Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 4: Empire of Hollows
In the endless wastes of Hueco Mundo
Because of a tornado spell cast by Annabelle, Orihime Inoue had been separated from Yasutora Sado, Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsmugiya. As she got up, she found herself lying beside a naked tree, in the endless wastes of Hueco Mundo. The young woman could not tell whether she was tired or not. It was always night in the realm of the Hollows. As she got up, she reached for the object that Urahara had given her and pushed a button.
The object transformed into that of a camera, expect that it had a weird face with lips. The thing began facing Orihime with its peculiar glance, his thick lips forming a smile. The orange-haired woman was already filled with curiosity, as she had never seen anything like this, especially since it was a creation from Urahara.
"I am pleased to be of your acquaintance, Mrs. Orihime Inoue. You may call me Pero!" it introduced itself, while sounding like a gnome speaking.
The young woman only raised an eyebrow at him speaking. "Pero, huh? What kind of invention are you?" she quizzed him, still not sure whether she could fully trust him.
"Who am I?" Pero asked and then stuck out his tongue at her, who were caught surprised by his behavior. "I have been assigned by Master Kisuke to watch over you while making your way through this forsaken land" he answered with confidence in his voice. "As you already may know, Hueco Mundo is no place for a Human to be. Hollows are not known for their hospitality" the flying thing added.
Orihime was unsure of whether she should've taken his words seriously. Shrugging off her concerns, she began wandering through the dunes, much to Pero's surprise and outrage.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going!?" he snapped in outrage.
Orihime turned around to face him with a cute smile. "Where? To the Negal Ruins, silly!" she told him and proceeded to walk on the dunes.
Pero was filled with disbelief and flew quickly, eventually blocking Orihime on her pathway. The young woman stopped in her tracks and only stood there with a confused look.
"You think this as a vacation or something!? Don't you know where you are!?" he asked her with disbelief in his voice. "This is Hueco Mundo, home of the Hollows! You do know what will happen if you stumble upon a Hollow, right?" he added while pointing out a basic fact.
To Pero's surprise, Orihime huffed at him and then walked past him. However, she did stop and looked towards the distance she was heading towards. The winds blew and her hair was swinging.
"You think I don't know that?" Orihime asked the tiny thing, never taking her eyes off the distance. "Apparently, you seem to have underestimated my tenacity. I was a captive in Hueco Mundo once" she explained to Pero, who's eyes were filled with realization.
"Exactly! All the more reason for you to be extra careful in this…" Pero stopped as he could see Orihime turn around and face him, although with a determined look.
Even the young woman's eyes had burning passion within those determined eyes. "But what does that matter!? What happened in the past stays in the past! Right now, we should focus on the present and the challenges that lies ahead of us!" she told him, before facing the distance once again. This time, her eyes were filled with humility. "I may not be a Shinigami, Quincy, Arrancar or even a Togabito. And I may as well not have any powers of strength for that matter. But despite knowing this, I can no longer sit on the sidelines and let myself be the helpless damsel in distress. No, this time, I WILL enter the fight and I AM willing to take all the pain that it costs. But even so, I will be happy, knowing that I am no longer useless to anyone, not even to my friends" she explained with a hint of satisfaction and determination in her voice.
After that, she slowly began taking a few steps towards the distance, which seemed very empty and desolate. But yet Orihime kept walking, never looking back to the naked tree.
Pero was left stunned by Orihime's speech, but he eventually shook his head and formed a peculiar smile of his own. "Heh, you are one stubborn lady…..I LIKE THAT!" he remarked with admiration of Orihime's determination. The small being then proceeded to follow the young woman, helping her guide the long way to the Negal Ruins. Hopefully they would hold on through this harsh way.
"Ichigo" Orihime thought about the young man whom she had slowly begun developing feelings towards. "Wherever you may be, I know that you will be alright. Because you are doing what is best for yourself" the orange-haired woman remarked as she pressed on. "Well, it is time for me to do what I think is right" she concluded and walked towards the distance.
