Hello, and welcome to my spin-off fic, Hueco Mundo: Faded Memories. This will deal with Kenji's arrancar, and what they lived like up until they were enrolled into his plans. If you read far enough, it may also deal with a few forgotten arrancar, that appeared in a previous fic...
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, or any canon characters, and neither will anyone else. Except maybe Tite Kubo, y'know, since he made it and all...
Memory One – The King & The Deserters Of The Court
Around 70 years ago
Hueco Mundo. All was still and silent, the moonlight grazing the desert softly. Suddenly, a low roar flared up as a hollow surfaced. The large vasto lorde-class hollow shifted up from the desert and squirmed, grasping at its head.
It pulled at its mask, the bone starting to crack sickeningly. It screamed as it pulled its mask from its face, giving the skin under its first feeling of moonlight. The hollow's form then shrank considerably in an instant. It kneeled silently as smoke rose from its body. It looked up at the moon, shifting its weight onto its feet as it stood.
"I am..." it started, its voice sharp and obviously masculine, "an arrancar. It seems I've reached my goal. I've become one of a legendary species..." He started to laugh slightly. "Hollows and soul reapers alike will know and fear Genma Fujima, the legendary arrancar!"
A group of adjuchas hollows had gathered, encircling another two hollows. These two were also adjuchas, but were obviously much more powerful. They faced each other down, both ready to fight, as the hollows around them roared with excitement.
"Destroy him, Fuego!" a hollow yelled, one of the central adjuchas smirking wide. "Yeah, alright," it – Fuego – answered. "This is for leadership of my clan, Helado! I won't allow you to take control!"
Fuego lunged at his opponent, Helado, and swiped with his claw, but Helado dodged and shot a cero. Fuego took it head-on, the cero erupting into a dust cloud. He then suddenly lunged out from the dust and grabbed Helado's throat, choking him.
Fuego pulled at Helado's throat and raised him, squeezing tighter, cutting off Helado's air. As Helado got closer and closer to passing out, an adjuchas in the circle sighed and walked away, uninterested in what was happening.
This hollow was vaguely humanoid, although quite large, with black wings stabbing out from his back. Two horns grew from either side of his head, his mask composing of the faceplate and coverings for these horns.
"When will these idiots realise that fighting between them won't solve anything?" he spoke to himself, shaking his head. "Eventually someone stronger will come along and destroy them. That's just the way of Hueco Mundo..."
He quickly looked up as he heard a soft laugh coming from his right. There stood Genma, his face holding a smirk. He stepped out from the shadows, towards the hollow, and now his mask fragment was visible. It consisted of a headband, with two bony spikes jutting from the top over his head.
"I like your personality, hollow," Genma explained as he looked the adjuchas in the eye. "What's your name?"
The hollow merely looked at him. "My name?" he asked. "My name is Cifer... Ulquiorra Cifer. What are you, a soul reaper?" Genma laughed again. "No, my friend, I am an arrancar. I am a higher level of hollow. And you, Ulquiorra Cifer, your outlook on this world is very similar to mine. I may consider making you my second-in-command when I take over this clan of yours..."
Ulquiorra continued to stare, unbelieving. Genma smirked. "I guess I'll have to prove it to you then." Genma swiftly used sonido to appear in between Fuego and Helado, shoving them both away from each other.
They both looked at him, then at each other. Fuego spoke first. "You don't look like a hollow, or a soul reaper. What are you?" Genma laughed again, maniacally. He used sonido, appearing behind Helado, and swiftly drew his sword. He sliced once, and Helado was cut into pieces.
Fuego looked on in awe and fear. "Wh... what are you?" he asked. Genma merely stared into his eyes. "I am an arrancar, fool. I am a higher species than you." Genma swiftly used sonido yet again and appeared directly in front of Fuego. "Die, foolish adjuchas!" he smiled, and slashed his sword once, cutting Fuego straight down the middle, both halves falling to the ground.
The other adjuchas were shocked, and too scared to move. Genma looked at them, unimpressed. "I have killed both of your possible leaders," he stated. "Therefore, the only logical choice you all have is following me, am I right?"
The adjuchas looked at each other, than all bowed to Genma at once. Genma smirked darker, enjoying the moment. Ulquiorra looked on, shocked, and then walked up to Genma. "I have something to ask, Master Genma..." he started.
