Ever since Hitsugaya came back from the world of the living, everything has been normal. The incident over the hollows avoiding Karakura was just labeled as "unusable hollow behavior" and nothing more, because a week after Hitsugaya came back, they started flowing in normally. They concluded that because of Hitsugaya's now immensely powerful spiritual pressure, the hollows decided to avoid the area which it originated. For Hitsugaya, that was good enough, same goes for everyone else that was worried. The spring was just beginning and flowers were already starting to bloom. The fifth squad was still grieving over their lieutenants death, so the search for a capable captain has been postponed, a wise decision, in their case. Hitsugaya was in a grassy field as he watched a rare crimson mountain lily begin to bloom. He then lowered his head as he remembered a sweet memory as they both watched this unique flower bloom every year, side by side. Every year in the springtime, this crimson flower would bloom and as it did so Momo would always laugh when some curious creature decided to play with it and Hitsugaya would always make some comment as to how Momo found enjoyment to such a small thing. For a second Hitsugaya chuckled, remembering how when Hitsugaya called her an "Idiot" she would always retort and call him "lil shiro". The silence is what helped him remember. He then remembered that she was gone now, and as he remembered, the more his icy exterior seemed to melt, revealing his inner emotions. His back seemed to be weighed down by some heavy object as he collapsed down to the cold ground that was still melting snow. He didn't cry though, he absolutely never cried. Even as a little kid he never shed a single tear. But right now, he felt like he wanted too. But despite this, he didn't. He was too angry at himself. He then clinched his fist, as he remembered how she died. He remembered how, when he realized who he really stabbed was Hinamori that he couldn't believe what he was seeing. When the reality hit him as to what he's done, he remembered how it felt like he died in less than an instant, and how his body moved not according to him as he gently carried Momo down, in his arms. He then remembered her last words to him, "Shiro….-Chan…..Why?" He then slammed his fist against the ground, "damn you….." He then wondered who was he saying it too, himself, or Aizen, because of making her believe he had betrayed her. He then realized, that even if Aizen didn't make it seem like he did it intentionally, he still betrayed her. He still drove his sword into her flawless skin, through her chest. He was clinching both of his fist do hard, he was making them bleed. But he didn't notice, just like he didn't notice he stabbed Hinamori until the last second. Silently mourning her death, while hating himself was how he went through the day. After that, he did regular shinigami business for months, only going away to think about that death. He then looked into the sky, that was beginning to darken, as he wondered why the world let him go unpunished for his sin, or was his punishment the thoughts about her that never ceased to stop.
As he was looking into that darkening sky, Hinamori was walking the halls of Las noches as she was heading toward the lounge of Grimmjow's old barracks, her face with no clear emotion. She had just finished training by herself, but now Grimmjow wanted her at his side, like the subordinate she is. At her first training session with her master, he made comments about how she was at least half as fast as him and how strong her attacks were, compared to other arrancar, but was no match for his own strength. He then concluded that, from just turning into an arrancar she was already at espada level. She was now approaching the two, silver hinged, doors that lead toward the "lounge". She gently pushed one of them open, barely making a sound. Grimmjow was already sitting on the couch, with his hands leisurely on his knees as he awaited her arrival. The moment she came in, his dark blue eyes averted to her. Her shoulders were slightly hunched as she made her way behind him, intending to stand there like an obedient subordinate. She felt like greeting him, just to show her respect "Hello, Jaegerjaquez-sama" she bowed down low after her greeting was said.
"How many times do I have to tell you! Call me "Grimmjow", and honorifics aren't required. You should know this by now. Also, don't bow when you greet me, it's disgraceful."
"But, Jaegerja- I mean, Grimmjow….sama, I believe I should show my respect to you by addressing you with a proper honorific, and as for the bowing…"
"You are disrespecting me right now, you're not following orders!" His voice was harsh as his eyes gleamed slightly.
Momo flinched the moment he said it, "….I apologize….Grimmjow…"
There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, her face slightly pale as she spoke with a determined voice. "um, Grimmjow….I have a request to make….."
He looked directly at her his eyes glaring "Spit it out then." The statement was an order.
"I wish to travel to the world of the living." There was nothing on Momo's face that would give away her feelings, let alone her intention.
"Why on earth would you want to go there?" His eyes were thoughtful, but his tone revealed that he was somewhat irritated and somewhat offended.
"I want to gather some information…"
Grimmjow decided not to bother asking what information she was looking for, "If you leave today, I want you back by sunrise, if not earlier. I'll punish you if you do otherwise" his eyes were somewhat lethal as he said this.
"Yes, sir. I understand."
