/* Hi all! Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter then the others. Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews as always! Enjoy! */

Chapter 4 -

Fingers twitched in the sand, digging painfully so beneath the surface. A furrowed brow and pained sigh was all she could manage as her green eyes fluttered open. The moon was in its usual location high above her. Sand stung her skin as it blew wildly around her. Just how long had she been lying there?

"Ruki…" She groaned while pushing herself up painfully. The bodies littered around her reminded her of exactly what had transpired. She had managed to take on a few before the horde of creatures erupted in a song of screeching. Then Zev had struck, taking her down with a single slash before grabbing an injured Haruka and disappearing beneath the sands.

"Zev. Just how did he get so strong?" She questioned to the lifeless moon above. And then there was Grimmjow and his recklessness. "I have to tell Halibel."

A loud cry of agony erupted from her lungs before she managed to steady herself on her feet. It was going to be a very long trek back at this rate, but she had to get to Las Noches and warn Halibel. It would only be a matter of time before he would target them.

Little by little, Nel dragged herself through the sands and back towards Las Noches, leaving the purple-haired Shinigami and the chaotic Arrancar to their fates.

Pain, sheer unending pain, drew her from her state of unconsciousness. Her eyes flew open, horrified to see countless faceless Vasto Lordes descending on her, slashing at her, mangling her to pieces. She could hear over the sounds of her own ripping flesh, a desperate voice shouting her name. It was ragged, angry, and sorrowful. She tried to see through the hordes of faceless monsters, tried to call to Dairokkan, tried everything to free herself from this pain. It wasn't until a final pointed limb stabbed into her chest, was she finally able to rest…

Her gasp filled the silence of the room, her aching form shaking and covered with a sheen layer of sweat. Her hands desperately felt around her body, an echo of pain slowly ebbing away from her chest. She was alive. It had felt so real, so incredibly real. When her senses finally cleared, she realized she was covered by a warm blanket and a fire had been started in the old looking fireplace set against the wall. She half wondered where the smoke exited and a thought of escape flickered through her mind.

Cold metal met with her hand as she reached down to adjust herself. Her eyes met with several large fruits and what looked like bread. Immediately her hunger made itself known once more. Unable to resist the temptation any longer, she took a ravenous bite of the closest fruit, nearly moaning as the juice exploded from beneath the fragile skin. The relief was instant, her head clearing and her reishi stabilizing.

She ate all that was offered, clearing the plate until all that was left were pits and crumbs. With a relieved sigh, she collapsed her head back onto the pillow that had been provided to her whilst she slept. It disturbed her mildly that she was unable to rouse with an enemy in her presence. Perhaps she really didn't view Zev as an enemy. Perhaps he was more a victim of circumstance; a victim of her circumstance.

She pushed herself up to a sitting position once more and grimaced, guilt pulling at her. Grimmjow attacked him because of her. Regardless of Grimmjow's true motives, she was still inadvertently at fault for what was happening. Maybe she could convince him to stop this. Maybe she could get him to just go back to the World of the Living with her and leave Zev alone. She had destroyed enough people's lives.

"How long was I sleeping for?" She wondered as she looked around the room. Her fists clenched in the blanket, bringing it near her chin. She shifted her body so that her back was against the wall. It was cool and uncomfortable, but at least it brought her mind back to reality. She had to find a way to get out of here. She had to reach Grimmjow before he did something incredibly stupid.

It had only been a few minutes before a gentle knock brought her attention to the door. "C-come in?" She called out, uncertain.

The door opened and Zev was soon revealed. "Good to see you're awake." He mentioned before his eyes moved to the empty tray. "And glad to see you've finally eaten."

Haruka nodded, watching him skeptically. "Thank you for the food."

He smiled. "You're very welcome." He took his usually seat in that eerie chair.

Haruka watched as he sat in silence for several long minutes, obviously just enjoying the presence of another. She felt that guilt pulse through her body again. This man had been through hell and all he wanted was someone to talk to, someone he could talk to. "I'm sorry for what Grimmjow did to you." She mentioned quietly. "I'm sorry for everything you went through."

