Shattered Realms

by MJLCoyoteStarrk

Aizen's defeat has left a tense peace between Arrancars and Soul Reapers. The resulting isolation has lasted for 200 years, only to be broken by a covert expedition from the Soul Society that has vanished. A small group is sent out to find out what happened only to find themselves facing the affects of the past while old heroes struggle w/their own pasts. Prologue has been updated

5. Chapter 4: Beyond Glory

Authors' Warning: This chapter contains a scene of graphic, loosely sexual, violence and brutality

Shattered Realms

By Eduard Kassel and MJLCoyoteStarrk

Chapter 4: Beyond Glory

Screams.

All that the young man could hear around him were screams and laughter echoing off the stones. As his attention focused the sounds of flesh being beaten and the scraping of metal against stone joined the macabre choir.

It was not unexpected. It was what Carros was here for. He was to undergo the Third Rite in his passage to become a man and a True Son of the Mantis. He watched from the side with his fellow initiates as the females of the latest brood were being chained to the stone slabs where they would be marked as Chattel.

The atmosphere was stifling but he found that not everyone was struck dumb by either wariness or reverence.

"Won't those Nels just shut the fuck up?" one of the other males growled.

"They're giving me a headache with their squealing," another agreed.

"I don't know," another replied softly. "I kinda like it."

Carros only stood watching. His silence was hardly unusual. His eyes shifted from the Proctors at their work to take in the chamber itself. Everyone knew about the Refinery, but the men were reluctant to talk about it. He supposed they wanted it to have that effect on them in order to limit their ability to prepare for the sacred work they were about to do.

The chamber was divided up by a series of trenches filled with burning coals lined up perpendicular to the far wall. Each section had two slabs of stone, one larger in the middle of the area and a smaller closer to each fire pit. The stench was noxious and smoke from the pits and torches swirled through the air, a plaything of their Reiatsu.

The light from the torches anchored to the wall revealed some things though. He saw the small blood-and-birth-slime-covered bodies writhing in an attempt to free themselves from the grips of the Proctors. These Sons who had fetched them from the Birthing Pits to be brought here now secured them with a calm measured grace highlighted the violence radiating from the scene.

Aside from the stone slabs and the fire pits and the braced torches, there was only one other decoration in the room. It was a large, crudely-carved relief carved into the wall. It showed the figure of a six-armed man with horns in the shape of the crescent moon. Each of its clawed hand was holding a scythe. Carros's eyes drifted to the single carved eye. He could feel its contempt and glee and had to resist the urge to take a step back at the too wide smile carved to split that long face.

The True Son never flees the sight of the Great Mantis, he thought.

However, he realized that believing it to be crude could have been a hasty assumption. It was not just the smoke that partially obscured the image. It was also splattered with nearly a century's worth of bloody rituals that had long since stained the stones; thus giving the carving a sinister presence.

However, he still felt afraid of that cruel, leering face.

He had passed the Rite of Strength and the Rite of Courage with such sufficiency that he earned the praises of the Proctors. But they had warned him that the Third Rite, the Rite of Will, broke many who had conquered the first two. On the outside he deferred to the Proctors' wisdom, but inwardly he believed that he would exceed their expectations here as well.

Now, one of the Proverbs floated mockingly to the forefront of his mind:

"The arrogance of youth withers before the assuredness of experience."

"You follow," a voice cut in, bringing him out of his anxious introspection.

He turned his head to see a broad-chested Proctor, brown-bearded and white Hollow-hide apron stained with blood, pointing at him. He suddenly realized that the Warriors were withdrawing after they had finished chaining the females to the slabs. The great carving of the Lord Mantis seemed to leer down on them, displaying a mouth of blood-stained fangs.

As the older males passed, some offered encouragement and others mocking grins.

"Don't worry. The Great Mantis will lend you His strength to carry out His will," one said.

"Tch…you better hope your cocks don't get too big to where ya can't do your duty," another jeered.

"I hope ya don't faint like a fucking Pantera at the sight of blood."

"Ha! I remember when I performed the Rite. The Nel squealed so loud that I nearly skipped to the final act just to get it to shut up."

He felt that it was some unofficial custom for the older members to offer up such words of encouragement and jeers to those who were about to go through this Rite. But some were actually reminiscing about their own experiences. He half turned towards the departing Warriors, desperate for the voice of experience.

"Now," the Proctor barked, stopping him where he stood.

The doors closed behind the Warriors with a thud.

Carros allowed the instinct to obey take over and he stepped forward. He responded well to orders, whether it was from his father or from his instructors. He realized that he was sweating and it wasn't just from the heat that radiated out of the fire pits. Today would determine whether or not he could stand as a true man in society.

I can't fail, he thought.

The others were also collected by the other Proctors. Their light conversations dying as their focus shifted to the task ahead. He paid little attention to the others as his perception narrowed; focus sharpening to a file point. He only saw the Proctor's back, which was as clean as the apron was bloodied. That meant that he never turned his back to the work that was done here. The realization brought both a sense of respect and a chill down Carros's spine.

Then that white field was gone and replaced with the sight that he had found himself dreading.

The stone slabs were of sandstone with a pebbled texture. Their surfaces were stained a blackish brown from the blood and nightsoil that collected on them over the decades since the city of had been founded. He idly wondered what the chambers in the capital city of Tesla were like with nearly two centuries worth of suffering caked to the stones. He touched the surface as if inspecting when it was partly bracing himself.

The combination of blood and dirt was indeed caked to the surface. The coating cracked a little under the pressure. He had a feeling that it was against the Creeds to clean this room. Another of the Proverbs floated to his mind:

"Keep a beast beneath the Sons by any means necessary."

His eyes went to the figure that was chained down as a cry reached his ears. The female's limbs were stretched taut by the shackles and her head was held down by a chain pulled tight over her brow.

Aside from some of the pet Nels he had glimpsed he had never really seen a female, much less get a chance to inspect one up close. The chest looked normal, but he recalled the swelling that would come there later. His eyes went to the area between the legs. Despite the birthing blood that still caked to the Nel, he could make out the slit of her sex. He stepped to the side to take a look at its face. He didn't think there would be much difference. He had seen fair-looking males with soft features and even the newly-born males sometimes looked similar to the females, except for the organ hanging between the legs.

He looked at her face. There was nothing really special about it except that her eyes were peering through the brown hair caked to its face.

It was…

"It's time to begin," the Proctor said. "The poker is first."

Carros turned to look at the man. The Proctor gestured with his chin to the fire pit that divided them from the next slab over. There was a stone table placed near it. A row of gleaming tools were laid out on its blood-splotched surface.

He walked over to the table, frowning, and picked up the poker. It was similar to the kinds that were used for fire ending, except there was no hook. And it was too small to be used on a pit. He thought that it was more like a pick than a poker. Unlike the other tools it was clean.

"Do I heat it?" Carros asked.

"Not yet. You will use it later to stop the bleeding. But for this part you want the blood. First…the eyes."

Carros nodded, concealing a swallow, and returned to his place. He looked down on the female as she looked at him. The eyes weren't those of a half-wit. But they lacked the rational fear of him standing over her with the gleaming spike.

What do you expect? She was born less than an hour ago.

The weakness was contemptuous, but he didn't feel the rage that the Histories inspired in him.

"Well?"

"Do I start with the right or the left?" he asked to cover his hesitation.

"It doesn't matter."

There was no more delaying. He reached down and brushed the drying brown hair aside. The eyes were as brown as the hair, but they also had green specks in them. He almost jumped when she yipped. He realized that he had brushed the mask fragment around her ear.

He could feel the Proctor's gaze on him: weighing, judging. He brought the sharp tip to the eye. There was a brief moment's hesitation and then he pushed down. The tip sank into the eye. Fluid gushed out and the Nel screamed in pain and surprise as her eye was gouged out. He felt the tip hit the hard but thin bone underneath. The female blinked, unable to comprehend why he had done such a thing.

She closed her other eye. She screamed and struggled against her bonds. He realized that sound was not just from her. It was coming from all of the other Nels as well and it was mixed with the laughter of some of the other males who were delighting in this act of cruelty and display of superiority. His grip tightened as his hand moved, unintentionally twisting the poker in the ruined eye. Her shriek of pain became louder.

"Good, draw out the pain, but not too much. This is a task even if it's pleasurable."

This is pleasurable?

He wondered how anyone could take pleasure in hearing those screams. But based on the laughter it was obvious that some did. He pulled the poker out. The female continued her struggles and even tried to turn her face away from him. However, the chain that held her head down hindered her attempts. Any doubt that he was dangerous was now gone.

He knew the pleasure that came from spilling blood. The ecstasy he got from having an opponent, defeated, and at his mercy, was the best kind of ecstasy. But this wasn't like that. He wished that she would fire a Cero at him. That would make this better for him.

He put his free hand around the eye and tugged on her eyebrow and upper cheek, forcing the flaps of skin that covered her eye to move. He slowly sank the point into the watering and terrified eye.

The next part was a blur. When he became aware of what was going on he was standing in front of the Nel again. However, the poker was gone. He looked at his hand and saw that he was holding a pair of pliers. He looked at the dull points and experimentally opened and closed them. He looked at the Nel. The unnerving eyes were gone. Blood welled up and pooled in the empty sockets of that whimpering face.

He wondered if she could still cry.

"The front twelve teeth are next," the Proctor told him.

He nodded numbly. There was a flare of Reiatsu that was abruptly silenced. A fire pit some distance away flared up as fuel was poured on. Someone had failed.

However, since it was a failure of eager zeal and not of mercy, that one would be allowed to try again after spending time examining the proper way of performing the Rite. If it was a failure of mercy, then that candidate would be castrated and become little more than a male Nel. Most of those who were doomed to that fate were known to chew out their wrists so that they could die as a male than live as an abomination.

He noticed that his female's Reiatsu was also weak, but it was only a broodling. The weakest females were killed in the Birthing Pit to be butchered for the livestock. It occurred to him that was a mercy.

He reached down with his free hand and forced her jaws apart. He was surprised at how dry her mouth was. But it made sense. Nels were not allowed to have anything to drink before this ritual since it was a mandate that the first thing that all Nels should drink were blood and tears.

She tried to bite down on his invasive hand, but she couldn't. Blood poured out of her sockets and onto the stone slab.

He put the pliers to one of the marked teeth and clamped them down. He pulled and then twisted the pliers and gave an even harder pull. She screamed each time he successfully pulled out one of the marked teeth. Blood flowed from the sockets where the teeth had been and onto his hands. It felt different from the blood he felt in a fight.

Is this what a woman's blood feels like?

He didn't pay any attention to it. Instead he continued his work. Pull. Twist. Harder pull. Another tooth was taken. Soon her screams became hoarse and sounded more like a whimper. When the last marked tooth was out, Carros stepped back. Blood ringed her ruined mouth and she began to cough and spit. It was distracted from the pain by trying not to drown in its blood.

You stupid bitch that would be the smartest thing you could do.

He glared at her.

"The thumbs are next," the Proctor told him.

Carros turned on the spot and walked over to the table. His stride showed the heat he was feeling, but the Proctor thought it the heat of excitement and not of self-loathing. He replaced the blood-drenched tool. For a moment he had the urge to toss the damn tool into the fire. However, he only put the pliers down on the table and picked up the clippers.

Like pruning a branch, he thought.

He walked back to the Nel and grabbed one hand. She tried to close her hand, but he applied pressure to the center of her palm. Her hand opened and he put the blades on either side of the thumb as close to where the digit and the hand met as he could get.

Like pruning a branch. Like pruning a branch. Like pruning a branch.

He squeezed the handles. The blades sank into the flesh and caught on the bone. He released his grip enough for the blades to come free and squeezed harder. There was a snapping sound as the bone was cut. He did the same with the other hand.

She'll never be able to hold anything properly, he thought bitterly.

"That includes the big toes," the Proctor said.

Carros didn't know about that part. However he only nodded.

Obedience to the Law is always a virtue. Obedience to the Great Mantis's Will is always a virtue.

There was no more hesitation as he performed the same act on the big toes.

He looked down on the creature on the slab.

If it could curl up it would.

He felt ill as he picked up the four digits with his free hand. However, that illness was being replaced with a numb calm. He heard someone other than one of the females gagging. He looked to where the sound was coming from and recognized the male who had been enjoying the screams earlier. However, he wasn't really gagging. He was preparing.

The man planted a blob of spit into one of his subject's ruined eyes and let out a cold chuckle.

What am I missing? Am I supposed to be enjoying this?

He looked at the digits in his hand and tossed them into the fire. He put the clippers down and picked up the last tool. It was a small knife with a small blade. He had heard of these. The swords that the Sons used were not allowed to have an edge this sharp. However, it was said that the First Son used such an edge. Then again, Delgado was considered as brilliant as he was insane.

The female was whimpering. He looked and saw that she had been freed of the chains that had held her down. The Proctor looked at him and nodded. He knew what was next. His father had shown him the scar on a Chattel when he had asked why they didn't walk. Carros nodded in return as he approached the Nel.

He looked at her in disgust.

At least try and run you weak bitch. AT LEAST TRY AND RUN! YOU STUPID CUNT, RUN!

He grabbed her on either side and dragged her to the edge. He pulled her down onto the floor and she landed hard. The creature howled and spat out blood. It coughed and tremors ran through its thin frame. He knelt and pulled at one leg as it tried to curl into a ball.

YOU DON'T WANT TO RUN! FINE…

"THEN DON'T RUN!" he roared as he put the blade to her ankle.

I JUST WANT OUT OF THIS! I WANT THIS TO END!

He slashed her ankle as deep as he could. He could feel tendons and muscle and bone give way as he severed the ankle. He did the same to the other ankle.

"There," he snarled. "Now you can crawl like the beast you really are."

The Proctor was telling him what came next, but he ignored it. He knew. And he did not care to listen anymore. Nothing mattered except finishing his task. He knelt in front of her and dug the fingers of his left hand, which was clutching the scalpel, into her bleeding mouth. It was easier to pry her mouth open without the teeth getting in the way. He took hold of her tongue with his right hand and pulled it out as far as he could. She finally put up some resistance as her tiny mauled fists beat against his chest.

He released the hold his fingers had on her jaw when he had a good hold on her tongue. The scalpel shone as he slashed the blade through the muscle. He stood up, holding the tongue in his hand. He walked to the fire pit and tossed the tongue in. He could hear the girl whimper behind him. He didn't turn around. He looked at the poker that the Proctor had put next to the fire with the point hanging out over the edge. It was now glowing red and yellow and white.

"Shut up," he commanded.

"Well done. The poker should be hot enough to staunch the bleeding.

Carros turned to look at the Proctor. The man took a step back and gestured for him to take the poker.

He grabbed the poker's handle and ignored the intense heat. He approached the bleeding, trembling figure. He leaned down and forestalled death with more pain. The smell of burning flesh filled the room with its sweet aroma mixed with the stench of charred hair. When he was done he released his grasp on her. She fell in a limp heap, nearly passed out from the pain and blood loss. He looked to the Proctor. His eyes were filled with intensity.

I fulfilled the Great Mantis's Will. Just tell me that it's over with.

"It is finished," the Proctor said. "You are not a child anymore. You are a True Son of the Mantis. You are no longer bound to the inferior beast but are now the Master. She is your Chattel. She is our Chattel."

Even though the Proctor had done this many times he still eyed the hot poker in this new man's hand warily. Carros felt tired. He knew that only one thing remained and then he would be free to enter society as a True Son of the Mantis.

"It is tradition for you to take her to the Uterum and place her with the other Chattel."

"Where are the collars?"

The Proctor smiled and pointed at the hair sticking out from the trembling, bloody, and burned creature.

The Chattel

Darkness.

Everything was shrouded in darkness.

She heard scraping sounds. A terrible odor filled her nostrils, but she had no way of knowing what it was. Then the pain in her scalp returned as she was lifted off her knees again. She let out a scream from her ruined mouth. Her mutilated hands reached vainly for the fingers in her mane.

She felt herself being swung and then she was released from the grip. She felt herself falling and landing on her front. She slid down what felt like a ramp of some kind. Her Hierro was scraped but not cut. Instinct told her to push herself up, but when she tried, pain flared through her hands. She tried to breath, but the stench of the polluted and stagnant air only caused her to gag.

Then she felt Reiatsu around her. She heard something, or perhaps it was more than one something, shifting and moaning. Whatever it was, it was coming closer. She propped her elbows against the ground and shakily tried to lift herself up only to fall again. She let out a small whimper as she sensed the something close in. She prepared herself for some creature to tear her to shreds. Instead she felt fingertips touching her.

She struck at the hands, but the blow caused a tremendous sensation of pain to travel through her. She cried out and curled her hands and brought them close to her chest. The hands returned.

She was terrified of any further contact and so didn't notice the gentleness in the wary touch. The fingers stroked her hair and then touched her cheeks. They explored her, stroking and prodding, in an attempt for their owner to understand this new creature.

Finally a hand found hers and held it in its larger grip.

The thumb of the larger hand was missing and the wound was covered with rough scabbed flesh. Another hand touched her face. It stank, but it was gentle. It was also maimed.

Like mine, she thought.

Her fragment was found and traced. She buried her head under her arms to protect it. The hands withdrew and then she could feel arms wrapping themselves around her. They pulled her curled form into something warm, but there was a row of hard ridges that seemed to poke into her. Curious, she reached a hand up tracing the hard row of ridges until it found a pair of soft bumps. Then her hand was gently grabbed as the thing bent down and she now felt a face.

She allowed her fingers to trace the face. When her fingers reached the mouth, she could feel that the front teeth were missing. Then she felt the scars over the empty eye sockets. The thumb-less hand touched her thumb-less hand and held it to one cheek. She understood.

She leaned in closer sobbing in pain and relief as her new kin scooted up the slope that led down to the drain.

The two soon reached the rim where the others were crowded. The area where the Chattels were crowded was flat but not as defined as the slope that drained their waste. The older Chattel's spot had been taken but she squirmed back in, grunting in irritation. The others heard the little one sobbing and began to stroke it.

She was one of them now.

The older wished that one of the more experienced Nurturers would be here soon to vomit on the little one. Her own vomit only stank, but some of the other women's goo would help to ease the pain.

The stench was always bad at first, but one got used to it. But she knew that it was the fresh air that was to be dreaded. Whenever they took you there it was only more pain. She could remember the last time she had been brought up to the fresh air. She could still hear the jeers and laughter mixed with the drums and stomping and applause as she was being beaten and raped by one of their "Warriors". It was the same for all of them. The men took what they wanted. The fresh air was their smell and it was something to be feared and hated.

She began to rub the little one gently against her as she ran her cheek over its head. She marked her with her scent so that she could keep track of her and accustom the girl to her own.

Her own Nurturer was gone, but she remembered how to give what little comfort that could be provided. Soon there would be food and she already knew that her entire share would go to this one.

Carros

He somehow found his way home. He didn't quite remember the journey, but his feet knew the way. He reached out to brush the tapestry of a lovely geometric pattern of black, white, and red that hung on the door. He sighed and reached for the latch. He pulled the door open.

Carros walked into the series of cells that he and the man who adopted him from his brood called "home."

