"*sigh* How did this happen?" Ashido muttered to himself as he continued roaming aimlessly through that desert of absurdity.
He had left everyone else when Ichigo was accepted as king by the other Arrancar. It had been easy given the situation.
He didn't really think about it at the moment. He just wanted to find a way out.
He was already feeling strange since the moment a void opened up in his lower chest. It was simply impossible for him to put into words.
Even more confusing was the fact that the three female Arrancar that were directly under the previous Queen of Hueco Mundo were so friendly towards him.
At first, he really enjoyed their company. Despite the fact that their relationship seemed to be constantly dysfunctional, the three were always trying their best to help him accept his metamorphosis.
However, such behaviour made him feel even worse once he remembered the way in which he annihilated so many Hollows.
"They could've been... Just like them if given the chance" He thought, remembering all the Arrancar he had seen during this time.
His blind justice had always been one-sided. No matter how many Hollows he killed, they would still appear on the Human World and wreak havoc. On the other hand, there was a possibility that he extinguished creatures that under different circumstances could've been his friends.
Of course, it was impossible for him to know such a fate was awaiting him, but even so, his guilt made him cast away this idea, replacing it with one single thought:
"I am the worst"
Still, his current journey wasn't meant to be a punishment. All he wanted now, was find a reason to keep fighting. Even if Demons were threatening his friends and the new world he lived in, did they really need him? He believed himself to be just a weakling in comparison to them anyways.
All the comrades that had died during those years were long gone. There was no reason to keep a senseless and fruitless promise like that at this point.
"...But even if I never kill Hollows again, how will I be able to look at their eyes? Sure, they normally eat each other, but... For what they told me, they were never that kind of Hollow to begin with. That woman, Harribel, she was an admirable leader. They were all loyal to her ideals and beliefs... Despite the cruel world they were born and raised in"
He kept digressing over and over as his feet moved through the pale dunes, leaving lines in the sand as proof of his drifting.
He had gone for so long, that the palace was starting to look small and blurry.
In fact, even the white desert seemed to slowly change into a more rocky landscape. This one had various shades of red, orange and yellow. It had a special beauty actually. A place that despite its infinite loneliness, seemed to have a life of its own. One that was originated from the very artistic view the place had. The environment, as he advanced, turned out to be a collection of canyons with beautiful lines along them.
Unknown to him, he had arrived at an important point of interest in Hueco Mundo: the Carved Desert Canyons.
He enjoyed passing his fingers through the rocky surfaces as he continued to behold the natural wonder that was in that world.
"I never imagined that there was something more ahead of that desert and dark forest... This world is a lot more interesting that I thought"
It called his attention that in this place, however, there was literally no life. The desert had insects and Menos roaming once in a while. On the other hand, the canyons didn't even seem to have those basics forms of life in its landscapes.
Instead, only corpses seemed to rot in the ancient rocky wonder.
"What's with this place...?" He thought as he continued to find no trace of other entities in the area, a bit worried to only find carcasses.
In spite of that permanent void sensation, he was surprised to sense a tiny Reiatsu, possibly because of the distance.
"Is that...?" He wondered as he moved towards the source, deeper into the canyons.
He didn't know if it was his sense of sorrow or the feeling of solitude, but he was suddenly drawn towards that sign, hopeful of finding company.
Maybe, it was the idea of talking to a stranger. Someone who wouldn't judge him, and, even if it did, it wouldn't really matter.
"What am I thinking...?" He asked himself with a chuckle as he realized the stupidity of such thought. "...It's probably going to be some wild Menos or something. I doubt that even as an Arrancar I can communicate effecticely with a being like that"
Even so, just because of curiosity, he decided to find out what the being that emitted said energy was.
He was even more amazed when he realized that the pressure was growing stronger as he approached its source.
"What is this...? It is a lot more powerful that I thought it would be..."
This time, he unconsciously started moving faster towards it. He didn't care about it being dangerous or suspivious in some way, all he wanted was uncover the mystery of the single presence living inside that marvelous yet dubious landscape.
Step by step, the pressure only grew stronger. Ashido could tell that it was a lot weaker than the one he had sensed from Harribel and, of course, Ulquiorra earlier that day, but it was a power that definitely surpassed his own and Ayon's.
It all seemed to lead to one single place. A perfectly flat plateau that was taller than most of the cairns and rock towers that surrounded him.
