What is going on?
Who is this man?
What does he want?
Why is he so powerful?
WHAT is he?!
All Candice Catnipp could do after she heard the young man's full introduction was stare in disbelief.
"Hey hey... What is holding you up? You seemed to be full of energy and aggression just a couple seconds ago" Atticus looked at her in confusion. "Don't tell me that feeble demonstration of power scared you. That would be a real bummer"
"As I asked before..." Candice regained her speech, somehow recovering her senses to formulate the question once again. "...WHAT are you?"
"What? Is this about my race? Well I'm not sure, but I believe I would be-"
"I don't mean that, idiot!" She spat angrily. "I mean... You're not a Shinigami... Certainly not a Hollow... And while you seem human, you are clearly not a normal one either! Like..."
"Oh, that... Well, I guess you could say I'm human, yeah..." Atticus shrugged as he played with his messy white hair. "As for what makes me special, I'm not really sure..."
"Don't play dumb! There's surely something more to you! For instance... How could you replicate my Thunderbolt?!" She inquired, in an imperative tone.
"Oh, simple. That's because of my skill: Archétype" He pronounced French perfectly.
"See? That's not something remotely normal! And what was that again? Arch- Argche...?"
"Archétype... It's in French, although the word Archetype also exists in your language, so don't worry"
"Is that like... Our Epithets?" Candice wondered. "Hey, are you by any chance... A Quincy?"
"Quincy...? What is that?" Atticus asked back, dumbfounded.
"Oh for fuck's sake, stop it! You are not funny, okay? So enough with the teases and jokes!" Candice wanted to hit him again.
"S-Sorry but... You see, I'm not joking. I have no idea what a Quincy is" His face and tone indicated he was being honest. "I do know quinces though, they are my favourite fruit!"
"Wait... Then, are you serious?"
"Completely. I have no idea what you're saying. In fact, you mentioned Shinigami before... I imagine that's like, a God of Death... But I have no clue what you actually referred to by that. Same goes for Hollows" He admitted.
"Then... What are you doing here?" The green haired Sternritter was more and more confused.
"It's funny that you ask... Cause I don't know! I just fell into this place a couple days ago, and when I did, a group of soldiers in uniform surrounded me with dark intentions, so I took care of 'em with my skill, using this strange energy in the best way I could, and imitating them as well..."
"Strange energy? You mean... Reishi?"
"I don't know what it's called, but this dimension seems to be made out of it!" He confirmed her thoughts.
"But then... What kind of skill allows you to control an energy you don't remotely know? How did you get that?!"
"I was born with it. It is a part of me, and it is incomplete. I must find... Something. If I do, then my skill will be perfected and I'll be able to use it to its full extent"
"And what does that mean? What can you do with that? Copy other's abilities?" Candi assumed.
"Yes and no" Atticus retorted. "Archétype, is a skill that creates skills, or modifies them to reach a potential beyond what they normally could. However, since it's in this state, all I can do is use your already existent power and give it the key to evolve... Though I have no idea where it can get"
"So... In short... You can make me... Stronger...?" Candice seemed really interested in that.
"Pretty much, yeah..." Atticus shrugged, not giving it much importance.
"Then do it! C'mon, I'll bake you another Pie! But please, make me stronger! I'm tired of Bam-bitch always ordering me around as if she were my boss! She might be just a little more powerful than I... But that doesn't give her the right to treat us like we're her subordinates or some shit like that, does it?!"
"Well, to be honest I already made you stronger" Atticus revealed. "Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to use your Thunderbolt, as you called it..."
"Eh...?" She blinked a couple times.
"What you just heard. From the moment you attacked me, I used my skill to become immune to it by making the Thunderbolt my own, but that also means, that your power has been given the chance to evolve... Somehow..." He vaguely replied.
"Somehow?"
"Yeah. I have no idea in what way... But that's a price I have to pay when I make someone's unique skills mine I guess..." Atticus scratched the back of his head. "Unless... You really want..."
Candice widened her eyes at those words.
"...Nah, it's too much. Forget about it" He dismissed quickly, going for another slice of pie.
"Oi, wait! What were you gonna say? Don't leave me hanging like that!" She protested.
"Just something I remembered about my skill... But, it's too silly, not to say impossible, with someone I just met"
"Why? Is it a matter of trust or something of sorts?" She insisted.
"More or less, yeah. Of trust and... How to put it...?" He tried to find the right word.
"Commitment? Respect? Sacrifice...?" She tried to help.
"Hm... Not exactly one of those... But, don't worry. You're quite powerful as you currently are, don't you think?"
"Tsk... I am strong. I know that... But it's still not enough! I want to be stronger than every other Sternritter, so that then... I... I can finally ask..." Her eyes glistened as she remembered.
"Ask?"
"That's... Personal" She concluded, crossing her arms. "Anyways... What am I supposed to do with you?"
"What do you mean? You know you can't beat me" Atticus reminded her.
"I fucking know that, alrite?! Geez... You don't have to shove it all over my face"
"Um... Sorry...? I was just stating a fact, but maybe I screwed up, haha" Atticus laughed nervously. "I'm no good at telling what other people think or feel in general. Predicting an outcome is one thing but people are quite irrational, you know?"
"Well, at least for me, it's quite simple. Don't mess with me, and more importantly...
DON'T. MESS. WITH. MY. HAIR."
Her green eyes stared at him with a defiant look and an electric aura seemed to form around her (as if she was a SSJ level 2, or even 3) as she told him that golden rule.
"Oh, I'll try to remember that. And I kinda get you on the second part. In spite of how messy it looks, I love my long hair!" Atticus beamed.
"Hm... Now that you mention it, it does look nice, but you should try to spend more time combing it. Believe it or not, I'm the earliest bird out of all Femritters, all because of my hair"
"Maybe I could follow your advice if it wasn't for the fact that I haven't had a proper home since... Like, ever"
"What? Not even before coming here?"