Meanwhile, in another place in Hueco Mundo
Yasutora Sado found himself being enclosed in the dark. But beyond this darkness, he could hear someone calling to him. It sounded very familiar in his opinion.
"Hey you…Chad or whatever..….wake up!" the distant voice called to him. But the young man was still lost in the dark, his eyes never opening. "Hello! I just told ya to wake up!" the voice came again, this time sounding more impatient than before.
Finding this irritating, Chad's only visible eye began flinching, signaling that he was but slowly opening his eyes. The vision he got before him was all blurry, but the young man could spot something lying beyond the blur. As soon as his eyes got hold of themselves, he was in for a surprise.
"There you are, pal!" the cheerful voice came from none other than Ganju Shiba, who was leveling his head near Chad's. The strange man only grinned cockily by seeing him awake. "Slept well?" he asked.
Chad immediately snapped in surprise and he accidentally managed to bump into Ganju's face, causing the long-haired man to be sent to the dusty ground. That slam had left him and ugly mark and his nose was bleeding. Ganju groaned in pain while covering his bleeding nose.
"Ouch! Just what the hell are you doing, man!?" Ganju angrily demanded while rubbing his nose. "Here I find you lying unconscious and wait for you to get up and this is how you repay me!?" he added angrily while covering his nose.
Chad was rubbing his face, as he too had felt the pain. "Was it really necessary for you to be positioning your head right above me!?" he asked while rubbing his sore face. "I almost thought that you were a Hollow!" he added.
Ganju twitched in anger. "Hey! Now that's just a rude thing to say, especially since I was kind enough to watch over your lazy ass!" he hit back in return.
"Don't be so harsh on him, Ganju. He's just had a rude awakening" Chad snapped by seeing Hanataro Yamada approach the two by sitting on his knees. But the timid Shinigami looked at Chad and waved his hand at him in a friendly manner. "We're glad to see you were awake. We found you lying in the middle of the sand and decided to wait until you woke up" Hanataro spoke up.
Chad could not believe what he was seeing. "You're that medic from Squad 4. The one who assisted Ichigo with freeing Rukia" he uttered out words in realization.
Hanataro chuckled nervously in return. "So you remember me, huh? Well it is as you say. My name is Hanataro Yamada, currently the co-3rd seat of Squad 4, formerly the 7th seat of Squad 4" the young Shinigami introduced himself.
"I see" Chad said but suddenly raised his visible eyebrow in question. "So you're named after flowers, huh!?" he asked.
Hearing this made Hanataro snap in disappointment. "Again with the criticism of my name!?" he asked in disbelief and sighed meekly. "I guess my name really is lame after all" he thought with defeat.
"Hey Hanataro! Mind if you cure this?" Ganju asked while revealing his bleeding nose. This immediately lifted the medic's spirit.
"Certainly Ganju!" Hanataro replied with delight.
The young Shinigami drew his Zanpakutou and lifted it in the air before swinging it at Ganju's face. Chad first believed that Hanataro was intending to kill him, but he was wrong. Hanataro beamed with confidence and swung his sword.
"Fulfill, Hisagomaru!" Hanataro called out the name of his Zanpakutou as the blade hit Ganju's nose. But instead of slashing it, the blade healed Ganju's injuries, much to Chad's stunned reaction.
"This blade…." Chad thought. "It does not injure…...but heal whatever it touches" he added, not believing what he was seeing.
When Hanataro was finished, all the blood was gone and Ganju's nose seemed just fine. He friendly patted the Shinigami's head in appreciation. "Thanks little buddy! I owe ya one" he said to Hanataro, who only nodded at him in return.
"Ganju, Hanataro" both turned to face Chad after he called to them. They could see a serious expression forming on his face. "Why have you come to Hueco Mundo? You know what danger lurks in this realm" the tall man asked while reminding them where they were.
