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

8. Chapter 7: The First Pieces

Shattered Realms

By Eduard Kassel and MJLCoyoteStarrk

Chapter 7: The First Pieces

Tatsuki lay on the sand, wrapped up in her blanket. She had made the mistake early on this expedition to lie on her back so that she could look up into the sky. There was no comforting spread of stars to look down on her. She had never really appreciated the stars in a real night sky until she had stared up into the abyss that was Hueco Mundo's empty heavens. She had stared up into it too long and a sense of vertigo had taken over. She had felt as though she was going to fall into that vast void.

She had tried to look at the moon instead. But it only made her hungry and so she had stopped.

Now, she was content to just lie on her side. She looked out over the sands as far as the dunes allowed her to see. It only made her feel alone. There was no real comfort in this world.

How long has it been since I slept?

She didn't know.

She could force herself to sleep, but it was not the same as natural sleep.

Octavia was far behind them, but the memories of it came to the forefront of her mind whenever she tried to rest.

Poor, poor Maki-Maki, she thought. Not even Aizen would deserve to be reduced to that state.

Yes, but…he would still be suffering if you had your way, a voice from the darkest part of her mind replied.

But it was a matter of duty. I didn't think I had any other choice. If an alarm had sounded, then we would have ended up on an operating table ourselves. Then what? Sometimes, we have to do things we don't want for the greater good.

She tried to rest again. But then the image of that…woman (Flesh-Tank) came to her mind. It was just WRONG. And it had struck her in such a way that she was reduced to a crying little girl. Nothing had done that since it had sunk in that Karakura Town was really gone and all her friends, save for those who had been in that room with her, were dead. And then he had come like a wraith in all of its terrible glory.

In the end, she had been able to do nothing but die at Aizen's hands. That was all she could do when everything she loved was one the line: be squashed like an insignificant insect. The thing was, she couldn't quite remember how she died. The last thing she remembered was the hand grabbing her by the nape of her neck and someone shouting "NO!" And then she felt something slicing through her and her life fading as her blood poured onto the ruins.

No, I can't think of that right now. I need to try to get some sleep before I become too exhausted to be any use.

That was the problem. If she slept she dreamed. And her dreams had long since become unpleasant things, filled with memories of fire and blood.

She was forced out of these thoughts when her stomach rumbled. She grimaced in annoyance. She had already eaten some of the apples, they were reluctant about eating the dried Hollow meat they got from Octavia, but apparently her stomach hadn't gotten the memo. Either that or her stomach was craving for something a bit sweeter.

Damn you Yachiru. I could really go for some candy right now.

"Commander, there is a Hollow approaching," Nemu said from where she was keeping watch.

Tatsuki jumped to her feet and drew her sword well before the boys could get to their feet. She looked in the direction that Nemu was pointing and grinned.

Finally, a problem I can solve with a sword.

The creature was raising a sand cloud as it approached. It was about the size of a city bus with four thick legs and a head that took up the entire front section. She noticed that there was a vertical slit running down its chin, and figured that it most likely had three jaws. When the mouth opened, she saw that the mouth was wide enough to swallow a small car. Small serpent-like creatures squirmed in its mouth.

Huh, it's like one of those creatures in that movie…uh…Aftershocks or was it Tremors? Eh…who cares?

Its roar shook the sands. Tatsuki grinned at it, showing her teeth as she walked to meet up.

The creature roared again and rushed at her. Tatsuki smiled and leapt into the air.

Two of the snake-like things in the creature's mouth reached for her, but she easily dodged them. Her sword glimmered as it cut through the things' leather-like skin. The creature roared in pain and rage. It stretched its body as far as it could and the third snake-like thing came at her, spitting out a thick substance.

"Gross, didn't your mother teach you any manners?" Tatsuki inquired as she dodged the goo. "It's impolite to spit at people."

She landed on the creature's back. She smirked, thinking that this thing wouldn't be able to get her now. That was when something wrapped around her ankle. She let out a cry of surprise as she fell and felt herself being dragged. She looked ahead and saw that there was another mouth in the middle of the creature with more of those snake-like things writhing to wrap around her.

"There's no way…in Hell…I'm gonna become a…a…TENTACLE RAPE VICTIM!" she cried out and sliced the thing wrapped around her.

The creature roared from both mouths. Tatsuki's fury rose in her and her Reiatsu increased. The creature felt it and she could sense fear and rage radiating from it. She was glad for that.

"Nobody touches…THE DRAGON!" she roared.

Tatsuki dug her sword into the creature's flesh and allowed herself to drop, dragging the sword down the creature's side behind her. She was instantly covered in black blood and juices from whatever organs her sword's blade cut through. The creature roared in pain. She noticed that other mouths were beginning to open from its side with the snake-like tentacles trying to grab at her, but she would not allow it.

"CERO!" she roared.

A beam of crimson Reiatsu shot out from the tips of her forefinger and middle finger and into one of the side mouths. The result was that now she was covered in burning flesh as well as blood and juices. The creature went into its death spasms while Tatsuki clutched to her sword tightly. It began to roll on the sand, fortunately for Tatsuki it rolled towards its left while she was on its right. As a result, the combination of Tatsuki weight and the pull of gravity caused her to cut the creature in half. While the front part continued to roll, the bottom part was still.

It took the front part another few feet before it processed that it was dead. Then that part too became still. Blood, organs, and more of those snake-like tentacles came spilling out of the ruined halves. The tentacles squirmed a bit before becoming completely still.

Tatsuki stepped to the nearest half of the Hollow's corpse. She kicked one of the limp tentacles aside and looked inside the gaping cavity. She was surprised that, aside from the organs and the tentacles, there was little else inside. Then, for some reason that she didn't understand, she reached inside the cavity and pulled out a strip of one of the creature's muscles. She held it in her hand and looked at it.

Her stomach growled loudly at the pungent aroma. Her mouth began to water and she felt her mouth open a little.

Then she threw the piece of flesh to the ground. She stared at it in disgust.

"That's not food," she muttered as she began to stomp it into the sand.

"Hey, Kurotsuchi, whar are you doing?" Ikkaku called out with a snide tone to his voice.

Tatsuki looked away from the part of the corpse and saw Nemu tearing off bits from the Hollow's various parts, including the tentacles.

"Hmm…fascinating," Nemu said. "Master Mayuri will be very interested in these samples."

"Tch…Squad 12," Ikkaku muttered as he rolled his eyes.

Nemu Kurotsuchi

Nemu kept an eye on the other three. They were currently packing up their things while allowing Nemu to gather samples in private. She put a hand to her grumbling stomach, curious about this new sensation. She used her hand to tear a bit of the Hollow's physical heart out. She looked at the bit of muscle and was about to put it in one of her sample bags when her stomach grumbled louder.

She looked at the piece of flesh again and brought it to her nose. She sniffed at it and her mouth began to water.

What is this sensation? Is this what some of the others refer to as "hunger"?

She cocked her head the side. Before, "hunger" had been nothing more than a thought that came when she realized she needed more food. It had not really been anything physical with her.

If this is hunger then there's only one way to cure it.

She opened her mouth and popped the bit of meat into it. She began to chew and swallowed. Her hunger was abated somewhat, but she still felt the need for more of that raw, bloody meat.

And she obeyed that craving.

Wind Song Fortress, Holy Luisenbarn Empire

A sharp wind blew along the walls ringing the white dome. There was a nearly musical quality as the wind whipped through the ornamental parapets and the gargoyles decorating the walls. Fierce visages of nightmare born of demons and of Soul Reapers whose likeness had been passed down through generations of storytelling.

Normally when the wind sang like this the inhabitants would be under the dome to take refuge from the fierce night winds. The only ones who would be outside the dome's protection would be the guards who kept their vigil or those seeking the solitude of the howling night. However, this was not the case as this wind sang. Nearly the entire populace of the fortress gathered in ranks outside. Murmurs of excitement rose from nobles and knights in their white robes or armor, to the lowly peasants dressed in their commoner grays.

Over the sole gate breaching the bristling ring of the wall stood a statue of Yamamoto, the Devil of Heaven himself. His sword of stone flame was raised as if to call down the fires of legend on the People of the Broken Mask. Next to the fearsome statue a tall Arrancar stood. His back was straight even as the wind pulled about his clothes and hair.

His hair was short and purple. The goatee seemed to match is harshly pointed features. His mask fragment was a row of four horns across his brow. Sharp eyes stared unblinking into the wind. His attire was not far removed from the other fine whites and furs except for the sigil on his left breast. It showed a great bird with wings of blades and a helmeted skull-like head encased in a purple and gold triangle.

He watched the procession approach and felt the mind behind the Reiatsu carried on the wind fall upon him. In a nod of acknowledgement he vanished in a burst of Sonído.

The purple-haired lord appeared before the three gowned women that were his mates. They dipped in nervous curtseys and he sent a soft Pesquisa to soothe them. His male kin stood at his right side, their own women behind them. His female kin stood at his left with their men behind them. The sworn swords waited behind the clan, pride long swallowed they still held their dignity even behind those who submit.

