I do not own Bleach or any of the characters.
Making Friends
Hours. They had been running across the desert of Hueco Mundo that was populated only by a few quarts trees for hours. They had a run in with a tornado at one point and were saved by Uryu using a Spirit Orb like Ichigo and his friends used to break into the Seireitei to save Rukia. Then, they had continued.
"How far is that thing?" Ichigo finally complained.
"It's all in perspective," Chad stated. "The trees in front of it look like needles. For the trees to look that big from this distance, and for the building to look so big in comparison, we have to assume it is unbelievably massive."
"And could be anywhere from one day to a week away," Kurai stated. "Wonderful. We need to keep going."
"Alright," Uryu sighed standing. "Let's just hurry this time."
Kurai nodded but just as they turned to leave, three hollows exploded out of the ground. One was a massive worm with a horned mask above his mouth, one was had a large tiki mask for a head and yellow PJs with black spots, and the last was a white and purple humanoid hollow with an insect mask. The three were chasing a small girl wearing a green robe with a hood hiding most of her face but that didn't hide her greenish blue hair and the red mark running across both cheeks and her nose. Kurai raised an eyebrow, his body instinctively tensing and singling the girl out as an Arrancar, but she clearly wasn't a threat, at least at first glance. The same could be said for Yachiru.
Ichigo, Uryu, and Chad rushed past him, ignoring his shout to wait. They quickly, and easily, stopped the three hollows, Ichigo not bothering to unwrap his sword. When they did, the girl stepped forward, beginning to cry.
"Stop that!" she shouted. "Leave them alone!"
The others looked at her like she was speaking gibberish.
"She's an Arrancar," Kurai stated, pointing to the girl, whose hood had fallen down, revealing a seemingly human skull that was resting on top of her head and was cracked and missing a few teeth, with a scar running down from where the crack was.
"An...Arrancar?" Ichigo breathed.
"What'd we do to you?" the girl asked. "Stop pickin' on us will ya? Why don't you just leave us alone!"
"You sure about that?" Ichigo asked as the girl ran over to the other three, who had fled a short distance away and all bowed.
"We're so sorry," the girl apologized before sitting up and smiling. "We never thought our game of eternal tag would cause such a misunderstanding."
"Eternal tag huh?" Ichigo asked. "Then why were you crying?"
"Nel is a masochist and it's no fun for Nel unless Nel is chased to the point when Nel starts to cry," the girl explained, addressing herself in third person.
"Why are you teaching this girl words like masochists?" Ichigo demanded, punching the hollow with the tiki mask.
"Arrancar," Kurai corrected. "Nel, was it? How old are you?"
"Nel's full name is Nel Tu," Nel smiled. "Nel can't remember how old she is. But these are Nel's older brothers."
She held a hand out to the bug hollow who bowed and said, "I'm Nel's older brother Pesche."
She held her hand to the other side and the tiki mask hollow said, "I'm the oldest brother, Dondochakka."
"Brother?" Chad muttered.
"And this guy right here is our pet, his name is Bawabawa," Nel stated pointing up at the worm.
"Wait, since when do Arrancars have siblings and pets?" Ichigo asked.
"What do ya mean?" Nel asked. "Arrancars have always had those!"
"When we first found Nel, she was so cute that I decided to become a big brothers, ya know what I'm talkin' about?" Dondochakka stated.
"Yep, same here," Pesche stated.
"Oh, so you're adoptive brothers then," Kurai offered.
"I guess so," Dondochakka nodded.
"She seems, different than the ones that came to the World of the Living," Nel stated.
"Of course we do," Nel spoke up. "The Arrancars that went to the World of the Living are called Numeros."
"Numeros?" Ichigo asked.
"Numeros are the guys that were stronger than the Menos Grandes before becoming Arrancars," Nel explained. "They can be identified by two digit numbers and they serve directly under the Espada!"
"They sure have it good," Pesche stated.
"You're tellin' me, it just ain't right," Dondochakka added.
"Numeros are combat experts," Nel stated. "And they're an elite fighting force. There's no comparison to them and garbage bugs like us."
Her brothers nodded and Kurai stared at her for a moment before laughing.
"What are you laughing at," Nel demanded.
"It's nothing," Kurai chuckled, forcing himself to stop. "I just find it funny that someone as young as you knows more about the Arrancar than we do when you spend all your time running around."
"Oh," Nel nodded. "So, who are you guys anyway?"
"With those black kimonos you're dressed more like Soul reapers, ya know what I mean?" Dondochakka stated.
"Yeah, like a Soul Reaper," Pesche stated before Nel and her brothers froze.
"What is it?" Ichigo asked.
"What...are you guys anyway?" Nel asked.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Soul Reaper," Ichigo stated.
"Uryu Ishida, I am a Quincy," Uryu stated pushing his glasses up.
"Yasutora Sado, and I'm human," Chad stated.
