The Princess of Las Noches

by Revolver OtaconAj

Hello, Kurosaki kun! Do you like my new look?

11. A Lady's Bloodstained Favor

Dreams have never been that memorable for Uryu Ishida. When he recalled the few grainy memories of his sire not being a total asshole, he would tell him that based on what he learned in medical school, dreams were the unconscious thoughts, desires and wants of an individual.

Of course he was six at the time, and even his obsessive pursuit of knowledge in the written form was still incomplete at the department of fancy wording and explanations of higher level thinking. Ryuken wasn't patient or kind enough to spend his time on his own son anyway.

If that was true and dreams were simply visions for what he wanted to be in the future then his were completely useless.

He had long reasoned that to his displeasure, his father's rational scientific mind had rubbed off on him and ruined his imagination beyond repair. Though his grandfather and his mother when she was in his life was more then happy to encourage an imaginative, curious mind, happy to let him daydream about the stories Soken would tell him about the knights that guarded the founder of the Quincy, the tales of perseverance over unholy threats, last stands against Shinigami, hymns, epics, ballads, histories, folklore and more engrossing tales of chivalry that Uryu treasured to this day.

Even then, the young Quincy always had little recollection of his dreams. The best he could recall were incoherent pieces of synthenesia, objects and symbols without much meaning. White light blinding him; shadows moving spreading and twisting like kudzu; an Quincy cross painted red; crows wearing black robes and…

And…

Orange hair.

The gender of the subject that owned the apricot roots always changed. Sometimes it was boy, sometimes it was a lady, both were faceless silouettes of average height and build. The only reason these psuedo-dreams were any way remarkable was that they were common enough to warrant forming of deja vu.

Uryu had never connected the two to either his most bitter rival or his friend. Why would he? He'd only gone to public high school to spite his father, rejecting any offers of private institutions naturally fit for the only child of the youngest hospital director in the entire country.

It did take some getting used to. Karakura was basically Japan's closest analog to a favela or at least as close as its politeness would allow, so bad compared to the rest of the nation that even the Yakuza stayed clear of the place. The school was full of delinquents like a shrine was full of offerings. Those future Yankii and Bosozuko had thought of him as easy pickings, just another nerd to displace their animalistic rage upon and use as a human pin cushion.

Well that was their fatal mistake. Them relying on brute force mixed with him having precise knowledge of the human body was a combo that tipped the scales of any altercation into his favor. They left him alone after a few hard earned lessons in pain and from that day on he left everyone else alone too.

He was find with being alone but not okay with stewing in his own angst infused juices like he would later find out his rival subsisted in. So he decided to join a club. He had no interest in any of the sports related extraculicuars, much to the Karate teams dismay. Instead he choose the Handicrafts club, being more interested in making his own outfits.

His blossoming sense of fashion, inadvertedly stoked by his grandfather had finally bore ripe fruit in middle school. Learning how to sew and create art out of bolts of cloth proved quite beneficial to his self esteem. It was a good outlet for his rage towards his father, towards the Shinigami who abandoned his grandfather, to himself for being unable to stop the hollows…

There was one thing he noticed about the club rightaway, his skill of observing any potential threats as versatile as ever.

First and foremost the club was almost entirely populated by girls.

Uryu his intelligence still sharp as a Seele Schneider somehow had never foreseen this, not taking into account the hyper masculinity of his male schoolmates. To say it took some getting used was like saying loosing an arm was no big deal and you could overcome Phantom Limb Syndrome in one day. Uryu his face pink and ruddy, couldn't talk for at least a couple weeks, all culluminating when in an ultimately futile attempt to ignore two girls talking about their…Training bras, he accidentally sewed a button on his finger without even noticing.

And so from that day Uryu would hate buttons with the passion of a thousand fiery suns.

Another curious thing happened that day. From the time he joined the club, the female members- as in all the members- had taken an immediate, reactionary dislike and distrust to his intentions. While Uryu's true reasoning to his actions were of numbing the painful emptiness incurred from loosing his only loving parental figures, the girls had made the assumption that he had only joined to be a pervert.

At the start they only ignored him, pretending that he didn't exist and refusing to agknowledge his very prescene unless forcibly prompted by the clubs rather absent sponsor.

This was the awkward stage in between end of childhood and beginning of puberty. When Uryu had decided to make the entire class Club shirts on a whim, they didn't realize that he could tell their measurements with an exact glance, as red filled as it was. He had put each shirt in his classmates spots, having gotten there early to place them carefully inside the nook.

When they had finally arrived, they squealed in delight at the discovery, holding up their gifts to each other, asking each other who had created the shirts. But when Uryu told them he had done it, he accidentally made it slip that he knew their exact sizes, which obviously gave him tons of scorn.

They would just glare at him after that, refusing to partner with him at all and would keep pulling cruel pranks on the young Quincy in retribution for his perceived perversions. At one point they even put thumbtacks on chair, sending him to the nurse but being more hurt by his growing isolation then any cut to his cheek.

Those girls were expelled but Uryu just accepted his fate as a necessary side effect of the path he had chosen to take. His life would not be the one his father wanted. He would allow himself to have spectacular grades, many of his subconscious eagerness to over achieve but that would be it. He would not be a doctor that failed constantly and have to cut open his wife and father.

What he wanted was to save people, both living and dead. To honor his grandfather's teachings of mercy, honor and chivalry. To continue the traditions his people had been forced to give up, and to make absolutely certain that he would never be weak again.

And if that involved crying himself to sleep every night then so be it.

Like everything he thought he knew about the handicrafts club, that assumption was proven to be nothing more then an incorrect hypothesis. While the girls did think he was just there to harass them, the young women slowly begun to come to their senses. As hormonal and territorial as they were, even they had a sense of shame and reason. So, when Uryu had to go to the hospital to get his homemade stitches removed, they had pitched in to create a giant card with matching gloves, all signed by the same females who had picked on him just days ago.

Most of the immature gorillas who leered at him probably would have thought thought his life had turned into the plot of some harem manga. But real life didn't work that way and Uryu was the kind of guy who was actually glad that it didn't. Because the girls started confiding in Uryu about "personal stuff"… mainly cause they thought he was gay but that's a different dream not appropiate for this introspective near death experience.

Uryu desperately wanted to have some sort of social link with an peer but he quickly decided to emotionally keep his distance. He thanked Yhwach that he could easily hide his spiritual pressure. A lot of his school mates had unwieldy but ever present amounts of reiryoku that didn't need to be stocked and fed. Uryu couldn't risk them being a target for assassination for the Shinigami nor would he allow them to become Hors D'oeurve for any predatory hollow. He would rather be a jerk to everybody then see another person he cared about die.

Unlike his former attempts, this pragmatic act of isolationism sorta worked. People ceased to invite him to social functions or ask him to hang out outside of school, often avoiding him due to his cold nature. The girls however seemed to find the sudden change of character more amusing than intimidating.

Time blurred and melted into one familiar scene after another, all repetitive actions of a man slowly dying both in the present and in the past. Though seasons changed, the memories sped past himself, all too similar for any deeper reflection. Or maybe the oxygen was being cut off from Uryu's brain due to the blood being deposited within his lungs, he didn't know it would probably result in the same lonely death to him.

His daily rituals seemed to all comglomerate into one infinite stream of consciousness that was in the middle of being stretched but had begun to tear now that the full length had been reached as it then was expanded and overextended. His obsessive hunt for hollows became an oil painting, the realistic but bright colors of the day and night reflective of his obsessive pursuit to continue his identity. His memories of home was a cold minimalistic field packed with black ghosts scurrying about to avoid the wrath of the demon that was head of Household.

When he finally faced snowy lock frilled demon, he stared backed with sapphire eyes crystalized by self hatred, refusing to respond to any curse, cry or scream of frustration. He glared right back at him, his voice shouting but not uttering any decernable syllables, as up became down and their eyes became one, unable to tell which of the two was crying.

The twisted sense of vertigo and reality only seemed to get worse when the static filled playback of his history arrived at the club. The environment sank into itself like quicksand with the handicraft supplies turning into shapeless but vivid puddles of color. Faces which had once been ingrained into his memory were nothing but faceless manniquins moving of their own accord. Everything started to get fuzzy around the edges as the he fell in the void and darkness took away his sight.

But he didn't die.

