Author's Note: This is sort of an AU version of Bleach where things went very differently for Starrk. Enjoy!
Not so very long ago, a hollow came to Hueco Mundo.
He was powerful. Too powerful for an adjuchas, although that was the form he took. That quickly changed as his massively powerful reiatsu fed relentlessly, sucking in anything that dared to come close. Soon, huge mountains of bones built up and the adjuchas became a vasto lorde. He was too strong to be anything else.
But his power did not give him any happiness. It was unsought and unwanted, something he desired to throw away. Yet, he could not. All he could do was endure, alone and gradually becoming emptier inside as the despair threatened to overwhelm him.
And one day it did. The despair, the pain, the sheer utter, aching loneliness boiled over, filling him to overflowing. And he threw back his head and keened his grief even as he instinctively sought anything, anything at all that could free him from this trap.
He did not mean to split himself. It just happened, as his mind broke, as his grasp on reality and his own sense of self became broken and tenuous. He came free of his moorings but did not cease to exist, entirely. Instead, he called out the souls inside himself and they took three forms. A little girl. A sword. And a gun. As those three things formed his power coalesced, coiling deeply into all four remaining forms. The vast majority of it went into the weapons, where it could remain hidden until called upon.
When the change was done, two forms sat in the sands, surrounded by broken bones and stunned by what had just occurred. The long, sharp, shinigami style sword glinted with a lethal light while the gun reflected absolute blackness. And the little girl lifted her head, staring at the man across from her.
"Who are you?" She asked with childish directness and he blinked.
"I am Coyote Starrk." That had always been his name, for as long as he could remember. "Who are you?" He asked curiously and she thought about it for a moment.
"I am… Lilynette Gingerbuck." She said and he repeated it, quietly, tasting the name. After a moment he decided he liked it. "What should we do?"
"…We will find a pack." He said, pushing himself to his feet and looking at his weapons. He picked them up, then, sensing that leaving them would be a truly foolish act. He had nowhere to put them, though. Frowning to himself, he opened a garganta to the Living World. He'd never been able to do that before. His spiritual pressure had been too strong, forcing him to remain in Hueco Mundo. But now he could travel and he would try to find some clothes, including a sheath and a holster.
Surely he could find that, somewhere in the land of humans.
Halibel was not expecting the attack.
It came without any warning. One moment she was hunting with her fraccion, the next she was fighting for her life. The girls were also caught by surprise, reacting with confusion and fear as their powerful pack leader was driven across the sands, sparks being raised from her weapon-arm. Then whoever was attacking her disengaged, leaping back. She immediately went on the offensive but that proved to be a mistake, as a weapon came down on her arm, causing her intense pain and pinning her in place. What happened next was hard for her to follow – it was all happening so fast – but just moments later, she was pinned face down in the sand. A sharp weapon – a sword – was being held horizontally across her body. She heard all three of her girls crying out and the distinctive sound of a cero, but the body on top of her didn't stir.
"Order them to back down, or my other half will kill them." The voice that spoke in her ear was masculine and she shuddered, fear coiling in her guts. What did this male want with them? But whatever it was, it was probably better than death… she hoped, at least. Raising her voice, she called to her fraccion.
"Girls, stop!" She shouted, hearing mocking, girlish laughter. It sounded younger than any of her girls. Who was that? But the sounds of combat petered out as her fraccion registered her dangerous situation.
"Much better." That voice wasn't old, at least. She would have hated to have been overcome so unceremoniously by that goat, Barragan. Carefully turning her head, her eyes widened as she beheld the male behind her.
"Shinigami?!" As soon as she said it, she knew she was wrong. His reiatsu was hard to find but when she did, it felt like a heartbeat, thick and dark and filled with hollow power. His face, though, was bare of any bones. He looked like a young man, in the prime of his life, and he was… beautiful. The regal set to his face, the strength coupled with grace and sensitivity, were all fit to make shinigami females swoon. Halibel could remember her living world days and knew she would have found him attractive, back in that time. What really caught her attention, though, were his eyes. They were grey and at first, seemed plain and dull. But then she detected the glimmer of blue, the power that coiled deep within and flickered as he used it.
"No." He sounded amused by her mistake and shifted slightly. She realized then that he had some bones, as what felt like a jawbone scraped across her back. "I have defeated you. It is my right to have you." He said as if he was commenting on the weather and she ground her teeth together behind her mask. He was right, curse him. "However, I want something slightly different."
