Story- The Tiger King of Heuco Mundo
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. If I did, Yamamoto would be dead.
Yelling
Growling or Writing
Speaking
A History of Hueco Mundo
By the Kurosaki Royal Scribe,
Escribiente Jaegerjaquez500 years ago, a powerful Vasto Lorde became determined to transcend the power of a Vasto Lorde and began devouring his fellow Vasto Lorde. After devouring six of his peers, he indeed transcended the power of a Vasto Lorde. He became the legendary El Demoniaco the first of his kind,, but he could not control his power and, in a terrifying explosion, he was ripped apart. The explosion destroyed everything around him, and altered the very foundations of Hueco Mundo itself. All the survivors dubbed this event "The Cataclysm of El Demoniaco".
For the next 490 years, Hueco Mundo changed a great deal physically, until it was nearly unidentifiable to those who survived the cataclysm. During this timeframe, the very flow of time itself was disrupted; causing those hollows which entered Hueco Mundo to be swept away and deposited at some time period between the cataclysm, and when they entered.
During this time, three great hollows rose to prominence: Baraggan Luisenbarn, Coyote Stark, and Kurosaki Tora. These three would eventually take their places as the Kings of Hueco Mundo; this period became known to the hollows as "The Era of the Three Kingdoms".
The eldest, Baraggan, was the only one of the three to predate the cataclysm in his ascension to the rank of Vasto Lorde, Stark was very close behind him. At the time of the cataclysm, he was a newly ascended Vasto Lorde of medium strength, but the great energies unleashed turned him into a Vasto Lorde with what appeared to be near god-like power. After 100 years he established himself in the palace of Las Noches, and became the first of the Three Kings. At the time, he took the title of "The God-King of Hueco Mundo".
The second eldest, Stark, became the second king 250 years ago, 150 years after Baraggan established his dominion in the deserts and mountains around Las Noches in the West; after Baraggan over stepped his bounds and attempted to force his will on his fellow Vasto Lorde. After a short power struggle, Stark was able to overthrow Baraggans' rule over a large domain, in the great grasslands and forests of the East; where he has allowed the hollows present to do as they please, so long as it does not threaten the security and unity of the Coyote Kingdom.
The youngest King, Tora, came to power 200 years ago. Kurosaki Tora appeared nearly 400 years ago, at the start of Baraggan's rule, as a low ranked hollow alongside his younger sister, Kurosaki Karin. These two worked together to survive, and eventually, both progressed to the level of Vasto Lorde; after only 180 years of life as hollows. He took power over the vast southern jungles, which were the only lands neither Stark nor Baraggan had been able to subjugate. With the help of his sister, he was eventually able to take power over his jungle home. Thus began, "The Era of the Three Kingdoms".
This became the standard of politics and society for the next 190 years, with each Kingdom attempting to overthrow the others through subversion or war; and would have continued had it not been for one Shinigami finally breaking through into Hueco Mundo, his name…Aizen Sōsuke.
This shinigami has worked tirelessly to subjugate the three hollow Kings, and has managed to force Baraggan to his knees and Stark to request an alliance. The only King that he has yet to bring into his line of thinking is Kurosaki Tora, who sees no reason to ally himself with a Shinigami, and has forbidden all his subjects from joining him under penalty of death. We shall have to see how long this resistance lasts, and if the situation does not evolve into all out war.
Prologue- Those who left, and those who were left behind
(Karakura Town- Karakura High School)
A fifteen year old teenager sat sleeping in his desk, not even bothering to fake being awake. Often times the teacher would slam a book into a student's desk, or throw the same book at their head; but Ochi Misato, just let it slide for one Kurosaki Ichigo. She couldn't help but notice that half the time he was at class, he would be exhausted, as if he hadn't slept in days; and according to Arisawa Tatsuki, that may not be far from the truth.
She'd heard from Ichigo's father that his son was prone to horrifying nightmares, all of them making him relive the murder of his: twin brother and younger sister. According to his father, Ichigo's younger sister, Yuzu, had them as well. She took another glance at the boy, as most of the class would do on occasion, and wondered if he was dreaming of the attack now…
(Inside Ichigo's Dream)
Ichigo and Tora were walking along the river with their parents behind them. On their shoulders were their giggling little sisters; Yuzu on Ichigo's, and Karin on Tora's. Neither would admit it, but they were both carrying their favorite little sister. They were all playing around with each other; sometimes hopping around to scare their sisters, or trying to run with their sisters screaming in delight.
