Chapter 3: Coming Back to Life
A massive Arrancar reformed in Karakura Town. Not wanted to die again, he opened up a Garganta and went through the opening in space.
The Grand Fisher walked through Hueco Mundo. Almost immediately, Ulquiorra Sonido'd over. "Master Baraggan would like to speak with you."
The two Sonido'd to Baraggan, who now sat in a new throne of bones. "Hello, Grand Fisher. You are one of great power. However, you are not quite Espada level. It is a surprise that whoever revived us bothered to bring you back to life." Baraggan's new base was aloft the fake ceiling, the same area where Vasto Lorde Ichigo fought Ulquiorra.
"Is that right, Louisenbairn? Do you seriously believe you're that much stronger than I? Bullshit!"
Barggan released a bit of his spirit energy, which immediately made the lower leveled hollows and Arrancar in the area drop to their knees. The Grand Fisher fell as well.
"Do not misunderstand. You are strong. Just not as strong as the Espada. Do not forget that, Grand Fisher."
A young boy walked through Hueco Mundo. He walked through the dessert, and walked to Las Noches. He found his way to Harribel's meeting, and sat down near the door.
"Who is this?" Nel asked. "He's strong..."
"This is Wonderweiss. He's at the level of an Espada. He cannot speak. However, Captain Tosen said that he is drawn to pure beings. I think he thinks Harribel, Nel, and Lilynette are pure hearted." Starrk stated.
"So, what's the plan, Baraggan?" Nnoitra asked. He did not forget to use the honorifics.
"We will battle the other group. But. First we need to figure out who all is there. And how much more power we need to defeat them." He turned to Ulquiorra. "You're the most likely to join up with them. Which means you should go speak with them."
"Yes, sir." He Sonido'd to Las Noches and came across Tesla, Nnoitra's Fraccion. He had survived a short battle with Kenpachi. Not many opponents can say that. "Nnoitra is with Master Baraggan, on top of the fake ceiling. You are welcome to greet him, if you wish."
"He is... alive?"
"He will explain there, I assume." He walked passed the Fraccion, and into the room where the Arrancar were talking. "Hello Master Starrk. Master Harribel."
"So you have been resurrected as well?" Starrk asked.
"Yes."
"Then we can assume at least the other Espada will come back to life." Harribel said. "Do you have any theories on who brought us back to life?"
"It must have been Lord Aizen. There is no other explanation."
"I was afraid of that." She looked him in the eyes. "Are you aware of Aizen's betrayal?"
"Betrayal?" Ulquiorra asked. This was news to him.
"That's right. You were killed in Hueco Mundo." She explained what Aizen had done to them.
"Well." Ulquiorra said. "Master Baraggan has devised a plan to reclaim his throne. He wishes to rule Hueco Mundo in the name of Lord Aizen."
"That doesn't sound like Baraggan in the slightest." Harribel said. "I believe that he's just using Aizen's name to recruit Arrancar that were loyal to Aizen."
"That slimy..." Apacchi mumbled. "Wait a minute... if you know about him... why are you here?"
"He sent me to spy on you. However, now that I am aware of Aizen's betrayal, I am inclined to be on your side."
"You're going to believe us just like that?" Pesche asked.
"You have no reason to lie to me. I'm under the impression that you had no idea of Lord Baraggan's plans, which would make lying to me pointless."
"That is an excellent point." Pesche said.
"Which means you could go back to Baraggan and feed him bad information." Said Mila Rose. "Then you could come back here and give us information about him."
"No." Starrk said. "I despise such a tactic, and I refuse to be involved with anyone who uses it. We will do this the right way. Ulquiorra, you can either stay here with us and they can assume you left them, or you can go there and formally tell him that you are disassociating with him."
"Are you seriously giving him an ultimatum?" Apacchi asked. "That's so stupid! He's our ally now, it doesn't really matter, does it?"
"It wasn't an ultimatum. I was suggesting different ways for him to go about it." Starrk said.
"Yeah, you idiot!" Lilynette yelled. "Know what you're talking about before insulting Starrk!"
She opened her mouth for a retort, but Harribel silenced her with a glance.
Lilynette was about to prod her some more, however, Starrk shook his head and she returned to silence.
"I think they will attack you if you go back there to tell them you're leaving." Mila Rose said. "My suggestion would be to stay here."
"I believe staying will be the best course of action." Ulquiorra agreed. "What will we do?" He asked, looking to Harribel.
"About Baraggan? We can't do anything yet. When he attacks us, we will take him out."
"Why not?" Apacchi asked. "We can just have Starrk defeat him with his Los Lobos! He's strong and fast enough to take him out at a range."
"Even if I was, it wouldn't be the best plan. Being as I'm associated with Harribel at this point, the other Arrancar would think their new leader is unfair if she just took out anyone that seemed threatening to her. However, if they attack us first, it'd be self defense and would be justified."