Genma looked at him to continue, so he did. "I would like you to teach me how to gain the power that you have achieved. I would like to know everything." Ulquiorra looked Genma dead in the eye, confident.
"I like you, Cifer," Genma answered. "You remind me of me when I was younger, a few centuries ago. I'll be glad to teach you everything I know, Cifer." Ulquiorra bowed with the others, Genma smirking confidently.
Around 50 years ago
Genma stood with Ulquiorra by his side, now a vasto lorde, looking down upon his army of hollows as they prepared. He looked into the distance, seeing a large stone throne being carried towards them, surrounded by a large army of hollows.
"Ah, so it appears Barragan is coming after all," Genma sighed. "Unfortunate, really, as now he'll lose his precious army and all the power that comes with it." He turned to the two adjuchas closest to him. "Loly, Menoly, stand to attention!"
The two hollows turned quickly to him, bowing. "I want you two to give this order to my front line: do not back down, whatever Barragan throws at them. I also want you two back here with me, you will be my personal bodyguards."
Both Loly and Menoly nodded, rushing down to the front of the army. Ulquiorra turned to Genma, curious. "My Lord, are you not considering the unknown power than Barragan is said to hold?" he asked. "I'm sure you've heard the rumours about it."
"Ulquiorra, my protégé, you will learn soon enough to ignore rumour, and to believe in only your own power, and the things that you can see," Genma replied, confidently. "We will win, of that I am sure."
Suddenly, a large explosion came from the front line, and Genma turned to see the large stone throne ploughing through his army of hollows. Loly and Menoly suddenly appeared next to Genma, looking on in shock.
"We couldn't do a thing, my Lord!" Loly started. Menoly nodded. "Before we knew it, that thing was slaying our forces left and right!" Just as suddenly as it had charged, the throne stopped and fell to the desert, six adjuchas appearing from under it.
"Now you're in trouble, Fujima, as our King will dethrone you from Hueco Mundo!" one yelled out. Another nodded, "¡Exacta!" he exclaimed, smirking. Before any others could reply, a voice boomed from atop the throne.
"Enough! It is time I take care of his forces by myself!" Barragan leaped down from the throne, looked Genma in the eye, and then turned to the remainder of Genma's forces. "Respira..." he muttered, swinging his axe. He turned back to look Genma in the eye, as every hollow in Genma's forces started to wither and die.
Barragan walked back to his throne, enjoying the stunned silence that came from Genma, Ulquiorra, Loly and Menoly. "I think I'll leave you with that, Genma," Barragan taunted. "You may be an arrancar, but I am the God-King of Hueco Mundo. There was no chance of you defeating me or my army."
Around 45 years ago
Aizen walked up to a large cavern in a rare rock on the plains of Hueco Mundo, and entered, Tousen and Gin following behind him. As they walked through the hollow-made cavern, they suddenly dodged as a rock was thrown from further down the corridor.
Aizen merely smiled and continued. As the three entered the final chamber, they looked upon the two arrancar and five adjuchas seated before them. Gin and Aizen continued to smile, whereas Tousen ignored them.
"Who the hell are you?" Genma roared, his voice dripping with bitterness. "Soul reapers aren't welcome in here!" As he yelled, he stood from his throne, coughing up blood as he did. His mask remnants were now visible, and the headband had disappeared, but was replaced by a large skull, covering most of his head. Ulquiorra, now also an arrancar, stood up quickly and tended to him, seating him back down.
Ulquiorra turned to Aizen. "My Lord means, who are you and why are you here?" he explained. "If you are working for Luisenbarn, then we will have no choice but to eliminate you, are you clear?" He nodded to three of the adjuchas to his left. "Plata, Circe, Yuki, please get ready for battle, if it comes to that."
"Oh, it's nothing really," Aizen replied, soft-spoken. "I am Sousuke Aizen. These are my acquaintances Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tousen. I'm just interested in your clan of hollows, Genma Fujima. Your clan could possibly be the strongest I've seen up to now, and yet you have been defeated time and again by Barragan Luisenbarn, why is that?"
"Is this supposed to enrage me into attacking you?" Genma snapped. "Get out of my sight!" Aizen sighed. "Well, I didn't really think it would be easy, but you seem to be making this more problematic than I expected."
