Just wanted to say I'm sorry...

[SoulofDarkness]

Ian finally saw her and ran up to her. He stood a few feet away and watched her with concerned eyes, "What's wrong?"

Kazuma sat against a tree, a sad look on his face. "It's been twelve years since I've heard that name..." He remembered the last day he had seen Ian, he had been cowering before a monster... It was the best way to describe what had attacked him, a monster. It was a hollow, but not like him or his brother at all. This hollow was too far gone, it had snapped. And just as it was about to attack him, Ian appeared. When Kazuma opened his eyes again, Ian had his arm around him, blood spattered on his face and drenching one of his arms. "It's okay now..."

When his parents saw, they thought Ian was a monster; they wouldn't listen to his pleas. Before they left, Kazuma saw his brother one last time. "It's okay, Ma-kun... They're right, I am a monster. But you're strong, you'll be fine..."

A single tear traced down Kazuma's face. "Why did that have to happen, Nii-san?"

[Kurorin]

Daelyn sighed.
“Kazu-kun (Kazuma), you have a Tengu right? Since you and Ian are related, how come he got the viruses instead of both of you getting it and sharing the pain?” she said still sitting on the branch.
“A bird's wing are what I desire. Everyone seems to have what I want. I want to be strong, everyone is and they leave me out of it. I want my dead brother back, everyone's long lost brother seem to appear out of nowhere.....” she said to herself. She thought that she would have to leave soon. She wouldn't tell Ian when and where or even tell at all! She would leave for a month and would only tell one person where, when and not to tell anyone.

[SoulofDarkness]

Ian glanced back at Kazuma, "What?"

Then Kazuma's jet black wings spread, his fourteen foot wingspan reaching out. "What's so good about being a demon?" he said listlessly. "All power is is the strength to kill. Why is that so desirable?" As if to answer his own question, he continued, "Because it gives you the strength to protect what's important to you..." He turned back to Ian, "I'm stronger now, Nii-san, so I don't need you to protect me anymore. Maybe now I can protect you."

Let's amend the classic story
Close it so beautifully
I'll let animosity unwind
Steal away the darkened pages
Hidden so shamefully
I'll still feel the violence of the lines

Ian was listening to Kazuma, but his eyes were locked on Daelyn. She seemed so distant... It was hard to believe the night before she had been so close. He really did know her pain. "There's some people I wished could come back to life too..." he said softly. He hardly knew his brother, and though it made him happy to find him again, the bond they once had no longer existed in Ian's heart and had to be formed again. But Rihito, who had been like a brother to him, hated him, killed someone important to him, and ultimately, Ian had to kill him. He wished he could have started over, started anew with Rihito, but that would never be... So he did understand Daelyn, but he doubted he could get through to her now. He simply watched her, waiting for her to say something.

I can't stand my laughter as they cry
My soul brings tears to angelic eyes

And miles away my mother cried
Omnipotence, nurturing malevolence

[Kurorin]

Daelyn closed her eyes.
“I don't desire to kill. I desire to stand up for myself. All my life I've been leaning on my brother for support, now, I want to stand alone.” She smiled a bit and opened her eyes.
“You didn't answer my first question Kazu-kun and I want to learn more about you since I'm your brother's girlfriend.” she said. She stood up on the branch. She looked down on them and awaited Kazuma's answer.

[SoulofDarkness]

"I may be a hollow, but my tengu is my primary being. Tengu are too high to be affected by something as low as a hollow virus. My tengu being is a part of me, so my hollow within me can never come close to affecting me." He said this simply, with not the slightest trace of arrogance. After he had finished answering her first question, he turned his attention to what she had just said. "There's nothing special about standing alone. It's okay to rely on people, like my brother. He was always there for me..." He smiled softly, lost in the past.

Ian stared at the ground, that was no longer true... No one could rely on him now...

[Kurorin]

Daelyn crossed her arms.
“That's not entirely what I mean...... I mean, I've relied on Ian and Ichigo too much and I need to stand alone. What if something bad were to happen to them? Then where would I stand?”she said. She jumped down but the fall stunned her legs a bit but still recovered. She looked at Kazuma.
“But I have a favor to ask but not now.......” she said as she looked at Ian with a worried expression. She wasn't sure about the way he would act.

[SoulofDarkness]

Kazuma looked at the two of them, looked at the way Ian was watching Daelyn. "I feel like I'm intruding on something..." he said quietly, "I'll be back later." Then he flexed his powerful wings, and surged upward. In a second he was gone.

Ian watched him go. Why did he feel the need to leave so suddenly? He couldn't rid himself of an awful feeling that was filling his entire being... What did Kazuma know that he didn't? He slumped against a tree and covered his face with his hand. What was going on?

