Earth, the realm of Humans.
Hueco Mundo, the realm of Hollows.
The Soul Society, the realm of Spirits.
Three worlds that make up reality - and all interconnected with each other.
Humans either go to the Soul Society or become Hollows upon death.
Hollows either stay in Hueco Mundo or eventually are cleansed by Shinigami and sent to the Soul Society.
Souls within the Soul Society eventually become part of the reincarnation cycle and return to Earth or they are consumed by a Hollow and become a part of it.
Three worlds that make up the sum of all creation - but whether they be human, hollow, or spirit… each is a soul. A Person. Each with their own desires and goals.
Though sent to a different reality and separated by worlds, the promise between sword and sheath is remembered and kept. One forever waiting, while the other searches endlessly. Each waiting till they can meet once more.
The Soul Society
Within the world that was the Soul Society, there were two distinct sections: The Rokungai, where the majority of souls live after they die, and the Seireitei, where the nobility and Shinigami live.
As one would expect, life in the Seireitei and life in the Rokungai were two extremely different lifestyles.
The Seireitei contained the homes for the nobility, the Shinigami, the scientists, and the scholars. Government buildings, noble estates, barracks, and research centers could be found throughout the city known as the Court of Pure Souls. The size of such a place such that it would take ten days for a person to walk from one of the four gates to another.
And yet despite it's large size, the Rokungai easily dwarfed it. Surrounding the Seireitei, the Rokungai was composed of 320 districts that expanded ever outwards from the center.
As one would guess, the further one got from the Seireitei, from the heart of the government and the policing it provided in the way of the Gotei 13, the more lawless and brutal it became. Such that past district 50 it was more common to see people without sandals than otherwise.
It was the responsibility of the Gotei 13 to help patrol and keep the Rokungai safe. Even in the Soul Society, it was possible for Hollows to make their way there after all. Against a Hollow, most spirits would be completely helpless, so such policing was a necessity.
When described by most people, the Gotei 13 would sound like the epitome of nobility and honor, protecting the weak and upholding justice, however -
"HEY! GET BACK HERE YOU BRAT!"
That was not always the case.
On a dirt street, surrounded by old, dust ridden houses reminiscent of feudal japan, one could see a small boy running desperately away from two men with swords. His face the picture of panic, he ran through the street and alleyways, heedless of who he ran into.
The boy looked to be around 8 years old, but looks were often deceiving in the Soul Society. When a person can live up to several hundred years, it is often hard to determine a person's true age, and children often aged slower.
The two men chasing him wore the Shihakusho of a Shinigami, and held Zanpakuto in their hands. It was because of this that nobody dared interfere, simply watching the spectacle with jaded eyes, doing their best not to attract their attention.
The child continued to run until he was suddenly grabbed by another person and pulled into a hug, shielding him from the men. Looking up with watery eyes, he saw the scared face of his big sister, and he immediately burrowed into her side.
The two Shinigami came up to the girl, "Alright lass, just go ahead and let the boy go and be on your way." The larger one sneered.
The girl continued to hold onto her brother tightly, looking up at the two men cautiously, "W-whatever it was that my little brother did, I-I'm sure that he didn't mean it." She said, her voice trembling in fear slightly, "He-he's still young, and we're both fairly new souls, and -"
"Hah! A likely story," The burlier Shinigami said while leering at the girl. "Here we are, members of the Gotei 13, out here risking our lives to protect all of you worthless souls, and that boy assaults us!"
The boy whimpered into her side, "I'm sorry…" he whispered, "I was just… just playing with my ball… I didn't mean it… I didn't want it to hit them…"
"Hmph!" The smaller Shinigami grunted, giving a small smile, "I'm sorry, but as trained soldiers in dangerous territory, it's only natural to think that a projectile coming towards us is dangerous. This boy clearly sought to antagonize us, and must therefore be made an example of. Otherwise how would people respect the Gotei 13?"
The girl paled, clutching her brother even tighter, "B-but he's just a boy!" She protested shrilly, only for the two to give her mocking pity looks.
"That's if we believe his looks. Heck, he could be 78 for all we know, eh Boyle?" The bigger one snorted before giving the girl an eager look, "But, if you really want, I suppose you could pay the price in his stead."
The other Shinigami leaned over and placed a hand on the trembling girl's shoulder, giving her a false look of support, "I think Griss here has a fine recommendation indeed," He said with a cheerful smile, "This way, we all leave with something. Truly, the definition of a compromise, is it not?"
