/* I know it's been a while (so sorry for that!) but I am still working on this. Life has gotten in the way as it tends to, but I am still trying to finish this even though I'm not 100% happy with it. Hope you enjoy! I hope to be able to put out the next chapter relatively soon if things continue to go my way. Thanks for your patience! */
Chapter 8 -
Their reiatsu was strange and foreign. It was a distortion that even in her blind, hypersensitive state, she was having a hard time keeping track of. Still she fought vigorously, changing her realm to her advantage. Nel stood far off, watching the mutated Arrancars attempt to down the purple-haired Shinigami. Haruka was relieved at that at least. She needed more time to think about how she was going to rid this infection from them.
"Nel, you must stop this." Haruka demanded as she sliced through yet another mutated Arrancar. Her enhanced sight of reiatsu helped her tremendously with finding the weak points of these things. Wherever their armor was the hardest was where they gave off the most spirit energy and wherever it was the weakest was where there was the least. She also discovered that their cavernous mouths were used to devour more than flesh.
She grimaced as one of the monsters inhaled deep, sucking in a large amount of her fabricated environment with it. It felt as if parts of her spirit were being sucked away and only added to her struggle. She had to finish these creatures off.
With no response from Nel aside from her complete passive expression, Haruka put all her attention on the rabid animals trying to consume her. She flickered away, vanishing completely only to reappear behind one. She sliced her sword down, easily penetrating into exposed flesh and causing the mutant to screech painfully before perishing. She barely considered it before moving to the next one. They could not follow her here where she was able to easily distort their environment, and as a result, completely eradicate their senses.
She felt her strength returning as each one fell, their bodies releasing her reiatsu back to her. It was almost too easy. Or at least it was up until a razor sharp weapon was bearing down behind her. She gasped as she used shunpo to dodge Nel's incoming attack, the weapon grazing her shoulder enough to draw blood.
"Nel…" Haruka whispered as she adjusted her stance. "I don't want to kill you."
Neliel said nothing. Her wrist twitched briefly as she lifted her weapon up. "Declare, Gamuza."
Haruka frowned as Nel's spiritual power erupted around her. "Don't do this, Nel."
She didn't respond as she charged, her hooves beating into the stone harshly as she appeared from the cloud and thrust Gamuza towards her enemy.
Haruka had but a moment to run her eyes along Nel's new form. A strong, but elegant torso of a horse supported Nel's human-like bodice. Silky tan hair covered the animal body while hooved-shaped hands gripped the new lance weapon pointed right at Haruka's head.
Haruka blocked, grunting as Gamuza made contact with Dairokkan. In an attempt to disorient Nel, she shifted her world harshly. It had little effect on the quick ex-Espada. With a flicker of sonido, she was upright and charging Haruka once more.
This dance dragged on. Haruka used her environment to vanish away from Nel's charging attacks, shifting the weight of objects and the effects of gravity in an attempt to penetrate her iron thick skin. The white shell seemed to only grow in the battle, slowly engulfing every inch of her. At each pass of Nel's attack, Haruka's false world was steadily crumbling. The strain was weighing on her.
"Raito o Keshimasu!" The storm of purple cascaded over Nel, consuming the half-mutated woman. When the dust cleared, she appeared only mildly scuffed. Haruka's jaw clenched. "What will you do after you kill me? You know Dondochakka and Pesche are right behind me. Will you make them suffer the same fate as you? Or will you just save them the horror and kill them instead?" She shouted.
Nel paused, her jaw visibly tightening. Haruka noticed the way her energy shifted, swirling around her defensively all of a sudden. "Would you kill those you consider to be your very family?"
The green-haired centaur did not respond as she charged again. Haruka stood her ground, Dairokkan held tightly in her grip. Iron hooves smashed into Haruka's false world, crushing the walls and damaging the realm. She breathed heavily, pouring everything she could into her Bankai. Then she shifted it.
