Revelation
She was moving fast, there were not many faster then her so she was progressively gaining on the three Captains and Ichigo. She was still slightly drained, despite what ever Orihime had done to restore most of her lost spiritual power she was still a bit below her old self. She felt the Captains come to a sudden stop not far ahead of her. She could faintly sense another presence there as well. Coming over the last rooftop she saw them facing each other in the park. It was him, she couldn't believe it.
She slammed down into the ground in a burst of static right between the face off. "STOP, WAIT!" she yelled at the top of her lungs raising her hands towards each side.
"Eh, we were just exchanging names, Arrancar." Kenpachi noted off handily "Things were beginning to get boring. But this might liven things up a little."
Ignoring the towering man, Byakuya looked at the man across Nel's shoulder and asked again "Who are you?"
The man looked at Byakuya again matching him stare for stare. The tension could have been cut with a knife… Nel watched the corner of his mouth curving ever so slightly towards a grin he responded raising his right arm and allowing the sleeve to slide down to reveal the number tattooed there. "Ardientes Cenizas, number two Espada." He sighed. "Former Espada I should say." Nel noticed the slightly bitter tone to his voice at end.
"It can be difficult to forget ones past." He muttered while watching Nel with his ever shifting eyes, which were one moment grey then the next light and silvery. They were a hypnotising sight to watch, often matching his moods.
His clothing was pretty much just as Nel had remembered it from when they both lived in Las Noches. A heavy white jacket with a short stiff collar buttoned from neck to just above his waist with a dark grey lining hung covering most of the rest of his uniform. White trousers were visible through the small gap at the front from between the coat edges. Black trimming was present only at the ankles, wrists and collar. A white sash wrapped at his waist held a Zanpakuto of which only the end of the hilt was visible, grey and white wrapping with a black cap on the end of the hilt the rest was hidden within his jacket.
The remains of his mask were a bone collar hidden behind that of his jacket. Over it all he was currently wearing a pitted white cloak which would have blended perfectly with the sands of Hueco Mundo the hood was bunched down around his shoulders. His hair was slightly longer then shoulder length platinum-grey pulled back into a short braid that hung between his shoulder blades. His skin had a slightly pale tint to it.
Nel watched as Ardi, that was the nick name she gave him years ago, glanced from her to the Shinigami and back to her again. She could see the curious but wary look in them. She could see him puzzling over her action in his eyes. Trying to think of a way she could keep this situation calm was difficult with those distracting eyes. She was sure that Ardi wouldn't fight if he could avoid it. He could be so damn slow at times thankfully, well he calls it patience, but that's beside the point.
"Hey Nel, why ya with these Shinigami, that orange haired one catch ya fancy or something? Heh, ya always did like em young." Nel blinked and worked her mouth a couple of times she could feel her cheeks warming. Insufferable man, why do I bother! His tone suddenly became serious "but really, how is it that you're alive? I felt you die that day, I'm sure of it. I know number one did, I saw his corpse. Or what was left of it. They really did a number on him," He said shaking his head. "the poor bastard."
"Nnoitra failed to do his job that day like he should have, that misogynistic…" Trailing off she put a hand to her mask sighing "He had help, I'm sure of it. I dunno who though. As for the Shinigami," she pointed at Ichigo over her shoulder "I met Ichigo in Hueco Mundo on his way to save his friend and I tagged along to help." She chuckled "Well I looked a little different to how I do now though, but with the help of his friend I was able to return to myself. Because of that I owe them."
"It seems that we both have our own stories to tell then. Well how we doing this then? I'm not really in the mood to incinerate this place, ya know." He said tilting his head to the side and raised a questioning eyebrow to her.
"We could go somewhere to talk. Ah!" she turned towards the Shinigami who she had almost forgotten were standing there, Ichigo had a peculiar look on his face looking from her to Ardi. "Sorry, it's not my place to offer. I was just hoping to avoid a misunderstanding."
"Let's go back to the store for now, and discuss this situation there." offered Captain Unohana in her constantly serene tone. Kenpachi was grumbling under his breath about not getting any fights and how this was all suddenly becoming quite boring until Unohana looked at him with her serene face and smiled softly. "Some of the greatest victories are achieved with words Captain." The big man silenced himself fairly quickly after that and pointedly avoided looking at her. Scary woman Nel noted to herself.