The girl could only tremble as she tried to desperately control her breathing. Shinigami weren't like regular souls - they were strong, with both weapons and spiritual pressure. A normal soul would never have a chance.
Clearly all of this was a farce. They weren't even trying to make it look legitimate. But what could she do? She and her brother were simply citizens of a poor district. If she said no, it would just make them angry, they would just take what they wanted anyways, and they might hurt her brother…
That was the way the world worked, beneath the fancy trimmings after all. The weak were trampled on, without any regards.
Just as Boyle reached out his hand to touch her face, he heard a buzzing noise that steadily got louder. At first puzzled, his eyes widened and he quickly jumped back, narrowly missing having his arm chopped off by a sword spinning fast enough to be a buzz saw. It slammed into the building, driving completely through it, and both Griss and Boyle panicked at the sight.
They had felt the presence that that sword had, and could recognize the feel of a Zanpakuto, which meant another Shinigami.
It was one thing for the citizens to see them bullying others - a Shinigami was another matter entirely!
They both immediately stood at attention and turned around, preparing a variety of excuses for what they were doing, only to blink in surprise at the sight.
Before them was a man who looked like he was in his mid-twenties, red unkempt hair that came down to his shoulders, and strange golden color eyes. His clothes were practically trash, leather vest and pants frayed and full of holes, but beneath which they could see tanned skin with scars stretched across lean muscle.
What truly surprised them however were the weapons he carried, and they remained tense even as the spinning blade returned to the strangers hand.
Despite the condition of his clothes, his weapons were beautiful works of art - and were both clearly Zanpakuto, despite the only known record of dual Zanpakuto wielders being a grand total of two. Both Captains of the Gotei 13.
Still, both Griss and Boyle relaxed. This man was used to combat, that much was certain, but despite somehow owning Zanpakuto he was no Shinigami.
"Oi!" Boyle shouted at him, glaring menacingly, "Just what do you think you're doing? Don't you realize who we are?"
"..." The amber eyed man glanced at them without expression, "These two apologized for whatever it was that they did," he stated calmly, "I think it's in your best interest to take their apology and leave them alone."
Griss chuckled, "Oh do you? Well, I think it's in your best interest to leave these two to us. This is Shinigami business you see."
"Is that so?" The expression never changed as the man sheathed his swords and gave a small bow. "Well, if that's the case, then I suppose there isn't much I can do. Let's go speak to your superior and get this 'Shinigami business' settled."
The two blinked at the calm tone the other man was using before glaring at him, "Why would we need to bother our superior 'bout something as small as this?" Boyle growled intimidatingly, but the man didn't seem bothered at all by it, only glancing dismissively at their swords.
"You are new here." The amber eyed man stated, never losing his even tone. "You were ranked at the bottom of your squad for your lack of fighting ability and were given this job as punishment. Not once has either of your blades seen combat outside of a spar, and even then they have never known victory. Therefore, you don't have the authority to administer any form of punishment. That would be the prerogative of your immediate superior."
Each statement the man gave was like a blow to the gut for both of their pride.
Desperately rallying himself, the larger of the Shinigami managed to give a sneer to the interloper, "Look man, we're the ones who uphold the justice around here. Stick around and we might have to show you just how well we can administer that!"
Both suddenly shuddered at the spiritual pressure that suddenly flooded the area, and it was all they could do to avoid falling to their knees.
"Justice?" A low voice stated menacingly, "And what do the two of you know about 'Justice'?!"
The houses on either side of them in the alley, already in terrible condition, began creaking under the man's spiritual pressure, a blue interface pattern seemed to glow on his arms before dying down, as well as the spiritual pressure.
All the while, both Shinigami had broken into a cold sweat. No matter how physically fit a person was, in a battle between spirits what mattered was one's spiritual energy. And based on what they just felt… That man had considerably more than they did.
And he didn't even look like he was trying.
Once the man got his energy under control, he levied his glare at the two frozen men. He grunted, jerking his head in the opposite direction. "Leave." He said coldly.
Neither wasted any time, and soon were running back to where they were supposed to meet the others for patrol, trying to decide whether they should tell the rest about the non Shinigami or not…
Rosette trembled on the ground, clutching her brother tightly. Sure, this man might have saved them, but for what reason? He was clearly strong, and the strong never did anything without it benefitting them.
She already learned that lesson many times over.