The entire world around them evaporated, being absorbed back into Dairokkan just before Gamuza connected. A roar tore from Haruka's throat as she held the weight of the ex-Espada, her reiatsu holding the massive force in place. Then, with incredible effort, she parried and jumped. She felt as the tip of her zanpakuto dug into the skin of Nel's torso causing blood to pour to the stone.
Nel grunted before falling to one knee. She twisted Gamuza and sent it flying towards Haruka. Haruka dodged before jumping into the air once more, "Raito o Kesh-"
"No! Ruki-sama, don't hurt Nel-sama!" the burly voice of a familiar Arrancar invaded their battle. Haruka faltered, shifting her attack to the side and giving Nel an opening. She didn't hesitate.
Haruka cried out as the lance dug into her shoulder, penetrating out her back before being ripped away harshly. She stumbled while pressing her sweaty palm to the injury and gripping her zanpakuto with her unsteady arm.
"Nel-sama! Please stop this!" Pesche joined in with Dondochakka. They must had been trapped outside the realm, only gaining access when Haruka absorbed it back into her weapon.
Nel's head tilted towards her fraccion for a moment before lifting Gamuza high into the air. "Nel-sama, w-what are you doing?" Dondochakka asked as Nel turned towards them, her fist literally quivering as her attack changed target.
"Nel! Stop!" Haruka shouted, her voice guttural.
"Lanzador verde…" Even as the lance was leaving Nel's grip, Haruka could see the resistance; she could see her body literally fighting this response.
Haruka's reaction was automatic. With a few flashes of shunpo, she was in front of them. The pink swirling energy collided with Dairokkan. Haruka cried out, her shoulder screaming in pain. "You can't do this to your family!" Haruka screamed as she put every last ounce of energy into blocking the attack. "You can't give up on the people you love! You can't give up on yourself!"
"Haruka!" That fiery sapphire aura appeared suddenly, but not soon enough.
She barely heard his shout over the whirling drill that was currently digging into her zanpakuto and forcing her back. "I'm not giving up on you." Haruka muttered to herself. A pulsing began in her chest, flowing throughout her limbs and lighting her nerves on fire.
Her shout filled the room as she forced Dairokkan against the drilling lance, determined to protect Pesche and Dondochakka.
I'm not giving up on you, either.
The whisper exploded in the back of her mind just as the first crack formed on the blade. Then the entire thing shattered in an explosion of purple reiatsu, consuming Haruka and Gamuza.
Grimmjow watched, his entire body tense with apprehension. Pesche and Dondochakka sprinted away, hiding behind the sexta Espada. Nel's head tilted as she, too, watched the outcome of her attack. Bolts of violet lightning struck from the clouds that consumed Haruka, singeing the stone and crashing against the ceiling.
Silence followed for several minutes, the purple storm pulsing throughout the entire room and causing hair to stand straight. Then Gamuza appeared. It was tossed haphazardly from the cloud, and landed in pieces.
Nel grimaced as her power suddenly shifted and she returned to her previous form. Then the cloud slowly fell, covering the stone floor like an eerie fog. Haruka was revealed. Her violet locks were twice as long, tied in an elegant braid that fell to her feet. It twisted with a long, skinny tail resembling that of a feline. The dark lavender tattoos that marked her skin in her Bankai form were even more pronounced and flowed along every inch of her. She floated almost a foot off the ground, the stormy fog set at her feet as she simply hovered above it. Her eyes glowed with a vibrancy never seen before and they were set directly on Nel.
"I see you." She whispered. Her voice carried to every inch of the room, vibrating with energy and shifting the very core of existence. Her hand outstretched towards the shocked mutant. Fingertips spread and breath hitched. "Return."
A heart-wrenching cry erupted from Nel's lips as the purple fog encircled her, the lightning running along her skin and forcibly removing the white shell. Haruka's brow furrowed with her concentration as she eliminated the white poison from every inch of Neliel's body with a simple flexion of fingers.
"Nel-sama…" Dondochakka and Pesche watched in uncertain horror as the person they vowed to protect screamed in utter agony.