She then walked out of the room as soon as Grimmjow dismissed her. She made her way down a slide of stairs, through curving hallways and into a courtyard. She walked through the courtyard quickly; she wasn't at her intended destination yet. She was making her way toward a cemetery. Aizen apparently thought the nummuros and espada he created, deserved to be remembered, or at the very least have a resting place. The gates to the courtyard were black; the gravestones were white, if the deceased were nummuros, silver if they were espada, or ex-espada. She was looking at all the names as she passed each gravestone, looking for one in particular. The ground she was standing on was not sand like the rest of Hueco mundo's dessert; it was more of a conservative soil, which had somewhat of a chill. Aizen created the ground so that it could preserve any once-living body, and keep it in perfect condition. This was covenant for Momo. Her goal, when traveling to the world of the living, possibly requires a non-deteriorated body, or in this case, what's left of it. Momo had retained every memory of her life from when she was a soul reaper, which, of course, included the reports from when they were preparing for the battle against Aizen. She remembered how she read a report on how Hitsugaya's advance team fought many of the espada right before Orihime's disappearance. While remembering the report, she then realized she could obtain a valuable ally, should she be able to "convince" a certain someone to revive him. She then found a silver grave stone, with the number six etched at its top center, and beneath it the phrase "A once formidable numeros and espada, may his memory be remembered". She then immediately starts digging trying to find the body remains. She then called out to the presence that has been following her the moment she entered the courtyard a while back, "You shouldn't follow people, Loly." Her tone was somewhat menacing.
Loly appeared from behind a corner, her expression blank, "I'm curious as to what you're up too. You told Grimmjow that you were going to Karakura to gather "information", which, I take it, you're not."
"I told him the truth. But in order to get this information I need someone's first person point of view. Even if he doesn't have the information I seek, he will most likely still be of use…..Now why don't you come over here and help me, you might as well help if you followed me."
Loly stared at Momo with her pink eyes before coming over to help her, "You know something, I'd rather serve you than that bastard you call master. So before I kill myself for serving that bastard, I'll serve you." Momo looked at Loly surprised, once Loly saw this reaction she continued "…If you ask why, it's because your strong, not cocky, not a maniac, not a slob, not a liar -" she realized she was getting too far into that, so she left it as it was. They then, silently dug up what was left of the corps, and with that they both silently made their way toward the world of the living after opening a garganta.
They both walk silently, focusing their spiritual pressure to their feet at a constant rate. Loly was carrying what was left of a once healthy body, carrying most of its legs and attached waist, which had white hakkuma trousers with white sandals and black socks, like Momo the waist had a slanted black belt except this one had a silver buckle. Momo was intending to find a short katana to go with the remains but they found no trace of it, it probably deteriorated after the body died in less than an instant. They were both walking quickly wanting to make every second count. Loly was walking three paces behind her new master, she was somewhat surprised about how strong and lasting her spiritual pressure was. Normally once spiritual pressure is released in the atmosphere (apart from being used in forms such as kido) it disappears in its physical form (even though it last as a spiritual signature). Momo's however seems to last for about 10 seconds before dissipating, Loly possibly doesn't need to focus her own spiritual energy, she could just walk on Momo's. Loly looked at the spiritual pressure as it made a sturdy, clean, neat path; the path took on a dark, red color, similar to the color of blood after the cells start to die out. She then asks "Why is it that you want to become stronger? Why is it that you want this guy revived?"
Momo then remembered that Loly wasn't present when she explained her goal to Grimmjow, but she didn't feel like answering the question entirely. She did give her a short answer "For revenge….as for who and why you have to consort to someone else, though you might not get a good answer"
Loly did not respond to that, she just continued to follow Momo as she opened the garganta in Karakura town. Once out of the garganta, Loly looked around, she's never been to the human world before so she's quite interested in it. She notices that they were standing above a woodland area, the actual town being not too far off. The sky was a dark blue color as the moon continued to rise in the sky, the moonlight reflecting off the river water as Loly and Momo walked meters above it. They walked for less than 5 minutes before stopping. They were both standing under a large tree in front of an apartment building complex, they were waiting. It wasn't long before they spotted a now eighteen year old girl, with orange hair, brown-grey eyes, white skin, and two unique snowflake like hairpins on both sides of her head close to her ears. The girl was walking in an almost timid way; she was carrying groceries in both hands. She set one bag down, and then reached for her keys that were in her pocket. Though Momo has never seen her before in person, she knew who this person was based on her appearance and Loly's angry stare as she went inside her apartment. Orihime Inoue.
"So, when are we going in…?" Loly was somewhat impatient due to the fact that they were dealing with a person she disliked and even hated.
"We'll wait awhile, let her organize her groceries. Then you can enter through her window. The rest should be self-explanatory." She glanced at the remains of the corps that was starting to smell as she said this. Momo wanted to make sure no one saw her, just in case they wanted to report to the soul society about her "survival".
