As usual, Kari and Ashido were at the window in their room, looking out over the barren landscape of Hueco Mundo. It had been a day like many others there: Kari and Ashido trained together, and afterwards Kari would spend time alone in Jinzen, communicating with Slayer. Lately it was getting to be an enormous strain, as Slayer was very reluctant to share any information.
After Kari had finished her time in Jinzen, she and Ashido might chat for a little while. Ashido had opened up some in his time at Hueco Mundo, but he was still a serious man. Occasionally, Mai and Leo- but almost never Anton- would join in on the conversation. Anton was seldom seen around the fortress; he was more like a frequent visitor than someone who lived there. Kari didn't mind, though. Anton was a cynical and sarcastic man. And many days passed in that manner.
Kari's mind went back to earlier in the day. The Hollow are getting restless... I need to do something about them... There had been a massive fight amongst the Hollow; it had started out between two, but more and more poured in as it went on. Kari remembered how Ashido had approved the Hollow coming in to Las Noches, on the grounds that she kept them in line. For a long time she did so, using Spatial Displacement and teleporting to the scenes herself. But the fights became increasingly more common, and Kari couldn't be everywhere at once, so... she used her skill with the spell Spatial Displacement to teleport live destructive spells to the fight's area instead. This was a watershed moment for her time in Las Noches. After she had begun doing so, the Hollows held her in very high regard- and fear, and even more Hollows crowded in and around Las Noches. In this manner many weeks had passed; but today's melee she stopped with only her presence and a stern glare.
But what was most disturbing of all, was that Kari noticed there was a specific kind of howl or noise the Hollows would sometimes make in her presence. She thought of it as the sonic equivalent of Slayer's scent. The noise itself wasn't what bothered her though: it was the fact that, like Slayer's odor, the noise didn't bother her. There were even a few instances where it sounded organized, almost. And so, several months of nights filled with the Hollow's cry passed on.
Kari looked at Ashido's hand, and took it in hers. It's been over a year since Mai brought Leo and Anton here... Mai, Kari and Leo had become something like friends, even though they knew that technically they were on the wrong sides for that to be happening. Ashido was not so welcoming towards the Vasto Lordes, but he didn't outright refuse to talk to them. Sometimes he refused to talk to her, though. He must be thinking of his friends that died in the Forest of Menos... and we're both shinigami, too. We're not supposed to be living with the enemy like this, right? That particular elephant was a frequent visitor to the room, and it could make living with Ashido tense. Kari tried to ease the tension however she could, but she had to admit her jokes were even worse than Mai's, and Ashido had only laughed at one once.
Edging a little closer, Kari squeezed Ashido's hand. Even though we share a room... why, though? Looking at the horizon, Kari saw a large bird-like Hollow flying by. For a brief moment, she saw it as a bird soaring over the mountains of Rukongai. "Ashido... it's time now, our time now."
"For what? There's still an hour to go until sunset, and we've walked all around Las Noches today. What's left to do?"
Heat crept up to Kari's face. I... I don't think he ever would... "Return to Soul Society; let them know their pillar of strength has arrived."
Ashido sighed. "It must have been more than a hundred years ago now... but a shinigami once told me that in spite of all my fighting in the Forest of Menos the number of Hollows appearing in Soul Society and the living world hadn't changed."
"When did any shinigami come to the Forest of Menos?"
"It was the Substitute Shinigami's group, they passed through there on the way to here. One of his friends told me." A vague sort of smile was on his face.
"I'd forgotten they'd come here. Mostly people just remember the Winter War's Final Battle." Kari squeezed Ashido's hand again. "But Soul Society. I want to go back now, it feels right this time."
"It's been on my mind lately, too." Ashido said, nodding. "One more sunset. I think I'll be fully ready then." The sunsets in Hueco Mundo had been a little jarring for Kari at first, her being used to the more majestic sunsets in the Rukongai mountains in Soul Society. In Hueco Mundo, the sunset cast the desert in long and thin shadows from the quartz "trees", and sharply silhouetting the few boulders and trees. Kari thought of it as looking blank, but Ashido said he found a subtle art in it, and enjoyed it.
Kari awoke, slightly embarrassed. Ashido was already standing by the window, as if he hadn't moved since last night. Kari sat up in bed, and said, "I'll be ready to go in a few minutes, I just need to get dressed all the way." She slipped out of bed and picked up her shinigami uniform from the nearby chair, hurriedly putting on the top and pants. She was knotting her belt and turning towards Ashido when she sensed she was forgetting something. Oh! Mother's scarf... It was still on the chair, where it would've been under her uniform. Kari tied it on, and grabbed Slayer from under her pillow, hanging it over her shoulder. "Ready, now."
Kari then took a few deep breaths to calm herself and focus, and then used Spatial Displacement to take her and Ashido to the desert in front of Hueco Mundo. One more forbidden spell to go... "Ashido, you might want to stand behind me for a minute..."
"Hmm? Leaving a parting gift for our friends?"
"Something of the sort. I'm a shinigami, and I'm not going to miss a chance to destroy a castle packed with Hollows and three Vasto Lordes." Kari drew Slayer, and cut her thumb. She drew a circle in the air with her blood, as she recited, "Ye lords! Mask of sanity and grace, crippled healing hands, crying blood, sweat and tears. Show your scars, riding forth in sacrifice." Kari had finished drawing the circle of blood in the air now, and it began to glow as she finished the incantation. "A strike from the heavens to reprieve, shouting your name, in earth, sky, and blood! Way of Destruction Number Ninety-four: Flying Lotus, Heavenly Fire Crash Down!"
An almighty flare of red tinged white-hot fire energy lanced towards Las Noches, fusing the sand beneath it to glass as it passed. It connected with the fortress in a breathtaking(literally) explosion of golden-white heat and light, bringing Las Noches crumbling to its knees. But Kari didn't have time to see the annihilation the forbidden spell had caused.
"Let's hurry! I'm not sure if that completely destroyed Las Noches or not, and I don't think Anton and the others would be too happy about it." Recalling the same emotions as when she had fled to Hueco Mundo a very long year and four months ago, Kari took Slayer and slashed at the air, the Garganta opening in front of them. And once more, Kari and Ashido ran through the Garganta without looking back.