Absolute darkness. Confusion. Under attack but from where? He could feel his body but nothing else. No sight, no hearing, not even sense of smell…

The pain was sudden and blinding. The back, someone had stabbed him in the back. He tried to turn but it was already too late.

Darkness.


The tiny hollow sniffed the wind, searching for anything it could scavenge.

This hollow was not tiny because it was strong. Some tiny hollows were like that, all the spiritual energy of a powerful hollow condescended into a tiny, dangerous package. But not this one. No, this hollow was simply weak. A pitiful soul that hadn't managed to make the jump to Soul Society properly, it had hollowfied along the way. It had no memories or sentience, which was not surprising. The plus soul that had given rise to it had been a baby, her little life cut short all too soon.

But now it was picking up the scent of a meal. The little thing stumbled out of the bushes and cheeped in delight as it beheld the body on the ground. Blood was soaking into the soft earth, still warm. The kill was so very fresh. There was a distant sound of blade on blade and the hollow looked away worriedly for a moment. But then hunger decided it. It needed this kill, needed it desperately. Hunching over the body it began to feed.

It was a very rare thing for a basic hollow to feed on a taichou class reiatsu. And with the kill so fresh, the soul was still fully present, available for the hollow to absorb. Of course, in doing so it quickly gained a new primary soul. As soon as the hollow finished eating it whimpered and flopped over, twitching as the new soul gained ascendancy.

The hollow's body changed to accommodate that soul. When it had started eating it had been a frog. The new body that twitched and uncurled was snake-like. And it quickly warped further, growing large then abruptly shifting to small again. It was skipping the Gillian phase. The soul it had just absorbed was more powerful than any Gillian so it was only right and proper that it would take its place among the adjuchas.

Finally the conversion was done and grey eyes opened, regarding the shattered remains of the body curiously. The only thing vaguely recognizable was the shreds of a pink kimono, now stained heavily with blood. Flicking out a forked tongue dismissively, the hollow slithered away to create a garganta and go to Hueco Mundo.

There was nothing more for it here.


Juushiro looked into his tea, not seeing it. His eyes were clouded and his hands shook as he brought the cup to his lips.

Shunsui. The pain of it was nearly unbearable. Everyone knew he was mourning his best friend. They didn't know he was mourning his lover as well.

They had been lovers since their academy days. Juushiro had always known he was attracted to men. Shunsui had come into his life like a hurricane, upsetting all of his quiet, ordered ways. He'd enjoyed every minute of it and after they'd fallen into bed together after a night of drinking, he'd been terrified that it would all come to an end. But Shunsui had surprised him. Instead of being revolted or shocked by what they had done, Shunsui had been fascinated and had insisted they immediately repeat it. Juushiro closed his eyes for a moment as he remembered that. Shunsui had always been so passionate. Could he really be dead?

But there was no doubt. A hollow had eaten him. Judging from the reiatsu signature of it, though, it hadn't killed him. No taichou would ever be overcome by such a weak thing. The other bodies in the area had bourn wounds from a sword, so it was assumed that Kyoraku had been slain by someone using a blade. An opportunistic hollow had fed on his corpse, nothing more. If they were lucky, perhaps it had only taken a residue of power and not his lover's soul. Juushiro didn't think they were lucky. Was Shunsui in Hueco Mundo, somewhere? If he saw him right now would he even recognize the hollow his love had become?

Juushiro wanted to go to Hueco Mundo and try to find him. He wanted Shunsui to have peace, wanted to find that hollow and give it konso. But searching for a single hollow in all of Hueco Mundo would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. And even if he found it, would he be able to recognize the thing his love had become? Juushiro thought he would but there would be no way to convince Yamamoto of that.

A warm hand fell on his shoulder and Juushiro looked up in surprise. He hadn't even noticed the door open. To his further surprise, a very familiar, old face was looking down at him.

"May I join you, Juushiro?" Yamamoto asked and Juushiro swallowed before nodding. Old man Yama knew how much Shunsui meant to him, although he didn't know everything. How could he?

"Of course, Soutaichou." He said and Yamamoto settled down on the cushion across from him. Juushiro smiled as he poured his superior some tea. He'd brought another cup, as though Shunsui was still there… although he would have always preferred the saki. Juushiro's smile faded as he thought of that and Yamamoto sipped on his tea.

