Returning Home
Barely able to meet his eyes again, Triste's hand slowly dropped back to her side, the black 'zero' making it itch irritably. Her anxiety was growing and all she wanted to do now was escape this horrid fortress, this horrible man before her.
With a shaky step backward, fighting to remain calm, she glanced back into Aizen's smug smile, fumbling a "Goodbye," nodding her farewell to Gin, while hardly even glancing Tousen's way before turning hastily towards the exit.
But before she could get very far, she suddenly slowed back to a stop, the other's unable to tell what she was doing; her fingers caressed both eyes, feeling them, remembering the visions she'd seen while under Aizen's blast of reiatsu, the words of the past fluttering back into her mind eerily…
"Before I go," she spoke up, turning back to them once again with her voice back under control, all three visible in a single shot, "there is one more thing I must do. While amongst you, I have seen many things with this eye of mine… Because I have pried into your past, I feel it is only fair to warn you of your futures."
With these words, all three seemed to grow more focused. She had seen their futures?
Gin's curiosity seemed the strongest, only because of her words in the bedroom. She hadn't wanted to tell him… did something change that? Or was this something else?
Her eyes narrowed as she stared back, her voice sharp: "Beware the strawberries… all of you… or the fires will burn you."
Without waiting for a response, Triste turned yet again and left the balcony, walking tall with pride in tact. Her eye allowed her the pleasure of knowing their reactions:
As soon as she had spoken the ominous warning, there was only a short moment of consideration before all three came to some dark conclusion, neither Aizen nor Gin left smiling.
Triste had not traveled far before encountering a familiar face one last time, meeting his cold green eyes as callously as ever. "Ulquiorra…"
"I see you are full again."
"Yes, Aizen left me with a parting gift," she replied darkly, her right fist tightening. Without even being told, Ulquiorra knew what it was.
"You do know why…"
"Of course I do, but I will not let that keep me here. Just as you said, I am finally using this eye to my advantage… I will not let it rule me any longer, nor will I let that man control me like a puppet."
"And what of that new eye? It has changed since before."
Again, Triste felt the rim of her eye… Ulquiorra could only watch as she closed her eye while the crosshair pupil swiveled to the side, as if trying to see the other eye… And when her eye reopened, she seemed more steady than before: "I see… This new marking is just as significant as the Hollow's eye, something that connects me to my past, while working in unison with the other eye, though it is in fact its opposite."
Ulquiorra didn't understand, but at the same time, didn't really care. As long as she understood, and had gained some form of control over the King's gift, that was all that mattered. She could now stand on her own feet after years of solitude, sorrow, and fear.
"Are you sure you won't leave?" Triste decided to ask one last time, still hopeful, even though deep down she knew what the answer was.
"No. This is my place now, at Aizen-sama's side."
Though her eye showed a faint trace of sadness, Triste sighed and shook her head with a sad smile, "I thought so… I don't suppose you heard the warning I gave to Aizen, did you?"
"… No. I'm afraid I missed that one. Another foretelling, I suppose?"
"Yes, but it is one that you have already heard… it applies to quite a number of you. Ask Aizen about it, and you will understand, I promise."
Ulquiorra did not answer, debating whether or not he would actually ask, but Triste's eye seemed to hone in on this: "Ask him."
His eyes narrowed, but he nodded.
"Now I must go…" she spoke softly as she moved to leave once again, walking right past him. "Though it wasn't always pleasant, thanks for your help, Ulquiorra… I was wrong to have doubted the King's faith in you."
As soon as she passed by, his cold words came fluttering back: "No, you weren't."
Triste hesitated at this comment, hurt that he should still reject her so painfully. No, she wouldn't let herself get caught up in this timeless struggle. She might never see Ulquiorra again, she didn't want this to be an unpleasant goodbye. And then it struck her…
"I will not argue with you on the matter, nor will I renounce my thoughts. However, as an extra warning especially for you, I shall say only one thing… take it easy on the 'pet'… she is only human."
