"Welcome back." Tia yawned, staring down at her Espada standing before her throne. "Your rooms are all ready for you to go crash. I have to say that from what I have heard, this was quite an undertaking. Now, to fill you all in on the happenings while you all were away. First. We are going to return to Isolation as Ulquiorra found a few Soul Reaper Spies roaming around outside. He has killed them. Second. We are going to continue Rations and, anyone who dares complains to me right now, will be rations. Third. I am going to hold Auditions of the four open Positions in the Espada. Now, If I remember right, I thought there was four. But I counted Starrk and his sidekick as two. So…you are all free to recommend any hollow you find talent in. And Telsa, Rudbornn, if your Espada gives you a recommendation, you are eligible to audition. No exceptions. Now, please leave so I can close up the Execution Chamber for the night."

"Execution…" Nnoitra gave Ulquiorra look. "Chamber?"

"Yes." The First Espada replied, "So many Hollows have insulted Tia that she has taken to slicing them up. It is a long story."

"Okay. Won't ask farther." Szayel grinned wearily. "And good night to you, Queen Tia."

"Night." Tia gave a small wave before disappearing to her room.

"Well…." Rudbornn yawned, "I'm off, Lord Aaroniero. I will see you when I wake up."

"Sounds good…" Aaroniero yawned, happy to be back in his usually form of Kaien Shiba. Being a little kid too long made him say weird things like, 'I have a boo-boo'. Not to forget the weird kid habits like seeing how many weird sounds he could make and trying to kiss his elbow.

"Night Rudbornn."

"Sir." He bowed and was gone.

"Me too." Telsa saluted and left the throne room, leaving Szayel and Nnoitra alone.

"You know.." Nnoitra yawned, "I'm so tired."

"And if you fall asleep right here, I am not going to carry to your bed." Szayel was too tired to even try to make a joke out of facts. "But I won't mind if you want to cuddle up with me for a well deserved night of sleep."

"Won't mind… Sounds nice." Nnoitra wrapped his arm around Szayel's shoulder and the two left the throne room. Leaving Ulquiorra to turn off the lights and stagger to bed where Orihime was sure to tell him all about her training.

"What do you mean, I don't get to eat them?" Yylfordt was so hungry, he swore he could almost beat Grimmjow at an eating contest.

"I said." Ikkaku sighed heavily, laying his Zanpakutō on his broad shoulders."Exactly what I meant. This night of hollow hunting is for us. We just brought you along to watch and stay out of the Captain's hair."

"Aw…" Yylfordt wanted to go home now. "But I'm so hungry!"

"Were the nibbles that Nel gave you not enough already?" Ikakku grouched, having to put up with this hollow's whining for hours by this time of the night. "You just left her company!"

"Yeah…Well." It was times like these when Yylfordt had to listen to his grumbling stomach. "I'm still so hungry! You guys haven't given me any thing to eat today!"

"We did!" Ikkau gave one of his fellow soul Reapers a long look. "Rice with Sushi."

"…Ew….That sushi nearly killed me, idiot!"

"Why?! It was the finest we have in all of Soul Society!"

Yylfordt paused. "Really?"

"Yes!" Ikkau was near the end of his line with this whole trade, he wanted Yumichkia back in the next week or someone was gonna die and it might just be this hollow. "It was! If we give you the finest foods, Harribel isn't going to skimp on the food she gives my nice soul reaper friend!"

"Ah…. You seem a little too concerned for Yumi for him to just be your friend." Yylfordt observed with out a thought and Ikkaku was in his face a split second later. "What?! Do you have a problem with that, hollow?"

"Uh. No. Actually not. Why should I care anyway?"

Ikkau backed off and sighed. "Okay. Enough with the personal business. On to Hunting Hollows. That you don't get to eat."

"Damn….it…"

"And, what kind of fun is it to eat your friends anyhow?" The other Soul Reaper who introduced himself as Hanngen, asked, walking off down the alleyway behind Ikkaku who was grinning like a mad man.

"Me?" Yylfordt smiled sweetly, running to catch up with them, "I would never eat my friends. And I mean that. My master used to have…five other Fracciones and now… now I am all alone. But, never mind that."

The walking party suddenly stopped, causing everyone to bump into one another.

Ikkaku whipped around, "What?"

"What?" Yylfordt asked, giving the other Soul Reaper in the party a look.

"You seemed…" Hanngen glanced at Ikakku. "Sad about… your Fraccion…friends?"

"Yeah." Yylfordt admitted, "I kinda miss them. A lot… yeah."