"Kurai Mori," Kurai smiled kindly. "Third Seat of Squad Twelve of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and the last remaining Captain Guard of the Soul Society."
All three of them began to scream, turning to each other.
"Soul Reapers!" Nel wailed.
"A Quincy and a human?" Pesche added.
"What're we gonna do?" Dondochakka asked.
"You know what this means?" Nel asked before they turned to Kurai and the others.
"You're the bad guys!" the three hollows stated.
"Wait," Kurai sighed. "You didn't have a clue who we were?"
"That's right," Nel stated. "Because you didn't say who you were."
"Sorry about that," Kurai smiled. "You're right. We should have introduced ourselves."
"Well...it's okay," Nel huffed. "But if you're not bad, you should play with us."
Pesche and Dondochakka began muttering for a moment before the three nodded and Nel leapt into the air.
"Ready?" Nel asked as she landed on Ichigo's shoulder and took his Zanpakuto. "Tag, you're it. Now you gotta catch me!"
She started running, laughing as she did.
"She got your sword dude," Kurai grinned. "Shall I retrieve it for you?"
"Go," Ichigo sighed.
Kurai vanished, reappearing in front of Nel who skidded to a stop.
"Nel," Kurai sighed, kneeling in front of her. "Please give Ichigo back his Zanpakuto. We're not going to hurt you. We came here to rescue our friend who was kidnapped by the Espada."
"Rescue your friend?" Nel asked.
"That's right," Ichigo stated walking over. "She's a very good friend. We don't know what the Espada plan to do to her, but we can't let her be hurt. So we have to go get her back."
"I'm sorry," Nel apologized holding the Zanpakuto out to Ichigo who took it back and smiled.
"Don't worry about it," Ichigo smiled. "Sorry we couldn't play with you, but we have to get going. See you around Nel, Pesche, Dondochakka, Bawabawa."
He waved over his shoulder as they all began to walk away, Nel watching them go.
"Hey, you're leaving already?" Nel shouted. "You won't even play with Nel?"
"Sorry," Ichigo sighed. "We don't have time to play with you. We have to get to our friend soon."
"You were just toying with Nel's feelings but you should have just killed Nel instead!" Nel wailed. "It would have been far less painful for Nel that way!"
"You've got an admirer," Kurai snickered.
"Why's this alway happen to me?" Ichigo sighed.
"Since you asked for death, I shall grant you your wish," a deep voice stated as san began to rise between them and Las Noches.
"What is that?" Uryu wondered as it form a massive hollow with a hole in the center of hi chest, a castle-shaped head with a circular mask for a face, and two massive arms reaching out from its shoulders.
"It's huge!" Ichigo breathed.
"It's Runuganga!" Nel shouted. "The Guardian of the White Sand!"
"I was just informed, only moments ago, by Las Noches, that we had intruders," Runuganga stated. "I never would have guessed they had you measly garbage bugs acting as spies. Unforgivable. I'm going to turn you all into Desert Sand."
"They had nothing to do with it," Kurai called out. "They were trying to keep us busy until Las Noches sent you. Apparently they succeeded."
"Your lies mean nothing to me," Runuganga stated. "It appears that they were trying to aid you, so they will be punished as such."
"I see," Kurai nodded raising his hand. "Then I'll fight you. I'll start. Hado Sixty Three, Raikoho!"
He fired the lightning bolt into the thing's face and it exploded, obliterating Runuganga's upper torso and face. After a moment, it began to regenerate.
"That was a good strike, but a cowardly sneak attack," Runuganga stated.
"How was that a sneak attack?" Ichigo demanded. "He warned you and attacked straight on!"
"He's made out of sand, right Nel?" Kurai asked.
"That's right," Nel nodded.
"That's going to make this hard," Kurai sighed.
"No more talk!" Runuganga thundered, raising a fist before throwing a punch at Kurai.
Kurai leapt away from the strike before Runuganga swung again, creating a tornado that instantly sped toward them. As it neared, Nel began to get pulled up before Ichigo caught her hand, pulling her back down as the tornado faded.
"How persistent you are," Runuganga growled. "I'm going to finish you off all at once."
He swung his right hand in a backward fist, creating three much large tornados. Ichigo fired a Getsuga Tensho through the middle one, splitting Runuganga's head but he reconnected it instantly as the tornado reappeared.
"All at once you three," Kurai ordered. "Now!"
Uryu fired one powerful arrow, Ichigo a Getsuga Tensho, Chad an El Directo, and Kurai a Raikoho. The blast blowing him into dust.
"So did we do it?" Ichigo asked.
"No," Kurai stated. "Look down. You're standing on sand. What we need, is water. A lot of water."
"He's coming," Nel stated, hiding behind Ichigo.
Suddenly, a pit began to form in front of them, quickly expanding and sucking them in.
"And antlion pit!" Uryu shouted over the roar of the sand.
