Chapter 10

Daisy walks down the stark white halls of Aizen's castle blindly. She doesn't have a destination in mind. She just walks. She's too lost in thought, concern, and guilt to pay attention to where she's going. So it's completely her fault when she crashes into a young green-haired child.

"Oh shoot! I'm sorry, Hun," Daisy yelps as she picks the toddler up from the floor and sets her back on her stubby legs. "Are you okay?"

She's a little thing. Barely comes up to Daisy's knees, with wide gray eyes, a scar marring the middle of her face, and a white skull on her head. 'A Hollow Mask,' her long buried instincts tell her. These are past Hollows, after all, and every other one she's seen has some remnants on of it on some part of their body.

"I's fine, I's fine," the young one mutters as she straightens out her clothes. They're nothing more than green rags really. Daisy frowns at them as she gets on one knee to help the child dust off her clothing.

"Why are you dress like this, Hun?" Daisy asks, suspicion in her voice. Every other Arrancar—Aizen did it, that crazy bastard did what they spent years trying to accomplish—she's seen has been dressed in white. Prim, pressed, and tailored outfits, yet this child runs around in clothes too big and loose on her.

The child's eyebrows come together in concentration as she tries to find the answer to Daisy's questions. She eyes her clothes while she thinks. She turns it this way and that as she tries to come up with an answer.

"Oh! Nell's got hurt," she finally says and looks up at Daisy with big, wide eyes that could melt any heart. "Nell's gots in a fights wit the Ugly Man. Ugly Man hurt Nell 'n kick Nell outta pak," the young one says, nodding enthusiastically. "Lod Aizen ca't do nut'ing 'bot it 'cause pak is pak 'n pak chooses pak 'n Ugly Man not want Nell in pak. So Lod Aizen give Nell clock so Nell can be warm 'n hide, see."

With those words, the child disappears from sight as she pulls the hood of the cloak over her head. Her Reiatsu disappears entirely as well and Daisy marvels at Aizen's ability to come up with just about anything as she stares at where the girl once stood.

"Tis way, Nell can com 'n get food wit out getting' hurt," the young one says as she pulls the cloak's hood off and smiles up at Daisy. "He alsos giv Nell sweats wen Nell go ta him."

"Does he now?" Daisy asks smirk on her face as she pulls the child into her arms and stands. Aizen's always was a softie when it came to children. Though the man had tried so hard to hide it.

"Uh-huh," the child says as she instantly relaxes in Daisy's arms. They start down the hall again. They walk aimlessly as the child continues to talk. "Fox man giv Nell sweets too but Miter Toosen not giv Nell sweets cause Miter Toosen said Nell wood get fat if Nell ate too much sweets. Miter Toosen is mean," the child says, small pout in place and Daisy giggles. "He only giv Nell healty food wen Nell go ta him."

Obviously, the two knuckleheads have been spoiling the little one rotten and Tōsen's just trying to make sure they don't overdo it. It reminds Daisy of another little one. A brown haired child with bright green eyes that had them all wrap around her little finger.

It reminds her of just why Aizen was so obsessed with finding a cure.

Why they all were.

"He just wants you to grow up to be healthy, dear," Daisy tells her distractedly, lost in thoughts of the bright smiles and twinkling green eyes, as she flares her Reiryoku out. She finds what she's looking for instantly.

Finding his Reiryoku—feeling it against her own feels like coming home. Like finally seeing a long lost friend and she doesn't think twice as she begins to head in Aizen's direction. She still has so many questions and they still have so much to talk about, but first. "Where were you going, Nel?"

"I's was looking for, Lod Aizen," Nel says, a little shocked as she suddenly remembers what she was doing in such a hostile—for her—environment but doesn't move to get out of Daisy's arms. "I's need ta tell him tat Nell 'n Pes 'n Don are gonna leave for a bit."

"To where?"

The question doesn't come from Daisy. It comes from besides them and Daisy turns to find Aizen watching the girl in her arms curiously. Daisy stops walking then. She's found her target, after all, and turns to face Aizen as the child in her arms begins to fidget.

"Lod Aizen!" Nel yells as she throws herself at the man. "Nell was looking for ya. Nell needs ta tell ya I's is leaving."

"And why would that be, Nelliel?" Aizen asks as he catches the child effortlessly and cradles her in his arms. Daisy sees the concerned look from a mile away even though she knows Aizen's trying to hide it. They spent years together. Years upon years. Therefore, she see the slight creases in Aizen's brow for what they are.

She sees the worried look for what it is and seeing it directed at a child is almost painful because it reminds Daisy of her. Of the brown-haired child they failed to protect.

"Ta Wor."

"Nelliel—"

"Lod Aizen ca't pretect Nell foreva," she tells the great Lord and pats him gently on the cheek. "Nells itn't pak so Nell ca't hide wit ta otter cilden. No one will pretect Nell wen Deat God come. So Nell need ta leave 'n hide somwere else.

"Somwere far away, were Deat Gods won't look," Nelliel says as she leans up and places a quick kiss to Aizen cheek. "Nell will com back, Nell pomis."

Aizen's too shocked, too stunned to do anything but let go and watch as the child slips from his arms.