As soon as she finished, Ulquiorra instantly turned around, beyond curious of these words, but Triste was already walking away calmly… "Goodbye, Ulquiorra…"
Her body faded into the shadows, Ulquiorra left alone in the narrow hallway, still stunned by her words. A human pet?
Back at the balcony ledge, the discomfort the three ex-Shinigami had experienced as a result of Triste's prognosis had finally eased. Nothing detailed was spoken, but Tousen did voice one major concern: "Do you think she meant…?"
"It's possible," Aizen replied hastily, not allowing him to finish the statement. Strawberries… fire that burns… that Ryoka boy… "For now, we won't worry about it. Once our fortifications are complete and more Vasto Lorde have been located, we shall look into it. But not now…" he concluded easily before making his way back over to his chair.
As he settled comfortably, Tousen could not help but question the motives with which Aizen had acted on with Triste. "Aizen-sama… why did you allow that woman to take your energy?"
His lips quirked slightly, "I couldn't possibly let her go without restoring some of her strength… And besides, I had to give her a number, didn't I?"
Tousen was not completely satisfied with this answer. "Why zero?"
"Triste doesn't wish to stay, so there's no point shifting the Espada's numbers. Besides the fact Triste won't tap into her full power to par with the others, her fights are worthless. She can drain her enemy despite any damage she takes, but she won't kill and would probably prevent others from doing it as well." He turned in his chair to gaze out at the expanse of Las Noches and the sands beyond, an endless desert of endless possibilities. "No… she is best on her own. But I would gladly welcome her back if she ever returned."
Gin, his smile having returned, could not help but think of how Aizen had gone so far as to try and persuade her with physical seduction, remembering a comment he made the very day Triste had been found: "You really like to toy with other's hearts, don't you?"
With everything in mind, he tilted his head with slight amusement. "You meant to give her a taste, didn't you?"
Aizen did not answer, but his smile was apparent.
Tousen turned at an approaching presence, sensing the familiar aura of the fourth Espada; "Ulquiorra, what is it?"
"I'm afraid Triste has burdened me with asking about a prediction she made. She seemed adamant that I hear it."
Aizen's chair swiveled once again, allowing him to side glance the indifferent Vasto Lorde, wondering what connection he might have to those words. Was he to face off with that boy perchance? "Did she? Well then, I suppose I have no choice but to tell you. Her exact words were "beware the strawberries… all of you… or the fires will burn you."
Aizen's eyes narrowed.
Ulquiorra had reacted, something that was very rare, but there was no mistaking the shocked look upon his face, the way his eyes widened as if recognizing something in the message. It's just as she said… a warning I've already heard…
"Tell me… what do these words mean to you?"
It was a moment before his eyes settled, turning to Aizen evenly though still in great thought: "This is not the first time I've heard this message, first spoken by our king in his dying moments… he spoke them with his last breath. We knew it was some kind of foresight, but at the time, none of us could decipher what he had said… but there is no doubt in my mind that is what he tried to tell us, to 'beware the strawberries.'"
"And there is nothing else to it?" Tousen asked.
Ulquiorra met his gaze and shook his head softly, "The king's words are all I know. What it may pertain to is unknown to me."
"I see…" Aizen replied, dipping his head slightly in further consideration, trying to connect everything, to piece it all together. So even their king predicted a problem with red heads… She said all three of us were to be careful, and must have had some other purpose for making sure Ulquiorra heard about it… he and the other Espada may be a part of this prophecy as well.
Suddenly all were distracted by a high pitched call, a cry that echoed around them as an unusual creature flew high overhead, a bird of some sort… Aizen smiled to himself. Of course… that mark on her left eye… it was the same as the large eye that appeared in the sand during her fight with Grimmjow… He sighed inaudibly. Such an amazing specimen… if only we could have been allowed to study her…
It was such a pity that he would miss his chance for study by only a week, but of course he had no way of knowing that a new Hollow would soon be discovered who bore the same, sick scientific tendencies as him, who would have loved the chance to dissect Triste just as much as him.