A shining light cleared Uryu's mind allowing him to return to thinking rationally, intellectually and most importantly able to comprehend his surroundings. He was floating in a dark void, with blue firefly like motes floating past past him. And so just like that he was standing with the sight of flowing caramel hair inches from his face.

The women turned the back of her head to face Uryu, revealing the beautiful, heavenly face of Orihime Inoue.

Uryu recalled their first meeting quick as a bolt of lightning. The final year of middle school had begun and the year had seemed to start the same as the last two, only the dread of beginning high school next year dampening the spirits of the alumni like the spring rain but only slightly. Uryu had walked into school and noticed her for the first time, surrounded by her little but ever growing herd of friends and admirers, often pecked off by her fiesty raven haired guardian angel for her own good.

To Uryu's latter shame, he had thought she was another vain vapid girl hungry for popularity and swatted those she thought were lesser then herself away like flies. A girl like that can't possibly be a good person right? She was just like the rich kids

Boy was he glad he was wrong.

This was Uryu's first recollection of hearing Orihime talk. Or to be accurate hearing her infamous rants.

No Orihime you can't run on walls… Tatsuki sighed, exasperated in what Uryu would later learn would be a vicious constant struggle to keep Orihime's craziness from fully taking over her brain.

Uryu remembered some giggling from the crowd that was clustered around the pair like barnicles. Orihime was standing with her back slightly bent, her lip quivering and her eyes watery. It was like looking at a puppy, he couldn't help but feel bad for her.

She bit her lip. "But the documentary-"

"It wasn't a documentary it was a cartoon!"

Uryu always thought it was amazing how Orihime could go from sad to sweet in less then half a second. It kinda reminded him of a light bulb but instead of turning on and off it switched into shades reflecting her moods.

Much to Uryu's surprise he couldn't help but smile.

About a week or so later Orihime would join the sewing club, with Tatsuki being carried on her arm. If looks could kill, then the look Tatsuki gave the bespectacled middle schooler should have made him die on his feet. Obviously his Y-Chromosomes were a potentially fatal threat to Orihime. It took a while for her to get used to him. Uryu had attempted to towards her and her rebuttal was her throwing him to the other side of the room,

He didn't quite remember what happened next he was too busy staring at the bright dulcet eyes of the girl he had risked his life and his father's wrath to save. Those sweet eyes that reflected back at the world with optimism in utter defiance of what had happened in her past… Uryu was not about to forget the days he and her spent hiding and running in the Soul Society. For when Orihime had begun to talk to him again, for the first time Uryu responded with something more the icy courtesy.

And this time he didn't ignore her.

All those offers to spend time with her, to be with her, to have a smile put on his and most importantly her face… Why didn't he take them when he had the chance? Never before had Uryu realized just how selfish he was shutting himself away from human contact. Even if he had little to say, just being in her aura seemed to brighten everything up.

Even her power had manifested only through her kindly spirit, six fae that served to protect. Even the rowdy hot headed brunette seemed to be more of an imitation of Orihime's image of Tatsuki then anything that had come from her consciousness.

She didn't deserve this. To be blessed with such a compassionate ability but in tandem unable to protect herself due to the same exact thing that gave her power resolve.

Uryu had realized that much in the Soul Society when she refused to fight the so called Kamaitachi had tried to murder her. Poor Inoue could barely fight back, for unlike Hollows Shinigami more or less took the appearance of humans and Uryu knew that in Orihime's mind even a fat brute that had tried to murder her was worth crying over.

That time together was a gift but a meloncoly would could after that.. Though he had lost his powers he could still see the Shinigami spying on her. Uryu scowled at them and sent them warning glances but they just laughed at his lack of reiatsu. He would never know if they were sent by the sadistic bastard who relished in torturing others or were sent by the old commander to ascertain her danger to their order. She clearly made too much of a scene, healing all of them selflessly Uryu thought sarcastically to himself.

And what did Orihime Inoue do when she finally saw that they were following her? Most people would find it suspicious, even worrying. Not her. She simply waved at the pair smiling and invited them inside. At one point she even left out sweets for the potential assassins, with a note telling them to say high to Rukia for her.

Uryu understood why the Quincy had to go. They were a threat to the balance of the worlds. But how could Orihime possibly be a threat to the Soul Society?

Orihime stared at Uryu the same way she glanced at Ichigo, blushing and giggling nervously to herself. Uryu gaped back at her shocked. He didn't know how to respond, his entire face slack. Ichigo was a dolt who was too stupid to see what was right in front of him,, he knew that he didn't know what everyone else already had realized.

But… Why… Why was he feeling this right now? He didn't love Orihime, at least not like that. He was supposed to be the chivalrous knight, bound by duty to not take advantage of woman in anyway and that meant staying single.

What if…

What if…

Suddenly either Orihime was kissing him or he was kissing her. He couldn't tell but he did know that the sudden soft pressure on his lips felt good. His mind was trying to get back control of his body but his sense of shame and self control were slowly evaporating.

His eyes closed when tears slipped through his open lids. He realized that it wasn't lust he was feeling.

It was-

Before Uryu gained the chance to finish that thought, his mouth opened to receive Inoue's tongue. This is going too far he thought to himself as a gush of copper tasting liquid flowed into his mouth, filling it from gums to the roof.

Uryu gently but quickly broke off his embrace, finally opening his eyes, gasping at the sight of Orihime's face. Her face was shockingly pale with exception of a embaressed blush, her eyes were streaming with tears. Her lips were held up in disbelief and confusion, blood steadily dribbling down her chin.

The last words of this final vision that signified who his friend was would haunt Uryu until the day he died.

"Ishida-kun… Why? Why couldn't you..." Orihime's eyes rolled into the back of her head as her feet gave way beneath her. Panicked, Uryu grabbed onto her waist as she hung limply and slack.

"No. Inoue-san… I'm sorry I kissed you! Please wake up." All of the things he had learned as the son of a respected doctor were forgotten, as he turned into a child again, scared and trying to understand why his mother and grandfather were taken away from him.

"Please… We came here to save you, you're not going to die on us when we just found you right? Please we care about you, Tatsuki misses you, Ichigo loves you!" Uryu pleaded. trying to kiss her again in a vain attempt awaken her from her slumber, like all the maidens in the tales his grandfather had told him about.

Yet she wasn't going to wake up.

Uryu dropped her, fumbling when he attempted to hold on. She landed on a table, stitched up from bare chest to abdomen, bloodied surgical tools resting on a smaller table next to her beautiful but languished body now ruined by the incisions made by the autopsy.

Uryu screamed.

Suddenly his vision returned and he was rested on a soft sand bank. His mind was clearer then it had been in his and his body felt alive again. He could smell, he could taste, he could hear… He was back in the real world again.

Still… Uryu waved his hand in front of his face, trembling as it got closer. The nightmare had been so intense he didn't notice, Rukia snapping her fingers.

"Ishida-san are you alright?" Rukia exclaimed, getting closer and closer and closer…

The noise that came out of Uryu's throat was some gurgling hybrid of a yelp and gasp. Having awoken from dream with his body tingling, the last thing he desired was unwarranted female contact. He made a sort of reverse crabwalk away from Rukia, only to get kicked in the back.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Uryu landed on his hands and knees, immediately looking in the direction of his attacker. Standing upright with leg cocked back was Renji Abarai back to full operation.

Uryu realized that the leg he had been kicked with was the same leg that bastard had broken with his voodoo dolls. Uryu didn't have time to ponder how he and Renji were healed. Because his friends came into fullview at that point, rendering any further thought temporarily tossed to the side.

Ichigo, Chad, Rukia, and Renji were alright somehow! Uryu stuttered in an attempt to explain this statistical impossibility, racking his brain in an attempt to understand how they all escaped certain death.

Maybe they had died. His grandfather and mother would tell him about heaven and hell, maybe… No. The Soul Society had proven that tale incorrect. Besides they would all be there if they were truly deceased.

The teenager's thoughts were interrupted by what sounded like a kicked hornets nest, only to realize that his friends made a noise much louder then any aggrieved insect swarm could ever produce.

The fight was not a fair one, Renji was clearly outnumbered three to one. He was quite scared as he tried to explained himself.

"I was trying to get him to get a grip. Besides Ichigo does it to you all the time! And you also do it to Ichigo!" Renji screamed trying in vain to defend himself.

"Not when we're injured you ginger oaf! Besides, you really think we do nothing but just beat each other up!"

Renji's eyes went wide as stuttered out his response. "Y-yes?"