Seeing his request for an answer. Ganju sighed in defeat, knowing that he needed to answer. "Look, I know this may sound batshit crazy, but we were actually requested by Head-Captain Kyoraku to accompany you and the rest as observes to from the Soul Society" he revealed, causing Chad to widen in surprise, as he knew who the head-captain was, considering that he had fought him before. "It is true, he appeared at the doorstep of our mansion, requesting a meeting with big sis. He believed that it would be beneficial to the Soul Society if they sent observes who could gain the trust of the Imperio de Hierro's leadership" he went on explaining.
"The head-captain believed that the observed had to be composed of one Shinigami and one Soul living outside the Sereitei. And of course, Kukaku Shiba was interested" Hanataro explained.
But Ganju muttered out lowly in irritation. "But I was already training for the upcoming battle. Why the hell am I suddenly sent off to Hueco Mundo on a suicide mission!?" he asked in anger while grumbling.
Chad had managed to reflect on what the two had just told him and he seemed very pleased to see that even they were brave enough to enter Hueco Mundo. Standing up on his two feet, he began walking on the dunes of sand, much to the two friends' curiosity.
"Where are you going?" Hanataro asked him as he followed Chad.
The tall man stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder to face the small Shinigami. "I am going eastwards, to the Negal Ruins. It is there Urahara is being transported to as we speak" he answered and then proceeded walking. "I insist if you come with me, these parts of Hueco Mundo are dangerous" he added while walking.
"Who said we were gonna walk?" Ganju suddenly interrupted the tall man, as the sound of a giant boar could be heard grunting behind him. Turning around, he saw Ganju's pet boar Bonnie standing proudly (yet angrily) beside her master, while Hanataro tried his best to stay away from the beast. "Walking by our own feet only takes days. But with good, ol' Bonnie here, we'll be there in no time!" Ganju exclaimed with a flashy grin. He had even put on his googles.
Chad's jaw almost fell to the sand. "How….." he uttered out. "How in the world did you manage to bring a boar through a Garganta?" he asked in wonder.
Ganju only shrugged his shoulders. "Meh, no big deal! Nothing can keep this baby out of her path" he replied, and started to cozy up to the angry boar. "Isn't that right, my sweet, healthy Bonnie?" he asked her while trying to kiss her and all stuff. But Bonnie only swung her head, so that one of her tusks managed to gore Ganju's right cheek. The long-haired man screamed in pain while trying to push the provoked boar away. "ARGH! MY CHEEK'S BLEEDING!" Ganju screamed while losing himself from the boar, while Hanataro drew Hisogamaru to cure his injury once again.
As much as he himself hated to admit it, Chad knew that he could not leave both Ganju and Hanataro alone in these endless wastes. Sighing deeply, the young man fixed a slight smile and approached his friends, hoping that they would help him reach the Negal Ruins. "Well, I will just have to stick with them. That is something Ichigo would've done" he thought while joining them.
Meanwhile, somewhere near the ruins of Las Noches
Having landed among the ruins of Las Noches, Jinta and Ururu had to their surprise been captured by remnants of the Jagdarmee and held captive. While Ururu managed to use her destructive strength to deal with them, the teenagers were no match for the Quincies' tactics and traps.
The Quincies, feeling utterly humiliated by their defeat at the more advanced legions of the Hoplitas, decided to use the two teenagers as bargaining chips, knowing that they were in league with the Imperio de Hierro. However, their plan was short-lived as a group of Adjuchas-level Hollows ambushed the Quincies, forcing them to defend themselves.
However, Jinta and Ururu used this ambush to their advantage and ran away as quickly as they could. Since Urahara had their weapons, fighting against Adjuchas was fruitless for their part.
The two teenagers had run from the ruins of Las Noches and was now running from whatever carnage was happening back there. But they both doubted that the Quincies would survive against the Adjuchas, considering that those type of Hollows were strong enough to battle a Shinigami Captain. After running over hill of sand and dunes, the two teenagers stopped and tried to catch their breaths.
"Are…we.…...safe…yet?" Ururu asked while panting between her words.