He climbed the structure with an unbreakable willpower. For the first time, in fact, he could appreciate the fact that he had become a Hollow, being able to easily carve his hands inside the rock thanks to his Hierro.
"As a Soul Reaper this would've been a lot harder..." He thought, steadily scaling the summit.
As he reached it, he marveled himself at the vantage point, from where he could view the Carved Desert Canyons in all their beauty.
He couldn't help but smile at the sight he had earned, almost forgetting the reason he had reached that plateau in the first place.
"It's pretty, isn't it?" A soft voice said, instantly reminding him.
Ashido instinctly moved away from the voice, turning around to see the figure that was standing beside him. The owner of the great power that had lead him there.
"What the-?" He asked, trying to keep his composure, which was almost impossible given the difference in power he could sense. Only then did he realize that the pressure he had been following had disappeared.
"Oh... Sorry if I startled you. I felt an Arrancar's Reiatsu approaching so I thought of hiding my true power when that person got here. You're the first I've seen in a long time..." It was a female.
She looked like a young woman. Mid-length greenish-blonde hair, pale skin and light pink eyes with eye bags, probably due to oversleeping. She was wearing a white pair of pants and a jacket of the same color, piece of cloth that reminded him of an Espada, and it was open, letting him see that the Arrancar in fact had a developed body, having a bust of a size between Apacci and Mila Rose. She didn't seem bothered by her outfit though, as it managed to cover most of her breasts.
What gave out her race, was the Hollow Hole positioned in the center of her stomach, as well as her mask, shaped like a helmet with two horns, though one was broken. Her left eye was covered by the mask and had a red mark like a flame on it.
"The first... Arrancar?" Ashido asked back.
"The first person. I haven't seen a single Arrancar or Shinigami. Ever since I woke up in this place, there's been no one to talk to. Adjuchas and lower level Hollows die in the radius of my Reiatsu so... I had no other choice than to resign and live here in solitude" She explained, with an expressionless voice, but somehow tainted with melancholy.
"You woke up here? Like out of nowhere?" Ashido became curious.
"Yes. I... I don't know why, but that's the way it goes"
"But you are able to communicate, and have basic knowledge about Hueco Mundo as well..."
"Yes. That's because I used to be a Fracción..."
"Really? Of an Espada?"
"Yeah..." Her mood seemed to become sadder as she sighed affirmatively.
"Then... Of whom?" He decided to inquire.
However, his decision didn't seem to be the most assertive. The girl hugged her legs and buried her face in them.
"I..." Her voice broke. "I have no idea...!" She started sobbing.
"Dammit... It seems like I shouldn't have asked that" He thought, feeling bad after making the girl miserable, even though it was impossible for him to know. "And even now, I continue to do more damage..."
"I've been here for a long time... I don't know how much exactly, but... Nothing's changed! I decided to stay, cause... Something tells me that the person that used to be with me will come back... So I decided to stay here until that happened"
"It seems like a case of amnesia" He thought. "Do you... Remember your name?"
"No. I just know that I used to be a Fracción. The rest is all just scattered info. It's like my mind was emptied of important memories but not of knowledge. I do recall many things, like a man named Aizen... As well as... A city. The last thing I remember was that city"
"I see... Well, I'm sorry but I don't know how to help you"
"Don't worry. Having someone to talk to is good enough" She seemed to almost smile, but stayed serious afterwards. "Where did you come from?"
"I used to live in the Forest of Menos, but I was found by a couple friends, as well as a group of Arrancar..." He said that while still treating the last as a species he didn't feel affiliated with. "...So, I ended up in Las Noches. Do you remember anything about it?"
"Yes. It was a big Palace. It's where I used to live, but... When I try to think about it, the faces of those that used to live there with me seem blank"
"That sucks..." Ashido started feeling related to this Arrancar. In the end, while their reasons were not the same, they were both miserable, so he could understand the feeling.
"Yeah... But honestly, I wouldn't care about them. What makes me sad... Is the fact that I can't remember the face of my Espada. He was always with me, he always took care of me..." She almost could get a glimpse of the shadow hidden somewhere in her mind, but was unable. "We had our disagreements, of course, but we always had fun when we had the other. Now... I am just alone. But I still have the hope... That he'll either appear right here or that he'll come to this place, looking for me"
"So they can feel hope and loneliness as well..." Ashido muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing. I was just talking to myself"
"Ah... Why did you come to this place? Like... It's pretty far away from where you come. Are you running away?"