"Nope, and for pretty obvious reasons... But, that's not something I should be telling you or anyone, ahahahaha"
"So that's how it's gonna be... Then I guess we're at a point of no return. Like, I can't let you go, but I can't beat you either" She admitted, frustrated.
"Well, I never said I wanted to leave" Atticus revealed.
"Eh?" Candice blinked quickly, not believing what she just heard. "You... Won't try to escape?"
"Why would I? You baked a delicious apple pie and are somewhat fun to talk to. I don't have a place to stay either, so maybe I could stay here"
"Oi. Oi oi oi...! Who said you could stay? Or that I enjoyed your company? We're not friends, or anything remotely close to that! What makes you think we're not enemies even?!" Candi spouted angrily. "As much as you might have introduced yourself, I have no reason to believe you, much less trust you!"
"Well, no, but... Do you trust anyone really?" Atticus inquired, shrugging.
"Huh?"
"I've been here for a while, and you see, I consider myself to be a fairly good observer" He started. "And as far as I can tell... I think you Quincy aren't really close to each other. You all work together, but in the end, there isn't a real sense of unity between you"
"What are you trying to...?"
"Don't get me wrong. I don't know much about that either. I was born alone, and I'll die alone. That's an irrefutable truth... But, I am strong enough to bear that. I don't think most of you have the skill or power in order to be so arrogant"
"Shut up! Don't act all high and mighty just cause you can take others' powers and make them yours through that weird process" She spat back.
"Just stating facts, no need to get angry, girl" Atticus sighed. "So anyways, let's make a deal then"
"A... Deal?" Candice seemed surprised to hear that.
"You need to take me somewhere, right? Like, to this Majesty and shit... Right?"
"Hey, don't take his Majesty's title so lightly!"
"Okay, okay. But...?"
"Um... Yeah, I do have to take you. Those were the orders we were given" She agreed.
"So, how about this? I'll let you take me under the promise that you'll let me stay here, or that you'll get me a somewhat permanent place to stay somehow"
"Is he actually proposing this? Is there really no trick?" She thought. "Eh... I... I'm not sure I can trust you on that. How do I know you won't escape?"
"Ahahahahaha!" Atticus shook his head. "Look, girl... If I wanted to do such thing, I would've already accomplished it"
"But then... Why would you willingly visit his Majesty, after all the trouble you've gone through after coming here?"
"I had a change of heart. You see, I think when I first started running away, it was because I was shown hostility on your comrades' part, so the natural response was fighting back. After that, I kinda liked this whole feeling of being a rogue-fugitive thing" He chuckled as he remembered. "But, like I said, I also have an objective here. So, after going round and round in these vicious circles, I've decided that maybe collaborating with this leader of yours might be the best course of action to achieve my goal"
"I see... Then, come with me. There's no time to waste. Otherwise the others might swing by and join in"
"And you want all the credit to yourself. I get it, hahaha"
"Yeah. So let's get moving and get this over with" Candice concluded. "I hate to admit it, but there isn't much of a choice. Besides... He doesn't seem to be lying, and it's sad but true. If he really wanted to run away, he could've easily done so"
The two went deeper into Silbern, as the order was to bring the intruder, now known as Atticus, to Yhwach himself if he was to be caught.
"M-Miss Catnipp!" A soldier stopped her.
"Ungh... What now?" Candice sighed with bother.
"We're deeply sorry to bother you, but under these circumstances we were ordered to make sure that anyone, even the Sternritters, had a motive to see his Majesty"
"Oh, so that's what this is about..." She relaxed a bit, only to yell loudly afterwards. "Well I think the motive behind my visit is pretty obvious, don't cha think?!"
Only then did the two soldiers notice the figure standing besides her, tied with a chain to a spiked collar which Candice held in her hand, as if he was a dog.
"I-Is that...?!" The other one connected the dots.
"Exactly! I caught and brought the intruder to his Majesty, just like he ordered, so now if you'll excuse me!"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" The soldier made a salute and allowed her in.
"Hmph!" She made a sound of discontent as she pulled the chain and Atticus, looking down as his hair covered the upper side of his face, followed.
After they left through the corridor, the two soldiers couldn't help but comment the situation.
"Oh man, she seemed pissed... But, we were just doing our job!" One protested.
"Don't let it get to you. She's always like that" The other one retorted. "One would think a hottie like her would be all soft, or at least well-mannered, but that's not the case"
"Word. I think I like Miss Basterbine more... I heard she sometimes asks handsome soldiers to go to her room and... You know..."
"Yeah, I've heard that rumor too... But there's something odd about it"
"Yeah? What is that?"
"Everyone has heard of that invitation occurring, but... Have you heard a single soldier telling you about his 'encounter' with her"
"Well, no... I guess not" The soldier replied thoughtful. "But maybe they agree not to share any details or something"
"Maybe... But I don't know. There would be at least one guy who ran his mouth... Yet there are none"
"Yes, it's strange indeed... But anyways, did you have a close look at the intruder?"
"As close as I could, though all I could see was that white mess of hair, hahaha"
"I wonder what kind of being he was..."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure... But for starters, he was definitely not a Quincy, yet he was still human..."
"...And not human at the same time" The other one agreed.
"Yes, that! You felt it too?"
"I wouldn't say felt. I think deduce is a more appropriate term"
"Whatever he is, he must definitely be a freak"
"Why do you say that? Did you feel his Reiatsu?"
"No" The soldier shook his head. "I just saw his deranged smile as he was pulled by that chain"
Upon their arrival at a great door, the one to greet them was none other than the Grandmaster.
"Candice Catnipp... Would you mind telling me what brings you here?"