Jinta was sweating and he stroke his forehead before throwing a fit of rage, much to Ururu's surprise. "Argh! This is so bullshit! We get sent to a place, get captured by Quincies, and narrowly manage to escape from a pack of dangerous Adjuchas!" he complained, not even panting between the sentences. "I'm seriously gonna kick the boss' ass when we've reached whatever the heck the Negal Ruins are!" he added while expressing his frustration.
The red-haired boy discovered a large rock, and decided to sit on it. Ururu joined her friend, as they both felt like needing some rest from all the running. Despite all the emptiness, Hueco Mundo's moon was somewhat beautiful. The black-haired girl could see Jinta facing it, not even wanting to wink his eyes. The moonlight was nothing like that in the Human World or the Soul Society.
Feeling somewhat left out by the silence, Ururu decided to speak to Jinta about something they had to deal with back at the shop. "A couple of days ago, I noticed the way you were acting when Yuzu was visiting the shop" she said with a smile. Jinta turned to face her with a moped expression. But Ururu still smiled at him. "There is no point in denying it, Jinta. I know that you care about her" she told him.
As much as Jinta wanted to open his mouth and protest, the young boy didn't feel like it. In fact, he even faced the dusty ground and fixed a somewhat downed look on his face. "I just can't help myself, Ururu. Yuzu is just so…kind…and gentle" he revealed to her. "But I'm not sure myself if…..she feels the same way…and of course she has Karin who keeps badmouthing me when I'm not around Yuzu" he added to his revelation.
Ururu giggled by hearing this, and it surprised Jinta, who had never officially heard the meek girl do that before. Maybe it was one of the many changes she had embraced when becoming a teenager. Nevertheless, the red-haired boy could not believe how much they had both grown recently. That could also be said the same for Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki, Ichigo's twin sisters.
"You don't have to be so doubtful of yourself. From the way I see it, Yuzu thinks of you as a nice and friendly boy" the meek girl spoke about her point of view. "In fact, there was a time when I was on shopping with her, and she spoke so highly of you" the black-haired girl added.
Standing up, Jinta fixed a face of realization. While he was stunned at first, he eventually accepted it and felt more confident about himself. "You know…if we ever get back from this mess" Jinta said as he faced his partner with a reassuring smile. "I'm gonna suck it up and officially ask Yuzu out!" he added with confidence in his voice.
While the black-haired girl was surprised at this at first, she immediately started hugging him out of pride, thus nearly cracking Jinta's bones.
"I'm so proud of you, Jinta!" she exclaimed while hugging him tightly, although Jinta felt pain by it.
"Ururu…YOU'RE SQUEEZING MY BONES!" Jinta tried to make her stop by saying out words. But she would not let go of him. "URURU…MY BONES ARE ALMOST FINISHED!" he added pleadingly.
Unbeknownst to the two teenagers, two remaining members of the Wandenreich's Jagdarmee had managed to survive the ambush of the Adjuchas and were know tracking Jinta and Ururu, hoping to recapture them once again. As they aimed their bows called Heilig Bogen at the two friends, they failed to notice a large shadow looming over them. Turning around, they both screamed in fear, but it was not loud enough to attract the teenagers' attention.
Whoever had killed those Quincies now fixed its eyes upon the two friends, a smug grin forming by the minute.
Ururu finally let go of the red-haired boy, as she could hear barking. Dropping Jinta on the dusty ground, Ururu was surprised to discover a Hollow-puppy barking at them. From the looks of it, it seemed very playful and was happy to see them. The young girl decided to sit down and see what it wanted, even going as far as to pet it.
Jinta briefly turned around to see what Ururu was so focused on, his eyes tired by the minute. "Give me a break!" he uttered out lowly and crawled to where Ururu sat. "What kind of Hollow is that?" he asked his partner, who was already getting acquainted to it.
"I don't know. But it seems to be out here on its own" she replied and kept petting it.