"No, no. I just... Wanted some time to think and... Get used to a new situation I'm dealing with right now"
"Really? What happened...? In case you don't mind sharing of course..." The girl seemed interested.
"Well... It's difficult to explain in one go, but, basically... I once lost a group of friends to an enemy group and I... swore on their grave that I would destroy them... And so my life consisted of that for many years"
"A vow of revenge" She said.
"Yeah... But one day... I met a new group of people who became my friends in the forest. We got separated for a while, but I got to see them again yesterday"
"Really? That sounds great. It's rare to find Hollows that have friends, you must be one of a kind"
"Well, I think that way of thinking is where my problems start. It turns out that these friends became allies of the enemies I had swore vengeance upon... And in a way, I was forced to interact with them and now... Everything I thought about those people turned out to be... Wrong. I thought, like you, that such people could never have friends or do anything other than killing endlessly, but they even care for me, even knowing what I've done to their kind"
"Wow... It is realy complicated after all" She agreed.
"Yeah. Honestly, the thing that bothers me the most is not them, you know? It is the unconditional support they give me. I... I don't feel deserving of such kindness. It's like I'm suddenly one of them, but that's just impossible from my point of view"
"But then... Is there nothing you can do in order to be worthy of their friendship, in your eyes?" She proposed as solution.
"Not as far as I can see at least. I murdered their kind because of an empty promise and now I see how wrong I was. Like, they didn't have any idea of what they were doing, but we were when we came here... I've been aware of my actions the whole time, and that leaves me at fault"
"And what about... Telling them this?"
"What?"
"What you just told me. Maybe, if you make yourself clear, they will be able to express their emotions and thoughts. I wouldn't recommend this on normal Arrancar, but... You seem to be harmless in comparison to them"
"Heh, really? I wonder why that would be..." He chuckled, knowing perfectly well that he wasn't one in essence.
"So... Would you try?"
"It's a very simple solution, now that I think about it. I have no idea how they are going to react, but... I guess it's worth a try"
The girl smiled at him, feeling glad that she was of some help.
"Are you heading back now?" She asked, starting to feel a bit sad that she would go back to her loneliness.
"I guess, but not right now. I want to enjoy this scenery for a while longer..." Ashido replied, looking at the canyon, only to discover a group of shadows approaching in the distance. "No way..."
"Those are... Your friends?" She asked, impressed that she would see so many people that day, after literally seeing no one ever since she lost her memory.
"I think... It's them" There were four people. "Would you prefer if I left with them so that they don't see you?"
"Aizen is no more, right?" The girl asked. She imagined it, cause otherwise, he would've probably looked for her. She remembered how interested he was in strong Arrancar, despite being unable to see his face in her mind. "Cause I don't want to return to his ranks..."
"No. He was defeated and sealed. Actually... A friend of mine is now king"
"Really? Who is he?"
"His name is... Kurosaki Ichigo"
The girl seemed to remember hearing said name, but it didn't make her mind clear either.
"He must be really strong..." She commented.
"Indeed. He is the most powerful man I've ever seen"
Before their conversation could continue, a pillar of ice rose to the same height of the plateau.
"Wow, Rukia has gotten really strong" Ashido thought.
From the ice pillar, the four girls jumped into the plateau.
"Ashido!!!" The Tres Bestias approached him.
He felt guilty once again. They had followed his steps and gone through that tremendous distance just to reach him.
"Hi..." He sighed with difficulty.
"Why did you run off?" Rukia asked him, worried.
"Yeah, we looked everywhere for you!" Apacci said. "We're so lucky that Mila Rose was able to trace your scent!"
"H-Hey!" The face of the dark skinned woman got of a bright red tone. "I just... Happened to detect it..."
"But... Ashido-san... What happened?" Sung-Sun asked him with a cute expression that mixed both despair and worry, that only made him feel worse.
"I..." He was building up courage to keep his word to the stranger he had just met.
However, he was interrupted.
"What the...? Hey, Mila Rose! Apacci!" Sung-Sun called their attention.
"Who is that Arrancar?" Rukia wondered as well, not nearly grasping the Arrancar's discovery.
"Huh? Who are you? You seem... Familiar..." The lonely girl tried to remember.
