Chapter 2: Westward Bound I: Chasing Dawn

Something was moving... Stealthy, and almost cat-like. A shadow passed swiftly, creeping across the landscape and ducking behind the various boulders and cacti. He had been up a majority of the night, poking at the fire with a stray stick and keeping an eye peeled for suspicious passersby.

In the east the sun was starting to crawl into the calm dark blue sky.

The figure skipped across the landscape to another hiding place, and he frisked his friends sleeping forms. Careful not to wake them, he crept towards the shifting presence. Otherwise known as a suspicious passerby.

Peering around the boulder, the shadow was kneeled on the sand, fiddling with something. He sprang from his hiding place and drew his revolver, aiming it at the entity. With the same lightning quick reflexes it had also drawn a pistol and had it cocked and pointed at him.

It was actually just a woman, only a couple of inches shorter than him. Her hat concealed her eyes, and her petite figure was clad in black-sandy Jeans from pawing at the ground and a sleeveless vest over a white undershirt.

"Who're you?" He spat the question.

"Me? Who are you?"

"My name is Ggio Vega! I'm not going to ask again-Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

The girl smirked gamely, and tilted her head back to flash a pair of predatorily gray eyes at him, "Ggio Vega? Interesting name. I'm Soifon, and I was searching for a Diamondhead rattlesnake. They're quite dangerous, and my partner is terrified of poisonous animals. I just thought I'd give him a good scare."

Ggio considered her story for a moment, and in union they re-cocked their guns and holstered them.

"Aren't you afraid of them rattlers?" He asked quizzically, admiring her bravery-or perhaps sheer stupidity, "After all, one bite out here and your as good as a snack for them coyotes." As if to emphasize his statement, a dog howled in the background.

"Not at all," She replied placidly, "Besides, I've come to learn that there's plenty of other things to be afraid of in this life."

He quirked an eyebrow, "Well, have fun catching your new boyfriend. I, on the other hand, have to get back to my group before they-"

"HEY, SQUIRT? WHERE'D YOU GO? WE'RE GETTING READY TO LEAVE WITHOUT YOU!"

Ggio flinched and called over his shoulder, "Coming, Redder!"

Soifon turned on the ball of her foot, "Seems you had better get going. You're posse are starting to miss you~" She grinned back at him, "Besides, my boyfriend is also waiting for me. And if your face didn't scare him off yet, he should still be under this rock."

Ggio muttered something under his breath, but covered it with a sigh, "It was nice to make your acquaintance. Where you off to anyway?"

"Karakura. Why? Where you goin'?"

"Wherever we want to," Ggio replied, "But I guess we could pass through Karakura. I'd like to get to know you."

Soifon's smirk broadened, "In your dreams, it might."

He opened his mouth to shoot a come back when Redder called again, "LET'S GO, PIPSQUEAK! MOVE IT OR LOOSE IT!"

"Ugh... Later," He stalked off back towards his group.

Soifon whispered, almost as if to herself, "Yeah. See ya."

"Hah? Where have you been?" Omaeda Marechiyo questioned as Soifon approached him, "You look like you got yourself tangled with a sand twister or somethin'..."

Soifon brushed the sand from her vest, "Shut up. I was out getting you a companion."

"Companion? Like a puppy!" He instantly brightened, "I love puppies! They're so fluffy, and really Kawaii! I have a dog back at home, you know! But he's old and senile... And he keeps pissing on the rug!"

Soifon sighed, "Whatever. No, I didn't get you a damned mutt." She removed the bag from around her shoulders and reached into it, "Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

"Ooo! I love surprises!" He did as he was told and Soifon dropped the slithering serpent in his palms.

"You can open your eyes now."

Omaeda's gaze snapped into alertness-and he screamed and ducked behind his pleasantly plump horse Gegetsuburi. The diamond head rattlesnake hit the ground and proceeded to slither away, but Soifon picked it up.

It sunk its fangs into her wrist, but she didn't even flinch. "I'm immune, you know. Your poison won't hurt me as much as it might hurt Omaeda."

"Oi! You know I hate snakes!" Omaeda fumed, wiping his hands on his shirt like they were covered in acid.

The snake finally released Soifon and she set it on the ground. There was a scar running down its left eye, but that was all she saw as it slithered away and under a rock. She let out a sharp whistle and Suzumebachi, her brown and white stallion with a black stripe zigzagging down her back and forehead, approached.

"Come on you witless chicken," Soifon mounted the horse, "Let's go. We've spent enough time in this forsaken desert."

Eyeballing his partner's sudden change in attitude, Omaeda shrugged and climbed up onto Gegetsuburi.

"How long is going to be staring like that?" Mila Rose questioned, "He's been like that all night. It's starting to creep me out."

Starrk was poised on a ragged mass of rock, his ice blue pools fixed into the distance. Lilynette mounted Peaches, "Oh, he always does that. Sometimes he stares at the sun for hours at a time without even blinking."

"Is he waiting for something?" Sun-Sun asked.

"The coyotes," Harribel replied. The girls snapped their gazes at her, "He likes to wait for the wolves to howl. Am I correct, Lilynette?"