"What is that?" She grated out, fairly sure of what it would be. There was only one other thing a male this powerful could want from her and her girls.
"I want to be your pack leader." He stated and she felt a moment of helpless rage. Although at least he didn't style himself a King like that insufferable asshole on the so-called throne of Los Noches. Halibel wanted to deny him, but she knew better. Her life was in his hands.
"I will agree on certain conditions." She said after a moment, hoping he wouldn't badly hurt her for her effrontery. But he just waited, his expression patient as she continued. "You must treat us well. No starving my girls or treating them cruelly." He nodded slightly and she continued, feeling a bit bolder. "No lending them out to other males." That was what Barragan had wanted from them. He'd planned to use them as pretty little trinkets, gifts for his most loyal followers. Just the thought disgusted her. A flicker of surprise crossed that impassive face before lips tilted in a small, pleased smile.
"Oh, I assure you. I will keep you all for myself." He said in amusement and she gasped as he slowly rubbed against her. "I will give you a few assurances of my own. I will lead you well and protect you from harm. I will expect you to assuage my lusts, but there are four of you, so I doubt it will be an arduous chore." He said wryly and she blinked. She'd never heard a male refer to his own sexual attentions that way. Most were far too full of confidence about their prowess. Someone else, though, shared the same opinion.
"OI STARRK! A chore? Geez! Get some self-confidence!" That female voice she'd heard earlier complained. He just laughed, amused.
"Oh Lilinette. We are claiming this pack by force. Shall I pretend that they are happy about it?" He asked and there was an annoyed snort. "Are we agreed?" He said to her and Halibel nodded cautiously. He withdrew his sword, which was quite a relief. "Tell me, what is your name?"
"Tia Halibel." She said as she stood. Looking around, her gaze fell on the young girl. She was like Starrk, almost free of bones and was holding a weapon – was that a gun? – on her fraccion. She lowered it as the tension in the air began to dissipate. "Who are you? Forgive me, what are you?"
"I am Coyote Starrk. This is the other half of my soul, Lilynette Gingerbuck." He introduced the little girl and she blinked at that. "As for what we are, there is no word for it now. Once, we were the most powerful vasto lorde to ever live. We killed anyone who came close. Even you would likely have died… these would have no hope." He flicked a glance towards her fraccion and Halibel felt both fascinated and horrified. She knew exactly what he was talking about.
"The mountains of bones. You were responsible for that?" She said and saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes as he nodded, his face impassive. "What changed?" Because they were not deadly now. She could hardly sense their power at all.
"In my grief and loneliness, I went insane." He said simply before glancing at Lilynette. "I split myself into Lilynette, my sword, my gun. When I did that I shattered my bones and became what I am. Most of my energy is in the weapons." He twitched the sword in his hand and she could see a blue haze dancing around the metal. "It seems to be easier to seal it away in this condition. So now, I can finally have a pack. I consider myself fortunate to have found females." He sounded pleased and there was a huff from his other self.
"I don't see why you need females when you've got me! I'm a girl Starrk!" She protested and he tilted his head back, gazing up at the moon.
"There is so much wrong about that statement that I won't even start. May I ask your names?" He inquired of her fraccion and they began introducing themselves. Halibel watched, feeling deeply uncertain. If this male decided to abuse them, there would be very little she could do to stop him. On the other hand, he would provide potent protection from Barragan. She was relatively certain he could squash the old skeleton like a bug.
If he proved easy to please, the tradeoff might be worth it.
For Starrk, having a pack was a very pleasant experience.
Some things were annoying, of course. Lilynette was energetic and argumentative. At first, he had to mediate between her and the fraccion, particularly Apacci. She was easily as fractious as his other half and they did not get along too well.
Gradually, though, everything came to a balance. Starrk was like the old lion, guarding his pride of lionesses. He needed no food but he sometimes shadowed the adjuchas as they hunted, just to be sure they were safe. He could have easily brought kills home to them, but Halibel said, and he agreed, that they did not want their hunting skills to atrophy.
He mated with all of them, although Halibel was his favorite. Her humanoid body just allowed them far more scope for love play than the animal-like adjuchas. She was also the most likely to take his seed, although that would require time and patience. Children were not common for hollows, not at all.
