(A/N: So this is a bit of a side story that I decided to rig up now instead of later…then again we're not to far from the Hueco Mundo arc anyway, but whatever. This will be my last update for a while, I've been updating this way too much lately and this fic needs to take a breather. Anyway please enjoy. Tales of the Abyss fans, you will not be disappointed. And for those of you wondering about Rukia's condition…next chapter I promise).
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Tales of the Abyss
Hueco Mundo
3rd Person pov
Arietta returned with Grimmjow and Tosen to Hueco Mundo. The blind Shinigami led the duo to Aizen's domain. The brown haired Shinigami looked down from his throne unto his subordinates. "Welcome back Grimmjow and Arietta," he smiled.
Neither one spoke a word. Arietta just clung to behind Grimmjow. "Why so quiet? Don't you have something to say to Lord Aizen?" Tosen asked.
"Not really," Grimmjow responded plainly.
"What impudence," Tosen scoffed.
"It's all right Kaname the truth of the matter is I'm not really that upset," Aizen said softly.
Tosen was shocked, "But Lord Aizen he—"
Aizen cut him off, "I believe Grimmjow's actions were an attempt to please me, but then got carried away. That's how I view this incident," he shifted his gaze from Tosen to Grimmjow, "Am I right, Grimmjow?"
Arietta whimpered behind her master. "Yes my lord," Grimmjow answered. Tosen reached out and grabbed Grimmjow's shoulder. "What the hell's your problem Tosen?"
"Aizen-sama please! Allow me to execute this traitor!" Tosen shouted. Arietta gasped.
"Kaname," Aizen sighed.
Grimmjow flung Tosen off, "Nice try Tosen you've always hated me that's what this is all about. Is this anyway for a director general to act Tosen?"
"I simply believe that anyone who disrupts the peace should have to pay for it. It's not personal," Tosen answered.
"You would kill me for insubordinaton?" Grimmjow scowled at the blind man.
"Yes for the honor of Lord Aizen," Tosen answered. Arietta gasped again.
"Hah," Grimmjow brushed off looking away from Tosen and kicking his foot along the ground, "Why am I not surprised? All you ever think about is the cause."
"Of course," Tosen said, "It guides my actions." He reached for his blade, "It's something of which you have no knowledge. With no foundation behind it killing is nothing more than murder." He slowly made to draw out his blade. "But on the other hand killing with purpose," he fully drew out his blade, "is justice!" Tosen flung himself at Grimmjow and made to slice off his arm, but a small Wakizashi with a pink handle blocked his sword.
"A-Arietta," Grimmjow blinked. The girl had just protected him. He thanked his lucky stars she was still alive.
"Don't you dare touch him! Don't you ever touch him!" Arietta shouted, "I won't," tears started to buildup in her eyes. She shut them tightly, "I won't forgive anyone who tries to hurt Grimmjow-sama!" She let out her spiritual power. Her pink aura raged out. Both Grimmjow and Tosen had to draw their arms near their faces for protection it was so overwhelming.
What the hell? Grimmjow griped internally. Why is her reiatsu this strong? She's supposed to be under me. Under me!
Arietta was now shrieking at the top of her lungs as her spiritual pressure skyrocketed to the point where the outlining of a Liger could be seen rising out of her back.
"That's enough!" Aizen clacked his open palm onto his armrest. Arietta gasped, realizing what she was doing and lowered all her spiritual power.
Damn it that was crazy! Grimmjow shouted in his head.
"Tosen while I understand your anger and desire to serve justice I do believe you would emotionally desecrate poor Arietta by doing so. You don't want that do you?" Aizen glared lightly down to the blind general.
"No of course not," Tosen bowed, "The future must always be for the children of the next generation."
"Tch, I never knew either of you had a soft spot for kids," Grimmjow mocked.
Aizen smiled warmly and stood up, "You are all dismissed," he said and walked behind his throne down the stairs.
"Let's go Grimmjow-sama," Arietta said to him slipping her hand into his.
"Yeah," he said and they walked off together.