"Is that... Who I think it is...?" Mila Rose asked.
"No no no. She died. Harribel-sama confirmed it. Besides, this girl looks a lot bigger than her, right?" Apacci was in denial, but only because there was no possibility for that girl to be alive inside her mind, and also because she was jealous of her proportions and the fact that she was with Ashido.
"Ha...rribel. I know that name. She was an Espada!" She was able to remember her face. "Yeah, Tres Espada! She was so pretty and always hard-working and serious... Not a lazy ass like..." Her eyes were filled with tears as she was unable to remember the name of the shadow that haunted her.
"Apacci. It is her" Sung-Sun replied
"Maybe, Starrk is around...?" Apacci said, clueless as to what that would trigger.
As soon as she said that, they felt how an Arrancar increased its pressure violently and with no control whatsoever.
"St...arrk? Starrk... Starrk. Starrk...!" She could finally see his face. She could finally remember it all. She could finally hear:
"Oi, Lilynette"
No matter how much she waited. Starrk would not come.
"SSSSTAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRKKKK!!!!!!!!!!" The girl screamed, making the ground around her shake. The flatland was breaking into pieces as her Reiatsu increased.
"Oh no..." Ashido muttered as Lilynette became as unstable as possible due to her memories flashing back.
"What's going on?!" Rukia asked confused, getting ready for the worst case scenario.
The Tres Bestias were all clinging onto Ashido feom the moment Lilynette started screaming, all cowering in fear.
"She seemed to have lost her memory... You three know her?!" Ashido asked the others in shock.
"She was the only Fracción of the previous Primera Espada!" Apacci explained in a rush.
"But Starrk had died, and so had she!" Mila Rose added.
"Well that doesn't seem to be the case!" Sung-Sun pointed out.
"Is there something we can do to calm her?!" Rukia wanted to find a solution.
"No idea!!!" The three replied.
"If she continues like this... I'll have no choice but to freeze her in order to keep the others safe" Rukia thought, not wanting to end up doing that, as it could be too much for tye Arrancar to handle. Her freezing capability was a lot tougher than it used to be.
Ashido could only look as everything seemed to collapse around him.
He had only killed Hollows his whole life and now... He had to find a way to save the first Arrancar friend he had made on his own. He wanted her to smile like she had done before, proving once again to him that a Hollow could feel. He wanted to protect the three girls that tried their best to cheer him up and that taught him all he needed to know about being a Hollow.
"What can I do?!" He asked himself.
"Ash..." He could hear a faint voice in his mind. "Ashido..."
He concentrated on it. It was clearly trying to say something.
"Ashido... Use your blade..." The voice said. It was a bestial male voice.
"No! I won't kill her! I want to save her!" He replied angrily.
"Fool... You don't even know what your power is for and you're already bashing it. But then again... What could I expect from a master whose aspect of death is none other than Guilt?"
"Aspect... Of death?" Ashido remembered the words of Apacci.
"...Some Arrancar have an aspect of death linked to their Zanpakutou. These tend to be the ones destined to become Espada, in fact!"
"So... I have the potential to become... An Espada?" He couldn't believe it.
"Yes... Your frustrated revenge as well as your constant despise for both yourself and your new body seem so strong... That you developed a very interesting power" The beast said, not revealing its appearance.
"Tch... So what? You want me to use your power?"
"No. I want you to use your power. I'm just a placeholder, Ashido. You're the only one who's in control... At least for now, hahaha"
"Whatever. If it is what I need to save them all... Give me the command. I know that's how it works"
"Very well. Here goes a lil' riddle for you... What does an executioner do...?"
"Such bad taste... I miss Kokuran" Ashido remembered the female spirit of his Shinigami sword.
"Welp, she's dead. Now I am your Zanpakutou!"
"*sigh* No choice then..." He returned to the real world, immediatwly feeling how Lilynette's pressure was only rising even further. It was as if she was going to explode.
He never considered himself a person of knowledge, so he was not sure if the Arrancar could commit soul suicide by accident, but he would not take the risk.
"Decapitate... Cuernavaca!"
Ashido could feel how his sword disappeared, changing his appearance and increasing his Reiatsu exponentially.