Zev smiled sadly. "That is not something for you to apologize for, Haruka-chan."

Her eyes raised to his, shocked at his lack of formality. But worse than that, the sentiment pulled at her memories of another who used to call her that. Another that suffered for her carelessness.

She could barely hold back the tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes. And as much as she wished he wouldn't notice, he was far too perceptive not to. "There is no reason for you to cry, Haruka-chan." He said gently.

"There's every reason." She whispered.

"I'm a little curious if you knew her." He stated suddenly. "She was a Shinigami, after all."

"I might have." She mentioned while wiping away a stray tear. "I don't remember you, though. Aside from healing, Aizen kept us separated from the Espada and Arrancar."

Zev snorted. "More than likely due to me." He sighed as his eyes trained on the fire. "Her name was Naomi."

"Naomi…" Like a rush of water, Haruka was swept back to her dream of Grimmjow impaling that woman. That woman that she thought she knew- It was Naomi…

"Naomi!" Haruka grasped the fellow Shinigami harshly. "Where are you going? Aizen-sama said we aren't allowed out of this wing any longer."

"Don't worry about it Akiyama-san. He has me taking care of some injured Arrancar in another wing. I promise I'll be back in a few hours."

Haruka watched the pretty blonde race down the hallway and towards the palace main entry…

"That was the last time I saw her."

"That is because she left with me." He said simply. "Aizen felt betrayed as I was his first success. I was his best pupil. He kept me by his side at all times and taught me everything he knew. So when I started having feelings for Naomi, he took it personally. We Espada were his and we did what he said. He didn't like that I was 'being corrupting' by his Shinigami."

"I had no idea. I mean I didn't know her very well, but to be involved romantically with an Espada…"

"She would have been killed for it. She was killed for it." He stated simply, his eyes darkening and his jaw set in a hard line.

"I'm so sor-"

"Don't bother, Haruka-chan. It means nothing coming from you." He said coldly, causing her to draw back and go silent. Instead she just watched as the flames danced along his pale skin, warming each dark wrinkle on his face.

"I need you to let me go." She said suddenly.

He remained silent.

"If I can find Grimmjow then maybe I can convince him to let this go. I need to convince him to leave you alone." She declared.

His eyes slid from the fire and to her determined expression. "He will not be so easily convinced."

"Well I have to at least try! You said yourself that you've had ample opportunity to kill him. Well why haven't you? And if you aren't planning to, then let me talk him out of this crazy plot for vengeance."

Zev's eyes shifted back to the fire, taking several long moments to just think.

"Please." She begged.

He pushed himself up to a stand. "I would like some time to think. I very much enjoy your company, Haruka-chan. I can see what he finds so endearing about you."

A hint of a blush formed on her cheeks at his complement. "He's not going to stop until he gets me back."

"I know." He nodded before leaving the room.

Haruka's fists tightened in the blanket as her eyes caught the dancing flames. "What am I going to do?"

An exasperated roar tore from his lungs as he ripped yet another faceless creature's limbs from its body. His breathing was labored as he'd been fighting through these things for hours now. Every tunnel he navigated just brought him into another horde of mutated Vasto Lordes. There was only one thing keeping him going and that was the tiny purple flame that he couldn't allow to be extinguished.

He had felt her pulsing reishi several times now, just hint of her existence beyond the endless dark passageways. But just as quickly as it was revealed, was it snuffed out. Wherever she was, it was suffocating her reishi so that it could not be discovered.

Regardless, it meant she was alive and that was all that mattered.

His mind lingered to what kind of horrid tortures Zev was exposing her to. He tried not to let his mind travel down that path, because really, there was no point in wasting time thinking about things that were not within his control. He simply had to make them within his control by ripping Zev's throat out. Yes, that was what he needed to focus on; on destroying that asshole from ever being.