As Aizen walked down the stairs he heard someone spkea, "Ah de screams of a child willing to do anything to protect her father figure," Aizen continued to walk down the stairs and saw Gin, "It's like music to my ears."
"Were you spying Gin?" Aizen asked, slightly displeased "As usual?"
Gin ignored Aizen's question, "Who knew Arietta-chan had it in her to build up dat kind of reiatsu, dat was scary stuff wouldn't ya agree?" Aizen walked past Gin and looked out the window. "She really is fond of Jaegerjacques isn't she?"
"She is," Aizen said with a smirk and an unblinking stare as he faced away from Gin.
"We lost 5 Arrancar in that operation. Grimmy's lucky dat Arietta-chan survived or dere would've been hell," Gin snickered.
"It's doubtful that Arietta Salvaje would've lost in that battle. After all she's one of the more gifted Arrancar," Aizen told Gin.
"Then why didn't ya make her an Espada?" Gin inquired.
"There are reasons," Aizen stated plainly.
"Such as?" Gin pressed the subject.
"It's not important," Aizen said, "What is important is that we continue gathering the Vasdo Lordes in order to complete the Espada. We can't have incidents happen like the one about a month ago. I still can't believe you let it escape alive."
"Wasn't my fault the kid was just too powerful," Gin joked around. Aizen turned and gave Gin a look with the expression 'I'm not buying it' written on his face. "Well say whatcha will bout my ability the fact of the matter is dat both me and dat Arrancar kid are still kicking. Don't worry you'll get him one way or another eventually," Gin said and left the room with a big smirk on his face. I wonder how he's doing anyway?
Just who is this mystery Arrancar that Aizen and Gin tried to recruit that supposedly got away from Gin?
To find those answers we need to take a look into the past. Back to when Aizen had just defected from the Gotei 13.
Let your mind imagine a large grandfather clock as we turn back the hands of time to that moment and find out exactly what happened.
The day after aizen's defection from Soul Society
Along the white sands of Hueco Mundo walked a lone Arrancar. He was not affiliated with Aizen so he did not wear the typical whitened Las Noches unform. Rather he wore a cloak that he had furnished together from the skins of dead hollows as well as a pair of pants cut from the same cloth…so to speak. He had gravity defying grass green hair and his mask fragments resembled that of a visor, extended outward like the beak of a bird, over his eyes. His Zanpakuto was attached to his right pant leg like a metal rod.
The green haired arrancar refused to work for Aizen of whom rumors had spread about across the sands of the world. He had no interest in any sort of plot or overtaking of the world. He lived for himself. He hadn't even been part of Baraggan's unit when he was a Vasdo Lordes. He also had avoided contact with the feminine Tia Hallibel. The arrancar remembered his world from when he was alive. He hated that world and everything about it. He was glad to have left it. In the world he was currently in, Las Noches, he didn't have any reason to like this world either, but he also didn't have reason to dislike it. The green haired arrancar continued to walk at his own pace when he felt the ground shake and out from the sand popped up a giant Eel like hollow. A white anthropomorphic ant and a fat one liking like a Tiki god. They were chasing a small girl in a cloak that was crying as she ran from them. The arrancar could sense the small girl's spiritual pressure. She was an arrancar like him. He may have only lived for himself, but he wasn't about to let an Arrancar like him be devoured by a bunch of hollows. The arrancar took a battle stance and leapt forward and elbowed the Tiki god like hollow right in his big nose.
"My brother!" the ant like hollow cried out. The green haired arrancar turned around and roundhouse spin kicked the white ant like hollow right in the side of the face. He turned towards the eel like one with a dark glare and it just cowered in surrender.
"Stop that!" the girl suddenly pile drived her masked cranium into the green haired arrancar's stomach. He flipped backwards and brushed through the pain.
"Hey you should be happy that I saved your sorry ass!" the green haired arrancar shouted as he pointed at the child looking one, "I don't normally do things to help others!"
"But we were only playing a game of eternal tag!" the small girl pleaded please don't pick on my brothers.