Turning fully, he regarded the peasants, unable to avoid picking out the weaklings who shared his blood. They were healthy and in good order. It was as it should be.

His household was presentable as he had known it would be. There was no haste to cover neglect for he neglected nothing.

So why should I be imposed upon? The Godking rarely comes here, he thought.

He turned back to face the gate. His eyes drifted to the words engraved over the gate. All of his clan who dwelled here were to look on it before heading out into the world. This was to ensure that they remembered who they were.

"OUR WORD IS IRON" the words etched in stone proclaimed. It was all of the glory and sorrow of his house summed up into four words. He saw it less a boast and more of a confession since the days of his lost youth. And the more he had heard of his house's history, the more he had come to believe the words to also be a warning.

Just as iron can cut your foe and your own throat, so too can oaths and honor strengthen and destroy a household, he thought.

He turned his attention forward.

The great palanquin draped in purple filled the gate and for a horrifying moment, he was worried that it may not pass through. Thankfully, the opening was sufficient and the burly peasants lowered its grandeur to the swept sandstone courtyard. The near white grays on these peasants caused a short murmur among the fortress's peasants.

A blonde man, clad in the blues of the Guardia Reale strode forward to interpose himself between the palanquin and the resident Arrancars. He raised an eyebrow at them.

The peasants immediately prostrated themselves, pressing their brows to the stone in a single great motion. The sworn swords went to their knees and pressed their forearms on the ground. His own kin and their mates went to one knee and planted a fist on the ground while planting the other hand on their knee. The lord bowed deeply at his waist.

"Godking Benvolio, Tenth True Godking of Luisenbarn, Heir to the Legacy of God Emperor Baraggan Luisenbarn the Divine, Rightful Lord of the Night, Master of the Knightly Orders of the Mask, Supreme Arbiter and Devastator of all your Vassals," the lord listed as he remained bowing.

"I Edwyn of the House Tuma, Patriarch of the Windblown Tuma, Lord of Wind Song and Baron of the Far March, extend all that is mine to your pleasure and comfort to your person," he said and then prostrated himself completely, pressing his forehead against the ground as custom demanded. Soon all of the inhabitants of Wind Song were pressing their foreheads to the stone ground.

Lord Edwyn heard the rustling of cloth and a boot striking the stones, then another. He heard the footsteps approaching. The footsteps stopped just in front of him and he could make out the toes of the black boots.

"Rise Lord Edwyn Tuma and Wind Song, you're of little use to me on your knees," Godking Benvolio declared.

The Tumas rose to stand once again. Their peasants rose still averting their eyes from the Godking's majesty.

"Return your people to their tasks. You and I need to speak in private, Lord Tuma. It concerns certain matters of state," Benvolio declared.

Without a further word he swept across the courtyard and through the opened doorway to the dome. Lord Edwyn made a sweeping gesture to his people before hastily walking after the Godking.

First Lady Tuma looked after her husband with some concern. She saw that her fellow sister-wives were bowing. She heard someone clearing their throat and turned to find Machiavelli Carias nearly shoving a tablet in her face.

"Let's begin with the accommodations shall we," he said grinning superiorly.

Nemu Kurotsuchi

Nemu excused herself before going into Sonído. Her companions' prudish nature worked to her advantage. Initially she intended to rid herself of her bodily wastes at the camp where it was both safe and practical. But they were adamant about maintaining cultural modesty. She supposed it made sense from a more hygienic perception, but bringing up "cultural modesty" was completely irrational. However, their irrationality was now serving her purpose.

She came out of Sonído on top of a sand dune. She let out a Pesquisa pulse.

No sign of any other source of Spiritual Pressure, other than my own, is nearby, she thought. Good.

She walked below the crest until the sand dune hid her from the view facing the camp. She sat down on the sandy surface cross-legged. She would do her more physical business soon, but first…

She pulled one of the sealed sample bags from its hiding place in her uniform. It had earlier been overfilled with the meat she had gathered from the large Hollow. Now, only a few strips remained. She opened the bag and breathed in the sickly sweet aroma. She felt the knots in her head loosen somewhat. She looked around to make sure that nobody was watching and then tenderly selected the thickest strip she could find and placed it in her mouth.

She chewed it slowly, savoring the flavor and most of all the feeling.

It's so much better than pike, she thought.

It seemed to fill her up with…something. For a few precious moments she felt whole.

Is this what I would have felt like had Father not sutured my soul in his labs? Is this what Uryu talked about whenever he talked about "being whole"?

Soon, the satisfaction took hold. She felt untouchable. Everything else seemed so distant and didn't really matter.

Her orders concerning the expedition, the minutes she had been unable to breathe after the Arrancar Gigai was sewn onto her with her father's bloody hands, and…Room 116.

"OBSOLETE…DEFICIENT…PARTS…UPGRADE"

Her "Father's" voice brought it all surging back. It was as though someone was hammering at the back of her eyes. She pressed a hand to her face. Then she noticed she had eaten the whole strip.

"It's not lasting as long," Nemu observed as she willed her eyes to stop hurting.

Of course it isn't. It's like any typical addiction.

I know that, but I…I…I NEED IT! I'm tired and hungry. And rest is never allowed. It wasn't even programmed…FILE NOT FOUND!

Yet, it had all been beautiful when I was new, like that iridescent amoeba that could fit in the palm of my hand. I remember stroking its containment unit, wishing I could touch it with my Reiatsu. But I wasn't allowed to contact it. I was only allowed to watch it all happen again. And when he cuts into it and pierces its helpless innocence…

She came out of the thought when she felt the Spiritual Energy nearby. She took her hand away from her face and saw a boulder hurtling towards her. She stowed her meat away and contemplated whether to dodge or blast the projectile. She decided to take the hit and see what happened.

My survival is pointless anyways.

The illogic of that conclusion struck her at about the same time the boulder struck her hard enough to bury her in the dune.

The Shrine

Apacci sniffed at the spiced mushroom through her veil and smiled. With the ease of decades of practice she slipped her fingers under the cloth to eat the mushroom. The plate before her was stacked with Hollow meat that was surrounded by well-prepared mushrooms and baked bread made from the oats and wheat that were grown in the specially made Harvest Chambers. She ripped off a piece of meat as she looked over the vast chamber.

The ceiling wasn't vaulted here on the lowest main floor of the Shrine. There was never meant to be grandeur here.

Nine long tables filled the hall. Most of the ziggurat's inhabitants were seated on the benches around the tables. The light crystals were situated in intervals along the tables. The light was soft, casting long shadows. Trays were passed along with the empty ones set down on the floor for the Initiates, who were only there to act as servants. But once the Initiates were sorted into the Sisterhoods, they would be allowed to join their new Sisters at the tables.

Now that I think of it, the sorting ceremony is coming up, Apacci thought. Even though it's supposed to be a joyous occasion, it can also be a sorrowful occasion as well. Young women who became friends as Initiates are so often torn apart when sorted into different Sisterhoods. There may be no rule saying that a table is exclusive to a certain Sisterhood, but there is so little intermingling during meals. It's as though there's some unspoken rule about that.

She looked at the gathered women and recalled meals from long ago. She remembered how Sung-Sun would always make some snide comment that would piss her off while arm-wrestling Mila Rose for the last piece of food. They would always argue with each other and the meal would end with them pouting when their Mother would take the last bit of food for herself.

Those were happier times. For a moment, Apacci imagined that she was back during that time in Las Noches before the Winter War. They were sitting around a round table on soft cushions, some of them commandeered from Starrk's chambers. They were talking about one thing or another that would always lead to another argument and end with all of them laughing.

"My Lady?" a melodic voice said, interrupting her recollection.

She blinked a couple of times and found that she was back to sitting on a sandstone throne at a rectangular table. The chair on her left reserved for the Queen whenever she came to visit was empty while the other seats were occupied.

"Yes Esther?" Apacci asked.

The First Sister of the Cierva Sisterhood inclined her head. She tugged at her dark red ponytail slightly. Her green eyes held some concern that Apacci did not care for.

"I apologize, but you seemed to be far off again," the younger Acolyte replied.

"I'm fine. Now…what were we talking about?"

Apacci realized that she was still holding the morsel under her veil and she promptly popped it into her mouth. She did not miss the look exchanged by two of the First Sisters. The third, and shortest, remained focused on her meal.

"Ariadne?" Apacci asked to the short woman.

Ariadne did not seem threatening at first glance, unlike most of those under her in the Leonisra Sisterhood. She was petit with large emotional eyes. Her closely-shorn blonde hair did not detract from her femininity. But the Acolyte uniform displayed the hard muscles covering her frame. Despite her small size, Ariadne was vicious and was known to have ripped a Son's head off with just her bare teeth and hands.

"You were discussing politics my Lady. I was not listening."

Apacci barked a laugh at the bluntly apolitical statement. The girl was so unlike Mila Rose in appearance, but Apacci knew she would have appreciated Ariadne's sense.