He paused at the next fork, his limbs aching and his wounds pulsing. "Ruka…" An image of her flashed in his mind, nude and abused in the corner of a dark room. Standing over her, was Zev, a devious smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

His hands ripped through his hair as an angry snarl lifted his lips. "Fuck!" It was driving him mad; absolutely mad. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to destroy him. I'm going to rip his fucking head from his-" He stopped.

He would have continued his ravings if at that moment he hadn't felt the pulse of something familiar. It wasn't Haruka, but it was something very closely connected to her. "Dairokkan…"

He managed to set aside his absolute rage in order to feel the call of his lover's sword up until he placed it. "It's a start." He grumbled before taking off down the right tunnel and towards Dairokkan.

It didn't take long for him to finally stumble on what had to be the centerfold of Zev's underground empire. The rooms had taken more traditional shape, with heavy metal doors latched to the stone and walls carved in the likeness of any modern palace. He finally figured out exactly why he never discovered such a mass of power. The walls were coated in a suppression substance, designed to mask spirit energy much like Zev's own ability. It was also why he couldn't detect Haruka. She must have been behind one of these doors and the only time he sensed her was when the door was open. "When Zev was entering or leaving." He emphasized in his mind.

It didn't make sense that he could feel her zapakuto, though. How was the sword able to guide him to her?

He didn't spend too much time thinking about the how and preferred to just find the weapon. He raced through the hallways, following the desperate call of Dairokkan, until he happened upon a heavyset iron door. "She's in here." He murmured to himself. He didn't waste time trying to pry open the door. Instead he unsheathed his own weapon, slashing through the barrier like butter, before returning his sword to its proper place on his hip.

Inside, the room was dark and dank. It held little of interest aside from the stone table set in the center of the room with Haruka's zanpakuto resting in the middle of it. He took two quick steps before he was in front of it, studying it closely before his fingers encircled the sheath. "You must hurry."

He heard the echo in his mind, a crazed nail-biting desperation to it. "She does not hear me any longer. I cannot reach her."

"What the fuck happened?" He ground out as he stood there, holding the sword tightly.

"I do not know what false words he embeds into her mind, but I know that we are no longer connected. Something is fractured." It had been a long time since he last held her weapon and he remembered back then the hate and utter disgust that emanated from it. Now all he felt was sorrow.

"I'll get you back to her." He stated. "Just as soon as that asshole opens the door to where she is."

His eyes closed as he focused on the pulsating energies around him. Surprisingly, the Vasto Lordes kept their distance from this place.

"I fear she will fall victim to ignorance once again." There was a hint of real terror in the sound of that voice in his mind.

"I wish she had some of your skepticism." He scoffed. "Then maybe she wouldn't get herself in these situations."

"Your sense of humor is not welcome."

Grimmjow shrugged. "Too bad."

She paced back and forth, the toll of being locked alone in this room starting to show. She had to get out. She had to find Grimmjow. She had to stop him.

As if summoning him, Zev appeared in the newly open doorway. "I'm letting you out. Feel free to roam this place as you see fit. My Vasto Lordes will not bother you."

"That's it? You're just letting me wander through your lair?" She asked skeptically.

"It is not as if you can cause any real harm." He smiled, his expression looking almost devious. "Besides, I have decided that you are no real threat to me."

Haruka grimaced while averting her gaze.

"I did not mean it as an insult." He chuckled lightly while brushing his fingers along her cheek briefly. She looked up at him surprised at first before her expression softened. "I see that you devote yourself to the good in others, no matter how small it may be. It is admirable."

"I'm not so sure. I feel I've destroyed more lives than I've helped." She admitted.

"Sometimes our efforts do not show themselves for many years. I would implore you to practice patience." He stated.

"I'm going to find Grimmjow and take him from here so you no longer have to suffer, Zev." She stated. "I promise."

"You do what you have to, Haruka-chan, as will I. I suppose I can assist in your venture. I was going to return your zanpakuto to you, but I found it missing. The door had been slashed in two." He mentioned.