Lilynette gave as firm nod, "You really that close with Starrk?"

Red Star studied the Espada's unmoving form, "We've been around each other long enough. Even before you gals came along, Lilynette; Stars, we've been working side-by-side."

Starrk cupped his hands to his mouth and let out a throaty howl. Lilynette beamed and joined in with her high-pitched puppy howl. The calls echoed across the barren landscape. In response, a pack of coyotes barked and howled from somewhere nearby.

Apache jabbed her fingers in her ears and groaned.

Starrk jumped from the rock and landed on Casco's saddle, adjusting himself into a proper position, "Alright, time to go!" He started off, Lilynette following eagerly.

Harribel tailed after, and finally Apache, Mila, and Sun-Sun.

Nearby, a certain bandit kept steady pace.

Karakura Town was run by the young Sheriff Ichigo Kurosaki, his deputies Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai, and the Mayor Yamamoto Genryusai. The local doctors and nurse, Ichigo's father Isshin and Ichigo's friend Uryu Ishida's father Ryuken, and Orihime Inoue.

"Ichigo!" Rukia slammed the folder on his desk. The Sheriff awoke with a start and fell out of his chair with a surprised yelp. "New case! The "Los Lobos" have been spotted heading this way with Red Star and the Sister Stars!"

"Hah? Espada? Together?" Ichigo scrambled to his feet and flipped open the file. He frantically skimmed the report. "Hm... They last left the bar after taking down Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa... That's why I positioned them there! Failures!"

From the desk nearby, Renji took a sip of his coffee and attempted to tone out his irritating voice. "Yes, they are failures," Rukia agreed, "Just like you, Ichigo." He choked on his scalding hot drink.

Ichigo ignored the red-head and snapped back, "Yeah, well who's the youngest person to have ever become Sheriff in the history of the world? ME! That's right!"

"Am I supposed to care?" Rukia questioned, adjusting her hat.

"You're just jealous!"

"Oh, really now?"

"Now you're just begging to get your ass kicked!"

Renji wiped the spilled caffeine from his desktop with a rag, muttering colorful words under his breath about the mornings.

Suddenly, the office door creaked open, "Hey, hey, hey! What did I walk into?" Shinji Hirako adjusted his hat, "Renji looks like he hasn't bathed in three days and you two are at each other's throats! Remind me again why I work here?"

"Because I said so!" Ichigo shot back and tossed Shinji the files, "Here. Read 'em and weep."

Shinji skimmed the report, "Interesting... What do we do about it?" He glanced up at them. Rukia and Renji both eyed Ichigo, and he stroked his chin.

"Well... I don't see a reason to mark them as a threat... I'm wondering if they're actually coming here to tell us something. Although, now that In think about it, why would there be two Espada?" His brown pools analyzed his friends, "Let's just keep cautious for now. No red flags, but no white ones, either. Alright? If anything happens and you see them as a threat then we'll handle them."

"So you're saying we should openly approach them and welcome them to Karakura? Especially after what happened seven months ago?" Shinji scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm not being that fickle," Came the dark reply from the Sheriff, "Besides, they won't be here for another day or two. And they still have to get past the canyon to get to us. Send Love and Rose to watch their movements, but with a low profile."

"Alright," Shinji bowed, handed the file back to Rukia and left the office without another word.

Ichigo tapped his finger against the desktop, "It's been seven months... You don't think Aizen's moving again, do you?"

Rukia and Renji locked stares. "Hopefully not," Renji remarked, "I'm pretty sure he's going to fail again. Especially after last time's events..."

There was a silence, and Ichigo went for the door, "I'm going home. Call if you need anything."

"My fellow Espada and Fraccion of the Espada," Aizen Souske was always grinning, especially when it came to battle, "It's time we make a move on Karakura."

Starrk tipped his hat as the leader continued his lecture, "In three days we will fight to the death. And we will control the western world! Karakura Town is our one shot at glory! All for one and one for all!"

"How original," Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez muttered under his breath.

Szayel Aporro Granz sniggered behind his hand, "Oh my. This will be most amusing! I plan on conducting some research on the bodies... If Nnoitra doesn't obliterate them first."

Nnoitra Jiruga chuckled, "You're such a freak! But I like the idea of destroying things. Shows off my power!"

Harribel shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't believe how immature the Espada had to be.

"Harribel?" Starrk shook her awake, "Are you alright? You were talking in your sleep, so I got kinda worried. Where you having a nightmare?"

Red Star blinked up at him, "It was about... The war..." She shifted into an upright position, but the girls where still fast asleep. Good. She didn't wake them up. "It was just a flashback. Nothing to be worried about."

Starrk arched an eyebrow and stared over at the dying fire. Lilynette had fallen asleep watching it. Shrugging to himself, Starrk laid back down beside Harribel.

"Coyote..." She rolled over to face him, "What happened to us?"

He cocked his head to gaze into her crystal stare, "I don't know... But try and get some sleep. We'll discuss it later."

"I guess..." She nuzzled her face in his shoulder.

After a few moments, they had both slipped off into a deep sleep.