Chapter 2: Aftershocks

"They still don't make 'em like they used to." The fat man grumbled in the garden pavillion, crumbs dropping from loose lips onto his lap as he dug into another pack of shinsen rice crackers. "It's the seasoning...it's missing that extra something." Between complaining, he stuffed a handful of crackers into his mouth, chewing loudly.

Well, some things you just can't get back. The guy who originally ran the shinsen cracker business died 15 years ago, leaving his less talented staff to take over. To be more precise, he was killed in the Quincy Blood War. Eaten like a snack by one of their number, Sternritter F or G or whatever. Live by the sword, die by the sword, Marechiyo Omaeda mused philosophically as wiped flecks of spittle from the side of his mouth.

Well, he'd know the Quincy Blood War well. As the lieutenant of the 2nd division, he'd played a key role in the proceedings, fought bravely against Yhwach's lieutenants. They surely couldn't have done it without me. More crunching. Yeah, he'd fought that one robot quincy, he'd saved Captain Soifon and she ended up…yeah, she got shot down by one of the Sternritter on their way to Warworld or whatever it was called. He'd caught a glimpse of her attempting to block a bullet that punched through her Zanpaktou like it wasn't even there before blacking out himself. Either way, she ended up being deadweight. Soifon never even ended up fighting one of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel, something literally every other captain who made it there managed to. The lower ranks had made an in-joke of her ignominious defeat….never in front of her though, lest they risk two stingers to the heart.

I'm fairly sure I did something important…. Well, he'd been completely unable to accomplish anything against the two Sternritter he did end up confronting- all of them were monsters. And from what he had heard, those on the War….ice palace thing made those below look like kittens. On second thoughts, Omaeda decided he was glad he never got a chance to prove his glory on their way to Yhwach.

Something important…Omaeda scratched his chin as he paused his crude guzzling to take a sip of tea. He remembered accomplishing something that made him proud. Did he kill that bird-haired Quincy? No, Captain Hirako saved his ass from that one…the fat lieutenant clapped his hands as he suddenly got it, dropping the pack of rice crackers onto the ground. Yes, he had saved the cute little sister who sat in front of him.

As he reached down to salvage what was left of his crackers, spritely little Mareyo Omaeda piped up. "Mama says you gained weight again. She tells me you should eat less rice crackers." Omaeda grimaced as he looked back up, giving her an annoyed look. "Oi, you still haven't told me what the insignia of the 3rd division is."

"The…pasque flower?" She raised her finger in that adorable way. "No. That's mine." Omaeda replied as he poured the vestiges of the crackers, those bits at the bottom of the packet, into his mouth.

Mareyo was to enlist in the Shinigami Academy the next summer. And he, as the current lieutenant of the 2nd division and her big brother was to give her an unfair advantage. Well, in theory anyway. Despite wanting to be a Shinigami, she'd been awfully lax in her studies. Family genes, I guess. Still, seeing her learn everything from him with an excited look full of wonder stroked his ego warmed his heart.

"Oi, Marechi." It was Jiro, his younger brother. Well, Marejirosabu- he was glad his father hadn't dumped him with such a clumsy name. Jiro adjusted his glasses with a sly grin on his face. "You check out my latest masterpiece? I call it "Oh no! My Shinigami academy girlfriend is actually an ancient tentacle demon!"

Marechiyo smirked. Jiro had recently upgraded from reading weird-ass books to actually writing them. The quality of his writing was…questionable, but they were entertaining in their own ridiculous way. This was the 4th of his 'literary masterpieces'. "You sure you want me to read it? I'm going to rip it apart, you know?"

Jiro tapped the rim of his glasses and spoke in a lispy, yet assured tone. "Someday, Marechi, I will come up with something that shall transcend even your absurd standards. Someday…but really, I'm really proud of the ending of this one! It's really shocking!"

Man, if there's going to be a twist ending don't just give it away. "Well, Mareyo, looks like Big Brother will have to go read a book while you memorise all the squad flowers." He paused. "9th division?"

"The…poppy?"

Omaeda smiled. "Not bad. When I come back I want to see you get all of 'em right." He patted her on the shoulder as he rose to his feet. "Oi, Marechi-bro" Jiro patted him on the shoulder. "Lend me a hand her and help me sell my books within your division."

"Wouldn't be a problem….but you know how Captain Soifon is like." He shuddered. She'd tear him apart. Then again, maybe behind that stuck-up demeanor she was into that kinky shit.