Runuganga rose up beside the pit, laughing.
"I'm going to swallow you all up in one fell swoop!" Runuganga stated, mouth opening to take up most of his torso.
He leaned forward but before he could eat them, a blast of cold air hit him, freezing his entire body solid before he fell backward, shattering on the ground.
"No way," Ichigo breathed. "Rukia!"
He spun around and saw Rukia and Renji standing on top of a sand dune in the distance.
"You're both late!" Kurai shouted pushing himself out of the sand and scurrying up the side of the pit before pulling the others after him.
Ichigo ran toward the two, smiling widely.
"M-More Soul Reapers?" Nel gaped.
"They're friends of ours," Kurai smiled. "Don't worry. They don't mean you any harm."
Nel gulped but nodded. Just as Ichigo neared Rukia and Renji, Rukia stepped forward, delivering an uppercut to the underside of his jaw before hi-fiving Renji who punched him in the cheek, making him tumble back down the sand dune.
"Hey, easy!" Nel shouted.
"Are you alright Ichigo?" Uryu asked.
"No, I'm not," Ichigo groaned before standing.
"You idiot!" Rukia shouted, face betraying several conflicting emotions, including fear and relief. "Why did you have to go off on your own to Hueco Mundo? Why couldn't you just wait for us to come back and help you?"
Ichigo turned toward her, seeing her fighting back tears and failing, a few rolling down her face as she squeezed her eyes shut to stop them. He stepped forward, pulling her into a hug. Kurai smirked and turned back toward Las Noches, trying to sense his target. No luck.
"Why didn't you trust me?" Rukia asked, shaking. "I was worried. I was terrified you would be..."
Ichigo kissed her, cutting her off mid sentence then pulled back and smiled.
"I'm not going to die Rukia," Ichigo smiled. "And I left without you because I was hoping you wouldn't come. I didn't want you to be in danger."
"You idiot," Rukia growled, still shaking slightly. "I could say the same."
Ichigo hugged her again then turned to the others, all of who had turned their backs to give them some semblance of privacy, except Nel, of course.
"Ready to go?" Kurai asked.
"Yeah," Ichigo nodded.
"Hold on, who are they?" Rukia asked.
"This is Nel, a non-Aizen aligned Arrancar, and her two adoptive Hollow brothers and their pet Bawabawa," Kurai stated. "This is Pesche and this is Dondochakka."
"Alright then, let's get going," Rukia sighed. "We have a ways to go."
They all turned, walking away but after a few minutes, Nel called after them.
"Hey, Itsugo!" Nel shouted. "If you wait for us, Nel will guide you to Las Noches!"
Kurai grinned and Ichigo did a facepalm while Rukia grinned.
"Something I should know?" Rukia grinned.
"Nel's in love with Ichigo," Kurai snickered.
"Is not," Ichigo growled.
"Climb on Itsugo," Nel beamed as Bawabawa, now with the other hollows on his back, arrived.
Kurai and the others all climbed off, Bawabawa beginning to move, making much more progress than they would have.
"Where'd you guys get those cloaks?" Ichigo asked.
"They were gifts," Rukia stated. "I was told Hueco Mundo could have a pretty rough terrain and we'd need to wear protection."
"Who told you that?" Ichigo asked.
"My brother did," Rukia said blushing, making Ichigo, Uryu, and Chad all stare in shock. "He said the only order received was the one to bring us back to the Soul Society. He never received an order of what to do once we were there."
"I see," Ichigo smirked. "Byakuya said that huh? Sure has gotten soft lately."
"He also said it must be a nuisance to have that dingy boy running around," Rukia added grinning.
"That bastard," Ichigo growled, punching Bawabawa, forgetting where he was for a moment.
Bawabawa shouted in pain, flailing for a moment before continuing.
"Ichigo, what are you doing punching our ride?" Uryu demanded.
"That's right," Nel spoke up. "Please don't pick on Bawabawa. If you have to pick on someone, please pick on Nel!"
"Enough!" Ichigo shouted.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake as Runuganga rose in front of them again.
"Oh not him again!" Ichigo groaned.
"Making friends all over aren't we?" Kurai grinned.
"Stop right there, don't take another step further," Runuganga stated. "I won't let you take another step toward Las Noches."
"Runuganga is made of sand," Nel stated. "So it makes sense for there to be more than one of him."
"Dance," Rukia spoke drawing her Zanpakuto and turning it. "Sode no Shirayuki. Tsugi no mai..."
She touched her blade down four times, as alway, except this time she was piecing Bawabawa. Not a wise decision as he began thrashing and shouting in pain.
"Rukia, what are you doing?" Renji shouted over Bawabawa.
"Sorry, I got too, excited," Rukia apologized.
"You hurt him Lady!" Nel shouted pointing at her.
Suddenly, an antlion pit opened below Bawabawa and they were quickly sucked in, Rukia being thrown a distance away in the process.
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