Ichigo noticed Karin whispering in Tora's ear. He wondered what she was saying, but got worried when Tora gave his signature 'Tiger Grin', showing off his elongated canines. While Ichigo had all orange hair, his brother looked like a tiger with natural black and orange stripes going through his hair; the fact that his teeth were like a tiger's fangs, and he had very tanned skin, all helped give off the air of a wild tiger.
Spinning around carefully, Ichigo cried out, "Kaa-san! Ni-san has that look again!" This brought the whole family to a stop, as their parents eyes widened comically.
When their mother, Masaki, regained herself a few seconds later she yelled, "Kurosaki Tora, whatever your thinking stop it right…!", but she never finished the sentence as Tora threw Karin up in the air, caught her on her way down in his arms, and proceeded to slide down the hill towards the river.
"Wheee! Faster Aniki! Faster!" Karin screamed in delight.
"Ok! Hold On!" He yelled back, and leaned back so that all but his head was lying on the ground so he could pick up speed.
"Tora! Stop that right now!" Masaki yelled, but he either didn't hear her or ignored her.
The moment Tora and Karin reached the bottom, and hit the water, a giant tentacle lashed out and killed the two of them; they didn't even have time to scream. The last thing Ichigo saw before unconsciousness took him was that tentacle knocking into him…
(End Dream)
Brrriiiinnngggg
Ichigo awoke with a start as the end of the day bell rang. Looking around groggily, he noticed his teacher standing over him.
"Class is over for the day, Kurosaki-san. You can go home now." Ochi Sensei said.
He blinked, "Huh? Oh…Ok." He replied groggily; as he rose to grab his things though, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking over his shoulder he sees Ochi Sensei looking at him with concerned face.
"Are you sure everything is okay Ichigo? Are you sure you don't want to see the nurse?" she asked.
Shaking his head, he shrugged her hand off gently, and said, "I'm fine; it's just getting closer to the anniversary." He didn't have to mention which anniversary he was talking about, she understood, "My family all start losing sleep around this time of year."
Nodding sadly, she replied, "Let me know if there's anything I can do for you. I may act like a goof at times…"hearing him snort in amusement, she smacked him upside the head; eliciting a loud, "ow!" "As I was saying, I may act like a goof, but I do care about all of my students; so please come to me if you need help, ok?"
Nodding, while rubbing the new bump on his head, he said softly, "I'll remember that, thanks Ochi Sensei." With that, he grabbed his things and started towards home; hoping he wouldn't have to deal with any ghosts today.
(Time Skip- Karakura Town- Kurosaki Clinic)
"I'm home!" Ichigo yelled as he stepped through the door.
"Kaa-san! Aniki's home!" the excitable voice of Yuzu came from the kitchen; right before she charged out and tackled him in a hug.
Smiling, Kurosaki Masaki walked out of the kitchen and greeted him,"Hello sochi, how was your day?"
Disengaging himself from his sister, Ichigo smiled tiredly, "Hi kaa-san, Yuzu. Don't really know how school was, I fell asleep halfway through." Seeing his mother frown, he quickly covered his tracks, "I really haven't been sleeping that well lately."
Sighing, his mother nodded, "You aren't the only one Ichigo. Your father wasn't able to sleep either. That's probably the reason he hasn't attacked you yet today." This got a chuckle out of Ichigo as he stood up.
"Yeah, I was wondering why my head wasn't aching." They both shared a chuckle.
His mother than turned back to the kitchen, "Well, get ready for dinner. Yuzu has been helping me make your favorites." Ichigo nodded and went upstairs to wash up, wondering for the millionth time how his brother and sister were doing in the afterlife.
(POV Change- Hueco Mundo- Kurosaki Kingdom- Tora no Sato Castle)
In the dark southern jungles of Hueco Mundo, a great castle rose above the tree line. This castle was the home of one of the Three Kings of Hueco Mundo, The Tiger King. With his great double pole blade, he had kept control of the south for nearly two centuries. Many considered him to be a heartless tyrant, others a visionary maverick, and the rest simply saw him as a great and noble warrior king who would do whatever it took to help his kingdom prosper.