His body was growing a bit on size, but more importantly, his hands and feet turned into fierce claws made out of bone. On his body, pointy horns grew from random places, probably because of his inability to control his own power. His back grew a furry cape with various Hollow skulls engraved, as well as many long white horns. Finally, his head was covered by a demonic cow's skull, leaving only a turquoise shine in the spot where his eyes should be.
"Ashido used... Resurrección?!" Mila Rose was surprised.
"Lilynette! I know we just met... But I know that we can help you!" Ashido yelled, trying to reach her with his voice, to no avail.
Lilynette continued to increase and release her Reiatsu dangerously, screaming frantically the name of her lost half.
"It didn't work!" Sung-Sun said.
"Dammit!" Rukia cursed, ready to use her Zanpakutou before Lylinette blew herself to pieces along with them in her inability to control herself.
"No, Rukia! There's something I can do..." Ashido approached the Arrancar girl, slowly getting close despite the pressure.
"What might be the nature of his power?" Apacci wondered, very curious.
Ashido managed to put his skeletal hand Lilynette's shoulder, saying: "Chupacabras"
Rukia sensed how the girl's Reiatsu started going down.
"Could it be...?" She remembered Ashido's Shinigami Zanpakutou. "...That his power simply adapted to his new form?"
In fact, Ashido was able to absorb Lilynette's Reishi with that ability. However, that was not what he was aiming for when he decided to use such a technique.
The decrease in her Reiatsu slowly brought her back to her senses, to the point in which she was not screaming in panic. Then, Ashido stopped, and went back to his normal form as he wasn't able to keep his Resurrección for too long
"Lilynette... That's your name isn't it?" Ashido said in a neutral manner, trying to calm her.
"Y-Yes..." She weakly replied, still shaken by the sudden breakdown she suffered.
"Do you remember... Everything?" He asked to make sure.
"Yeah..." She replied, clutching her arm in sign of embarrassment. "I am Liliynette Gingerbuck. Previous companion of the 1st Espada, Coyote Starrk..."
"He died, didn't he?" Ashido knew what the answer was, but he wanted her to accept it.
The Tres Bestias expected her to be in complete denial.
Lilynette's lips shivered for a moment, only for her to reply:
"Yes. Starrk died at the hands of a Shinigami Captain in the battle of Karakura" She accepted it.
"But then... Why?" Apacci tried to find the best way to ask, but Lilynette understood her intentions.
"I can't remember that part clearly, as I was pretty weak myself. My existence was on the brink of ending when I heard something faint..."
"Lilynette... I know that you're giving your all to help me. I know, you are willing to die in order for me to survive but... Enough is enough. There is no point in this fight anymore... There is no reason for you to die, so..."
"Starrk?" Lilynette asked, in the form of the last wolf in Starrk's pack.
"...Go ahead and live for me" He smiled as he deposited almost all of his power in Lilynette and threw her inside a direct Garganta made with Descorrer, directing a Caja Negación at her so that she wouldn't try anything.
"Starrk!!!" She screamed as she was sent into the hermetic realm.
Once she exited it, she would be in the Carved Canyon's plateau, the place where they stayed for a long time after the original Arrancar they were was split into two.
Lylinette started crying as she remembered. She may had had an adult form, but mentally, she was almost the same as a child. It seemed that Starrk's power had made her a lot calmer and more lazy though.
"Starrk never wanted me to die. He even went as far as to use one of those boxes Aizen gave the Espada just to make sure that I wouldn't go back and avenge him!"
"Lilynette..." Sung-Sun said comprehensively.
"I... I just wanted to die fighting alongside him. We were born together so... Why couldn't we die together as well?!"
"Because that wasn't what Starrk wished for you" Mila Rose said. "If he went that far, it is because he wished for you to continue living"
"But... What kind of life is this? One of boredom and loneliness?"
And that question, along with everything he had gone through right now, made Ashido finally understand why he was still alive.
"No" Ashido replied. "One of mystery and opportunity. You have no idea what this new life awaits for you..." Everyone was surprised by his answer. "At first, I thought becoming a Hollow was worse than being dead... Can you imagine that? But now... After knowing the right people..." He smiled at the Tres Bestias. "...You can finally start to grasp the big picture. We don't know what the future awaits us, but as long as you have friends by your side... There is no greater joy than finding out!" He pat Lilynette's head, making her blush a bit.
"Ashido... That means...!" Rukia became happy.