Oh well. Now that that's over, we can move on to the next phase…
Triste's feet touched the soft white sand gently, filling her body with a familiar warmth that she had not felt in days. She was out of Las Noches, she was free! Free to roam the sands once again, to bathe in the light of the moon like before… She may have a different body now, but her feelings for this dark and lonely desert would never change: it was the place she belonged – it was home.
"What are you doing here, Grimmjow?"
From the shadows around the great doorway, the blue-haired warmonger stepped into the light, stopping not far from where Triste stood, just feet behind her. "Where are you going?"
"Anywhere… as long as it isn't here it doesn't matter."
"Hmph, running away again?" he scowled, but Triste took no offense, barely even shaking her head.
"Call it what you will, but I simply cannot stay here. This is not the place for me… I belong out there, free and alone. After all the time I've spent here, I realize that now… this is where I belong," she replied strongly, gesturing out to the desert.
"Psht, whatever…" was his only remark.
Triste turned softly to face him, giving him a moment to get over her new look before asking once again "Why are you here, Grimmjow?"
His eyes narrowed sharply before turning to glare at the wall. "Tell me about your king."
Hmm? The king? Why would he…? And suddenly it dawned on her, his memories returning to her. "Ah, I see… Why do you want to know? Do you wish to compare methods or simply to hear how another Hollow took lead of a band of warriors?"
His eyes returned to hers, but his glare had deepened. He hated to be treated like this, to be talked down to with that air of calm superiority – to think that she knew his past – he hated it!
"Where do I begin?" she started. "He was an efficient leader, who never let the others forget who was in charge… He was a powerful and magnificent fighter, the one who taught me most of what I know… And even though I was a hopeless excuse for a Hollow let alone a Vasto Lorde, who was desired dead by all of his subordinates, he let me join him in his campaign…
"He was the only one who gave me the time of day, who treated me like an equal… We were so similar, I often wonder if he had faced a similar fate as me in the early years, but he never shared his past with any of us, and this eye has never shown me much concerning his life, so it is in fact a complete mystery… But because of the unusual bond that we had, he gave me this eye, the most powerful of his physical senses…"
"What do you mean?"
"The king bore more than just this eye – he had other relics attached to him, all part of an original set from ancient times. Of the six of us, he gave five one of these relics, boosting our powers in one way or another, allowing us unusual gifts that otherwise would be impossible to achieve."
"What about the sixth guy? What did he get?"
Triste hesitated as she remembered that day once again. "The sixth Vasto Lorde… was Ulquiorra. Because he denied the position of king, he was given the king's 'sixth sense,' a mental property that takes thousands of years to obtain on one's own. It was because of his decision that I was then donned with this eye… or who knows…? Perhaps the king meant for me to have it all along?"
Grimmjow was not interested in her idle ramblings, more concerned with what she had told him about Ulquiorra's gift. It certainly explained a few things, that was for sure.
"Grimmjow," she started, "I know that you, too, were once known as a king among your peers. The two of you followed different paths, but you are no less a leader than he. What matters is the decisions you make and how you lead…" In the following pause, her eyes grew sad and distant, a faint blue light shining from the devilish eye.
"I want you to remember one thing before I go… You are not the only one. Whatever you do in life, however you decide to live, there are others out there who are following their own ideals, and no matter how much you may think you are better or stronger or more worthy, you are not the only one out there that matters."
As usual, another moment of silence followed Triste's words, her eyes still watching him sorrowfully, despite the infuriated reaction he gave:
"What a load of crap! What the hell are you even saying?! That I should let others win because they have a better reason?! What bullshit!"