"Your brothers?" An invisible question mark floated around the green haired arrancar's head.
"That's right!" The white ant got up and stood with one knee on a rock, pointing to himself, "We're Miss Nel's brothers. I'm Pesche Guatiche."
"I'm Dondochakka Blistin," The Tiki God one said.
"I didn't ask you for your names," the green haired arrancar snapped, "And how could you be playing eternal tag?" he asked Nel, "You were crying."
"Oh you see Nel's a masochist so it's no fun for Nel if Nel doesn't cry a little while she's playing," Nel said.
"What the hell are you teaching this kid?" the green haired arrancar whacked Pesche over the head. He sighed, "So you're not in any danger then?" he asked the small Arrancar.
"Nope," she said with a big grin on her face.
"Well, guess I'm out of here then," the green haired Arrancar walked forward past Nel and the others.
"Ah wait please wait, Mr. Arrancar!" Nel called out to the green haired arrancar.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Um what's your name?" Nel asked.
"Huh?" the Arrancar looked over his shoulder towards her.
"Nel's never met another Arrancar before so Nel wants to know Mr. Arrancar's name," Nel said with her fists in the air, all pent up.
"I'm Sync," he said.
"What no last name?" Pesche asked. Sync was silent. "He's got no last name! He's got no last name!" Pesche chanted.
Sync stood there taking it for a moment and then turned around, angry, and shouted "Shut it will you!" He used Sonido and whacked Pesche over the head with his open palm in the shape of a claw.
"Hey Sync why don't you become one of us?" Nel asked him cheerfully.
"Thanks but no thanks, I operate on my own," Sync said coldly as he walked away again.
"Ah…but…" Nel felt like she might cry.
"You guys can go back to playing your game I'm outta here," he used Sonido and left.
1 week later
Sync was currently engaged in battle against a hollow just for the sake of the thrill. Sync had been playing with it for a while like a child joyously ripping the wings off an insect, but he was growing bored. He Sonidoed behind it and kicked in the face sending it spiraling into dizziness and then used Sonido again and stomped on its mask from above, cracking it. The hollow dropped to its knees.
"Pathetic," Sync scoffed. He opened his mouth and took in a deep breath to use Gonzui and sucked the hollow's soul right out. "Delicious," he said with a psychotic smirk as he wiped his mouth.
"Well now you seem quite strong," A smooth voice came from behind Sync. He turned around. Garbed in white, with a Zanpakuto sheathed at his side was a man with slicked back brown hair and dark brown eyes. "What's your name Arrancar?"
Sync turned around to face this man, "Sync."
"You seem quite strong Sync. I am looking for followers that are strong like you I could use your help," the man outstretched his hand.
"I take it you're Aizen Sosuke," Sync folded his arms.
"I am," Aizen answered.
Sync turned around, "You'll have to make do without my help. I've got no interest in putting my life on the line for anyone, but me."
"I've dealt with individuals like yourself before Mr. Sync," Aizen said, "You don't have to trust me I'm only asking that you come with me."
"I've been used as a puppet on strings before," Sync turned his head to the side to look at Aizen, "I won't be goaded into doing the same thing again." He turned his head back and made to walk away, "I live for myself, end of discussion. Nothing you say or do will change my mind."
"You won't follow me?" Aizen asked feigning disappointment and hurt feelings.
"Don't make me repeat my reasons," Sync said bitterly.
"Shall we make a deal?" Aizen asked.
"I told you nothing you say or do will make me follow you!" Sync shouted turning towards Aizen again now angry that the man wouldn't leave him alone. His voice became stoic again, "I know what you want. You want me to duel you and if you win I have to come with you. You'll probably clean my clock. I'm not stupid I can sense your strength. It doesn't change anything. I'm not going to follow you so just leave me the hell alone!"
"I see." Aizen said with a sigh, "Well if you won't follow me then I have no use for you."
Finally we're getting somewhere, Sync sighed in his head. Something then struck him, "Wait what do you mean you have 'no more use for me'. You say that like you own this place or something."
