Where We First Met [Closed]

Kanna Aikotsuki was always seen as the serious, professional type of woman, but lately something was very, very wrong with her. She wasn't able to concentrate, she dazed out all the time, and wasn't remembering the normal tasks she was given. Assuming she was sick, her fellow Squad members finally asked her to go home and rest. She had been coughing and did have a temperature. It was obviously from THAT night. The same night she had fallen into the strangest mind set she had ever been in. Depression and despair were her company right now and she didn't feel as if she were strong enough to deal with it. And, unlike what her Squad asked, she refused to go home and just sit there being at the mercy of her own mind. She only wanted to push everything out, but it all came rushing back. No matter how hard the shore fights, the water will always push back against it. And that is how she felt, like the land fighting against the overwhelming current of the ocean. There was only one thing she could do, and that was to learn to live with it.

Kanna wandered around for hours, until her body unconsciously brought her to the place where her and the man that all of her doubts and sorrows came from had first met. The Squad Five Training Grounds. She had been asked to teach him, being extremely exceptional in the art of Kidō. Walking in through the front gate and into the little area, she chuckled at the old memory. It seemed that her training Snopy might have made an impact on him, since now he had a student of his own. She doubted she had any impact on him at all now. Everything she thought was destroyed, nothing but the ashy remains of what was once happiness being left. She walked over to the side wall, leaning her shoulder towards it. It was night now. The moon was high in the sky and she was finally tired. She didn't even realize how long she had been gone until this moment. She felt like screaming, but did not. It would probably bring someone to her side, something she did not want. Out of nowhere, she felt herself become lightheaded, her vision went blurry, and when she tried to take a step forward, she could not. Her body tumbled forward onto the dirt and she just lay there, curling up into a fetal position. Soon, she fell asleep in the dirt without any care for her current location. At the moment, she was dead to the world....

The moon sat up in its throne in the sky. There was not a cloud to block it, and it was an eerie full moon. There was no breeze in the area. At his home out in Rukongai, a man sat, idly staring at the moon. From his second story window, he sat on the windowsill. One leg was slightly bent and supported by the windowsill, while the other dangled outside of the building. The moonlight shined off his eyes as he stared. His mind, usually filled with thoughts, was almost blank. Snopy Saika; it had been three days since the incident with Kanna, and since then he wasn't completely right. After he returned to his barracks the day after the incident, it was highly obvious his mind was not in the right state. Things he usually did with diligence, he had to do extremely slowly to get even a little done properly. His face, rather than its usual friendly look, seemed blank. This was highly unlike him, and his squad was aware of this. As such, they told him to take some time off. He would have denied if it hadn't been the entire squad suggesting it. Even people who couldn't stand him, seemed worried.

Snopy had gone off to his home in Rukongai and did nothing. He ate, slept, and just stared blankly. He was trying to process his emotions. That was why he was so out of it. The words "I fucked up I fucked up I fucked up" were ringing through his head. By the time this particular night came around, he had calmed that thought. Yet new ones plagued him. He wanted Kanna's forgiveness more than anything, the pain was too great. Yet, he wondered if he even stood a chance. She was mad, and she had every right to be. He hurt the woman he loved, and he didn't know what he would do.

He stared at the moon for some time, until the silence of the night was broken. Saika, SAIIIIKAAAA! Snopy broke out of his daze and looked down. It was one of his squad members, and she looked frantic. Aiko, whats wrong? You look exhausted. And how did you find me here, I never told anyone where I live. She seemed so frantic he thought someone was in trouble. He refused to let his mood kill someone, so he was temporarily able to be himself. It's your girlfriend! I found her unconscious on the ground in our training grounds! Snopy's eyes widened as he jumped from the windowsill to the ground and bolted for Seireitei. He was running as fast as he could, only pacing enough so he wouldn't fatigue before he reached her. The gate was barely open when he slid under it he was moving so fast.

The sounds of night were all around him, and all one would hear was his footsteps as he made his way through the maze that is Seireitei. He skidded as he reached the walls to his training grounds. They were low enough for it, so he jumped and grabbed the ledge. He flipped himself over the wall and landed square on his feet. It was a perfect landing too. He looked around, desperately trying to find her. That is when he noticed it, her body lying in the dirt. He ran over as fast as he could, kneeling over her body. He began to shake her. Kanna! Kanna are you okay? Kanna! Kanna wake up! He was obviously frantic, if the training grounds weren't so large he might have drawn a crowd. Still, squad members could show up at some point. He wasn't thinking about that though, he was more worried about the unconscious woman before him.