While it was calm at first, it seemed to be overjoyed as it barked at something behind the two teenagers. Its tail was already swinging. While Jinta was confused at first, Ururu immediately snapped in silence, her heart beating faster in the minute. The red-haired boy only raised an eyebrow at her in return.
"Gee Ururu, what do you like someone's who's just felt the presence of a…" Jinta was backing towards something he first believed to be the giant rock, but that was not it. He felt like it was some kind of clothing. "Arrancar…" Jinta said lowly as he knew this was how Ururu always behaved when she sensed the presence of a Hollow, or more specifically Arrancars. Trembling with fear, Jinta looked up along the clothing to see who was standing behind him and Ururu.
They were in for a shock, as there was a tall Arrancar with red markings running across his cheeks and jawbones as his Hollow-shell. In addition to that, his hole was visible in the center of his muscular chest. He wore a white jacket and carried a Zanpakutou with him.
He grinned as his brown eyes faced the two teenagers. "Hahaha! First I find myself some Quincies to eradicate and now I get to have two brats to play with!? Now that's what I call suerte!" the voice came from none other than the former Cero Espada in Aizen's Arrancar Army: Yammy Llargo. The giant Arrancar with the thin ponytail was filled with satisfaction over stealing the Quincies' prey. "But you two are no ordinary Humans. I can smell it! Hahahaha!" he added while bursting out into laughing.
Both teenagers snapped in fear by seeing this, and they could even feel how strong his Spiritual Pressure was. By feeling it, they were unable to even raise on their feet and run.
"That guy sure has an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure!" Jinta noted while gritting his teeth in frustration.
"This is no ordinary Arrancar" Ururu remarked as he faced her partner. "I've remember reading some of the boss' hidden files. And one of them was about this Arrancar. He was actually an Espada!" she added to her fears.
The young boy snapped in outrage. "AN ESPADA!?" he howled in fear while feeling his entire body tremble on the dunes. "Shit…we narrowly managed to flee from a pack of Adjuchas, only to be hunted by an Espada!?" he wondered in his head.
Yammy only raised an eyebrow at what the two Humans were saying. "Huh? An Espada, you say?" he asked, before laughing out loud in mockery of the teenagers. He even began taking off his white jacket. "Don't insult me by referring to me as something as lame as that, kids! Maybe I should reveal you something" the brutish Arrancar said and shrugged off his jacket.
Jinta and Ururu were horrified by what they saw. The tattoos of 10 or 0 were no longer there. The only thing that was left on, as the omega symbol. "That symbol…" Ururu remarked with shock. "It was the same symbol those Arrancar soldiers were having on their shields" she added to her statement.
Yammy beamed with pride and even made a macho pose with his abs. "I'm no longer an Espada! I left that title behind a lifetime ago!" Yammy said while facing them. "I am Yammy Llargo, now a member of the Imperio de Hierro's Legionarios" he declared while facing the kids with bullying intent, although he had perhaps more dangerous things in store for them.
Without even saying a word, Jinta got up and his feet and dragged Ururu along with him, the young boy holding her hand tightly. Yammy only stared at them with an unfazed look.
"Let's get outta here, Ururu! That brute doesn't look that much of a…" his words were interrupted as Yammy appeared before them, having used his Sonido to vanish from his previous spot. "Runner…." Jinta finished his sentence as Yammy only grinned by seeing their despair.
"Going somewhere?" the muscular Arrancar asked them while crossing his arms. But the brute took hold of the collar on Ururu's uniform and held her up to his level. "I could use someone to play with, especially you, little girl!" he said, never taking off his eyes at her. Ururu remained stunned and didn't move a muscle.
Jinta gritted his teeth in anger by seeing this and angrily charged towards the giant with his fists. "You leave her alone, you fat, piece of…." Jinta was sent away by a Bala, shot from Yammy's own fist.
"Shut your trap, ya little midget!" Yammy barked and returned his bullying glance at Ururu. "Now then. Mind if you tell me who you and that boy are?" he said while forming his grip on Ururu's collar.