Uryu had had enough of this petty conversation. He stood up, using his left arm to steady his posture as he picked up his cross. He was annoyed by the amount of bile and blood on his customized clothes but he ignored that for the moment, promising to make Ryuken pay for better supplies. Forming his Ginrei Kojaku, he fired a single arrow at his friends, shooting between them by using his marksmanship to deliberately miss.

"WILL ALL FOUR OF YOU SHUT UP AND FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND!"

Ichigo cursed which was what he was expecting but what he didn't expect was Rukia and Chad ran full force to tackle and trap the Quincy in tight bare hug. Chad was crying and so was Rukia, with the latter making incoherent babbling, some of which consisted of an odd prayer thanking the "Spirit King" whoever that was.

Thankfully Renji and Ichigo didn't join in, somehow having more maturity then either the silent colossus or the raven haired pixie. More likely it was due to their masculine manliness but Uryu was okay with that for once.

Their smiles was all the resurance he needed;

The tough grip was loosened straightaway, saving Uryu from being asphyxiated again. "Hey Chad, Rukia give four eyes some air!" Ichigo barked yanking Rukia off of him but gently nudging Chad gently. Uryu took some time to examine his surroundings. The garish ruins were the same but his friends were covered in bodily fluids, blood being the primary liquid staining their robes and clothes, the acrid sent of forcibly expelled biofluids wafting through the cool crisp air.

Uryu's next thought was of justice and retribution towards the inhuman freak who had caused so much damage to him and his companions.Where is that bastard Szayel? Or rather where is his body… Uryu knew he couldn't be alive, his lack of Reiatsu, their unlikely salvation and their healed wounds being a dead giveaway that he hadn't succeeded in whatever goal he had in torturing and experimenting on them.

What was he trying to gain? Did he lie about Ichigo's reiastu? If he didn't Uryu knew that Ichigo hadn't a clue about it. And where exactly did they come from? Both Pureblood and mixed Quincies had died off years ago, even those with a quarter or even a fifth of the bloodline had either perished or died off seven years ago. Uryu reasoned he wouldn't like the answer. Even if Szayel wasn't talking out of his ass, whatever answers he had were forever sealed away in whatever Hell his soul had been sucked into and for once Uryu was glad he wasn't going to get the answers yet.

"Were are the dumbasses?" Uryu wondered aloud.

Ichigo grasped the nickname immediately. "Pesche and Dondochakka? When we were healed, they kinda panicked for some reason and went west, saying that-"

That led to a more pressing question. "Who saved and healed you guys? I'm afraid being unconscious left me unaware of the miracle." Uryu chuckled to himself earning a bewildered stare from the group. What it you Ichigo?

Ichigo's reaction to this sally wasn't normal. Instead of retorting with a wise ass remark, Ichigo glared at the Quincy, the veins and chords in his neck growing taut and rigid. "No I didn't." Ichigo responded curtly but before he went off seething he responded with a guilty look as if he realized his anger wasn't necessary but was unable to control himself.

Ignore him. Rukia waved him aside hopping off an upthrust of vermillion rubble she and Chad had been sitting on, accidentally kicking up sand particles that caused her to slide unsteadily on her feet. "He's acting like a child but he's been threw Hell. We've all been. Rukia's eyes went far away glancing at Renji crouching behind a partially submerged lime green wall, unsubtly trying to get the sand out of his crack, causing Rukia to giggle.

A flicker of hope shot into Uryu's brain like lightning. "Is Orihime safe? Did she escape? Was she the one who-"

"Uryu." Rukia said not unkindly. "We still don't where she is." Rukia eyes filled with tears. "Pesche and Dondochakka said that they would look for her but we haven't heard back from either of them. I should have asked Nee-sama for a map."

"It was going to be outdated anyway." Renji used his left hand to straighten and steady himself as he stood up with a slumped posture. "We didn't have time for that shit anyhow. If the Head Captain finds out that Byakyua let us go, he'll fire him for dereliction of duty and disobeying orders." Renji gave her a haughty smirk. "And that's if he's lucky. I sincerely doubt the Nobility has that kind of power in wartime."

Rukia made a fist and tried to punch Renji, who dodged deftly. Rukia chased after him. "What's the matter Lady Kuchiki?" He said laughing up a storm. That's not very delicate or lady like."

Their fighting grew indistinct as Uryu silently cursed his stupidity. Why did he think that was even a possibility? If she was here she would have been in plainview, smiling, beaming, chirping at all of them through conversation, talking to them through her own personal language (Uryu decided to call it "Orihimese") that only Tatsuki could understand and not very fluently. His waking dream must have fucked him up more then he'd figured.

"So who healed all of us? Nel?"

Uryu meant that sarcasm as a sally. Everybody immediately went cranberry red. Ichigo, Renji, Chad and even Rukia's faces become rosy and flustered. This was not the response he was expecting. Oddly enough Chad was the first to pipe up. "Dude you want to know don't ask, just forget about it."

Suddenly he got a bad feeling through his spine, causing him to send out his reiatsu in response. Uryu felt the Hollow before he saw it. It's spiritual pressure was massive, the biggest he has ever sensed from one. It had to be Espada level. The woman made an odd figure, it's buxom and shapely figure accented by the green rags barely covering her mostly exposed frame.

The mask of a Ram adorned the top of her head like some sort of helm, with the face underneath being attractive but with a scarred nose, hazel eyes and lines of crimson that seemed to be painted with a brush under her eyes.

To his immense shock she smiled happily, giggling like a little kid. Hi Ishida san-

AAAAGH! The archer roared and his muscles tensed as he gathered up his Reiastu at the new threat. Uryu immediately aimed his bow and fired a dozen arrows, but the Hollow easily evaded the volley.

He was quickly restrained by his nakama. "Uryu quit it, that's Nel!"

Uryu glasses fell from his face as his arms were scrunched, stopping him from keeping the ill fitted spectacles on the bridge of nose. "What do you mean it's Nel? Nel's a child!" Uryu was beyond confused.

"Well now she isn't!" Ichigo konked Uryu on the head, the proceeded to give him a noogie. "She was the one who saved our asses so I suggest you apologize to her!"

Shooting first and asking questions later is something Uryu would have expected Ichigo to do but he was much too confused to comprehend the irony.

But before Uryu could ask her any questions, something distracted the young Quincy. More specifically a change in the Holow's body langauge.

For suddenly Nel's eyes went hard as slate and her mouth stood agape, before closing into a dangerous frown.

We're being watched, Nel finally answered. Everyone tensed up in response with their weapons drawn, ready to be prepared for another fightl

"By who?" Uryu asked, Ginrei Kojaku reforming easily in his hand

"I know exactly who." Nel pulled her blade out out of the sand, an aura of Reiatsu as wide as a barrel surrounding the edges of her frame and shooting up high into sky like a golden tornado. "I just killed him."

.

.

.

Unbeknownst to the shapely harridan slaughtering and making a mess of his toys, a pale shadow watched the carnage, witnessing the massacre through coal black eyes the shape of tiny little buttons and as thin as a pin.

Usually they were not as sharp as a pin but the eyes that had once belong to a pudgy oaf now belong to a beautiful being blossoming inside a chrysalis made primarily out of yellow fatty acids and rich T-Cells, all while enveloped in an embryonic caul and umbilical cord that wrapped around his body like a bundle , spiraling around Verona's brain stem like an snake.

He can hear his remaining Fraccion's final wisps of synapses, feel the basic primal sensation of petrification, his humiliation, their retarded half thoughts as struggled in vain to comprehend the glory and greatness growing fat, hearty, and plump as it leeched the nutrients necessary to grow out of the ambiotic sphere encasing his fragile fetus.

Once he was reborn, he would make sure those tasty subjects wouldn't slide out of his maw again. No more toying with food, he was going to vivisect them and make them a part of his masterpiece.

He planned a particularly sharp lesson for that Banshee Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. He had spared the ungrateful bitch when Nnoitira was ready to use her as a pump for his long disgusting gentailia, She dare make a fool out of someone as brilliant and handsome as him? Oh Nel, have you any idea what gate to Hell you have released? What pain I shall inflict on you, not only for harming my gorgeous body, not just for depriving me of such tasty test subjects but also for destroying MY CREATIONS!

She was just on the top of the list. The Shinigami, the Quincy, whatever that human was, he would not allow them to escape the creativity of his mind and the hollow place of his belly.