Loly clenched her jaw, not liking the order. She was glad, though that she didn't have to wait long. It was no more than 2 minutes before Loly gained permission to set the plan into action. She used sonido twice before reaching the apartment window, and in that same sonido she smashed through the window to make her arrival obvious. She was now standing on the living room carpet as Orihime gasped at the unexpected arrival as glass was falling to the floor. Orihime stared with wide, unblinking eyes as she remembered memories of Loly, and her friend Menoly, and how they used to assault her. Loly then dropped the remains on the ground before her and Orihime.
"Use your power" Loly's voice was menacing and demanding.
"Wha-….." Orihime was still trying to perceive what was happening in front of her, right now.
"I said, use your power!" Loly practically yelled the order, stomping her foot on the ground, crushing some glass as she said it.
Orihime looked at the body remains for a while. Then a flash of a memory ran through her head, a youthful man with black hair, a shocked expression on his face, a cero, what was left of a corps falling to the ground right before her as Grimmjow manically laughed. She remembered. She didn't know his name, but he remembered his face. Loly was impatiently tapping her foot, waiting for a response. Orihime was thinking about how unfair it was that he died in that horrible manner. It took a while, but she made a decision. She would allow this being one more chance at life, so that he would die fairly, this time. Orihime then, put both of her hands to her head, each hand lightly touching a hairpin. In less than an instant, a half-oval orange barrier forms over the remains, and starts to regenerate the body, clothes and all. The moment Orihime started regenerating the body Loly jumped out the window, much to Orihime's surprise. It was about a moment later that Orihime spotted her again, alone-no, she wasn't alone…. Orihime didn't notice at first, but there was a figure standing on a tree branch that was a few feet behind Loly. If the shadow wasn't so dark and large she might have been able to see the lithe figure more. All she was able to see was the lower side of Momo's outfit and only a few locks of her dark hair. She then heard someone gasping for air. The sound was coarse, rasping. The body was now completely restored, apart from a black tattoo, but before she could finish restoring the body completely, she felt the air being knocked out of her stomach by an unbelievable amount of force, and in that same instant the body was taken away. Orihime was left lying on the floor, trying to comprehend what just happened.
Loly was using sonido at a fast rate, wanting to meet Momo at the town outskirts. She was being slowed down by the slightly writhing body she was carrying that was larger than her. She was trying to carry the body over her shoulder, but the weight of the body forced her to use both of her hands. The body started to squirm; he was starting to become conscious. It didn't matter to Loly though, she was already standing in front of Momo somewhere deep in the woods. She dropped him on the ground at about the same time he awoke; he looked at his surroundings, then at Loly, then at Momo. He then tried to remember what happened to him. The last thing he remembered was a cero. Grimmjow's cero. Momo was able to see the once deteriorated body now that Loly brought it to here before her. He was tall, youth-full, with neatly kept black hair with the remains of hollow teeth serving as a hair-pin. His skin was white, his eyes were a lavender color, with a three pink star tattoo over one eyebrow. He was wearing white hakkuma trousers, with black socks and white sandals, with a long-sleeved shirt with two areas on both sides of his stomach slightly exposed, revealing what was left of a tattoo on his right thigh; he also had a slanted black sash around his waist. The sleeves were so long that it covered his hands. Attached to his shirt was a pink sword, with a silver star-like guard with a short, pink sheath. By what his gravestone said and by what Loly confirmed, he went by the name "Luppi Antenor".
"Who are you?" Luppi was just starting to regain his voice.
Loly apparently didn't like Luppi "What do you mean, "who are we"? We are arrancar, you idiot!"
Momo wanted to leave quickly, she knew the sun would be rising soon "My name is Momo Hinamori, and that…." She points to Loly, "-Is Loly Aivirrne"
She the lowers herself to look Luppi , who was now sitting up, in the eye, "Do you know what happened to you? Do you know how it is, that you're still here?" Momo's voice was ominous.
Luppi, looked back at Momo with unblinking eyes "I know that that bastard Grimmjow killed me…..but nothing else."
Momo then stood up, reached her hand to one side, and then flicked her wrist once, opening a garganta. "Follow me, I have a lot to tell you…."
Luppi didn't object, he just stood up, teetered for a bit, regained balance then followed Loly and Momo through the darkness.
They walked in the darkness in silence for a while before Momo stooped suddenly, staring at the mass number of arrancar before her. Most of them wore complete human-like masks, but the one at the front wore a bull-shaped skull, they all wore a "standard" arrancar uniform, White hakkuma trousers, with long-sleeved shirts with a black belt that holds their zanpoktou, and they all wore white gloves.
Momo stared at them with a blank expression "Why are you here…..exequias?"
The one who wore the partially cracked, bull shaped mask, known as Rudobon spoke "We are here, because the current master of Las noches ordered us too. He sent us to assist you."