"What happened?" Ikkaku asked, not sure why a hollow like this one would be feeling sad over the death of a few others. It just was not in the nature of a soul eating creature to feel sorrow. Or was it?

"Well….We went to the human world, under Aizen's orders back in the day and… Shawlong, Di Roy, Edrad and Neekam didn't return with me. I wouldn't have lived either… Wouldn't have minded actually-, but I hid behind a wall. And before you start talking." Yylfordt told Ikkaku who was staring at him in disbelief. "I want you to know, I forgive you. Edrad died a noble death and for me to be upset with you, would do nothing but make him upset. He may have been a large guy with red hair, but he cared about keeping the peace."

What the... Ikkaku could not believe what he was hearing. A hollow was…forgiving him. "I…I don't know what to say."

"It's fine." Yylfordt muttered, putting a piece of blond hair behind his ear. "You don't know I had feelings, did you? It's all right with me. Besides, too many of the people I care for have been killed anyhow. So, I am used to this pain. Let's go."

"Wait up here!" Ikkaku grabbed the hollow by the back of the shirt as he tried to walk off. "How many people?"

Yylfordt smiled faintly and did not reply.

"That's it. Sit down. That's an order!" Ikkaku had no idea why he was even caring for this hollow, but someone with so many burdens shouldn't walk around with them all the time. "Is that-thank you. Now talk."

Yylfordt glanced up at Hanngen and the bossy one. "About what?"

"Anything!" Ikkaku towered over him, his bald head gleaming in the moonlight. Or was the moon actually his head? No one would know."What is on your mind? How the weather is. You seem like such a funny guy."

"Me? Funny?" Yylfrodt had to laugh at himself. "Really?"

"Yes." Haggen frowned before sitting down next to him on the pavement. "And you seem like some kind of… character."

"I do not wish to talk about this topic, thank you." Yylfordt was not going to give these Soul Reapers his life story so they could kill him afterward.

"And we aren't moving until you speak." Ikkaku sat down as well, a large scowl on his face. "Same topic. Go."

"I don't really-" the blade of Ikkaku's staff lingered by his neck. "Are you two really-"

"Yes." Hanngan nodded, "We don't like traveling with depressed company and you are no exception to this rule. The Eleventh Company shares all. Okay?"

"But… I'm not-"

"You are right now." Ikkaku pointed out, laughing at the shocked face he got in reply. "You are a stand in officer and we don't let them slack off. Now, talk. Or you get stabbed and kicked out on your behind. And we leave you to be eaten by other hollows."

"You see, there is a small problem with-" Yylfordt wanted to point out that he was an Adjches class Arrancar and wasn't much risk at being eaten, but one slice from a Soul Reaper's sword would really hurt, now that he thought it over. "So, I will talk! Lots and lots of talking. Damn you all. You are no better then my woman, Circci! And I hate you all for it!"

"We're waiting…" Hanngan whistled, hearing silence after Yylfordt's rant. "And if it would make you feel better… no one but the Eleventh Company would know…"

"Including-"

"Yeah. Kenpachi, Captain. But hell, he has his own messed up stories."

"Ah… That's really re-assuring Ikkau." Yylfordt muttered, realizing he was in a very tight spot there was no way out of. "And… fine. To start off… I don't remember much anything. Anything that happened before I became a hollow is really blurry…and…it sometimes bothers me. Szayel remembers. He somehow does. I don't like it because he has the upper-hand…always. And…there are some things that I have done I do not remember at all… and guys…these are things I have only told my King and my friends…."

"Your…king?" Hanngan spoke when he had the chance.

"Yes. My Lord and Master, Grimmjow Jagerjaques. How we met is a long story and I am getting off track here. I was talking about my brother. Yeah. And don't start. I don't want to explain myself, Hanngan. Yes, I have a brother. One that is a horrible person and should just die."

"I can see you two didn't get a long." Ikakku snickered, scanning the sky for any signs of Hollow Activity.

"It is not a, 'we don't get along'!" Yylfordt screamed, hating how so many people assumed that he and Szayel just were at simple odds with one another. "He's a fucking monster!"

The silence that followed his words was devastating.

"What…"

"Did he do?" Ikkaku finished, not sure how he like being screamed.

Yylfordt sighed and looked away. "I don't want to talk about it. Let us just leave it at that."

"We are the Elevent-"

Ikkaku held out his hand, "Hanngan. Let it be. Besides, we have a hollow a few blocks from here to catch."

The Soul Reaper looked at him like he was mad. "But…"

"Just. No. Leave it." Ikkaku stood up and helped Yylfordt to his feet. "And maybe a bite or two, won't kill the mission."