Gulping, Ururu decided to give into Yammy's demands, albeit reluctantly. "We are both associates of the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki" she answered him.
"Ururu, what the hell!?" Jinta wondered as he slowly got up, having managed to withstand the Bala, which was not particularly as strong as a Cero.
The giant Arrancar immediately let go of the young girl, as he snapped in surprise by what she had just told him. "Ichigo Kurosaki, huh?" Yammy mumbled in deep thought. But he eventually formed a slight grin with this mouth and faced both teenagers. "I haven't heard that name in ages! I still owe him a knuckle sandwich after nipping me!" he exclaimed with bloodlust in his eyes.
Jinta could not believe what Yammy was just doing. "So he's also fought carrot top? Man, Ichigo sure has made many frenemies" the red-haired boy added as he stood beside Ururu. But he could see the meek girl nod at him, indicating that she wanted him to go along with her answer.
Both teenagers were caught by surprise when Yammy grabbed each of them by their necks and lifted them up. He faced them with killing intent. "Alright brats! Tell me the location of Ichigo Kurosaki if you desperately value your lives!" Yammy barked at them.
"Oh you wanna fight Ichigo?" Jinta asked, slightly forming a smug grin. "Well, we got separated from him during a sandstorm, but I heard that he was heading towards what you call El Dorado" he told him, although he was not telling the truth.
Yammy only raised one of his orange eyebrows at his words. "Huh? But why would he head towards that place? Something doesen't make any sense here!" he asked while sounding very suspicious.
Jinta only faced him smugly. "Oh, haven't you heard? Apparently, he was gonna go there and have a fight with someone. It was some blue-haired dude named Grimmjow or whatever" he replied smugly, albeit with lies.
Hearing this immediately made Yammy snap in anger and he began carrying the two teenagers while running on the sand towards the east. While hanging on him, they could spot the little Hollow-puppy following them. However, Jinta and Ururu faced on another with a smile, indicating that they had just what they needed to find the road to El Dorado.
"GRIMMJOW YOU COCKY BASTARD!" Yammy shouted with rage while running. "YOU WON'T BE TAKING MY OPPONENT AWAY FROM ME!" he added while proceeding towards the distance.
At the same time with Chad's group
Riding on Bonnie, Chad, Ganju and Hanataro had travelled over the endless dunes of Hueco Mundo. However, they knew they were heading eastwards, considering that Bonnie managed to pick up the trails of the Hollow-wolves and horses. But there was something unfamiliar, as there was clouds slightly covering the dark sky. It was also how the environment felt foggy.
"We've been riding for hours!" Ganju snapped while Bonnie had begun to move at a slower pace. "How much long is it until we reach the Negal Ruins!?" he asked impatiently.
Before they even knew it, Bonnie almost managed to fall down, had it not been for her remarkable reaction. She immediately backed away and watched with concern at the road ahead of her.
"Bonnie what's wrong?" Ganju asked the boar while petting her lightly.
"I think she was about to fall" Hanataro remarked, although Ganju did not take his words seriously. He then began looking around the environment. "You know now that I think about it, I never knew that there existed clouds in Hueco Mundo" he added while noticing the large chunks of clouds hanging in the black skies above them.
Chad had gotten off Bonnie and was now assessing the situation. His only visible eye was filled with wonder "Guys, you might want take a look what this" he told them and both Ganju and Hanataro did as he said. Even they became stunned as well.
It was apparent that they were now standing by the edge of a cliff, as right before them, they could see a vale filled with canyons, mountains and naked trees and palms. The entire vale had a rugged terrain. But it what was also noticeable was the fact that there were dark clouds floating above those mountains. And inside those clouds, lightning and thunder rumbled down at them.
The three friends were stunned by the view, especially Ganju and Hanataro, who were never used to such high mountains in the Soul Society. The fog had perished and they got a full view, indicating that this landscape was much large than what they had anticipated.
"Woah….this…is stunning" Ganju noted, his words lowly as his voice.