The man sighed suddenly, rubbing his hand across his face. "Dang it," she heard him curse, "Why'd I go and lose my temper like that…" He gave a deep sigh, before looking at her and smiled gently, "Are you alright?" He asked softly.
She said nothing for a moment, carefully thinking about her answer before deciding to be honest, and nodded silently at him.
The red haired man sighed in relief, "Good. I'm glad that I got here in time." He then looked at the two of them with a more thorough gaze, "You two don't have anywhere to stay, do you?" He asked, but from his tone he clearly knew the answer already, which irked her.
District 59 wasn't the worst of districts, but it was clearly far enough from the Seireitei that nobody gave a crap. The patrols that were sent over were far from the best the Shinigami had to offer, and bandits and thieves abounded.
She and her brother had been living off the streets for a while now, and she was grateful that neither she nor her brother required to eat as a spirit. She considered themselves lucky that they had been able to stay underneath everybodies radar before today.
She was interrupted from her musings as the man stood up with a groan and held out his hand. "C'mon," he encouraged, "I know a place that you can stay."
Eyeing the hand for a second, she took it gingerly and he helped pull her up, with her realizing how strong he was by how effortlessly he did so.
He started walking in a certain direction before pausing and laughing awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so, "I apologize," he said sheepishly, "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Shirou. Shirou Emiya." He gave a quick bow, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
In the end she had gone with him. If he wanted to do something to her then she would have been hard pressed to prevent him - she simply didn't have the strength to resist him - and she and her younger brother truly didn't have anywhere else to go, so… why not?
He walked her through the alleys for about twenty minutes, and she watched as the houses became more decrepit as they went deeper into the district, with more trash piling up, and her paranoia continued to rise.
Thankfully it wasn't long after that they came to one house that looked like it was on the verge of collapsing. He smiled at her obvious skepticism before gesturing to her to follow him, and she did so hesitantly.
Upon opening the door and entering inside, she felt her mouth drop open in shock.
Contrary to the outside of the house, the inside was well kept and almost… Homey. There must have been something blocking the noise, because as soon as she walked through the threshold she heard the sounds of numerous kids talking and playing, and felt her brother Nikal perk up at the sound.
Looking around, though the place was relatively spartan it was well kept, and well worn. She saw multiple rooms off to the side, and heard numerous people talking in what she assumed was the kitchen, to her confusion.
She nearly jumped when she heard a kids voice suddenly shout out "SHIROU'S BACK!" And a small stampede of feet followed. One blink later, and Shirou was on the ground, dog piled underneath a pile of kids that were asking him a bunch of different questions.
She looked at the scene in confusion till she heard somebody chuckling to the side, an older, skinny man smiling fondly at the scene. He slowly walked over to the pile of bodies, "C'mon kiddo's, let's let Shirou on up. I know you're excited that he's back, but you can't eat until you're all up at the table."
Slowly the kids got up off of him and pulled him into the other room, and Shirou gave her an apologetic smile as he was kidnapped. The old man chuckled at her expression and put his hand on her back, pushing her forward. "You'll get used to that, don't worry." He said fondly. "Now c'mon, I might not know you, but I know that look of one of Shirou's strays, and I'm assuming you haven't had any of his food yet."
She looked askance at him, "But… We don't need to eat," she said in bafflement, and the old man tsk'ed at her, looking at her sadly. "Oh my dear, you've got a serious case of ignorance." He said with downcast eyes. "No worries, one taste of Shirou's food should fix that right up!"
With that, she let herself be guided into the dining room, the confusion still not leaving her face.
Though that did smell rather good...
Not fifteen minutes later, Rosette was regretting ever having doubted.
She might not have had to eat anything, but this food was AMAZING. She wasn't even sure what it was that she was eating, and she was sure that it was the same for Nikal.
This made it worth it… All the pain and frustration she had gone through? She could forgive life (or was it death?) now that it had decided to give her this food.
As she ate, the others told her about where she was. There were twenty kids living here, as well as four adults. This Shelter had been established by Shirou earlier that year, and he had been doing his best to help build it up and protect it from some of the more dangerous elements in the district.
Every once in a while, he'd just bring somebody to the shelter like he had with her, and their little family would grow, and during that time Shirou had also been teaching both the kids and the adults how to defend themselves as best as he could.
As the meal began to wind down and the kids ran off to play some sort of game, dragging Nikal with them, Shirou turned to her and with a hesitant and… Hopeful(?) look in his eyes.