Though she wanted to smile because of his everlasting energy and rebellious nature, she could not help but think of what she'd seen, of the ordeals he would some day meet in the face of the 'strawberry' and his 'fire.'
"Despite what you may think, there are some causes more worthy than your own ambition… It may not seem like much now, but one day you'll understand… Goodbye, Grimmjow. And good luck…"
Without another word exchanged, Triste resumed her exit of Las Noches, walking out into the desert with the wind in her hair and the sand shifting beneath her feet, leaving behind the world of Las Noches and Aizen with his precious Espada… she was finally free once again…
Still standing in the doorway, watching her go, Grimmjow looked just as displeased as ever with the words she'd spoken to him. He did not understand her ability to foretell the future, thus not knowing she had seen what was to happen to him. As such, he did what he could to forget her nonsensical words, turning back to the interior of Las Noches in order to begin training… if he ever ran into Triste again, he wanted to prove her wrong, to prove that he was the best, and he was all that mattered…
Nearly a mile from Las Noches, Triste walked determinedly, still intent on all the visions she'd seen in that place, both past and future. But things were different now that she had this new eye; just as she had explained to Gin, her right eye always showed her the cold, hard truth, but her left eye now showed her why: why they did what they did, their thoughts and reasons, their feelings…
In most cases, it made the truth a lot more bearable, the past and future now less painful to endure, leaving her to suffer only at the hands of the present.
She stopped as a sharp cry split the air, her heart soon beating to the rhythm of flapping wings. Slowly, her gaze began to wander until finding the creature, a strange bird that swooped down at her, perching itself elegantly on a nearby tree.
Triste's heart skipped a beat as it recognized this presence, this aura that filled her with exhilarating warmth… "Horus."
"Yes, Triste, it is I," he replied smoothly with a soft nod of the head. He was different now (obviously), no long taking on the form of a simple sword, but now bearing the strong body of a hawk – with a Hollow's mask, no less.
His wings and tail feathers were the same robin blue as Triste's hair, perhaps a bit darker, while the rest of his feathers matched the burgundy she once bore for skin. And like her released state, every single one of Horus's feathers were sharp and shiny, razorblades covering his body like scales. His mask was pure white, of course, a set of small spikes flaring out at the back like Triste's had done, with a sharp beak at the front.
However, there was another set of features that almost chilled her to the bone… and then made her love him even more: his eyes were just like hers.
One eye was a rich burgundy, surrounded by a black outline, while the other was wicked blue, with a crosshair for a pupil. The only difference was that they had been switched: it was left eye that bore the devilish cross, while the right was surrounded in black detail.
"Horus… what has happened to you? Where have you been?!"
"Forgive me for leaving you, Triste," he replied quietly, though his lips did not move – they were still bound by thought. "After you reverted back to this state, that is when I was able to take control and guise myself as a hawk, fleeing while everyone was blinded by the light. I have spent all this time perfecting my new body… I could hear you calling out to me, but I wasn't quite ready to come back. I'm sorry."
"It doesn't matter anymore… You're back and that all that matters!" she replied with a sad smile as she wrapped her hands around him gently, hugging him as best she could as she rubbed her cheek into his scaly feathers, completely unharmed. "Oh, Horus… I remember now… I remember everything. I remember you."
The hawk dipped his head slowly, "I see… then you must be aware that I am no mere sword."
"I am. When I was alive, living in my homeland, the village sacrificed me in your honor, to let me return to the gods in exchange for good crops."
"Yes. You were indeed a strong young girl, with powers beyond the mortal world, and though I was grateful to have you under my guidance, I was angered. I gave them bountiful crops, but set fire to them right before the harvest, so that they may understand what its like to live so happily and have it snatched out from underneath them – just as they did to you."
Triste did not know whether or not she was particularly glad to hear that. One part of her was saddened by their grief, while another was satisfied with vengeance. No, it doesn't matter… it has been centuries since then, and they are no longer alive. It's all in the past… all that matters is the now.