Grimmjow was much more concerned with his Shinigami, who's new form took on curious new abilities. He waited patiently as Haruka finished ripping the shell from Nel's very body with her reiatsu, leaving Nel in a panting, painful mess.
"Dondochakka, Pesche." She whispered as the final piece of that white mask shattered and revealed her tear stained eyes. "I'm so sorry."
The two Arrancars sprinted to her side, allowing her to use them to hold herself up. "Don't apologize Nel-sama. It wasn't your fault." Pesche comforted.
"We know you'd never intentionally hurt us, Nel-sama!" Dondochakka chimed in cheerily.
"Ruka." Grimmjow called to the floating entity as he approached. "Think you can do that fancy trick to the rest of this shit?" She glanced down at him and smirked.
"Return." She whispered as she outstretched both her hands. The fog spread, reaching out to every inch of the palace and reversing all that was done as if it had never happened. One by one, each egg split and released the trapped Arrancars. Eventually the one containing Halibel appeared.
"Halibel!" Grimmjow called as he saw the imposing ex-Espada appear winded but alive.
"Where is he?" Her voice was feral, borderline murderous, much to the surprise of those around.
"Out front. Two others are keeping him distracted in the meantime. We'll meet you there." He responded and Halibel took off in a fury with her fraccion close behind.
"Pesche, Dondochakka, stay here. I have some business to finish." Nel announced as she too got to her feet.
"Wait! Nel-sama, we are coming too." The two fraccion pleaded.
"But it's dangerous." She refuted.
"We don't want you to fight alone anymore, Nel-sama. We are tired of being cowards." Dondochakka cried. "We want to protect you."
Nel smiled at the two before placing a gentle palm on each of their faces. "You do protect me. Without you, I wouldn't be standing here. You know that. But now it's my turn to protect you, ok?" She urged. The two nodded, looking a bit relieved.
"Ah Nel-sama! We'll cheer for you on the sidelines!" Pesche shouted. Nel nodded before racing after Halibel. The two goofy minions hobbled after her, being sure to keep their distance.
"We should join them." Haruka's gentle voice penetrated his very bones.
"You got some new tricks." He observed as he slid quick fingers along her decorated skin. Then his wandering touch moved up to the open wound on her shoulder, carefully observing it.
"Maybe. You'll just have to figure it out." She teased with a smirk before lifting kido-covered fingers to her injury, erasing it from existence.
"Won't be hard." He snorted. She rolled her eyes and then went quiet.
"Urahara and Yoruichi-sama… I felt when they arrived." She mentioned suddenly, her mood sobering.
"Yea. Clogs can't keep his nose out of anyone's business." He scoffed.
"Good thing." She smiled and he couldn't help himself. His lips crashed against hers, his very reiatsu throwing her off balance and causing her feet to slide to the ground. He moved with her, gently guiding her until her back was pinned against the wall, his claiming of her mouth leaving her breathless. Her hands reached for his long blue hair, tugging eagerly. He grunted before pressing himself against her. The sheer power emanating from both of them set all of their nerves alight. Each touch of skin, every quick breath had them both walking a dangerous edge.
Then they felt it. It was an ominous darkness in the form of Zev's reiatsu and they knew they couldn't waste any more time.
"Let's end this." He said as he took a step back. Her eyes were set on his, her brow furrowed with determination.
"Let's end this." His strong, but gentle voice declared. "Let's end the suffering of so many."
Her eyes ran over him with scrutiny. This was different, however. This was different from back then. Back then she watched him with pure adoration; pure awe. "If only I'd had known what you truly were back then. If only I could see then what I see now."
He tilted his head curiously, confusion forming on his brow. It was a look so very unfamiliar to him. "What do you mean, Haruka-chan?"
She shook her thoughts away. What if this wasn't just a memory? What if this was something more? The consequences of such would be felt for centuries upon centuries in ripples that would become tsunamis. "My apologies, Aizen-sama, I was just reminiscing about the past. I'm looking forward to fighting this struggle by your side. I'm looking forward to fixing all of these mistakes."