[Kurorin]

“Ian, are you alright? You seem lost.” she said walking over to him. She suddenly embraced Ian in a hug and closed her eyes as she felt his pain and suffering. It was obvious that she cared so deeply for him but what wasn't was how much she cared for him.
“I have a question for you...” she said. She hated to tell him this but it was for her own sake.

[SoulofDarkness]

The foreboding feeling inside Ian's chest only grew heavier. "What is it?" he asked slowly.

[Kurorin]

“I-I need you to..... let go of me....for a month.....exactly one month...... I'm going alone. I'll be training and gaining my skills..... I won't tell you where I'm going and when.......but it's been killing me to tell you this....” she said. She felt a heavy feeling. Maybe the hollow was trying to tell her something?
'A hollow can possibly have a strong connection with a human and they could often feel the same thing.' she thought to herself.

[SoulofDarkness]

Ian's eyes widened, "What? What if something happens to you when you're gone? I... You don't... Why do you need to go alone?" His voice shook as he struggled for words. He silently came to his own conclusion: It was because he wasn't strong enough. Of course Daelyn couldn't rely on him if he was this unstable, there was no guarantee he could protect her. With this thought in mind, he slowly lowered his gaze in acceptance.

[Kurorin]

Daelyn shook her head.
“I'm doing this alone because I want to train myself physically so I can win in fights, and mentally so I can stop relying on you and Ichigo so much! I don't want you to take this the wrong way..... I still love you...” she smiled and lifted his head. She knew who to tell but wasn't sure how to ask.
“Ian... will you let me talk to your hollow for a moment. I want to get some things clear with him.....” she said. She placed her hand on his chest and looked up at him with sad eyes.
“And one more thing......” she said in a small voice.
“I won't be leaving soon but it will be within two months....” she said.

[SoulofDarkness]

Ian's face showed relief at her words; though he still knew that whether it was sooner or later, she was going to leave. He had to keep reminding himself that it wouldn't be permanent, that she would come back... He hoped.

Ian didn't question what she wanted to talk to his hollow about. "Alright..." His eyes instantly turned yellow and his face paled; the hollow was in control. "What is it you wanted?" the hollow said with a twisted grin.

[Kurorin]

“Alright hollow...... there is three things I need to say to you. First, I want you to make it so that Ian does not hear or see anything that I am saying. Second.... Don't think that you can have me whenever you want....” she blushed at her own words.
“B-but....there will be......times.......” that was all she could say.
“Third..... We need to go somewhere either today or tomorrow. I know some very intelligent people who know much about hollows. They are what me and Ichigo call; Vizards. There is I believe.. seven of them. They told me that there's six female hollows in the whole world that they know of. Though they won't tell me who that last two are......” she said thinking about it. She totally forgot that Ian and his hollow were standing in front of her.
“Who were they talking about.....? They said that they were people I knew...” she said out loud without even knowing it. A small faint voice started talking when the hollow came out.
“Stupid hollow. Why are you going out with such an-- ugh! I hate him!” Jayde said to Daelyn. Daelyn simply ignored him. It's not her fault that she fell in love with a hollow. He was nice to her and he loves her for her and not the fact that his hollow wants to probably 'rape' her and that she looks like his dead ex-girlfriend. She tried to push all of this away but Jayde seemed to push it back it into her mind. She was starting to get worried. She shook her head and turned toward the tree. It had deep markings all over it. She placed her hand on it. So many times she had blacked out and found herself waking up next to this tree. She got so angry that she blacked out and couldn't control herself. What made her do this? She kept her eye on the tree. Her mind was wondering all over the place.

[SoulofDarkness]

And I can breath
And I still feel
But not the way I want to
I'm on the edge I don’t know how
I can escape this nightmare

The hollow chuckled, "I don't have to worry about having you whenever I want, you know you can't resist me." He gave a playful grin. "Oh yeah, we don't need to go anywhere, it doesn't matter how much Ian knows about me. I know what I need to, and if Ian asks nicely enough, I will help him."

I confess I'm always afraid always ashamed
Of what's inside me
I confess I'm always afraid, always ashamed
Of what's inside my head
what's inside my head


From inside, Ian asked angrily, Are you done yet? He was surrounded by darkness and couldn't see or hear anything.

Not quite, came the voice of the hollow, just give us a couple more minutes. We're just getting to the good part.

The hollow's teasing voice made Ian angry. Just what the hell are you two doing?! But the hollow ignored him.

Oh, I'm Wasting away it's part of my instinct
I'll run away, from everything I hate
Take this away, help me escape
Take this away
I confess,
Innocence!