He reached into what remained of his pants and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her, "I'm sorry for asking," He apologized hesitantly, "I know that you said you haven't been in the Rokungai for very long, but… Have you seen this person before?" The hope in his eyes was almost painfully bright now.
After everything that he had just done for her, she felt terrible that she had to answer in the negative.
"No," she said with regret, "I'm afraid that I have not."
The picture was a beautifully drawn charcoal drawing of a short woman, her hair in a bun, dressed in armor. It wasn't the armor of a shinigami, so perhaps a mercenary of the Rukongai?
"Who is it?" She asked.
Shirou's expression had turned sorrowful for a moment before he suppressed it and gave her a light smile, "That's what I'm trying to find out." He said sadly. He then picked up some of the dishes and smiled at the rest of the group, "I'll go ahead and start washing everything, you guys get to watch the kids."
"Pfft! Easy trade young man, hah!" A mustached man chortled, looking at Shirou cheerfully as he took the dishes and walked into the kitchen with them.
An older woman, Kishtur, sighed sadly before giving Rosette a kind look, "Don't worry yourself hun, he's been looking for her for years in the districts. Traveling to the various ones, asking as many people as he can."
Rosette looked at them in confusion, "But who is she? And why would he want to know?"
The mustached man took out a pipe and was about to light it till Kishtur kicked his chair, glaring at him, causing him to sheepishly put it back. Coughing uncomfortably, "He knew her when he was alive he says." He stated bluntly, "Unfortunately, he can't remember all of the details of his life."
Rosette flinched, feeling even more sorry for the man.
When a person died and came to the soul society there was a chance that the person would arrive with no memories whatsoever of their life. Sometimes it was because they were purified after being hollowfied. Other times? Nobody was really sure.
A clean slate, people called it.
Sometimes fragments remained, but it was never a lot, and those fragments were often more of a curse to the person. To have a fragment, an idea of what you had lost, but unable to ever retrieve it?
She shuddered at the thought.
"But, how is he so sure that she is still here?" She asked hesitantly, making sure to keep her voice low. "She might not be dead, or she might have been reincarnated already."
Kishtur shook her head, "Poor dear, he believes that she'd have waited for him. And so he wanders, rarely staying in the same district for more than a year." She glanced at the kitchen as she stood up and started making her way to where the kids were. "It's actually getting to be about a year now actually." She said morosely. "We think that that's why he's been pushing his self defense lessons on the kids. Wants to make sure they are prepared, the considerate dear."
She glanced at Rosette right before she left the room, giving her a genuine smile, "You're free to stay as long as you'd like dear, and he'll say the same. But please, don't feel pressured.
After that, the conversation turned to more mundane topics and questions, and the kids were slowly rounded up.
Nobody realized that Shirou had heard the entire conversation.
Shirou sighed, pausing in his cleaning of the dishes.
He felt guilty about continually leaving the people he helped. It's why he stayed for as long as he did, to make sure that things wouldn't fall back to what they were, but…
She was on a hill, the dying sunlight framing her in a way that took his breath away. She glanced at him, and his heart ached at how much he loved her. She smiled gently, "Shirou... I love you."
As if it was waiting for that moment, right when she started to disappear before his eyes, some kind of black mass struck the two of them. He panicked, immediately trying to -
Shirou hissed in pain, and his mind skipped the memory.
Shirou was drowning, and his desperation grew because he couldn't find her! Then, he heard a distorted voice, as if from a distance, "Begone… Heroes." It said mockingly, before he experienced the feeling of being flung away.
The next thing he knew was he was waking up in one of the outer districts of the Rukongai, with no memories save for a random few. He knew his name was Shirou. He knew that he desired to be a Hero.
And he knew, from the depths of his soul, that he loved the woman from his memories.
And so he traveled, from District to District. He remembered how to fight, and as the roads were riddled with bandits he never lacked for practice. Some he even managed to persuade to give up banditry. Others…
He had been told that when a soul perished in the Soul Society that it returned back to the reincarnation cycle and entered the Human World once more. That explanation never made him feel any better, and he did his best to make sure that he had gone through every other option before doing that.
He sighed, cursing the depressing turn that his thoughts turned to, until he felt the feather light touch of something else touch his own thoughts.
"You only did so when they gave you no other option, of this we bear witness." A male voice strummed through his thoughts.