His father was sitting at the stone table, waiting.

"Well?" he asked. Carros could tell that he was relieved just at seeing him since the males who committed the Weakness of Mercy were kept behind and all evidence they existed was purged.

"I…passed," Carros replied tiredly.

The man stood up and smiled. He walked over to his son and put his hands on his shoulders.

"In that case, you deserve a reward for becoming a true man," the mustached Arrancar declared. He lowered his hands from his son's shoulders and turned away.

He walked over to the line of quartz shelves that hung from the far wall and took down a crystal bottle. Carros noted idly that it was not the one he was accustomed to. His father looked at it with a look of fondness and held it up for his son to see.

"This is what men drink, Carros. It's not like the boy's alcohol you're used to. It's only appropriate that you start drinking it after you successfully showed your desire to make the Will of the Great Mantis your own."

I didn't really desire it, Carros thought. I only did it because I was taught to obey. And obedience is always a virtue.

His father looked at him as he took down two crystal glasses and returned to the table. He put one in front of his son's spot and poured some of the liquid into the glass. Carros sat and was glad to be off his feet.

"Drink. It will help. It helped me when I completed the Rite of Will," his father ordered as he sat down and poured his own glass.

Carros picked up the glass and looked at the amber liquid. He sniffed it and then took a sip.

It wasn't like the sweet alcohol that he was given before he became a True Son. This alcohol tasted bitter and it burned as it went down his throat. He thought that it was appropriate that the adult alcohol was like this.

"I'm going to give you some advice that my own father gave me. If anyone asks if performing the Rite shook you up in a bad way…lie. Tell them that you enjoyed it. Tell yourself that you enjoyed it. If you can't dress up the lie then just say something like 'I have no words to describe my passion,' or something like that. The more times you tell yourself that you enjoyed it the quicker you'll come to believe it."

Carros thought about it. He remembered the Warriors as they were walking out. He remembered how they talked about their own experiences and how they seemed to have enjoyed it. He wondered how many of them truly enjoyed it at the time and how many merely lied to themselves to the point they believed it.

It made him think of one of his peers spitting in that suffering wretch's eyes as they filled with blood.

"The fact that you passed is what's truly important. However, when you're among the other Sons, speak fondly of it. Do you understand?"

Carros only nodded as he took another sip.

"Well, as long as you don't become a Proctor or volunteer to put them down when their time comes, you don't ever need to go back there. You don't even need to truly think about it again until it's time for your own sons to go through the Rite of Will."

I'll never have a son, he thought bitterly as he drained his glass. How could I?

He felt his father put his hand over his.

"I'm proud of you, Carros Serrano."

Carros looked at his father surprised. It was the first time he had ever applied his surname when addressing his son. It only made him feel even more numb. He poured another drink and looked at it. He thought back to those brown eyes looking at him. He could still see their green specks and that look that told him that she believed he wouldn't hurt her.

He drained the second glass and poured a third.

Las Noches

Wall, wall, wall, ooh…a Hollow gecko, wall, more wall, and… Tatsuki turned her head slightly. SAND!

She felt as though the sand was laughing at her.

That does not bode well for me.

Tatsuki's scowl deepened. However, she would never admit that scowling was sort of her normal expression. After all, she was a Lieutenant and the sane one, at least in her mind, among her peers and that did not encourage a sunny disposition.

But this was ridiculous.

"Anything?" Ikkaku asked. His voice dripped with irritation.

Tatsuki was in the lead with the Third Seat bringing up the rear while Hanataro and Nemu kept the same pace between them. Tatsuki glanced back and gave Ikkaku, and by default the other two, her no-coffee-morning scowl.

"If you can't see it from there how could I see something from a few meters ahead?"

She knew it was a bit unfair, but her nerves were being rubbed the wrong way.

To their right was the fabled wall of Las Noches. They had reached it after being dumped in the desert and using Sonído to cover the distance with a couple of rest breaks. But that had been tolerable. That had been sane and sensible. This was not.

"Where's the fucking door?" Ikkaku growled as he fidgeted with his sword.

"When we find it, you'll be the first to know," Tatsuki growled.

"It would be sensible if there is only a single door. After all, entrances are weaknesses in any fortification. Considering the size of Las Noches, it could take some time before we locate a viable entrance," Nemu said as she adjusted her large back pack.

"Or we could do what Ichigo did and just make a door," Ikkaku grumbled.

"A volatile arrival would defeat our mission's intent of infiltration," Nemu answered calmly.

From anyone else it might have sounded condescending. But it was just Nemu being her usual dishwater dull self. Tatsuki had a feeling that the humanoid didn't exactly have a wide range of emotions or any programming on how to be tactful.

Honestly, that girl's emotional spectrum is dialed to negative one, she thought as she continued her march.

Wall, wall, wall, oh…and what's this? MORE WALL!

"Wall, wall, wall, wall…." Tatsuki muttered under her breath. This prompted a twitch of irritation from Ikkaku as it carried back.

"GIRL!" Hanataro yelped as he stopped in his tracks.

"Girl? Tatsuki asked glancing back at him.

Then she hit something and went tumbling to the ground. She was expecting a mouthful of sand, but that didn't come. In fact whatever she landed on felt…soft. She opened her eyes to see white and red. She pushed herself up and saw the checkerboard pattern on a cloth spread over the ground.

She blinked a few times, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Then she felt something digging into her stomach and heard a throat being cleared. Tatsuki hopped back with reflexes honed by training and fueled by awkwardness. Sure enough she had run over a girl, who was still lying on the spread blanket. One arm was outstretched in order to save the submarine sandwich clutched in the hand.

Her position indicated that she had been sitting. Tatsuki's trained eyes looked at the objects on the cloth. She saw a mostly empty glass bottle, orange rinds, a wicker basket, and other things that indicated one thing.

Was this Arrancar having a…a…A PICNIC? Maybe the Gigai's eating my brain. I mean…this can't be real. I must be hallucinating.

The Arrancar girl sat up slowly and rubbed the bone helmet that covered the top of her head. She took a large bite out of her sandwich.

Tatsuki glanced at the others to make sure that they were seeing the same thing she was seeing. Hanataro looked horrified that they had done some kind of hit and run. Ikkaku looked curious. Nemu…only stared at the sandwich.

The girl's helmet had two horns one of which was broken into a stub. One eye was concealed behind the darkness of a socket. The pink eye watched them curiously with a spark that Tatsuki found familiar. Her light green hair was cut short and she wore a long, short-sleeved dress that looked to nearly reach her ankles.

The Arrancar girl frowned at Nemu when she saw that her attention was on the food. Nemu, however, was most likely pondering the logistics required to get such a thing to Hueco Mundo and into this girl's hands. Tatsuki and Ikkaku recognized the look that the girl was giving:

MINE!

"Uh…hi?" Tatsuki ventured.

"What's up?" the girl asked in return.

She stuffed the remainder of her sandwich into her mouth, causing her cheeks to bulge horribly. She tried to give Nemu a look of triumph. Unfortunately the look came across as extremely comical. Ikkaku could not resist bursting out into laughter at her face.

The Arrancar girl surged to her feet. If looks could kill, then the glare she was giving should have killed Ikkaku five times over. However, her face was still nearly overflowing with the sandwich only made the death glare look ridiculous. This made Tatsuki's mouth twitch, but she was able to keep control. Ikkaku, however, lost his footing. As he rolled on the ground, the girl put her hands to the bulging cheeks and pushed them in. The three watched a very visible lump go down her neck as she swallowed most of the food.

Then sand was kicked up as the girl winked out of sight. There was no static sound that marked a Sonído.

A cracking sound made their heads whip around to see the girl planting a kick to Ikkaku's head as he continued to roll around laughing. The force sent him spinning into the wall with a thump.

"ASSHOLE! WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?" she yelled as she crossed her arms over her modest chest.

"The stupid face you were making," Ikkaku remarked, undiplomatically, as he got to his feet.

He dusted himself off and didn't look any worse for wear. Tatsuki looked at the girl and didn't feel much Reiatsu from her.

Huh…I guess she's a Numeros.

Then the girl turned to look at the rest of the party with dull amusement. That was when Tatsuki noticed the flame pattern around the concealed eye.

Oh shit…this is Lilynette Gingerback, the Primera's counterpart. This is just great. Our first encounter here and we're pissing off a local VIP. And if the reports are right, she may also be crazy.

With another speedy surge, Lilynette was face-to-face with Hanataro, standing on the tips of her toes. Tatsuki now noticed that her feet were encased in a pair of slender white boots. She leaned in so close that her nose nearly touched Hanataro's. She narrowed her eyes and began to sniff.

Don't tell me that sniffing could be a normal Arrancar greeting. Great, we're screwed, aren't we?

Tatsuki inwardly moaned at the thought. She noticed that the poor medic looked like he was about to run away. The combination of encountering an Arrancar and a girl being so close to him was probably making his brain want to just blow a few fuses.

"You're a wuss," she declared poking him in the chest.

Judging by how her finger went further than it should, Tatsuki concluded that Lilynette was poking him in the Hollow hole. This seemed to get Lilynette's attention. She jumped back a few steps as Hanataro cringed. She looked self-conscious for a moment and then zipped out of sight again.

There was a slight thudding sound as Nemu caught the girl's knee in her palm before it could connect with her stomach. The girl's eye brightened and she grinned. Nemu…looked the same. She made no attempt to turn the block into a hold and allowed the girl to recover and step back. Lilynette looked at her appraising her.

"You're cool," she declared and turned her attention to Tatsuki. "That means you're cool too since you're her boss." Lilynette looked pleased and nodded her head.

Tatsuki realized that this must have been some kind of class test.

She must use it to determine who she should respect and who not to even bother with.

"Anyways, welcome to Las Noches. Please don't poke the jerks," she stated and then laughed at her own joke and clapped her hands.

Yeah, she's definitely crazy, Tatsuki thought.

"Agh…enough with the Unwelcome Committee, we're trying to get inside," Ikkaku broke in.

He loomed over the girl from behind. Tatsuki saw that he had one hand on the hilt of his sword and really hoped he would realize who this was before he did something stupid. The young Arrancar glanced over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue at him. Ikkaku gritted his teeth. Tatsuki looked to Nemu and nodded. Nemu nodded to show she understood and used Sonído to reach Ikkaku whom she restrained. Lilynette seemed pleased with this and her grin became even wider.

"So…uh…may we enter?" Tatsuki asked.

"Hmm, let's see. The big door is about two days that-a-way, but I can get in sooner," Lilynette pondered aloud. She looked at the group like they were toys on a shelf.

Oh gods. don't tell me she's some kind of spoiled princess, Tatsuki thought with dread.

"Hmm, alright I'll do it. But I have one condition." Lilynette raised one finger to emphasize that point.

"Uh…what is it?" Tatsuki asked, dreading the number of possibilities. She may not know Lilynette, but she knew Yachiru.

"The cool girls come to hang out at my house."

Tatsuki looked confused. That was not what she had been expecting.

"HEY!" Ikkaku cried out, still struggling to break free of Nemu's hold. "What about me and the wuss?"

"Eh, I don't care…just as long as you don't get me in trouble. My secret entrances are supposed to be secret," she explained as she wadded up her blanket and shoved it into the basket.

She has secret entrances? And she's showing where they are to complete strangers? Someone really needs to explain the definition of "Secret" to her.

She watched as Lilynette chewed up the orange rinds as she picked up the basket with the bottle sticking out of it and a fold of blanket dangling over the edge. She walked over to the part of the wall that Ikkaku had hit when he went rolling from her kick. She placed a hand on it. Her Reiatsu flared visibly in a blue aura.

"HEY, OPEN UP! IT'S ME!" she shouted at the wall.

The ground at the base of the wall parted in a maw. Lilynette dropped into it. Tatsuki gestured for Nemu to let Ikkaku go and they approached the edge cautiously.

"What are you waiting for?" her voice cried out from the darkness below as they looked down.

"Commander Arisawa?" Nemu asked.

Tatsuki only shrugged. Ikkaku gave a slight grin and he jumped down. Hanataro approached the edge hesitantly and looked down nervously.

"Yamada, would you like assistance?" Nemu asked.

The medic nodded. Then he felt something hit him in the back. He tottered on the edge and fell head first into the darkness. The girls heard him land with a thump and the bark of laughter from Ikkaku.

"Uh…what was that?" Tatsuki asked Nemu who was lowering her hand to her side.

"It's how Father gets the new recruits who are rather reluctant to clean the drains to start," she replied.

Nemu then leapt into the air and performed a double back flip as she dropped down. Tatsuki sighed and just stepped over the edge in what looked like an uncontrolled plunge.

A Few Minutes Later

Tatsuki was feeling nostalgic. It wasn't something that she had planned on experiencing in Hueco Mundo. Yet, here she was, riding a train with Nemu while it was being driven through a decent-sized tunnel under Las Noches. She hadn't known that Las Noches had such a network. That part was not mentioned in any of the briefings.

She had been worried when they dropped into a room where two white-uniformed Arrancar men with Reiatsu the level of a Seated-Officer sat. Fortunately they were more annoyed than angry at Lilynette dropping in with company. Tatsuki had a feeling that the girl brought home strays quite often.

She began to wonder if Lilynette was another Yachiru who got away with everything because she had a poor-excuse of a father who happened to be a big shot. Then she started to wonder if perhaps Las Noches was run this poorly to where two guards, or she guessed they were guards, would allow a bunch of strangers to enter unhindered.

Then she began to revisit her This-Is-A-Hallucination Theory when she realized that they were in an old fashioned underground station and Lilynette had acquired a black and gold conductor's cap with the letters LNUT displayed on it in glittering letters.

Now, she was alone with the girl and Nemu since Lilynette said that assholes couldn't ride her ride. Hanataro had volunteered to walk with Ikkaku up the marble-tiled stairs that were located at the end of an arched hallway that apparently connected the platform to the station. She didn't know how long the train had been running on the tracks through the darkness.

"Pretty sweet, eh? They got nothing like this in the boondocks! I'm in charge of the trains and tunnels all around the city," Lilynette declared proudly from her spot at the controls.

Tatsuki thought that the ride was a lot smoother than any she remembered while in the World of the Living. The train car itself was decorated like something from the Victorian Era, including portraits of Arrancars hanging over some of the windows. She glanced at the one nearest her that showed a raven-haired man with a goatee and a mask fragment that resembled a pair of devil horns. The small gold plaque on the frame simply read: "DORDONI". Tatsuki frowned.

"What purpose does this serve when most Arrancar can use Sonído?" Nemu asked.

Lilynette looked up from the control. She took a sip of coffee and glared at Nemu.

"Well, it's a train. You can sit down. Besides, not everyone is that good at using Sonído," Lilynette answered. There was a dangerous tone to her voice when it came to the last part.

"But isn't it still a waste of time and resources?" Nemu asked.

She frowned slightly as her rational mind was working to understand the exact purpose of having a train system under Las Noches. She was oblivious as Lilynette turned in her seat to glare at the monotonous woman while sipping the coffee.

Oh boy, I know that look, Tatsuki thought. It's the same look that Yachiru gets when she is about to bite. I hope she doesn't get too distracted from the controls and cause this…

She suddenly realized that there was no way this could really be real. Yet, it was. They were riding on a train under Las Noches.

Wait a minute. WHERE THE HELL DID THEY GET A TRAIN? Hold on…did she also say "TRAINS"?

That was when she noticed the brass plaque on one of the wooden panels. She looked at it, wondering if this was the last gasp of her sanity. But no, this actually explained things that made no sense to the rational mind.

IMPORTED BY URAHARA SHOTEN

DISCRETION IS OUR MOTTO

"Tch…I should have known," she growled.

So…dare to mess with my sanity with nonsensical shit will he?

As Tatsuki seethed, she was already plotting her vengeance. A wicked gleam came to her eyes as she realized her best course of action.

She would unleash Yachiru on that bum's candy shop.

Urahara Shoten, Karakura Town

Kisuke felt a sudden chill run up his spine. He shivered slightly and wrapped his coat closer to him. The others seated around the low round table paused to look at him.

"Is something wrong boss?" Tessai asked.

"I don't know Tessai, but I got a bad feeling," Urahara murmured as he glanced around.

"Oh…what is it?" the large man as he carefully refilled his boss's glass from across the table.

"I'm sensing that a pretty girl somewhere wants to hit me."

"Maybe it's Yoruichi," Ururu suggested happily.

That could mean that the woman would be visiting after all. Urahara felt a bit of relief at the thought. He was about to eat the rest of his lunch when he noticed that it was gone. He turned and raised his only eyebrow to Yura who was chomping away a bit too innocently.

Las Noches

Tatsuki Arisawa

"Here we are," Lilynette called as she tried to straighten her conductor's cap over her helmet.

Tatsuki wondered why she didn't just alter the hat to fit her unique mask fragment. The Arrancar got to her feet and drained the last of the coffee she had been drinking during the trip and stifled a yawn. She grabbed the picnic basket that she had placed on one of the seats.

"Uh…where are we?" Tatsuki asked.

"We're at Central Station…duh."

Tatsuki looked out one of the uncovered windows and saw that they were in some kind of station. She saw strips of the fluorescent material running up the columns and along the ceiling. The white tiles gleamed in the soft glow. In the middle of the wall she saw a plaque of a white circle inside a larger red circle with a blue stripe running horizontally across the middle with the words CENTRAL STATION/KING'S PLAZA in white.

Oh man, Yachiru would be so jealous, Tatsuki thought at the sight. Or worse…she would ask Lilynette to help her with upgrading her own tunnels and then seek out Urahara to get her some trains to use. It would mean the end of the Soul Society as we know it.

"Anyways, thanks for riding the Lilynette Express Line of the Las Noches Underground Transit. Enjoy your stay; don't forget to visit the souvenir shop; blah-blah-blah. Alright, let's go," Lilynette said as she opened the train door.

Do they really get tourists or is she just ignoring her own delusions? Tatsuki wondered as she got up. Nemu followed her lead.

They stepped out of the train. Their footsteps echoed in the empty station as they made their way to the exit. Tatsuki stopped when she saw the escalators, one going up and the other coming down. She began to wonder how they got electricity to operate them and then saw another Urahara Shoten plaque and felt she knew the answer.

Somebody's been a busy beaver.

"Are you just gonna stand there or are ya gonna head up?" Lilynette called out.

"Come on, before she decides to go all Yachiru on us," Tatsuki whispered.

"As you wish," Nemu replied. Although she was puzzled why that would be a bad thing since the Madame President was quite nice if a bit strange. But she was only permitted to question Arisawa's authority when it ran counter to her father's orders.

They got on the escalator and headed up. The walls on either side were decorated with posters of various trains from steam-powered trains to the Bullet train to the sleek and more aerodynamic vehicles that traveled on the new Eurasian Glide-Rails.

She focused her attention back to the top of the escalator. She could see two ornate pillars that were holding up some kind of stone roof. When they reached the top, she saw that they were standing under an awning with only the front open. The other three sides were closed off by white stone.

They stepped out from under the structure and Tatsuki looked at the sky.

This…this is impossible, she thought.