I'm getting old. I'm always comparing those around me to those I've lost, she thought. She knew that she couldn't let those thoughts take root. What mattered was now.

"Ah yes, that's right. We were discussing the Ascensionist book discovered in that heretic's hideout. I'm surprised that such things are still floating around. It was one of those written by Tu Odelschwank, right?" Apacci asked.

"Yes. It was exactly like the copy in the Forbidden Texts chamber of our library," the First Sister of Anaconda hissed. Mia was extremely gorgeous. She was tall with long legs and smooth and graceful arms with the anaconda tattoo wrapped around each one. What could be seen of her face was curved and soft while also being well-defined. Her violet hair was loosely tied in a braid that swung behind her. Her eyes were the same shade of violet. Her bare, pale midriff was adorned with a depiction of the Goddess.

"And it was in Sanction of all places," Esther muttered as she shook her head. Her own tattoo was Apacci's old order of the leaping three-horned deer that was located on the left shoulder.

"I suppose that if anyone has use for Nel's old shit it would be heretics. But why would they bother with that one? Ascensionism is a dead faith. And rumor has it that even Tu Odelschwank no longer believes in it," Apacci mused.

Esther considered the statement while Mia frowned. Apacci tucked a straw under her veil to sip the bitter moss wine from the crystal goblet.

"It's true that heretics are senseless. But they must have a reason. Perhaps they seek an alliance with Las Noches against us," Mia said. "It would certainly explain why that new heresy is starting to take hold. Whoever founded it only had to apply some of the Ascensionist doctrines to the Histories in order to distort the Great Betrayal. They did it to undermine the Orthodoxy's authority and divide the Sisters. To think that they would actually say that…"

"Enough," Apacci snarled. "That new heresy is an affront to all true Arrancar and the Goddess. I know what you want me to do, Mia. Under ordinary circumstances, I would agree. But these are not ordinary circumstances. It's bad enough that the Queen is continually trying to gain some level of authority within the Shrine, but I will not have us divide the Sisters further by launching a witch-hunt. That will only give credence to the heresy. But if we continue to push Orthodoxy on the Initiates and the Acolytes, then the heresy will die out on its own like the weed it truly is.

"Do you understand me?"

Apacci's Reiatsu increased to the point where it broke the crystal glass. The hall went quite as the Acolytes looked to the high table feeling that pulse of rage. Mia looked at the shards and nodded.

"I apologize if I upset you," Mia said.

Apacci only gave Mia a curt nod and looked at the shards of crystal on the table.

"More wine," Apacci commanded.

The usual murmured conversations returned to the hall.

Esther gave Mia a look of annoyance. Mia only ignored it and looked ahead.

"It was such a surprise for Lady Persephone to appear like this. She certainly lives up to the stories from what I saw," Esther said, wanting to change the subject to more pleasant sands.

"Yes, the records indicate that my predecessor's predecessor had no doubt that she would become Queen of Sanction with her high abilities. Hera's ascension was as certainly as much a shock as you have heard," Mia added, somewhat reluctant to get on this topic.

"Humph, I fought alongside her back when I was a Triple. She's a great warrior. She could cut down Sons who had released with only her blade and she once broke an Eater's neck with a sheathed sword. I was on the field when she fought the First Son after he struck down Queen Juno. It was as though something from the poems of the Winter War had come to life during that patrol. Such terror…such power…" Ariadne reminisced. Her fellow First Sisters looked to her, curious at the unusual chattiness. But there seemed to be no more forthcoming from her.

"Few of the Espada made good leaders. Perhaps Juno saw Hera as a more stable option. However, the last I heard Persephone was living in the outer borderlands leading the forest sweeps and raids against the Sons. And now she resides in the Shark Court and even makes pilgrimages. I wonder why," Apacci mused.

"Queen Freya may want her aunt around again to increase her standing. There's nothing like a hero to help you challenge the current situations, especially concerning the alliance with the Luisenbarnians," Esther suggested. Mia raised a hand to cover her veiled mouth as she giggled. The sight made Apacci shiver.

"What's so funny?" Esther asked with a rather indignant tone to her voice.

"There's no great conspiracy. Do you remember that wide-eyed girl following her around like a yearling?" Mia asked.

"Do you mean Isra Van Harr?" Esther asked. Mia nodded.

"That was no Van Harr," Apacci stated as she at another mushroom.

"What do you mean?" Esther asked.

Apacci knew that the Van Harrs were obsessed when it came to breeding protocols. There was no way that they would make children who were so unlike the Goddess in appearance. Apacci had spoken briefly with the Isra girl before she and Persephone departed to return to Sanction. She had noticed how Isra was pale, white-haired with that raven streak, petit, and flat-chested; definitely not like the tanned and curvy women the Van Harrs grew into. Then there was the fact that she was timid in a way that no Van Harr had ever been since the Great Schism.

"The girl was adopted by Persephone. A poor simple-minded girl who Lady Persephone found orphaned or cast-aside to wander the vast emptiness of Hueco Mundo. Being of such a tender heart when it comes to the outcasts, she took her under her wing. She came back from near exile for no more reason than to give the girl a proper lifestyle," Mia said with all the eagerness of spreading gossip.

"That's lovely," Apacci said smiling. She swirled her new wine after an Acolyte put a new goblet in her hand. "We may breed, but we can't rear and be Acolytes. It changes one's priorities," she sighed.

"True, but I heard that raising a Yearling can be beneficial for the soul. What do you think High Sister? What are your thoughts on the possibility of rearing a child?" Mia asked. Ariadne pushed her chair back and got to her feet at the words. Then, after realizing there was no defined insult, she sat back down. But she glared at the Anaconda's First Sister.

Apacci stared at her as well, but wide-eyed in surprise. Silence fell over the table for nearly a minute. Apacci felt uncomfortable and took a long sip of her wine through the straw before deciding to answer.

"I am already rearing children," Apacci said. "The lesser Acolytes and the Initiates are all children who need to be instructed in the ways of being True Arrancars. We are the older Sisters who must watch over them and care for them as the Great Mother taught us to do."

"That is well-said, High Sister," Mia said. "But I was thinking about what my predecessor did. She left the Sisterhood to raise one of the young children who was born here at the Shrine. From what I hear, she is quite happy to not have the worries of the Shrine on her shoulders.

"I remember her telling me that there comes a time when we must all put down our burdens. I suppose she thought that raising a young child was her way of releasing the burden of duty to the Faith. I suppose there is no shame in that. Wouldn't you agree High Sister?"

Apacci knew what Mia was actually saying. And based on the look on Esther's face, she knew as well.

Don't you think that the time has come for you to retire from your duties?

"Have you finalized the new murals for the upper levels?" Apacci asked.

Mia gave a slight shrug as the new conversation started. Esther sighed with relief at the change in subject.

The Pilgrim Road

The silence that hung in the valley was broken by the sound of footsteps and the clinking of gear. The guards kept a watch on the mounds of stone and the hills on either side of the Pilgrim's Road as the caravan continued its journey to Sanction. But they were not as diligent as before. Nearly half of the pilgrims and guards were stretching or chatting between scans of their surroundings.

But it was to be expected. In the distance, Isra could make out the tallest minarets and spires of Sanction, the capital city of the Triples. They were nearing the heart of the Van Harr domain with the greatest dangers of the road now behind them.

"We're almost home," Persephone said, smiling from behind her veil. "Are you excited?"

Isra smiled behind her own veil and nodded. She tilted her head as she had a habit of doing when she was thinking hard about something. Persephone always found it cute.

"Persey, why is the Shrine so far away? Wouldn't it be more convenient for the Daughters if Sanction was located closer to the Shrine?"

"It would, but it would defeat the purpose of the Pilgrimage. Pilgrimages are meant to help us remember by becoming closer to those who came before and those who are yet to come. After all, it is the journey that unites us.

"Also, the Shrine was built before Sanction. It was only later that the Queens' people moved to give the clergy…space."

Isra saw that Persephone had become solemn. She didn't like it when her sister became that way. It made her nervous, and that was too close to being afraid.

"I'm sorry," Persephone said. "Whenever I'm nearly done with a Pilgrimage, I always get a little reflective. Anyways, when we get back…" she stopped in her tracks.

"Persey, what's wrong?" Isra asked tugging on her still sister's sleeve. Persephone didn't say anything at first. Instead, her eyes shifted slightly to the left. Then, without warning, she thrust her left hand at it with the palm out and fired a Bala in that direction. The golden light struck one of the boulders. As the dust and debris fell, a figure rushed out.

"AMBUSH!" Persephone yelled.

The night was suddenly filled with shouting as figures came rushing out from behind boulders or sprang out of the dirt where they had buried themselves.

"SONS!" one of the guards yelled drawing her sword.

The Sons rushed the Triples, a pack of howling horrors. Whenever they went to battle or on a raid, the Sons only wore Hollow hides and the mask fragments of the Arrancars they had defeated strapped to their bare bodies with leather cords like armor as well as trophies. Their faces were smeared with yellow war paint making their appearance even more hideous. Some stuck out their tongues to show the Twin Crescents tattooed there in honor of their insane blood-thirsty god.