This was what those who did not know him personally thought. Those who did would tell you he was all of those things and more. His generals would call him the greatest tactician to ever grace Hueco Mundo, his Arrancar scribe dubbed him a warrior-scholar, and his few friends would call him an overzealous protector. It was only his sister who truly knew what made the king tick, however, and all she would say is that his ambition would bring Hueco Mundo into a new age of power, glory, and prosperity under the Kurosaki Kingdom.
This was the kingdom which bore the two royal hollow's name. For they are Kurosaki Tora, Ruler of the Kurosaki Kingdom, the Great Tiger of Hueco Mundo, and one of the only three El Demonico's in existence since the ancient Devil Hollow Naraku; and Kurosaki Karin, Crown Princess of the Kurosaki Kingdom, the Little Tiger of Hueco Mundo, and a Vasto Lorde of great power.
With these two ruling, there should have been no problems with conquering the other kings, but not everything is certain, and outside forces have long awaited the day when the Ancient Devil Hollow's shield would fail, and allow them passage into the Hollows home…
(POV Change - Kurosaki Kingdom- Tora no Sato Castle- Throne Room)
Seated upon an Ivory throne, crafted from the melted down masks of long dead enemy hollows, a hollow with a human-like figure sat. He had boney armor all over his body, with tiger like patterns running over it, and a bone helmet in the shape of a tigers head serving as his Hollow mask. His bone armor, however, was black and orange, just like the animal he bore the name of.
Kurosaki Tora looked down from his throne at the lone Shinigami who had been nothing but a headache for the last ten years…Aizen Sōsuke. He wished he could just impale the fool but that would bring him nothing but trouble as well. Sighing, he looked to see his sister holding the Shingami's sword, before he spoke in his growling voice, "Speak Aizen."
Frowning at the obvious disrespect, Aizen let it slide. This was the only hollow king to take such precautions, and all his guards were wearing blindfolds to prevent him from using his shikai; not to mention Tora, who would have him killed if there was even a miniscule spike in his Reiryoku. He cursed Barragan for allowing two other kings to take power; it made things much more complicated than they needed to be.
Clearing his throat, Aizen began his audience with the King, "Greetings your highness, I thank you for giving me this audience", seeing Tora becoming impatient, he hurried on, "I was told by my subordinates that you would only negotiate with me in person. Why is that?"
Tora growled at the man, "Grrr…Because I am a King, and I will not be treated like some lackey by a fool who fancies himself a god! I tired of that while I was a Gillian under Barragan, and I will not suffer it from some pathetic Shinigami halfwit!"
Keeping his frustration under control, Aizen pressed on, "Be that as it may, I wish to know if you have thought on my offer."
"My answer remains the same Shinigami. My kingdom will not aid you. If those fools in the north wish to march to their deaths against Soul Society, let them. I want no part in this nonsense."
Aizen was quickly growing tired of this hollow; he was so close to his plans running there course in Soul Society, and these negotiations were taking far too long. The hollows of Hueco Mundo had given him a challenge. Gain the allegiance of all three hollow kings and they would help him in his war. He had already subjugated Barragan, and gotten Stark to ally with him, but Kurosaki just wouldn't budge. He couldn't even capture his heir, because that would…wait. That's it! His perpetual gentle smile widening a fraction as he decided he had the perfect way to get this animalistic hollow on his side.
Noticing the widening of Aizen's smile, Tora narrowed his eyes, and said, "You seem to find something amusing, care to share it with rest of us?" The veiled threat didn't go unnoticed by anyone, and the guards all shifted their stances to attack on their lord's command. Karin was preparing to snap Kyoka Suigetsu in half if Aizen got any ideas.
Not bothered in the slightest by the rising tension in the room, he replied, "I was simply wondering if you ever desired to sire a child."
That brought everyone to a stop. Though he didn't know it, Aizen had just struck a major cord with the royal siblings. For all their accomplishments, both desired to one day have a family beyond that of each other. Waving his hand, Tora signaled everyone to stand down, and asked with, grim, narrowed eyes, "And what if I did, Aizen?"