"As a matter of fact I do own this place. Las Noches, and by extension Hueco Mundo, is under my command. If you won't follow me, I can't have an individual as strong as yourself stay present at the risk of you one day causing a problem. So since I can't use you for my purposes I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you," Aizen said and snapped his fingers. Another figure appeared in the area. He was also wearing white. He had short silver hair and squinted eyes. A Cheshire cat grin could be seen on his face. A short Zanpakuto was at his hip side.
"You rang?" the silver haired man asked.
"Gin, kill him for me would you please?" Aizen asked.
"Dear oh dear this poor fellow refuses ta follow ya does he?" Gin asked.
"Unfortunately so," Aizen said rather disappointed that he was going to have to waste away such a fine specimen, "It's quite a shame Sync. You could've been quite the useful element in my plan." Aizen left through use of Shunpo.
Gin drew out his sword, "Well guess it's time ta clean house wouldn't ya say?"
"Do your worst," Sync scowled taking a battle stance.
"My not even drawing yer Zanpakuto you've got guts," Gin complimented.
"I'm more powerful in unarmed combat," Sync admitted.
"Dat so? Well let's see if it's powerful enough for you ter survive me eh?" Gin was on Sync in an instant. He struck forward at the arrancar's shoulder, but Sync pushed Gin's sword out of the way with his arm and flip kicked to avoid Gin resorting to a counterattack. Gin jumped back to avoid being kicked in the jaw. Sync used Sonido to swifly charge after Gin. He made his movements erratic and hard to predict and then made to smash Gin in the face with his open palm. Gin dodged the side and stabbed his Zanpakuto forward at Sync who grabbed the man's wrist to avoid being cut, kicked him in the stomach and flipped backwards to safety. Sync kept his body low to the ground waiting for another incoming strike. "You're not half bad," Gin said.
"Thanks for the compliment," Sync smirked, chuckling lightly under his breath.
"I don't see why you have to be so defiant think of what you could possibly do with all that energy if you joined us," Gin told Sync.
"Sorry, I don't like being the dog on someone else's leash," Sync spat, "I use my power and strength for my own purposes. I have no interest in fighting for someone else or an organization."
Gin's grin grew wider if that were possible, "You're just like me."
"What the hell do you mean?" Sync asked.
"You and I are quite alike kid. We both like doin things for our own sakes rather than for de sakes of others," Gin said to Sync.
Sync rolled his visor-covered eyes, "Don't compare me with you!" he snapped. "You're Aizen's dog you and I are nothing alike!"
"Maybe on the surface I'm Aizen's dog, but like the rest of the army I've got my own agenda," Gin said.
"I'll tell you the same thing I told your boss: I'm not gonna follow your army. I'm my own man. No matter how much freedom you give me I'm not going to do your dirty work for you." Sync was getting tired of repeating this point.
Gin smirked and chuckled briefly, "Heh, you're pretty amusin' fellow. I got my reasons fer followin' Captain Aizen, but deep down I can tell you and I are exactly the same."
"I said don't compare me with you!" Sync shouted. He used Sonido and made to kick Gin in the side of the head. The smiling Shinigami blocked with his Zanpakuto. Sync pivoted around Gin's blade 270 degrees and made to strike him vertically downward. Gin dodged out of the way by jumping forward. Pressed to the ground Sync flung himself at Gin with an attempt to crack him one across the face. Gin dodged and moved around and behind Sync. With the hand that was currently behind his head Sync let fly a dark green cero. Gin jumped high up over the cero and Sync followed and attempt to knock Gin down from the air, but missed when Gin moved out of the way. Sync went falling away towards the earth. Gin followed suit behind him. Sync turned his body and let a cero fly towards the fox-faced Ex-captain. Gin dodged out of the way and landed to Sync's right. Before his back hit the ground Sync turned his body in a backwards flipping motion, smacking his hands into the sand as he reached the ground to give him the extra momentum he needed to land safely on one knee in front of Gin. Sync then stood up and too a right lead stance.
