Ah, here's a new update... I don't like making you guys wait too long... XD
cheeky half-demon: Yes, i dread them too...when i'm reading though... When i write them I'm like "muahahaha!" . yes i am evil XD
CeriseGothicLime: O.o don't I get any tea? and...revenge?! EEEEeeek! draws sword to protect self
Chapter 23
Hara's P.O.V
There was no mistaking her brother, even if his shape was slightly altered. His dark hair was shorter now, spikier like Ichigo's and with a hollow mask fragment that looked like goggles resting on it. His once friendly and gentle green eyes were cold and empty, reminding her of Ulquiorra's only with a bit of remaining cockiness. Two red square like patches marked his cheeks, markings like Ulquiorra and Grimmjow had and his clothes were in a style similar to Aizen's.
"Zuro…" she muttered, clinging tight to Grimmjow's chest. Her arrancar brother stared at her coldly, as if she were nothing more than a stranger,
"Flare, Entei." He said quietly, his sword exploding with a burst of light.
Hara and Grimmjow shielded their eyes from the powerful light, their hair blowing back from the wind that accompanied it. Aizen began to laugh again,
"Well done, Kero." He said, "Now, please apprehend these two traitors." The light faded and from within it emerged Kero.
Hara's eyes went wide as she saw him, and she clung even tighter to Grimmjow.
The goggles were now over his eyes, and the patches on his face were gone, now his lips were traced with a fine line of red that went from ear to ear, making him look frog like. He wore armor on his shoulders and arms, and small flames danced around his wrists. The reitsu that pulsed out from him was fearful.
What are we going to do? she thought, No matter what we do, Aizen will kill us.
Grimmjow's P.O.V
"Oh shit," spat Grimmjow as he stared at the released form of Kero. His grip tightened on Hara, There's no way I can get out of this easy he thought, I could take out this guy, but…Hara… His eyes flashed to her face, before glancing at Aizen who seemed partly amused by the antics of the three. Say I deal with Kero, then what? Aizen-teme sure isn't going to let me go just like that. He glanced down at Hara again, and with my disability, thing's are a bit more difficult… Not to mention the fact that Hara's wounded…
Grimmjow shifted Hara in his arms, his lips almost against her ear,
"Hold on to me, tightly." He commanded, his eyes meeting those of Kero's. Hara nodded and put her arms around Grimmjow's shoulders, turning her face away from that of her former brothers.
Grimmjow took a few steps forwards, his eyes flashing from Aizen to Kero,
"As much as I'd like to beat the living hell out of ya…" he began, "I can't." He put out his hand, palm up, "So, call it your lucky day this time." Aizen stared down at him, his eyes suddenly smoldering with anger, but before he got a word out, Grimmjow had ripped open a portal and had sped into it, leaving Kero and Aizen behind.
Or so they thought.
Just as Grimmjow had touched the asphalt, something slammed into his back, sending him and Hara flying.
Hara's P.O.V
"Are you okay?" Grimmjow asked as he crouched over her. Hara nodded slowly,
"I think so…" she coughed, tasting blood, "Well, as okay as I could get, anyway." He frowned and glanced back at what had hit them,
"Kuso!" he snarled, seeing Kero standing there. He turned and began to step towards him, but suddenly Hara grabbed his hand,
"Wait," she said, pulling him to her. He stared at her, "Be careful, he was strong when he was himself… We don't know what he can do now…"
Grimmjow spat on the ground his eyes annoyed,
"Che, I'll take care of him. Just stay outta my way." He spun on his heel and came towards Kero, his eyes angry.
"Don't kill him!" she called out, before coughing again. Grimmjow closed his eyes and sighed,
"Fine." He growled, though he really didn't want to.
Kero let out a low laugh, his eyes behind the goggles glinting hungrily. Grimmjow let a battle grin
spread over his face, this is for Hara he thought as he charged.
Renji's P.O.V
Renji woke with a start, his body drenched in sweat and his eyes wide.
"Hara!" he cried, his hand going for his zanpakuto. He jumped to his feet and ran out of his bedroom door, completely ignoring the fact he was in his under robes and that his hair wasn't in its usual ponytail and instead in a neat braid down his back.
"Where ya going, freeloader-san-" said Urahara as he watched Renji fly by, his eyes suddenly widening as he felt the reitsus nearby.
Renji continued running at top speed, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, zabimaru already released and ready. Behind, he felt Ichigo, Rukia, Ikkaku and Yumichika following, the latter three going for similar reasons as he.
Up ahead Renji could see a cloud of dust rising from some explosions, as well as a low scream that sounded very like Hara. Hara, I'm coming! he thought, the speed of his pace increasing.
Hara's P.O.V
"Grimmjow!" she cried as he crashed into the ground, a large cut in his side. She got to her feet, her wounds throbbing and her steps uncoordinated from lack of strength. Grimmjow was hidden beneath rubble of a collapsed building, smoke pouring out from the cracks. Kero stood in the sky, his flames bright red as they danced around him.
Hara stumbled to the rubble pile, "Grimmjow!" she called. The rubble shifted slightly, and suddenly he emerged, looking a bit beat up.
"Kuso." He muttered, wiping away the blood from his eyes, "He's strong." His eyes fell on Hara who was staring at him worriedly, "Don't worry," he said softer, "I'm alright." Before Hara could say anything, he leapt into the air after Kero, his hand forming a cero blast.