"I never thought that Hueco Mundo was THAT big!" Hanataro remarked. "Was Aizen even aware of this place?" he added with a question.
"I don't think so" Chad replied lowly. "Whatever that immense fog was, it managed to camouflage this entire area. As such, Aizen would have no knowledge of its existence" he went on and then began looking down and noticed how high they actually were. Looking down made Chad feel uncomfortable. "It's a good thing that we rode on Bonnie, who managed to feel the edge of this cliff. Otherwise, we would've fallen to our deaths" he concluded.
Both Ganju and Hanataro felt incredibly scared by hearing the tall man say this. "Ah…...that sounds pretty harsh, don't you think?" the timid Shinigami asked him while sweating.
"Anyway, if this is our destination, then how the hell do we get down from here?" Ganju asked while looking around. "We can't just climb down, that's definitely a bad idea" he added, not wishing to look down.
The three friends decided to search the cliff side for any potential roads that lead them to the vale, and eventually, Chad discovered a large but hidden path that was leading them to walk by the edge of the cliff. They could see that they were still high above ground.
"Such monstrous winds" Hanataro noted while feeling uncomfortable. "And these clouds keep raining lighting upon the mountains. They never stop" he added while looking at the environment.
"I know. In fact, I think I remember reading something like this when I was just a little kid" Ganju revealed.
Chad stared at him questionably. "You actually read as a young boy?" he asked while sounding confused.
Ganju only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Sure I did! Don't forget that the Shiba clan was once part of the Five Great Noble Famalies of the Soul Society…..or used to be" he pointed out while sounding bitter at the end of his sentence. "Anyways, being born into the Shiba clan had its benefits, that also includes having access to literature that was forbidden to read, considering that Central 46 had outlawed them" he went on explaining.
"Wow, then you must be a very lucky guy, Ganju!" Hanataro remarked with admiration of his friend.
"When did you read this?" Chad asked the long-haired man.
Ganju faced down the road they were riding on with Bonnie. "Actually it was my sister-in-law Miyako who read this to me. I still remember it today" he said with a slight smile. But the long-haired man faced the skies with lighting and recalled what he had been told. "It was from a scroll that was written in poerty. It sounded like this:
In the realm of the lost and despaired
Lies a sanctuary that can be repaired
But while lighting and thunder fall
The Hollows answer the call
By wandering through the endless wastes
No matter how deceitful and horrible it tastes
They will see the land of mountains and thunder
But their previous lives are torn asunder
For what lies for them in eternity
Is the eternal Valle de La Salvaciòn
That is all I remember. But even to this day, I still can't figure out what it means" Ganju remarked as he thought about the poem.
"The Valle de La Salvaciòn. The Negal Ruins. El Dorado" Chad wondered inside his head. "Maybe this is where Urahara is being held, as is the place where this Imperio de Hierro has their headquarters" the tall man added to his thoughts.
But the three friends stopped Bonnie, as they could notice something with the winds and the dust before them. It was beginning to form something. Eventually they were in for a surprise as a giant hand was being formed on the way before them. It was a and made of winds. But that was not all.
"Guys!" Hanataro snapped as he faced sideways. "I think we got company!" he added while sounding paranoid.
By facing sideways, Ganju and Chad could see where the giant hand had come from. Floating in the air alongside their road was a giant winged woman, made by wind. However, there existed a giant hole on her belly, indicating that this was actually a Hollow. Her face was barely visible, with only two azure blue eyes being the only one they could see.
"What kind of Hollow is this!?" Chad asked in disbelief while facing it.
"I don't know, but sure doesn't look happy to see us!" Ganju said while gulping.
The giant windy Hollow lowered her face to eye the three friends and the boar with her dangerous eyes. "I am Àirde, Guardian of the Valle de La Salvaciòn. And none may enter the valley without my consent!" she spoke up with a threatening voice.