"What do you think? I've got something for his Majesty, duh" She impolitely replied.
"I would appreciate if you didn't act in such a rude manner in front of him" Haschwalt retorted.
"Don't worry, I would never be like this in his presence. I might be a bit rude sometimes, but my respect for his Majesty is above that"
"Good. If that's the case, I'll let you in"
"Thank you" She finally said as the massive two doors were opened.
As they entered, Jugram accompanied them, his eyes following every movement Atticus made.
Candice kneeled before the father of all Quincies, pulling Atticus' chain down to force him to do the same.
"Candice Catnipp... My daughter, is this man who I think it is?"
"That's right, your Majesty. He's the intruder you've been looking for. I captured him and brought him as you ordered" She proudly smirked as she said so, even though it wasn't completely true.
"Magnificent. I'll make sure to reward your good work" Yhwach simply said. "Now, more importantly, why don't you introduce yourself to us, intruder?"
Atticus grinned as the moment to shine made its apparition.
"I prefer the term Rogue, although Meddler would also fit pretty well I believe" He remarked. "But for the sake of politeness I will comply with your request. My name is Atticus Arctopus, and I am an abnormal human with special capabilities"
"Hm... I see... Like what, for example?"
"Like surpassing any limit that exists in your subordinates' abilities at the moment" He replied slyly.
Jugram stood in silence, but his defiant look was enough to tell that he didn't trust such a claim.
"That sounds useful... Can you show me?" Yhwach seemed open to that possiblity.
"I guess it would be hard in my case... But she can" Atticus pointed at Candi.
"What? Me?" She didn't seem to expect that.
"Yeah. I told you that I used my skill on you back then, so your past limit's been surpassed"
"I remember that but... How am I supposed to use a power I don't know?" She inquired.
Atticus grinned maliciously at that claim, quickly creating a barrage of Reishi arrows that flew towards Yhwach.
"Your Majesty!" Haschwalt exclaimed as he protected Yhwach with his Freund Schield, drawing his sword to attack Atticus.
"Now, Candice!" Atticus exclaimed, breaking the chain that was tying him.
"Eh...?" The Femritter widened her eyes, realizing what had just happened.
"So you conspired against his Majesty" Jugram concluded, attacking her.
It was a setup.
"W-Wait! This is a mistake! I never-"
A slash of Haschwalt's broadsword cut a strand of her hair, making a mess of it.
"My... Hair..." She muttered, as if the world had stopped.
Sudden flashes went through her mind, reviving a trauma that she had tried her whole life to bury.
"Time for the show..." Atticus said to himself with a smirk.
"Rraagghhhh!!!" She screamed loudly as an electric explosion of Reiatsu engulfed her.
Afterwards, green surges of electricity revolved around, with the same rage of the girl who controlled them
"Hm? What's with that color?" Jugram wondered, having seen her powers and the light blue color of her lightning attacks previously.
"So this is what Archétype manifested in its first stage..." Atticus said to the air, knowing he was going to be heard by the other Quincies. "That explains my Thunderbolt then..."
"What do you mean?" Haschwalt asked, trying to comprehend.
"It seems that these Epithets you give aren't really theirs, are they, you Majesty?" Atticus inquired, getting serious for the first time.
"Huh? How did he realize that?" Jugram wondered, before receiving a kick at the speed of lightning. "Ungh...!"
"Who the FUCK do you think you are?!" Candice yelled as she punched the Grandmaster repeatedly.
"I didn't see her...!" Haschwalt thought impressed as he fought back, trying to stop Candi's berzerk assault.
As the two Sternritters kept fighting, Yhwach rose from his chair for the first time and looked at Atticus in the eye.
"You are right, Arctopus. The power my children have, is something I gave to them..." He admitted. "And something I can take back whenever I want"
"Just like I thought..." Atticus sighed. "So I guess you can tell what my ability allowed, right?"
"I believe I can, and I'm not sure I'm too fond of it... But I am certainly interested" The father of all Quincy replied. "However, I would appreciate if you could stop my daughter from killing my son?"
"Oh, that! Gimme a second" Atticus used the Thunderbolt to move at the same speed as her and, pinning her against a wall, he discharged an equal amount of electricity that nullified hers.
After a couple green and purple flashes, the Femritter fell, exhausted.
"It looks like it's still too much for you to handle at once" Atticus whispered as he caught her.
After leaving her sleeping against the wall, he went to Yhwach to discuss more.
"So... What do you think, Blondie?" He asked Jugram. "She was quite powerful, wasn't her?"
Haschwalt frowned at that disrespectful way in which he was being referred to, but kept his cool.
"I don't understand why... But yes, that is correct" Haschwalt agreed. "That was way beyond the Thunderbolt we knew so far, both in looks and power"
"That is because the Epithet she was given was still merely a representation of Majesty's power" He started explaining. "Now that she came in contact with my Archétype, the Thunderbolt is now linked to her very soul as a skill of her own"
"But then... Does that mean that she is no longer bound to his Majesty?" Jugram inquired.
"Not really. The original Thunderbolt is still there, and still belongs to him... But Miss Catnipp's Thunderbolt is 'Herz' alone... Get it? Ahahahahah!"
The two ignored the awful joke as best as they could.
"In spite of that terrible pun, yes, I understand" Jugram retorted.
"Why do you have her Thunderbolt though?" Yhwach wondered now.
"Simple. You see, Majesty... Our powers aren't so different in essence" Atticus explained. "It follows the principle of Gianizm: 'What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine'. I give that additional potential to others' unique skills, and in exchange I also get the same ability with the same base power, however, they are not connected"
"So her power's growth will be unrelated to yours" Jugram concluded.