"Dear oh dear you've got quite a temper. That's one of two things that separates you from me," Gin said.
"What do you mean one of two?" Sync grit his teeth. He was seriously tired of dealing with this guy's smug attitude.
"Like I said before you and I are alike in the fact that we both act only out of our own self-interests. Sure there are some minor differences in that alone seeing as how I have to get close to my prey before swallowing them up and you're just a lone wolf that brutally kills whatever you need to eat, but deep down it's the same thing," Gin explained.
"Spare me the lecture," Sync huffed, crossing his arms over his body.
"Now now," Gin snickered, "no need to be so rude. I still haven't told you the difference between us. Surely you'd like to know that."
"Nope," Sync answered. He was eager to continue the fight; all this talk was making him edgy.
"Well too bad cause I'm gonna tell you anyway," Gin chuckled to himself, "There's one difference between you and me and dat's de fact dat I have an actual purpose for all that I do. There's somethin' that drives me besides basic survival dat keeps me going day by day. You just act out of instinct," Gin explained to the young arrancar.
"What's the next thing out of your mouth going to be?" Sync asked so very weary of the conversation and the points it always returned to, "Come with us and you'll find that purpose? I told you before thanks but no thanks."
"Dear oh dear I wasn't goin' to say dat at all. Like I said before kid I got my own interests and goals in mind some go against Lord Aizen's wishes," Gin sounded like he was up to something and even Sync could tell making the green haired replica even more defensive. "I ain't gonna kill you. Someone like you deserves to enjoy life a little bit longer, but I can't just go back to Las Noches empty handed." Gin pointed his Zanpakuto at Sync. "Shoot to kill, Shinso!" The blade fired forward towards Sync. The tempest turned his body to avoid being struck and back flipped out of the way. Gin swung Shinso straight at Sync who finally brought out his own Zanpakuto to block. He didn't trust his Hierro to get the job done properly."
"Oh are you going to use your sword release?" Gin asked.
"Fat chance," Sync sheathed his blade.
"You'd better stop acting so self-assured, I might kill you by accident," Gin said retracting his blade.
"You're the one that should be worried!" Sync said no preparing to pounce on Gin with his right arm raised in the air in preparation for a chokehold. Gin extended Shinso ever so slightly and hacked upward cutting off Sync's right fore arm. Sync gripped the amputated area immediately and got down on one knee, working through the pain. After a few moments his body regenerated the wound.
"Hmm, how lucky for you that you've still got high-speed regeneration," Gin chortled. He picked up Sync's dismembered arm, "I'm going to go back to Las Noches and tell Lord Aizen dat ya got away. Bye bye now," Gin left using Shunpo.
"Bastard," he grumbled, "I'll remember your face you silver haired piece of shit. Next time I see you no mercy. For you and for Aizen I will kill you both the next time I see you."
2 weeks later
Sync was once again on the move about Hueco Mundo. He was starting to become annoyed with Aizen's frequent attempts to kill him. He currently stood amongst the corpses of several dead hollows. He cracked his knuckles, "Well that's one good thing out of all these attacks at least I'm staying alert," he said to himself. Other than random hollows Sync had faced random arrancar and fashioned himself a uniform similar to the one he used to wear when he was a God General. He kept his sword along his back so that it didn't get in his way when he fought. The uniform fit him well. He wasn't trying to blend in and hide from Aizen by wearing it, but he was god damn tired of the way the fine sands of Hueco Mundo were rough against his skin. He sat down and lay down on his back in order to relax when he felt a rumbling of the ground and looked over to see a dust cloud headed his way. Sync Sonidoed out of the way to let the barrage tumble forward and noticed that it was Nel and her "brothers" playing eternal tag again.
They all stopped when they noticed Sync, "Well hey it's Mr. No Last Name what's you been up to?" Pesche asked only for Sync to whack him over the back of the neck.
"What the hell kind of greeting is that at least get my name right!" Sync growled in anger.
"P-pesche," Dondochakka bawled Crocodile tears.
