Author's Note:

Hey there.

So, something new! And not NARUTO! What a concept?

This is Ether World. It is a minor character story that means, if you haven't gotten too far in the anime or manga, you probably won't know them. 8th Captain Kyouraku Shunsui and Espada Halibel are the two main characters who are going to eventually be involved in a completely non-cannon romance.

So, if you're interested, I'd love for you to read this and I genuinely hope you enjoy this.

Rate T for now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters involved. Kubo Tite owns all rights. If it were any other way, I'd be rich. Haha. Yeah, I wish.

Ether World:

Another Life

A Bleach Fanfiction

In Soul Society…

Shunsui sat there, just as he usually did, slightly drunk and ever so calm. He was always like this- in this inebriated and somewhat lost state.

He couldn't help that, ever since that orange-haired strawberry kid left Soul Society, he'd been bored out of his mind. It was just too quiet and Nanao-chan was never around anymore to endure his flirting- the flirting that provided him with something to do for a change. She'd left him to attend to paperwork for Yamamato like the good little secretary the whole Gotei 13 knew she was.

So, here he was… alone. Bored and alone. Drunk and alone.

Shunsui shrugged and pulled out his makeshift flask of a gourd. Another swig and a little burn to his throat and he was calm again.

God, I could use a woman right now. Damn you, Nanao-chan.

He grunted unattractively and then pulled himself to his feet. It was a shock when he didn't stumble at all, but hey! If anything, the 8th Division Captain was a practiced drunk.

Shunsui took a few steps forward, fully prepared to retire for the night and pass out, but as if on cue, a broadcast over the intercom broke him from his alcohol induced slumber.

"8th division… All seats and captains report immediately for a mission briefing…"

Perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

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Yamamato rested his hands comfortably as he addressed the 8th Division Captain, not really concerned with the rest of the soul reapers in the room. The mission wasn't for them. It wasn't meant to be about them.

"Kyouraku… the issue in Hueco Mundo has become a little bit of a problem and, by problem, I mean complete chaos. We currently have a vice captain and other reapers attempting to control the situation, but that doesn't seem to be doing the job. I think someone with your caliber and experience level may be just what the doctor ordered…"

Yamato went on and Shunsui tried to focus- to focus just long enough to understand.

"I called you all here just to inform you of a prolonged absence of your Captain. Nanao will pick up any of his duties for the time being." Yamato informed the rest of the room, while fiddling with his beard.

Shunsui scrunched his eyes, trying to grasp the meeting's point and the only thing he could seem to understand was that he was going on a mission…

Alone.

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In the Ether World, Hueco Mundo…

It would be a lie for her to say she wasn't tired by the whole situation. Everyday, there was some new complaint or some new panic as the humans and soul reapers ran amok in Hueco Mundo.

Halibel had, for the most part, tried to stay out of the whole ordeal, but somehow it still irked her. She watched day in and day out as Grimmjow and Noitora flustered themselves over the shinigami. They were such typical men- always concerning themselves with things just to feel macho and get an ego boost.

Not to mention, they both seemed to have the same touchy-feely problem as well. Noitora, the open and candid pervert and Grimmjow, the somewhat closet case. No matter the case, they were both assholes.

Grr…

Aggravated, she slapped his hand away. "Would you stop?" She asked sarcastically to the aqua-haired man that just couldn't take no for an answer.

Grimmjow was always the same. He was either focused on trying to prove how godly (or ungodly) he was or on trying to take what he can't have.

This wasn't the first night he came to her, spieling about this or that- trying to create conversation to distract her from his wandering hands. He was always the same and it was always the same. The same lie, anyway.

"Halibel, you're not like the others. They don't have what you do… You're stronger than them- smarter than them. You're worth speaking to. You're worth everything…" He'd say, as his rough fingers would brush over her bared stomach. Then she'd get one of his mischievous grins that never meant anything good. She'd smack him away again and leave wondering when he'd decide enough was enough. She'd ask herself how long he would take this- how long would it be before he tried to force her?

She sighed and looked towards her fellow Espada. "Will you ever stop this pointless behavior?" She asked sternly, moving away from Grimmjow. She didn't like the way he was looking at her today. Not that she ever liked how he looked at her, but today was different. Today, he seemed a little less patient.