Oh just thinking about the loss of such delectable subjects made him think of a idiom Aizen said was much popular in the World Of The Living… What was it? Oh right. it was the straw that broke the Camel's back, such a queer expression!

As a result, Szayel just couldn't take much joy in his survival. And the Incubation of his glorious body inside his left overs was not going at the breakneck speed he wished. If he had a less malformed vessel then things would have gone more smoothly.

But no. He had to be left with the scraps.

What's worse the moron would have gotten killed if his brain hadn't taken over in time. It was the exact same time Szayel realized that all of his other Fraccion were butchered so casually by the woman with the abnormally large mammary glands.

Szayal wasn't angry. Oh no, no, no. That word didn't cover the feeling he was receiving. If his blood could boil and his flesh roil through his parchment like skin, then even that wasn't enough to understand his rage! He was sure that that would have happen as well if Nel hadn't suddenly apporated in front of him.

His blood had steamed well past the point of boiling, he would have spontaneously combusted if Nel hadn't shown up so discorteously

Szayel did a backflip then crawled backwards on his knee's horrified. A part of Verona's natural reflexes most have at one point been used as a mating dance or a chance to size up prey. Whether it had been either, there was no chance in Hell Szayel could allow any more reflexes to emerge .

So he immediately took full possession of Verona's mind and body. He had severed it almost too close because the doctor sensed that the pill shaped mistake was about to get it's pudgy body disembowled. Or rather at this moment, he would get disembowled.

"Nel Sama! He piped taking mastery of Verona's vocal chords. Verona wants to know what Nel-sama is doing back, that he does, that he does!"

To Szayel's infinite surprise, Nel smiled warmly. It was definitely because of this ugly sack of garbage that he was alive. He swore that he'd turn Verona into a toilet when he revived him.

But he had a part to play if he wanted to live to pass on his superior genes.

Nel pointed to the bundle of dolls he grasped in his hand. "Mind if I take those? Granz-san said it was okay."

No he didn't! To say Szayel was reluctant was putting it lightly. If he gave up the dolls he had no way of defending himself. His resserection was going to cost him dearly because it came from such a weak body. And it wasn't female either, meaning that he was using glue to repair a brick house.

Szayel was tempted to smash the dolls then and there. His hand begun to squeeze but he stopped. He realized then he cared more about his own life then acting in a Greek Tragedy.

So he replied, "Yes, Nel-sama it would be my pleasure to aid you. I apologize for the inconvenience." He did a little curtsy.

Nel frowned and Szayel realized that he fucked up. Verona wasn't capable of such higher vocabulary. But the looked passed when Szayel smiled through Verona's cheeks and outstretched the spindly arm holding the dolls. Nel walked towards the possessed lump of fatty tissue, gently took the dolls out of his hand, before clutching them with one arm and turning her back on him.

Goodbye Verona. Then the woman was gone.

Szayel was lucky that Nelliel Tu Odelschwank was a idiot. She was only intelligent by the admittedly dismal standards of their race. But she had long since forgotten where she came from.

The chat wasn't all bad. After all he was now almost to full term.

Verona writhed and shook, sensing the pain that was about to come. He was fighting, having more will power then Szayel thought he did. That was when Szayel lost control of his left side.

Verona tried to speak but it came out as a garbled mess due to to having full function of only half a mouth. He punched at his stomach, something Szayel could feel both in outside and inside.

Szayel was completely astonished that this was happening. Astonishment quickly turned to rage at the impertinance of the act, such ingratitude! There was no way he was going to lose this time. Especially to this vermin.

A bit of his cheek was bitten off by the back molars, filling his soft mouth with a fetid, rank juice that his Fraccion's blood was made of, it made no matter the fight was won.

Verona fell to his knees and cradled his swollen stomach, the suffering only being surpassed by the artificial twisting of nerves to keep him quiet.

His thoughts were mostly untelligable, complete gibberish sprinkled on top nonsense. But one phrase was repeated enough for the eugenicist to understand.

Why… He whispered, such a small thing with a small voice telepathically communicated.

Verona attempted to scream but it was futile. His throat was completely muffled by the being wiggling inside of it. His skin wrinkled, his flesh puckered and withered, his blood was exsanguinated and his brain was sucked clean of his simple consciousness.

Shrunken, elongated like a snake and crumpled up like paper, the doctor emerged of the cretins espohogas curled up in a ball midair.

He landed lightly on his feet, his sculpted figure basking in the sun like a bronze statuette.

The wind had never been the most forceful of lovers but the kisses it sent were pleasant enough, quickly drying the afterbirth off of his nude frame.

But he didn't have time to enjoy the gentle pinpricks. He had to escape and hope for the best.

He walked a couple yards before his brisk pace was interupted by a voice.

"Ahem."

Szayel froze disbelieving. You got to be fucking kidding. He slowly racked his head behind him and saw the worse possible thing that could have happened to him at the worst time and the exact wrong place.

Nel had returned.

Nel had spotted him.

Nel had through him.

And she had come back with with friends.

Though obviously enraged, Szayel suspected that not all of those ruddy blushes were from primal rage. Though Nel face remained stoic and unmoved, the brunette woman with the petite attractive body of a slightly pubescent child, stuggled to keep her gaze off of… Certain parts.

Szayel couldn't help but chuckle. "Your first time seeing a man naked? I didn't know shinigami were so sexually naive-"

WHOOSH THUNK

Szayel felt a sharp biting pain in his shoulder, specifically his right. Szayel yelped in pain. His color bone shattered embeding itself into his deltoid and nearly slicing his trapezious in half. As the pain became more intense, the doctor couldn't help bet let loose a shameful scream.

"Tell me Hollow…" The quincy said softly full of resolute rage and resolve. "Can a creature without a heart like yourself feel fear?"

Szayel gawked at the Quincy, horrified, surrounded and about to be torn to pieces by a gang of callow progeny.

He didn't have a chance in hell of beating them in a battle of attrition, and he didn't have the time to think up of some strategem. He had to call upon the other hollows and hope that he could get away before they had a chance to be promoted.

Szayel quietly released his reiatsu, having it spread through the surrounding area like a toxic gas. But instead of evaporating with the reishi, it let out a irresistably pure strain of Hollow pheromones. As long as there were hollows above ground, they be forcibly compelled to come here. Of course the higher Espade would experience only mild arousal and be more annoyed then under his control but all he wanted a thick shield of flesh to make his escape.

All Szayel had to do was let the wind carry the gas and he'd have help in less then ten seconds

Szayel huffed, then laughed wildly, more shrill and manic then haughty and confident. His enemies didn't seem to notice the tone of the chuckling, being more concerned at what the doctor was planning now. He heard the one know as Chad ask in a low grumble what he was planning now.

My last resort, he thought to himself, hiding his gloom with an act of cocky reverance. "Funny that you should ask moi! Why don't you ask the licentious, debaucherous and lets not forget dissolute mob of inbred brothers and sisters coming to help me." He flung his hands to the side, confident in his victory

Nel seemed to redden from the exposure but other then that nothing happened. Szayel's face fell in baffled confusion as he struggled to make sense of this. What! Those pheromones can go ten killometers in less then twenty seconds any hollow above ground would have, they would have…

Oh no.

Szayel opened his mouth in horror as he realized why their were no hollows. Aizen had begun his invasion and left him here. And he… He had turned off all of the radio's to focus on his ballet, his glorious act of theater, his-

WHOOSH. THUNK

Another arrow struck his flesh, this time his leg. The fissure in the femur made him unsteady, and resulted in him having to land on one knee.

"Uryu stop!"

Nel grasped the dominant hand that held the bow, gently twisting the spiderweb like contraction of Reishi down towards her person. He tried to writhe out but only managed to shoot a arrow down directly into the grains.

Ichigo grabbed Uryu by the cuff of his suit, then with the other hand gripped him tightly. "What the hell do ypu think you're doing?"

Uryu glared back, pushing Ichigo off of him. He gritted his teeth, snarling. "Are you serious Kurosaki? You think that inhuman creature is worthy of mercy after what he did to you?"

"That's not the point!" Ichigo swung a fist at him, but the pint sized Shinigami got in between the bickering pair. Given the frozen veneer of serenity and maturity encapsulated in her face, she seemed to be the most masculine and mature of the group.

She held them aloft from each other, pushing them apart with a countenance of intense irritation made apparent by her furrowed brow and pursed lips.

