"Are we there yet?" Lucas screamed.
Kagura thought her ears were about to bleed. "What was that for?"
"I'm tired of walking." He jumped onto her shoulders. "I need a piggyback ride 'cause my feet are tired!"
Kagura sighed as the boy, who was really a young hollow, sat on top of her shoulders. Ow, his knees keep jabbing into my back. Why am I carrying this thing anyways? Her feet trudged through the sand as quickly as she could, without hitting a bump, those would cause Lucas to scream about falling over; he would cover her eyes and pull on her hair screaming about falling off. Kagura suddenly wondered why Lucas was so friendly, especially if the Arrancar were all created by Nguvu.
"Hey Lu—" A foot slunk into her mouth.
"Faster horsey, faster! This is the first time I've ever ridden a girl!"
"Okay that does it!" Kagura gripped the boy-car by the scruff of his neck. "Just what the Hell kind of kid are you? You're not my type!"
"Lucas was all alone until you came," he sobbed, "I was so afraid that Nguvu's scary Espada would try to eat me!"
"What kind of kid even talks about 'riding' girls anyways, you perv?" Kagura shuddered as she thought about that weird friend of Minamo's Kimura, now there was a perv. "Wait a minute. Shouldn't Nguvu's castle have some sort of defense built in or a guard or something?" And then Kagura remembered her original question. "And aren't all Arrancar created by Nguvu?"
"No, Lord Nguvu only created the strong Arrancar. We Arrancar have always existed somewhere in Hueco Mundo. I've been alone so long—it was so scary!"
"Whah!" screamed Kagura as Lucas tackled her to the ground. "Don't be so grabby you little creep!" Kagura smacked him. "You're walking from now on!"
"How can you be so mean to me!" Lucas cried, "you're leaving me here to die!"
"Die?" Kagura looked around at the empty landscape. "What are you gonna die of?"
"Exposure!"
"You've lived on your own forever! You're not gonna die of exposure out here, and who said I was leaving you to die anyways?" She shook her head. "You may be a perv and a creep but I'm not going to leave a little kid out here with all these monsters hanging around." She smiled. "I mean what kind of person would I be if I did something like that?"
Lucas sniffed. "So you'll carry me?"
"Like Hell you creepy little perv! I'm not letting you get near my boobs ever again!"
Lucas screamed that Kagura was yelling at him all the time. Kagura pleaded with the boy to be quiet in as gentle a voice as she could manage. But her patience was being worn thin by Lucas and his antics. She hoped that his screaming would attract Kaorin or Tomo, they were good with kids. And she was just about to smack the kid once more.
"Why are you always so mean?" Lucas' voice was a lot like Tomo's could sometimes be.
Kagura's brow shifted as her teeth clenched. "If you keep up that damn crying I'll get a lot meaner, real quick. So why don't we keep that from happening?"
"Who goes there?"
"What the Hell? A hollow finally shows up?"
"Th-tha-that's Arena, he's the guard that keeps people out of the castle, Las Noches! He's a giant hollow made out of sand!"
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! What kind of enemy is named, and made of, sand?"
"You dare to enter the castle Las Noches? I cannot allow that. Lord Nguvu gave me specific orders to keep out all who dare—"
A blue light sliced through Arena's head. The sand that had comprised his form fell to the ground.
Kagura placed Zangetsu back into it's bandages. She yawned as the weapon was slung across her back again. "So what else is ther—"
"You used a sneak attack!"
"What?" Kagura asked, infuriated, "I was standing right in front of him, that wasn't a sneak attack!"
"How dare you! Not even admitting to a sneak attack!"
"Does anyone here know what a sneak attack is? Don't make me beat you down again you weird, weird enemy!" Then Kagura realized she could just use flash step to get around him. Arena wondered where the two had gone but he knew that with the Espada inside of the castle these guys were dead. The Espada were unstoppable killers and the lower the number on one's body, the more deadly that Espada was.
"Kagura I'm tired!"
"Will you please be quiet? I am so sick of hearing you cry about everything."
"I'm just scared and tired, why are you always so insensitive?"
"Insensitive? All you think about is yourself and your problems!"
"I am so tired!"
"Grr, annoying little pest. Why do you want to come with me anyways?"
He looked up at her. "Because you're pretty!"
"What the, pervert!"