During her unconscious state, Kanna was remembering things she really wished she did not have to remember. Memories of the past plagued her mind in the form of bad dreams, horrible nightmares that she could not awake from. The night she found out that her husband was cheating once again, the flight she took, the screams of herself and child as the plane went down. The horrifying feeling of being alone and not being able to find her little girl. And then the moments that seemed to repeat years later with her best friend and new boyfriend. All of it flooding back into her mind. She screamed in her dreams. This fear was also shown on the outside. As Snopy picked her body from the dirt and shook her, her face would become distorted with fear, anguish, and sorrow. So many emotions that not many were able to keep up with at once. Tears forced themselves from her eyes and down her face. She could hear him call, "Kanna! Kanna are you okay? Kanna! Kanna wake up!"

"Snopy..." she mumbled in her sleep, still unable to wake from the horrors of her own mind. Her breathing became erratic and suddenly she was snapped back into reality. For a moment, she thrashed around, as if trying to get away from something... or someone. She looked around, taking in her surroundings and before she knew it she went limp and fell either to the ground or into Snopy's arms, which ever one he let happen. Once she realized he was there, she looked to him with a blank face and then looked around once more. "It's late... How did you find me out here? What am I doing out here in the first place?" she asked in a soft mumble curious to his reasons for being out here at the moment. She didn't know that she was found and then he came running. She figured he must have sensed her spiritual pressure and came to see why she was so close to his Squads Barracks. Of course, even she was unable to answer such a question at the moment. She didn't even know exactly what she was doing. Feeling that her mouth was very dry and she still had a massive headache, she coughed a bit and shook her head, "I need... a drink..." she said as she attempted to sit up and then stand on her own. As she tried, she would feel lightheaded once again and began to lose her balance and almost fall.

Snopy listened as she spoke his name in her sleep. It made him feel uneasy, as he didn't want to be part of her nightmares. Then she seemed to wake up. Snopy tried to hold Kanna steady as she suddenly began to thrash about. However, after a moment the movement ceased. He watches as she sat up a bit. She appeared to be trying to figure out what was going on. She once again fell limp, and Snopy went out and caught her in his arms. He didn't want her to just smack down on the floor. He listened to her questions. He could not answer the latter. He did answer the first one though. I'm hear because a Squad member of mine came to me and told me they found you lying here. And...I don't know why you are here, I was going to ask you that. He was worried beyond belief at this point. She didn't even know why she was here. She really must have been out of it. The air was cool an this particular day, but not so cold it would pose too much of a problem.

Snopy heard her mention needing some water. She attempted to stand but almost lost her balance. He held her shoulders, helping her stay balanced by centering her gravity. He let go but kept himself ready should she lose balance again. At this point a young man from Snopy's Squad came out. Snopy? What are you doing here, last I heard you were at home in Rukongai. And what is going on? Snopy saw this as the perfect chance. I was at home, then another squad member came and told me they found Kanna lying here, and I came rushing in. This was all in, what, a 5 minute span. Now listen, I need you to go in and get a glass of water and bring it out here. And I need it fast! The member nodded and went for the drink.

It was impressive he made it here in only 5 minutes. Most of the time, running from his house to the barracks took a half an hour. Yet he was moving so fast he cut the travel by 5/6. It would be odd, because the time it normally took to get from the nearest gate to the barracks was about 20 minutes, and Snopy completely destroyed that time frame. Snopy was breathing heavily from how fast he moved, and his heart rate had skyrocketed. To top it off, he stumbled for a moment before speaking to Kanna. Look, Suzuki is going to get you some water. You should just stay put for a bit. Get some of your strength back first. Snopy still had a look of worry on his face, and it was obvious. He had no idea how to go about the situation before him. So, he just followed his logic and his emotions. Kanna, how do you feel? Are you hurt? Do you have a fever? Do you feel sick? He threw out all these questions, as he needed to know exactly how she was. Though at the back of his mind, he was wondering what she felt about him at the moment.