He smiled sadly, "Had I been stronger I could have done better." He thought back. She would have been able to. He might not remember much about the woman his heart cried out for, but of that he was sure.
A different voice sounded out, "Is that not why you continue pushing yourself? It's not like you have ever slacked in your training." A female voice stated matter of factly.
He gave a light chuckle, "You two never let me mope for long." He jested. Still, he felt slightly better for it.
"Of course not." The female voice replied primly, "Until you find your love and she can do it herself that duty falls to us. Rain and swords never go well together."
"If I find her," Shirou reminded them.
"Of course you will find her." The male voice replied firmly. "Just as my love and I always return to each other, so to shall you find yours. You are like us - two souls intertwined, continually searching for you other half. And one day you shall."
He shook his head ruefully, "Thanks Kanshou, Bakuya." He thought gratefully.
Kanshou and Bakuya. Two of the spirits in his soul that manifested as the white and black swords that he used. Several of the Spirits that he talked with called them Zanpakuto, and he just went with it. He had first made contact with the two during a particularly brutal fight many years prior.
A year later and he could actually hear their names.
He had talked with them in his inner world in the past, and he had seen the number of swords that were there. When he asked Kanshou and Bakuya about them though, they simply said that he would learn about them in time.
And so he traveled some more, spending time in a district for a while, before moving on. Forever searching for her.
And now? Shirou chuckled without humor. Ten years in the Rukongai, more than thirty districts visited, and I still haven't seen any sign of her.
He knew that it would take a while. 320 districts, and NONE of them were small by any means.
She could be anywhere.
When he had first arrived in the Rukongai he had been desperate to find her. But now?
His soul almost physically hurt.
His only true memory of her had been on that hill, with her telling him that she loved him. But even without that memory, he knew that he loved her. As the years went on, he was able to piece together tiny fragments of memories of her.
She was strong. She was firm in her beliefs. She cared for those around her, sometimes to her own detriment, but she protected them.
She loved him. She had confessed to him.
Only to be ripped away from him, and he didn't know if she was alright.
Now, ten years later, and he wasn't any closer to finding her.
Shirou had to forcefully unclench his hands from the dishes he was cleaning, otherwise they would break.
He had to find her. He needed to find her. His very soul cried out for her. Was she alright? She was disappearing in his memory before they were attacked, was that expected? Teleportation maybe? Did the attack disrupt it? Did it wound her? Yes, she was strong, but anybody could be ambushed.
He forced those thoughts from his mind and back to the topic on hand.
Kishtur was right, he was planning on leaving soon. It had taken him longer than he would have liked, but he had managed to search through this district, and the people he would leave behind knew how to adequately defend themselves now.
It was something that he realized about himself pretty quickly - he could never stand by and watch somebody else suffer. And out in the outer districts? There were many people that were suffering.
What he did was a mere drop in a bucket, and he doubted it would ever amount to much. But to him? To the people he saved? His actions meant the world to them.
That girl and her brother, Rosette and Nikal, would have a warm place to sleep tonight, and longer if they chose to stay. There were twenty children in this house, as well as four adults that he convinced to help him. And that was only the ones that decided to stay at the house.
Small numbers compared to the entirety of the entire district. Yet what did that matter?
He helped bring people together in the districts that he visited and taught them how to help themselves. Small communities in each district, and even as he left they still communicated with each other. A slowly building network. That way he could leave with fewer regrets.
He sighed as he finally finished the dishes. Fewer regrets… But there were still regrets.
He went through routes in his head, trying to decide which District to visit next.
He had actually entertained thoughts of joining the Shinigami Academy that he had heard so much about. Despite encountering idiots like he had earlier, he believed that most of the Shinigami were good people.
Becoming a Shinigami would allow him greater access throughout the district, and better tools to find the one he loved. But it would be many years before he would make it through the Academy… Worth it? Well, he hadn't crossed it off of his list yet. And in the meantime, there were other districts to visit.
He closed his eyes and did his best to imagine her on the hill, the light of the sun at her back, shining off of her armor, giving her the look of an angelic warrior.
Shirou swore once more to himself that he would find her eventually. He would not let anything stop him. He would find her and tell her that her love was reciprocated. It didn't matter if she already knew, he NEEDED to say it to her.
Like the Married Blades at his side, he flew continually through the air to his other half. No matter how much he swerved and detoured he would spin towards one target.
And like the Married Blades, he would cut all that stood in his path till he reached his beloved.