"What I'm here for is to see if you would like to join me, for a worthy cause," Aizen continued. "I'm looking to gather arrancar and hollows from everywhere in order to destroy the seireitei. All I need is ten vasto lorde-level arrancar, and then I'll be set. And you, Fujima, are a powerful vasto lorde indeed."
"I will be making history for everyone. I will be setting the hollows of this world free from fear of the seireitei. I will be making the ones under my command close to immortal. Does this not interest you?"
Genma gave a curt laugh. "No, not in slightest, Aizen," he replied. "Nor will any of my army be either, so I bid you adieu." Aizen didn't take his eyes off of Genma. "Oh? Is that so? How unfortunate..." he answered.
He turned to Ulquiorra, who was still stood. "How about you, Ulquiorra Cifer?" he asked. "I'm sure you would be interested in my cause." Ulquiorra looked down at Aizen, then turned to Genma.
He bowed. "I apologise, Lord Fujima," he started, "but I cannot take this streak of being beaten down by Luisenbarn anymore. I must join with this soul reaper to attain what I must. Seeing as though I am what you used to be, you understand, am I correct?"
Genma didn't answer, but watched as Ulquiorra leaped down to stand by Aizen's side. "Although, I am indebted to you for everything you have done for me, I must take my leave."
Loly and Menoly stood and then stepped forward. "You can't leave us behind, Ulquiorra!" Loly yelled. "We are as sick of losing as you are!" Menoly nodded. "Yeah, I think this old guy has lost his touch or something!"
They both leaped down and stood with Ulquiorra, Genma still not saying a word. Plata was annoyed. "Are you just going to let them go, my Lord?!" he asked, desperately. "You can't just be silent, they are our most powerful members!"
Aizen looked Genma in the eye again. "Oh? So you're not coming then?" he asked. Genma was again silent. "Oh well, that's your own decision. Thank you for the troops though, Fujima, they are highly appreciated."
With that, Aizen, Tousen and Gin, with Ulquiorra, Loly and Menoly in tow, left.
Around 25 years ago
Genma, Plata, Circe and Yuki, now all arrancar, were walking through Hueco Mundo, a sandstorm currently battering and wearing them down. Genma stumbled from time to time, but Yuki continually helped him back up.
They had been walking for miles upon miles, before the storm suddenly subsided, a figure visible through the haze. Eventually, the figure walked up to them, making himself visible.
"Hello, my good man," he started, "I am Usaitar, a soul reaper, and I want your help." Genma ignored him, walking on. Yuki followed, giving a dark look to Usaitar. Plata and Circe, however, stopped.
"What's your offer, Usaitar?" Plata asked. Yuki turned quickly and grabbed Plata by the collar. "What do you think you're doing, Acerogarra?!" he yelled, his eyes burning into Plata's. Circe, grabbed onto Yuki's arm, and he was forced to let go.
Genma turned to them. "Let them go, Yuki!" he commanded. "I'm sure they just don't want to be in the presence of an old man anymore, am I right?" he asked them. Plata nodded.
"Yeah, we believe that you're not as good as you used to be, Genma," he replied. "And truthfully, we can't take it anymore. It seems you've lost your drive, and therefore your edge. I apologise, but we need someone to lead us with a purpose."
Genma nodded knowingly, then turned to leave. Yuki looked desperately at Plata and Circe, then at Genma. He turned away from the traitorous arrancar and followed his master through the desert again, cursing inwardly.
Genma didn't look back. In fact, he didn't care that they had left. 'Of course they left,' he sighed inwardly. 'I am weaker than ever. I may have been one of the first arrancar, but I'm definitely not the strongest in terms of overall power anymore.' He turned to look at Yuki, the one loyal underling he had left.
'And yet Yuki still clings to me, like a soldier would to their wounded general,' he realised. 'He still believes in me, even though I haven't done anything impressive in decades.' He sighed. 'I shall renew myself... I shall find a new court for my royal status... and I shall finally become a legend again, by any means necessary!'
And that was Genma's history. I may have taken some liberties with certain canon characters' histories, but I don't think they alter their canon selves that much. Now perhaps, Genma will get a bit more sympathy for what he did, although I'm not expecting anything big...
Next Memory: Matthew has an illness - he can't die. His never-ending life is severely hindered by the fact that Soul Reapers have killed anyone and everyone he has been close to. He decides to get revenge, and the best way to do that is to form a team...