"Yeah. I'm glad I became a Hollow. In fact, I'll thank Ichigo as soon as I see him" Ashido looked happier than ever before. "You should come with us, Lilynette. That way you won't be alone anymore"
"Really? You really mean it...?" She also looked at the Tres Bestias.
"Well of course! Heheh" Apacci laughed nervously due to the danger she had meant moments earlier.
"That makes me so happy...!" She started crying again, now out of happiness. "Oh and... I'm so sorry for what I did... I just couldn't take that...!"
"Don't sweat it. It's understandable after all you've been through" Mila Rose stopped her. "Though if you wanna pay us back... How about a little spar?" She couldn't contain her urge to fight much longer.
"Don't be ridiculous. A gorilla and an Espada are leagues away from each other" Sung-Sun mocked her.
"You little...!" Mila Rose grinned with rage, wanting to hit the snake Arrancar.
"Anyway... It seems that this was a complete success" Rukia concluded. "Not only is Ashido happy with his new life, but he also made a friend powerful enough to become a part of the Espada!"
"Wait... Aizen's gone, but the Espada still exist?" Lilynette asked.
"Harribel-sama had abandoned the idea of reforming them, since anyone with potential was either dead or out of reach..." Apacci explained.
"However, Ichigo-sama has decided to put them back in action. I don't know if you noticed Lilynette, but everyone in Las Noches and its close surroundings was attacked by the Oni" Sung-Sun replied.
"No... But I felt something odd happen about a week ago, as well as a kind of Reiatsu I had never felt before. Despite that... I chose not to interfere. I didn't feel safe" Lilynette revealed.
"It's understandable. Not even you would've been a match for those bastards, not in your current state at least. But don't worry, Ichigo is gonna make sure you're all in top condition to fight the remaining Oni"
Liliynette's look seemed to be more worried now. She wasn't sure that she wanted to go with them if she was gonna face such danger.
"Lilynette" Ashido called her attention. "I know that it might be risky joining us under these circumstances, but honestly, if the Oni achieve their goals, no one will be safe. If anything's gonna happen, it's way better knowing that you have people you can rely on"
"Oh... You're right about that" She replied, thinking a bit afterwards. "If I wanna honour Starrk's final wish, guess I should try making as many friends as possible!" She giggled.
"That settles it then" Rukia smiled.
"Let's go home!" The Tres Bestias said in unison.
"Yeah!" Lilynette happily replied.
"By the way... How did you...?" Emilou Apacci seemed bothered to ask, but couldn't let that be. "You know... Grow so much?"
"Oh... I'm not sure. Probably my little childish body couldn't contain all that power so it matured... But I don't remember that to be honest" She replied.
"What? Are you jealous, Apacci?" Mila Rose grinned.
"No?! I'm just... Amused" She lied.
Sung-Sun just sighed.
"And what are you sighing for?! You clearly have the smallest rack!" Apacci attacked the snake-girl.
"Humph! Just because I don't dress myself in lewd outfits doesn't mean that I have less to be proud of. In fact, I think you're clearly the loser, Apacci"
"Yeah, right..." She said flustered. "This is not even close to lewd..."
The three continued fighting in the horizon as Ashido, Rukia and Lilynette took the lead.
"How can you stand being with them for so long?" Rukia asked Ashido, impressed that the previous Hollow-Hunter was able to even enjoy their company.
"It's not easy getting used to it, but once you do, you automatically ignore them once they get like this" He explained.
"Now that I think about it, Harribel-san used to do that as well" Lilynette recalled.
"You two have a patience worthy of admiration" Rukia commented about Harribel and Ashido.
"If you say so... Though I gotta say that after being so many years hearing only screams, growls and distorted voices, it's almost joyful hearing them, even when they fight" He smiled, revealing that he actually found happiness in such a bothersome behaviour.
"I was wondering how weren't you completely insane after all those years of solitude... I guess you were mad all along" Rukia teased him.
"Maybe I am. But I'm happy I met them, just like I'm happy I encountered you back then, and even more after you kept your promise" He said, making her blush.
"Well... That's what friends are for, aren't they?" She replied.
"Yeah. I hope my friends back in the Forest can forgive me..."
"You've done nothing wrong, Ashido, you just opened you eyes. We all have in the past few weeks, in fact, and something tells me we all have a lot more to learn..."
Behind them, Lilynette was playing with her new properties, now that she finally took it into account.