Hueco Mundo
In the vast world of Hollows there lay a hill.
To an observer, there wasn't anything special about this hill. It overlooked a large plain, but the height advantage wasn't that significant.
And yet that didn't stop one Hollow from sitting vigilantly on said hill, the moon at her back.
Hollows had a hierarchy, one determined by power level.
At the bottom were regular hollows, undeserving of any other name.
Next was the giant Gillian, the least of the great hollows. Towering robed monstrosities, each was an amalgamation of lesser hollows, and each lacking any individuality from the other.
Following them was the Adjuchas, the intermediate Great Hollow. When a Gillian grew strong enough, the strongest personality within them emerged and took over. With that, their form was condensed, and they took individual forms.
And finally, the Vasto Lorde. The leaders of the Hollow, and the most powerful Hollow Designation on record. Also the most human-like of the hollows.
Oddly enough, the best way to determine which level a hollow was at was through its size. As they evolved and became stronger, a Hollow became more condensed, shrinking in size and becoming more humanoid.
Based off of that classification, the figure on the hill was no doubt a Vasto Lorde.
The Hollow was short for a human, and the shape of the bone armour indicated that it was female. The remnants of her mask could be seen wrapped around her head like a helmet.
Or a crown.
Two horns extended from her head, looking exceedingly sharp. From the small of her back could be seen two bat-like wings that were currently curled up and out of sight. A scaled tail trailed behind her, bone white with sharp spines. Both her hands and feet ended in claws.
Unlike many of the Vasto Lorde, her bone armor covered almost her entire body in what looked like stylized, interlocking platemail.
If one were to judge from the armor, they would undoubtedly say that she must be some kind of knight.
If one were to judge from her extra appendages, nobody could deny that what they saw was anything but a Dragon.
She stayed kneeling on the hill of pale sand, her eyes closed to the world, the pale moon at her back.
The dragon opened her golden eyes briefly, looking across the plains and a whisper of longing and grief escaped her lips, unheard unless one was right next to her,
"... Shirou…"
A small way away from the hill upon which a dragon sat, a small stone building had been erected. The stones worn smooth with the slow grinding of the wind, sand, and time against the stone.
It wasn't much of a building - simply four walls and a domed roof covering a single windowless room with one door. For a long time everything was still, only the whistle of wind could be heard, when all of a sudden a rip formed in the air in the center of the room - a Garganta, a tunnel between worlds.
From the black tunnel thundered out a large bear-like Hollow the size of a mini-bus. With six large legs, his body was a mixture of plated bone armour and dense rust colored fur. In his jaw he held a struggling soul, and with a grunt the bear threw the soul to the side of the room.
The soul was that of a tall man with short black hair that was currently a mess. His purple shirt revealed a very short, decaying chain that was sticking out of the center of his chest, with a hole starting to form.
The man scrabbled into the corner frantically, putting as much distance as he could between them as he could, staring at the bear with wide eyes.
"W-w-what? Y-you just drag me out to this, this…" He struggled for a second, his fear emboldening him slightly, "Hovel?! And t-then you j-just drop me?!"
The bear looked deep in thought for a second before giving another grunt, "Yes." And fell onto his side, looking bored.
The man looked at him stunned for a few seconds.
"Really Berlot?"
The chained man gave a start of surprise, looking towards the voice to see a woman leaning against the wall, looking at them wryly. At first he was shocked to see somebody like him with the monster. Except… He looked at her attire in confusion. Not like him.
She had bronze colored skin and black hair. Instead of modern clothes, she appeared to wear sturdy leather armour held together with straps, buckles, and a chain. It actually took him a few seconds of looking at her before he realized that her chain was attached to her chest, like his was. Her's, though, was much longer and sturdier. Attached to her back with several straps was a worn spear, the type he sort of remembered seeing in a museum.
She looked at him and gave him a small, apologetic smile, "I am sorry," she said with a small shrug, "Berlot over there is usually pretty grumpy with everybody. So please, don't take it personally."
The bear didn't budge, simply giving a shrug. "He's here. He's in one piece. His chain is intact. He's just being whiny."
She looked back at him and gave him a small, apologetic smile, "I am sorry," she repeated with a small shrug, "You're probably very confused, and that's understandable."
"Confused?" He could practically hear the edge of hysteria in his own voice, "Y-yeah, you could say that! W-what in the world is going on here!?"
