DISCLAIMER: Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite and TvTokyo, I do not own Bleach or any o fits characters. This is a purely fan-made Fiction.
A searing pain shot through Starrk's abdomen as the Primera Espada was slashed straight through his Hollow hole in his chest, by the 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, the cut-wound extending over his upper chest and right shoulder, down to the left side of his hip. The cut opened up, and blood gushed out of the wound as he fell backwards, as he began to fall downwards, his vision fading from the world. His eyes blackened, and all he saw was a vision from his past; Dead Hollows everywhere, scattered in piles of decaying corpses, and in the middle… was he. A lonely, god-forsaken being. Not yet an Arrancar, but close to being one. He remembered how cold it felt, the feeling of being alone. It was like being on the coldest place on the planet, but not being able to freeze to death. Just feeling the numbing cold pierce your flesh, your bones, your very soul, even. It was a living hell, a nightmare you would wake up from, only to realize it was for real. Starrk had felt that kind of pain, and he did never want to feel it again, or he'd fear it would completely kill him.
"But… I wasn't alone…" he thought, as he then saw himself for the first time creating the other part of him; Lilinette Gingerback. She was a perfect friend in his eyes; cute, shy purple eyes, lime-green, short hair, and a small, slim, and lithe body. She was a perfect friend for him, but perhaps something more.
"Who're you?" he remembered himself asking the girl that question as she was 'born'. The girl rubbed her eyes, as if woken up from a deep sleep, and looked up at Starrk with a slightly worried and confused look on her face.
"L-Lilinette… Lilinette Gingerback." She replied, shaking a bit. Starrk sighed and took a part of a rag he covered himself with, and ripped a piece big enough for the girl from it. "Who're you?" Lilinette asked. Starrk only gave a slight stare, and tossed her the rag-piece.
"Starrk." He answered simply, as the girl nodded slowly and accepted the rag piece, covering herself with it. She looked at him with a slightly worried look. "You'll be my friend from now on." He then added, looking over the vast plains of Hueco Mundo. Lilinette just nodded and smiled slightly.
"So… what will we do?"
"Whatever we want to do."
"Where will we go?"
"Wherever we want to go." Starrk's answers were simple, yet filled with the deepest desires of what he wanted; to do something with someone he could call a 'friend', even if she now was a part of himself, basically. Sighing, Lilinette just nodded, and looked over the plains. She had been created so suddenly, and now she was to be her creator's friend? Wasn't that a bit too quick? She had so many questions going around in his head, and she didn't know the answers to all of them. All she knew was that she had to stick with Starrk, and she'd be fine.
"A-Alright, Starrk…" Lilinette said finally, smiling weakly at the taller man. For some reason, just by looking at that smile of hers, filled Starrk's chest with a warm feeling, which spread to every part of his body, out till' the very tip of his fingers, even. He felt his facial muscles move a bit, until a small smile curled on his lips. He didn't know why he felt this happy and warm, but when Lilinette smiled at him… it was as if a wave of heat washed away all the coldness inside him. The freezing pain became soothing warmth. He was with someone. He wasn't alone anymore.
But now, here he was. Plunging to his death towards the streets below in the fake city that the Shinigami had created, being all alone again. Lilinette was long since lost, since she materialized into the very weapons he used; wolves and blades made of Lilinette's very soul; a part of his soul. Feeling how hopeless it was, and how the freezing pain of loneliness would once again choke him down and numb his body for all eternity… a tear fell from the Primera Espada's eye, which fell off his face and into the sky, where it glimmered a bit before shattering. He was lonely. Again. And worse off, he was soon going to fully disappear. And die. Just like the rest of the Arrancars had done before him. They all died. Baraggan's Fraccíon… Tia Harribel's three companions… and the Espadas themselves, too. All dead as dust. And now he'd join them in the next world, without a way to tell Lilinette… how thankful he was.
But… if he was about to die, then why in the world did everything feel so… warm? It was not chilling cold that surrounded his body, but luminescent warmth, coating his arms, his legs, his very skin. Starrk didn't know why he felt this way. Was this death? Was he finally dead, and in another realm? This could not be… death. Could it? He looked around, and then looked at his hands, and his torso. His wounds were all gone… and so was his Hollow hole. He wasn't an Arrancar anymore? How in the…
"H-How can this be?" he asked himself, looking at his body, which was completely rejuvenated, and almost gleaming, sort of. "W-Why am I… here?"
"It's cuz you're dead, Starrk…." A familiar voice said, and instantly, Starrk saw a body on top of hers. It was no other than the young girl Lilinette herself, and she had an ever-cheeky smile on her face. "What's up Starrk? You look a bit shocked."
"L-L-Lilinette?" he stammered. He now understood what the warm feeling was; somehow, he and Lilinette had separated, and become two beings instead of two halves. "H-How can this be, Lilinette?" he finally asked, and Lilinette just giggled.
"Beats me, silly." She said, and then just smiled and laid down on Starrk's body, which made the man blush slightly. "All I know is that this is some sorta Avalon. Y'know, "the final destination" and all that crap. But we're not alone, Starrk. Everyone who died after bein' a Hollow, Arrancar, Shinigami or whatever, ends up here. But we can't see 'em… only each other." She smiled ever warmly, as she nuzzled his chest. "Starrk… I missed you, my friend."
"I-I…" Starrk was almost melting from the inside-out by now, so warm was his body and his feelings right now. He almost felt like bursting into the first feeling he had right then and there… which was happiness beyond belief. He was together with Lilinette again; his best friend… and lover. It is true. For many years, Starrk had a secret affection for the little Arrancar girl, but dared not to tell her, since it was rather… weird for him. If he loved Lilinette, it directly meant he loved himself, since she was a part of him. But now, as they were separate beings, he could… he merely smiled, wrapped and arm around Lilinette, and as his head laid near her shoulder, he felt the light encase them as they moved towards their final resting place, and he whispered three small words into her ear;
'I love you'
Lilinette smiled, and nuzzled Starrk's neck before whispering back; 'Love you too… silly Starrk' and as their bodies began dispersing into light, they enclosed their lips into a slow, passionate kiss. Both of them felt their last moments in life come to an end, as they were in each other's arms, kissing each other passionately and softly moaning each other's names. Where would they go now? Would they still be together in the afterlife? They didn't care, for not at least.
They had each other.
Yeah, I know this is not one of my best works, and neither one of my longest. Kinda rushed it to get it done. ^^;
Still, I hope you'll enjoy it. =D