"Poke, poke, poke... Ah! It's so weird now that I have these...!" She yelled as her face got a shade of pink.
"...Though I wasn't referring to that" Rukia said with annoyance.
"Kgh... Ahahahahahaha!" Ashido chuckled and then burst into laughter for the first time since he left Soul Society.
It hadn't been easy, but now he was starting to appreciate the new world he had in his hands.
He could finally say that he was happy of being alive.
~~~~X~~~~
During nighttime (cause it's always night in Hueco Mundo) a pair of jade eyes opened up in the healing room.
"Ah... Inoue" He smiled a bit.
"Cifer-kun!" She happily said his name as she held his hand. She really wanted to kiss him, but it felt so weird having Harribel and Grimmjow in the same room as well, even if they were asleep. "How are you feeling now?"
"Good. All my limbs are restored, and there is neither physical nor psychological distress in my being"
"That's... Great!" She giggled at the technical way in which he described his current state.
"So, Ichigo-sama became king, didn't he?"
"Yes, and thanks to you, he didn't have to fight neither of his friends" Orihime said, realizing the other meaning behind that phrase. "Oh... Sorry. I didn't mean that...!"
"I know. But it's true. I'm not his friend, and I doubt I'll ever be... That would be asking too much"
"I'm sure that it will happen, someday. Just give it some time, and try not to do more shady stuff, though I completely understand why you did it this time"
"Really?" He asked, his eyes shining as they beheld her. "Heh. I begin to understand what you meant by trusting others. Somehow, I felt better this time, just because I knew I wasn't the only one that knew of the plan"
"See? Everything's better when you have more people by your side!" She cheerfully said. "Although... A couple things are only meant to be shared by two" She finally decided to do it, softly pressing her lips against his.
"Inoue..." He was surprised by how straightforward that was.
But unfortunately for them, it wasn't precisely the best moment.
"What the...?!" Ichigo's jaw dropped.
Orihime's expression of happiness changed into worry.
The ex-Shinigami approached them in a completely disoriented state.
"Inoue... Ulquiorra... What the fuck?!"
"Ichigo! You... You see... It-It's not his fault! I...!"
"No, Ichigo-sama. I seduced her, so it's all my fault" He clearly lied.
Due to the obvious dishonesty of the Espada, Ichigo knew that it had been Orihime the one to take the first step.
"*sigh* How long?" He facepalmed.
"What...?" She didn't seem to get the question.
"For how long have you been in love with him? This surely isn't a 'love at first sight' kind of thing, and you clearly wanted to keep seeing him. That's why you came here, or are you so faceless to claim I'm wrong?"
"Ichigo... Why are you so upset? I know I didn't tell you but... This isn't something I could say so easily!"
"Because I'm your friend, Inoue. Was it so hard to tell me the actual reason you came to Hueco Mundo?"
"No... I guess not..." She sighed with sorrow. "But what about you?"
"Huh? What's that?" He asked back.
"Throughout all these years, I felt something for you, Kurosaki Ichigo! Especially after the incident with Sora... I did everything to help you, to be of use to you, to show you that I could be by your side! And... I understand. I understand that you simply, never saw me as anything more than a friend..." She started crying. "I understand that... You never loved me the same way I loved you... But I... I decided to move on. I decided to let you go and I even went as far as to support both you and Nel cause I know that she's the best woman you could ever find!" She weeped. "And yet... You were never able to say it. It would've been so much easier if you'd just told me the truth before. But instead, I kept building up hope like a foolish little girl, believing there was a possibility that you could love me..."
"But, how was I supposed to know?"
"How?! It was written all over my face!"
"Maybe, but you never said..."
"Ichigo" She started using his normal name. "I really appreciate how much you care for your friends and everything you've done for us. However, you never made an effort to try to understand us. Sure, we could've just told you everything that was on our minds... But a true friend's supposed to be able to tell without a need for that. On the other hand... Ulqui-kun, despite being the emptiest Arrancar I've seen, is still trying his best to understand not only his heart but ours as well!"
"And here we go again with poor little Ulquiorra..."
Despite being mentioned, the Arrancar decided to remain silent and just witness the encounter neutrally.
"What's your problem with Ulquiorra?!" Now she was angry. "Can't you see he's done everything so that you would become powerful enough to face the Demon King? He suffers, Ichigo. He is miserable because of the way you despise him, and even worse, he feels deserving of that" Orihime continued.