"Will both of you please calm down! You're acting like children! Have you forgotten why we are here? Do you think the first thing Orihime would like to see after we rescue her is you too fighting!" The voice of the Shinigami cut through the air dngerously like a knife.

I think that's my cue to leave, Szayel thought as the black bird squawked noisly at the rowdy fruit that seemed much shorter then his true length. He took a few steps backwards but a WHOOSH signified that someone has used a movement technique to box him.

It was too static to be Shunpo. That's Sonido, Szayel though wirh rising horror. He couldn't help but freeze.

The little raven turned her head to Uryu, her disposition calmer. "He's right Uryu." The brunette child replied. "Though I promise he will die, if you stoop to his level then you are no better then him!"

Uryu sighed and mumbled some sort of apology to the group, the most hypocritical display of conscience that he would ever see. Then they moved.

They were only a couple paces from where he knelt but those paces seemed to slow and reverberate queerly within his own perception of time.

Szayel started to huff shakily, his naked knees trembling as panic seeped into his bones. No! I just got reborn, I'm too perfect to die like this! Not now, not to them, not anytime! Szayel's skull was utterly baffled at what was happening, for once being unable to think.

He hand no access to his toys and he wasn't nearly strong enough to kill even the weakest of them. Szayel silently cursed not only his enemies but also the man whose shadow had transformed Hueco Mundo, creating a false sunrise that engulfed the empty hearts and gave knowledge to their primeval and primitive minds but in the end all his race could do but bask in the dark.

Aizen had made him smarter then the rest of his messy experiments but left him to die and wither in the valley of desolation and destruction, a meager and torturous land scorched and abandoned by the Shinigami. It figured that what a thousand Shinigami had done to his race, one Shingami promised to undo, only for those promises to turn to dust their dry mouth's and ash in their empty bloated bellies.

Szayel had always considered himself a shrewd survivor, who had rightfully rose above his-It weren't even fit to compare the rest of his species to him but in the end just another pile of biological ooze to be wiped clean after it had failed to

Wait…

A pale face with orange hair flashed through his brain. Like some sort of camera face sped by revealing a nude voluptuous body. A white grin flashed through the darkness, making him shiver uneasedly, a feeling much like shame and empathy that he hadn't felt in such a long time.

But why?

That was beside the point, he thought as he realized that he could now loosen the strangling noose around his neck. He had only one chance. He had to get to Orihime Inoue. Even if she wasn't here- No she was here, Szayel could sense her reiatsu. It was quite a pleasant miasma, drifting through the air, thickening snd mixing with the Reishi, Her Reiastu was powerful even from the other side of Aizen's castle.

Szayel put forth his best begging face, mixed with a dash of actual fear for good measure. "Please! Don't kill me! I-I have information regarding Aizen! Isn't that what you want? To defeat him!"

"Silence. You are a monster and nothing can ever pardon what you have done either now or in the past. We will not allow any future transgressions. In the name of the Soul Society-"

"-The honor of the Quincy." The wannabe knight proclaimed, priming his net like bow and aiming directly at his chest.

"-Human decency." The dark skinned man grumbled with a ponderous exchange of rough vocals.

"-We Sentence you to death!" They said simultaneously., ready to unleash their fury onto his noble frame

Szayel had to speak now or he was wormsmeat. "Oh really nothing can pardon me you say? There's nothing that can rescue my life from the end of a blade… Even the wereabouts of one Orihime Inoue?"

The Ryoka froze and their eyes piked up in shock, as they ran towards the scientist, hope in their innocent child like orbs.

I got them.

"Where is she!" That was the only word of the mass buzzing he could understand properly. Everything else just appeared to be nothing more then the mass gibberish of irritating imbeciles trying to talk all at once.

"First of all enough with the piping pillow talk. Secondly I shall be happy to take you to her… But only in exchange for my life." Szayel said it as quickly as he could. This was no time to mince words or else he would be minced throughly into a slosh like pate.

"What? You coward tell us where she is!" That remark seem to be called out in unison. Szayel realized then that everyone of these hormone filled jackasses were completely indistinguishable from the other, just cliché archetypes of theatric tropes that they desperately longed to be.

The scientist couldn't help but respond with a gargantuan, gloating grin. "Kill me and you won't find her corpse for decades even if you were to live that long. Let me live and I'll lead you to her." Szayel cocked one of his delicately manicured eyebrows to show how non truculent he was being. Unless you think you can find her on your own?

Szayel took great, grand satisfaction from their panicked faces, so saccharine, their tears of joy more akin to honey then salt.

They all glared at the scientist suspiciously, taking a brief moment to chew on his proposition. They probably wouldn't like the taste but their pleasure was not the

"What if we were to torture you to make you talk." Ichigo said finally.

Giving the aghast expressions on his companions faces and the afterglow of disgust ingrained on the bitter strawberry's face, it was just a rather immature bluff that slid out with a roll of the tongue in the heat of the moment.

So idiotic you fool thinking you can bluff a master actor. None of you have what it takes to do what needs to be done in order to win, so don't act surprised when I test how long your naked flesh can survive until it hardens and calcifies once I flay the dermis and epidermis off of you.

That was providing Inoue left him enough to tinker with. Somehow he anticipated a change of alliegence if he didn't lose his head a second time.

"Oh I'm afraid we both know you all have too much humanity to pull that off. Besides…" Szayel bemt down, then twisted the Reishi arrow in his calf before carefully yanking it out. You and your companions are a abject failure at torture. "You just… Don't have…. The proper skill."

They all looked at him in complete repulsion, at once horrified and disgusted by his response. He inwardly rolled his eyes. The scientist didn't expect these cretins to even begin to comprehend why he did the things he did. They were acting with morose shock that someone can peck at a fly's wings and pull it apart… When every race was capable of such wanton cruelty and devilish mischief.

He guessed that was why he disliked non hollow's so much. Hollows may have been nothing but the sum of their parts, that philosophy remaining even after they were cloaked in the form of civililty. But at least they were honest with what they were.

They didn't attempt to conceal their true nature's behind the veil of Chivarly, justify encasing someone in a cage or executing them as justice, nor hide and suppress their lust behind picturesque idealism, and when the one of them that alone reveals reveals the arrogance of putting trust in such blind superstition, they want ignore the potential realization and- Well hide their heads in the sand.

The one who's hair took the shape of a pineappple covered in a females menstrual fluid broke the silence. "You weren't so good at taking pain when Uryu shot your ass! I remember you crying like a bitch!" He laughed the mocking cocksure laugh of someone desperately trying to shake the suffocating feeling of discontent off of their once weightless shoulders.

"I wasn't crying. I was enraged that you dared to do anything to my body with my consent. I assure you if you had gone with me to my lab, what I'd have you do seems much more creative then stabbing me with your tanto." Renji scowled but the doctor wouldn't give him the time to exact his uncreative vengence upon his body

"But if we had reached a agreement then…" The scientist stuck out his tongue and wiggled it, blocking the sound of pain as she removed the arrow. "Then I shall take you to your Princessa."

"No."

Suddenly a blade was at Szayel's throat, the steel kissing his adam's apple and jugalar. Fuck I forgot about her! There was no way he could possibly persuade her into accepting his offer. Unlike the children before him, she actually had know how deceitful he was.

To both his pleasure and dismay, Ichigo placed himself directly in the front of him, a rather lean handsome shield of chisled herculean flesh. "Nel what the hell!" Ichigo said defensively, shocked that Nel would ruin his chance to grasp those lovely mounds of flesh that both the old and the new Orihime Inoue had a abundance of. Or at least that his interpretation, Szayel didn't particularly understand sentimentallity.

Szayel could also tell that line between Hollow and human were slowly breaking.

"Ichigo." Nel explained patiently. "You don't know him like I do-

"You think I don't know that!" The ripe strawberries mouth was angry but his eyes were pleading and begging for her to allow this, queerly shaken by the idea that they could lose someone emotionally important to him.

When the Quincy came to his defense, Szayel knew how essential this one woman was to their mental well being.

"I don't like it any more then you," Uryu exclaimed, "If I had a choice I'd crucify him and watch him die screaming. But we don't have a choice do we?" The rest joined in and Szayel ceased paying attention.