King Barragan sent out a group of powerful adjuchas in an attempt to bully Halibel and her fraccion. They were not strong enough to overcome her, but powerful enough to send a statement. Starrk disposed of them with an ease that inspired awe in his new pack. Barragan would just have to wonder what had happened to his followers.
Starrk slept a great deal, of course. He also pretended to be sleeping when he was actually thinking deep thoughts, contemplating the state of his world. That was not something he could have done before he'd separated out of most of his power. His own potent reiatsu had overwhelmed him, and the more impulsive side of his personality had made it hard to concentrate.
Now, though, Lilynette was her own person and most of his power was in his gun and sword. It was very easy for him to read the winds, see what was happening far and wide in the sands of Hueco Mundo. By and large, that was nothing. It was not a world of activity and interesting events. One day, though, that changed.
Starrk lay limp on the ground, just allowing the events in Los Noches to play out in his mind. He examined the entire thing, noting how Aizen asked Barragan to watch as he released his sword. That was… interesting. The power of it made his lips compress, even as he held to his meditation. Full hypnosis… that was not good, a power even he might have trouble dealing with. Of course, the rather elaborate release of it suggested that his wisest move would be to attack without mercy, preventing the release. But could he win?
Sighing, he pushed himself to his feet. He needed to speak to the others. These events were too momentous to keep to himself. Leaving the underground caverns, he smiled at what he saw.
Lilynette was riding Apacci and thoroughly enjoying herself. The fraccion was trying to get rid of her as Mila Rose laughed and Sung Sun quietly snickered. Halibel was just watching, which indicated to Starrk that Apacci had done something to deserve it. While Lilynette was technically part of him, they had long ago established that Halibel was higher in the pack than she was. His other half answered to her, although sometimes grudgingly.
"STARRK-SAMA! Please make her stop!" Apacci appealed as she spotted him. He smiled, amused, but called his other half to heel.
"Lilynette!" He summoned her quite firmly and she abandoned her perch with a pout. "Come, all of you. There is something to discuss." He ordered them before going back into the den. He sensed the surprise behind him before his pack followed.
He took a seat on the stone, waiting for them to settle themselves before he explained. He gave them a quick rendition of Barragan's downfall, which electrified them all. The adjuchas were just pleased at the news but Halibel saw further and she was deeply concerned, even moreso when he told them that Barragan had been left alive, swearing loyalty to the new King. He knew she saw what he did and Starrk smiled bitterly before spelling it out for the others.
"If this were sanctioned by the shinigami, they would have purified Barragan's soul." That was what shinigami existed for, after all. "This man is a rogue, moving for his own ends. Now that he has brought Barragan to his banner, who will be next?" He asked and there was sudden worry among the adjuchas. Then Apacci spoke up.
"You can take him! You can take anyone!" Lilynette agreed with her a moment later and Starrk couldn't help but chuckle. Those two were so similar, in many ways. However…
"I am not certain I can. His might is similar to my own." He admitted and they exchanged shocked glances. "It would require me to resume my old form and I am not sure I would win." The taste of that man's power… it was frightening. "There would be a good chance, if it were just the two of us. However, he has two companions. They are both stronger than Halibel." He said that regretfully but certainly. If Halibel faced them one on one, she would put up a good fight but ultimately, she would die. "They would overwhelm you and then, against all three of them… I would fail." That, he was certain of. He might be able to take their leader alone, but all three of them? No.
"Then what shall we do?" Halibel asked and he pondered the matter, reaching up to scratch his goatee. It was an interesting question and one he had been pondering, but…
"Please tell me if you see any flaws to my plans." Sometimes, they didn't want to speak up, too afraid of his power. He'd never done anything to justify that but it was natural to be wary of someone so strong. "I see two options, but I do not consider the first to be acceptable." He said slowly. "If we were to render you non-evolving, we could wander deep into the wastes, far from Los Noches." Of course, he didn't like that because – Halibel put it into words.
"No. We won't do that to the girls." She said firmly and he nodded as they shifted, uncomfortable. "I don't know if any of them can become vasto lorde but I know their power is still increasing."
"I agree." He said immediately. He didn't like the thought of crippling members of his pack. "But that means they must feed, which limits our options." That was just a fact. The barren wastes were not a place for hungry adjuchas. "My thought is that if we cannot resist, we should attempt to ride the wave." He said and the adjuchas were puzzled but Halibel understood. Of course, her base form was shark. Even if she had few memories of the Living World she would recall water. "Go along with things, but holding back our full power, keeping our true strength in reserve in case the shinigami betrays us." Which he thought was likely. After all, they were nothing but hollows.