"Exactly, and I can't take them away from her either. They are... A gift, for putting it in a way"
"I understand... So in the end, this would only be beneficial for my forces I believe" Yhwach seemed to get an idea. "But before I'm in the need to know, what brought you here in the first place?"
"Destiny... God... Call it what you will. I'd rather say it was just a result of causality, but it's the same. I have no idea how I got here... But, I do have an objective... More or less"
"Interesting" Yhwach became curious. "Then... Is there anything you desire? Anything we could help you with?"
"Well... Nothing much, to be honest. All I need is a place to stay, good food, nice company..." He looked towards Candi. "And knowledge. Lots of knowledge about this Universe as a whole. I want to know everything about this energy... These powers... This realm... Everything"
"Your wish is quite the challenge, for you at least... But I can provide all the things you requested, as long as you help me in exchange of course"
"I wouldn't think otherwise, haha"
"You see, there's been some changes in the other realms that have me really worried"
"How come?"
"We have been planning an invasion. A thousand years have passed since our last clash with our nemesis... The Soul Society"
"I see..."
Yhwach explained the dynamic of the different realms, the different races, and presented the current dilemma he had due to the unification of Hueco Mundo and the alliance that was established with the Seireitei.
By the end of the conversation, Atticus made his decision:
"Very well then, I shall give your Sternritters the power to go beyond their current level, as you desire"
"Excellent" Yhwach smiled a bit. "There is one exception, however"
"Hm?" The abnormal tilted his head in confusion.
"His name is Gremmy. Gremmy Thoumeaux" Yhwach revealed. "He holds the epithet V: 'The Visionary'. This allows him to turn his own imagination into reality"
"Oh... So it would be really dangerous if such a skill was somehow powered even further"He understood.
"Precisely. But that's the only special case. You shall do as you promised with the others"
"Great. It's settled then"
"If you prove to be as resourceful as you claim, I will also bestow a rank upon you, so that you can pursue this objective of yours with more freedom"
"Thanks, Majesty" He nodded. "Then... Where will I be staying?"
"We could give him a house like that of the lower ranked soldiers" Jugram proposed.
"I thought of that, but I want him to be on closer inspection, for obvious reasons" Yhwach retorted.
"If that's what bothers you, don't worry. I think I get along pretty well with Candice over there. She already knows me, cooks well and the couch she had seemed pretty comfy, so I'd gladly stay there"
"I see. It also makes sense to me to give her this task, since she was the one who brought you here in the first place" Yhwach agreed.
"Are you sure you want to-" Jugram seemed surprised, and even worried to tell the truth.
"I appreciate your concern, Blondie, but leave it to me. I can handle savage girls like her pretty well ahahah... Once on her soft side, she'll be treating me all the time, mark my words"
Haschwalt cringed a bit at that way he was being called again, but decided to ignore it once more.
"That concludes this encounter then... I'll be looking forward to the results" Yhwach left clear. "And, I hope it's not necessary to point this out, but know that I won't tolerate any form of dishonesty"
"I know, I know... No betrayal and stuff" He shrugged. "I hate that thing too so I get ya"
"Perfect. I don't have to make myself any more clear then. Haschwalt, make them company and explain the situation to Candice when she wakes up"
"Understood, your Majesty" Jugram made a reverence.
"See you some other time, Majesty" Atticus waved a goodbye.
Back in Catnipp's house, the two waited for her to wake up, so Jugram took that chance to continue explaining Atticus the basics of the Sternritter, Silbern, the Quincy "race" and other aspects of that realm that he found necessary to explain as soon as possible.
"Ungh..." The girl groaned as she slowly woke up.
The two men shifted their look towards her as they heard her groan.
"Phew... Looks like it was all just a dream *yawn*" She let a big yawn out with teary eyes as result of sleep.
"Well, it looks like you had a good rest. Would you like a slice of pie?" Atticus offered her.
"Eh..!? No... Nonononono!!!" She denied reality in the moment he appeared.
"Yes yes yes yes" He replied as he giggled. "It was all real, buster. Now we've got to fill you in on a couple things that happened while you were out"
"Wait! That means...!" She didn't care about anything else as she jumped from the couch and ran to the closest mirror. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
The scream was so loud that probably the other Femritters were also alerted, since their houses were all together.
"Damn... Looks like it really is a big deal for her" Arctopus sighed. "Are you gonna be okay, Blondie?"
"I'd really appreciate if you stopped calling me that, and yes, I can handle Miss Catnipp, if that's what you're worried about" He answered coldly. "Also... You're supposed to say 'His Majesty', not just Majesty"
"Hahaha, I know, I know, but I have personal reasons to call him that way. Besides, he didn't complain"
"Maybe, but-" He was soon interrupted.
"Haschwalt!!! What the fuck is wrong with you?! Look at what you did to my hair! Do you have ANY idea how long it took me to find that perfect hairstyle?!"
"No, and I don't care. I'm more surprised that you managed to dodge in such a way that only your hair was slashed, but don't blame me, I was only trying to protect his Majesty" He said as he sipped some tea.
"And you! What's wrong with you too?! Pretending that we were both attacking his Majesty and shit! It's your fault that this asshole ruined my hair!!!"
"Sorry, Candice, I just thought that putting you at risk would force you to awaken your new powers, and in the end I was right! But I guess your hair was messed up in the process so, sorry about that" Atticus smiled as he scratched the back of his head nervously.
"I want you two OUT! NOW!" She yelled.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible" Haschwalt slightly shook his head. "Not before I inform you of the changes that have occurred"
"Changes?" She inquired.
"As of now, Atticus Arctopus is an ally of his Majesty and has been put under your care. You will share your roof and food with him and make sure to keep an eye on him at all times. In a way, you're both a guardian and a supervisor" He explained.
"What?! Why me?!" She complained.