Even though they had heard of it, it was something to actually see it. She remembered that Hanataro and Nemu were the only ones to have actually experienced it, but their accounts could not have prepared her for it.

It was strange seeing that after all of this time since Aizen's death at the end of the Second Aizen War that his Kido mastery was still working.

The false sun beat down on them from a pristine blue sky. For a moment Tatsuki felt that she was home after the night of Hueco Mundo.

But closer inspection made her realize her mistake. Even though it looked like it was day, it just didn't have the same feel. There was no wind and the heat didn't feel natural. The "sunlight" lacked the warmth and familiarity she was used to. It was not the same sensation she had when she said farewell to the real sun along with her friends and family on Memorial Hill.

The revelation made the sight unpleasant.

It was like seeing a stranger dressed up like a dear friend.

Then her eyes went to the surface. Palaces of sandstone rose from the sandy surface. Some were surrounded by walls that were decorated with friezes and others seemed to be made of fluted columns. In the distance she could see what looked like an aqueduct rising above the desert floor in a series of arches.

Then there were the statues. Some were intact, rising above the sands like triumphant gods of white stone. But she saw that most of them were in pieces. Some were even buried in the sand and looked like the victims of a shipwreck struggling to keep from sinking beneath the waves. A struggle they looked to be losing; thus making their stoic or triumphant stances all the more eerie.

It reminded her of a bit of poetry she had read once in high school. She hadn't thought of that poem in ages, but the sight brought it back:

And on the pedestal these words appear:

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"

Nothing beside remains: round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

She couldn't believe that she still remembered that. Yet she shivered at how true those words were to describe what she was seeing.

"So, is it living up to your expectations?" Lilynette asked.

"I was…picturing something different," Tatsuki replied honestly.

What is this? What happened here?

"Yeah, well, it's interesting how time changes things. You should have seen it in its Golden Days. There were a lot more things to do back then… Now come on, the entryway is this way!" Lilynette piped up after trailing off on her thoughts of the past.

Tatsuki exchanged a look with Nemu before they followed. She knew that they had brushed on something important. However, Lilynette's use of the word "entryway" drove that thought away.

"Entryway?"

Tatsuki turned and saw that the structure they just came out of was carved into the base of a great wall that was decorated with friezes. Her eyes widened in surprise at the detail and the way the scenes flowed into each other with tremendous ease. A brief Sonído away from the wall allowed her to get a better view of what she was looking at. She knew that some of the scenes depicted from the briefings on the Winter War. However, those scenes were heavily stylized and, she thought, rather one-sided.

"Tch…tourists," Lilynette scoffed. "You're always gawking at things that we natives got tired of looking at a long time ago. I can tell you that the scene sculpted for the Battle at the Fake Karakura Town is completely inaccurate. I was there you know. I ACTUALLY FOUGHT AGAINST A CAPTAIN!"

That's not what I would call it, Tatsuki thought, trying to keep from laughing. She had read the accounts that were given and they pretty much all agreed on Lilynette's "fight" with Captain Ukitake. I would say it was more of having a tantrum.

"But do they even think of putting that on the wall? NO! They think that my fight against that white-haired guy wasn't important enough."

That's because it wasn't.

"I felt sad with what Wonderweiss did to him. I really wanted a re-match.

"Anyways, for the part with Aizen slashing Harribel…they got that right. Shinigami bastard. Now come on."

Lilynette began to walk away. Tatsuki looked at Nemu, but she was expressionless as ever. She wished that Ikkaku was here since he would provide some actual conversation. Nemu might be smarter than him, but she kept her thoughts to herself most of the time. That wasn't an issue with the Third Seat.

"So tell me, Spikes…" Lilynette spoke up as they caught up with her.

"My name's not 'Spikes'," Tatsuki grumbled.

Great, just what I need: another nickname. My hair isn't that spiky.

"It is to me. Anyways, why did you bring such a weakling along with ya? I would have figured that tourists traveling through Hueco Mundo wouldn't want such a…a…oh…what's the word I want?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully, trying to find the right way to describe Hanataro.

"Perhaps you wish to say, 'Small-Fry'?" Nemu inquired helpfully. She had experience with this sort of thing thanks to Yachiru.

"THAT'S IT!" Lilynette shouted and clapped her hands. "Yes, that's exactly it. Thanks Chuckles."

"My pleasure," Nemu said and gave a slight bow.

Did…did she just call Nemu "Chuckles"? Tatsuki shook her head. The reports on her really were right. I just hope she doesn't go all Yachiru on us and start using us as chew toys. However, Nemu voluntarily endures fatal levels of Yachiru exposure. Maybe she's immune?

Lilynette smiled a bit and reached up to pat Nemu on the shoulder.

"I think you and I are gonna get along just fine. As for you, Spikes, you really need to loosen up a bit more. Las Noches is good for that. As for those two idiots you came with…they're an embarrassment. I would drop them ASAP if I was the boss," she advised as she walked backwards to face her guests.

I'm glad she's here and not in the Soul Society, Tatsuki thought. I don't even want to think about what kind of damage that she and the Pink Menace could cause if they joined forces. Pink hair + Pink eye =…

The very thought sent a shiver up her spine.

It didn't take them long to reach the mentioned entryway. It was flanked with two statues of red-eyed wolves that seemed to stand guard at an ornate wrought-iron gate. Lilynette sighed and muttered something under her breath. She reached into a pocket that was concealed on her dress and brought out a key hanging on a silver chain. She continued mumbling under her breath as she unlocked the date.

"She seems to be agitated about something," Nemu observed.

"I can see that."

"Alright, come on you two. I'm sure that my Dad would like to meet you. Besides he…" She yawned and started to nod off. "Hold on a sec." She reached into her basket and brought out a bottle of soda. She twisted the cap off and drank deeply. She shivered slightly and screwed the top back on as her back became straight again.

"That's better.

"Anyways, he spends too much time sleeping. Maybe you can get him moving," she pondered.

Tatsuki's eye twitched at how that could be taken. But she knew that wasn't what the girl was talking about.

Lilynette gestured for them to go through the opened gate. When the three were in the compound, Tatsuki noticed two vacant pedestals opposite of the wolves. Lilynette closed the gate behind them and led them to the entrance to the Five Towers. Tatsuki could only imagine how far they rose, but from what she read in the accounts each tower rose above the massive dome. The visual effect of the towers seeming to pierce the sky was impressive.

Then again, Aizen had built this place. The Arrancars were like hermit crabs, moving in after he was gone. But it seemed that they had made some modifications. She had heard from the reports that the Five Towers were completely separated from each other. However, it appeared as though the Arrancars had built some kind of structure around the lower levels of the Five Towers. She looked up and saw sky-walks running from each of the four outer towers to the central tower.

Huh, they made quite a few modifications to this place.

They walked up the flight of stone stairs to a pair of steel doors. Lilynette used her key to unlock these doors and pushed them open. They found themselves in some kind of courtyard with a fountain that was spouting water and well-tended flower gardens with a variety of flowers from roses to tulips. There were even a couple of cherry trees. There was a stone bench by the fountain that looked to be in good condition as well.

"Nel likes to tend to this garden whenever she comes by," Lilynette said. "She says that it helps to brighten up the place."

Tatsuki would have to agree with that. Then something clicked.

"When you say 'Nel' are you referring to Nelliel Tu Odelschwank?" Tatsuki asked.

"Uh…yeah…unless there's another Nel I don't know about," Lilynette replied.

Lilynette led them to another flight of stairs that led to an open doorway. When they walked through the arch they walked into a massive lobby. Paintings and tapestries hung around the room, making it surprisingly bright. Tatsuki wondered how many pieces of art were in this single area. Her mother had tried to get her into art instead of sports, and most of what she was seeing was among the better stuff that had been forced on her.

Columns made of the luminescent stone lined the wall, casting their pale light throughout the chamber. A great staircase rose at the end of the hall. A statue stood in the alcove at the landing that showed a man in a long fur coat with two pistols in his hands and a wolf standing next to him. The base for this statue read STARRK.

However, it looked as though the alcove was originally meant to hold another statue. However, only the base on which that statue would have stood remained and it looked as though the part where a name would have been was completely chiseled away. Tatsuki wanted to stop and inspect it but their guide was still moving.

Lilynette led them to an archway flanked by two of Thomas Cole's The Course of Empire paintings: The Arcadian or Pastoral State and The Consummation of Empire. When they walked through the archway, Tatsuki became even more surprised. They had walked into some kind of sitting area.

The furniture was ornate, but not as gaudy as the furniture in the Rococo style. The couches looked extremely comfortable. A gold and crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Small paintings decorated the oak wood panel walls.

Wow! They really know how to live comfortably here, Tatsuki thought. So much for The Vanguard's propaganda, these "savage beasts" live ritzier than the Kuchikis!

"Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable," Lilynette said as she shoved her guests onto one of the couches. "You can wait here while I get him."

Lilynette rushed out of the sitting area as they adjusted themselves in the overstuffed couch. Nemu glanced over at a chair against the wall and cocked her head slightly.

"Hmm…that chair appears to be late 18th Century French," she mused. "I wonder how they ever got their hands on a lot of what they have. Most of the paintings I saw were believed to be lost in the Downfall or during the Great Chaos."

How do you know all of that? Is it just a hobby or did Mayuri cram your head with this stuff?

Tatsuki got up and looked at a small Rembrandt that hung on the wall. She noticed the small plaque on the frame. Her suspicions were right. She began to wonder if she should put Kisuke's little side business in her report or not.

Nah, she decided. I'll let it slide. That way I can exact a more…personal revenge on him for making me question my own sanity.

"DAMN IT! WHERE IS HE?"

The bellow cut into her thoughts.

Tatsuki sat back down as Lilynette stomped back into the room. She could see that the little Arrancar was more frustrated than enraged despite her yelling. She got the feeling that the girl was a recreational yeller.

"Is something wrong?" Nemu asked.

"Lazy Ass wasn't in his usual napping area. Ah well…I'm not gonna go looking for him. He'll come crawling back eventually like always. When he does…I'll give him a good kick in the ass for the trouble," Lilynette declared rather dramatically. She plopped down on one of the couches and put her feet up on the ornately carved cherry-wood table that was between them.

"Aren't you worried that something might happen to him?" Tatsuki asked cautiously.

"Not really. I would be more worried for the Hollow that gets too close to him," the girl replied as she slumped into her seat, pouting.

That's right. The file on Coyote Starrk said that he has extremely high levels of Reiatsu. He even admitted that weaker Hollows died just from getting too close to him. And Nanao mentioned that the former Captain-Commander, Yamamoto, nearly killed her one time by exerting his Reiatsu over her. So I can believe that. And Starrk killed a Captain-classed Visored and almost killed Captain Kyoraku during the Winter War.

"In the meantime," Lilynette said perking up. She grabbed a deck of cards from the side table and grinned as she took the cards out of the box. "We can play a little game."

Lilynette sorted through the cards and took out one of the Jokers, but left the other in the deck. She began to cut and shuffle the cards…or at least she tried to shuffle the cards. Tatsuki felt that the Arrancar didn't get many opportunities to play cards and didn't think about practicing how to shuffle in between games.

"I'm not really in the mood to play games," Tatsuki said as she stood up. "Would it be alright if I took a look around?"

If the Yachiru trend continued, Tatsuki had a feeling that good sportsmanship and sensible rules were going to be in extremely short supply.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Lilynette sighed. "What about you Chuckles?" she asked looking at Nemu trying to disguise her eagerness with indifference. "Do you feel lucky going up against the Queen of Cards?"

Nemu looked at Tatsuki. Tatsuki only nodded while giving her a do-whatever-you-want look. Nemu returned her attention to Lilynette.

"Very well, I shall play," Nemu replied and bowed her head slightly.

"Excellent! I hope that you'll be more fun to play with than some of the other lame-brains I've had to put up with." Lilynette's grin now spread from ear-to-ear.

Lilynette continued to try to shuffle the cards, only for some of them to escape her grip in a wild spray. She let out a low growl of frustration as the cards fell around her.

"Stupid cards," she mumbled. She snatched some of the cards out of the air as they were still falling and then crawled on the floor to scoop up the ones that were lying on the ornately patterned Persian rug placed under the table.

"May I?" Nemu asked as she finished helping to pick up the rest of the escaped cards.

"Fine."

Lilynette practically slapped the cards into Nemu's palm. Nemu looked at the cards and began to shuffle them like a professional card dealer in a riverboat casino. Lilynette watched wide-eyed and mouth agape. Tatsuki walked out of the sitting area while she was distracted. When she reached the greeting area she looked at the stairs that ascended into the tower's heights.

Alright, let's see what I can find here. I hope that Ikkaku and Hanataro haven't forgotten that we're here to find out any information on the First Expedition. They had to come here at some point.

She looked at the stairs again. With any luck, the security was also lax on any important stuff as well. However, that thought made her wonder what happened to cause Las Noches to become this way. She made her way to the stairs, her footsteps echoed through the empty hall. She shivered.

This place feels…hollow.

Tatsuki sighed and began her ascent up the Tower of the Sleeping King.

Hanataro Yamada

He was not surprised to have been ditched by Ikkaku. Sure the reasoning had been to split up and gather more data that way than they would have if they stuck together. That was a part of the mission. However, Hanataro knew that it was still being ditched.

Ikkaku had thanked him for accompanying him, but it was only because it was the polite thing to do. Hanataro appreciated the gesture, but it didn't balance out the resentment he saw in the time before they separated.

He knew that people hated him. He was weak and the Gotei strived against weakness. He couldn't take his record against the disgraced officer as a matter of pride. Such shame would have destroyed him. The very fact that Ikkaku was still here to loathe Hanataro only proved that the ruffian was better than him.

And Nemu had pushed him into a hole! He had thought that she was nice. Squad 12 did not harbor the same grudge against Squad 4 that some of the Squads did. At the very least they respected the healing arts as a valid branch of science.

No, this won't do any good. I don't have time to wallow in self-pity. Captain Unohana trusted me with this mission and so did Ichigo! I need to help save Rukia again!

He squared his shoulders and brushed his hair back. Then he slumped when he looked around and realized that he had been walking. He had no idea how he had gotten into the long white hall that he found himself in. At the end of the hall he saw a pair of large doors.

Well, big fancy doors usually lead to someplace important.

He walked towards them and saw that one of the pair of large double doors was fancy. The left door was covered with a steel plate, or perhaps it was actually a silver plate, with an elaborate etching. It showed the Primera in his release mode. His arms were crossed over his chest, with a gun in each hand. The image was surrounded by depictions of grape vines that were heavy with fruit.

The right door was only bare stone. Rough holes in its surface gave the image that it also had an ornate plate on it as well. However, someone had ripped the plating off for some reason. He wondered why no one had bothered to repair or replace the second door since its twin was obviously well-cared for.

He glanced around the empty room. He was reminded of the "Something's Off" feeling of Las Noches. He had expected something like Squad 11's turf based on the reports that were given by those who had been here and by his own minor experience here. But the city didn't feel that way. It felt empty more than anything else.

Did I wander into an unused area? Well, he thought as he approached the door. I reckon this is a good a place as any to start my reconnaissance.

He pushed the marred door in.

What he saw the last thing he expected to see. Green, lots of green, and the sight of sunlight filtering through branches. It was as though he was about to walk into a forest. He stepped onto the stone path before the door and looked at the fruit trees that lined either side. Then he noticed the old but well-defined rows.

This isn't a forest. It's an orchard.

He then noticed that there were stone benches at various intervals. Apparently it also served as a park of sorts. He was surprised to see the ripe crimson apples hanging down from the branches. He walked to the path's edge and reached out. He picked one of the ripe fruit hanging on a relatively low branch. He sniffed at it and took a bite. The fruit crunched and his mouth was filled with its sweet taste.

Oh gods, that's good. This is a really good find. We could take some fruit with us as supplies.

He walked forward, still eating his apple. The apple trees gave way to orange trees. Some were already ripe enough to be picked, but others weren't quite ready. The orange trees gave way to a vineyard and groups of fig and olive trees. It looked as though those had already been harvested.

That was when he noticed something odd. He saw that the sunlight was reflecting against something hanging in mid-air. He suddenly realized that he was in some kind of vast greenhouse that had been divided into various sections, each separated by a wall of glass. He could see stray grapevines trying to climb the immaculate walls. He looked up at the angled glass roofing. Each section had glass with various levels of tinting, depending on how much sun and humidity was required for each fruit to ripen.

They must also have their own watering system as well. I guess Aizen really did think of everything when he designed his fortress.

He continued moving forward until he reached what looked to be the final section. It led onto a large stone porch. The marble tables were covered with pots of plants, some that Hanataro recognized as seasoning herbs and others as medicinal herbs. He looked at each plant, especially those he didn't recognize, as he made his way to the stone railing. He leaned forward and looked out over a sea of gold, waving in a gentle breeze from the wind fans.

They grow wheat? Who would have guessed?

He stood at the railing, sinking in the sight. He was glad to look at something other than white sand. He suspected that this was something he would not find out there. After all, he hadn't even expected to find it here.

"'tis beautiful, no?" a light voice asked.

Hanataro whirled around so fast that he tripped over his own feet and nearly fell. He was able to maintain his balance thanks to the stone rail. A soft giggle reached his ears. He looked up and saw a figure dressed in green sitting at the stone bench nearest him.

It was a girl who looked to either be in her mid or late teens. He skin was pale but here hair and eyes were a soft shade of green. Her face was angular, but looked more delicate than sharp. However, he noticed a pair of small tusks sprouting next to her eyes that he knew was her mask remnant. She wore a dark green dress with embroidery of vines at the waist and bust in gold thread and green silk gloves. Tusks or no, she was beautiful. The way she covered her mouth with one gloved hand to try to conceal her smile only made Hanataro more nervous. He wasn't sure if he should view her as an enemy or not.

Wait a minute. She's an Arrancar. Of course she's an enemy. I'll have to be on my guard. First, I need to calm down. There's no need to be all jumpy…at least not yet.

However, he was finding it rather difficult to calm down. He was afraid that any moment she would fire a Cero at him and that would be that.

As a result, he could only stare at her with wide eyes and flinching every-now-and-again when she made any sign at movement. This only caused the girl to give out another soft giggle. He idly noticed that she was holding a half-eaten apple in her right hand.

"I'm sorry. You just make quite the display, no?" she said. She pulled her hand away to reveal full lips painted a light shade of green. "You are a foreigner, no? You walk like a stranger and your clothes lack elegance." She let out a tiny gasp, and put the fingers of her left hand up to her mouth. "I'm sorry. 'twas rude of me, no? I apologize if you were offended."

"Oh…uh…uh…I…I wasn't offended," Hanataro stuttered. His mind raced for something to say to ensure she wouldn't view him as a threat.

"Uh…my name's Hanataro."

"I am Adrianna Tomaz," she replied and gave a slight nod of her head. "Hmm, Hanataro…your name is very foreign, no? Ah, you must be from the Night. I suppose 'tis nothing like the Hall of Bounty in the Night, no?"

Hanataro nodded, thinking that was the safest way to respond. He wondered why she kept saying, "no". Then he noticed the darting glances, her posture, and her hands.

