bad or good, least your trying. Your not going to get anywhere saying 'I can't, I can't'. You need to say 'I can I can!' That is one of the ways of science says Kage" Nigori ranted.

"You may know fear. But what about pain. hmmm? What do you know about your heart breaking into million of pieces multiple times hmm?" it was obvious Aka was upset from his lack of sleep. Where ever he looked he saw his past. he couldnt get out of it.

"I understand pain, probably not as much and not the same way as you, but I know it. I don't see why I should tell you about my expierence when your being such a baby though," Nigori crossed her arms, with a grump on her face and she flicked her finger at Akasaki's forehead "Cheer up Aka-chan~ Stay in the present here, it's safe." She quickly changed her mood to cheery, perhaps hiding something under her skin that frustrated her about Akasaki.

Resu simply watched them, remaining quiet. She had nothing really to add in. Fear wasn't a common thing for her. What used to be her fear, fire, has become her enemy instead. She sighed and sat on the couches in the office.

And pain... her fingers brushed against the scar on her left eyelid, and then remembered the deep scars on her back.

"you may be right nigori... Sorry for my out bursts... My lack of sleep and all that is going on has made me on edge..."

He sat on the couch hands on his eyes.

"It's fine, we all have our moments. I've had plenty myself," She laughed and graced her face with a smile. "Maybe it's best if you take a small vacation, relax a bit, however you think is best. Maybe fighting is a good way to get it out. Or perhaps... a Onsen or something" She relaxed a bit herself just thinking of the hot moist air of the hot springs and got lost in her own thoughts. She shook her head returning to the real world, "If you want to I don't mind taking over any work ya need to get done so you can take a few days off,"

"Thank you for the offer..."

"but Im not the vacation type. Someone like Resu and her family deserves it more. They have done more work and effort than me, even if i was the previous Captain commander."

Nigori shrugged, disappointed a little in all her offers being turned down "Whatever, just do what you need to do to get better," She approached the door to leave in with attitude in her hips.

"Nigori.... Thanks... Maybe we can talk more perhaps?" he said fiddling his thumbs.

"maybe i just need to talk to someone about my problems... Instead of blotting them up..."

Nigori spoke teasingly, "My my, is the Vizard Soutaicho thanking me? That's a first," Nigori laughed, lifting her leg up and leaning on the doorway."You wanna talk to me about it more? Even though I was so rude? " She covered her chuckling mouth with her hand, and soon her laughs subsided "I'm fine with that though, anytime is fine," Nigori paused for a second and thought "Maybe you need one of those therapist people, or just to get the thoughts and memories out of your head, people do seem to feel better when they speak it out loud,"

He chuckled, "if i see a therapist i would be institutionalized. But we can talk Friday night? That's when my paperwork is at its low."

He turns to resu, "but thank you too. I may look tough, Im quite a softy. And seriously resu, go to a hot springs with your family. You deserve it even take hayate along. With your hard work you deserve some time off and with your son and husband. I will pay it in full, just dont tell toshiro."

"Ooh, I suppose that is true... Well I'll just have to do for your therapist then," She stuck out her tongue dorkily. Nigori thought about her own schedule "I think I'm free then...Friday works fine, just come into my office or tell me where to meet ya," She spoke, dropping a little into her street accent.

Nigori kept her mouth shut as Akasaki talked to Resu, she was only acquainted with Resu and had not too many thoughts on Resu, besides knowing she was a family sort of person. And family was a topic which Nigori was unfamiliar with.

"alright you can meet me in here. l am usually here in my spare time... But if you dont mind me saying this.... But you two.... Remind me of the girl.... Physically..."

Nigori whined "But that requires walking... I don't wanna walk here if I don't have to..." She pouted, biting her lip and crossed her arms. "I guess I could bring over more paperwork when I come over if you really want it over here..."

Nigori raised an eyebrow,"You trying to tell me I should cut my hair or something?" She flashed a small grin, "I didn't know you were into girls who are already married like Resu-san. Taking another man's girl is pretty serious man!" She laughed at herself poking fun "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" She smiled, letting herself be silly.

"Ha ha. She has Resu's hair style and eye color. And your hair length and color.... She was beautiful.... But i never take some mans wife.... Including a friends. But any way nigori reason i chose on here is because i have a snack fridge built into the wall, so if you get hungry you dont have to go out and get something."

"She sounds like a lady from what your saying, which is pretty vague. Or like... some weird love child between me and her..." Nigori spoke nonchalantly pointing to Resu, "Which is just odd to think about. Maybe if I was a guy I'd be more entranced by your imagery... But thus! I am but a lady myself. "

Nigori paused, thinking about the pros and cons, "That's tempting... Fine, I guess that's worth the walk,"

"alright thank you again you two. It really means alot "

Nigori wasn't used to being thanked, well besides from being thanked for turning in her paperwork or for her time from squad members, but those were quite a different formality. "Uh, your welcome. I guess," Nigori fazed her eyes elsewhere, being unsure how to respond. She approached to leave again, feeling the conversation come to it's end "Friday night then.."

"yeah Friday night. Here."