"Because you were the one to bring him to his Majesty, so now you must assume full responsibility" Jugram gave a reasonable argument.
"Fuck... Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!" She punched the wall angrily, making a hole that connected her house with Meninas's. "I know we had a deal before... But I can't overlook the fact that he betrayed me by putting me in danger and even worse, ruining my beloved hair in spite of telling him beforehand! I can't bear to be with him at this moment!" She thought.
"Hey... Is something the matter, Candi?" She asked shyly through the hole.
"Urgh, don't even ask...! I'm not in the friggin' mood to start explaining this mess right now!"
"O-Ok..." She simply obeyed.
"Hey, come on, don't be like that. I'm sure we'll get along after some time" Atticus tried to calm her.
"Anyways... That is now your problem to solve. I must return to his Majesty's palace. I expect you to start working on the deal from tomorrow on, Arctopus"
"Understood, Blond- I mean, Grandmaster Hashwalt" He corrected himself.
"I look forward to see how our forces gain strength. Until next time..." He left the house.
Candice was in a state of both shock and outrage. Between the deal with the hair and her new roommate, things just couldn't get worse.
"Hey... Are you alright?" Atticus wondered, still in disbelief at how affected she was.
"What do you think?" She asked back with a death glare.
"Hey, I told you I'm sorry about your hair, ok? But I guess it might not be enough... So, I'll teach you how to use your new powers fully in exchange"
"Do you even know how to do that?"
"I am the Fragment of Archétype, I am meant to understand the nature and growth of every skill I come across"
She frowned full of anger but then breathed in and out, forcing a sense of calm in herself.
"*sigh* Guess I don't have much of a choice... But don't get the wrong idea, I'll never forgive you for this!" She spat.
"Fine by me. All I want is that we get along well enough so that this isn't a Hellish experience. I never really expected us to be friends or anything"
"Good, cause I never intended to be your friend either"
"All settled then" He smiled. "I would call this a day then... Tomorrow I'll get to work, so you're gonna have to come with me, okay?"
"What's this work you speak of? Does it have to do with your ability?" She concluded from Haschwalt's words.
"Yeah. I will allow practically every Sternritter to reach a new level with their unique skill, or Epithet, or whatever you wish to call it"
"I see... That's why his Majesty left you alive. Very well, it's not like I have much of a choice, so let's just do it..."
"Great. I'm looking forward to work with you!" He told her.
"I'm not! But I'll do it anyways..." She groaned.
"Looks like I'll never get bored with her around, hahahahahah" He thought with a smile as he closed his eyes and got comfortable in the sofa to sleep.
~~~~X~~~~
Hueco Mundo, 3 years later...
Two small figures were fighting in the desert.
"I'm stronger!" One punched the other in the stomach.
"No, I'M stronger!" The other one returned the punch in the face.
The two continued like that while a girl just watched from a couple meters away, shaking her head.
"*sigh* What a bunch of idiots..."
She waited until the two were exhausted, panting as they laid on the sand, all bruised and wounded.
"Hear me out, Aster... You... Lose... You were the first... To fall..." One of the Arrancar kids said.
He had dark skin, red-brownish spiky hair and brown eyes. He was the tallest of the three.
"Oh... Shut up... Axel... I stopped cause... You could barely... Stand..."
He had fair skin, practically the same hair as Axel and differently coloured eyes. The right one was ice blue and the left one was amber. He followed in height.
"You two really are stupid" The girl said. "You have these fights every week and the result is always the same. What's the point?"
She had the same skin tone as Aster, and the same hair color as the two, but it was long and flowing. Her eyes were lilac.
"You wouldn't... Get it... Yui..." Aster retorted.
"Yeah... Girls would never... Understand..." Axel agreed.
"Understand that males are a bunch of monkeys? Excusing the monkeys, of course" She replied.
"Idiot... Dad is a... Male... Too..." Axel panted back.
"No, you're the idiot. Papa is a man, not just a male like you two" She made her point.
"Then when are... We gonna become... Men...?" Aster inquired.
"The day you stop behaving like stupid beasts, then I will recognize you as men" Yui said. "Now, let's go home. Papa must be about to arrive, and then we have dinner!"
"Oh... You're right" Axel slowly stood up.
"Time sure flies when you fight, eh?" Aster said as he extended his hand, his brother helping him to get up.
"And now you're buddies again... It makes no sense!" Yui protested.
"It's men's stuff, Yui" Axel retorted.
"Yeah. We don't need her to know we're men, right?" Aster cheerfully said as he put his hand on his brother's shoulder.
The three got back home. It was a big white house surrounded by a beautiful Japanese garden, reminiscing of something you'd see in the Soul Society.
"We're home!" Aster exclaimed as they entered.
"Oh, welcome back, kids, you had fun?" None other than Sung-Sun asked from the kitchen. She was wearing an apron and had a spoon in her hand. "I was doing some Curry"
"Curry? Sounds delicious, Sung-okaasan" Axel greeted as he sniffed the ambient and started drooling.
"Mama, Aster and Axel were fighting!" Yui told her brothers off.
"Dammit, Yui!" Aster complained.
"Yeah, who told you to speak?" Axel growled.
"*sigh* Not again..." Sung-Sun shook her head. "You're just like your mothers..."
"Don't worry, Sung-okaasan, we're Arrancar. Our bodies should regenerate in no time!" Aster replied.
"Maybe, but you're still too young. Those abilities should take time to develop, you don't even have Zanpakutou... And what kind of mother would I be if I left you all bruised and bloody?" Sung-Sun said as she got hold of some bandages. "Help me a bit, Yui"
"Alright!" Her daughter agreed.
The two females had just finished putting on the bandages when the door was opened again.
"We're home" The voice of an adult man was heard.
"Papaaaaa!" Yui exclaimed, running to her father's arms.