She's nervous, he realized. He knew the symptoms by heart because they were similar to what he did when he was nervous.

"Something's bothering you Miss Tomaz. Would you like me to leave?" he asked bowing his head a little.

She tucked her gloved hands into her lap and looked at him with an expression he knew all too well. It was the look of judgment. She was weighing and measuring him. He knew that he should expect that look to come at some point, but it still made him afraid. He was afraid since most of the time that look would be followed with ridicule or dismissal.

To his surprise she raised a hand and patted the spot next to her on the bench. His eyes widened even more in confusion. She giggled and patted the spot again. Stunned, he walked over and numbly sat down next to her. A crunching sound drew his attention and he saw her take a bite out of her apple. He did the same with his own apple. For a time they just sat there eating the refreshing fruit.

He felt more relaxed now. He was sure she wasn't going to turn into a monster and bite his head off. In fact she seemed rather nice in a way that most girls never seemed to be with him.

That was when he truly noticed what he was doing.

Holy shit…I'M SITTING NEXT TO A GIRL! I mean, she's an Arrancar, but she's still a girl!

It wasn't that he was flustered with interacting with girls. Gods knew that Squad 4 was filled with pretty girls and Hanataro was used to talking with them. But they always talked about healing or complained about the other Squads. But this was somehow different from that. He just didn't know how it was different.

He tried to control his expression when she popped the apple core into her mouth and began to chew it. That seemed to be one difference between their species that he could note: Arrancars ate orange rinds and apple cores while humans and Shinigami did not. She licked her glove clean of any juice that may have gotten on them. Somehow, she made this act look refined rather than crude. She finally looked at him.

"They say that one can confide in strangers as one can't in neighbors, no?" She looked at her empty hand and sighed. "I've been asked to become a Breeder."

"What?" He blushed a bit at the implication.

She looked at him in surprise when she saw he was serious. A blush crept into sight from under her high green and gold collar. He wondered if the clothing and the Hierro made her too hot and thought of a way that she could be more comfortable. His blushed deepened when he realized what he was thinking about. He had never thought about something like that before. She covered her mouth, most likely out of guessing what he was thinking.

"Your tribe must be prudish. You were raised by a mother, no?"

"Uh…yes?" he managed as he looked away.

He would never be so bold as to claim his Captain as such. He was too far below her. But, a half-truth worked where lies failed. At least that was what he was told during training for the mission. She just nodded and giggled a bit at his awkwardness.

"Fathers seem to have easier time. 'tis probably because 'tis not on their plate, no? My father took me to see an orgy to teach me. Not very tactful, no?"

The girl blushed at the memory. Hanataro gagged at the thought of having to witness an orgy. Then he realized how cute her blush was with her coloring.

FOCUS! MUST…FOCUS!

"'tis where children come from. It takes 13 months, and the last five leave women immobile, helpless. During the final three, the brood is so demanding you can't think clearly until after the birth. That doesn't bother me so much. 'tis the two months being immobile and knowing it; 'tis also all of those creatures in me." She shuddered.

Hanataro was stunned. However, he had also been stunned by less strange things. He watched the girl chew at the tip of one gloved finger. He was surprised that he was able to find words.

"Makes you…makes you nervous…no?" he stuttered.

She looked at him wide-eyed. She realized that she hadn't used her tic during the explanation. She giggled into her hand and turned to look at the golden sea below them.

"I'm one of the stronger females in my generation, no? But I don't like fighting. Lady Nelliel is scary with her power, and I don't want that. I want to keep on working here and help grow the food," she explained as though confessing a shameful secret.

Hanataro knew that there was a difference between the Seireitei and Las Noches because of the last time he had ventured here. However, it seemed as though Las Noches preferred more constructive pursuits rather than the destructive ones that The Vanguard and their ilk always preached about. If that was the case then there really was no need to go to war.

"And I won't have much of a choice on who the sire is. I don't have a mate to challenge it. I will have to pick from the strong males for strong offspring, no?

"'twas not my idea to breed either. I'm not forceful. How would I push a child into being strong when I cannot force myself to be strong? I prefer the company of plants because they do not hit back," she continued.

He could understand arranged marriages. But arranged mating? It didn't even sound like a marriage. He wondered if the concepts were different for Arrancars. He supposed he was gathering information, but he was not in a good position.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say…to make you feel better."

The last part slipped out as he spoke his mind. Hanataro wanted to take it back. He felt as though he probably made the situation worse and that this Arrancar girl would hate him. However, she turned to look at him and smiled.

"It helps to know you want me to feel better.

"OH!" she gasped and covered her mouth. "I have been talking about me but you haven't said anything about yourself, Hanataro."

"Oh…uh…uh…"

Oh man, this isn't good. What can I tell her? I don't want her to know I'm on reconnaissance. Oh…this is so not good.

"I…uh…I'm a Healer. Well, I'm actually an Apprentice Healer. That's why I'm traveling: to learn more."

The Arrancar girl visibly perked up at his words. She grabbed on his hands in her gloved ones.

"'TIS WONDERFUL! We have a sector devoted to medicinal plants. I'll show you, no!"

She dragged him to his feet and towards the door. Blushing, Hanataro wondered if the others were having luck. He hoped that Ikkaku hadn't gotten into a fight.

Although, he had to admit that was likely a forlorn hope.

Ikkaku Madarame

Ikkaku felt a little guilty that he just left Hanataro to whatever Las Noches had in store. But the main word was "little".

He needs to learn how to fend for himself. What better place to learn how than a place where there's nobody around?

That was when he first noticed just how lonely this place really was. It was as though most of the area he was in was deserted. What made it even worse was that he didn't know where he was.

He recalled how Captain Zaraki complained about how until he ran into Ichigo's little party, who were being beaten by Nnoitora and that boar guy, there weren't even runts swarming around like in the Seireitei. He could now understand his Captain's frustration. He hadn't run into anyone since he left Hanataro.

"Shit," he whispered. "Maybe I shouldn't have just left Hanataro to wander off on his… Oh crap… what if something happens to him? DAMN IT! I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!"

He finally realized what would happen to him if something happened to the little medic. He wondered who he would rather face: Tatsuki or Unohana. Either way he would end up in a body bag and in very small pieces.

Either way…I'm dead. I mean, I ain't afraid of dying. But those two…they would make it an unpleasant process to say the least! Damn it. I…I didn't think before I acted. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn…

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sound of music drifting his way. He stopped his inner ranting and cocked his head. He couldn't quite believe his ears, but it did not vanish under his scrutiny. It was soft, but it was real.

He couldn't be sure, but he thought that it was coming from a group of ruins that was relatively nearby. Whatever the structure had been, and he figured that it must have been of some foreign design, it must have been grand when it was whole. Now the only thing intact was a single pillar and the foundation. The rest sat in a crumbled ruin from some distant collapse. The music itself was a mournful tune as though it was an ode to the fallen grandeur that these ruins represented.

He used Sonído to reach the ruins and walked up the steps lightly. When he reached the top, he saw a small group of four Arrancar men and women sitting at the base of a ruined pillar. One of the men was sitting cross-legged on part of the fallen column and was playing a flute that appeared to be made of glass. The others listened as they ate oranges and grapes and figs.

Ikkaku hid behind a pile of debris, and peered around a large stone block to keep an eye on the Arrancars.

What surprised Ikkaku the most was that they were wearing colored silks with gold chains wrapped around their waists. The two women wore jewelry of silver and topaz in their braided hair and crowns made of flowers. The men wore crowns made of olive branches and necklaces of white and black beads.

What is this? Is it some kind of Arrancar courting ritual?

When the man stopped silence hung in the air. The other three applauded him.

"That was very good," one of the women said. "It was like listening to the two nightingales in the Hall of Songs."

"You are too kind dear lady. Yet this one thanks you for your praise," he replied.

"Another, another I say," the woman called out, her hazel and blue eyes glittered.

"But, I wish to hear something played with the violin. If it's no trouble," the other woman said a little shyly.

The male Arrancar leapt from his seat on top of the section of the fallen column. He took up the woman's hand and kissed the fingers gently. She smiled and blushed as she glanced away from him.

"Your wish is meant to be fulfilled for it was made from a desire for true beauty," the musician whispered audibly.

He straightened and looked to where Ikkaku hid.

"Perhaps our guest would care to join us? We have plenty of food and we still have some honey wine to share. The Night should learn to enjoy the ease of The Day."

Ikkaku stayed quiet. He didn't trust them. After all one of the first lessons he was taught when he entered the Gotei was that "a serene appearance is an excellent mask to conceal an ambush." They were Arrancars after all and he had fought their kind before. He was about to Sonído away when the other male appeared before him, smiling.

Ikkaku let out an involuntary yelp of surprise and was ready to draw his Zanpakuto. The Arrancar's face took on a look of concern.

"Oh…I apologize if I had frightened you, Stranger. It's just that we don't get too many visitors from the Moon-Lit Sands in these days of repose. Please, there's no need for violence here," he said and held out his empty hands to assure Ikkaku that he was not a threat.

That was when Ikkaku realized that the Arrancar wasn't carrying his sword. He blinked in surprise a few times and released his grip on the hilt of his Zanpakuto.

"I…I'm sorry, but I…"

The man laughed with hearty amusement and not mockery.

"I understand. You do not know us and we do not know you. It must be one of those odd things of The Night to distrust strangers so. Well I do not wish to make an enemy of a potential friend. I am Ludwig Holson. May we be well met."

"I'm Madarame," Ikkaku replied gruffly.

"Such a strange name, but of course my own name would be strange to you. We would very much enjoy having you join us for our gathering, Madarame of the Moon-Lit Sands."

"Uh…what do you do?"

"We merely play compositions that we've come up with while sharing a light and refreshing lunch. It is both a pleasing distraction to pass the idle hours of the day and a way to enrich the self."

Ikkaku was taken aback. He was used to spending free time practicing fighting stances and maneuvers. But these Arrancars were more interested in playing music and eating fruit? He couldn't understand it. It was nothing like the Arrancars he remembered were proud warriors who were often times in the mold of his own Squad. However, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to join them for a bit. He might even get a chance to find out something useful.

After all, I am on reconnaissance here.

"Uh…I'd be happy to join you?" he said, making it sound more like a question.

"And we would be happy for you to join us. Please?" one of the females chimed in.

Ikkaku followed Ludwig back to the others. The other male introduced himself as Scheller and the other three declared that he was one of the best musicians in all of Las Noches, not that Ikkaku really cared. The two women were introduced as Marie and Emilia. Once introductions were made, they sat down to eat and talk. Ikkaku listened while he ate some of the fruit. The conversations were good as such small-talk went, but he would have preferred something a bit more substantial.

But one lesson that held true throughout life is that only fools complain of gifts received without demand.

"Here, have some honey wine Madarame," Marie said and held out a crystal goblet filled with an amber liquid. "I'm sure that you haven't tasted anything like it before in the halls you hail from."

Ikkaku sniffed at the liquor and took a sip. He thought that Marie was right on that one. He was used to sake and had tried beer on his trips to the World of the Living, but the honey wine was a pleasant mixture of sweet and tart. It wasn't as overpowering as the sake he was used to drinking, but he was not looking to get drunk at the moment. He drained the rest of the goblet. This received a sound of disapproval from Scheller. Ikkaku ignored him.

"That was actually really good," he whispered.

"I too am sure that you don't have anything like it where you're from, Nightlander," Scheller said.

"Well…we do have alcohol where I'm from, but nothing like this. So…how long did you know I was here? And how did you know where I was?"

"Oh…we knew the moment you arrived," Emilia replied. "Your Spiritual Energy is extremely strong, but it lacks any kind of proper control. A simple Pesquisa revealed your hiding place."

"Out of curiosity," Ludwig said as he leaned forward. "What do you do in your tribe?"

Ikkaku thought about it for a moment. He felt that a bit of honesty was probably in order.

"I'm…a warrior."

The Arrancars looked at each other and then at Ikkaku. Scheller looked a little disgusted, but the other three looked even more intrigued. He found himself disliking both kinds of attention.

Great, here we are trying to keep a low profile and we've already gotten the attention of a local VIP and now I'm being looked at like some kind of exotic fish.

"A warrior," Marie said. Her voice was filled with awe. "I've heard of such a thing. So this is what a warrior from The Night looks like."

"Best not get too close dear lady," Scheller warned. He glared at Ikkaku. "For all we know he could be from one of the more…savage tribes."

"If he proves to be too violent," Ludwig said as he put a hand on Scheller's shoulder, "we can deal with him accordingly."

Ikkaku wondered what Ludwig meant by that. He was about to ask when he saw the look in their eyes. There was a slow heat in them that he had seen in Unohana's eyes whenever he caused problems in the Squad 4 Barracks. He decided that it was best not to ask.

"Now, now, there's no need for that kind of talk," Emilie said. "Can't you see that you're making our guest nervous? Rather poor form having invited him to our presence when he was reluctant."

"Oh…you're right," Ludwig said and smiled. "Please, forgive us if we offended you in any way."

"I suppose I can't blame you. The tribe I'm from isn't exactly the most hospitable. I apologize for making you feel nervous," Ikkaku said. He was intrigued.

Have the Arrancars actually demilitarized? If that's true the only one who would be angrier than The Vanguard would be the Captain.

"Well I suppose we could accept your apology," Scheller said. His disgust was still evident. "I for one do not trust those who use the sword for the sole purpose of killing needlessly as the brute Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez did and as…she would have done with her followers had the Great Father not intervened.

"Such paths reap the fruits and woe. History has taught us that. But the past is the past for all that. We must learn from the mistakes and do all in our power to ensure that the Great Father's Sorrow does not happen again." Scheller watched Ikkaku intently as he spoke.

Hmm…was there some kind of falling out among the remaining Espada?

"Yes," Marie said as she looked in the direction where five great towers rose high into the heavens. A tear trickled down her cheek. Somehow that casual tear troubled him. "But you're right. The past is the past." She turned her attention back to Ikkaku. Her eyes glittered with eagerness again. "I've been intrigued by what kind of music is performed among the other tribes. Would you please give us a demonstration? All of the tales that have reached us say very little of the music of The Night."

Ikkaku looked at her. He rubbed his bald head.

Well, it couldn't hurt. Besides, I do kinda owe them for the food and wine.

"Well…alright. I'm sure that one couldn't hurt," he said reluctantly.

"Here," Scheller said and handed him a slender case. "Most Arrancars in Las Noches learn how to play the flute and from what we've heard it's the one most used, outside of drums," the tone of his voice suggested a low opinion of drums.

Ikkaku was about to take the flute out when his eyes fell on the violin case propped against the fallen pillar. Ikkaku could feel tears coming into his eyes at the memories that the sight of a mere violin case brought.

"If you don't mind, I would like to try my hand at the violin," he said not taking his eyes off the case.

The other Arrancars looked surprised. Scheller cocked his head slightly.

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't want you to do something that could anger your tribe," he ventured suddenly awkward. Ikkaku gave a small smile. It seemed that his lie was closer to the truth than intended regarding his origins.

"What they don't know won't hurt me."

"Well, if you insist." Scheller opened the violin case and brought out the violin and bow. He tuned it slightly before holding the instrument out to Ikkaku. "Please, honor us with a song."

"Uh…OK."

Ikkaku took hold of the violin and bow. He tuned it a little bit more and ran the bow across the strings experimentally. He shook his head a little and tuned it just a little bit more. After all, he was very out-of-practice. He smiled this time when he heard the sound that the bow made as it ran over the strings. He began to play.

The music drifted through the still air among the ruins, stirring it with melody. The music became one with the ruins. Ikkaku felt as though he was pouring all of his grief, rage, and sense of failure from that long ago war into this single song.

He wept as he remembered how Yumichika encouraged him to take up some kind of musical instrument. Ikkaku had, of course, resisted. He insisted that a true man only needed to know how to kill their enemy.

"That may be," Yumichika had told him, his voice echoing through the decades. "But you never know when knowing how to play a musical instrument could come in handy. A real man is always prepared so he can coolly respond in any situation, and never be made a fool of."

Yumichika had been rather odd, but he was also Ikkaku's closest friend. They had been friends long before they entered the Gotei. Ikkaku took up the violin as a way of dealing with his old friend's death and to honor him. However, he always practiced it in secret since he didn't want to look weak before anyone else. Plus, Captain Zaraki wasn't known to appreciate men who could play any musical instruments. So, like his Bankai, Ikkaku kept his musical talents hidden.

What's one more secret? I've got quite a few of them. Heh…it's funny, but for a proud brute, I'm actually quite a complex guy.

He allowed the final notes to fade as the song reached its natural conclusion. He heard applause and saw that the four Arrancars were applauding him. This was…surprising. He had never known any kind of appreciation for anything outside his fighting skills from anyone. And now, here were four Arrancars showing their appreciation for his musical talents. He gave a slight bow in hopes that was the appropriate response.

"Bravo sir," Scheller said, smiling. "That was absolutely splendid. I see that my prejudices against you were unfounded. I apologize for thinking that you were nothing more than an uncivilized brute of the sands. You have just demonstrated the type of talent that all civilized society should strive for."

"Uh…thanks…I guess."

"We must give you something in return. Lunch is hardly a fair trade," Marie said. "Hold on. I think I might have the thing." She reached into a small pouch at her waist. "Let's see here…I know it's…ah…here it is!" she cried out and brought out a silver medallion hanging from a silver necklace. "It's appropriate that this goes to you Madarame. The man who gave this to me gave it out of gratitude for me healing him."

"Marie is a Healer and one of the best," Emilie said. "It was fortunate that she found that poor Arrancar. When was it?"

"I believe it was only last year or maybe the year before that," she replied. "I found him while I was taking a quaint walk under the moonlight. This was before the Privaron started demanding passes. Either way, when I found him he looked as if he had been ambushed."

"Most likely by Berserkers," Ludwig whispered to Ikkaku. "Those are true brutes with absolutely no real culture what-so-ever. Fortunately they're dying out."

"How do you know I'm not a…a Berserker?" Ikkaku asked. After all, he was a member of Squad 11 and they had been often times referred to by that word.

"It's like I said. They have absolutely no real culture. They're all mindless brutes who care about killing. That's why they're dying out. Hueco Mundo shall only sigh at their passing. You, however do have a sense of culture. So, you can't possibly be a Berserker," Ludwig explained.

"Never mind that," Marie broke in frowning a little at the interruption. "Please, take this token of our appreciation for demonstrating your musical skills. I hope it will serve as a stone to help bridge the gap between The Night and The Day."

Ikkaku took the medallion and looked at it. His eyes widened for a moment and then he looked at Marie who looked at him curiously.

"I…thank you for this gift. Uh…is the man who gave this to you still here?" he asked trying to keep his voice from trembling too much.

"Oh no, sir," she replied. "When he was better he left us. He said that he had to look for his companions. I suppose that some of the others he was traveling with survived whatever ambush they fell in. Or so he believed."

"Which direction did he go in?"

"I'm afraid I do not know that. Why? Did you know him?" she pressed eagerly.

Ikkaku looked at the medallion and closed his fist around it. He didn't know how to answer without giving too much away. So he merely shrugged.