But Horus wasn't finished yet. "I tried to help your wandering soul, but there was little I could do. You had forgotten how you died, thus there was no way for you to join me in my kingdom. And so, I did what I could to protect you from the Hollows and Shinigami, until you could join me in my realm. That is why you had such little contact with those two forces.
"But as you wandered farther and farther, my powers grew weaker and I could not see you so well. It was then that your chain began to encroach. By the time you became a full Hollow, I knew I had lost you… For years, I had given up hope, thinking you lost forever… until you returned to the sands, and I felt your familiar aura return.
"I saw your misery, and your encounter with that boy and those Hollows… when you entered Hueco Mundo, where the moon rules and there is more sand than my country."
Triste had no idea how to respond to any of this. In all honesty, she wished he hadn't told her any of it, leaving her past so much simpler – it was complex enough as it was without knowing the god's hand in it all.
"In my kingdom, I am known for my eyes: the right one is the sun, while the left is the moon. And even though you were in a different world, a place where the moon, though constant, is only partially visible, I could still feel you here in Hueco Mundo.
"It was only until recently that I felt your presence more strongly, when I felt your mask shatter. With the aid of Anubis, God of the Netherworld, I was able to infiltrate this place and attach myself onto the sword right as you touched it…"
"So… you really are Horus, aren't you? That's not just the name of a zanpakutou?"
"I'm afraid not, Triste, though only a portion of my persona is present with you. What I represent as your zanpakutou is a mere fragment of my power, while the rest must remain in the mortal world, where I continue to look over my people of the desert."
"Hmph… the power of a god… I suppose it is this power that Aizen seeks."
"I believe you are right. It is a great temptation for any who seeks power, but there is no easy way to attain it – be grateful for that. If that man were to grow as powerful as I, I shudder to think what would become of any of our worlds," he replied darkly, actually shaking his feathers at the thought.
"I know what you mean… but… have you seen what I have? Have you seen the 'strawberries' and 'fires'?"
Horus did no answer immediately, transfixing his eyes on hers with suspense… A blinding flash of blue light flared from his devil's eye, and Triste knew that, somehow, he had just absorbed her memories and the visions she had seen.
"Hmm…" was his only response for a while, his eyes wandering aimlessly as he sorted through the visions. "I see. But do you think it was wise to share this information with Aizen?"
"I think so… Besides, it is a very old prophecy, and I did not speak of anything specific, merely warning them: after all, all three of the ex-Shinigami have a redhead to look out for… and all three will be burned by their fires."
And though she didn't admit it aloud to Horus, she also liked having the last word on Aizen. He had been so confident the entire time, always smiling, and she wanted to wipe that smile right off his face. Needless to say, it worked.
"And what of Ulquiorra? Or how about Grimmjow?"
"The same warning applies to them… they, too, will face the redheads. But both need to understand that they can't always have it their way… In time, they will understand my words. Even after the events I have seen come to pass, I know they will still struggle, but overall, I feel it will be for the better…"
Horus did not reply in anyway, considering her words and wondering what she could be thinking beyond their link. Perhaps she was already seeing more of the future? Though his eyes resembled hers, he could not see distant events, only what she allowed him.
"At the very least," he finally spoke up again, "we can keep an eye on Las Noches no matter how far we should wander."
"Yes, and we will know when everything has begun…" she replied faintly.
While in her fight against Grimmjow, when she released her zanpakutou and transformed, Aizen and the others had noticed a large eye implanted in the sand, the same design that covered Triste's left eye. It was this mark, though now erased from the sands, that would allow Triste to peer into Las Noches on a whim, anywhere and everywhere, at least for awhile.
After another moment of silence, Horus finally got things moving once again: "Come, Triste. Let us leave this place…"
She nodded slowly in response, still lost in her thoughts. "Yes… but let's not wander too far. There is something I'd like to do first, and I will need your help."