Aizen's confusion left and was replaced with that warm, menacing smile. "Come, Haruka-chan. Join me. We should begin our work."
"Ruka?" The worrisome look on her lover's face filled her view and made her smirk.
"Sorry. I'm ready. I'm ready to end this. All of this." She said with a strong, solid voice.
A grin split his face, more akin to his nature. "Don't get in my way." He teased and she laughed.
"We'll see who gets the killing blow." She challenged before racing out towards the opening in the wall.
"Hey!" He bellowed before following, any doubt of failure completely evaporating from his spirit.
"Kiskue!" Yoruichi's strangled voice ripped across the sands as she watched her friend take a deep slash to leg. This creature was more than she could have ever anticipated. What baffled her even more was how the hell he was missed when they first invaded Hueco Mundo.
With her legendary flash step, she was upon her enemy, sending a flurry of kicks and punches into his muscular frame. Since beginning the battle, he had shed some of his clothing, revealing his gaping hollow hole set where his heart should have been. His strength was unexpected, taking all of her hits as if they were merely a nuisance.
"You cannot defeat me." He shouted as he grabbed Yoruichi's ankle and tossed her to the ground, the sheer velocity creating a huge crater in the sand.
"Yoruichi-san." Urahara's calm demeanor still couldn't hide the hard set of his jaw or the hint of worry in his tone. She knew him too well.
"Those two better get back here soon, Kisuke." She mentioned before disappearing again. Urahara's jaw clenched tighter as he followed, pointing Beneheme at their enemy and firing. Zev blocked it with the back of his wrist, his hierro shielding him from the intense heat. Urahara paused then, the wheels in his head beginning to turn.
"Zev!" A blood-curdling shout had come with perfect timing as he backed away from the battle ground to where he had kept a large sack of various items.
Moments following the screech, the ex-Espada Halibel made contact with her weapon. Zev grimaced. "I will kill that Shinigami bitch." He roared as he deflected Halibel's attack, but not without receiving a substantial gash on his arm, surprising him.
"You'll have to get through us first." Yet another joined, this time it was Neliel. She maneuvered around Halibel, their coordination a stunning dance. She sliced her weapon against his, forcing him towards the sandy ground beneath them.
"Enough of this." He spat before releasing his reiatsu in a wave towards his pursuers. In one fluid motion, he grasped the hilt of his weapon with two hands. "Block out the skies, Lechuza." The sensation of dread hit them all simultaneously as a dark ominous energy began swirling around him. Above them, a shadowy veil began consuming the sky above, blocking out the moon above before reaching out towards Zev to consume him as well.
They all watched from afar, feeling the growing power and preparing for the reveal of his transformation. It felt like time dragged on for ages, the very air warping their sense of reality, before their dread was fully realized…
Grimmjow had pulled ahead of her, his speed in his released form impossible to beat. She knew him well enough now to know he was bound and determined to keep Zev from laying a single finger on her even if he wouldn't admit it. That wouldn't deter her, however. That monster was responsible for many unspeakable horrors and she would assist in making him pay despite Grimmjow's possessive, protective nature.
They reached a clearing in front of the battlements rather quickly and it was then they finally got a look at what had caused the very skies to turn blacker than night. In the center of the clearing, flying through the air, was a transformed Zev. His arms had been replaced with long wings, decorated with raven-like feathers. They extended along his spine, a long winding pattern ending in a wispy tail that nearly reached the ground. On his head, a mask had formed, shaped into a long dangerous beak that masked his brow and curved in front of his nose. His eyes were red, almond-shaped beacons that struck fear in her almost immediately. That fear quickly manifested into action as he just as quickly switched targets.
Haruka saw his jaw twitch just before his wings kicked back and he was charging her at full speed. Everyone there was taken off guard, except for maybe the feral blue beast that blocked him from making contact. "I will end you." He shrieked just before jumping back and swiping an array of razor sharp feathers at Grimmjow and Haruka.