Isra stood frozen to the spot. Her wide eyes were focused on such a barbarian as he leapt down from one of the pillars lining the Pilgrim's Road. She saw the guard that the barbarian was aiming for, a slim male, already crossing blades with another Son, but she couldn't do anything to help. A golden cero surged into her view and struck the descending Son silencing is war cry.

Isra turned towards the source of the attack. She saw Persephone glaring at the Sons, steam rose from her hand. The rumbling growl from behind her sister's veil broke Isra's shocked stillness. Isra fumbled for the sword at her belt and after what seemed far too long pulled out the short slightly curving blade with the black-and-white striped hilt. She tried to raise it, but Persephone's hand grabbed it and began to push down.

"Hide," Persephone ordered.

Isra tried to protest, but her tongue was thick with fear. Persephone vanished in a burst of Sonído. Isra pivoted to watch her go. The guard who had nearly been ambushed was losing his fight to the savage assault of the Son.

Then the Son stiffened and turned in time to catch Persephone's blade on his own. It did little good. Her sister's black bastard sword severed both blade and neck in one stroke. With a dancer's grace the roaring Triple pivoted striking an incoming Cero with the flat of her blade. The attack rebounded and Isra saw its maker briefly silhouetted before he let out a howl as he was consumed by his own attack.

She heard another howl, but this one was of triumph coming from too close behind her. Stories of women caught by Sons swelled in her head. A flood of Reiatsu washed over her in the unmistakable feeling of a Resurrección being unleashed. Isra turned toward the violent energy source only for something to hit her in the nose. Rubbing her nose through the veil she glanced to the ground and saw what hit her. She recognized the head of one of the older pilgrims. The eyes stared up at her as the life faded from them. Isra vanished in a burst of her own Sonído.

When she came out of the Sonído, she could still hear the sounds of battle, but they were thankfully distant. The road was still in sight, but she was hidden among the rocks and rises around it now.

But that did nothing to calm her. Her knees were shaking so hard that they threatened to give out. Her sense of unease and helplessness increased. She felt ashamed, useless, disgusted, and terrified. A part of her wanted to go back and do whatever she could, but that part was insignificant. Instead, it was the part that just wanted to cower in a hole like a frightened child that was the dominant.

She sank to her knees, too afraid to even stand. She just wanted to go home.

But where is home?

She shook her head. That Inner Voice rarely ever spoke up, but when it did it was always unpleasant. It made her feel like a lizard was crawling around her skull, or as though she was encased in ice.

"Please, go away," she whispered. "I don't want you here. You're scaring me."

"Well, that's good…Little Pet." She felt hot stinking breath on her neck.

An arm suddenly wrapped itself around her waist and a hand clamp over her mouth. She felt mask fragments digging into her back.

CAUGHT! I'M CAUGHT, her mind screamed in complete panic. She struggled frantically against the grip but her arms were pinned and her kicks did nothing.

"It won't do you any good to run, Little Nel. And it won't do you any good to scream, either. All of your little Lesbo playmates are dead," the Son whispered. She felt something slimy cross her neck and Isra realized that the Son was licking her as though she was some kind of treat. "Oh yes," the Son purred. "They're all dead."

NO! Persephone can't be dead. She…she just can't.

"Tch…you don't look like much. Are you some kind of midget?"

DON'T CALL ME 'MIDGET,' her Inner Voice cried out.

But Isra didn't notice that the Inner Voice had spoken. Instead, her fear took over. Images of Persephone flashed through her head alongside all the stories she had ever heard of the Sons of the Mantis.

I'm caught. I'm caught. I'm caught.

"But then again, maybe you're just a youngster. Oh well, no matter, either way you'll be…"

There was the sound of falling stones. The Arrancar seemed to stiffen and he threw her down onto the ground. Isra heard the sound of a sword being drawn and then his foot was on her head. He ground her face against the rocky ground even when she tried to push him off. His Reiatsu spiked with fear.

"WHO'S THERE?" he shouted. "IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"

"Relax, Straum, it's just us."

Isra could feel Straum's Reiatsu calm down. She remembered her sword and she reached for it. Then his other foot stomped down on her questing hand, fracturing her Hierro.

"Ah, thank the Great Mantis you're back. How many did you get?" Straum inquired as Isra cried out in pain.

"None," one of the newcomers replied gruffly. "But they killed plenty of us."

"How many?" Straum asked frowning.

"They killed five almost right away. When we reached them, they killed another six."

"WHAT? Are you saying it's just the four of you? Where's the Commander?"

"He…he was killed by…by a Nel," one of the others said in disgust. "The Son we followed allowed himself to be killed by A FUCKING NEL! EVEN AFTER RELEASING! AND THE SLUT DIDN'T EVEN RELEASE TO KILL HIM!"

"Tch…disgraceful," another spat. "Who would have thought that he turned out to be nothing more than just a male Nel?"

"Still, it wasn't a total loss," Straum said glancing down.

Isra could hear footsteps approach her and she couldn't help but shake in fear. There were five Sons around her. There was no way she could run from them, even if she tried.

Straum seemed to agree as he stepped off her hand and head. She rose shakily to her feet cradling her bleeding hand. Isra took in the painted faces leering at her as her eyes threatened to release tears of terror.

"So, you got one. Good work, Straum. You'll finally get marked because of this."

"It's about damn time, too," Straum grunted.

Isra felt her feet knocked from under her. A hand grabbed her hair and yanked her back to her feet. She cried out in pain and surprise. A fist struck her in the face.

"Shut up," the Arrancar who grabbed her hissed. "Don't make a sound or else I'll rip your tongue out."

Isra could only whimper in fear. The new Son ripped off her veil and sneered in her face with its newly split lip.

"Let's just take her and get out of here," the gruff Arrancar said. "Someone might…"

He didn't finish. There came the static sound of someone coming out of Sonído and then the sound of metal slicing through flesh. Isra saw blood spray in the air out of the corner of her eyes.

"DAMN IT!" another Arrancar shouted as he raised his sword in a defensive position. "SHE'S…"

There was another sound of Sonído and then the sound of metal slicing through metal and flesh. The Arrancar screamed as his belly burst open, spewing out his entrails on the stones. The remaining three Sons pressed together as the dying Son tried to stuff his innards back in. Straum held Isra in front of him like a shield as a gold Bala struck the slowly dying Son in the face. He let out a shriek as the fire consumed him and the smell of cooking flesh rose from him.

A figure, shrouded in shadows rose on top of a boulder. Steam rose from its fist. Moonlight gleamed on the blood-stained black blade.

"Using a child to save yourself, I thought you Sons liked to boast about your superiority," it called. Isra's heart soared and she let her tears flow.

"Persey…PERSEY, HELP ME!"

"Shut up, Little Nel," Straum hissed tightening his grip nearly chocking her with his arm.

The other two Arrancars kept an eye on Persephone as she leapt down from the boulder. They backed away as she began to walk towards them. Her stride was casual as though she was doing nothing more than walking in one of the moon gardens back home. Isra saw that her older sister was covered with splatters of blood on her light brown skin and her clothes were stained red. Blood dripped from her blade, leaving a trail behind it.

"Do you always like to attack the young and the weak? Tell me, that mark on your commander's tongue…did he get it for kidnapping a young child or for raping one of the women you keep chained up like a dog? If that's all it takes to be deemed a man…then it's a good thing I was born a woman."

"You fucking bitch," one of the Arrancars snarled as he understood the intended insult. He charged at her, roaring.

"STOP!" his comrade shouted.

Persephone raised her blade evading his descending strike, and sliced through the man's waist. The bottom part took another couple of steps before it fell while the torso flew forwards, leaving behind an arch of blood and entrails streaming behind it.

"Too slow," she whispered," too enraged. You know what the problem with you Sons is?"

The other Arrancar charged forward. Straum, still holding Isra, backed away, glaring at Persephone.

"All that you Sons really are…" she whispered as she dodged the Arrancar's swing and dug her hand into his throat, "…are nothing more than rabid dogs. And the only thing to do with rabid dogs…" She tore out the Arrancar's throat. "…is put them down."

The Arrancar dropped to the ground. Blood gushed from his ripped throat and gushed from the broken veins and arteries. Persephone dropped the ripped out throat on him and looked back at Straum.

"DON'T MOVE!" Straum screamed as he tightened his grip on Isra. "DON'T MOVE OR ELSE I'LL KILL HER! I SWEAR TO THE GREAT MANTIS IS WILL KILL THIS FUCKING SLUT!"

"Will you?" Persephone asked coldly. Her eyes blazed at him as she cocked an eyebrow. "I wonder if you can, Boy."

The Arrancar tilted Isra's head back and pressed the edge of his blade against her throat. A thin trickle of blood flowed from where the blade pierced the Hierro. Isra whimpered.

"Try me," Straum spat.

"If she dies, then you'll die. Let her go and I'll let you go. You're not marked, which means that you're not a full-grown Son yet."