"I'm okay." Pesche moaned from the ground, "I can see so many pretty stars."
"Ah Sync-kun that uniform," Nel pointed to what Sync was wearing.
"What? This?" he asked tugging at the garments, "I fashioned it together from some of the Arrancar that have been getting in my way. That bastard Aizen's out to get me cause I wouldn't join up with him when he asked me."
"Wow you got some balls to defy that guy. You may not have a last name, but you sure got nerves of steel!" Pesche said comically. Sync punched him in the chest and knocked him to the ground. Pesche twitched in pain.
"Sync-kun do you want to play with us?" Nel asked.
"I told you before I'm not interested in hanging with others," he said bluntly, "this meeting is over. Later," he said with a wave of his hand and sonidoed away.
"Forget about him Nel we don't need a guy like that hanging around," Pesche told her.
"Yeah he's really mean you know what I'm sayin?" Dondochakka enforced.
Nel had a look of determination on her face, "But Nel likes Sync-kun. Sync-kun is the only Arrancar Nel has ever met," her tone became sorrowful and Nel looked at the ground, "And now Lord Aizen wants Sync-kun to die. Nel, Nel doesn't want Sync-kun to die. Then Nel wouldn't be able to see Sync-kun anymore," she sniffed hard and then shouted with determination, "Nel's going to go find Sync-kun and get him to stick with us," She decided. "Sync-kun!" she shouted running off.
"Hey wait a minute Nel!" Pesche called after her reaching towards her, but Nel was too far away. "Ah jeez, let's go Dondochakka." He ran to catch up with Nel
"Right behind ya," The tiki faced Arrancar said and ran off behind Pesche. Bawabawa followed suit.
Meanwhile Sync was aimlessly walking around Hueco Mundo as usual wondering if Aizen was going to attack him any time soon or if he'd have to spring up his own fun. He stood around in place, thinking, when he heard the shout of "Sync-kun! Wait!" He turned to see Nel running towards him.
"Ah jeez what does she want?" he asked himself sort of weirded out by Nel's chasing after him. "Leave me alone!" he shouted turning and running.
"Wait!" Nel shouted. "Sync-kun come back!" she shouted.
"Nel! Hey Nel! Get back here!" Pesche shouted as he, Bawabawa and Dondochakka caught up with her.
"Oh are Pesche and Dondochakka going to help Nel catch up with Sync-kun?" Nel asked.
"Nel about that, do you really think that kind of guy is…" Before Pesche could finish his sentence the ground shook and several hollows sprang out from the ground. Each had a varying look of color and shape. There were too many to count.
"Oh my, don't they look tasty," one hollow said.
"They look like they'll be a delicious meal," another hollow licked it's lips.
Dondochakka, Nel and Pesche formed together and cowered. "h-help," Nel muttered to herself.
Sync was walking along the sands of Hueco Mundo proud to be alone again when he heard a loud shout of "HELP!"
That sounded like Nel, Sync stopped short and then turned around, wait a minute why do I even care? He thought to himself. I live for myself. I decided that a long time ago.
"There's one difference between you and me and dat's de fact dat I have an actual purpose for all that I do. There's somethin' that drives me besides basic survival dat keeps me going day by day. You just act out of instinct"
Gin's words rang hard in Sync's head and he clenched his fist. "Ah the hell with it!" he grumbled and made haste to where Nel and her "brothers" were. He saw a large group of hollows and could sense Nel and the others in the center. "A large group," he smirked, "Perfect." Sync charged forward and began curb stomping the hollows trying to eat Nel, Pesche, Dondochakka and Bawabawa.
"Nel look," Pesche said with his arm around the small arrancar's shoulders.
Nel was currently holding her head staring at the ground. She picked up her head and looked up and saw Sync drive his foot into an Arrancar's chest and then back flip and stand in place, casting his shadow over her, as he stood in his battle stance "Ah, Sync-kun!"