"Inoue... He has made our friends suffer many times. If it was part of his plan or not is irrelevant. The end doesn't justify the means!" Ichigo replied
"No, but you should have a bit of humanity left in that Hollow Hole and at least try to forgive him. I thought you had back in the training grounds, but your behaviour right now leaves clear that such isn't the case"
"Tch..." He couldn't deny it. Orihime was right. Not only that, but Nel had told him as well, to try to understand the Espada better. Yet, he had forgotten it all once he saw that he was interested in a lot more than just the heart of Orihime.
Was it possible that he was... Jealous?
"Instead of grinding your teeth like some beast you should try to apologize, to both of us! Or is the king too proud to do so?" Orihime was still spitting fire, each of her words as powerful as the flames of Hell.
Ichigo had enough, however. He had lost, and he accepted defeat.
He lowered himself on his knees and bowed to show his sincere apology.
"I'm sorry" He said clearly. "I'm sorry for being so cold towards Ulquiorra even after everything he's done" He started. "I'm also... Sorry for not trying to understand your feelings earlier and... Now I'm sorry, for not supporting you with your love life in the same way you've done with mine. I was being an egoist prick, and I'm glad that you showed me that"
Orihime's defiant expression swifted into a calmer one, though she was not back in her usual cheerful self.
"What do you think, Ulquiorra?" She asked the Espada.
"I'm not sure I should be saying this... But I've never seen her like this so... I... I forgive you Ichigo-sa-"
"No. Just Ichigo. From now on, you two must treat each other equally" Orihime said with a smile, although it was clearly an order.
"Whatever... It is what I tried from the start actually, but he didn't listen" Ichigo pouted like a brat from the floor.
"Well then..." Orihime sighed.
The Arrancar king was standing up when the human girl decided to stop him right on his tracks.
"I didn't say anything, Kurosaki-kun" She called him in a cute way once again.
"Eh... So, will you forgive me?" He couldn't believe how fearsome that Orihime was. Looking back, he had never EVER seen her angry before, and now that he finally did, he wanted to change that as quick as possible.
"If you fulfill my request"
"Huh? Sure, what is it?"
Everything went mute as he saw Orihime's lips move, not able to hear anything due to the shock those words produced in his mind.
"What was it? I couldn't quite catch it..." Ichigo asked again.
Orihime repeated the request, her lips pronouncing the words clearly and slowly:
"Make me an Arrancar"
~~~~X~~~~
Woohoo, and so we're back! This Chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I thought at first. I hope you guys enjoy it!
It was so fun writing about Orihime's rage as well, and I think it's also a nice way to introduce the more dark atmosphere this story is meant to have.
To conclude, I want to thank you all as we hit the first milestone of 100 follows! (as well as 69 favorites ; )
In case you wanna (and can) support me, I created a by the name of Evhron. Don't feel forced in any way to do it, I appreciate you following my work just fine! Money always helps though, but I am an artist over anything else, mark my words.
Reviews:
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Wicked awesome chapter! I enjoyed this! It truly was an incredible chapter! I look forward to more. Seems Ashido knows the truth now. Every little thing he once knew about Hollows and Arrancar was false! For the most part at least. He just didn't know the full history. I hope Rukia and the Tres Bestias can help him once they've found him.
And really? You've already made plans for what's in store for UlquiHime? Why am I not surprised? Lol. See ya next update!
Reply: I mean, not everything is false. Menos are mindless creatures that devour everything in their path, but the Hollows as a race are not evil, that's the paradigm he had to break.
Now, regarding the other topic... I guess you can see where UlquiHime is heading to.
Thanks a lot and see you all next Chapter! Evhron out.
Glossary:
Cuernavaca: While in literal terms it is a city in mexico, I thought it was a cooler name considering his cow-skull, so it would be translated as Horncow (NOT HORNYCOW lol). Cuernavaca itself means "near the woods" so funny enough, it does have a connection with Ashido.
Chupacabras: Just like the mythical creature. In this case, it is a Hollowfied version of his previous Kyuushuu, though it has a couple adjustments.While he can absorb Reishi just by touching the other being, this sn a slow and non-harmful process. The true Chupacabras is meant to work by stabbing the enemy with the Reishi sucking horns.