"I TOOK THE RITE OF WILL AND I PASSED! I AM A TRUE SON!"

Persephone looked at him.

"So…you don't necessarily have to have the mark of the Twin Crescents to be considered a True Son?"

"That's right. I already crippled one of your kind and I'll gladly do it to this bitch right here. And when I'm done with her…I'll do the same to you. I'll have you both here and now and then I'll drag you back to Tesla and give you as a give to First Son Delgado."

Persephone only looked at him and smiled.

"So…you don't really have any intention of killing her. You Sons are a disgrace. You don't deserve to call yourselves Arrancars."

"What? Now listen close you Nel-munching whore. I AM A WARRIOR OF SANTA TERESA!" Straum shouted.

"No, you are not a warrior. None of the Sons are truly warriors. Warriors draw their blades and are thrilled by the challenge of strong opponents. Their pride is to seek the mighty to measure themselves and grow stronger through battle. That was the way that your god was at first, but then his pride at continually being beaten by a woman made him go down the path of becoming a disgrace. And all of you Sons have only gone further down that path.

"There is no pride to be gained by preying on the weak, the easy kills, and those who are easy to catch. You are reluctant to face the strongest of the pack. Those are the actions of a carrion-eater, a predator, a beast without honor."

Persephone used his confusion and growing rage to her advantage. She rushed forward and cut off the arm holding the sword below the elbow. Straum shrieked in pain and surprise as he looked at the stump. His other hand released Isra as it grabbed at the bleeding stump.

Persephone grabbed Isra and pulled her behind her. They backed away from the screaming Son who was now bending over as though bowing. Isra wept in relief as blood trickled down her neck.

"Isra, close your eyes."

The tone in Persephone's voice chilled her. It was like the cold wind that came before a storm. Her sister's face was filled with the rage that came from the Hollow instinct that resided deep inside every Arrancar.

The young Son, still bent at the waist and concealing the stump glanced up and saw that rage. He sneered at her. Isra turned her attention to her enemy surprised at the confidence in his eyes and his smile.

"So…you think that just cutting off one hand will do you any good?" He straightened and Isra's eyes widened when she saw that his arm had fully regrown. "REGENERATION, BITCH!" he yelled and fired a Cero. Persephone easily dodged the Cero, but it gave Straum enough time to reach his sword. He held it over his head with the blade's point facing forward like a stinger.

"PIERCE, SCORPONO!" he shouted. Sand and small stones were kicked up in a whirlwind around Straum as he released. The whirlwind passed quickly enough. He stood grinning, attired in white half plate as a massive scorpion tail rose behind him. Its stinger was like a steel scythe and she knew that it was coated in some kind of poison.

"SUCK ON THIS, BITCH!" he screamed. He vanished into Sonído and Isra looked around frantically. Stepping back she hit something. She turned and saw that Persephone was behind her, holding the tail by the stinger's edge in between her fingers.

"What?" Straum asked in shock. Persephone brought up her sword and cut off the end of the tail.

Straum screamed and leapt backwards. A cloud of sooty yellow Reiatsu grew around him and claws sprouted from his back. One of the claws grabbed hold of a boulder and cut through the stone with ease. He smirked and roared as he raced towards Isra, claws clicking.

Persephone didn't say anything. Instead, she crouched as low as she could and swung her bastard sword at the Son's ankles. The blade sank deep into the Achilles' Tendons. He screamed as his ruined ankles gave way and he collapsed at Isra's feet before the girl scampered back.

"Regeneration," Persephone whispered and smiled. "It's been a while since I last encountered an Arrancar with that ability in combat. Oh…I think I'm gonna have some fun with you, Hollow."

"I'M A TRUE SON! I'M A TRUE ARRANCAR, YOU FUCKING BITCH! SLUT! WHORE! NEL-EATER! Tch…I bet you like to play with her," he leered and pointed at Isra. "I bet you like the way her tongue feels as it caresses your body, especially the areas that make all of you Nels go weak. 'Oh yes! Do that some more!' YOU LESBOS MAKE ME SICK!"

Persephone glowered at him and allowed her blade to cut into his calves. The Son screamed in pain. She cut the nearly regrown tail off close enough to also slice into his buttocks. Then she focused on the claws trying to reach her. Her sword sliced through them with ease and she fired a Bala at each stump. It was a lesson she learned when she faced an Arrancar who could regenerate before. Like the hydra of myth, if the wounds were cauterized before they could regrow then regeneration was impossible.

"You dare to say that you're an Arrancar? You're not an Arrancar. None of the Sons are truly Arrancars. You're all nothing but Hollows who just happen to have broken masks.

"Even the Eaters are better than you. They're at least born monsters. But you Hollows choose to make yourselves as you are."

She wiped the blade clean with a bit of cloth and tossed it on the ground. She did not bother with her own bloodied state. She re-sheathed it. The Son looked at her in disgust.

"I don't need your pity or your mercy Nel. If you let me go, then I'll…"

"I think you misunderstand," Persephone whispered and glared at him. Her smile made Straum feel nervous. "I have no intention of letting you go."

"Then…why?"

"Well…you did hurt my little sister." She thrust her hand into his abdomen, grabbing his entrails and twisting them. He shrieked in pain and horror. "And I don't like it when somebody hurts my little sister."

She relished in his torment, the way he must have relished tormenting countless women. Her Hollow instinct told her what to do and she obeyed it. She was an Arrancar. And Arrancars know how to be brutal. Persephone hissed audibly out of disgust and pleasure as she pulled out organs and guts from his torn torso as it tried to close. She took her time. She wanted to make him suffer for daring to lay his filthy hands on Isra and so made sure to avoid his more vital organs. He tried to form another Cero, but she only fired a Bala of her own that caused the growing Cero to blow Straum's arm off.

Isra could only watch in terror as her sister ripped into the Arrancar. The Son could only scream in terror and pain.

"NO! NO! I WON'T LET YOU KILL ME YOU FUCKING BITCH!" he shrieked grabbing her hands and pulling them out of his torso as blood ran from his mouth. "I WILL NOT BE SHAMED!"

He was trying to fight her, but his efforts were in vain even as a sooty yellow Cero formed in his widening mouth. Persephone only grunted in annoyance at how he was able to form a Cero from more than one location. She released a burst of Reiatsu in her arms that shot out, shattering the hands holding her. She thrust two fingers into the Cero ball, injecting gold energy into it, dispersing the power. She grabbed his tongue.

Then she stopped. Persephone cocked her head slightly hissing as she thought of something. She smiled as she dug her fingers into the area into the skin just above his mask fragment that went around the bridge of his nose, under his eyes, and protruded at the corners of his mouth like a pair of pincers. His eyes widened in terror.

"Your armor…trophies from those Arrancars you've killed. It's actually a clever way to boast about your 'accomplishments.' I think I might start my own collection."

"No…pleath…pleath…no…" he whimpered.

"Shut up, Nnoitora scum," she whispered.

She dug into the skin and yanked the mask fragment from his forehead. Straum shrieked as the skin ripped away and the fragment tore away.

His screams were muffled but could still chill the blood. It was pain mixed with fear mixed with hatred mixed with humiliation. But for Persephone, it was sweet music. It was the music that made her leap for joy. It was the sound she relished in the old days when she went on her raids against the Sons in their lands. It was the sound she drank in deeply when they did to them what they did to women. It was the sound she hoped to hear when the Believers finally ended the Blood Feud by wiping out every last Son from the face of Hueco Mundo.

She held the mask fragment up like it was a scalp and let out a cry of triumph as she sank her fingers into the Son's lower jaw.

"Now, let's end this," she whispered and ripped his lower jaw out of the socket. She tugged again as the skin ripped away. He let out another scream and blood gushed from his ruined mouth.

She looked at her reflection in his wide, terrified eyes. She was a vengeful, blood-covered wraith raising a jawbone with skin and muscle tissues streaming from it. The jawbone had a golden aura about it from her infused golden energy. She pulled down her veil to let him see the malevolent grin and look of rapture on her face before she brought down the blow.

His skull was thick and it tried pathetically to heal. It didn't matter. She was in the haze. She continued to strike him with his own jawbone. She did not realize when she had begun to pound nothing more than bits of bone and mashed brains into the stone.

When she did realize it was over, she tossed the jaw aside and kicked the bloodied corpse.

"There, try to regenerate now, scum."

Breathing hard she turned and saw Isra lying curled into a ball on the ground, crying. Persephone felt all of the rage and hatred at the Sons fueled by the Blood Feud left her and the instinct to comfort took over. She rushed to Isra and knelt next to her. She held her little sister in her extremely bloody hands and covered her in gore as she pulled the trembling form close to her.

"Hush now…you're safe, Isra. You're safe. I'm here. I'm here. I'll always keep you safe. No matter how much blood I have to spill, I'll keep you safe. Shhh…shhh…shh…"

Isra stopped trembling as Persephone's bloody hands held her close to her blood-covered bosom and stroked her white hair, staining them crimson. Her breathing returned to normal and her eyes relaxed when Persephone began to hum a soothing melody.