She watched Sync as he grabbed hold of one of the enemy hollow's legs and spun around Rodeo style and threw it away from the group. He saw a few hollows coming up from behind Nel's group, "Duck!" he shouted. He held up his palm and took aim at the enemy hollows, "Cero." The hollow flash ripped right through the hollows trying to attack him. Sync turned his attention to the hollow sneaking up on his left and punched it through the face. He sensed a hollow sneaking up from behind him and threw the hollow he was holding at that hollow and balaed them both out of existence. He looked around and saw the hollows had significantly decreased in number. "Anyone else wanna go?" Sync asked standing tall and holding his palm with his fingers curled up. The hollows ran away in fear of Sync's awe-inspiring power. Sync chuckled, "Stupid fuckers." He lowered his arm.
"Sync-kun you came!" Nel ran forward and grabbed Sync's leg and nuzzled into it as she said happily, "Nel knew Sync-kun would come to rescue Nel if Nel called for help because Sync-kun cares about Nel."
Sync detached his leg from Nel's grip. "I didn't do it for you," he said coldly, "I was just eager to fight."
"But Sync-kun saved Nel all the same so Nel's happy," Nel giggled.
"Hey Mr. No Last Name why don't you become one the Desert Brothers?" Pesche offered.
"I told you I don't have any interest in…" Sync turned around getting snappy only to look down and see Nel giving him the puppy eyes and grabbing the lower folds of his outfit. Why in the hell is she looking at me like that?
"Nel wants," Nel sniffed. She held back the tears and then voiced loudly, "Nel wants Sync-kun to stay because Sync-kun is so strong. Sync-kun can protect Nel! Sync-kun is the only Arrancar Nel's ever met. Nel wants Sync-kun to be like a big brother to Nel just like Pesche and Dondochakka."
"Yeah c'mon Sync," Pesche said using the tempest's actual name for once, "Become one of us. With your power and strength we would never have anything to fear! We'd travel around destroying any hollows foolish enough to attack us!" Pesche declared fantasizing about the idea of using Sync as an attack dog of sorts for any malevolent hollows and Arrancar the group could come across.
"Give me one good reason," Sync said in a cliché fashion.
Pesche got pent up dramatically, "Well for one you're in the same boat as us," he threw his arm out at his side, "an outcast to all of Hueco Mundo," he said with an eerie whisper. He then returned to a normal speaking voice, "Dondochakka, Bawabawa and I," he gestured to each of them as he spoke "are just your average humble hollows and Nel is just a child Arrancar completely devoid of any power. But if that's not good enough for you I'll give you another reason," he said pointing with his index finger and indicated Nel with it, "From the way Nel is grabbing onto you she's not gonna let you go until you say yes."
Sync growled under his breath. He didn't understand why it was so hard to just fling Nel off him and go. Gin's words spoke to him in his head. Oh c'mon, he told himself, disbelieving his own ID, she's a little kid…wait a minute since when are there child arrancars in the first place? More importantly how can I ever be the first arrancar she's ever met? There's more to this group than meets the eye I'm sure. Sync sighed in surrender, "All right fine, I give," he said.
"Hooray!" Nel jumped up and clung to Sync's upper left arm.
"Get off of me would ya?" he shouted frantically trying to shake her off.
"Whee," Nel laughed finding Sync's actions to actually be fun, "Faster, faster Sync-niisan!"
Sync stopped, Sync-niisan? To the replica who had never been given anything positive in his entire life the thought of being looked at as a big brother by someone, even though it was a small girl, the fact that someone painted him as having some worth, and made him out to be someone to aspire to be like brought a small factor of joy to the green haired arrancar. For the first time in his life he had something to like about the world.
"Hey why'd you stop?" Nel asked and then smiled "That was fun do it again!"
"Um…ok?" Sync frantically flapped his arm up and down as Nel laughed and laughed. It was hard to tell if the failed Fon Master noticed the smile creeping across his face as he did so.
Later…
As Nel lay down for a nap Sync, Dondochakka and Pesche all sat around just playing tic-tac-toe in the sand, loser's out fashion. Currently Sync had a winning streak of 50.