"Dad!" The other two also smiled upon his arrival.
"Oi... Did you two forget about your mothers?" Apacci protested as she saw how her and Mila Rose's presence meant nothing in contrast to their husband's.
"Yeah, we didn't raise a bunch of ungrateful brats!" Mila Rose agreed.
"Emilou... Franceska..." Ashido said.
"Yes, love?" As if it was a magic spell, the two women calmed down immediately.
"You know how much they love you, so don't doubt them. It's just that they don't see me around as much, right, kids?"
"Yes, it's that!" Aster agreed.
"Yeah" Axel nodded.
"Haiiii" Yui also said.
"Okay... It's understandable" Apacci smiled.
"Yeah, I guess he's right" Mila Rose was the same.
"I see you did a great job with the house today, Cyan" He told his third wife, planting a kiss on her lips as he came in.
"Y-You really think so, dear...?" She asked as she blushed a lot.
"Well, like always" He complimented. "And that smells delicious! I can't wait to have a taste"
"Well, you three go change and we'll have dinner, okay? Oh and, Apacci, Mila-Rose, they were fighting again" Sung-Sun noted.
"Oh... And who won?" Mila Rose asked, clearly missing the point.
"You beat his ass, right, Aster?" Apacci inquired, falling in the same problem.
"Well, it was kind of a draw, but only because I saw he couldn't keep going" The kid replied.
"Ha! Such a comedian... You would've passed out if it wasn't for the fact that I stopped" Axel refuted.
"Well, one of them is lying and it surely isn't my boy!" Apacci said as she put her hand on her son's head.
"Tch... Don't make me laugh! Axel is clearly the strongest of the three, I take his word for it!" Mila Rose hugged her son tightly.
"Oh, God... Who won or under what circumstances is not important!" Sung-Sun stopped the quarrel. "If you wanna get strong so much why don't you ask Rudbornn for a couple clones to train?"
"It's not the same... If we don't fight against the other how are we gonna know who deserves to be an Espada?" Axel asked.
"Yeah, exactly! This is something we gotta do ourselves!" Aster agreed.
"Very well then. Next time they fight call me, Yui, and I'll teach them a lesson" Sung-Sun decided, pissed.
"Yes, mama!" The little girl nodded with determination.
"Oi, you can't just do that!" Apacci got angry.
"Yeah, you're not their real mother! Only Yui's" Mila Rose spouted as well.
"Well, then control your kids or teach them how to spar without getting all messed up so that they don't have this problem every week!" Sung-Sun concluded.
"Tsk... Fine..." Apacci had no choice but to accept. "Aster, please try to contain yourself a little next time, okay?"
"Same goes to you, Axel. You two can spar but don't let it get to serious injuries"
"Alrite..." The two kids nodded.
Such was the current dynamic of the Kanou family, composed of the 7th Espada, Ashido and his wives, the Tres Bestias.
They all still had work as members of Ichigo's Arrancar Army, so one of the mothers had to stay home every day, and they rotated in turns.
So far, their kids were the first naturally born Arrancar in this era, and the first to actually grow up.
Apparently, Arrancar developed themselves way quicker than humans, so having only two years, they looked around 6 or 7.
The other couples hadn't had this little "accident", so no one else had kids yet.
Ulquiorra and Orihime had recently gotten engaged, and Grimmjow and Harribel simply lived together ever since the war ended.
Orihime was now the holder of the number 9 as an Espada (tattooed on the right side of her belly), while Cien Granz was given the number 8, just like the original Szayelaporro once had.
The others of course had their own homes and everyone had special duties.
Orihime and Roka were in charge of the Healing Division, where severe wounds were treated. Inoue Orihime also had Loly and Menoly as her Fracciones now.
Roka, as Cien's Fracción, obviously helped him with the Science and Investigation Department, which was created by Urahara at the image of Squad 12, and supervised by him under Ichigo's request as often as possible, due to Cien's lack of common sense and ethics.
Ashido was in charge of the Hunting Division, which mostly kept Hollows at bay in places like the Forest of Menos to prevent them from entering the Human World, and get meat, fur, leather and other animal products in the process. He had no Fracciones under his command.
Satya and Lilynette were in charge of the Explorer's Unit, that just like the name implied, was in charge of carrying out large explorations of terrain to later broaden the Hollow Society's knowledge of Hueco Mundo as a whole, each of them bringing a cartographer with them on their journeys. They didn't have Fracciones however.
Grimmjow now bestowed the title of General of the Arrancar Army, and was in charge of training Arrancar to ensure a powerful military force in case of any problem they faced in the future. He had also taken a Fracción under his command whose name was Asguiaro Ebern.
Harribel was in charge of external relationships, since she was smart, calm and level-headed, hence she was perfect to attend meetings to discuss certain topics with the Gotei from time to time. Her Fracciones were still the Tres Bestias, and two of them always accompanied her as bodyguards, although this hadn't been really necessary, thankfully.
Ulquiorra still held number 1 as an Espada, and was the personal counselor of both Ichigo and Nelliel. He was directly in charge of Rudbornn, as the leader of the Exequias, and also the remaining members of the faction once known as the Legion of the Serpent, recognized today as "Guardia de la Luna", which had the purpose of serving as an intelligence unit.
Finally, Nelliel and Ichigo, the rulers of Hueco Mundo, supervised all the other divisions with Ulquiorra's help and were constantly occupied with all the important decisions regarding the Hollow Society.
That night, Ichigo laid on the bed after a hard day of work.
"Phew... That was quite a day..." He muttered against the bed covers.
"Tell me about it..." Nel replied, entering the room. "But at least we have these moments for ourselves, right, Ichi?"
Ichigo turned around to see the face of his gorgeous Whole staring at him with a sweet smile and adoring eyes.