"Tell me," Ulquiorra began, "where are Espadas 8 and 7? Did you kill them Celosa?"
The pink haired woman looked at the pale man-like being. His green eyes made her shiver with anger, because they held no respect for her. She nearly spat in his face.
"What the Hell makes you think I had anything to do with their disappearance you bastard?"
"It's just that the last Espadas 9 and 10 were found slashed apart with your Spiritual Pressure hovering around the area," the green eyed being's black lips reminded Celosa of blood that had been left to sit on the ground.
"Don't try to anger me," Celosa told him, "you don't want to know how frightening I can become."
"Please," Ulquiorra told her, "you over estimate your abilities. Remember your rank, Espada Number Six." He walked away, leaving Celosa growling in anger.
"That freak," she hissed, "how dare he try to scare me? Humph!"
"Now, now, you're afraid of Ulquiorra's power aren't you? How saddening."
"Shut up you filthy ape!" Celosa's eyes narrowed. "Do you want me to cut you to ribbons?"
"Oh I'm sorry, Number Six, did you just try to intimidate me?"
"Why don't we settle how useful that 5 tattoed to your chest is?" Celosa's teeth bared. "We could settle the score once and for all."
"That sounds like a plan to me. You're missing an arm anyways." The Fifth's wicked laugh made Celosa want to kill.
A pair of footsteps caught the twos' attention. "Excuse me Espada Number Six, but Lord Nguvu wishes to speak with you. He said that he's found a way to restore your power."
"That's excellent news, then I can really fight at the top of my game again. I'll see you soon, love."
The feeling in the air began to make Celosa's body become more and more alive. All of the Spirit Energy in the whole of Hueco Mundo seemed to reside within the inner confines of Las Noches. This was where the top Espada lived, as well as the leaders of the Arrancar, Nguvu and his defective Captains from the Soul Society. Two large white doors stood before Celosa. A deep creaking told her that she was being asked to come inside. Celosa knew better than to risk refusing Nguvu's hospitality. Her quick steps into the chamber were the only trace of fear she allowed to show. It was all that her pride would allow.
"Welcome Celosa," Nguvu's deep, dominant voice made her bow. "I have a cure for your ailment." A small whimper filled the air. "I believe that you remember Chiyo Mihama. And the reason I wanted her here is because she has unique abilities. Now Miss Mihama, would you care to help restore her arm?"
Chiyo whimpered as a pink light enveloped the space where Celosa's arm should be.
"What?" Celosa saw her arm begin to appear inside of the pink space. "What is she doing?"
"I planted a unique device inside of Miss Mihama," Nguvu explained, smiling, "and that, along with her unique abilities, was why I wanted her brought to Hueco Mundo. Now aren't you happy that you helped bring her here?"
Celosa stretched her fingers. She felt an indescribable joy fill her very being. "Now I'm back up to full strength. I'll show that annoying Saiyamo just who deserves to be Espada Number—!"
Celosa felt her body fall to the ground, gasping for air her frame shook.
"Just shut the Hell up Celosa," an Espada smiled wickedly, "do it before I crush that pretty little head of yours underneath my feet!"
Celosa felt the weight lift off of her body. She quickly stepped out the door as the voice laughed like a hungry demon.
"Oh dammit," said Kaorin, "just where the heck is everybody?" She was lost at this point. It had been hours and she'd felt her friends' Spiritual Pressure, except for Kagura's but she still hadn't found any of them. She heard two sounds fill her ears. It reminded her of flash step, but there was a difference to the notes that were left in the air.
"A Soul Reaper, here?"
Kaorin turned to see two Arrancar standing behind her. One of them had a 9 tattoed onto his forehead. "My Fracción and I are here," the Espada spat, his body a wrinkled mess. "Circle and land upon the doomed, Vuitre."
"And." The other Arrancar pulled out his zanpakutō. "Scream, Aguila."
Blasts of Spiritual Pressure whipped past Kaorin as giant shadows stirred within the sandstorms that her adversaries had vanished inside of. A foul stench filled the air as giant wings beat away the clouds of dust. Kaorin placed a hand on the hilt of her zanpakutō. A deep laugh filled her ears, like dirt and decay.
"Are you ready to become our food?"
"Go to Hell, bankai!"
A silver light filled the air. And then the battle began.