"Oh, come on…be a pal. If you help me out, I will convince Dad to chip in for your winter festival!" Jiro spoke excitedly, clawing in the air in enthusiasm. He brought up a strong point though- Omaeda was expected to sponsor the 2nd division's winter festivities as usual, but his father had suddenly gone into one of his 'spiritual' phases which happened ever so often…which he expected to pass in 6 months or so before he returned to the world of material pleasures as usual, but that was well after the winterfest. Jiro did have a way with words…

"Marechi, it's the door!" The loud, raucous cry came from his mother. "It looks like a messenger from work!"

Omaeda sighed. Well, it was probably Captain Soifon bitching about the state of his room, or how there were rice cracker crumbs in the corridor, or some other bullshit. The 12th division had recently started handing out those communication devices where one could transmit their voices remotely to messengers- it would be awful embarrassing of Mareyo heard the captain giving him a earful.

"What is it, man?" He looked down at the masked messenger at the front gate.

"Lieutenant Omaeda, I present a command directly from the Captain Commander Shunsui of the 1st division!" These messengers were always so formal, though it did please him to be referred to by his title. "You are to report to the Research and Development Institute immediately to lead a survey of Las Noches!"

A shudder ran down Omaeda's spine. Well, fuck.

As it turned out when he reached interiors of the Research Institute, so alien compared to the rest of Seireitei with its machinery and tech, he wasn't to lead the expedition alone. He didn't know if this comforted or annoyed him. Maybe it was the choice of partner that led to this sentiment. Shuhei Hisagi, after all, was the most experienced and oldest of the current clout of lieutenants. He was a subject of respect in the Gotei, perhaps even moreso than his Captain.

Captain Soifon shunpo'd behind Hisagi, for what Omaeda observed to be no real reason other than to look cool. She spoke in her usual cold tones. "Take care of Omaeda, will you?"

Man, you can be such a bitch. Omaeda thought. What he said outwardly was, of course, quite different. "Oi, Captain! That's not fair!"

Captain Muguruma, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, grinned. "Yeah, best take care of him, Shuhei." Goddamnnit, not you too.

Akon, 3rd seat of the 12th division, sighed as he finished tapping unintelligible technospeak into the reiatsu-pad. "I expect all officers here to well aware of this by now, but in case one of you here thinks we are going Arrancar hunting, I figured I'd best hold a customary greeting nonetheless while we wait for the garganta to open."

"As you should all know, Hueco Mundo has been technically been governed by the survivors of the former Espada, Tier Halibel and Grimmjow Jaegerjacques, with the remaining Arrancar under them for the past 14 years. The Captain Commander believes that this government of hollows could go a long way in helping with the management of souls in the human world, as well as allow the Shinigami to come to a greater understanding of the true nature of hollows."

"Because the original senkaimon passage to Hueco Mundo was destroyed during the ryoka invasion of Las Noches," He referred, of course, to Ichigo and his human buddies' attempt to rescue that girl captured by Aizen, "the current garganta will transport you to a random location within the Hueco Mundo. Regardless, at a good jogging pace you should be at worst 36 hours away from Las Noches."

"Just a question!" 5th seat of the 9th division, Gaimou Eishima, a red haired, wide-eyed young man called out. "Why are we not being led by our Captains into Las Noches? Isn't this a very dangerous mission?"

Akon wrinkled his brow. "Well, as Shinigami we are the natural enemy of hollows, and even though we have come to some sort of peace with the Arrancar that sentiment is still bound to hold. By withholding Shinigami who are capable of slaying their leadership, we show that we come in peace, for diplomacy, if you will. Judging by our analysis of the Battle of Fake Karakura Town, we have concluded that your vice-captains should suffice to deal with any non-Arrancarized menos-level hollow short of those of the Vasto-Lorde class, which we have calculated you have virtually no chance of encountering. Layman's terms, you should be fine."

Omaeda felt it first- well, he figured Hisagi did too. A powerful surge of reiatsu across the room as the gate to Hueco Mundo opened. Omaeda felt himself instinctively grip the hilt of his zanpaktou in his sweaty palm. Well, if this isn't going to suck.

"Shuhei, you forgot this!" A sing-song cry from Lieutenant Momo Hinamori. The petite girl tossed a camera into Hisagi's arms. Hisagi looked at the object quizzically. "What is this for?"