The lady gently took his arm and led him towards the door. Seeing as how that got him away from the masked bear, who was still ignoring them for now, he eagerly went along. Reaching the door, he felt his jaw drop at the sight before him.
"W-what in the world… What is this?"
The lady turned to him and smirked, "Well, most of us call it home now," she said lightly, "But if we had to give it a name? We'd probably call it… Avalon."
Aiyana returned a couple hours later and immediately collapsed against the bear in a huff. The bear woke up with a small grumble and glanced at her, "Long day?" He asked with a smirk.
She took her spear and smacked his head, which only made him chuckle deeply. "I don't want to hear it," She growled. "I just had to spend who knows how long convincing some hapless spirit that he wasn't going to get eaten by any number of the residents, and your initial scare certainly didn't help!"
The large creature shrugged, slowly standing himself up, and Aiyana eventually followed suit. "I've been through this enough times." He grunted, "Nothing I would have said would have ever convinced him. Better to just drag him here and skip the unnecessary drama." And with that the two walked out themselves.
The land itself was fairly alien in comparison to Earth. Hueco Mundo probably had the market cornered for white sand, and nearby could be seen a small forest of leafless, quartz colored trees. Beyond that, Dunes and rock formations could be seen as far as the eye could glean. In the sky there could be seen a moon shining down on the pale sand, a few rare clouds drifting through the sky.
That was pretty normal and par the course for Hueco Mundo, the land of endless emptiness.
That's not what caused people to look on in awe.
For here, things were a little different, thanks to the presence of their King.
Stretched far across the sands there were numerous houses and huts of various sizes, and though most remained separate from each other, they were close enough to show that they were part of a whole. The small building that they were exiting was a small distance away on one of the smaller dunes, but had a worn down road that led directly through the town. From their position, they could see that the leafless forest was supporting various structures as well.
As amazing as that was, and Aiyana had no trouble telling people how amazing it was considering her part in its construction, it was the populace that would truly take somebody by surprise.
Hollows, both large and small, walked amongst the large streets, accompanied by other spirits with chains in their chests. Where most Hollows would view this as a buffet of spiritual energy, somehow these managed to retain their sanity. Similarly, of the Spirits, their chains remained strong and whole.
She herself had her chain which hadn't shortened in several hundred years.
When a person died with regrets, some other strong desire to stay alive, they became what was known as a Plus. When severed, the chain would normally corrode, and when the corrosion was complete the Plus turned into a Hollow, their first victims usually being their loved ones as they tried to fill the emptiness of their soul. From there, they would continue to devour as much spiritual energy as they could, either from Plus's or from other Hollows, leading to them eventually turning into a Gillian.
Here, however, was different.
Throughout the town and extending to the very boundaries were small, golden motes that floated around, feeling vaguely similar to that of reishi, a soul's energy, dissipating and reappearing seemingly at random. Walking through one of them, Aiyana felt the, now familiar, small surge of warmth once she came in contact with it.
Here, a Spirit's chain wouldn't corrode. Here, a Hollow no longer felt the urge to devour, and was more than just a mindless beast.
Viewing the circumference of the boundary of the golden motes, it wasn't difficult to see the center of the town - a large hill. Unlike the surrounding area, it was completely void of buildings, but most people could see the figure on top of it.
The King, her figure clearly standing out against the backdrop of the sky.
Before she had arrived, none of this existed. And even now they were aware that it would not exist without her.
Something about her, something that she either didn't know or didn't bother to explain, created the golden motes which allowed them to exist peacefully. She had helped set everything up all those years ago, and when there were Hollows that desired to take over…
Her mind went to one such occurrence and she shuddered at the memory.
Their King was a Vasto Lorde, a designation given to the strongest of Hollows... But even taking that into account, Aiyana believed that she was in a league of her own. To a simple Plus like herself, that sort of strength was downright terrifying to behold.
The Plus and Hollow reached one of the dwellings and walked in, and Aiyana looked hesitantly at the large Bear Hollow, "I don't suppose you found any sign of…?" Trailing off when he merely gave a grunt in the negative.
Unlike most Hollows, their Dragon King didn't crave combat, nor did she desire more power (though Aiyana was afraid to consider how she could be more powerful than she already was). For the longest time, centuries even, she didn't seem to desire anything. For years she would sit on the hill and wait, seemingly asleep save for those moments when her presence was needed.
Ten years prior, however, and all of that changed.