As Dondochakka played against Sync Pesche looked over to Nel sleeping like a rock, "Look at her sleeping so soundly. She looks so peaceful."
"I win again," Sync said as he drew an X onto the makeshift tic-tac-toe board.
"Man he's just too good at this you know what I mean?" Dondochakka asked Pesche.
"Huh?" Pesche seemed distracted, but still managed to realize what was going on with the current conversation and said, "Yeah you're too good at this Sync," he pointed at the only competent member of the group, "are you cheating?"
"How can anyone possibly cheat at tic-tac-toe?" Sync asked his tone of voice clearing showing his confusion and just how much of an idiot he thought Pesche was. He then thought that this would be the perfect chance to ask Dondochakka and Pesche his earlier questions and thoughts. "By the way," he started to say looking over to Nel, "How is it that Nel is so small and I'm the only Arrancar she's ever met?"
"That's cause Nel's just a child of course," Pesche answered enthusiastically, "Of course Children wouldn't have met a lot of people."
"Don't give me that bull," Sync said not buying it, "And I don't buy your story either about 'finding her'. If I'm going to be messing around with you guys there needs to be no secrets between us," he pointed at himself with this thumb and snapped, "Aizen's at my throat enough as it is, if you guys are hiding something I don't need your secret making it worse."
"Well you got me there," Pesche said actually holding a serious tone for once. He sighed, "All right then. The truth is Nel actually used to be a member of the Espada. She was number 3. Nnoitra Jiruga, Espada number 8, couldn't stand her. He went so far as to use us to bait her into fighting him. We were Nel's fraccion. To make a long story short Nnoitra gave Nel that scar on her mask during their last confrontation," he pointed to the spot on his own head where Nel had said scar, "And she reverted to that child form, devoid of memory and devoid of history." Pesche put his hand over his chest, "So to protect her we've sheltered her and acted like her brothers." He put his hand back down at his side, "We don't want her to remember her past. She's better off this way as just a little girl. We're very grateful that we have someone like you on our side Sync. You can help us protect Nel. You're strong so please," Pesche and Dondochakka bowed down in front of Sync, "help us protect Nelliel Tu-sama. We can't do it alone. We have to pretend to not know anything so we can protect her."
"Well," Sync looked up at the sky and thought about it for a minute all the while holding out the vowel sound, "Ok," he decided with a sly smirk.
"You mean it?" Pesche asked.
Sync shrugged, "Why not I got nothing better to do?"
"All right!" Pesche and Dondochakka hugged Sync and knocked him over, "Welcome to the group Sync!"
"Get off me this instant!" Sync shouted displeased by the sudden touching.
All three heard Nel yawn and she woke up. They all pretended like nothing happened and assumed neutral positions. "Have a nice nap Nel?" Pesche asked.
"Uh huh," Nel said still waking up.
"Good then let's get moving to somewhere else," Sync said stainding up and walked over to Nel and reached his arm down to her. Nel looked at his arm and up to his face. Then to his arm again. Then to his face again. "Well come on, climb up on my shoulder," he offered. Nel smiled brightly and did just that. She clung to her new big brother.
"Where are we going to go Sync-niisan?" she asked.
"We can go wherever we want to go, but let's all stick together," Sync said.
"Ok," Nel smiled and with that the group headed off together.
(A/N: Yes so now Sync has become one of the desert bros. Xerosonic, my unofficial beta, helped me string this idea together. So now all the God Generals are accounted for: Asch is Captain of Squad 9. Largo is 3
rd Seat of the same squad. Legretta is a self-made outcast. Arietta is Grimmjow's fraccion. Sync is now with Nel and against Aizen. And Dist is safely locked up in jail in Auldrant. And before anyone asks NO Van will NOT be in Noble Flames for the same reasons that Ragou, Cumore, and Barbos will not be appearing in Xerosonic's Crossing Moons. But more importantly Arietta saved Grimmjow from getting his arm cut off. She may be creepy and ruthless, but she's useful XD. Anyway I'm out. Please Review. I've worked so hard. If you haven't yet subscribe and fave).