"Heh, of course we do, Nel" He replied, pulling her from the back of her head into a long kiss. "Ngh... I needed that"
"~Mnnhh~ Me too... I sometimes wish we could just go back to how things were when we were just... Us" She told him as she caressed his face. "Like, without all these obligations and responsibilities. Without the whole King and Queen thing..."
"Well, if I remember correctly, it was you who told me to take responsibility as the reincarnation of Gran Rey Cero back in Ruinas Huecas" He pointed out.
"Yes... I guess I did... And don't get me wrong, I'm happy with that decision. Just look around, everything is so lively, colorful, peaceful... I'm proud of what we've achieved along with the others... But sometimes... I guess I just want to forget about everything else and just relax in your arms"
"Yeah, I get you. I also feel like that quite often, especially since we have so many things to take care of... But just like you said" He took her in his arms with a strong embrace. "...We have these moments for ourselves"
"Oh, Ichi..." She gave him a wet French kiss that he returned immediately, quickly turning them on. "I love you... You know that, right?"
"As clear as water... Cause I love you too" He bit her lip and grabbed one of her ass cheeks.
"Oh... So that's what you want..." She blushed as she gave him a lewd smirk.
"What? Are you gonna tell me this isn't what you intended when you said that?"
"I guess you caught me... ~kuhuhu~"
Ichigo gulped upon hearing that malicious giggle.
"Sorry... Did I scare you with that again?" She asked, getting a bit sad.
"No, no... It just... Brings memories..." He remembered that dark chapter in their lives. "But, it's not a bad thing"
"Are you sure? You mean it?" She wanted to confirm that was true.
"Of course I am, and I do" He replied, kissing her cheek. "The only thing that laugh means nowadays... Is that I gotta brace myself for a night of rough love, am I rite?"
Nel bursted with laughter upon hearing that reply.
"Oh my God! Ahahahaha! You know me so well..." She gave him a quick peck. "It's almost as if you were my husband" She teased.
"And it's almost as if you were my wife" Ichigo retorted, entangling his hand with hers, so that their rings touched as they shared a long kiss that made their Whole Link react.
~~~~X~~~~
At the same time, in Karakura Town...
"Shine in the dark... Mangetsu!" A girl with black hair and Shinigami clothes said.
A girl who, due to odd circumstances, ended up becoming a new substitute Soul Reaper.
"Hya!" She exclaimed as a barrage of slashing light erased a Hollow that was roaming the streets.
"Interesting..." A man of mid-length black hair said as he witnessed the girl's powers. "To think that his little sister would have this much power... I guess this whole family is a nest of prodigies"
"Shall we do it... Ginjo?" A taller man with a book in his hands asked him.
"Hm... No, Tsukishima. Let's wait a while" He replied. "Unfortunately, she's not a Fullbringer like Ichigo, so I'd prefer if she strengthened her Shinigami abilities a tad more before acting"
"Yeah, it's true. We can't risk to make any mistake, can we?" Tsukishima sighed.
"Precisely. So for now... Let's keep earning the trust of Sado-kun, and carefully observing the growth of this girl..."
Kurosaki Karin returned her Zanpakutou to its sheath and went home quickly.
Her body was laying on her bed, inanimate.
Her soul went back inside it and she recovered her normal senses.
"Ha... It's still an odd feeling... But with Ichi-nii gone and Yuzu training with the Ishida family... Guess I'm the only one who needs to get stronger"
She remembered something that happened about a year ago.
Some day, a white haired man came to their house, introducing himself as one of the Captains of the Gotei 13.
"U-Ukitake-san..." Her father said surprised.
"Shiba Isshin... No, Kurosaki Isshin, right? It's been a long time..."
He entered the house and started an idle chat with her father.
They kept talking in the living room while having some tea, when suddenly the mood darkened.
"...These are odd times, Isshin" He said with a more serious tone and expression. "After the Demon Rebellion, and the disappearance of Kagerouza Inaba... We can't ensure your safety anymore, especially so cause you take care of Kujou-san"
"So, what did you come here for?" Isshin inquired.
"We know about Yuzu-san, and I believe she's in a good path, in spite of any animosity the Seireitei may have towards the Quincy race... For me it's just reassuring to know that she has the power and teachings to defend herself"
"Then..."
"Exactly. Karin-san is the only one lacking in this sense... So... I thought it was proper to give this to her" He showed a strange wooden badge. "It's the same one I gave him"
"I know... But, are you sure it's necessary? I mean... I want my daughters to be strong, but in this case, I'm here to ensure her safety, don't you think?"
"Maybe... But we're not sure that's enough, and to be completely honest... The Gotei is interested in finding someone else to fill this position, and as a descendant of the Shiba Clan, and sister to the hero your son became, both as Shinigami and Hollow... I don't think there is anyone more qualified"
"Does Ichigo know about this?"
"He said that he will allow it solely cause he wants his sister to be able to fight in case there is no one that can save her, but that we shall not interfere with her life as a normal human girl"
"I understand. Well... If that's the case, and we're reduced to this... No choice then. I'll make sure to teach her about this power and form her as a more than capable Shinigami" Isshin decided.
"Thank you for your understanding, Isshin. We just want what's best for you and your family" He said, finishing the tea.
With the flashback ending, Karin let out a loud sigh.
"After that, everything became training and fighting Hollows, and more training... It was cool at first but it's quite tiring" She pointed out.
"Hey, Karin-san, are you back?" Kon asked, now in Ichigo's body for... Ever apparently.
"Yep... Is Nozomi-chan ready with dinner?"
"Almost"
"I see... Well, call me when it's ready, I've still got homework to do"
"I heard ya. I'll be back in a minute then" He simply replied with a smile.