"God bye, Lod Aizen," she whispers and with a quick, little wave she's gone. She pulls on her hood and disappears before Aizen can call her back and make her rethink her decision to leave. Though, he isn't sure if he really would.

Everything she said is true after all.

No one will protect her when Death comes knocking at their door.

"Keep in mind that the cloak will not work once you leave the palace, Nelliel," he calls after her, a resigned tone to his voice. That he makes no move to stop the child surprises Daisy and makes her realize the depth of their predicament.

The look on his face is pained. At least Daisy can tell that it is and she knows that saying goodbye to yet another child he cannot—could not—protect must hurt.

"How much trouble are you guys in," Daisy asks gently from his side and Aizen turns a glare her way. He obviously still hasn't forgiven her. She's has no one to blame but herself.

Aizen, though, only holds the glare for a little while because he already has to deal with so much. He doesn't have the energy to be angry with her.

"We are sitting ducks," he tells her honestly and starts down the halls. Daisy follows along instinctively. "We are not sure when they will attack but I have evacuated the children already. They are in a safe house in the deserts of the Sahara."

"Nel?"

"The Arrancars run on a pack system," he tells her, deciding to get the explanation out of the way. "And, like any pack, there are those that are rejected. Nelliel was an Espada—one of the top. She was a part of the direct hierarchy but she fought against Nnoitra—another Espada—and lost. Thus, she was expelled from the pack and Nnoitra went up in rank."

"She's just a child!"

"No, she is not," Aizen tells her when she sees her getting angrier by the second. "When I first transformed her, she was a full grown adult. When Nnoitra won, he broke what was left of her Hollow Mask and it caused her to revert into a child. It's why she has that scar."

"Do you know why she turned into a child?" Daisy's asks. Aizen can see her getting into healer mode. It's like flipping a switch. One second she's relaxed, calm, and the next she's watching everything with a hawk-like gaze. She's categorizing every little thing.

"I have not had a chance to look into it," he tells her as they arrive to the planning room. Gin and Tōsen are already there. He greets them with a nod as he walks inside. "I have been a bit preoccupied. Gin, how are the reinforcements for the walls going?"

"It's comin'," Gin tells him with a smile and it deepens when he spots Daisy at the door. "Though we only gots enough for half of it."

"Double the guard for the sections of the wall that we cannot get to, then," Aizen tells him. He ignores both the smile and the curious look Gin throws his way. "Tōsen, how are things looking? How many will we lose? How many will survive?"

"It doesn't look good, my Lord," Tōsen answers after a quick glance at Daisy. He doesn't bother to glare, smile, or even nod. She made her choice when she abandoned them after all. "I estimate we will lose forty percent of our men at the Death Gods' hands alone. The other forty will be lost because of the bonds."

"Bonds?"

All eyes turn to Daisy, still hanging out by the door but it's Aizen who answers.

"Some Arrancars form bonds with each one another. These bonds run deep and the breaking of one can result in the death of the other."

"If you risk losing so many why don't you just leave," Daisy asks as she fully steps into the room and moves towards the table. "Why not leave and hide out until it all blows over. Or find a new place for everyone to live?"

"Because then all would be for not," Tōsen says, mouth set in a frown. "If we leave now there will be no hope of ever returning and we will never finish what we set out to do. We promise to bring peace here, to help as many as we could. Unlike someone, we don't abandon our people when things look bleak. We will not leave when we are so close to finding her. "

So they haven't found the brown-haired child yet.

"But instead you brought death," Daisy tells them gently, ignoring the gibe. "You brought far worse. The Death Gods will come here and kill everyone they find. It would be far better if you face them, would it not? Why don't you just make the first move and finish off those still loyal to Central 46. Kill the District Captains."

"We do that and it will be seen as if we are trying to take over," Aizen reminds her. "Besides, from the news you and yours bring, the Central might have already have been reinstated."

"That's why you finish what you started. With all the Captains dead, there will be no one to protect the Central. Wipe them out and then reinstate the Divisions with new Captains," she tells them. "You clear out all the corruption and then disappear. Return to Las Noches and continue you're goal."

"And how would we do it?" Tōsen asks. The plan has its merits. He'll give her that but they're going to have to really talk this one out if they want it to work. "How do we get all the Captains in one place so we can kill them all with having to worry about them being succeeded before we can kill the others?"

"Take your men to Karakura and draw the Captains there," she says as she moves towards the map on the wall. "If done the right way, they will only bring the Captains and Lieutenants to fight to avoid the complete destruction of the city."

"An ta Vizards," Gin asks as he stands next to her. He looks at where she's pointing at the map. He doesn't know if her plan will work but it's a hell of lot better than sitting around. It's better than waiting for the Death Gods to come and wipe them out. "Wat 'bout them? We don't know wat side they'll take."

"That's where you get Urahara to help," she says as she turns back to them. "Get him to help you convince the Vizards of your goal. There should still be resistance, but, before you actually start to fight, lay it all out. Give them—the Captains and Lieutenants—a reason to change sides and then give them a choice. They won't believe you alone but that's why you get Urahara to back you up."

"And if no one chooses to come to our side?"

"Then you end them. Kill them all and spare no one. The fate of all that's good and just depends on it."