She smiled as Persephone's bloodied hands gently touched her mask fragment. Her fear vanished and her sense of safety overflowed. She was able to drift into a peaceful dreamless sleep in Persephone's arm. Even when those hands were covered in blood, Isra felt safe with their warm and gentle touch.

Nemu Kurotsuchi

Nemu recognized the sensation of being carried. Someone had her over their broad shoulders carrying her as though she was nothing but a sack. Her forearms were bound against her sides by a rope of some kind that was tied tighter than necessary. Her ankles were bound together, but not by a rope. By how it felt as though whatever was wrapped around her ankles was trying to bit into her Hierro Nemu concluded that it must have been made of some kind of wire.

Like some of the garrote wire Father made for the Security Force, she thought. I wonder how they got hold of it. No one other than authorized personnel is supposed to have possession of it. However, my Hierro is not so weak as to break that easily, she thought with thin shadow of triumph.

She opened her eyes and where she was. The sands made determining her location difficult, but she could still make out the spires of Las Noches to gain some sort of heading.

She heard a chorus of cheers and crude calls from somewhere up ahead. She tried to twist around only for her captor to tighten his hold. She was too solid for him to smother her physically. And feeling his Reiatsu output, she was certain he also couldn't smother her using his Reiatsu. It was fortunate that despite his size, his power was extremely weak.

Looking at his back she noted that his grey attire was crudely mended with broad stitches that failed to properly close his breaches, which were only held up by a length of rope.

She examined her surroundings and saw that they were in some kind of encampment at the base of a series of rugged stone-littered hills. Nemu noted that it was surrounded by a crudely made wall of sandstone that was little more than a minor inconvenience for any who wanted to attack this place. And even then, this small wall was full of gaps that appeared to have been hastily filled-in with whatever was lying about, including a Hollow's corpse or two that some of the inhabitants were munching on.

The camp itself seemed to be composed of a series of pits with the remains of Hollows smoking in them. Hulking figures sat around them or strode from pit to pit stupidly. Some of these large Arrancars looked at her, their eyes filled with violent stupidity. They dismissed her and returned to their idleness.

Although, she thought as she turned her head, not all of them are idle.

Two of the hulking brutes were fighting each other. They were biting into each other and digging into the other's Hierro barehanded. As she watched, two more of these hulking Arrancars joined in the fight for no apparent reason.

Too much like Squad 11, she thought. There's nothing to warrant any observation here.

Then her senses picked something up. She cocked her head slightly sniffing the air.

Radioactive Dye 45, she thought. It's close. Retrieval Mode Activated. Plotting best course of action. Waiting…waiting…waiting… Course of action plotted.

There was a series of grunts and she felt her body being plopped down in front in front of a tent made of a series of canvases made of Hollow hides hastily set up. She rolled herself to her side and saw one of the hulking figures in front of the tent leaning forward to look down at her. Its beady eyes squinted and she could picture arthritic gears turning in its skull.

"Good meat?" it asked.

"Smells good. No taste."

Creatures exhibit poor linguistic skills. Aside from size, they pose no real great experimental value aside from testing intellect-improvement formulae. Radioactive Dye 45 is negative on these two. Must not engage until source is located, target has been rendered properly disposed, and Dye 45 secured.

"Other?"

"Surface…not Other…not Leaper, smell good."

"Hunter?"

"Hunter. Eat now or…?" Nemu was surprised that it actually managed a question.

"Chief hungry. Chief need feed. This feed."

The other Arrancar nodded sagely.

"Cook," he stated picking her back up. Her cooperation did not seem suspicious to these creatures. So far things were working to her advantage.

"Chief want feed raw. Chief become strong. Leapers much trouble. Chief want tear them. Chief need raw feed," the guard said as he shook his head.

Subjects think only of killing other entities and feeding. Mental level is inferior to approximately 84% of all subjects experimented on. The observed behavior is similar to the Espada known as Yammy Riyalgo. They offer no real experimental value. Subjects may be terminated if necessary.

Note mention of "Leapers" in context of enemies. In all likelihood these "Leapers" are another tribe who possess some agility to earn such a moniker.

"What Chief's Tahl-ees-mahn speak?"

"Tahl-ees-mahn silent. Tahl-ees-mahn protect, not speak. Take inside. Too much talk."

The Arrancar holding Nemu carried her through the tent opening. A few steps in it dropped her again onto the floor. She raised her head a little and saw that the tent didn't have much except for a crude sculpture of a creature part gorilla and part lizard with horns on its head and running down its back. She heard guttural whispers and looked to see a cluster of hulking figures grunting.

"Feed for Chief-of-chiefs," her captor announced.

The throng got up and dispersed through another entrance. A hulking figure rose from a crudely made chair of stone they had been clustered around and walked over to the Arrancar.

"Late," he said in a low, guttural growl. Without warning the Arrancar, who must have been the chief, struck the captor Arrancar in the face with a large fist. The Arrancar fell backwards, its face caved-in. Blood mixed with bone and brain flowed around the corpse. "Too much talk. Need feed."

Nemu looked at the hulking brute. Its mask fragment was a series of horns protruding from the sides of its face. Its eyes were just as violently stupid as the others, but there was a miniscule amount of actual intelligence. It was dressed only in Hollow hides as well as rags that must have been taken from Arrancars it had killed or its camp had killed. It cocked its head at her shifting the black bristly mane. It leaned down easily ripped the rope wrapped around Nemu as well as the garrote cord. It straightened and looked down on her.

"Me Fisto," it said and pounded its fisted hands on his broad chest. "You feed."

"Nemu looked at the various trinkets hanging from around his thick neck. It had a necklace made of ears and another made out of fangs. But one necklace in particular caught her attention. It was a small, round disk with a glass bead in the center.

Source found. Retrieval will occur in…

Before she could finish the thought, Fisto grabbed one of her arms and dub a thick thumb into her armpit. He yanked the arm out of its socket with one twisting pull. She didn't scream, but instead only looked at the bleeding socket where her arm had been only moments ago in surprise.

"You feed. Feed make me strong. Tahl-ees-mahn protect me," he said and gestured to the disk. He continued his rant while gesturing with her arm in his hand for emphasis. "Me strong. Me kill Hunters. Me kill Others. Me kill Leapers. Me kill rivals. Me become Chief-of-chiefs. Me Berserker of Berserkers."

Nemu watched in fascination as Fisto began to munch on her arm. She reached into the hidden pocket woven in her belt and took out on of the small syringes of the regeneration formula that Akon had given her, most likely without Mayuri knowing, shortly before she left. She had undergone the same therapy as her Father's body. Hopefully the Gigai would not interfere with that. Fisto did not seem to notice as he was too busy munching on her arm to pay her any heed.

Nemu injected herself and the arm regenerated, pale and coated with Hierro. She flexed her hand to make sure that the regrowth had worked. She was pleased that her new hand worked with her usual dexterity.

She calculated what toxins that arm contained and in what dosage. She knew that it wouldn't be long before they started to take effect. She waited as Fisto devoured her poisoned flesh.

Hanataro Yamada

"W-where's Nemu? Shouldn't she be back by now?" Hanataro asked.

He looked around as though trying to see any sign of her coming back. She had told them that she needed to relieve herself in her usual matter-of-fact manner. Tatsuki looked around as well and her habitual frown deepened. She knew that Nemu only took a couple of minutes for restroom breaks and it had been much longer than that.

"Perhaps we should go look for her," Hanataro pressed tugging at his hair lightly.

"Why should we, Runt?" Ikkaku asked. "Nemu's a big girl. She can take care of herself."

"True," Tatsuki muttered. She felt uneasy though. It seemed that lately Nemu had been acting strangely…well, stranger than usual. And that was saying something.

That bastard must have injected her with something, she thought. Well something else other than the obvious.

The thought of that hideously angelic smile sent a shiver down her spine. She had not met anyone before coming here who had unnerved her the way Dorian Narciss had, not even Mayuri Kurotsuchi had frightened her as much he had.

"She probably just found something worth experimenting on," Tatsuki decided. "She'll come back in her own time."

Nemu Kurotsuchi

The brawl outside had grown to a dozen participants. There were no sides. Each Berserker was fighting for himself. Nearly all of the other men in the camp were watching, cheering, and hooting. Posts and meager duties were abandoned and soon only the resolutely napping Arrancars refrained from the festivities.

A bald brute ripped off the leg of a Hollow's corpse rotting in a wall gap and bit into it.

"Bad meat. Women meat best," he commented in what passed for deep thoughts. "Old Chief not let us eat women we had. Say bad idea. Bad idea hunting when meat already here fattening up. Best woman way big. Cut open. Slimy snakes pour out. Taste spicy. Woman not much meat," he commented as he looked to the tent. "No stuffed with snakes," he said sadly.

"New Chief better. New Chief let us eat women. But now no women. No snakes. That problem?"

A crunching sound drew his attention back to the corpse as he took another bite from the rotting leg. He stared into the ever bared teeth and wide eyes of the Eater crouched on the corpse. It opened its lipless mouth wider and roared. Saliva sprayed all over the Berserker. He blinked slowly and then punched it, knocking the creature back and cutting his knuckles on its teeth.