What lovely knights to come to my aid, Szayel thought sarcastically. Given how annoying and petty these containers of licentious hormones were, Szayel seriously considered just killing himself there and now, just to allieviate his suffering. But then a Hollow Bug crawled on his foot, snapping him out of his fancy,

He upturned his foot sideways but it stayed on, forcing him to smash it with the bottom of his other foot. Eugh. Now he had bug leavings all over his dainty and delicate feet. And they were still aruging.

"We do have a choice!" Nel snapped as their accusing eyes fell upon her. Szayel couldn't believe fate had given another golden opportunity

For the first time, Nelliel Tu Odelschwank looked uncomfortable. At least, in a way that she let visualize on her bone structure, with the slump in her posture and panic in her face. And it wasn't because of what he did or whether or not he was leading her into a trap. These new compatriots of hers must be weighing her down. The shaggy haired doe always looked for someone to loyally follow, so anxious to please, too eager to prove that she wasn't like her inhuman brothers and sisters.

And now that she met actual humans… Well it didn't take a review of basic psychology to know how much of her insecurity was being inflamed. And it also wouldn't take much to twist her weak point until she conceded for mercy.

"Do it then." Szayel said confidently.

Szayel took great pleasure in the countenance of surprise of the Amazonian warrior's stern but childlike face. While it was certainly accurate and fairly verifiable that he was a colorful fabulist, there was no way the scientist was going to die the first time he told to truth.

"Kill me and you'll never find the girl. Such a sweet young maiden as well… Tell me Nel can you possibly live knowing that you left a girl who was innocent in more ways then one to die? Do you think she can fine the food and water caches on her own? Or escape the hunger and lust of our mutual brothers and sisters?"

"You may have been here since almost the beginning and know the landscape almost as much as I do but can you travel the wide breadth of Las Noches, observe every rock and stone tree in a short enough time not only to save the princess but also fight all the mauraders and vagobond . What about the two espada above you? Or his Shingami pets. Or even the king who you once promised your life and body to ,but now have irrecably forsaken?"

For once his nemesis was at a lost. It was genuinely amusing to see the cogs try and turn in a different direction in a foiled attempt to revive the broken and rusted machinery that could potentially see a way out of this. Nel knew that he was holding something back… And she couldn't do a thing about it. It appeared that spurning of Aizen's goodwill didn't give her exactly what she wanted.

Now she was in a democracy and the majority, even if it consisted of a shallow uninformed rabble, rules.

Nel's head bent down to her ample chest, sighing as she finally admitted defeat.

Exaulting, Szayel chuckled. Oh my beautiful Amazon. I may have set the trap but it was you who willingly stepped into it. Szayel was in such a good mood he didn't hear the little girl cast her spell.

Szayel blinked at what sounded like a bullwhip being cracked, before said whip coiled around him, constricting like some sort of golden serpent and wrapping around his body like the many strands of rope he had made his Fraccion pleasure him with.

Szayel eye's widened, his intelligence offended yet again. He tried to move but the tiny raven quickly wrapped the loose strand of reishi rope around her arm then pulled it towards her with her free hand. Szayel tried to escape but that just made the bindings dig deeper into his flesh, the tissue useless as he was tugged towards the Shinigami against his will.

It was the short woman's turn to gloat. Her mouth open a smile that would have unnerved the eugenicist if he hadn't seen many a time in his reflection. "You think that we just let you roam free after what you did to us and Ichigo? We'll give you your life… But that doesn't mean we're going to trust you. And we both know what Nel is going to do if you refuse."

Szayel clenched his teeth. She was bluffing but there was nothing he could do about it. Nel herself was smiling wanly, obviously amused by this arrangement that joy at his humluation was unquestionably the only thing keeping Nel from cutting his throat into a ruby smile.

Of course this was going to happen, why didn't think about. He must have been enjoying himself too much to set out a list of demands. His damn showboating had gotten him bound to these chains, by all rights he should be out thinking these wastes of perfectly good neurons.

Yet again they had outmaneuvered him.

They were talking amongst, actually smiling as hope was blooming like mushrooms. They played a bit of rock paper scissors, Szayel didn't know why until the most irritating and tormenting of the bunch grabbed his leash.

"Lead the way!" The asinine redhead chirped, swaggering as if he had the upper hand.

Nel suddenly got closer then he would have liked, then leaned in to whisper in his ear, her voice low and quiet like a lover. "If you are lying and you hurt any of my friends I swear to god I will make certain that this time you die screaming."

That knocked Szayel out of his black delerium, causing a chuckle to emerge unbidden out of his throat. So much for the pacifism that she worshipped… Though he reckoned that once she had abadoned her liege, blessing humanity appeared to be a much more loving if somewhat futile idol to worship.

He figured that he could suffer the brutes as long as he got a front seat to the catastrophe that awaited them.

.

.

.

Something was wrong.

Nel's gut intuition and cognitive reasong were in sync. Her suspicion of Szayel's intentions were certainly not unfounded but the bastard had manipulated the lot of them to follow him to some foul tap he had created.

He wasn't the only one who was gifted with machiveilian intelligence. The Ninth Espada also had an adept silver tongue and "hyper intelligence" to outwit his compatriots to survive.

The way most of her fellow brood's idea of promoting themselves were brute force. And why wouldn't that work? Anyone who wasn't strong enough to survive was weak and needed to be culled, in order for the race to continue on. That was the philosophy of the Hollow., ingrained in them even after they became civilized.

That safe barbarous mindset seemed to work. How else would they rationalize following the enemy of their race but in response to strength?

The only way to promote to the top was assassinating the numbers above you. There were suicide attacks, duels, ambushes and rivalry's transcribed into the history of Aizen's army then even she could remember.

She hated herself for admitting this but this actually served a quite ingenious purpose. If a hollow were to be killed by the next generation of Arrancar, then it was clear that this batch were the ones with the superior abilities. And if that Arrancar failed then it was just a case of a failed experiment.

This also served a practical purpose of preventing dissent in the ranks. If any Arrancar proved mettlesome or too rebellious for Aizen's liking then he was would simply hint to his other loyal Arrancar that he favored them better then that loose end. It was a way of getting rid of the competition without losing the veneer of politeness.

That was what really made Nel disillusioned with Aizen's ideals. He had given the impression of a messiah, a prophet, a savior that would end the countless nights of bloodshed. He had reincarnated them, gave them the shape of men and women, had single handedlly given back their humanity.

Nel really believed that he would rescue them from this barren land of ash and waste. That not only would he give them homes that were neither ruin or tunnel but also teach them to build homes. It was too good to be true that they would replace black birds that chased them away from the light.

The man had persisted in the lie that all he wanted was to make the world the way it should be, and not the way it was.

The moment she had realization was when she first returned to her true form. And oddly, despite having been so devoted him, Nel didn't want to cry. He was just disappointed.

But a battle of might was quickly overtaken by a battle of wits and both Aaronierro and Szayelapporo knew that. Instead of trying to fight a battle they couldn't possibly win, they instead continued on with the pursuit of knowledge and expounding of logic Aizen had imbued them with. Only a few, including Nel herself had taken the initiative to do so.

But instead of nourishing their humanity, they sought the destruction of it. They played mindgames, they used their newfound cunning to aid in their goals, often helping those less intelligent then him with their promotions to the upper ranks, only to be disposed of when they outgrew their role in Szayel's chestboard.

Not one of them saw him coming. She and many others had been too blinded by hubris and pride to see the worms ingraiating themselves in the shadows.

That was exactly why Nel would ever trust him. She was always given the feeling that everyone around him was just another pawn, even Aizen. She had told him so once but he brushed it off.

She focused her attention on the strange, orange haired boy and brave companions. That brought a smile to her face.

The truth was, Nel had come to the conclusion that the continuing shared racism between the two were utterly pointless. Shedding more blood was not going to make the chasm any less wide and instead would entrench their races in a perpetual stalemate, unable to reach a compromise.

Aizen for better or… No there was no worse. Whether he had intended so, Aizen had given them a once in a lifetime chance to mend the eons old wound, not with salt but with salve.

How easily Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo had reached a report with her despite their obvious predijuces were more then enough empirical proof.

It could happen and she would fight to the death to make it so.

It was a added bonus that despite traveling leagues of arid desert, the only thing that came out of the eighth Espada's mouth was a complaint that his calves were getting sore.

Nel hoped this meant that he got the message that any provocation even accidental could result in his immediate demise…

… Or maybe he was counting the lack of Hollows in the area. Which there was none. That probably meant they were being led into a trap.