"He's definitely not Ichi-nii, but now that he keeps his indecent impulses more at bay... He actually plays a pretty decent 'brother' role" Karin thought. "But Nozomi-chan is definitely the best"
~~~~X~~~~
"Rangiku..." A silver haired man called her name.
"Hm?" The woman asked as she continued tenderly passing her fingers through his hair, while resting his head on her thighs.
"I'm glad that you want to spend time with me... But wouldn't it be suspicious that you're away for so long?"
"Oh, don't worry about that! I've always been lazy, so the Captain won't really see this as something odd" She explained in a carefree manner.
"I see... Hehehe, I feel kinda bad about Captain Hitsugaya" Gin said, but upon Rangiku's inquisitive look, he said the truth. "Okay, okay, I don't really feel anything like that for him, not gonna lie... But I could understand him"
"That's okay. I know you don't really have it in you to understand other people in that sense... But as long as you love me, it's more than enough, Gin"
"Rangiku..." He said as he beheld her.
The woman pinned him down to the futon and planted a kiss on his lips as she slid her hand under his white Hakama, touching his toned chest.
"And the effort you made to go back to being a Shinigami is more than proof of that" She said with a smile. "I love you"
"I love you too..." They hugged each other.
Sometimes, it was still odd to feel the warmth of someone else in this way, but it was an oddness he more than gladly accepted and was fascinated by.
In the end, the genius of Kisuke Urahara was able to create a new incomplete Hougyoku, and one that did well enough to return him to his original race.
However, there was also a new worry rising inside the Ex-Captain's mind.
"Is something wrong, Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked him as she realized he was a bit somber, which wasn't a usual quality in him at all.
"It's just that... After recreating new versions of the Hougyoku, I've realized that it's not as hard to get as I once thought, at least incomplete"
"Meaning...?"
"The original, the one that Aizen took, was so hard to obtain because it had that godly power of fulfilling the wishes of those around it" He started explaining. "However, if someone had a clear objective in mind, in theory... That someone would be able to create a Hougyoku meant for that purpose without a remotely similar difficulty"
"I see... But, it's not like you have a recipe to this thing anyway, do you?" She joked.
"Well, no, but... There was plenty of data on it in the Seireitei" He said with worry. "If by any chance, someone gathered enough information... It could be possible to create replicas, just like I've done so far"
"I see... So you're worried that someone did get that info out somehow" She simplified.
"And had the ability to recreate this, yes..." He nodded.
"But... Is there anyone like that currently? I mean, that Arrancar scientist is under your watch, and in spite of its psychopathic tendencies, he doesn't seem to be plotting anything so far. Same goes to Mayuri at the Gotei"
"True, but I wasn't thinking about them..."
"Who do you have in mind then?" Yoruichi was curious.
"The man capable enough to replicate our very Souls..." He concluded.
~~~~X~~~~
"How is the investigation going, Kagerouza-san?" The scornful nobleman inquired.
"Smoothly, Tsunayashiro-sama... Smoothly" Kagerouza said as he progressed with his experiments.
And so we're back!
Tell the truth! Did ya miss me? Did you try my Light Novel? Or maybe my little smutty fic in the meantime? Did you start following me on Insta? (evhron_dingir) lmao.
Whatever it is, it doesn't matter, cause I've returned. I took the liberty of starting this Fic as I'm finally on vacations for a while. I'm not sure how long it will be, but at the very least, I have one more week, so I'll be doing my best to advance as much as I can.
I tried to give you a bit of an insight of the changes that have occurred in the various realms so far, as well as the different plots that are being carried out by the different antagonists.
Next Chapter will probably be similar, but I'll try to get things moving as well.Of course, I keep working in my novel, but ngl, since no one has really read it, I'm not so motivated :'(
But I won't give up! I'll keep doing my best to get it out to the world. So remember, it's up on WebNovel and goes by the name "Dingir". I won't hate you if you don't, but I'd really appreciate if you guys gave it a chance.
Anyways, without further ado, I guess I leave you with my short after-story section (I'll try to do one each chapter), and I hope you all enjoy this fic!
Evhron out!
~~~~X~~~~
Atticus eats a slice of strawberry shortcake Candi made as he reads the first Chapter of "Dingir".
"Such an awesome story... If only it got more attention... Maybe it could even grow into an Anime! Well, maybe not, ahahahaha, but if it did it would be amusing for sure... Oh, that reminds me... In case anyone's wondering, don't tell anyone, but I'm voiced by none other but the great Fujiwara Keiji, known for voicing Leorio from Hunter x Hunter, Hattori Senzou from Gintama, Gate from Megaman X6 and many others!"
"What the Hell are you talking about?" Candice replied dumbfounded.
"Sorry, Yumi... You wouldn't get it"
"Grrr..."
"She doesn't understand this segment yet (let alone my seiyuu puns), but don't worry, I'll do my best to teach her what's this all about. Now, I leave you all with the Opening for this Fic... Drums please...!
"Nightmare - Varuna"
"Ooo, it's these guys again! Awesome! Gotta love the musicianship and emotion they put on all their songs, right, Candi?"
"Eh? Yeah, sure... They sound pretty cool I guess, but I prefer harder stuff"
"Really? I didn't know you were into that kind of music"
"Actually yeah. I like some Speed Metal, Splittercore, Hardcore Punk... As long as it's fast as lightning, it's my thing"
"That's great to know! Then maybe you should check Nightmare's older albums, cause those go hard as Hell and are fast as well"
"Really? Then sure, I'll pay those a listen"
"See you next time! Atticus out"
Glossary:
Guardia de la Luna: Moon's Guard. The "CIA" of the Hollow Society.
Mangetsu: Full Moon. Karin's Zanpakutou, as well as the most amazing swordsman to ever exist in the Naruto-verse. Like seriously, he deserved way more credit... But it is what it is...