Hara watched as Kero put up his flame encased hand and caught it, crushing it before it could explode. Nii-san… she thought, is it really you? She partly wanted it to be him, because she missed him so badly, but she was afraid it was him because it bought into question, why was he working for Aizen? When Zuro was alive he had loved the soul society, and the way Aizen was working would have been against his morals.
Grimmjow slashed at Kero, the spike like blades on his elbows slicing Kero's forearm as the two threw punches at high speed. They were moving so fast that Hara would lose track of them for a few seconds before they would reappear somewhere else.
Grimmjow would shoot out cero blasts which Kero would block, and Kero would shoot out fiery cero blasts that Grimmjow would mostly dodge. On occasion he was singed by the blasts, but kept fighting, much to Hara's worry. Be careful, Grimmjow she thought, be careful.
Suddenly Kero's fiery hand locked around Grimmjow's throat, his other hand curling into a fist and hitting Grimmjow's stomach with a cero.
"GRIMMJOW!" screamed Hara as she leapt into the air, ignoring her own wounds inflicted by Kero, Tosen and Aizen. She flew quickly towards the two as Grimmjow began to slowly fall, his eyes half closed and his stomach a smoky bloody mess. His armor fell away as he reverted back to his normal state, which Hara thought wasn't a good thing. She sped up after him, pushing herself harder and harder, even though it made all her wounds reopen and begin to bleed.
Hara passed by him on accident and had to spin backwards, diving and catching him around the waist. He was too heavy for her in her weakened state, so she let them fall, using her strength only to heavily land. When they did, Grimmjow coughed a little,
"Hara…" he managed to say, but she hushed him.
"Don't speak, save your strength." He stared at her, his eyes worried. Hara gave him a war grin, "I'll deal with him now." She then, copying him, flew off before anymore could be said, drawing her sword at the same time. "Rend, Lucien!" Her blade exploded into the two hand blades, which she twirled in her fingers as she rocketed at her brother. She ignored the blood that was running from her wounds, and the lightheadedness she was beginning to feel.
Kero stared down at her, a grim expression that suddenly broke into a huge grin as he caught her fist with ease, his knee hitting her in the chest. It was a powerful enough hit to make her vision go back for a second, before she felt herself falling. But Kero grabbed her by her wrist,
"Hello little sister," he laughed, "long time no see." Hara's eyes shot open,
"Zuro?!" she cried, which made him scowl.
"Name's not Zuro anymore, I go by Kero now." Hara winced, her eyes tearing away from the cold expression of her brother. He chuckled, "Ah, what's the matter? Did that make you sad?"
"Shut up." Snarled Hara, her eyes shut so to prevent him from seeing her tears. She gathered up her strength,
"Or is it that I beat up your little cat?" he laughed. Hara bared her teeth, this can't be Zuro… she thought, He would never act like this…he would never hurt me.
Kero lifted her higher, "Well, little sister? Say something?" Hara's eyes shot open, full of rage,
"Don't call me little sister!" she growled, "And if you want me to say something…then I'll say it! Ginkiba hikari!" Her blades exploded with light and power, forcing Kero to let go of Hara and to shield his eyes while Hara flew backwards.
She had used up most of her strength with that blast and had no left over reitsu to keep herself from falling to the ground.
Hara turned her head to see where Grimmjow was, but she didn't see him anywhere as she fell. She sighed and closed her eyes wearily, hoping that somehow she and Grimmjow would survive this. She could feel the ground only a few feet away, and she braced herself for the collision.
But it never came.
"Hara?" asked a familiar voice. Hara opened her eyes,
"Kensei?!" she gasped. He stared down at her with worry,
"You okay?" he asked. Hara nodded,
"Uh…yeah…thanks…" she pulled herself away, "C-could you um…put me down please?" she asked, he did so immediately. As soon as he did, Hara turned and searched for Grimmjow, her arm around her stomach where a gash was still bleeding. Kensei touched her arm,
"Hey, you shouldn't be moving when you're so beat up like that-" he began,
"Grimmjow!" yelled Hara as she spotted him. She ran towards him as fast as she could, trailing blood all the while.
Shinji and the others were all standing over Grimmjow, their blades drawn. Shinji had the tip of his zanpakuto on Grimmjow's neck, a look of disgust and anger on his face. Grimmjow gave him the same expression, even though he was in a bad situation.
Hara leapt over Grimmjow protectively, her arms around his neck and her body shielding his.
"Stop!" she cried, glaring at them over her shoulder. Shinji and the others stared at her in shock,
"H-Hara?!" said Shinji, "What are you doing?" Hara glanced at Grimmjow, who was staring at Shinji,
"The question is, what are you doing?" she answered, "We're not enemies."
"He's an arrancar!" called out Hiyori. Hara shrugged,
"So? You're a vizard."
"We're supposed to be enemies!" she snapped back,
"Says who?" Hara coughed a bit, now mostly lying against Grimmjow instead of shielding him.
"Agh," growled Kensei as he appeared, "This isn't the time to be arguing! Look at them; they're bleeding all over the place!"
Hara turned to Grimmjow, her head resting on his bloodied shoulder. He stared back at her, his breathing shallow. She gave him a weak smile before her vision suddenly went black and she passed out, her arms still around him.