"Which way?" She asked frantically. He pointed towards the hallway behind her. She began moving down the hallway before pausing to look back, a tickle of doubt finding itself. "What will you do now?"

"Go back to surviving; for what else is there to do in Hueco Mundo?" He shrugged before turning to walk in the opposite direction.

Haruka's mouth dried up as she attempted to find a suitable response to counteract the guilt forming. Nothing seemed sufficient. "Goodbye." She whispered before rushing down the random hallways, trying to find her way back to Grimmjow.

There.

He felt it, small but inviting; her purple aura beckoning him, begging him to find her. He was half shocked it was as calm as it was. He had expected it to be frantic and desperate if even alive. No, what he felt was strong and confident. And he accepted that with unrelenting relief.

He rushed in the direction it was coming from, even more surprised that it seemed to be approaching him. As soon as his eyes landed on those bright violet orbs did that overwhelming anxiety finally dim. "Grimmjow!" Her voice was the greatest sound he had ever heard.

"Ruka! Fucking hell! What did he do to you?" He asked as his arms slid over her body, moving her limbs and checking for injuries.

With narrowed eyes, she pulled herself free from him. "Nothing. He didn't do anything to me." She said firmly.

Surprise flitted across his face momentarily before anger replaced it. "And I'm just supposed to believe that?" His pointer finger pressed into her forehead, signifying a different place Zev infected.

She slapped his hand away. "We need to leave."

"Yea we do, but not before I rip his fucking head from his shoulders." He remarked, uncaring.

"No, you're not. You're going to leave him alone." She refuted while grabbing at his arm.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Ah yea, great. You fed into his garbage lies, didn't you?" He snapped, his tone furious.

"He told me the truth, something you refused to do." She countered. His lips lifted into a snarl, readying a response before she cut him off. "You killed Naomi."

He pulled back as if she had just cut him. "You don't know the whole story."

"I know enough, Grimmjow. I know that you've tortured this man enough and you need to leave him alone." She scolded.

"Do you even realize what he is?" His exasperated tone had her doubting herself once more. "He's Aizen 2.0. He was Aizen's little minion that followed him around and learned everything he could. And you played right into his hand."

"How would you know?" She spat angrily.

"Because that's why I was sent to kill him. Not because he scooped up some Shinigami bitch. Because Aizen showed him too much, taught him too much. He was leaving to become something greater than Aizen. Whatever story he fed you was a bunch of shit. Naomi wasn't his lover. She was his sidekick." He explained.

"I don't believe you." She sneered.

Again he looked taken aback. More than just shock etched his features, it was pain, pain caused by her. "Fuck you." He snapped while tossing her sword roughly into her chest. "Good luck getting anywhere with that, by the way."

She swallowed hard, realizing what she had just done. "Grimmjow! Where are you going?" She demanded desperately.

"I don't fucking repeat myself." He was livid, absolutely livid. How could she believe Zev over him? How could she play into his fucking games? He couldn't think about what he was going to do with Haruka at that moment. All he could see in the forefront of his mind was Zev's dead corpse impaled on his arm.

"Grimmjow, stop!" She chased after him. "Don't hurt him."

He couldn't contain his absolute rage any longer. He turned on her, charging her and pinning her hard against the wall to the point the rock was digging into her back. A startled screech left her lungs, causing an ache to form in his muscles. His body was physically fighting this reaction, but he didn't care anymore. "What are you going to do, Shinigami bitch? Stop me?"

Horror formed on her face causing him to pause, lessening the force he was using to dig her into the wall. "Maybe he was right about you." She whispered. "Maybe you are just a monster."

His breath caught in his lungs as he instantly backed away from her. "Maybe I am." The sheer amount of sorrow that fell onto that statement tore at Haruka. "And maybe you should just let me be the monster that I am and stop trying to make me into something I'm not."

Nothing further was said as he stormed down the hallway, leaving her heartbroken soul leaning against the wall and refusing to look back.