Orihime was standing back from the door watching as Ichigo marched into the main dinning room of the store followed by Zarakai and Byakuya who was followed by Nel and… "Eh?!" another Arrancar with Unohana bringing up the rear. They had all been gone for over fifteen minutes she had been getting worried for them.
The Arrancar looked at, stared at her really. His gaze was slightly unsettling, and his eyes seemed to be shifting through different shades of grey. The rest of his face reminded Orihime of Grimmjow, but with less bloodlust and a more carefree attitude like the Captain that drinks the Sake all the time. He muttered something under his breath which sounded a lot like 'hollow-hime' to Orihime before he moved further into the room. Tatsuki moved closer to her and glared at the new arrival as if sensing her distress. Orihime took some comfort in her friend's presence. It wasn't that she was afraid, she was confused. I wonder if he is a friend of Nel-san.
Ardientes looked away from the oddly dressed human and her fierce looking friend and followed Nel staying a step of two behind her so as to keep an eye on as many of the people in the room as he could. It wasn't that he didn't trust his old friend. He just wanted to be careful. This could all still go down hill fast and he wanted to make sure he at least got out in one piece.
Situating himself halfway between the door and the window, he sat down next to Nel and watched as the others placed themselves around the room. A shady looking man with a green and white hat sat down directly opposite him on the other side of the circle and to his left sat a dark skinned woman with golden eyes. Next to them on one side was a little Shinigami female with black hair who was motioning the odd orange haired girl and her friend to sit next to her. Beside them sat the orange haired male as well as three others males one with red hair a guy with glasses a really guy. On the other side of the guy with the hat sat the serene looking Shinigami, with cold faced one next to her, and the burly looking fellow next to him. Behind them all were two young kids looking to be the same age as the orange haired kid, an older guy with one heck of a moustache and glasses, and two young kids, a girl and a boy. The older guy had a tray with a pot and cups on it.
"Ooh, hello and welcome Mr Arrancar. I must say I am a little surprised to be entertaining one of you here, let alone two. I'm Kisuke Urahara owner of this humble candy store. The lovely lady to my left is…" He was grinning all the while as he introduced everyone around him "…then we have the oh great Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, and the fearless Captain Zarakai Kenpachi." Byakuya's eyebrow was twitching while Zarakai had crazy grin on his face apparently missing or ignoring the sarcasm in Urahara's voice. Oh I think I like this guy. He finished his introductions with "lastly, you already know Nel. What would your name be for those of us that do not yet know?"
"Ardientes Cenizas. I'm the former number two Espada." Leaning towards Nel he added "Though I'm sure ya'll end up calling me Ardi because 'it's easier to pronounce' isn't that right, eh Nel?" prodding her in the side with his elbow.
"As hard as it may be, try and take this seriously." She withered at her capricious friend.
"Ah, but I am, Don'cha know!" he said in a near imitation of Dondo with a slight glint in his eye. Nel sighed.
"That's what worries me." She replied noticing the varying stares from bewilderment to disgust from the others in the room.
"You should really try and be consistent with ya wishes Nel-chan!" He chortled cheekily. "Besides" his tone becoming serious once again "I don't think they will care about my personality" he eyed the Shinigami "they will want to know three main things. One, can we trust him. Two, what information can he provide us. Three, can he fight, and by extension fight for us." He said marking off his fingers.
"The main issue here is trust and right now I doubt they trust me anymore then I trust them. I know you trust them Nel, or at least this Ichigo character, so I'm willing to go on a little faith here. If they are willing to work together with us I don't see why we can't work together against a common foe. However if that trust is broken, then we can no longer work together. It's a lot like a contract, but in this case lives are the collateral, and I intend to keep mine." This announcement was met with complete silence even Urahara looked a little thoughtful at the proposal and underlying warning.
"Anyway" Ardientes cleared his throat "trust is something that is built over time, what we have now is good faith. I'm more then willing to earn your trust if you are willing to earn mine. Ten years in the desert alone is enough for me." He grinned "I'm kinda over the one sided conversations."
"What I am interested to know though is why Miss Inoue dressed as an Arrancar? I assume she is the one you went to rescue from Las Noches?" He queried looking at Orihime.