"Well, if you did. I hope you find him before any of the dangerous tribes of The Night find him," Ludwig said.

"Thanks. I do have one more question. Which way did he arrive from?"

"I'm afraid that I do not remember that either. I find that it's hard to remember details," Marie apologized. Ikkaku thought he caught a pitying look from Ludwig directed to his companions as they nodded in agreement.

"I see. Thanks anyways, but I need to get going. Thanks for the food and the booze. And for allowing me to play your violin," he said bidding them farewell.

There's something wrong here, he thought as he took his leave to polite farewells. However, regardless of whatever it was, he had his priorities.

As Ikkaku walked away he opened his fist. He looked at the medallion charm of the Yarrow. He only knew one man who carried it on any mission he went on. He now knew that Tatsuki's suspicions were right.

At least one of them was here, and he was violently separated from the group. After he recovers from his injuries he leaves Las Noches because he believes that there are other survivors. But what happened in the first place? Whatever this tribe business is if the Expedition's identity or purpose had been compromised then word would have gotten out.

I need to tell Commander Arisawa about this. But first, I need to find Hanataro. I hope nothing bad has happened to him. Otherwise Lieutenant Arisawa will kill me, and then Captain Unohana will revive me to make me wish I was still dead.

Ikkaku began to run as that smile seemed to loom over him.

Hanataro Yamada

"Uh…it's nice," Hanataro said.

He and Adrianna stood in front of what resembled the ruins of an ancient Greek temple. The roof was missing save for a segment that was still balanced on some pillars. The remaining pillars stood in broken rows, nearly covered with greenish-gray vines with small silvery leaves. He reached out and felt one of the waxy leaves between his thumb and forefinger. He noticed that they were shaped like teardrops.

"'tis called Inoue's Tears," she told him as she joined him in looking at the vines.

"Inoue?" he asked surprised.

"Yes. 'tis said that she wept after Ichigo Kurosaki killed Ulquiorra and the first vines sprouted where her tears fell. 'tis a lovely story, no?"

She tugged him away from where he stood. They walked to a wedge that stuck up from the sand-streaked platform that served as the floor. He supposed that it was some kind of door and was proved right when Adrianna grabbed the iron rung that was fixed to the wedge and pulled to reveal a staircase the led down. The walls on the three sides around the staircase were covered in a faintly luminescent green moss with small buds that looked as though they would become a burnt-orange color when they fully matured.

"That is called Lover's Confession. 'tis said that they grew when Ulquiorra and Orihime admitted their love for each other before he became ash. While life denied their love, nature allowed it to be fulfilled.

"They have lovely orange flowers that turn into berries. But the berries taste terrible. I suppose 'tis what comes of star-crossed love: bitter fruit."

She sighed, clearly touched by whatever story was behind the flower. Since he had heard some of the event from Ichigo he had a feeling that the story she knew was merely history twisted by time and romantic thinking into a legend that was used to elicit such a reaction.

The lower level corridor was also covered with the moss. However, the moss on the floor had been trampled down by Adrianna and whatever neighbors she may have. They soon came to a steel door that was bare of the plant. Adrianna opened it for him.

He stepped into more green. But this was a darker green than the moss. The large room was filled with low lying furniture and there were potted plants around the room. The floor was covered by a carpet of geometric shapes with varying shades of green. The walls were painted to resemble a jungle landscape that was broken by a blue painted sky on the ceiling and close to the top of each wall. The furniture was also painted green. The room was filled with the soft light coming from the crystal pillars that stood at each corner of the room.

He started to wonder if green was her natural color or if she dyed her hair so that it would reflect her love of green. He saw Adrianna kneeling at a low table and uncorking a bottle of amber-colored liquid. She pulled the cork and a sweet scent filled the air.

"Honey wine, a sweet treat for a sweet man. I'll get the glasses and your surprise," she told him batting her green lashes seductively.

Hanataro swallowed. He knew that he should be going but the information she gave him on the medicinal plants of Hueco Mundo during their trip to the temple could be vital. He owed her for her information.

He looked at the bottle and picked it up. He took a closer inspection of the liquid within. Captain Unohana didn't like alcohol and he tended to follow her example. Plus, getting drunk on a mission like this would be very bad. He knew he was naïve, but he wasn't naïve enough to think that her friendliness would survive if she learned he was a spy, and a natural enemy. And he didn't like the idea of having to fight her. He heard a clack and saw a glass placed in front of him. He raised his head and…

Apparently she was naturally green.

His face went ten shades of red deeper than it had ever been before. His mind stalled and he could feel his cock taking charge of the situation

"You're a very nice young man. I would like a nice man to be my first, no?"

He gasped for breath as the completely naked Adrianna joined him. He found himself wanting to do all sorts of things with her, starting with her green hair. She knelt down and grabbed the bottle to pour a glass of wine.

That action kicked the jammed gears into place. He didn't know how he did it, but he was able to Sonído away from a kneeling position. He slammed the steel door behind him. A shocked Adrianna stood to her feet and looked at the door with wide eyes. She pouted her lips as she looked down at her body.

"Was it me, no?"

Tatsuki Arisawa

Tatsuki walked down the empty hall. She had looked at the other levels below this one and didn't see much that was worth noting, except that Kisuke Urahara had been a very busy man, far busier than he had any right to be in her opinion. She wondered how many Arrancars it took to do the amount of work she saw and how long it took them. Then again, how had Aizen been able to build this place in secret anyway?

As she worked her way up the tower, she saw that all of the levels were brightly lit with the natural light that this odd stone cast. But the level she was on now was different from the others.

The pieces of furniture in the hall were hidden under tarps and large pieces of cloth were hung over what could either be paintings or mirrors on the walls. Even though the area was lit with the same stone as the other floors, it was dimmer because of the dark, semi-translucent material hung over them. A layer of dust and even bits of sand added another layer to the sense of neglect.

Why is this floor so…deserted?

The expedition leader walked down the hall and looked at the walls on either side of her. She stopped in front of a panel in the wall that didn't match with the other panels. Somehow it wasn't level with the rest of the wall and was slightly angled. Also, part of the wood engraving looked as though it had been pushed in. Untrained eyes would have missed the slight variations.

"Hello, what do we have here?" she whispered.

She knew that secrets were valuable and hidden doors, while cliché, tended to lead to them.

She placed her hand on the molding that separated the wood engraving from the rest of the wall and gently pulled the panel towards her until it was wide enough to allow her to enter. She poked her head into the room and saw that, unlike the hall outside, it was more brightly lit, but not to the same degree as the levels below. The few pieces of furniture in this room were not covered either, but looked as though they were kept in relatively good shape.

She looked at the marble fireplace frame and saw there was a gold etching of a wolf on one side and a gold shark on the other with etchings of gold vines winding up both sides and meeting in the center of the mantle in a cluster of grapes. There was something that was either a mirror or a painting hanging over the fireplace, but it was difficult to say since that was covered. But unlike the other tarps, this one was rather ruffled and she could barely make out an upper corner of the ornate gold frame poking out from under the tarp.

It's been tampered with. I wonder…

However, all thoughts of what was under that tarp left her mind when her eyes were drawn to an open door. She walked over to it and peered inside. She saw a large bed in blue sheets that was one the far-side of the room. It looked as though it hadn't been slept in for quite some time. She took a step into the room despite the feeling that she was invading someplace private. She had to be thorough in her investigations, regardless of her feelings.

She looked around the room. The place felt as though it was some kind of sanctuary.

But who used this place? Why did they use it? And are they still here?

She took another step into the large room and tripped over something. She let out a small cry and went sprawling. She moaned, embarrassed more than hurt.

Agh, thank Chappy that no one was here to see that. Honestly, I can dodge Kido spell but I still tripped over some kind of floor hazard? That's fucked up.

"Gyah, what did I…?"

She stopped when she saw that she had tripped over someone who was sleeping on the floor. A copy of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men was draped over his eyes. Rage built up in her as she got to her feet. She stomped the short distance to the figure dressed in a similar shade of white as the carpet.

"Who…in their right mind…WOULD SLEEP ON THE FLOOR?" she shouted and kicked the figure.

The figure only let out a snort.

"Ugh…just…just ten more minutes," the figure said in a muffled voice.

Tatsuki looked at the sleeper. Her eye twitched in irritation.

"I don't think so," she growled and grabbed the sleeper by his coat.

She saw that the figure was a man with long, messy brown hair that covered a good deal of his face. She could make out the brown stubble that covered his cheeks and the faded goatee as she smacked the book away. His mask fragment resembled the lower jaw of some kind of canine, but he also wore a medallion made from an emerald that hung from a leather cord around his neck. She didn't think anything of it because she could tell that the man was still asleep. Her irritation only became more intense when she saw that his eyes were still closed.

"Alright, it's time to wake up, Rip van Winkle," she snarled and started to twist his nose violently.

"OUCH! Would you stop doing that? OUCH! Alright, alright, I'm up. I'm up. I'm up. I'm….," he griped and then looked at her confused. "Oh…you're not who I was expecting."

"Who were you expecting?" Tatsuki snapped.

"Never mind," the man said and brushed some of the hair that was covering his face back. Tatsuki thought that he looked familiar, but she was too agitated to even bother trying to remember where she might know his face from.

"What were you doing sleeping on the floor?"

"Huh? Oh…uh…I suppose I just got tired."

"Then why didn't you lie down on the bed?" she asked and pointed. The man looked to the bed and a look of fear came over him.

"No…I…I can't…" he stammered, losing his cool for the first time. He averted his eyes from the bed.

"Huh? Why not?" she asked as her anger dimmed.

"I…I just…I just can't," he moaned.

His blue-grey eyes filled with grief, but there was something else. He closed his eyes and put a hand to his right temple and began to rub with his fingertips. He was muttering something under his breath that Tatsuki couldn't quite make out. When he opened his eyes again, she saw that they were clearer.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and turned his attention to Tatsuki. "I'm sorry, but I…I'm afraid I haven't seen you before. But that's hardly a strange thing since I don't get out much these days."

"It could also be because I'm from…someplace else. What were you doing in here anyways? This whole level seems deserted," Tatsuki inquired. Her curiosity was somewhat replacing her irritation.

"I…just needed to go someplace quiet and this…this is really the only place I can go. It's odd that here…of all places…I could feel…at peace. Yet it's…I'm sorry, I'm rambling again." He smiled as if at some bad joke that was still funny.

Tatsuki looked at him. The sense of familiarity was still there and now it was starting to itch her brain.

"What's your name?"

The man looked at her in surprise. Then he looked away and sighed.

"I'm nobody. Who are you? Are you nobody too?" he quoted. Tatsuki shook her head, fully scowling again.

Honestly, why is he quoting Emily Dickinson? I only asked him for his damn name. For that matter, why did Urahara give the Arrancars boring books? They could be reading something like the Bourne novels or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Now those are good reads.

"I asked you what your name is and here you are quoting Emily Dickinson."

"I'm sorry…it's just that…I suppose I've come to hate my name. I was never overly fond of it, but these days it seems too heavy to bother with."

"Yeah, well, what is it?" She was starting to dislike his evasions.

"George Milton," he offered. Tatsuki let out a growl and kicked him in the side.

No it's not. He's lying about his own name, but why? Why would he lie about his own name?

However, even though she really wanted to chew this guy out, she kept silent. She had a feeling that this guy must have done something to cause him to become like this. She watched as he picked up the book he had used to cover his eyes. He flipped through it until he came to a spot and folded on the pages. He looked at the bed.

"That's all for today," he whispered. He turned at looked at Tatsuki. She couldn't quite read the expression on his face. "So…what are you doing here? Did you give me your name? I think I may have missed it."

"I was looking around. I didn't expect to find anyone else here. My name's Eurydice by the way."

"Whoever named you had a sense of humor."

He stifled another yawn and Tatsuki only frowned. She had seen Lilynette do that as well. But she supposed that since there was very little to do then everyone was probably like that. She couldn't help but think about how this place, and not just the tower but all of Las Noches, felt empty…exhausted.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he whispered and walked towards a faded loveseat over by the fireplace and picked up a violin case that Tatsuki hadn't notice. He saw her looking at it. "What? It's just a violin."

You're joking. Arrancars can play the violin? Hmm, that might look rather interesting in the report, but are there any real merits for it? Well, it may help to get The Vanguard to back off on their "All Arrancars are only violent monsters" bandwagon.

"I'm just…surprised," she answered honestly.

The man looked at her and rubbed his head. She couldn't tell if it was irritation or something else. Then he merely shrugged. He walked out of the secret entrance and held the hidden door open for her like a gentleman. Tatsuki started to move towards the door and then stopped. She looked at the shrouded item above the fireplace. But then she thought that it was probably just another old painting that Kisuke smuggled in here and was a personal favorite for this strange Arrancar.

She walked out of the room and the man closed the door behind her. He pressed on the panel until there was a clicking sound to indicate that the locking mechanism caught and the part of the wood engraving that looked to have been pushed in popped back into matching the surrounding carving. He lingered for a moment. He pressed his hands reverently to the wood.

Tatsuki looked at the panel and was surprised at how well it fit in to the wall.

Man, even I would have had problems finding it.

She looked at the man who only stifled another yawn as he stepped away from the wall.

"Well, you better get back to wherever you came from," he muttered and began to walk away.

"Hey, hold on. Wait, I want to ask you something. ARE YOU JUST GONNA IGNORE ME?"

The man stopped and his back straightened a little. Then he loosened up again. He turned slightly to look at her.

"What is it now?" he asked wearily.

"I'm wondering if a group of Arrancars came here. They probably would have tried to visit your master or any of the other bigwigs here a few years ago. Maybe you heard of something like that?"

The man turned around. He cocked his head and sighed.

"Well…did you?"

"Why should I care?"

"You don't have to care, but I do. A very good friend was among them and I vowed to bring her back safely. You may not care about those kinds of things, but I do," she stated hotly.

The man looked at her. For a moment she thought that his lips twitched a little.

"I'm sorry, but it's hard for me to keep track of everything that goes on here. Las Noches is a big place after all."

"That's putting it mildly," Tatsuki whispered. "The odds of us finding out anything are very slim and the Chappy-damn King isn't even here."

The man stiffened and turned to look at her.

"What did you say?" he whispered.

"I said 'Thank you.' I suppose I should let you get back to work or whatever."

"Yeah, I should. Just…don't tell Lilynette you saw me."

Tatsuki thought about what the file on Lilynette said. She chuckled a little bit.

"I won't, old man."

The man nodded and began to walk away again. He stopped again and turned his head to look at her.

"Thank you."

"Uh…you're welcome?"

Tatsuki blinked a couple of times in confusion as she watched the man walk in the direction they had come. She wondered what he was up to and decided to just let him be. She had already had a job to do and the woes of lazy Arrancar weren't her concern.

Hanataro Yamada

Hanataro came out of the Sonído panting and stumbling in the sands. He spotted another tilting statue and scurried to hide behind it. He propped his back against the smooth surface and panted as he caught his breath. For all he knew, Adrianna was probably chasing after him to do gods knew what to him.

Then he noticed a familiar coppery scent and something wet was on his lips. He opened his mouth a little and allowed his tongue to lick away some of the wetness. Whatever it was had a slightly metallic taste to it. He put the tips of his fingers up to his nose and looked at the red splotches. It was blood.

His nose was bleeding.

I…I thought that was a myth, he thought in shock.

He had actually gotten a nose bleed just by looking at a pretty girl with nothing on but a smile.

He let out a tiny moan as he noticed the droplets of blood that stained his uniform jacket. He pinched his nose and tilted his head back. His mind went back to the scene that caused him to panic and run away.

There's no way that could have happened, he thought. Girls don't just strip naked and offer themselves to you like that. It doesn't even happen in my dreams. Even if that did happen it would only be for some macho guy to come in and sweep them away like in one of those Romance novels that Lieutenant Isane is always reading. It would happen to someone like Ikkaku, but not to me.

He slumped even lower. He knew that it was pathetic for him to even think such a thing. In some ways he was jealous of Ikkaku and many of the tougher guys in the Gotei. They got all of the attention from the pretty girls. But after being on the receiving end of such attention, Hanataro began to wonder if it really was worth it.

Then he felt it: the presence of a powerful and agitated Arrancar. And it was coming right for him. Of all of the possibilities that came to his mind, the image of the father Adrianna had mentioned hunting him down to gut was the most prominent.

Hanataro sank even lower to make himself as small as possible.

"BAWABAWA!" a voice boomed.

He heard something large sliding across the sand.

"No, let's do the shorter route this time," a tired female voice said.

"BAWA!"

Whatever it was shifted its course and he felt that power moving away from him. There was no doubt about it. The female who was apparently riding on top of something was an Espada or something in the same class.

Ikkaku Madarame

"HANATARO!" Ikkaku called out as he walked through a corridor in the compound he had found himself in. It looked to be in good repair and so he guessed that it was most likely inhabited. If it was, nobody was responding.

Well, this isn't going very well, he thought. I mean, I'm not as bad as Captain Zaraki or Yachiru when it comes to directions, but this is ridiculous.

The problem was that while following Plan A in his search, which was to make his way to the Five Towers that were at the center of Las Noches in hopes that he would cross paths with Hanataro that way, he forgot how big Las Noches was according to the reports. As a result, he got lost. Plus, it didn't help that Hanataro wasn't exactly tall or emit a powerful beacon of Reiatsu for him to follow. So he had to resort to Plan B: walk around and shout his name until he found the little pip-squeak.

"This is such a pain," a sighed. "Who knows, maybe whoever lives here saw him."

He took another few steps forward and stopped in his tracks. He reached towards his Zanpakuto, grabbing the hilt and sliding the blade out a couple of inches from the sheath. He crouched into a defensive posture. He couldn't see his opponent, but he could feel them. His eyes darted towards any place that could be used as a hiding spot, even though the flaring Reiatsu didn't indicate a sneak attack. He felt the Arrancar's Spiritual Pressure coming closer and then turned his head to the wall.

Holy shit, are they seriously going to…?

He didn't have time to finish his thought as a hurtling figure burst through the stone wall. Ikkaku barely had enough time to dodge the debris sent flying. He kept low and kept his eyes on the dust cloud that obstructed his view. He heard the sound of someone going in and out of Sonído. He unsheathed his sword.

"What are you doing here, Stranger?" someone asked from behind him.

He glanced over his shoulder.

Huh…that's a nice trick. He can throw his Reiatsu the way some can throw their voice. Tch…the idiot really should have kept that secret. That way he could have an ace up his sleeve.

Ikkaku re-sheathed his Zanpakuto. He had a feeling that he really didn't need it and he would rather not cause any unnecessary trouble. He had a medic to find and a Commander's wrath to avoid.

"I'm looking for someone. What's it to you?" Ikkaku replied while he palmed the pommel of his sword.

"Heh, such poor manners…I suppose it's to be expected from a barbarian," the person said with an audible sneer.

The dust settled and the speaker came into view. He was a tall, strapping man with thick orange eyebrows and closely-cropped orange hair. His face looked as though it was accustomed to sneering. His nose and chin were a little too prominent to make him handsome in most senses.