"Shunsui was a great man. We will all miss him." He said quietly and Juushiro nodded, his throat feeling tight. "How are you holding up?"

"I… as well as can be expected, I suppose." He said softly. Yamamoto couldn't understand how much Shunsui truly meant to him. A good friend, yes, but so much more… there was a moment of hesitation before Yamamoto spoke again. He seemed uncomfortable?

"I am aware of how much he meant to you." Juushiro stared, shocked. Surely the Soutaichou didn't mean…? "You forget that the Onmitsukido ultimately reports to me. I wish to know of such things. It helps, in case there are problems later."

"I…" Juushiro swallowed hard. "I had no idea." This truly was a shock. He'd thought they had managed to conceal their relationship completely. Yamamoto gave him a moment to compose himself before speaking again. His tone was compassionate.

"You can come to me if you need help, Juu." That old nickname made his eyes tear up. Shunsui had always called him that. "Please, let me know before you do anything… foolish." Juushiro looked down at his tea. He knew what Yamamoto was referring to. He'd considered doing something foolish, he really had.

"I'll be fine, Yama-jii." He said, lifting his head and meeting Yamamoto's eyes. "I… it's hard, but I have my Division, my fukutaichou, all the people I am close to. I'll get past this." He would. He knew he would. And… "Shunsui would have hated it if I did something foolish." He knew that. Shunsui would have wanted him to go on, not join him in death. Yamamoto nodded, sad but approving. "What progress have we made to finding his murderer?" Not the hollow that had eaten him but the hand that had held the blade that had taken his lover's life. Yamamoto shook his head.

"Not much, so far. But Soi Fon and her men are searching most diligently." He rumbled and Juushiro nodded. He had no doubt that the Second Division and the Onmitsukido were very active. The death of a taichou by assassination was not a small thing. "I will let you know as soon as we know anything."

"Thank you." He said gratefully and they sat in silence for a time, just enjoying the tea. For Juushiro, it helped. At least one person understood his pain. Well, two really. Soi Fon knew as well but they were not close. It meant a great deal to him, that Yamamoto understood.

Hopefully, they would find Shunsui's killer. Then, he could truly go on.


Decades later, in Hueco Mundo.

"Haha! Catch me Starrk, catch me!" The little girl ran over the sand dunes. She was surprisingly swift on her feet, untroubled by shifting sand. But then, despite her appearance she was a hollow. A much larger form followed behind her, his black cloak swirling around him. It didn't take him long to catch the smaller and lift her in a hug. "Ah, put me down!"

"Why should I? Oof!" The little one punched him and he dropped her, rubbing his stomach. "That wasn't nice." He complained mildly as she ran off again. "Hmph." The larger of the two paused to look up at the sky. It was clear as always and the crescent moon shone down in a field of stars.

"Aw Starrk, you don't want to play anymore?" The smaller of the two ran up to her larger half and he sighed before taking a seat. Suddenly, he didn't want to play. Suddenly, despite the presence of his other half he felt terribly alone.

"No, I don't think so." He said sadly. He felt bad as Lilinette looked at him in concern but he couldn't muster up any enthusiasm for play. "Ah, no." He felt a power approaching them. Lilinette looked at him curiously then scowled as she sensed what he had. "Go away." He muttered, hoping the adjuchas would take the hint. If he was high enough on the power scale, he might. And from what Starrk was sensing this being was powerful…

It never occurred to him that the stranger might be strong enough to survive. No one ever had been… but then someone appeared in front of them. Starrk stared as Lilinette gasped. The stranger was no adjuchas. Like them, he was a vasto lorde and like them, he'd broken his own mask. He had a surprising amount of body hair, revealed by his lack of a shirt. He wore a tattered black hakama and an equally tattered pink kimono over his shoulders. It looked like it had been through a thousand and one battles but it was still a going concern, just like its owner. His hair was pulled into a ponytail and that was where his mask fragments were hidden. They looked like delicate pinwheels of bone, beautiful little pins. Starrk met the strangers eyes and saw they were pupiled like a cats. No… not a cat. Starrk could pick up his scent and it had a musk that was redolent of snake. The stranger's hollow hole was in his abdomen, the gaping hole that signified his lack of heart.