"I say we just kill them." Grimmjow said. "Those weaklings don't stand a chance! We can't just sit here and do nothing while they plan to kill us!"
"We can and we will." Harribel responded. "This is a coup d'etat, they're trying to over throw me. But we'll look back if we take them out without sufficient evidence."
"Who the hell cares what other people think of us?"
"A leader has to care what her subordinates think."
"Well I think we should kill them."
"And I already explained why that was a bad idea."
"If you want sufficient evidence, talk to Ulquiorra. He was with them, remember?"
"We could have just as easily lied and said he was when he in fact wasn't. It is much harder to say they didn't attack us when they did."
Grimmjow sighed, thoroughly defeated. "Whatever."
Silence filled the room. None of them said anything. Starrk had closed his eyes and was seemingly asleep.
"What's our next move?" Pesche asked, breaking the silence.
"We need all the Arrancar and intelligent hollows to agree with my rule and work with us." She said. "I will personally go and talk to any Arrancar in Las Noches. Starrk," his eyes opened. "Can you search the desert for other Arrancar?"
"Yes."
Harribel and the Tres Bestias walked through Las Noches. They came across a Privaron Espada, named Gantenbainne Mosqueda.
"Have you come back to life, or did you survive?"
"Come back to life?"
She quickly explained the situation to him. She made sure to mention Aizen's betrayal.
"Hmm..." He said. "Sure, I'll work with you."
Coming back to life, Rudbornn Chelute, rose to his feet. "Where... where am I? Am I in heaven? Am I in hell?" He looked around, remembering the last thing that happened. Before he could use his most powerful technique, a Soul Reaper used an ice type Zanpakuto to freeze him. As he was attempting to break free, Yammy crushed his head.*
"That bastard..." Rudbornn mumbled. "I'm going to escape either heaven or hell and then go back to the real Hueco Mundo and then kill him. He won't be able to defeat me if he can't get me by surprise again."
As he was talking to himself, Starrk walked over to him. "I see you've come back to life too, Rudbornn."
"Hello, Lord Starrk." He bowed. "Have you been killed and sent to heaven or hell, as well?"
"No. This is Hueco Mundo. We have been brought back to life, by some unknown force. It is theorized that it was Aizen who brought us back to life. However, he betrayed us." He explained how. "So it doesn't really make much sense for him to bring us back to life, unless he expected us to just work for him again."
"Maybe he thought he would have more control over us." Rudbornn said.
"Perhaps." He explained Baraggan and his team.
"I will stay with you."
"That's fine. Harribel is in Las Noches currently. You can either walk with me, or go back there."
The two kept walking, then a massive hollow made out of sand rose from the ground. "Master Starrk." Said the hollow.
"Runuganga." Starrk explained what happened, how the Espada were coming back to life, how Aizen betrayed them, and how Baraggan was trying to over throw Harribel.
"I will be loyal to Lady Harribel." Runuganga told him. "I will prevent anyone from attacking Las Noches without your knowledge, sir."
"Make sure you keep yourself out of harm's way. I don't want you fighting any Espada-leveled opponents."
Mayuri was in his lab, typing at a computer.
"Captain Kurotsuchi, sir!" Said an unseated Soul Reaper in his squad.
"I am in the middle of a very important report. What is it?"
"The body of Gin Ichimaru is gone!"
"WHAT?" He shouted, smashing his fists into the keyboard. "You incompetent- I thought you used that spell on him so his body wouldn't return to Spirit energy?"
"I did. But he's... gone. There is no trace of him, sir."
"Find who ever took his body NOW!" Mayuri stood and smacked the Soul Reaper across the cheek. "If you come back empty handed, you'll be getting much worse than a smack! NOW GO!"
Rangiku Matsumoto was sitting in her house, dried persimmons on her table. Gin's favorite. She had one in her hand, when she felt a bit of a very particular spirit energy that always reminded people of snakes.
She quickly spun around in her seat, but saw nothing. "Gin?" She called. There was no answer. She shook her head, assuming that it was all in her head. She turned to the bowl, finding nearly half of it missing.
Tears streaked her cheeks. "Gin's... alive..."
Luppi was walking through Las Noches. "That bastard Grimmjow... how dare he kill me?" As he was walking, he noticed said Espada's spiritual energy. He quickly ran the other way. "I don't want to deal with him again..." He ran out of the castle, and sonido'd a good distance away.
He encountered Kaname Tosen and Gin Ichimaru as he ran.
"Ichimaru... Tosen...? You came back as well?"
"Yes." Gin grinned at him. "How was heaven, for ya? Was it as good as everyone cracked it up to be?"
"We all know that heaven and hell aren't real. When you die you become resurrected into a different life. I have no idea why I am still here."