The three friends got off Bonnie and decided to see if she was willing to talk with them. Hanataro was too scared to even open his mouth, but Chad and Ganju still had some courage left inside of them.
In fact, Ganju decided to act tough and speak up. "Yeah, I hate to be rude and all, but you were kind of interrupting us on our way! So will you do as a favor and…" before Ganju could continue, Àirde's blue eyes glowed and all of a sudden, Hollow-ravens began swirling around the trio. They began picking on them.
"Unworthy! You will kneel before addressing the great Àirde!" the Hollow demanded, eventually forcing the ravens to take off. With them gone, the three friends quickly sat on their knees, hoping to actually not make enemies of this angry woman. "Tread carefully, outsiders! One does simply not demand passage to the valley, unless you are citizens of the Imperio de Hierro!" she advised them sternly.
Chad knew that they would have to get past her if they were ever gonna reach the Negal Ruins. Standing up, he faced the Hollow with respective nod. "I apologize for my friend's rudeness, great one. He lacks manners" Chad said, much to Ganju's outrage.
"Oh you are one, ugly son of a…" Ganju had his mouth covered by Hanataro
Chad cleared his throat before continuing speaking. "We were requested by the Dechados to pass this test of survival. By that I mean reaching the Negal Ruins on foot" the tall man explained but he was not finished. "The ones who gave this this test are Diablo Gallante and Annabelle Luisenbarn. They asked us to walk on the long road to El Dorado" he went on, telling.
Ganju and Hanataro both hoped that Chad's formality would lessen the giant Hollow's anger. To their surprises, she began chuckling lightly. "Yasutora Sado. I am pleased to see what a gentleman you really are" she said, much to Chad's own surprise. She then looked at his friends. "I expected no less from ignorant citizens of the Soul Society" she commented while facing them with open disdain in her voice. To their surprises however, she slowly began vanishing from their sights, thereby being dragged by the winds. "Have fun visiting El Dorado, outsiders! But remember, do not provoke or disrespect the old one!" she reminded them and was about to disappear.
"One more thing, Lady Àirde!" Chad called out, even kneeling before her once again. The giant Hollow faced him down and give him attention. "I would like to ask you a favor. Will you please give free passage to Orihime Inoue, Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsmugiya? They are also in league with us" he requested, much to his friends' outrage.
"What is that moron thinking!?" Ganju wondered in his head.
Àirde regarded him for a moment before replying. "Very well. But remember this, Fullbringer. I am only granting your request because of your manners. The old one himself will not be easy to sway, that I can assure you. Take care now, allies of the empire" she told them before finally vanishing into thin air.
Hanataro got confused. "The old one? Who is she talking about?" the small Shinigami asked.
"I don't know. But I have a feeling that he well be getting answers soon" Chad answered and pointed his finger towards some ruins standing alongside the wall of one of the many mountains. He could see that in the distance.
The three friends mounted on Bonnie and then proceeded towards the valley. "Hey Chad. Why did you request her to do that?" Ganju suddenly asked the tall man.
Sighing deeply, Chad knew he had to answer. "Because I know that they are not able to defend themselves against the likes of Àirde. They don't have to be stressed out of her. They already have many things to worry about" he answered as honest as he could.
Both Ganju and Hanataro smiled by hearing his answer. "Well, I guess it was a right thing to do. For their sakes, that is. You are a terrific friend, Chad" the timid Shinigami pointed out, forcing Chad to smile by being given this compliment.
To be continued…..
Author's note: Now there went chapter 4! I will get back to where the others are up to, and maybe dig a little in on both the Soul Society and the Wandenreich, especially the Wandenreich. And by the way, hoped you liked Yammy's return. His stupidity is what made bring him back. And let us see the new term that has been added to the list.
Valle de La Salvaciòn – Spanish for "Valley of Salvation": This hidden place has a different landscape from what most people know Hueco Mundo for. It has rugged mountains, canyons and even clouds. The name suggests that it was a place where Hollows could come to, whenever they felt lost or succumbed to despair. But is there any more truth of this place?