Trap or not, one godsend she would thank Szayel for was that his vow of silence meant that there was no one to interrupt Nel's getting to know her new companions.

Without Szayel's venom soaked tongue, there was nothing to fill the empty air but mostly cheerful chatter amongst themselves, liked they had know each other their entire lives.

At first, Nel only had eyes for Ichigo, trusting and loving him above the others, but before long she got a bead on them.

Rukia for instance, to her immense surprise did infact dwell in the Seireitei like all Shinigami. But both she and Renji originating in the Rukongai, specifically Inuzuri. Nel had heard about the poor conditions of the Soul Society's ghetto's but was in disbelief that anyone could suffer as bad as in Hueco Mundo.

To her immense surprise, Rukia had laughed in agreement.

Nel slowed her pace and glanced at the ground, staring listlessly at her bare feet. She hadn't meant it as a joke. Though she didn't exactly see it, regret covered Rukia's face like a veil.

Rukia then tugged at her shorn sleeve to get her attention. "Nelliel-san. I apologize for any offense. You've been through a lot and I had no right to insult your home."

Despite herself, Nel giggled at that.

It was so absurd! Even those who were ranked below her were incapable of making a apology unless it was back handed in some way. The Arrancar followed by fear instead of respect, just waiting for a chance to move up to the top.

It was just so silly, so ironic, that something as simple as a apology seemed so foreign to her, especially coming from someone who supposed to be her most bitter enemy, it just resulted in a sun filled smile.

"Don't worry Rukia-san I understand! Any place where there's sunlight is superior to this boring old place… But may I ask you a favor."

Rukia smiled curiously. "Shoot."

Nel didn't know where to begin. "Well you see… We were only allowed to grow esstential for basic nutrition. Things like carrots, cabbages, rice, wheat… We were never able to grow things like trees and flowers."

Nel had spent so much time at Aizen's side that she never got a chance to exit Hueco Mundo. Sure Aizen had given her miniture trees called "bonsai" along with a plethora of flower buds.

But the sun in Las Noches wasn't really up to the task and Nel still wanted more.

Rukia closed her eyes and chuckled. "Well there are plenty of plants in my brothers garden! I'd be happy to invite you to our estate and we can take a stroll, just uou and me! Rukia's eyes suddenly tilted to the side, and appeared to gaze rather far away, like she staring at something that was both beside her and beneath her.

Usually, Nel's adroit knowledge of reading peoples faces would have kicked in but a certain word had stoked her imagination.

That word was "estates."

Nel gasped. "Are you a lady of nobility?" Nel had to make sure.

Rukia rested the back of her neck on her hand, looking rather embarassed. "Well… Techniquely yes but-

Nel gave a squeal of delight. In a display of obvious maturity, Nel excitedly clutched Rukia's to her watermelon sized rack, earning odd blushes from the males.

Particularly Renji, who not only had blood dribbling down from his nose but also had a dopey smile on his face.

Sadly for him, he wouldn't enjoy this moment for long as Rukia had wrenched free from her embrace in enough time to see the look of lust of his face.

"Oh no, Renji's hurt!" Nel was worried but Rukia stopped her from going to Renji with a raised hand.

"Don't worry he's fine. Just… Wait here please." Rukia told her with a dangerous edge to her voice that made the hair on her neck stand.

Renji didn't see what was coming. He didn't see her stomping towards him nor take in the context clues that meant Rukia was mad for some reason.

By the time the anger registered it was too late to dodge or run away. All Renji could do was meekly raised his hands up to protect his face from Rukia's bicycle kick.

Szayel wasn't pleased either, as he was attached to the male Shinigami. So when Renji was kicked into a dune, so was Szayel.

A quick burst of Sonido was all it took to catch up to the pair. Nel was more concerned that the pink haired rat could potentially escape. So as he was getting up, Nel latched onto the rope, making sure he didn't get any ideas about escaping.

Meanwhile…

"Damn it Rukia I said I was sorry!"

"Sorry? Does the idea of me suffucating turn you on?" Renji blushed and looked away, earning a howl from Rukia. This caused Rukia's face to get even redder.

"Baka!" Then Renji was put into a headlock.

Nel was confused. He could tell that they liked each other, even Rukia was noogiing him while she in turn was getting her hair pulled. Why were they denying it through aggression?

Shinigami and humans are weird.

After everything calmed down, Rukia seemed back to normal, even though she still sent Renji a couple dirty looks every now and again.

"So yeah, after the war is over I will personally escort you to the garden, Sereitei Communication named the most zen and astetically pleasing for three years in a row!" Rukia beamed, while Renji rolled his eyes and cocked a finger gun to his head.

After the war… That discomforted her more then she cared to admit. Nelliel Tu Odelscwank had spent her life knowing that unless she got lucky she was probably going to die. She always tried to forget but sometimes it came upon her suddenly.

When she was reading, when she was training, when she was alone, when she was with her with her fraccion, she could never escape the purpose Aizen had set out for.

Nel querried that this was probably one of the reasons she was loyal to Aizen for so long. Nel thought she was legitimately happy.

It seemed so bizarre that something she had been preparing her whole life for was really not her choice to befin with.

Rukia must have noticed her laggardly whispered a few words to Uryu, then pulled him by the collar, with him looking quite uncomfortable.

Nel understood that. Though it wasn't of remembered, there was a time where Quincies were hated more then Shinigami.

"Uryu would like to tell you something."

Uryu chimed in. "I'd be happy to make you a dress for the occasion."

Nel beamed happily, a giddy exclamation of joy coming out of her throat, singing. "You're a seamistress?"

Uryu nodded. "Well.. I guess so. I'm the top sewer at the Handicrafts Club."

Nel was a bit baffled at the queer customs of the World Of The Living. Aizen had collected literature an absolute treasure trove of both digital and paper works of art, not only from his home but also from the World Of The Living.

They had come in two genres, some from the "West" and some from the "East.". Nel enjoyed the western works and the most and her ideas of both Heaven and Earth came from thus materials.

Uryu chuckled, snapping Nel out of her reverie, closing his eyes and rubbing his chin. "Yeah I actually make most of my own clothes."

"Did you make your Quincy uniform?" Uryu nodded again.

Chad who been almost completely silent up to this point, finally piped up. "I wouldn't recommend them. His style is kind of odd. Chad sounded stoic and rather disinterested in the whole affair." Nel couldn't seem to get a read on him like the others, other then he was close to Ichigo and Inoue, he was shy and often let others do the talking for him.

Uryu seemed to know that the brown giant was teasing but still the archer took some offense at the remark.

"I personally think it's kinda cool." Nel proclaimed.

He had a rather strange response to a simple compliment. Uryu fidgeted nervously with his lenses, a queer red tint shining through the skin on his face as his breath fogged up the glasses

"I-I-I-Its no problem. I have to repay you somehow." He laughed nervously and twiddled

But no mater how cheerful they pretended to be a shadow still hung over the group, a dark cloud with light shining out of it.

Orihime Inoue was that bright shadow, a permeating silence that hung somehow both acrid and pudget, yet flowery and sweet.

Nel shook her head. That wasn't fair, it was a cruel thought. Nel didn't know the girl; only knowing that her name meant Pricessa, her namesake had been ingrained in Soul Society mythology and based on her friends reminiscence.

They seemed overjoyed to jump at the chance to talk about the young woman. Some of them even showed them still images and video they had taken of the girl.

If her hunch was correct, then this girl was sweeter and kinder then anyone in Huedo Mundo, a perfect product of her world.

Nelliel was actually getting more and more excited to meet Orihime at the moment. She sincerely doubted that Ichigo and the company he kept were telling fibs or exaggerating her niceties. Somehow in this motely crew of odd characters, she seemed to be the oddest. Not because of her gross recipes or her wild imagination, but because she seemed to be an oddly neutral anomaly when compared with the martialness of the fighters

Then the conversation turned a bit sour.

Renji asked a question that seemed reasonable but he didn't look comfortable to outright say it, pausing everytime he attempted to begin. Are we sure that she was forced to come here?

Everyone paused. That body language was how Nel knew the question had been at the back of their minds.

Rukia appeared the more incensed looking like she was about to break his leg all over again. Not rage out of jealously or but legitimate rage.

"Renji-" Rukia's voice tried to warn

"No, hear me out Rukia! You said Inoue-san felt like the burden of the group. What if Aizen promised to give her powers?"