He then looked at Luppi, Momo could tell he was surprised, even though his face showed nothing of it.
"We used the "women" to revive this ex-espada…." Momo was using a slightly mocking tone.
Rudobon starred at Luppi for a few moments before he stated "If you don't mind, I will take this "ex-espada" and debrief him on all the events that have occurred after his "demise"…..."
Momo closed her eyes as she made her way past Rudobon and his subordinates, Luppi silently starring after her, jaw dropped open, and Loly following behind her. "That's fine. Send him to me after your done with him." And with that, she continued on her way, leaving Rudobon and his exequias behind. Rudobon took a different route to Hueco mundo, a quicker route, apparently. Momo took at least three minutes to arrive in the dome on Las noches. The moment she did so much as open the garganta, Grimmjow stood, no more than inches away. His face clearly showed the feeling of anger, his eyes were silently glinting in furry. Both of his hands were in his pockets, he was slightly hunched, due to his anger his spiritual pressure was leaking put in dangerous amounts, making it hard for Loly to breath, Momo was hardly affected, apart from being surprised. Behind Grimmjow was Rudobon, and behind him was Luppi, casually standing next to a wall. It looked like he and Grimmjow had a little spat before she arrived.
"What….is the meaning of this!" Grimmjow spat the words out, like they were something filthy, he then pointed to Luppi who was about to speak, before Rudobon silenced him.
Momo was trying to find the words to answer him, but nothing came out of her mouth, this made Grimmjow even angrier.
"You bring that trash back!" he points at Luppi again "and you think I wouldn't mind it!" In that moment he grabbed Momo by her shirt collar and threw her to the nearest wall, she hit the wall with, what sounded like a crack and a thud as she landed on the ground.
"Momo!" Loly was running toward her, wanting to assist her, but was stopped by one of Rudobon's underlings, who roughly grabbed her by her shoulder.
Grimmjow stood, looking at Momo in silent rage, before he used sonido to leave Momo injured, Loly being taken away by members of the exequias and Luppi being taken elsewhere by Rudobon, with Luppi complaining about his treatment. Momo was lying injured on the floor, her hand clutching the side of the side of stomach, a broken rib sending waves of pain.
Grimmjow was furiously making his way toward his sleeping quarters, his footsteps echoing as he walked. Once he heard from Rudobon about Momo's act of reviving Luppi, a man he hated more than most, he was so filled with a rage, that he immediately asked when she would arrive back, and where she would appear. Rudobon said "About three minutes, maybe four. She'll most likely appear either in the 7th section of the ex- 3rd espada's barracks, or the 1st section in the main hallways." The moment he heard that he immediately knew she would appear in the destination that Rudobon said was in the one of the main hallways. He knew that she rarely even visited any other barracks apart from his. Even though Grimmjow was practically the only espada left (apart from Yammy who went off, alone, into Hueco Mundo's dessert) he still never claimed the entire palace as his own, though he did proclaim himself as its ruler. As he finally opened the silver-hinged door leading to his quarters he wondered, why it is, that she didn't even try to dodge or block his attack. He threw faster and stronger attacks at her in their training. He then threw himself on the pillow pallet laying on his back as he was thinking about it. He then winced slightly, realizing that when she made her promise of complete submission to him, she meant what she said. If he wanted to beat her, she would let him, if he wanted to forget she existed, she would let him, if he wanted to kill her, she would let him….Or would she? Grimmjow knew better than anyone, that if anyone got in the way of her goal, she would kill them, or at the very least, make it that they are not capable of being an obstacle. He learned that when he heard Momo eliminated every hollow that disobeyed the order of staying away from him, while he was in the human world. He even heard that she dismembered an adjucha's arm, leg and wing after it said it would ignore the order. Grimmjow then smiled to himself, he liked about her, how she would allow nothing to get in her way, how she would go a great many lengths to make sure that she would be the one to complete that goal. He then grinned, she also went against his will and revived Luppi, for that same goal, despite the fact she knew he would be mad….or at the very least displeased. For a moment, he felt guilty that he treated her the way he did, but that feeling quickly vanished. He then remembered of that silently made promise. He then made the decision, once her wounds are all healed, he would make arrangements of a stealth invasion. But before that, he would have to make something very clear to the ex-espada. He then got up, despite how tired he was, and started walking toward the place Privaron espada inhabit Las noches. Toresu Cifras. As he was walking down the hallway, he wondered of what to do to Luppi if he should become a burden. Kill him? Momo would be fine with that, if he serves no use then he is expendable to her, and him. But Las noches does need more fighting power, they could just leave him in Toresu Shifuasu (a.k.a Toresu Cifras), where he can live unnoticed. He was uncertain how to deal with that ex-espada. But he was certain, that he would keep his promise. He would help Momo achieve her goal, in killing the man known as, Toushiro Hitsugaya.