He wore loose white trousers that were tucked into a pair of black boots that looked to have been freshly polished. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt with ornate embroidery done in silver thread on the collars and cuffs and pearl-studded buttons. He also wore a cream-colored jerkin that he kept unbuttoned with ornate embroidery of thin golden vines running along bottom and a two gold studs on each shoulder. He wore a purple sash on top of the jerkin and crossed his chest from his left shoulder to his right hip. Ikkaku noticed the pair of punch knifes that hung from the white leather belt fastened over the jerkin.

"Oh…so you call me 'rude' and yet you haven't even introduced yourself after barging in like that," Ikkaku said.

His expression made the fact that he was not impressed evident. The deepening scowl on the other man's face told him that he was accustomed to instant respect. Ikkaku thought that it made sense since this man's Reiatsu was a rather decent level when compared to that other bunch.

Still, Ikkaku respected those who had a kick-ass vibe to them. That vibe wasn't here.

"If you need help, I'll show you how it's done. My name's Ikkaku. And you are?"

Apparently the man failed to notice that Ikkaku's voice dripped with sarcasm since he seemed to take a great deal of pleasure from the question. Ikkaku had a feeling that he knew what kind of man this was. That feeling only became stronger when the man grinned and puffed out his chest.

"I am Rodolfo Mosqueda, Deputy-Commandant of the Privaron."

Ikkaku cocked an eyebrow.

Uh…okay…um…am I supposed to be impressed? Although, now that I think about it. The last name is a bit familiar.

"That's right. I am descendant of the honorable Gantenbainne Mosqueda."

Ikkaku's eyes widened as he remembered where he heard that name from. The man seemed to take it as a sign of respect and awe since he closed his eyes and his face took on a haughty expression.

"Oh yeah, that's right. He was the guy with the orange afro who survived by getting his ass kicked in the first round by Sado."

He was pleased that he remembered that obscure fight from the Winter War. Rodolfo, however, looked as though he was trying to restrain himself from attacking Ikkaku for the insult.

"Watch your tongue. A barbarian named for some second-rate Shinigami has no place mocking true greatness. Although, I suppose you barbarians admire the Soul Reapers as your fellow warmongers," he spat.

"What the hell are you even talking about? Look, normally I would love to kick your ass. And you've given me plenty of motivation to do just that. But I need to find my shrimp of a companion before he dies and his…his mother kills me."

He sighed at the last part and a shudder went up his spine. For a moment he actually thought that Captain Unohana was standing right behind him giving him that smile, which all of Squad 11 knew as "The Smile of Doom." Then the feeling was gone and he focused his attention back to Rodolfo.

He had suspected this man to be one of two things. The first was that he was one of those tough guys who become the best fighter in the area and think they're the real deal. The second was that he was some kind of noble who thinks that just because they're descended from a badass automatically makes them a badass.

He really loved puncturing those egos. He was not from some ancient aristocratic lineage and he did not have any delusions of being the best fighter and he was not a class sell-out like Rukia. He really wanted to put Rodolfo in his place. However, he needed to find Hanataro. And he had a feeling that Tatsuki didn't want him to make a scene and he respected her.

"Heh, just because the Princess let you in doesn't mean you can get away with anything, savage. The King lets her do as she wishes and we Privaron carry out his will. But he also wants order. If you disrupt that order then I shall show you the power of a Privaron lineage. I have never lost a duel in twenty years as a Privaron."

Twenty years? Does he actually think that's a big deal? Then again…Ichigo did beat me and he was nothing but a teen way back. But this guy ain't like the "Strawberry."

"Tch, do you seriously think that I should be impressed? I've fought in wars, buddy. And that unbeaten record is nothing. Two of my best fights ended with me spitting up blood on the ground. If you fight with your all and got beaten and yet came back for more, then I'll probably consider that you might be an actual warrior. Now, I got things to do. So, I'll be on my way."

Ikkaku laughed as he walked around the man. He allowed some of his Reiatsu to leak out. Just as Ikkaku thought, Rodolfo took a step back and stayed put as Ikkaku went into a Sonído.

Hanataro Yamada

He was certain that he had made a mistake. And to make it worse it was a stupid mistake.

Despite his timid nature he was not worried about the underground. In his bad old days he had hidden under floors and the like for shelter from the elements and people. In Squad 4 he felt the same as his comrades: the underground tunnels were not only a place of work but a sanctuary to retreat to from the other Squads' contempt. Their headquarters was filled with members from other Squads since it was a hospital. But the tunnels were essentially an exclusive domain of Squad 4. They were a refuge where they could retreat to when they needed someplace to feel safe.

So when the floor gave out from under his step and revealed the staircase heading down he had not been as wary as he should have been. He was lost and he was rather wary of searching for an Arrancar to get directions.

Maybe it leads to that underground rail system. There was a map down there in that station, so maybe the other stations have maps that I can look at, right?

It was true that he didn't know where he was in relation to the other stations that were marked. But it was better than just wandering around and get more lost.

Or at least that was what he thought then.

He walked through the poorly-lit and very large chamber. He guessed that it was about the size of one of the major storehouses that the Squads used. A row of crystals hung down from the ceiling. They cast a poor light which indicated either that whatever source of energy controlled their glow was only being allowed to trickle into them or they were old and had grown dull. He caught glints of more crystals along the walls, but for whatever reason they were completely blacked-out.

But what made him realize that he may have made a mistake was the large number of boxes and large intermodal containers that filled the room. He could make out the overhead crane tracks with the steel cables and hooks hanging down, ready to lift whatever container was hooked up to them. There were forklifts lined up near the rows of industrial shelving filled with large crates and pallets.

He knew that one doesn't hide a mere storage house. And he had been through enough experience with things labeled "LIMITED CLEARANCE" to know the feel of a place he shouldn't be in.

This was such a place.

He reached the end of the room and saw how much he might be out of his depth. Standing nearly back to the wall and raised on a loading dock was a Garganta Gateway. It wasn't the same as the Generator that Squad 12 used but it was close enough that he could guess its function.

He realized that seeing what was in some of the boxes would be a very good idea. He might find something important. He went over to some of the boxes and was about to open one of them when he heard a static noise followed by footsteps.

His heart nearly skipped a beat. For him, the sound was like the sound of Squad 11's hordes going on a rampage. Fearing what would happen if he was found he quickly hid behind the nearest row of boxes. The wall crystals flared to life and the ones overhead became brighter.

"…troublesome, but not as bad as you're making it out," a slightly hoarse male voice said.

"I'm sorry, Capo, but it's my job to worry for you," a younger, female voice responded.

Hanataro could hear their footsteps coming closer and he could feel their Reiatsu. The female was weaker than Adrianna's had been, but the male had the Reiatsu level of a Lieutenant.

"And you do that and so many other jobs very well, Lycia. And don't think I'm ignoring the threat that Monastario poses. To be honest, I fear that it's partly my fault. I should have nipped him in the bud before he came close to leading the Privaron," the male said, apparently rummaging through a crate.

"You underestimated him?" she asked, apparently surprised but also expectant.

"Yes, but I think I was also too curious to see what he would do. And do you want to know what conclusion I've reached about him? He's nothing more than a shiny new relic. He's more suited to the Golden Age than to this state of decay that you see. I suppose I'm getting a little…whimsical in my old age."

The male sighed dramatically. Hanataro heard the popping of a cork followed by the sound of someone taking a deep drink. The footsteps were coming closer to his hiding spot.

"I trust that you're done playing then, Capo?"

"Yes. Do not worry. My love of games does not trump my love of winning. As to your question…we'll become the forest."

"Are…are you suggesting that we leave Las Noches?"

There was another sound of someone taking a drink from the bottle. This time there was a satisfied sigh.

"Ah…real champagne! Thank the absent gods, Lycia, that Europa does not share the sorry lot of most mortals. Or else the higher powers might need to settle for Asian or, worse, the piss that Americans, both in Constitutional America and…"

"But Capo, Constitutional America was overthrown at least a couple of decades ago by the General. It's now part of Restored America. Remember?"

"Oh…that's right. Well, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that it's still piss and those in Restored America dare to call it 'alcohol.' Tch…Americans. Oh sure it will get you drunk, but to treat your pallet in the way it deserves to be treated requires a level of obsessive refinement that takes centuries to cultivate.

"Care to taste perfection with me? After all 'One cannot develop taste from what is of average quality but only from the very best.'"

The silence was drawn out. Hanataro felt his neck start to itch as the woman's Reiatsu became prickly.

"Hmm, oh…that was a quote. Honestly, what does the younger generation do with all of those books that the 'King' left lying around? I trust that you haven't become illiterate."

"I still remember how to read, Capo," she answered with a hint of pride.

"That's what I like about you. You lack the apathy that most of the 'Eloi' have allowed to take over. It takes hold too easily. Like The Night's Song…

"However, right now our main problem is the Commandant, and his Deputy. They are too in sync to get to turn against each other like we've done in the past. Too make things worse…they're not content to just throw their weight around with the Numeros. They actually want to achieve something.

"It's like I said before. They're nothing more than shiny new relics.

"They have two large targets in their cross-hairs since their little raids into The Night have yielded so little: us or Lady Nelliel."

Hanataro felt the woman's Reiatsu shudder and then the footsteps began to head away from him.

"Does the former Espada frighten you to chills my dear? Here, have a drink."

It sounded as though she accepted.

"That's…either way it's insane."

"So is he. It's time to make that insanity work to our advantage.

"The Commandant is not stupid. He knows that we're the safer option. However, he has exhausted his patience. He's the type to measure progress with a stick. Right now, our best option is to scale back. We disappear for a bit…probably go to either Paris or Rome or Geneva in the Eurasian Confederation or to London in the Imperial Commonwealth. And we cut our operation in half."

"The clients won't like that."

"It's a good thing that we're their only option. Keep in mind that some of our best clients are in the Privaron and if we get them to think what we want them to think…"

"Ah, I see."

"Good. However, right now the thing that worries me is the stock. We can't afford to hoard any more. I mean just look at this: one's cover nearly blown by a faulty floor.

"I will have to ask Urahara to stop the shipments. At least until the Commandant commits his round-about suicide."

"Couldn't we cut him out? We've played this ruse too long Capo! He still thinks that we represent the King!"

"Oh please, stop calling me 'Capo.' You may call me Davos. We've worked together long enough.

"Here, have some more champagne and we'll go someplace nice. You need to let your hair down every now-and-again," he remarked as their voices drifted away.

Her reply was murmured and then she gave a squeak. Davos laughed softly and with the static sound of Sonído, they were gone.

Hanataro counted to twenty in his head before he poked his head out to look around. The room was a lot less intimidating with the lights on. He suddenly realized that he had just gained some valuable intelligence. There were apparently at least two factions in conflict in the Arrancar ranks. And this "Capo" was not only in charge of one of them, but he was also running a smuggling operation with Urahara.

He wanted to get out of here. A member of the smuggling group could walk in at any time. Or the Capo might come back after realizing he left the lights on. But first he wanted to get an idea of what he was dealing with so that he could bring back a support to Lieutenant Arisawa.

He opened one of the large crates he had been hiding behind. His eyes widened in surprise. The box was full of red cans in packs of six held together in plastic rings. He took one of the packs out and looked at it. He read the white scroll-work running along the side: "Coca-Cola".

"Soda?"

For a moment he was tempted to take one, but decided that taking anything would be too risky. He put the cans back into the box. The next three crates contained cans of various brands of beer and other soda. The crate he checked after that contained jars of olives. A smaller box he checked was filled with packets of cigarettes, everything from the high-end brands like Gold Medallions from the Eurasian Confederacy and King's Delight from the Imperial Commonwealth to the cheap brands like Victory Smokes from Restored America.

"These are just ordinary vice products."

In a way he supposed that it made sense. Kisuke wouldn't trade more dangerous things, at least he hoped not. But Kisuke wasn't known for his integrity. Hanataro supposed that Kisuke's mischievous nature would cause him to add a more criminal element to his secret dealings.

There might be a specific section with the more…questionable stuff in it on the other side. But do I dare risk it? No, my luck just isn't that good.

He replaced the cover over the final crate and jumped into the central aisle. He used Sonído to get out of that room and back into the open air. He suddenly realized something.

Agh, why didn't I think of using Sonído before to get to the central towers? I'm so stupid.

He hit his forehead a couple of times and then looked around. He was still too close to the building where he found the hidden passage to the secret warehouse. He wanted to get as much distance away from the building, but he wanted to get as close to the Five Towers as he could. He looked around and saw the hazy outline of the towers rising high into the sky. He lined himself with them and burst into Sonído.

He had never collided with someone in Sonído. It was not a pleasant experience.

"HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE…!" a familiar voice yelled at him as he went tumbling across the sands from the impact. "…I don't believe it," the voice continued. Hanataro rubbed his side where he believed a knee had hit him. The next thing he knew, he was being hauled to his feet, and was met with the sight of an irritated Ikkaku Madarame.

"I've been looking for you." Hanataro wished that his mask was less intimidating. "Well, at least I finally found…. HOLY SHIT! IS THAT BLOOD? HOW BADLY HURT ARE YOU? IT'S NOT FATAL, RIGHT? Oh shit, it is. Oh great, just great, they're so going to kill me or worse. DON'T DIE ON ME! DON'T DIE ON ME DAMN IT!" Ikkaku shouted shaking the confused Hanataro in his grip.

"I'm…sorry?" Hanataro managed.

Oh man, how am I going to explain how I got a bloody nose?

Tatsuki Arisawa

Tatsuki sighed as she reached the bottom of the stairs after coming out of Sonído. It had taken some practice to be able to get used to using the maneuver on the stairs. The levels above where she encountered the strange man proved to be a bust. Most of them were not even developed or were completely empty and the ones even higher up didn't even have a decent floor. Apparently they had given up on the construction work at some point. So, she had abandoned her search of the owner.

Well…that was a waste of time.

"YOU'RE JOKING!" a shriek cracked through the air.

Tatsuki froze at the shout. It was coming from the sitting area and, as far as she knew, there were only two people in there and one was Nemu.

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT? ANSWER ME!" the shriek veered towards an angered whine.

Oh boy, what did Nemu do to get Lilynette that angry?

She walked into the room and saw Lilynette looking down at the card in her hand, giving it her death glare.

"I win again," Nemu said still tipping her hand.

"NO FAIR! YOU CHEATING CHEATER! NOBODY BEATS THE QUEEN OF CARDS THIS MANY TIMES AND NOT BE CHEATING!" Lilynette leaned closer. Her eyes blazed with intensity. "What's your secret? Are you counting cards? Are you keeping track of where I put a card in my hand? How are you doing it?"

Nemu only shrugged.

Lilynette threw her hands up in the air and let out a cry of exasperation. Letting the card drop she grabbed Nemu's jacket and tried to shake her as the older helmeted woman remained unfazed.

"FINE, BE THAT WAY!" Lilynette shouted. "See if I…if I…if I…c-c-ca-yare," she yawned.

The girl fell on the couch. She put her head on Nemu's lap and fell asleep and started to lightly snore.

"Hmm, this is most peculiar," Nemu muttered as she poked the girl's helmet experimentally. "It would appear as though the young Arrancar suffers from Narcolepsy."

"Gee, ya think?"

"Did you discover anything Eurydice?"

Tatsuki supposed that with an Arrancar on Nemu's lap it was appropriate to keep to the aliases.

"Nah, this place may end up being a dead-end after all. But that doesn't make sense. They would have had to come by here at some point," Tatsuki mused.

"Perhaps she did not get a chance to. It is very possible that something outside of Las Noches got to the team before they could come here," Nemu remarked as she started stroking the girl's armored head.

Tatsuki shook her head and scowled.

"No, I'm sure that they came here first. I don't know it for sure. But my instincts are telling me that they were here."

Nemu only remained silent and looked at the sleeping girl.

"Mommy," Lilynette whispered as a smile spread across her face. "Could you help me wake up Daddy? I'll go low and you can go high."

"I do not understand," Nemu said and looked at Tatsuki. "How can she have a mother when she is merely a part of the Primera Espada?"

Tatsuki didn't say anything. It was an odd question coming from a lab creation like Nemu. But Tatsuki wasn't thinking about that. She was thinking about the covered art and the missing sculptures. Her mind suddenly caught on something.

I thought that the reports said that Starrk and Harribel were married. I saw a lot of artwork depicting Starrk. So why isn't there anything showing Harribel?

She thought that some of the pieces to this puzzle were coming together. However, she wasn't in the business of jumping to conclusions without sufficient evidence.

"Oh…did she fall asleep again?" a familiar voice asked.

Tatsuki jumped and turned. It was the man whom she encountered during her expedition of the higher levels. He was fidgeting with the emerald medallion that still hung from around his neck. Nemu lifted the sleeping girl enough to get out from under her and gently placed her head back on the couch. She rose and gave a bow to the man.

"It is a great honor to finally meet you, Master Starrk."

Tatsuki gave a start and looked at the man with wide eyes. She remembered seeing a photo of him in his dossier, but she had only remembered it when Nemu said the name. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Oh boy," he moaned.

"Y-y-you're Coyote Starrk?" Starrk gave another sigh and rubbed his head. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"I…was glad to have finally met someone who didn't recognize me. I just…I only wanted to have some kind of normal conversation for once with someone other than Nelliel or Lilynette." He looked at the sleeping girl and a look of sorrow filled his face. "She tries so hard not to fall asleep anymore."

"Why?" she asked, a bit harsher than she intended.

Starrk looked at Tatsuki and then back to Lilynette. She was surprised to see the tenderness in those haunted eyes.

"She dreams of better days and when she wakes up…"

Tatsuki nodded. She understood what it was like to have a good life in dreams only to wake up in a cruel world and have that happiness destroyed all over again. For her it centered around a certain orange-haired girl and the friendship they had.

"I do not understand," Nemu broke in casually.

Of course you wouldn't. Your "father" didn't program you to understand the effects of having something you want to keep to be taken away from you. I don't know whether that's a good thing or just another case of him being a cruel, sadistic bastard.

Starrk looked at Nemu and then at Tatsuki as if for confirmation on his thoughts.

"I suppose those who haven't lost those they loved would understand," he remarked as he looked at Nemu.

"You're right about that. So why did you come here?"

"I just wanted to greet my guests properly since I did such a fine job of that earlier."

Nemu tapped Tatsuki on the shoulder.

"What is it?" Tatsuki whispered.

"You encountered the Primera earlier and you did not recognize him? I thought that you memorized the photographs of those who were deemed to be 'Very Important Figures,'" Nemu whispered to her.

"Just drop it." She turned her attention back to Starrk who was taking a blanket out of a wooden chest. "I really should apologize for yelling at you like I did. But you really should watch where you fall asleep. At least your counterpart had the decency to fall asleep on a couch and not the floor."

"Oh, she sometimes falls asleep on the floor as well these days," Starrk chuckled. He turned around and smiled. "So, did you ride on the Lilynette Express Line?"

"Uh…yeah…we did. Wait…. DON'T TELL ME SHE FALLS ASLEEP WHILE OPERATING A TRAIN?" she shrieked as a horrific image of Lilynette falling asleep behind the controls during the journey here came into her mind. Tatsuki knew that she would be screaming as they hurtled towards the tunnel wall while Nemu would have been… being Nemu.