"My, you are a strange one." The other hollow's voice was warm and sounded kind although Starrk was sure that was a lie. Hollows were not noted for their kindness. It hardly mattered, though. He was so excited he could hardly breathe. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Coyote Starrk." He told the man before resting a hand on Lilinette's helmet. She was watching the other hollow, wide eyed. "And this is my other half, Lilinette Gingerbuck." The other hollow looked puzzled and Starrk amplified. "When I shattered my mask in an attempt to become weaker, we split and she appeared."

"Ah, I see." The hollow looked impressed for a moment. "Something similar happened to me… but I just gained these." He gestured towards the swords that had been shoved into the waistband of his hakama. Starrk nodded. He suspected that was far more usual, for a partial arrancar. "Although I wasn't trying to become weaker. Why would you want that?"

"You see the bodies around us and you ask? You are the first to approach us and survive." Starrk couldn't help the sadness in his voice. The hollow across from him looked at him thoughtfully before slowly smiling.

"You interest me, Coyote. I am Kyoraku Shunsui. But please, call me Shunsui." He said and Starrk smiled.

"Please, call me Starrk." He hesitated but then decided to speak his mind. Why not? They were hollows, after all. "Do you want to mate with me?" Just the thought of it made his mouth water. This would be his first mating since his time as an adjuchas… and his brief stint as a Claimee hardly counted.

"Ya, he seems pretty cool! You should mate him Starrk!" Lilinette said cheerfully and Kyoraku frowned at her before giving Starrk a sharp glance.

"I will not allow you to mate me. I am the one who does the mating." He said, firm and cold. Starrk considered it for a moment before deciding he absolutely didn't care. He'd been so lonely and now, he finally had a chance for a mate. He would take it with both hands.

"That's fine." He said and Shunsui looked surprising before smiling. "Shall we?" They needed to do battle. That was the first and most important step in a hollow mating, a testing of powers. Although when both participants had already agreed it was largely a superficial thing, meant to satisfy the pride of the submissive partner.

So it was here. Starrk demonstrated his power and knew, if he really tried, that he could have overpowered Shunsui. But then he would have earned the other hollow's enmity and that was the last thing he wanted. So instead he made a good showing before submitting, letting the other hollow disarm him. Lilinette was in the form of a great sword and she giggled happily as Starrk was pinned down into the sands. But he was face down and that would not do. Starrk surged up, flaring his reiatsu to indicate his displeasure and Shunsui's hold on him slackened.

"No. Take me as a mate." He demanded, knowing it was a bit foolish. They'd just met. But he didn't want to be a slave and didn't want this to be a temporary mating. He desperately wanted more. There was a pause behind him before Shunsui chuckled softly.

"Overeager, aren't you?" A wet tongue explored his throat and Starrk gasped as the other hollow suddenly yanked him onto his back. Grey eyes met grey and Starrk felt weak as he saw the heat in those eyes, felt the power and lust of the more dominant male. "But something about you calls out to me… Very well. Tonight, I make you mine." Shunsui said, his voice full of dark promises and Starrk groaned at the thought. He was getting painfully hard, beneath his cloak. The fabric was easily stripped away, revealing his naked body and Shunsui's eyes widened a touch at the sight. "You are… handsome beyond words."

"Am I?" Starrk said teasingly, sliding his hands under that hakama. Shunsui tensed slightly as a warm hand wrapped around his erect member. "Show me how much you mean it." He breathed, feeling that huge, angry erection pulsing in his palm. Shunsui was more than ready to show him if he was any judge.

"Oh yes." The other hollow reared back, impatiently ridding himself of his clothing. The kimono flew away, unregarded as Shunsui spread his legs. Then grey eyes met grey and Shunsui smiled slowly. Starrk blinked as fingers teased his lips but obediently opened his mouth, taking those fingers in. He sucked them lewdly, making the other hollow hiss in pleasure. The sound was particularly snake like. Then the fingers were pulled away with a soft pop and Starrk groaned as he was spread, those fingers thrusting into him sharply. The stretch made him bite his lip and shift a little in discomfort, but also ignited a fierce longing inside him. It had been so very, very long since he'd experienced this…

Then Shunsui's cock was sliding into him and Starrk gasped, his eyes flaring wide. It hurt, oh yes it did but it was also the best thing he'd ever felt in his life. He gripped the other hollow's shoulders, his fingers raising tiny red crescents on warm skin as he fed Lilinette his delight. She gasped and he could feel her joy as she experienced his pleasure. Together, they mated with Shunsui, feeling his power pouring into them and stroking their core. The sensation was mind-numbingly good but Starrk didn't forget his place in things. As the power made him whimper and writhe, he gathered his own power and began to coil it around Shunsui's.