Kicking the Hollow's corpse out of the way he stepped out beyond the wall to finish it off. He stopped and dropped his meat. Eaters crouched all around the outside of the wall. They looked at him as saliva dripped from their teeth. With a cry he reached for his sword. Before it cleared his scabbard six of the creatures leapt onto him sinking their jaws into the nearest bits of flesh they could grasp.

His screams distracted the nearest Berserkers from the brawl as the Eaters leapt into the camp.

"Leapers," one of the Berserkers noted, somewhat shocked. "Must kill, must…"

He didn't get far before more Eaters leapt over the wall, covering him. They bit into his shoulders and neck and chest. Blood gushed out of the wounds as the Berserker shook them off and bashed them away. The Eaters looked weak, but their bones had long since hardened to be able to withstand a great deal of force. As a result, no matter how hard the Berserkers tried to beat them away, the Eaters would get up and attack if their heads were not crushed or ripped off.

Some of the Berserkers thought of their swords and bout going into Resurrección. Unfortunately, it had been well over 100 years since any Berserker was relatively quick-thinking. Even decades before their decline accelerated, not even what had passed for quick-thinking for them could have saved them from such a pack of Eaters.

The Berserkers may have had size and brute strength, like their forefather Yammy, on their side. But the Eaters had speed and ferocity to counter. If Tatsuki had seen these Eaters, unchained and un-drugged, she would have realized that the Octavians drugged the Eaters to make them somewhat docile and weak.

It was no contest.

The Berserkers who tried to fight were too slow and too big to be able to keep up with the swift movements of the much smaller creatures. And combined with their durability, this made them ideal predators to the brutes.

In the tent, Fisto got up scowling as he crunched Nemu's fingers between his over-sized teeth. His nostrils flared.

"Leapers," he growled. He touched the disk hanging around his neck.

"Tahl-ees-mahn protect me. Great Father Yammy protect me." It was more of a statement of certainty than a prayer. Nemu had a feeling that this beast was too stupid to even know how to pray. "Fisto fight. Fisto win."

The beast suddenly wavered on his feet. Nemu knew that the toxins were starting to take effect. She watched as the veins and arteries that were visible thanks to being pushed close to the skin by the bulging muscles were starting to turn black. He clawed at his chest where the skin was now taking on a bruised appearance.

"What? Tahl-ees-mahn…protect me," Fisto moaned as he sank back into his crude throne.

Nemu cocked her head slightly as she approached him. She stopped and drew out her sword slowly. She sensed movement coming from outside. She heard something scratching at the canvas. She turned to where the sound was coming from and saw the fabric bulging in-and-out, in-and-out. Then claws pierced into the fabric. There was a loud ripping sound as the extremely sharp claws ripped into the fabric. She watched in fascination as the claws continued rip the fabric.

Then it stopped. All she could hear was Fisto struggling for breath as the toxins spread through his body and the sounds of struggle going on outside. She readied her drawn sword and waited. She stepped to the side, keeping any eye on the well-torn area. Then she heard something moving outside and she prepared herself.

The Eater burst through the hole it had made in the hides. It shrieked in triumph. Bits of ripped flesh and blood and saliva flew out of its widened jaws. A blade was driven upwards through its jaws and through the roof of its mouth and out the top of its head. The creature gurgled in confusion as blood ran down the blade.

Nemu stretched out her other hand before pulling the blade out.

"Are you too foolish to know when to die?" she asked.

The creature only widened its lipless mouth and lunged for her. Nemu calmly fired a Bala into its mouth. The head exploded and it fell backwards and out of the tent.

She stepped to the hole the creature had made and looked out on the battle taking place. She concluded that it did not matter who won. They were all not worth her time. Nemu ran a finger along her blade gathering blood on it. Lifting the blood to her nose she sniffed it and cringed.

"Bad meat," she concluded. Cleaning the finger with a burst of Reiatsu, she returned to where Fisto laid on his throne. His chest looked like a massive bruise and the blackened blood vessels had moved up to his cheeks. She listened to his labored breathing. His size was the only reason he wasn't dead now.

She reached out to grab his "tahl-ees-mahn". She lifted his head so as to slide the necklace off him. He tried to say something. She looked at his expression and saw that it was filled with hate and impotent fury. That look promised suffering beyond what she could imagine for defeating a warrior like him with such underhanded trickery.

"I have been tormented by beings more powerful and imaginative than you could believe in. But I can understand the despair that motivated you. Since I am more than intelligent enough to realize how pathetic you and those under your command were, I shall not draw this out," she told him. Her hand lashed out in a blur. His Hierro tore audibly.

He was noisy dying as Nemu walked away, a segment of his bleeding throat in her hand. She passed through the battle oddly unseen. Perhaps they could not believe the sight of her serene peace and thus ignored her.

The concern was passing. She lifted the torn flesh to her mouth and found it sweeter than the Hollow meat she had harvested. Her own poison was harmless to her.

And it makes such an excellent seasoning, she thought. A small smile formed on her lips as she looked at the disk. And the Commander will be very pleased with what I'm bringing back.

It seems to have turned out to be a very good evening after all.

She popped the last bit of meat into her mouth and licked the delectable blood from her fingers.

Yes, a very good evening, she thought as she walked into the endless sea of sand.

Tatsuki Arisawa

"Alright then, I will go alone. You two, stick together. Fire one Bala into the air for trouble and two in succession if you find her," Tatsuki said. Ikkaku and Hanataro nodded to show that they understood.

Hanataro felt sick. It was bad enough that Nemu was in trouble, but he had to be escorted because they didn't trust him not to fall into some kind of trouble. And to make it worse, he agreed with the assessment.

"Greetings," Nemu said as she came out of Sonído.

They all nearly leapt back with Hanataro falling on his ass at her sudden appearance.

"NEMU! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Ikkaku shouted. The blank look she gave him only pissed him off further.

"What happened to your sleeve?" Tatsuki asked when she noticed that Nemu was missing an entire sleeve from her uniform, showing off her milky white arm.

"An Arrancar ate my arm. The sleeve must have been lost as well then," Nemu answered as she looked at her arm with a small frown.

"Hold on. What?" Tatsuki asked, unable to comprehend what Nemu had said.

"YOU LOST AN ARM?" Hanataro screamed.

"Shut up, Shrimp, she obviously found it," Ikkaku snickered now that someone else was being messed with. But he was almost certain that the spacey Lieutenant did any mockery by accident.

"I got better. But unfortunately my uniform does not heal," Nemu replied.

"Hold on. You…lost an arm. And you're upset about losing a sleeve," Tatsuki deadpanned.

That does it, Tatsuki thought. I can now officially conclude that Nemu is crazy. But, I shouldn't be surprised. Anyone with her upbringing and long history of emotional abuse would be crazy. But now we have to ask what kind of insanity and how much of that insanity does she have?

"Should I tear off the other sleeve to restore symmetry?" Nemu asked Hanataro.

"Stop, just stop right there, Nemu. How did your arm get eat? Who ate it? And where did all of this happen for you to just waltz back here?" Tatsuki demanded losing her patience.

"Those are insignificant inquiries. The significant thing is that I have retrieved something that may aid us to ascertain what may have happened to the previous expedition."

"Don't try to…hold on. What did you say? You…you found something, but you won't tell us where you found this something," Tatsuki said.

"There is no need to take you there. That would only be a waste of time."

Nemu reached into her uniform's pocket and brought out the disk, still hanging from the leather cord.

"Okay, but…what is it?" Ikkaku asked.

"This is a Holo-Record," Nemu explained. "Each member of the Research Team and Expedition Commander Kuchiki were given one prior to departure. They were to use it to record data which would be given to Captain Kurotsuchi upon their return."

"Okay, so…how does this help us?" Ikkaku asked.

"Honestly, Ikkaku, are you really that dense?" Tatsuki asked. "It can help us because it gives us some record of where the expedition went. The more important question is: how do we play it? Does it require specific equipment?"

"That is where I can be of assistance. The Holo-Record can only be activated by the Reiatsu of someone from Squad 12 or Miss Kuchiki since she was the Commanding Officer. Since I am from Squad 12…"

"You can play it," Hanataro said eagerly. "Well, what are we waiting for? This could be vital to helping us find Rukia."

"And yet it may not work," Nemu said. "The Holo-Record is a delicate piece of equipment and I did not find it in gentle hands."

"Still, we have to try," Tatsuki said. "There could be vital information on it that we can use. Nemu, if you can play it, then I order you to do so."

Nemu looked at the disk. The orders from her "Father" were quite clear on the matter. And yet, she didn't suppose there was anything on it that would compromise Squad 12's darkest secrets. Everyone in Squad 12 knew better than to have loose lips on anything that Master Mayuri deemed to be "highly classified information."

She held the disk in the palm of her hand and she traced her finger along the disk's slightly scratched surface. It was in this way that Tatsuki Arisawa and her group got their first glimpse into what happened on the First Expedition.