"You have been brought back to life to Serve Lord Aizen." Kaname said. "Come. Baraggan has formed a team in his name, thus, we will work with him."
The two Soul Reapers and one Arrancar made it to the hole in the sky where Baraggan was setting up shop with his new companions.
"Hey." Ichimaru called, smiling. "We're here to work for you."
"That is fine." Baraggan said. "The more forces we have, the better."
After doing nothing for a few minutes, Ichimaru stood up and walked toward the hole in the ground.
"Where are you going, Ichimaru?" Asked Nnoitra.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He jumped down and flash stepped away.
"He has neutralized his spiritual energy, I have no way of tracking him." Tosen said.
Ichimaru flash stepped directly to Harribel. "I know that Aizen has betrayed the Espada." He looked her in the eye, his eyes slightly opening. "Baraggan has Nnoitra, Zommari, Aaroniero, Tosen, and several low leveled Arrancar and hollows. I am pretending to work with him, and I'll give you information on him."
"Give your information directly to Apacchi. And never do so when Starrk is near her."
"Why is that?"
"Starrk mentioned his distaste for such a tactic."
"So." Grimmjow said, looking down at Nel, who was sitting not far from him. "How was your life as an Espada? I didn't know you before I became an Espada."
"It was... interesting, aside from when I clashed with the, at the time, Octava (8th) Espada quite a bit." She paused. "He fought without purpose. He just wanted to kill. I said that a being who possesed reason should be able to decide why he is fighting, but he refused to understand that."
"Who is he?"
"Right now, he's the current Quinto (5th) Espada. Nniotra Gilga."
"That bastard. He cut me from behind when I was trying to fight Ichigo."
"He cut me from behind as well. He damaged my mask." She gestured to the slash mark on her mask.
"Perhaps there's someone who can fix that?" Suggested Pesche.
Loly and Menoly were walking through Las Noches. Nel was searching for a bathroom. "Hey, Numeros." Nel said as she walked by him.
"Wait, little one. Are you serious about this war? It... it doesn't make sense! What's the point in going into a war directly after everyone came back to life? It's so... stupid."
At that point, Lilynette walked out, and began to listen.
Nel thought for a moment. "A struggle for power is inevitable when a leader is imprisoned or killed. A democracy is only useful when it's citizens are civilized." She shrugged. "Which means a battle after Aizen lost would have happened no matter what. If no one came back to life though, I don't think there would be much of a fight. It'd only be random hollows trying to fight Harribel." Nel walked away.
"If you aren't with us, you're against us!" Lilynette shouted, clenching her fists. "That means we'll have to take you guys down!"
"Is that right?" Loly asked. "How are you going to do that?"
"I am the Primera Espada! You two are weaklings compared to me!"
"Shut up." Grimmjow said, stepping out. "You idiots are too loud."
"Shes the one who's yelling, you idiot!" Loly yelled. "Yell at her, not all of us."
"You wanna run that by me again? Or have you forgotten what happened the last time you pissed me off?" A crimson cero glowed in his hand. Loly and Menoly immediately fled.
When the caught their breath, Menoly asked her partner a question. "Do you think we should get involved?"
"We're not joining up with Harribel, because I hate Grimmjow." Loly said. "We're not joining up with Baraggan because he might kill us. So we're gonna have to work alone. Come on, Menoly. Aizen must have left something here that we can use."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. A weapon? A paper with their weaknesses on it?" She used her cero to destroy a door and the two walked in. The two walked into the room. It was a small room, with neat paperwork stacked on a table.
"Aizen and his tidiness." Menoly commented.
Loly walked over and sat down in the chair and began to go through the paperwork.
Menoly searched the exterior of the room, and stumbled on her own foot, crashing through the wall. "Ow..."
"Smooth." Loly said, walking over. Menoly stood up, looking around. She was inside a fake room, a large room, with corpses everywhere.
"What the hell...?" She mumbled, walking in. She noticed an Arrancar with short black hair with purple tips, chained to a wall. He had a pair of tattered black pants, showing the Arrancar type bone armor. His skin was riddled with black tattoos, that made jagged and irregular designs. Bottomless ebony eyes watched the two carefully.
"That one's still alive!" Loly shouted.
Notes: Sorry, Darkmachines. I forgot to put a footnote addressing your review in the last chapter. We already finished the chapter at that point when you put the review, so it would feel over-stuffed to include your suggestions. I have not gotten far enough into your story to know if I could/should use your OC in the story. When I get further along, I will consider using him.
*Yammy crushed him into little pieces. It's safe to assume he died. Despite this, the Wikia doesn't classify him as dead because it was never confirmed. However, he's Espada level (if we take his word for it) so he will be revived as well.
My partner and I are in need of some OC's. If you would like to create an OC, please either PM me or Fire lord 626.