Hot, heavy thrusts battered his body and Starrk whimpered, his eyes glazed. That tiny sound seemed to inflame his partner and Shunsui groaned before taking him even more firmly, licking and sniffing at his neck. Finding just the right place to bite. Starrk gasped as the pleasure increased with every thrust, filling him with a desperate need for completion. Was Shunsui going to torture him all day? It was the most pleasant torture in the world but he was starting to feel so full, so impregnated with power that it almost hurt. He whimpered, soundlessly pleading for his mate to finish it. Shunsui just lightly bit down on his neck, not even drawing blood and Starrk cried out, his body trying to find a release that was denied to it.

"Kami. I've made a good choice…" Shunsui's voice was thick with lust and Starrk moaned, baring his throat in a silent plea. "Kami! Ah, I can't…" Starrk cried out as fangs suddenly tore into his neck. The pain was nothing compared to the incredible pleasure as Shunsui drew back his reiatsu. But as he did, Starrk lashed out. His teeth sank into the other hollow's shoulder and he thrust his reiatsu into the wound, completing the Claim. Shunsui's cry of ecstacy was the sweetest thing Starrk had ever heard. What could compare to this?

For a long time they lay together, neither of them able to move after the intensely powerful coupling. But gradually they both got control of themselves and Shunsui slowly pulled away, his body leaving Starrk's with an obscene squelch. Starrk felt something warm against his side and smiled as he saw that Lilinette had taken back her usual form. Now she was curled against him, as exhausted and sated as he was. Shunsui grabbed the great black cloak and dropped it over them. That would stain it but Starrk didn't care. It was already filthy from his daily existence in Hueco Mundo. If he wanted to clean it, he would just beat it out on a rock. That was the only method of cleaning in the desert sands. Then Shunsui grabbed his kimono and added it to the pile before slumping down on the sands beside him, exhausted. The two hollows slept together under the light of the moon, confident that they would remain undisturbed.

Even if they could survive his reiatsu, no one would be stupid enough to take on two vasto lorde.


For Juushiro, the pain gradually faded away.

It was still there. Even decades after Shunsu's death, the oddest things could trigger it. The sight of a saki bottle. A woman in a pink, flowery kimono. Just tiny, random things that would suddenly remind him of his best friend and lover. At first those reminders came frequently but as time wore away the sharp edges of grief they became less and less.

That was good because he had many things to do. His Division kept him busy, as did his fukutaichou, Kuchiki Rukia. Juushiro was absolutely certain she would go far. Kaien's death was a great blow to her and he helped her through it, guiding her through her grief and guilt. He understood the feelings intimately. How could he not?

One thing that did not go on was his love life. Finding a lover of the same sex was difficult anyway but Juushiro had no desire to replace Shunsui. He simply couldn't. The light of his life, the man he had loved was gone. There was no point in trying to replace him. He would simply have to get by without.

And so he did. And when the Ryoku came to Soul Society, he was the one who faced Chad, not Shunsui. But he still spared him because he was that kind of man and really, Sado was only a child. He helped save Rukia from the Sokyoku and faced Yamamoto alone. That nearly killed him but he survived and after Aizen's treachery became clear, his own deeds were pardoned.

The thought that he might meet Shunsui again at the end of a blade never occurred to him. But Aizen was in Hueco Mundo and lost souls could be found…


"You taste like almonds and amaretto." Shunsui murmured after a slow, leisurely kiss. "It's so delicious." Starrk smiled as he kissed Shunsui back. Their tongues slid together, engaging in the most intimate of dances.

"You taste like saki and mint." He murmured after they were done. It was the strangest thing but they'd both discovered they literally had flavors. And those flavors could change, according to their moods. Shunsui's saki flavor was pretty invariable, but Starrk was prone to extreme changes. One time when Starrk had been angry with his mate, his flavor had changed to lemons laced with hot chili peppers. Shunsui had nearly gagged.