"Oh, believe me, it has a point." The egotistical man said, absentmindedly brushing over the crotch of his pants.

Ugh… men.

That was her cue to get out and, just as she was about to walk out the door, a hand caught her wrist and jerked her slightly. If Halibel were any other woman, she would have sailed directly into his arms. However, she was different just like he'd said. She had strength where many did not.

Her eyes darted over her shoulder, slightly hooded and glaring. What was with his constant invasion of her space?

Grimmjow's hand clenched around her wrist and, as he spoke, he pulled her slightly. He only succeeded in turning her around to face him.

"I don't know why you're like this, Halibel… Were two people- two lonely people stuck in a hellhole. What's the problem with a little fun every now and then?" He grinned maniacally and leaned toward her, connecting their lips in a painful, disgusting kiss that left Halibel feeling nauseous.

Anger filled her and within the next second, her powerful fist connected with the idiot's face. She delighted in the slight crack and clack she heard as his jaw moved out of place and before he could even retaliate, she was gone and out of the room.

All he saw of her was her white flowing skirt as it trailed out of the room.

She's such a spitfire when she drops the façade.

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Noitora leaned, completely relaxed against a wall as she sped by. Blonde hair and white fabric flowed on the gentle breeze that traveled through Hueco Mundo. It took every ounce of control to keep his unnatural tongue from lulling out of his unnatural mouth as the buxom blonde walked past him.

What got into her, I wonder?

Ever so curious, Noitora decided to follow her, risking whatever wrath she would likely throw his way.

Halibel was finally far enough away from the stupid blue haired idiot that she actually felt comfortable enough to slow down. Anger seeped from her every pore but she didn't let it show too much, because that just isn't how she was. Halibel oozed calm and sternness. That was just how she was. She didn't get flustered, not even by Grimmjow.

The anger flared again when a thin and bony hand snaked around her waist, nails scratching into her skin. She didn't even have to look to know who it was. The bane of her very existence, the idiot who actually was worse than Grimmjow: Noitora.

His blackened nails dug into her hipbones and he pulled her closer toward his body. She tried not to show her aggravation as he pushed his bony-rail-thin body up against hurt. The divine urge to regurgitate spread through her body and then he spoke…

"Oh Hali-baby, what's got you so down? Someone not treating you right?" He decided to put a stress on the word 'right' by flicking his abnormally long tongue over her earlobe. How he got around the collar, she'd never understand.

A growl reverberated through her chest and, in warning, she said, "Noitora." It came out in a way that was equivalent to a scolding.

Not surprisingly, he didn't catch her drift and his fingers ghosted higher along her ribcage. Her hand wrapped around his quickly and she pulled his hand away, crushing a few bones in the process.

"What don't you two get? Do I need to put a sign up that says "Not Fucking Interested" or something?" She dropped his hand and pulled away from his snaky body that made her sick. Grimmjow at least had a body worth looking at.

"Now, Hali-baby, don't be that way." Noitora said in that mocking tone of his as she walked away. If only she had gotten a little farther away, she wouldn't have had to worry about his next action. It was subtle at first and, if it weren't for her heightened senses, she would have never felt it, but the hand squeezing her ass was definitely there.

Her eyes widened and just as she'd punched Grimmjow, she punched Noitora twice as hard. "Asshole." She whispered as she left him, just as quickly as she left Grimmjow.

Are all men this way or is it just Espada?

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Shunsui couldn't help the gloomy sigh that escaped his lips as he looked around the vast wasteland that was Hueco Mundo. It was all so white and barren, lacking everything that just breathed life.

The fact that he was in Hueco Mundo wasn't even the worst part. It was the fact that he was all alone that was the hardest to deal with.

He was here in search for something and he wasn't exactly sure of what that was. All he knew was that he needed to find the orange haired twerp and Captain Kuchikis little sister wherever they were.

Finding them was necessary because without them, he was well… shit out of luck. In order to know the goings on of Hueco Mundo, he needed insiders and there was no way some Espada was just going to fill him in. At least not just because he asked them to; there would have to be some coaxing.

So, in order to advance in this mission, Ichigo and Rukia were his first obstacle.

Ending Note:

Hope you enjoyed everything.

Please read and review. It'll make me super happy.