Happy Birthday, Tsarina Torment!
This is for you!
He gently padded his way across the barren white sands. His loyal Fracciones, being not so loyal, dared to run off at the first sight of danger.
And now to collect and lecture them, he thought, not pleased with the words he would have to speak in scolding, "but it is the duty of a king."
He wandered a bit more, not sensing much of anything besides a few Gilligans wandering under foot and a distant glow that he slowly made his way to, curious to what it was.
However, when he reached there, Grimmjow saw only white sand under his paws and around him. "Hello?" he called, sure that someone was here.
His pesquia nev-
"What do you want?" A voice asked from somewhere unseen.
The Panther glanced up and frowned.
There was no one there.
Only sand.
He was about to turn away when the voice spoke again, "where are you going?"
"Away from here," Grimmjow replied just to humour whomever was speaking.
"Why?"
"I don't have time to speak with someone who does not exist," The Panther said with a flick of his tail; only to glance over his shoulder as something in the sand moved ever so sightly as if it were sighing mournfully at the mere idea of his departure.
"You do notice, do you not?" the voice said once more.
"Yes, I-" Grimmjow froze as a small hollow sat up in the sand, a mere two feet from him. "Why did you not say you were laying there?"
"Because," The horned creature continued, ignoring the sand falling off of his small, too human formed body to be an adjuches.
"I was dreaming."
"Dreaming of what?"
The creature's blank white mask showed no signs of annoyance or otherwise, and yet Grimmjow could not help but notice a slight flicker of its cold green eyes.
"A purpose." It replied.
Grimmjow paused.
How could one not have a purpose?
Every hollow wanted one thing and one thing only and yet, this...
"You are a Vasto Lorde, aren't you?" The King dared to ask, fully prepared to run from any presented danger.
"Yes." The creature replied, finally standing up to look around the dark desert with the same bored green eyes. "What of it?"
"Is there nothing more for you to accomplish?"
"No." It said again, unsure what the Panther wished to know beyond what was already shared. "I have nothing left to do but dream and "
Grimmjow nodded, rather confused by this odd creature, intriguing at most as green reiatsu danced from its fingers, white thorns creeping out of the ground as they were summoned.
"And what are you going to dream about?"
"I don't know, " he said after a moment's paused, the thorns beginning to creep up around his legs as to encase him completely,"for I have nothing to dream of. Do you have a dream?"
"Yes," The Panther nodded, "I do."
"What is it?"
"To be king."
"Why?" The Vasto Lorde dared to ask, making Grimmjow frown.
"Why? I have those I wish to protect and I can only do so by being king, what do you not understand?"
The Vasto Lorde paused as the white vines began to wrap around his chest. "...Everything."
"Everything?" Grimmjow was confused. "How can that be?"
"Simple," it replied, it's black wings folding behind its back as the thorns wove ever higher. "I do not care."
"But...you must care about something..."
"Yes. I wish to be useful."
"Well, you can be," Grimmjow said, an idea coming to his mind, "have you seen a tall adjuches with long arms and-"
"Yes," the Vasto Lorde tilted his head to the left, "I saw a group run past me that way. Why are you seeking them?"
"They are my court, my purpose."
"I see," the creature sighed as the vines crept up his neck, "I have been useful to you."
"Yes, you have. Thank you."
"You are welcome." The Vasto Lorde nodded the best he could as the vines wove around his head. "Now leave, I must rest."
"Rest?! Why?" Grimmjow did not wish to leave just yet, it was-
"Yes, I must for I have no purpose," The white vines crept across his face, covering it completely, leaving Ulquiorra Cifer in the darkness.
I shall dream...
He listened to the sound of the Panther's paws walking away across the sand.
Of you, Panther King, who gave me a purpose.
Thank you.
Author's note: This piece seems to connect with Something Valuable and Into Dust, oddly. I hope you enjoyed and happy birthday!