With a quick swipe, Grimmjow deflected the blades and charged him. He collided with a roar, the two tumbling through the air. Zev recovered, smashing an earth shattering kick to Grimmjow's side and sending him flying to the desert ground. Those dangerous red orbs lifted to Haruka once more. "You've meddled in my plans enough, Shinigami." His raspy voice cut the air, making her hair stand straight.
"You're outnumbered, Zev. You won't win this." Haruka declared as she readied for his attack.
"Naïve fools!" He shrieked as his iron-like wing collided against her. She blocked with a shield of strong reiatsu. The force of his attack sent her back through the air, though she remained strong. She pushed a hand forward, grazing it against the skin of his shoulder with a whisper.
"Inverse."
Though her voice was a whisper, it echoed across the desert like a roar. A bright purple mark appeared where she had touched, burning his skin and causing him to jump back. His pained shout followed as the mark exploded with a lavender energy burning down his wing. Slowly his wing transformed back into an arm, the feathers breaking apart. He lifted his gaze to her, breathing through clenched teeth. "You…" His voice was ragged and feral. "I will consume you and take your abilities for myself." Suddenly, his rage filled growl turned into hysterical laughing. "I will be stronger than Aizen. I will be stronger than God!"
Haruka grimaced as she watched his maniacal movements. He fought her attack, simply trying to will the negation of her time reverse.
"You ain't shit." A gruff sounding male countered before smashing into the distracted maniac. Haruka felt a bit of relief as her lover scuffled with Zev in hand to hand combat and seemingly taking the advantage. Soon the others finally were able to assist, Halibel and Nel slicing into Zev's back and weakening his hierro.
"You will not win! I will consume you all!" Zev declared, his voice clearly insane. "CONSUME!" His power suddenly shifted as bolts of darkness crashed into the desert around them like lightning in a storm. The dark, never ending cloud above them began shifting and twisting grotesquely. Soon it started dipping in several locations, like water filling a balloon. Then they started to pop.
It wouldn't end.
The sounds that came from the monsters forming from this giant cloud of hell had Haruka taking a step back. "What are those things?"
From the sky came large, hideous birds of prey. They were twice the size of Zev, with wings dripping in ichor and poisoning the ground below. From the ground where the lightning had struck, came long black tentacles, reaching for Zev's enemies in an attempt to trap them.
A pained gasp came from Haruka's right. "Yoruichi-sama!" She yelled as she witnessed several tentacles move with incredible speed to trap her. A loud screech signifying the bright red light from Beneheme cut through the constrictors that trapped her.
"We must practice caution here." Urahara shouted as Yoruichi ripped the dead flesh from her body.
"Your life sustains me." Zev's insane voice shouted just before vanishing in a flash of impressive shunpo and reappearing to connect a bone-crushing kick into Yoruichi. She yelled as she was thrown to the desert floor.
Halibel intervened, blocking Zev from continuing his attack while her fraccion began intercepting the ominous bird creatures swooping towards them. "He's taken my abilities!" Yoruichi yelled. "Don't let the tentacles touch you."
"Halibel, watch out!" Neliel shouted as she intercepted an incoming tentacle. She sliced through it, the black liquid spilling to the desert and corrupting the very sands. Almost immediately following, the roar of the creatures above caught their attention. The monsters began charging down towards Halibel and Nel. Grimmjow intercepted, mauling down the monsters with several quick swipes.
"Those tentacles connect to him." Haruka thought as her companions continued their futile counter attack. "All I need is a moment."
"A moment is all we need, Haruka. It's all it takes to change everything."
Just a moment.
"Akiyama, don't!" Urahara's strangled cry was enough to direct everyone's attention towards her, but it didn't matter. It was too late. The moment had passed.
By the time their eyes were upon her, she was already wrapped up, so much so she was nearly unrecognizable beneath the black constrictions. "Ruka!" Grimmjow's guttural cry tore across the desert as he charged towards her.
But the moment had already passed…