He wasn't gagging now. They continued with their slow, lazy tongue intercourse, completely ignoring the rest of the world. Normally, Hueco Mundo did them the favor of ignoring them right back. Unfortunately today was not a normal day.

"Um, guys?" Lilinette was not involved in the recreational mouth exercises. She was just lounging in the sands. So she was the one to spot the movement. "Someone's coming." She warned them but they ignored her. "Oi! I'm serious here!" Nothing but an appreciative growl from Starrk and a matching hiss from Shunsui. "OI! DUMBASSES!" Her fist hit Starrk on the head and he yelped as Shunsui gave the smaller half of his mate a disapproving look.

"Why are you inter – oh." Shunsui stopped as a shinigami appeared in front of them. The two hollows just looked at him, shocked into speechlessness.

"Well, well. I never expected this." The stranger was a man with brown hair, glasses and a kindly expression. As he stood there two others appeared and Starrk and Shunsui exchanged a suddenly concerned glance. They both slowly came to their feet. These shinigami all had to be very powerful to survive Starrk's reiatsu. The two new ones were a man with silvery hair and a man with dark skin and darker hair. The silver one opened his eyes for a moment as he saw Shunsui and Starrk noticed that they were a beautiful shade of blue.

"Wow! Bet you never saw this one coming, eh Sosuke?" He asked merrily and the man with the brown hair shook his head. "Who woulda thought that we'd find him after all this time?"

"Find who?" Starrk asked, honestly bewildered. He was sure they couldn't mean him. He'd recalled his past after Shunsui had accidentally bitten him. It turned out his mate had a very nasty venom. He could choose whether or not to inject it but Starrk had roused him out of a nightmare and Shunsui had lashed out without thought. The result had been very nearly fatal to them both, but Starrk had forgiven his mate years ago. Remembering his past as Lupe had been worth the pain anyway. "Shunsui?" His mate didn't remember his past at all and Starrk had nothing he could use to prompt him. Although Lilinette had offered to punch Shunsui in the head until he remembered. They'd both passed on that offer.

"You knew me when I was alive?" Shunsui said with some curiosity. The silver haired one and the brown haired one both smiled, amused with the hollow. "I didn't insult your mothers or something? I'd be so distressed if you were here for revenge." He said it quite lightly but his hand had dropped to the hilt of his sword. The brown haired shinigami's smile widened and he shook his head.

"Oh, nothing like that. Quite the opposite. We're here to gather up strong hollows to our banner. I know you're strong and your companion seems, if anything, to be even stronger." He said as he looked at Starrk. The powerful vasto lorde met his eyes for a moment before dropping his, feeling a great sadness welling up. If this shinigami meant what he said… "Tell me. All these bodies. Did you kill them?"

"No. They just died." Starrk said softly, with an edge of sadness. He regretted all the death that surrounded him, even if it was not his will to kill. Although in a way, it was useful. With the constant inflow of energy, he had no difficulty feeding his mate on his reiatsu. Otherwise Shunsui would have been forced to leave his side and travel far to hunt. "Forgive me, but I am too strong. If you try to gather any adjuchas I will kill them. And the vasto lorde are few and far between." Starrk was sure this stranger didn't want to confine himself to just those. His force would be very paltry. The shinigami considered him thoughtfully for a moment.

"Perhaps I can use the hogyoku to dampen your reiatsu." He said after a moment and Starrk blinked at the thought before feeling a moment of hope. He wanted to be weaker. Anything to be free of the curse of loneliness. "If not… a being of your power might be worth any number of adjuchas. Come with us and we will see what can be done." Starrk hesitated before glancing at Shunsui. His mate was rubbing his chin and frowning.

"What do we get out of this?" He asked bluntly and the silver haired one pulled something out of a pocket.

"We got saki!" He said cheerfully and Shunsui stiffened like a terrier on point. "Oh, ya remember that don't ya? I bet we can get ya lots and lots!"

"And besides, what else are you doing that's so pressing?" The brown haired one asked and they exchanged a glance. He did have a point. Then Lilinette spoke.

"Hey, yeah, let's go with 'em! I want to see what's going on! It'll be fun." She said firmly and that decided them. Although they'd probably have gone along with it anyway. Starrk in hopes of having more friends and Shunsui for saki. The shinigami turned to leave and the two hollows trailed behind.

The needs of hollows were quite simple, really.