Renji Abarai, next to Hinamori, walked over and patted him on shoulder with a sly smile. "Hey, if you get a chance to use your Bankai, be sure to record it for us."

"Oh, screw you guys." Hisagi groaned, but still stuffed the camera into his pocket. Obviously, his academy friends had come to see Hisagi off, though Lieutenant Kira was conspicuously missing. The sullen fellow hadn't been himself ever since he had been resurrected by Captain Mayuri at the end of the Quincy War.

"Oi, get in the garganta already." Akon complained as he leaned back, taking a sip of coffee. This greatly annoyed Omaeda for whatever reason. "This gate isn't going to stay open forever. So get a move." Omaeda signaled to his squad- the 3rd to 6th seats of the 2nd division- while Hisagi called out to his. Welp, if it wasn't time to enter the valley of death.

"Hey, Lieutenant Omaeda?"

"Yeah, what is it Hoshigan?" Omaeda addressed his third seat as they ran down the path of the artificial garganta. He was slightly ahead of Shuhei's group now, and intended to keep it that way. Speed was his strongest suit, and if it let him beat the 9th squad in this 'race', all the better.

"I haven't fought any of the Arrancar, but from what I hear this Halibel and this Grimmjow are decent people." Hoshigan was bald with cheap sunglasses, looking rather like a gangster, but it was his intellectual side that annoyed Omaeda. "This means not all hollows are bad, no? Just like humans, or us. Doesn't that mean we should respect them as an equal, intelligent life-form, instead of forcibly changing them with our zanpaktou?"

"Don't be an idiot!" Omaeda bellowed, perhaps abit too loudly. He didn't like being asked difficult questions, after all. "They eat people for a living, for god's sake. If you got a problem killing hollows, why are you even a Shinigami?"

Hisagi caught up with him. "Come on, don't drill him for his sentiment. It's worth thinking about." He subtly led Omaeda to the side, away from their squads. "You look nervous. You okay, man?"

The plump man laughed. "What? Scared? Hell no! We beat these losers even when they were all powered up, they aren't any danger at all now!"

Hisagi smiled knowingly. "Well, you didn't beat any of them."

"Don't get cocky 'cause you beat one! You got destroyed by that giant monster, remember?" Omaeda waved his arms excitably. "Well, you did kill that traitorous bastard Tousen, so-" He stopped a little too late, noticing Hisagi was no longer smiling.

They didn't speak for the rest of the journey.

Omaeda stopped as he reached the end of the garganta, at the gateway to Hueco Mundo. Hisagi turned to his squad. "Get ready to release your shikai the moment you pass through! Eishima, Juzo, be ready to protect us with a kido barrier from our flanks! Bashi, make sure we maintain contact with the 2nd squad!"

Omaeda turned abruptly to his. "Yeah, do the same! I mean, Hoshigan and Kanmei-" He realized he looked rather silly by the time he had arranged his squad, but at least they were laughing to release some of their nerves. Would help if he could do so himself…

They stepped through the darkness, hands gripping their swords…into greater darkness. This isn't right, Omaeda mused nervously. Hueco Mundo was supposed to be a featureless desert constantly illuminated by a moon. In fact-

"I thought there weren't supposed to be trees Hueco Mundo." One of the Shinigami called out, pointing at the massive pillar that connected the rocky ground with a ceiling of darkness and stalagmites- certainly not a moonlit sky. This was no featureless desert- as Omaeda adjusted his senses, he made out a complex, twisting network of caves, ridges, crevices, and massive spires that seemingly lifted a sky of rock.

A sudden flash of spiritual pressure swept over him, causing him to jump in surprise. It was only Hisagi releasing his zanpaktou. He spun the twin scythes of Kazeshini in his hands, a grim expression on his face. "All of you. Shikais. Now."

Omaeda spun around as he heard a great roar, one he knew could only come from a Menos Grande. The ground around them rumbled as it became apparent that the roar were actually roars from an indeterminately large group of Gillians.

"We are in the Forest of Menos."

Author's Notes: I have tried to keep the events of the narrative as close to what has been established in the 'Can't Fear your Own World' Bleach light novel published this year, which I think is considered canon. That novel heavily implies the SK is a quincy, which I used as a basis to develop the rest of the spiritual mythology.

As to why Omaeda...I feel he's relatable and human in ways that alot of the other characters aren't, and the goofy fuck is actually one of my favorite characters. Also, my story requires someone who is really mediocre to work.