"I asked Kisuke to have it run automatically. So she isn't really operating the trains. Just don't tell her. She likes to think she's doing something to contribute."

"Well…at least you're responsible in that regard," Tatsuki huffed as she crossed her arms.

"Commander, you should really be careful how you address him," Nemu whispered.

"I highly doubt he'll get upset over a little disrespect. He seems to have had enough of being ass-kissed by everyone. Gods know I would."

"But…"

"Oh for Chappy's sake, would you please stop worrying? Can't you see that he's just…he's suffering. His heart aches," she emphasized. She knew that it sounded corny as hell but that might get through to the other woman where implication didn't.

"I do not understand." However, this time Nemu looked away. Tatsuki didn't notice. Instead she watched as Starrk put the blanket gently over Lilynette and kissed her helmet mask remnant.

"Stop tickling me," Lilynette giggled. "Mommy, Virgil won't stop tickling me." Starrk practically recoiled at the words and took a step back. However, she couldn't see his face from that angle.

When he turned Tatsuki could see that he was trying hard not to cry. His lower lip was trembling and he was struggling for breath. He put a hand over his face. Tatsuki walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. She could feel him trembling under her touch.

"I'm sorry, she…surprised me with that," he whispered as he stood up. "I…I make a rather shitty host."

"It's alright. Would you like to talk about it?"

Tatsuki knew that any information they could retrieve was vital, but that wasn't why she asked him. She had asked him because it was part of her nature to try to help those who were suffering. She knew that her Captain wouldn't approve, but she didn't care. The suffering she had seen her own friends had to endure only made her value empathy a bit more than she should have. Now she understood why one of the comments written in Starrk's file read "One of the more humane Arrancars encountered."

And yet The Vanguard would have us view them all as monsters. But seeing him like this…. I can't see him as being a monster. Monsters don't let themselves feel as this man does.

"Anyways, I…I figured you might want to get going," Starrk whispered as he collected himself. He turned to Tatsuki and smiled. "I don't know what it's like where you're from, but…I would like to give you something as a way of saying 'Thank you' for…for giving me a few minutes of feeling normal."

He reached into his pocket and took out an old mass-market paperback copy of Watership Down. Tatsuki took the book and looked at it, confused.

"You may find it rather…informative," he whispered.

Tatsuki looked at Starrk. She nodded to show she understood. At least, she thought she understood.

Well, I guess the King really did have an encounter with at least one of them. She looked at the rabbit on the cover and smiled. By Chappy…I think I know who he met.

"Thank you. I'm sure I will," she whispered. "My companion and I better head out and see if we can find our other companions. It was nice to finally meet you, Master Starrk."

"Please, it's just Starrk. I don't really care for the titles."

Tatsuki nodded and turned to Nemu. She was surprised that she was able to muster her own grin.

"Well, I suppose we should find the others before they do something stupid."

"I dare say that it may be a little late for that," Nemu said, not really sounding worried.

"I suppose it could be," Tatsuki replied and laughed. She allowed Nemu to leave the sitting area first and Tatsuki paused. She turned to look at Starrk. "Starrk…thank you."

Starrk smiled and nodded.

"Be safe out there. I hope…I hope that you view me as a friend, because I see you as a friend. I'm a good judge of character, but it's the follow-through that gets me."

Tatsuki only nodded in answer and walked out of the room. Starrk smiled and looked at one of the other couches. He figured that he had some time to get in another nap before Nelliel came to visit. He glanced at Lilynette who was turning in the grips of halcyon days. He was neither blessed nor cursed with dreams himself.

"A flight of angels sing thee to thy rest," he muttered as he lay down.

Outside of the Five Towers

Nemu looked at Tatsuki inquisitively, making her feel uncomfortable. It was apparent that Nemu was curious about what happened during her first encounter with Starrk.

"May I ask you something, Commander?"

"What is it, Nemu?" Tatsuki replied as politely as she could manage.

"I am rather curious about how your encounter with the Primera Espada occurred and whether or not he said anything of vital importance to the mission."

Tatsuki thought about it. She looked at the copy of Watership Down in her hand. After a long pause of thinking about how to respond, she finally answered.

"To be honest, I just kind of stumbled over him." Nemu cocked her head slightly. "He was sleeping on the floor and I tripped over him. He didn't want to tell me his name and I was too agitated to think clearly. I kind of 'stuck my quills in him' as Captain Sui-Feng would say."

"You do realize that you should be careful with your temper Commander. We do not wish to anger any of the more violent surviving Arrancars. Starrk was an exceptional case in both power and temperament according to the reports. The other Espada were not the type to take insults gracefully."

"But that's the thing. Haven't you noticed how little there is about Harribel here? I mean, I thought that she and Starrk were like the King and Queen here. And then there's Grimmjow. I thought he was some kind of big figure here too, but there's no sign of him. Then there's the matter of the other surviving Arrancar VIPs like Findor Carias, Loly Aivirrne, Menoly Mallia, Tesla Lindocruz, Emilou Apacci, and Gantenbainne Mosqueda. We know that Nelliel Tu Odelschwank is still around and so we can assume that her…uh…followers are still around. But there are too many missing. What about them? Where are they in all of this?"

Nemu looked at her blankly.

"It is hard to say exactly what happened. Time has a way of changing things. If so much could change in the World of the Living then I suppose they could have greatly changed here as well. After all, Hollows are influenced by evolution."

"But what happened? I don't think Starrk will talk about it. Lilynette might, but then again she might not. And to be honest, if it's something painful for her to talk about, then I would rather avoid it."

"However, gathering intelligence is a part of our mission. The feelings of a Hostile should not interfere with that."

"Retrieving information gathered by the First Expedition is part of our mission. The only information that we're supposed to gather is on where we can find them. Or did your Captain give you other instructions that you failed to pass on?" Tatsuki asked a bit heatedly. She didn't add that it was disturbing that Nemu could call Lilynette "a Hostile" after seeing what they saw.

Maybe she really is nothing more than a toy soldier like her "father" claimed, she thought.

Nemu didn't say anything. Instead she turned and walked towards the gate. Tatsuki shook her head and followed her.

Something's not right. What happened here? No…that's the wrong question. What's happening here? That's the question that I should be asking, but…

She stopped and looked at the book. She knew that Starrk either left some kind of message inside or the book itself was meant to be a message. Tatsuki knew that she must have said something to cause Starrk to give her this book in particular.

Let's see. The book is about a group of rabbits searching for a new home, she recalled.

Then she smiled. The magic word was "rabbits" and she realized that she must have mentioned Chappy at some point. Like Rukia, Tatsuki had joined the First Church of Chappy the Rabbit because the chibi bunny was just too adorable to resist. And she had resisted before succumbing ant taking part in the initiation deep in the bowels of the Women's Society's more secret meeting room that could only be accessed via Yachiru's tunnels.

When she and Rukia had time off they would sometimes joke about how the world would be a better place if Chappy ran it. Other times they would joke about how the never-seen Spirit King was actually Chappy.

"Commander, what are you thinking about?"

Tatsuki brought herself out of the memories of joking around with Rukia about everybody's favorite chibi rabbit. She looked at Nemu and realized that she must have been smiling.

"I was just wondering if Hanataro or Ikkaku found anything important."

"I would say that we are about to find out, Commander."

"Why do you say that?"

Nemu pointed and Tatsuki could make out Ikkaku and Hanataro coming their way.

Soul Society

The sun was shining down as Sui-Feng walked in the Squad 3 Grounds with Captain Izuru Kira.

It wasn't every day that the notoriously melancholic Captain invited another Captain to visit him for a private meeting. And she had accepted purely out of curiosity of what he wanted.

As usual, she kept her lower face hidden. He had never questioned the habit. She knew that he was someone whom one did not get close to. However, she sometimes found herself thinking that he would benefit from having someone to at least be some kind of companion.

The pleasant surroundings only made his aura of gloom that much more palpable.

Ever since the deaths of Gin Ichimaru, Renji Abarai, and Momo Hinamori during the Winter War, Izuru had become more melancholic. Yet he also became more devoted to cleaning up his former superior's name. That devotion had allowed him to claim his late superior's mantle in fairly short order. Some had dared to hope that the white would make him more open having achieved such a rank.

Then his last truly close friend, Shuhei Hisagi, died. As a result, he became even more of a hermit. He now had very little interest in the Soul Society's politics. She knew where he stood. He was neither for The Vanguard nor for Captain-Commander Kuchiki or Captain Kurosaki's "dovish" faction. As far as he was concerned both factions were nothing but packs of fools.

"So, why did you invite me here?"

"Do I really need a reason?"

"It's not like you to do something on a whim, Captain Kira. It doesn't fit with your overall behavior pattern."

"I suppose it doesn't, Captain Sui-Feng."

"That means that you did have some kind of motive for inviting me. You may have served under the Traitor Gin Ichimaru, but you are nowhere near as crafty as he was."

"I know. I suppose I wanted to congratulate you on showing restraint and not sending any of the primary candidates on the second attempt at Operation Izanagi, which I hear is officially being called Operation Orpheus."

"Lieutenant Arisawa was my only primary candidate."

"That may be. But I'm sure she wasn't the primary candidate with the rest of The Vanguard leadership."

"I suppose she wasn't. But what does it matter to you? It's done."

Izuru sighed and shook his head.

"With fanatics, nothing is ever over until they have complete victory. But I didn't want to talk to you about that."

"Then why did you call me here? You know that I have very little patience with bantering."

Izuru didn't answer right away. Instead he looked at the trees that surrounded them and sighed.

"Lieutenant Arisawa would come to this grove quite often to relax and think. Of course, she never knew that Ichimaru planted those trees."

"Why didn't you tear them down?"

"I was going to, even after I heard about why he did what he did. Then I came out here and I saw how peaceful and beautiful it was. Then I realized that it shouldn't matter what the person who planted the trees did. What should matter is what kind of place they create, the fruit of their acts rather than what came before. Perhaps an act of treason is the greatest expression of love."

"That's dangerous talk, especially for a Captain. You shouldn't…"

"Let me finish. While an act of treason may be the greatest expression of love, one must also remember that treason is the greatest expression of hate as well. Every action we take has two edges: one light and the other dark." He looked at Sui-Feng. "That's the greatest lesson that Gin ever taught me. He may have betrayed the Soul Society for Rangiku's sake and to betray Aizen to keep him from doing more harm, but that doesn't change the fact that he hurt those who trusted and cared for him. At least Tosen's betrayal was from a misguided sense of justice."

"I still don't understand. Why are you telling me this?" Sui-Feng nearly demanded.

"It's because I want to know why you chose one of the only people you trust to go on such a dangerous mission. Particularly as it no doubt displeased your fellow fanatics. I want to make sure that you didn't turn a virtue into a vice as always happens when fanaticism enters the equation."

"You just answered it. It's because I trust her."

"And what if she dies?"

"I know she won't. She's a fighter and she knows her duty to her team and to the Gotei."

"And what might that be?"

"What does it matter to you? You're the most blatantly apolitical Captain in the Gotei."

"It's because I'm curious at how deep The Vanguard's influence runs in this venture."

"Are you asking me if I would put The Vanguard ahead of the Gotei?"

"I'm asking how influenced Lieutenant Arisawa would be by your prejudices."

This was what she hated most about Izuru. He was blunt. But then again, so was Tatsuki. But at least Tatsuki didn't sound so condescending. In fact, Sui-Feng felt that Tatsuki was rather cute when she did it.

"If she was influenced by my prejudices, do you think she would come here in her free-time? I resent that you would think that I would force all of my subordinates to follow my line of thinking like Rikichi does. The reason I chose Tatsuki is because I know she'll be honest in her report. I would have thought that you of all people would value integrity.

"So don't lump me in with Rikichi just because we're allies."

Izuru nodded.

"In that case, you made the right decision for the right reason. I just hope that she can control that temper of hers. The last time she was here she took out her frustration on one of the lemon trees. The poor thing still has the scars."

Las Noches

Tatsuki Arisawa

"Judea?" Tatsuki asked, calling Nemu by her assigned alias.

Before they left to come to Hueco Mundo, Captain Kurotsuchi insisted that Nemu be given an alias, chosen at random by a computer program, since she was the only one to have taken part in the invasion of Hueco Mundo who actually encountered Arrancars. Even though Hanataro was also part of that invasion, the only Arrancar he encountered during his time in Las Noches was Zommari Rureaux, and Zommari was dead.

It probably would have been a good idea to assign an alias to Ikkaku. But then there's his bald head. What if that big guy he fought in the Winter War is still around? Oh well, he can just say that he modeled his look after a badass warrior and got his name from some Arrancar interested in the history of war or something like that.

They had used Sonído to get away from the Five Towers and were now walking through an area littered with ruins that indicated some kind of colony-within-a-city. They had been walking through the ruins for about ten minutes before Nemu came to a halt. The other three kept going forward a couple of steps before Tatsuki noticed that Nemu wasn't following. Tatsuki went to Nemu's side and glanced in the direction that Nemu was looking at.

"What is it?" Tatsuki asked, but already knew the answer.

"We are being followed."

"Tch…amateurs, though they are doing a good job covering up their Reiatsu," Ikkaku said and gave a slight chuckle.

Tatsuki took a few steps in the direction of a pile of ruins. She raised one hand and pointed in the direction of the ruins.

"Come on out," she ordered in her best commanding tone.

At first there was nothing and then she saw them.

A trio of small Arrancars stepped from the ruins of a pillar that they were hiding behind. Two more hopped onto the worn away wall that they had been hiding behind. Then, to her surprise, she saw the sand slightly to the right of ruins begin to move and two heads popped out like meerkats taking a peek outside of their burrow before heading out.

"Huh…that's surprising," Ikkaku whispered. "I felt that group," he gestured to the group among the ruins. "But I didn't feel that one," he gestured to the two Arrancar children, one raven haired and the other blue haired.

"That is probably because they were burrowing underground," Nemu whispered.

Great, just what we need, Tatsuki moaned, more Yachirus.

The raven haired burrower pulled herself out of the hole and stood on the sands while the blue haired girl remained with only her head and arms above the sands watching them. Tatsuki resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow as she surveyed the group.

They were all children and all quite easily placed now. The two on the wall had actually sat down allowing their legs to dangle. The boy who stood in the middle of the group by the statue stepped forward crossing his arms over his chest.

"I thought as much. You sniffed us out better than those lousy Privarons. You Night People are strong. I'm Lysander, leader of the Fangs," the boy said as he puffed his chest out with obvious self-importance.

Tatsuki eyed the red-haired boy skeptically. Aside from the boy being bigger than the others and his high levels of self-confidence, she wasn't getting that much Reiatsu levels from him. Ikkaku let out a tiny chuckle.

"Oh man, kid gangs, ah…this takes me back," Ikkaku whispered. Hanataro swallowed hard. Apparently it took him back as well.

"What do you kids want?" Tatsuki asked narrowing her eyes.

She knew how to deal with kids like these. Squad 2 would sometimes pay kids to snoop around the Rukongai for whispers about certain parties who were branded as "Malcontents" and "Terrorists" by many levels of authority. However none of those lists included the Zabimaru Squads or any of the other branches in The Vanguard. And some of those groups did far worse things than most of those who were put on the lists.

The red-haired boy faltered a little. However he quickly rallied himself with a confident smile.

"You aren't staying in Las Noches, right?" he asked.

"That is correct. We are leaving when we get adequate supplies," Nemu answered.

"I thought so, well the Fangs will be going with you," he declared as he tipped his chin up.

"What?" Tatsuki asked confused.

"We know we aren't as strong as you. But we won't get any stronger if we stay here. The adults don't do anything but stupid stuff. We want to go into The Night. We could be your servants to pay for learning. Then, when we're stronger, we can come back and carve out a niche," Lysander explained making it sound like some kind of great thought instead of a poor attempt at bargaining.

"Screw coming back. When I get strong I'll be a king out there," an orange-haired boy said.

"I'll be a Privaron, or whatever they call it," the raven haired girl chirped in.

They all spoke up with some idea, or rather absurdity, of what they would do when they became stronger. Tatsuki watched them, at first with surprise and then she scowled with impatience. Ikkaku looked amused, obviously remembering his own boasts he made when he was younger. Hanataro looked a little worried, which Tatsuki could empathize with. Nemu…was Nemu.

As she listened, Tatsuki thought of something that Sui-Feng told her when she first started training under her:

"The dreams of youth can lead to either paths of greatness or destruction."

"No," Tatsuki said, breaking through their boasting and arguing.

The children fell silent. She watched them look at her in shock. It was clear that their fantasies had not included this as a factor. She noted that the blue haired girl, who looked a bit familiar, looked relieved. The girl sank a bit farther into the sand when she noticed Tatsuki looking at her.

"What? But why?" Lysander whined as his image of following the strangers burst.

"First, we don't need servants or students. You would only be a liability. Second, you're nothing more than a bunch of immature kids who want to jump so far out of your depth that it's not even funny," Tatsuki replied, her voice cold as ice. She knew that if she could see her, Sui-Feng would be proud of her adopted daughter.

"I'd laugh," Ikkaku added.

Lysander's face reddened. Tatsuki could tell that he was the type who was used to getting his way.

"BEING YOUNG DOESN'T MAKE US WEAK!" he shouted. He drew a short curved sword. Tatsuki assumed that the size of an Arrancar's Zanpakuto was relative to development since all of the blades coming out were shorter than normal.

"You're right," Tatsuki answered.

There was no sound of static. She was just in the red-headed boy's face ramming her knee into his stomach. She was on the next one before his knees hit the ground.

They all fell in a blur. She looked for the blue-haired girl and then noticed a rippling movement in the sand heading away from them. Tatsuki rushed to a spot just ahead of the moving ripple and rammed a pointed hand into the sand and grabbed the blue-haired girl by one of her shoulders as she tried to escape by burrowing in the sand. With a heave, she pulled her up. The girl hung, feet off the ground. She tried to cover her head with her free arm. Her sword was still sheathed at her rope belt. She turned her attention back to the gasping red haired boy who looked at her with tears in his eyes.

"Being young doesn't make you weak. Being weak makes you weak. I didn't need to do anything special just now. It was all skill. This girl was smart enough to run, and even that didn't work. What do you think you can do out there? If you venture out there, you won't last very long."

She had no idea if that was true or not. However, she felt that lying for the sake of saving their lives was better than letting them go on their merry way into gods knew what. She turned her focus back to the girl.

"What's your name?"

"Gracia," the girl whispered.

Tatsuki looked at the jaw bone fragment on her face. It tickled something in the back of her memory. But she decided that it was not important. Instead she let the girl go. Her focus went back to Lysander who was getting to his feet. He was still red-faced with rage, but fear was now mixed in.

Good. Fear is a good thing when it saves your life.

"Stay here kid. If you want to get stronger find a teacher before you do something stupid. Even though you tried to stand together as comrades, the likes of us were still too much for you to handle."

Tatsuki looked at her companions.

"Let's go," she ordered.

With a burst of Sonído, she vanished. Ikkaku and Nemu followed suit almost immediately. Hanataro hesitated a moment but decided that there was no need for him here and so vanished as well.