It had come as a complete surprise to everybody, but their King had woken up as if she had felt a presence, and for the first time since they all had known her, she roared.
A Hollow was a creature of instinct. To them, a roar could mean one of several things depending on the emotion behind it. Of intimidation, a declaration of ownership, or of provocation.
The roar their King had made that day was one of loneliness, a call to someone specific.
Where are you? I am here.
It was after that moment that their King had, also for the first time, asked of them for help. To search for somebody special to her, while she waited for him. A man with red hair and amber eyes. One whose aura felt like sharpened steel.
After all that she had done for them, how could they say no to such a request?
This is why they were so saddened that even after a decade of searching they were unable to find the person their King waited for.
But still they searched, despite how much time had passed. For the respect they had for their King, they would continue to search.
She went to her room and flopped onto the bed with a huff, hearing the thud of Berlot in the next room as he collapsed as well.
It was a big world out there, and that wasn't even accounting the size of Hueco Mundo, nor even the Soul Society, which they were unable to search. She never brought it up, but she truly hoped that they found the person they searched for.
For the first time, ten years ago, she had seen the King show emotion. After everything that she had done for them, she really wanted to see the look of happiness on their King's face instead of sadness.
For that, she and the others that lived here in the Avalon of Hueco Mundo would search in their King's stead.
Her name was Arturia Pendragon.
This is one of the few things that she remembered as fact.
Years ago - so many years ago - something had happened. She remembered being on a hill facing somebody that made her heart beat faster. She was… Leaving? And she remembered confessing her love to him. However, even as she felt herself going, something had attacked, had tossed her aside before she could move to protect he who she had given her heart to.
She failed, and she found herself somewhere else, and yet before she could reorient herself she had been attacked by a large black creature. A Gillian, she now recognized it as.
It had attempted to absorb her power, only to fail. She refused to wield to one such as that! The result of such an action was that the Gillian had evolved, with her being the one in charge.
She didn't know if she had lost her memories after the black substance attacked, or after the Gillian had done so, but the result was the same. The only thing she remembered was those last moments on that hill.
It was instinct that told her to wait, that told her that he would search for her. And if he was searching for her, then she needed to be somewhere where he could find her. Thus, she found a hill and waited.
For years she waited, in an almost meditative-like state, and simply waited as the years went by. In time, other Hollows came. For those that came peacefully she allowed them to dwell nearby, and she even woke up enough to help them settle before falling into meditation once more. For the many that desired to fight...
She didn't desire conflict, nor an increase in power. And yet some instinct inside of her cried out to protect those that couldn't protect themselves. For them, she would fight and defend.
Years of waiting, so many years, and one day, ten years prior, she had finally felt the presence of the one that she loved. She didn't know where it was, and it was only for one flash of a moment, but she knew it was him. A feeling welled up within her, and she couldn't help but cry out, to call for him, even as she knew he might not hear her.
Years longer had passed, and still she waited. Though impatient, she forced herself to continue to wait. She had waited for centuries before she had received a sign that he was still around. Compared to that, what was a mere decade? She just had to have faith.
Though once he found her, she was not going to let him out of her sight again, and she felt a possessive growl rumble throughout her body to punctuate that fact.
As a Hollow she carried the form of a dragon. And the thing about dragons was that they were protective of that which was theirs.
She had already given her heart to Shirou, and she knew that he felt the same. He was her treasure, and once she had him back she would ensure that nothing took him away from her again.
Thus she waited, her figure looking out over the plains of her territory, feeling out for the presence of the one that she loved.
Author's Notes
A new year, and a new story idea.
This is a plot bunny that has been dancing around my head for a while now, and I really wanted to write it out and see what people thought of it. I know that I have several other stories that I am currently writing, so I'm not sure if I will continue this, but at least I managed to get this part written down.
This is mostly a proof of concept - as such, it is a bit rougher than it could be, so fair warning.
To answer the inevitable questions - In this timeline, Shirou gave Avalon to Arturia, which is what is creating the safe haven in Hueco Mundo. Also, I am not positive on where this is in the timeline of Bleach. This specific chapter might be before Rukia and Renji entere the Academy, though I do plan on entering the Bleach timeline at some point if I continue this story.
Anyways, let me know what you guys think of this idea. I will fully acknowledge that I don't know everything regarding Fate, nor Bleach. However, I am definitely a fan of both, and am a fan of Shirou/Arturia pairings in general.
Thank you very much for reading :)