"How could we do that?" Mila Rose asked and Starrk smiled before explaining.
"Me. My power is very well hidden, unless I choose to reveal it." He said and saw Lilynette stir unhappily. "Ah, Lilynette. How many times have I told you I do not need public acclaim?" She was of the opinion that he didn't display his power well enough. She had told him, in front of the others, that he should seize the throne and rule all of Hueco Mundo. Starrk had told her that would change nothing except painting a great big target on his back. "For these shinigami, Halibel will be the pack leader. I will be nothing but a useless hanger on, your little toy." He said and smiled as Apacci sniggered at the thought. "We can explain my appearance as a freak accident that froze me at a low power level. I doubt anyone will look too closely at me, particularly if Halibel says I am under her protection."
"If you do that, it will be very difficult for you to protect myself and the girls." Halibel said softly. Starrk smiled crookedly. He knew it went against the grain for her, admitting she needed protection. Yet, she did now. She had stood up to Barragan but these shinigami had bested him easily.
"I know. But the shinigami will not kill you of hand. He wants living followers, not dead hollows." He said with certainty. "A vasto lorde would be a great prize." Although that made Starrk wonder. The three shinigami were each stronger than Halibel and surely their enemies were equally powerful. If a low level vasto lorde was inferior to a normal shinigami taichou, what did they want the hollows for? He supposed he would see. "Now, we will begin another preparation." This was an insane idea and he wasn't sure it would work. But if it didn't, they would lose nothing. "I will teach you to speak another tongue."
"Another language?" Cyan said as the other adjuchas murmured and Halibel blinked. "Why?" She asked and he smiled.
"Our own private speech, so even if we are spied upon, it will be hard for them to understand." He explained. He wasn't willing to call it impossible – he'd picked the most obscure language he could, from his soul collection, but they might still be able to decipher it – but definitely difficult. "This is the tongue of a people from a place called Uruk…" Starrk began to instruct them in the ancient Sumerian language. Hopefully, that would be secure enough.
For the next several months, they hunted hard, enhancing the adjuchas' strength as much as they could. The language lessons went well. Ancient souls floated about Hueco Mundo, regularly changing hands, and all the adjuchas felt that the Sumerian tongue was vaguely familiar. That worried Starrk – it might be easier than he'd thought, for someone else to decipher their language – but it was still the best they had. Finally, the confrontation came.
It was staged. Starrk had a power that was ideal for spying – wolf stalks from the shadows – and he observed the very strange hollow coming for his 'mistress'. He also felt the shinigami following. So he knew every bit of it was false and quietly warned Halibel what was about to occur. He was confident in her ability to appear properly grateful for her 'rescue.'
It went exactly the way he'd expected. The hollow attacked Halibel and just before she could be killed, the shinigami stepped in and eliminated him. He apologized to her for the attack and offered her a place in his forces, clearly expecting her to be grateful. Halibel accepted and with that done, the stranger turned his attention to the adjuchas and the standouts amongst them.
"An arrancar?" He said, eyes travelling over Starrk's body. His clothing was no kind of uniform, just things he'd stolen from the Living World. Blue jeans, frayed and worn from his life in Hueco Mundo, and a long, open vest with no shirt. He had a belt with a holster for his gun and a sheath for his sword. "Yet, I did not create you." His gaze fell on Lilynette, who stuck out her tongue at him. Starrk rested a hand on her helmet, silently calling her to order. "Who are you?"
"Coyote Starrk. This is Lilynette Gingerbuck." He ran a hand through his hair and looked away as though he was embarrassed. "We had an accident and took these forms. It made us weaker." Which was true, just not in the way the shinigami thought.
"They are part of my fraccion." Halibel interrupted, pulling attention away from him, to his relief. "I value them, even if they have no real power." Lilynette looked away, scowling, as Starrk yawned behind his hand. He felt Aizen's power probing him and blinked sleepily, hiding his power as deeply as he could. It seemed to work and he felt the shinigami losing interest.
"Please come with me to Los Noches." He invited and then they were leaving their comfortable den. Starrk wasn't eager to begin this new phase of his life, but he really had no choice.
At this point in time, fighting Aizen was too dangerous. He would wait to see what the shinigami wanted, what his plans for them were. Perhaps he would go along with them or perhaps not
Time would tell.