As she was caught by the shoulders and prevented from falling back, she attempted to gain her balance. For a moment she kept it, but only a few seconds passed until she once again felt dizzy and was unable to stand like a normal person. She stumbled forward, falling into the wall of the training grounds. She raised her hand to her mouth and began coughing hysterically, hurting both her chest and throat in the process. Hearing the Squad Member show up and Snopy's explanation to his question, she just closed her eyes and shook her head. She was unsure of how to react or reply to that, so she did neither. She just continued coughing, trying to stop as the pain in her throat and chest increased. She was beginning to feel even worse. It had been going on like this ever since that day. She was just getting worse and since it was a really bad cold, there really wasn't that much that she could do about it. She wasn't one to sit in bed, nor was she one to take medicine. One childish thing about her, she hated the way cough medicine tasted and she didn't like swallowing pills. She was stubborn enough to allow herself to suffer the way she currently was, instead of just dealing with one taste of 'icky' medicine.

Kanna's head was lowered, her face being covered in the shadows of her bangs. She glanced at him through the strands of hair that covered her face, breathing heavily. This squad member of his was going to bring her some water, which was good because her mouth was getting dryer by the second. Kanna noticed a momentary stumble in Snopy's balance and raised an eyebrow. “Someone pushed themselves pretty hard....” she thought to herself and then closed her eyes. She didn't want to wait here anymore. Hearing his question, she looked up to him through her bangs once more. “I'll be fine, okay?” she spoke rather coldly to him and pushed herself up from the wall that she was leaning against, “I don't need any help. I'm... gonna go.” Kanna began walking towards the exit. Why had she come to this area in the first place? She immediately recognized where she was at once she became focused enough to do so. This was not somewhere she wished to be at the moment. As she walked, she began coughing even more. She set a hand on her forehead and sighed when she realized she definitely did have a fever, as if the headache, coughing, sore throat, and chest pains weren't enough evidence.

“God damn it Kanna.... YOU'RE SICK!”

Snopy watched as Kanna stumbled about, before eventually collapsing into the wall. He knew it, she was far from ok. Her body was in terrible shape, and it was obvious. He couldn't stand to see her in this kind of pain. What was worse was her response to it all. She wasn't denying his help, she was denying that there was anything wrong. She had a cough, was unable to keep her balance, he saw reaction to what could be chest pain, yet she just shrugged him off. Trying to say she doesn't need any help. Snopy knew better, he was not an idiot. There was no way he could allow her to just leave. She'd end up killing herself if she wasn't watched in this condition. He ran over and blocked Kanna's path. He shook his head. Kanna, you can't hide it. You're sick, you can't just go wander out without accepting any help. I can't let you go. He put his hand over his heart for a moment as when he spoke, he noticed a double meaning in his words. He couldn't let her go out in her condition, and he couldn't give up on his relationship with her.

He quickly moved his hand off and looked to her. I don't know what you are trying to prove by acting like this. You need rest to recuperate. If you just wander Seireitei you might kill yourself. Snopy looked dead at her, showing her the seriousness of his words. She would likely blow it off, but he wouldn't let it get him down. The squad member came back and handed Snopy the glass of water. Thank you. Now Kanna, drink some water, you need to stay hydrated. He held out the glass to her. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he had two goals. One was to care and tend to her so she doesn't worsen her condition. The other, was to make sure he didn't lose her forever.

Kanna's way was blocked. Snopy had moved in front of her. It's not like she could fight him. She was weakened by this annoyingly overwhelming cold of hers and was on the verge of collapsing once again. Watching him while trying to control her breathing, Kanna noticed something within his words and for a moment she froze. “There was something a bit more in what he just said... Heh...” she thought to herself, only to be interrupted once again. “Of course there is. He loves you, whether you want to believe him and I is up to you, but his words are truthful.” Nobuye spoke within her Master's mind with a concerned tone. “Shut up... now...” Kanna demanded and Nobuye did as she was told, ceasing all speech until a later moment. Kanna's thoughts were pulled from her when he began speaking once again. The boy from his squad brought a glass of water and Snopy held it out to her. Glancing down to the water and then back up to Snopy, she reached out and took the glass. Pressing it to her lips, she pretty much downed the entire thing within a few seconds. It made her feel so much better, but it was bad for her to drink so quickly with the shape her body was in.

Suddenly, a voice echoed from behind Snopy. Kanna sighed when she immediately recognized who it was and watched as a young girl ran up to her. “Lieutenant Aikotsuki! I have been looking for you for hours now. The entire Squad is in a panic because you weren't in your room like we thought you were. You have been sick for the past couple of days! Why do you refuse to rest when you know you need it?!” the young woman said and Kanna just looked away. Ignoring the girl, she began stepping towards the exit, but suddenly everything went dark and she fell forwards, having passed out once again. “Lieutenant!” the girl shouted as she hurried to Kanna's side, “I bet you haven't been eating either... What the hell happened to you?” The girl was really worried at this point. Kanna was breathing heavy, sweating, and looked very pale, which if you can call her pale compared to the pure white color of her hair, that really meant something.