The hologram flickered from the glass bead in the center of the disk. The image of the upper body of a balding man with greasy looking black hair floated in the air like Jacob Marley's ghost. The way he was squinting his eyes indicated that he was in desperate need of glasses, but was not willing to use them.

"Operation Izanagi Entry One, Mako Sendai personal recording…observations in accordance with…Kurotsuchi," the image said with some bursts of static cutting off some of his words.

"Hueco Mundo meets expectations. There has been no alteration from the readings taken by Captain Kurotsuchi during the Winter Wars. The Arrancar population has not appeared to affect the ecology such as it is.

"Variances from simulation seem to fall in acceptable categories. Only abnormality manifesting among the personnel to my observation is the behavior of the thugs. But this is just their usual irrationality.

"Hopefully Las Noches will yield more data.

"Operation Izanagi Entry Two, Mako Sendai reporting.

"Las Noches has become a spent force. The Schisms have left this city merely functional. Commander Kuchiki and the Expedition's Head Security Officer have taken a great interest in finding out more information on the Schisms and the resulting Tribes for some strange reason.

"My colleagues have investigated the phenomena of laxity that seems so contrary to Arrancar behavior in past encounters. We have theorized it to be a form of Social Post Traumatic Stress combined with a contamination of sorts from the Primera's Reiatsu leaking across the city.

"We are unable to test this theory due to the Commander preventing us from performing more thorough observations and running more experiments on the specimens we gathered. Ando supports her decision. If the Commander continues her narrow-minded interference, then this expedition will not be as productive as we would like.

"Sadly, our search of the Octavian Labs has been cut short. We have…unable…find…want…"

There was more static and the holographic image flickered a little before becoming stable again.

"Operation Izanagi Entry Three, Mako Sendai reporting.

"We are preparing to leave Las Noches. I do not know when I can make the next report, but the Commander insists that we leave at once. Combined with other inquiries, it would appear as though Tu Odelschwank and the Privarons are taking too much interest in us. They likely believe us to be spies from one of the other Tribes. We can't risk them finding out the truth.

"Conclusion on Las Noches: Vanguard concerns seem unfounded here. I estimate Las Noches will collapse into a state of lax anarchy within a hundred years. Also, the true power lies in those who left Las Noches and not those who remained. The only valuable commodity to retrieve from Las Noches is the Primera and his counterpart for experimentation.

"We have gained little information on the other Tribes or of these Schisms here. We have gained few samples for experimentation.

"It matters little. The truth is out there."

There was more static and the image flickered in-and-out before becoming stable again.

"…Izanagi…reporting.

"Octavia is bountiful…science unchained. I would give anything to be able to investigate their inner layers. They may be inferior intellects but their resourcefulness…

"Exposure risk too high…strongly recommends immediate departure.

"…Gotei must seize Octavia in future to reap its knowledge…potential…"

The holographic image went blank and the audio became nothing but static.

"What the Hell?" Tatsuki asked. "Nemu, what's wrong with this thing?"

"It's as I feared. The improper maintenance has corrupted much of the data. Hmm…it appears that the final file is undamaged, but it is merely an audio file. Shall I play it?"

"YES!" Tatsuki demanded.

"As you command," Nemu said and touched the disk's main surface on the area closest to her.

"Operation Izanagi Entry 17, Tenzo Baarki reporting.

"Sendai is dead, along with two other Researchers and some of the thugs. Some of the equipment has been lost, but we still have the Garganta Generator. Unfortunately, the Holo-Records from the other Researchers have been lost.

"Pantera has proved to be the worst yet for our numbers.

"As far as overall behavior, I would say that the Sons were worse. But we were able to manage them at the cost of some indignity for the Commander.

"Hell take Sendai. This is entirely his fault. If only he had kept his mouth... The witless fool should have realized that Fanatics are not to be argued with in their own territory.

"Only Ando and myself are left of the Research Team. The thugs have only lost five thus far. It may be time to return, but Ando and the Commander wish to press on. They are being completely illogical. It is better to have incomplete data than complete silence. And at the rate we're going, I'm afraid that none of us may return.

"But, I cannot afford to let despair take hold. There is some good news.

"We will be close to the border. Hopefully that will mean that the harassment from the Panterans will stop. I think that if they wanted to they could have killed us long before now. They're like cats playing a mouse. But it seems that Aramaki is keeping the thugs' morale up. That's an achievement right now even among those fools.

"I wonder what the Arrancars in this area are like. I hope they're not as brutal as the Sons and the Panterans. If that's the case, then we should probably go underground to the Menos Forest. So far, all of the Arrancars we've encountered, even the Panterans and Sons, are hesitant when it comes to going underground because of these specters they refer to as 'The Others.' We can use that to our advantage if we have to.

"Locking data. For further data reference my log or Ando's or Commander Kuchiki's."

There was a long pause.

"I hope you are listening to this Captain. Tenzo Baarki, signing off."

There was a slight clicking sound and then there was nothing but silence. Tatsuki frowned.

"So, is that it?" Ikkaku asked.

"That is all of the data there is on the disk," Nemu answered.

"Not much information, then," Tatsuki said. "Is there any way that the corrupted data can be retrieved?"

"Unfortunately, there is not. That part of the disk seems to be too badly damaged."

"So what should we do now?" Hanataro asked.

Tatsuki bit on her lower lip. She knelt on the ground and took out the map they had bought back in Octavia out of her pocket and spread it on the ground. The others knelt around it.

"We can confirm that they did go to Octavia, but they did not stay there for very long." Tatsuki tapped the location on the map marked for Octavia. "They mentioned something about 'the Sons', but we don't know where they are. The only other actual locations they mentioned were the Menos Forest and Pantera."

She allowed her finger to drift over the map and then tapped on the area marked for Pantera that was further north of where they were and slightly west.

"Pantera…Pantera…Pa-" Realization came upon Tatsuki in that instant. "THAT'S IT! Ikkaku, you said that Maki-Maki mentioned 'panthers'."

"Yeah, that's right. So?"

"So, he was directing us where to go next by using what he could remember. Pantera means 'panther.' That does it. We go to Pantera."

"But…but…you heard that last bit," Hanataro said. "These…uh…'Panterans' killed some of the previous expedition's members. Is it a good idea to go there?"

"I heard the same entry that you did Hanataro, and based on what I heard they did something to provoke them. However, if we're careful, then they will most likely not try to hurt us. But either way, we are going to Pantera. We may find out some more information about what happened to them."

"Yes, that is the most logical conclusion," Nemu said.

"Pantera eh," Ikkaku muttered. "Wasn't that the name of that one Espada's release? You know, the Espada Kurosaki encountered."

"Grimmjow," Tatsuki said, thinking about the reports she studied on the Espada who had survived the Winter War. "Yes, his release name's was 'Pantera.'"

"Hmm, do you think we'll encounter him?" Ikkaku asked eagerly.

"I don't know for sure," Tatsuki said with a shrug. "There was nothing that we heard that mentioned Grimmjow, but it could have been in one of the corrupted entries. But I suppose it's possible."

Ikkaku's grin widened at that. Tatsuki got a bad feeling and knew she would have to do something to stop him from doing something stupid.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going."

"Now hold on. Before we leave I need to know one thing," Tatsuki said.

"What is it?"

Tatsuki looked to Hanataro and Nemu.

"You two get started packing. I need to talk to Ikkaku for a moment."

"Oh…okay," Hanataro said as he staggered to his feet. Nemu got up as well.

Tatsuki made sure that they were starting to pack and leaned in closer to Ikkaku.

"I need to know that you won't cause any problems. We're going there to find out more information about the previous expedition and nothing else. I don't want these Panterans to play with us because you had to go and do something stupid like challenge Grimmjow to a duel. If he challenges you to a duel, then that's a completely different matter."

"Okay, but…why are you singling me out?"

"Don't play dumb with me Madarame. I saw the look on your face.

"You're the only member of Squad 11 in this group and there's a reason why Squad 11 is looked upon with some discomfort when it comes to going undercover. I'm not as worried about Nemu or Hanataro causing any problems because they're not likely to get into a fight, at least not on purpose.

"I don't want you to go on a killing spree and jeopardize all of us like you nearly did back in Octavia. Do you understand?"

Ikkaku looked at her and nodded. Tatsuki smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Good." Tatsuki picked up the map and stood up. "Nemu," she called out.

"Yes, how may I be of assistance?"

"I need you to keep us on a slightly north-west direction. We're going to Pantera."

"Yes ma'am."

Tatsuki folded the map and put it back into her pocket. Their first insight into the First Expedition had only raised more questions than what it answered. She hoped that as they continued more pieces would fall into place.

But for right now, she knew that the chances of finding Rukia alive were diminishing.

But there's still a chance, she thought. Gods damn it. I owe Ichigo too much to just give up on finding her alive. As long as there's a chance that she's alive, I'll keep searching. And I will not allow anything to stop me.

End of Chapter 7

A.N.: Thank you for reading and please review.