Gracia

Gracia let out a sigh of relief as the adults left. Adults were scary enough but she had a bad feeling about those four from the start.

If that's what the other tribes are like…

She shivered at the thought.

She looked at the red-haired chief who was still staring off into space. She dashed to where he stood.

"Lysander? Are you alright?"

She reached out to his stomach wondering if the woman had really hurt him. A back-handed blow to her chest sent her a step back. He straightened. He glared at her, tears streaked down his cheek, but he didn't notice. His gaze swept over the rest of the Fangs. He spun on his heels and stalked back towards the ruins.

That look…his Pride's been hurt, she realized.

Her feeling of dread increased when she saw similar feelings in the others as they pulled themselves together. The Fangs were the toughest gang among the Neglected. They had proved that by playing where no one else dared play: the ruins of the old Octavian compound. They took pride in that. It was bad enough that they were dismissed and humiliated by the adults, but these barbarians…

And they were so strong. We all saw how strong they were. But it'll only make him and the others more determined to go into The Night…to become stronger.

She thought of what Lysander told them when he told them of his decision to go into The Night. The words echoed in her mind and sent a chill up her spine:

"Our Pride demands satisfaction. And only by becoming even stronger can we become truly satisfied."

"We're going, aren't we?" she whispered to no one as the others walked past her.

She was afraid that she already knew the answer.

Tatsuki Arisawa

"So then I ran into Ikkaku and he brought me along and we ran into you," Hanataro reported as Tatsuki scribbled his account in Squad 2 short-hand in the notebook she brought with her.

After coming out of Sonído to get away from that gang of kids, Tatsuki felt it was time to find out what Ikkaku and Hanataro had been up to. She wanted to get Hanataro's account out of the way first so that way he could relax. However, her gaze sometimes went to the splotches of blood on Hanataro's jacket. Unlike Ikkaku, she hadn't panicked. She had a good idea that it was from a nose bleed and nose bleeds could be caused just from being in a dry environment.

Of course it didn't help that Ikkaku kept cutting in at some points and mentioned his experience with some guy named Rodolfo Mosqueda. He only stopped when she kept glaring at him.

"Is that it?"

"Yes, Commander," Hanataro whispered.

She nodded to him and then looked at what she had written. She frowned at the information.

So, the Arrancars can apparently maintain massive functional greenhouses. But then why is much of the city in such a ruined state? Maybe it's just their sense of maintaining a place's aesthetic value gone down-hill.

She flipped to the part on the underground warehouse. That troubled her. She already knew that Urahara was trading with the Arrancars under the table. But the smuggling ring had a more criminal element to it than just soda and beer and cigarettes and trains. It seemed that Kisuke was being used by a renegade faction in Las Noches and may not even know it.

From what she could make out, it seemed that there were at least three factions. There was the renegade, possibly criminal group, led by this Capo fellow. Then there was this Privaron group that Hanataro said he heard mentioned. Judging from Ikkaku's reaction, she guessed that he probably had a run-in with a member. Then there was the third faction, most likely led by Nelliel judging from Hanataro's report, but she didn't know just what to make of that.

Perhaps Nelliel's become a power unto herself, Tatsuki thought.

She frowned. Her few meetings with the lovely Espada-turned-Ambassador showed a pleasant personality. And the role she played in the Winter War put her in the woman's debt in a fashion. But Rukia was her friend, and she suspected that Ichigo had been weak when it came to Nel.

The thing that was even more telling was that Starrk seemed aloof from all of this despite being royalty.

Then she noticed something. She went from scowling to being thoughtful. She looked to Hanataro who was showing a curious, but still reserved, Nemu the medicines he had acquired.

"You said that plants can grow outside of the greenhouses. Is that right?" Tatsuki asked.

Hanataro turned his head to look at her. A look of surprised guilt flashed in his eyes before he cast them down.

He's hiding something, she thought.

"Uh…yes. Adrianna showed me some vines and some moss by her living area. Apparently the moss…flower," he said.

He lowered his head when he realized that he had been caught in a lie. Tatsuki looked at her notes. The first time around, Hanataro had said that he left the girl after they left the second greenhouse. Her scowl deepened. She had gained a disdain of being lied to after her best friends gave her the runaround over a century before.

"What are they called?" Nemu asked, thus breaking the tense silence. However, she had most likely been oblivious to the mood.

"Well, the moss is called 'Lover's Confession' and the vines are called 'Inoue's Tears,'" he answered, cringing. "They also have a flower used to make healing lotions that they call 'Orihime's Touch.'"

Tatsuki nearly dropped her pen and notebook. She knew that she shouldn't be surprised that the Arrancars remembered her best friend. But she hadn't expected anything like that.

She would probably be flattered to have a flower named after her.

However, she came out of the thought. She looked at Hanataro who was trembling.

"And then you left?"

"Uh…no. She invited me down into the basement. It was in a ruin you see, but the lower level was still intact. The stairs and hall were covered in that moss I mentioned. But her living area was clean, but very green and uh…uh…uh…"

"And?" Tatsuki demanded.

Her interrogator instinct was screaming that she was getting to the heart of the matter. Hanataro swallowed and shut his eyes. What he screamed was the last thing she expected.

"SHE-STRIPPED-I-SAW-EVERYTHING-TRIED-TO-SLEEP-WITH-ME-SAYING-SHE-WANTED-A-NICE-FIRST!"

He grabbed his head as though expecting a beating.

Soul Society

"Retsu, are you alright?" Komamura asked.

He looked back along the road to where the female Captain had stopped. She was blushing. It was a light blush, more pink than red. But it stood out on her fair complexion.

"I'm not sure why, but I feel I should be embarrassed for someone."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not really sure," Unohana replied as she put a hand to her cheek.

Las Noches

"Huh?" Tatsuki asked.

Her mind was working hard to make out what Hanataro had just said. But it didn't make any sense.

"I RAN AWAY!" Hanataro shouted and then began to whimper. "Please don't tell Captain Unohana."

"What? Huh? Who? Uh…" Tatsuki continued, still trying to make sense of what she had heard.

"Wait a minute," Ikkaku broke in radiating a dangerous aura. Hanataro yelped and fell onto the sand. "Let me get this straight. You got invited to a girl's place. And by your stupid description she was a hot girl. She strips naked and basically tells you to essentially 'take the milk for free.' And you…you…YOU RAN AWAY?"

"Y-y-y-yes," Hanataro stammered as he inched his way closer to the one team member yet to get angry at him, or show any kind of emotion at all.

Ikkaku sighed and slapped his palm to his face.

"Tell me, Hanataro. Don't you have a dick or are you just a pansy?"

"I…I…I…" Hanataro stammered as he blushed horribly. He just wanted to melt away.

"Perhaps you want to die a virgin?" Ikkaku growled.

"I…I…I…I…uh…uh…"

"Never mind," Tatsuki groaned. "Hanataro, you don't have to answer idiotic questions that have no real importance. Ikkaku, since you decided to speak up…"

"Oh come on, Commander. Something like that is what just about every red-blooded man wants to have happen. AND IT HAPPENED TO HANATARO OF ALL PEOPLE! AND HE COMMITTED THE SIN OF REFUSING THE OFFER! IT'S UNACCEPTABLE! Either he's a fairy princess, has no balls, wants to die a virgin, or he's an idiot."

"Perhaps he did not understand the situation and merely got scared," Nemu suggested.

"Like I said, maybe he has no balls," Ikkaku growled.

Damn it, it should have been me, he thought mutinously.

"WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP HARPING ON THAT TOPIC ALREADY? Honestly, it doesn't matter." Ikkaku looked at Tatsuki as though she had gone insane. "It has nothing to do with why we're here, Ikkaku. Anyways, what do you have to report, aside from your encounter with that Mosqueda guy?

"While Hanataro's report on the…girl was rather…yeah…he did bring back some useful information. We can use the greenhouses to get supplies. And this info on the situation here will be of great interest to the Captain-Commander. So, how about you? Did you find something useful?"

"I did," Ikkaku said and brought out the charm. "This medallion is evidence that at least one of the Squad 11 members was here in Las Noches."

Tatsuki took the medallion and looked at it. On one side was a skull and on the other was the Yarrow of Squad 11.

"Where did you get this?"

"Well…"

"Never mind, something tells me that I may not want to know," Tatsuki sighed. The last thing she wanted was to have a repeat of what Hanataro experienced.

"Thanks," Ikkaku said, not letting his relief show. The last thing he wanted was to admit that he could play the violin. It would ruin his image if word about that got out.

"Did the…Arrancar who gave you this…uh…did they say where they got it?" Hanataro asked.

Ikkaku and Tatsuki were rather surprised that he actually mustered enough courage to ask a question.

"Well…yeah," Ikkaku replied, shaking off his surprise. "She said that she found an Arrancar who was badly hurt either last year or the year before. She healed him and gave this to her as a gift of gratitude. Although I'm surprised about that since Squad 11 normally doesn't give gifts to anyone who heals them. He must have been really grateful. However, I know the man who wore this charm and it would be something that he would do. I hope that nothing happened to him. Yachiru would be devastated not to be able to mess with Maki-Maki.

"Hell, she might even enter the battle just to avenge one of her greatest candy providers."

Tatsuki smiled at the thought of a wrathful Yachiru deployed into battle. The last time she had seen the Pink Menace truly lose it was when her favorite candy was discontinued.

Oh the Horror!

Ikkaku seemed less amused by the prospect and shot Tatsuki a chastising look. Tatsuki ignored it. She reached into her pack and dug out the copy of Watership Down that Starrk gave her. She was pretty sure just from its thickness that it wasn't a children's book, but together with those kids it made her think of her own childhood.

"I never thought that this would be my future," she whispered.

She traced the rabbit pictured on the cover. She looked at the ruins around them and the vast emptiness.

This place has seen better days, she thought. And now it's bringing out some of my own melancholy. That's another reason for us to get moving.

She opened the book. There was nothing scribbled on the first few pages as she had thought. So she flipped through the book until she saw a scrap of paper inserted towards the end. She pulled it out as Ikkaku laughed at something that Nemu said. Judging from how Hanataro's face was becoming even redder, she supposed it had something to do with him. However, that was not important.

She opened the scrap of paper. The first thing that caught her eye was the roughly drawn map showing two circles, one labeled "Las Noches" and the other "Octavia" with an arrow pointing from one to the other and the letters "NE" written over the arrow. Then she saw the message that was written over it:

The woman with the white streak was heading for Octavia.

-C.S.

P.S. I warned her and so I'll warn you: Don't trust the Octavians. They are not friends.

Nelliel Tu Odelschwank

Nel noticed that the gates leading to the King's Plaza were unlocked again. And they were standing ajar.

"Tch…absolutely careless," she muttered under her breath. It wasn't like the gates could stop anyone but the Neglected, but it was the principal of the thing.

She put her key away and opened the gate wider. She turned to Bawabawa who was looking at her, rearing over the stone porch.

"Stay there. I'll be back."

"Bawa?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. Now get some rest. I might decide to stay for a bit longer."

"Bawabawa."

She watched as the giant worm submerged into the sand. A chill ran up her spine when she saw that he was becoming slower and more sluggish when it came to burrowing.

I'll have to up his dose the next time I give him his medicine, she thought shakily.

She walked through the gateway and closed the gate behind her. She hesitated a little before locking the gate and used Sonído to the top of the steps that led into the Royal Palace that had been built around the Five Towers. She walked through her garden to get to the next flight of stairs that led to the interior of the Palace. She noticed that some of the flowers looked as if they could use some watering.

I'll do that before I leave, she thought. But right now I have other priorities.

She walked up the steps and walked through the archway that led inside. She looked around, but didn't see either Starrk or Lilynette there to greet her as they did.

"He's probably sleeping again," she muttered.

Nel closed her eyes and used her Pesquisa to locate him. She was surprised at how close he was. Moments later she found that he and Lilynette were in the sitting area, sleeping.

At least he's not hiding out in that room again.

She walked to the sitting area and looked inside. Lilynette was lying in one of the couches while Starrk was sitting up with one hand on Lilynette's head. Nel shook her head and approached them. She stood over them and glared at Starrk. She wanted to yell at him, but she didn't want to disturb Lilynette. She didn't want to be the one to ruin her dreams of happier times.

Although it depends on the Arrancar's view of whether or not those days were truly happier. Damn, when did I become the jaded one? If I'm becoming the gloomy one, then Schiffer's probably laughing wherever Arrancars go after they die.

"I was hoping you wouldn't be here for another five minutes," Starrk muttered.

She looked at him and saw that his eyes were slightly opened, looking at her.

"Or perhaps you would have preferred me to be late by a few hours?" she whispered back.

"Perhaps," Starrk whispered as he stood up. "Thanks for not disturbing her, Nelliel."

"I don't want her to hate me. But Starrk, we really need to talk."

"Alright, I know I can't put you off longer. It's best if we talk where we won't disturb her."

Nel nodded and followed Starrk out of the room. When they reached the greeting area, Starrk turned to her.

"Starrk, I…"

"I know. You went to see Urahara about some things that are going on and you wanted to find out if he knew what to do. Now you're reporting to me as if you were still nothing more than a messenger."

Nel looked at him in surprise.

"How did you…?"

"I guessed."

"Liar," she frowned, but her voice had a trace of amusement in it.

"Well, I really don't want to give away who my sources are," he said and met her eyes.

"Lilynette," Nel guessed. "She followed me again, didn't she?"

Starrk only shrugged and Nel sighed.

"I suppose I should have realized. However, I only went in order to find a way of allowing us to become stronger. We don't know what the other Tribes are up to anymore and we've lost another twelve Arrancars to the Night's Song since I last came here. And we lost another fifteen to the Sleeping Death."

"Does it really matter?" Starrk asked as he strode to one of the paintings hanging against the wall.

"OF COURSE IT MATTERS! Don't you understand that the weaker we become, the stronger they become? Don't forget that you have enemies who would like for nothing more than to destroy you and your people," she seethed.

Starrk only sighed. Nel had to resist the urge to fire a Bala at him.

"Sometimes I wonder if that wouldn't be the best course," he muttered. Her jaw dropped and then she couldn't stand it anymore. She snarled as she walked towards him and slapped him across the face. Starrk didn't react.

"You…YOU'RE AN IDIOT! Do you really want to see your people under the yoke of Poww or Tesla or…or that maniacal bastard? You need to do something! The Breeders are breeding less-and-less and their broods are becoming weaker. There are fewer Primerans willing to adopt and most of the children are forced to form their own smaller clans just to survive!" she raged.

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to lead. I want you to return to the way you were when you first began your reign. It's what you have to do as King. You need to return to the way you were before the Great Schism and before…"

"Enough," Starrk growled. "What would you have me do, Nelliel Tu Odelschwank? Don't you understand that there's no going back to those days because…because she's not by my side anymore."

"Then find someone to take her place. Find a new Queen."

"What good would that do? Even if I were to try, who would I chose?"

Silence fell between them.

"You have me," Nel whispered. She put a hand on his back and felt him stiffen and his Reiatsu fluxed slightly.

"I stood by your side as your friend. Let me stand by your side as your mate. If that's what it will take to keep Las Noches strong, then I'll be willing to do it."

Starrk looked at her and shook his head.

"Have you given up on your Visored then?"

Nel hid her flinch. She could not give him a reason to refuse with so much at stake.

"He's marrying his Soul Reaper girl," she replied. "I ran into him recently and he told me."

"I'm…sorry. That was tactless of me."

"It was honest. And no, it isn't settling for something less. It's letting go and taking responsibility. Let me help you. Let me help our people. Starrk, please…" she pleaded as she leaned closer to him.

"We both know it won't do any good," he whispered. He returned his gaze to the painting, which was the last of Thomas Cole's The Course of Empire series: Desolation. "And History, with all her volumes vast, Hath but one page," he quoted.

"Fear not the future, weep not for the past," Nel quoted in response. "Starrk, you know that you can't just let your dream die. Don't you remember the dream that you and Harribel had back then? Let me take her place in making that dream a reality. Let me in. If not for you own sake…"

He stepped away forcing her to stand properly again. He turned to face her. Their eyes locked. Nel's heart sank as Starrk sighed.

"I'm tired," he whispered. "Please, just let me sleep."

He turned and watched him go. Nel felt rage build in her, but the burning rage gave way to a flood of grief. She looked at the painting Starrk had been looking at. She focused on the distant painted moon and then on the sole pillar standing amongst the empty ruins.

That's him, she thought sadly and yet morosely. He still stands and yet he's given up hope. He's not a survivor but a relic. Damn you, Starrk. You are an Arrancar. You're not some helpless pillar. You can do something, damn it.

She looked in the direction that Starrk had disappeared. She had no doubt that he was going back to grieve in solitude. Nel knew what he was going through. She had suffered it herself, but unlike Starrk, she had moved on. She had chosen to live instead of dying piece-by-piece.

She hated Starrk and yet she loved him.

She wished that she could save him. But how could one save someone who felt they didn't deserve to be saved?

End of Chapter 4

A.N.: We did say that there would be harsh things in this story. All future chapters that contain scenes of extremely graphic violence and/or sexuality will contain a warning at the head of each chapter. That way you'll be forewarned.

I suppose that one could equate the Sons of the Mantis with the Nazis or the Taliban, but in reality all society has the potential to be like them, especially in their treatment of those whom they deem to be "Outsiders" or "Inferior." Such a dark society comes about when those in power use prejudice and anger to twist the minds and souls of the young to the point that blind faith is a virtue and fanatical cruelty is a demonstration of loyalty. Blind faith is never a virtue. I suppose that the Sons could be seen as a combination of Boxer the Horse in Animal Farm saying "Napoleon is always right" and all of those who committed acts of cruelty against humanity and say "I was only following orders" as well as those who use abuse, of any kind, to maintain a sense of control over others.

Unfortunately, there is little hope for the Sons of the Mantis to stop their horrid treatment of women (whom they refer to as "Nels" thus turning Nelliel's name into an insult). The Rite of Will is a tradition bred from insanity and bitterness and a lust for control that was allowed to thrive and thus take root like the weed of Blind Obedience that chokes out the voice of Sane Conscience.

After that grim look at a society where cruelty is the norm, we switched gears to the Primerans in Las Noches.

The portrayal of the Primerans was inspired by a combination of the Eloi in The Time Machine and Rome during its decline. The images that I had in mind while writing the landscape of Las Noches were the paintings from 18th and 19th centuries of the ruins of Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They are a society that is long past its prime and are on the decline. As a result, Thomas Cole's series The Course of Empire is very appropriate for them, especially the last painting: Desolation.

This chapter has quite a few literary references in it. Tatsuki thinks about Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" as she looks out over some of the ruins in Las Noches. There's a reference to 1984 by George Orwell (Victory Smokes as opposed to Victory Cigarettes, but they still kind of crumble in one's hand) and The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. At the end, Starrk's quote is from Canto 4 of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage by Lord Byron and Nel quotes Canto 9 of Shelley's poem The Revolt of Islam.

Eduard and I will be taking a little break from this story until after the holidays.

Thank you for reading and please review.