The young girl in question looked at the floor for a moment then nodded "Hai, it was me. When the Espada attacked for the second time I was in Soul Society training with Rukia Kuchiki-san. I was not able to return to the living world with Kuchiki-san, and had to wait until they could make a gate for me to use." A sad look played across her face "U-Ulquiorra was waiting for us, for me. He told me that if I didn't do what he said and go with him, he would execute my friends. He said 'I hold the rope that suspends the guillotine above their necks'. He-He nearly killed the two Shinigami that were with me, and he didn't even move. He just pointed at them and blasted them away. What was I supposed to do?" she was fidgeting with her hands.
She told them of her abduction and of the twelve hour period where she could say farewell to one person telling them she went to Ichigo to tell him thank you and goodbye before going to meet Ulquiorra. Then she told them of her time in Las Noches. She told them about Aizen and that he wanted her to use her powers on the Hogyoku and how she decided to destroy it. She told them about healing Grimmjow and his attack on Luppi. She told them about the other Espada, and their interactions with each other and her including Ulquiorra's 'reports' about her friends' progress inside Las Noches. She told them about how Grimmjow came to her room and saved her from Loly and Menoly and how she healed them, then taking her to heal Ichigo. Everything right up until Kenpachi turned up.
By the end her voice was hoarse, but she was looking at her friends now to see their reactions. What she saw was not what she expected. Oh there was some pity but…
"Girl, you're a lot tougher then you look." Kenpachi grunted with a look of admiration in his eye.
After everyone in the room had echoed similar statements to that effect a silence descended over the group while they contemplated what they had just heard. Keigo and Mizuiro were whispering to Tatsuki and Orihime with some input from Ichigo and Rukia, the look on the three school goers faces were marked with shock and disbelief at what had happened. To them it was just far too incredible. Keigo and Tatsuki had seen some of the fighting in town, but Orihime was something else. They had heard about some stuff from Urahara, but Ichigo and other guys filled them in on a few more details.
"I don't know if I can do much, but I want to be able to do something." Keigo muttered to his friends, who nodded in understanding "it's so frustrating! At least Arisawa can actually fight."
After a few minutes of near silence the mutters of the friends began to get a little louder until Urahara broke in "Ardi-san why don't you tell us why you came to living world."
"Years ago, we were betrayed by… Aizens lackeys. Nel and the former number one were ambushed away from their rooms and struck down. I was able to evade the traitorous bastards and escape Las Noches. Aizen had been playing a fairly background roll until then, it was confusing as to why a Shinigami would involve himself with us. But there was little we could do about it, no one really seemed to question it which was even more confusing. Even then he was immensely powerful. It would have taken the three of us to be able to confront and defeat him, such was his power. I guess he saw us as a threat, we weren't entirely convinced by his promises of power, so he did away with us." He shrugged with a wistful look on his face as he looked back through his memories.
"Heh, ya know I wandered around all these years think'n Nel ere was dead. Then one day, I sensed somethin' mighty interestin' coming from Las Noches. So I sat outside and watched this interesting little scuffle, between Shinigami and Hollow. I was kinda hopin' that Aizens pets had turned on him. But during all that hubbub I sensed a reiatsu I hadn't felt in years. Let me tell you I was a little shocked to say the least. I had really thought you had died Nel. Then she upped and left with you guys. Well, after having a little chit chat with her Fracción. I decided to come to the living world in search of her. Purely to keep her out of mischief if nothin' else." He winked at Nel who was giving him an unimpressed deadpan look. "what?"
And that is chapter 3, hope you guys enjoyed it, and it wasn't too wordy. I promise there is a little bit of action next chapter as well as some solid plot. And I do suck at names. BTW, that wasn't the original name I was going to use, which was going to be Nito Gonic (Incognito). How ever playing around with good old bablefish I came across Ardientes which means Ardent, and Cenizas which means Ashes I hope (in spanish), so it's still a bit of a play on words, well, just two random words rammed together. Hey with what people name kids these days it's not all that crazy if you think about it! Besides I think it's cool. With the OC, I'm trying (and probably failing) at getting a character that is a bit capricious in nature, a bit of a cynic and just loves jibing people with sarcasm. I also added a tiny bit more to the second chapter, its not much but it might make it a little more interesting.