"I can give you that chance." Was his simple reply, but that was all it took for every hollow in the room to lock their full attention on him.
His body tensed, as if to kill, Tora gave a simple growled order, "Explain."
Containing his sense of triumph, Aizen said, "I will soon acquire a very powerful artifact, which has the power to turn any hollow into an Arrancar. It is my belief that an Arrancar would have the ability to propagate. Given their human based forms, this is a logical assumption; if it doesn't work, than you would at least be able to have companionship on a level that is impossible for any normal hollow. What do you think, Great Tiger King?"
It was silent for many tense moments, as Tora thought about what Aizen said. If he did this, than his people could truly live full and happy lives, and he knew from experience how much power was gained from transforming into an Arrancar from his scribe. Looking over at his sister, he thought about all the nights she came to his quarters and cried about the inability to have children. His shoulders slumped slightly as he reached his decision; he did not want to join Aizen, but he couldn't pass this chance up. He opened his mouth to speak, and everyone waited with baited breath, as he spoke two simple words that would decide the fate of Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, and the Living World…
"I accept."
AN: Finally! I finished this blasted chapter! Inspiration for this story goes to Adrien Skywalker. Now here's a small bingo book, so to speak, of the main players in Heuco Mundo. Remember, Read and Review!
Name- Kurosaki Tora
Age- 416 years old
Species- Hollow
Class- El Demoniaco
Position- King of the Kurosaki Kingdom
Heir Apparent- Kurosaki Karin
Loyalties-
Kurosaki Kingdom
Hueco Mundo
Family-
Kurosaki Isshin- Father
Kurosaki Masaki- Mother
Kurosaki Ichigo- Twin Brother
Kurosaki Karin- Younger Sister
Kurosaki Yuzu- Younger Sister
Personality-
Extremely proud, this Hollow King takes great offence to any perceived insult, and will not permit himself to bow before another. He is also loyal to a fault and would give his life for the sake of those he feels deserve it; the only one he sees as deserving of his loyalty is his sister Karin. Holding a great deal of charisma, he is able to control the hollows under his rule with but a few words, making him even more dangerous than his rival Kings could ever be. Tora is also a master strategist and will use manipulation and planning over brute force, when able. He is one who believes that only the strongest and most cunning survive; but, given that he took the form of a giant tiger as an Adjuchas, that can be put down to his instincts. Lastly, he is extremely driven and ambitious, and will not rest until all of Hueco Mundo is under his rule.
Name- Kurosaki Karin
Age- 411 years old
Species- Hollow
Class- Vasto Lorde
Position- Crown Princess of the Kurosaki Kingdom
Loyalties-
Kurosaki Kingdom
Hueco Mundo
Family-
Kurosaki Isshin- Father
Kurosaki Masaki- Mother
Kurosaki Tora- Older Brother
Kurosaki Ichigo- Older Brother
Kurosaki Yuzu- Twin Sister
Personality- As proud as her brother, Karin is an extremely loyal and driven hollow, who works to ensure her brothers' rule over all other hollows. She is a skilled tactician and, while not on par with her brother, will obtain victory in almost any battle.
Name- Coyote Stark
Age- 872 years old
Species- Hollow
Class- El Demoniaco
Position- King of the Coyote Kingdom
Heir Apparent- Lilynette Gingerback
Loyalties-
Coyote Kingdom
Hueco Mundo
Aizen Sōsuke
Family-
Lilynette Gingerback- Younger Sister/Other Half
Name- Lilynette Gingerback
Species- Hollow
Class Vasto Lorde
Position- Crown Princess of the Coyote Kingdom
Loyalties-
Coyote Kingdom
Hueco Mundo
Aizen Sōsuke
Family-
Coyote Stark- Older Brother/Other Half
Name- Baraggan Luisenbarn
Age- 1000 years old
Species- Hollow
Class- El Demoniaco
Position- King of the Las Noches Kingdom
Heir Apparent- Yammy Riyalgo
Loyalties-
Las Noches Kingdom
Hueco Mundo
Aizen Sōsuke
Name- Aizen Sōsuke
Age- 298 years old
Species- Shinigami
Class- Taichō
Positions- Taichō of the 5th Division/High King of Hueco Mundo
Loyalties-
Himself