Snopy watched as she chugged the water down. It made him feel a little better knowing she was at least willing to take liquids, yet she was still far from fine. In fact, her condition only seemed to worsen. Snopy heard the voice of a young girl ring out behind him. He turned to look, seeing it was a squad 4 member. He listened to her words, she said exactly what he was thinking. He was about to let out a small sigh, as Kanna was ignoring the girl. However, it turned into more of a gasp when Kanna fell unconscious once again. Snopy ran over and leaned over her. He found him and the girl at Kanna's side, trying to see how she was. He shook his head. He listened as the girl freaked out, but Snopy was oddly silent. The girl looked up at him and saw an unusual look on his face. It was both angry, sad, and worried all at the same time. They were such a strange combination of emotions, but that is what he felt.

YOU IDIOT! He found himself shouting at Kanna, despite her condition. I told you that you weren't well, but you ignored me! Your body told you you weren't well, but you ignored it! Slowly the anger showed less and less, then the sadness kicked in more and more. You ignore the truth that is right in front of your eyes! You refuse to accept it, it's right there, but you shun it! You do this no matter...no matter how badly you'll hurt the person! His voice was a desperate shout as his tears fell down onto Kanna's Shihakusho. He was breaking down, he couldn't take it. He wanted Kanna back, he wanted things to be good again. He missed the days where she cared, where they were happy. This was just too much for him. Kanna...

The young Shinigami woman could not help but feel sadness as Snopy spoke about her Lieutenant. It wasn't that she wanted him to stop talking 'badly' about her, but that she agreed with everything that he was saying. Once the young girl saw the tears, a small smile formed on her face. She reached out and set a hand on Snopy's shoulder. The young girl's look completely changed and she got rather serious. "You love her, don't you? It's obvious you know. Stop crying. Crying is NOT going to help the Lieutenant!" the girl stood up and pointed down to Kanna. "If you love her, you will stop crying, pick her up into your arms, take her to a place where she can rest comfortably, and watch over her until she is better!" The girl watched Snopy to see what his reaction to her words would be. Kanna was still laying there unconscious, not moving as her fever and paleness only got worse. "It's only a very bad cold, okay? Just get her some rest and some kind of soup or something. Do you really think the Kanna you know would want you to just sit here and cry over her. NO! She prefers a man to take action! She wants someone that will fight for what he wants, when he wants it, and without any hesitation! Come ooon!!! Go, go, go!" At this point it was like being drilled by some sort of army commander, but it was only to get Snopy moving with the woman he said he loved.

Snopy listened silently, no changing reaction as she spoke. His tears stopped but he just stared idly down at Kanna. His face returned to a blank expression. Snopy did not move or react during her pause, so the girl decided to continue. She spoke, and it was strange how she seemed to know so much about Kanna. There was silence for a moment after the girl finished speaking. Suddenly, a sly looking smile formed on his face. He started at a light chuckle, but slowly it escalated. His voice became louder and louder as he laughed harder and harder. Some people would think he went crazy. Man I must be out of it. To think I had become emotionally drained to the point where I forgot something so trivial. To the point where I break down so easily, rather than keeping my head in order to help her. It is so clear to me, and it should have never been clouded. He picked up the unconscious Kanna in his arms and gave one last nod to the girl. Thank you, I needed that. And by the way, your Lieutenant is such a pain in the ass sometimes. He said it laughing, but he was serious, and he was sure the girl knew it. Kanna could be a pain, and everyone knew it.

Snopy walked calmly as he carried Kanna. He didn't want to run, it would risk him dropping or waking her. Either was bad, because if she didn't make it too a bed asleep, she would likely resist. Plus dropping someone is best avoided, since that would not be good. He made his way for the nearest place she could rest. That was, his room. He walked into his small room within the barracks and set her down on his bed. He pulled the covers over her to warm her up as he began to make some soup for her. Conveniently he had everything he needed to make it. As he heated it up, he went and got Kanna another glass of water. She needed hydration after all. Once the soup finished he set it down next to her and grabbed a chair. He leaned back with his hands between his head as he waited to see if she would wake up. Either way, this was going to be a long night.