Silence felled. Even Rukia seemed at a lost for words.

"That doesn't matter!" Ichigo exclaimed. "I don't care why she came, I'm not going to leave her to die!"

Uryu agreed. "Even if that was correct Abarai-san..." He paused, considering his next words carefully. "We won't let anyone hurt her. Not Aizen, not your Captain-Commander. If they have problems with that arrangement, then they have to go through us."

The warrior pretended to agree along but inside she was troubled more then she wanted to show. Nel had made the connection herself, it really wasn't hard to make she really could take the reigns of a airhead that had a hole poked through.

Even hearing about her second hand, Nel know that the simularities between the two women were absolutely fetching, almost akin to being two halves of the same coin.

Though they were both pacifists, there was one big difference between the two of them and that consisted of the environment they both had been born in. Nel was taught to put fighting, learning about fighting, and teaching herself the different philosophies of war…

Orihime Inoue didn't really have the chance to be ruined by militarism. She had born in a world of relative peace, and that was the seed of her heart. Or at least, according to the people who knew her the most.

Everything from her alleged temperment to her healing abillity was quite contrary to the landscape she'd been painted in.

Nel knew the truth. She didn't belong here. She was just a hastily and shoddily sculpted doppleganger of the true final link in the chain that bound this quarrelsome band of rowdy travellers together. Soon the melancholy grew great, enclosing over the like a enormous cape once again causing the group to grow silent.

But still… She knew she owed it to the girl to save her. It might have been something as altruistic as the connection that spun a thread between them or something as selfish as a need to pay Ichigo back for all the kindness she had received unbidden. Either way a gentle spirit like that deserved to be protected and stoked instead of imprisoned snuffed out.

Nel also felt she needed to stop this pointless bloodshed between their races. Aizen's vanity would do nothing to close the wounds. If he lost, then her race was doomed to die out amongst the ruins of her home for all eternity, no change or hope for the sorrow to ever be resolved.

And if Aizen won… Then innocent beings who had done nothing to get involved with the blood feud were going to suffer after the genocide of the Shinigami

Then they got to the subject of how she had healed the group. Nel didn't quite understand what the problem was. Sure it was gross but it was necessary for them to survive

That wasn't the problem though. The problem was that they seemed not to be sickened but rather bashful. Nel didn't quite understand. Sure she had read plenty of tales about love, but they had the countenance of Arrancar how had just mated with each other.

It wasn't just the spit thing. Sometimes when she hugged Ichigo or part of her body got too close to the other party members, they often really embaressed.

Was it because she was hollow and they had been enemies before they met?

When Nel explained what she had done, Uryu's face turned from green to scarlet, blood dribbling from his nose. "Y… You kissed us?"

Nel's head cocked to her left side, confused. "What's a kiss?"

"Please excuse my former superior," Szayel drawled with his cocky grin returning to the forefront. "She sadly has a minute if any knowledge of the sensual side of sexuality. You'd do better explaining it to a amoeba then the Tres Espada."

"Oi! Shut it!"

But as the trek continued on, a slow but ever present dread began to take over the walkabout. Despite Nel's best efforts they quickly ran out of material to converse about and Nel quickly ran out of questions to ask that weren't incessant repeats. Though they were far from fatigued, the telltale signs of exaustion marching upon them. Their throats were parched and dry as well.

"Where is everybody?" Ichigo and Renji asked simutaneously, . Ichigo kicked Szayel's knees out from under him, dropping him on the ground. "Hey, shitface we were asking you a question!

Szayel had to use his elbows to kneel back up to a groveling position. His rage at the humiliation was evident by a simple glance at his face. His eyes were popping out of his sockets in outrage, veins throbbed and pulsated in his forehead, and his cuspids were ground together so tightly Nel was sure they would shatter.

Then Szayel sighed and giggled a forboding clanking of teeth and gums. Where do you think they are? I suspect that a member of the Gotei 13 can guess exactly where they have left

So the invasion had begun? Nel had suspected as much but hadn't taken the time to really think about. This also brought up a few unpleasant thoughts she had tried to keep to herself. Though she owed the party a great debt, in the end defeating Aizen was more important then rescuing their friend. She didn't want to think that way, especially after learning about the poor girl but in the end-

"YOU BASTARD!" Ichigo's yell of rage interupted Nel's train of thought. It took her a few seconds to register

"Ichigo, calm down!" Rukia said grabbing him by the ear.

"But my hometown is under attack! My friends, my sisters, my dad are all in danger. How the fuck can you tell me to calm down when all those innocent people are caught in the crossfire."

Rukia sighed. "So you think we haven't thought about all that? You honestly believe that while we were all at your place we were just twiddling our thumbs waiting for Aizen to attack innocent people?"

She turned to Szayelapporo. "As for you, don't expect your army to win. Though we spared you, know this hollow. If you ever take up arms against the Soul Society again don't expect us to be so merciful next time."

His lips skinned back into a grin. "Hmm, I wouldn't be so rough. After all you don't know if she's all right."

Rukia's stoic expression collasped in on itself. "Son of a bitch!" Renji bellowed kicking him in the gut. But before the sandled foot made full contact with his diaprham, Szayel dodged deftly, hoping a foot behind.

But as soon as he dug his heel to keep his balance, Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, and Chad a hold of him, wringing him around the neck and pounding on his face. When he tried to move Renji pulled the energy rope tightly, causing him to remain imobile as his skin was strained by the tauntness of the thread.

Ichigo's eyes bulged out of his head in shock before cocking a fist back and pulling him by the hair. "You bastard! You said Inoue was alright! Were you fucking lying about everything!"

"Of course not, I wish to continue to expand my knowledge for years to come so I wouldn't wish to chance your brute fury!" Szayel's voice was pitched with outrage and frustration at the situation he had trapped himself in.

I knew he was going to do this, Nel thought to herself sullenly. The doctor had a sick habit of not only salting open wounds but also making them bigger, whether he was vivisecting something with a scapel or a tongue honed to a razor sharp point. It made Nel want to at shorten it so he could finally shut the fuck up. But she had long since left that part of her behind.

It during these few periods of stress that she wished to forgo that ephinany.

Szayel flinched before another punch that was stopped before it reached his irritating face. Usually But then he rose his neck to be face to face with the orange haired Shinigami. "I said she was alive, you rube but your definition of alright is much different then mine. Now cease in your vulgar display of testerone before I make you envy what happened to that madonna."

"What happened to her?" Rukia was calm and composed but her eyes revealing her murderous intent. "You owe us much and more but will tell us what happened!" He scoffed and turned his to the side.

"I owe you nothing and I'll say nothing more. But may I entertain my pale lady and her virgin maidens with a tale."

"We don't have time for stories get straight to the point." Uryu face was as implacable and stern as a marble bust but his eyes were frightened at what he might hear. Hell, Nel was frightened at what had been potentially happened to her, with fears that it couldn't be pretty.

"Don't worry, it's an allegorical one but I'm sure your brain is more then nimble to explain the basics to your insipid slackjawed compatriots."

"Ignore him, we need to get moving." She sent the doctor a warning glare that would have chilled any normal persons blood. But she didn't think Szayel had blood anymore.

Undaunted the scientist continued. "You see Aizen-sama doesn't like leaving any loose threads in his vast web in case they end making the whole of the silk collapse. Though he is certainly an engorged hulk of a spider, he is not blinded by neither my species or your races vanity."

Rukia and Renji glared at the wannabe scientist, insulted that they would compare their orders honor to his races sadistic brutality. Do they still think Hollows are nothing but monsters? That thought made Nel sad but

when they glanced upon her their expressions softened. Still they listened.

"Orihime Inoue. Now isn't she such a queer abberation in the great chain of fate? So much of the human race is used as livestock by-"

"We're not food!" Ichigo yelled.

Szayelapporo Granz had the audacity to roll his eyes. "Be quiet. You interupting this bards tragic tale is immature and is the sign of a low intellect. And really you say you believe that hollows are the only beings that use humanity as substinance?" The eyes of the Shinigami drew colder but you couldn't chill someone whose heart was below absolute zero

"Aizen noticed that her power was something that could turn the tide of the war. Her powers were much more then simple healing. The truth was, whatever cosmic entity that chose which power those lucky few humans got most have been either drunk or had lost a bet. For somehow, a human girl had received the powers of a god."

"What?" Rukia said startledat this information

Szayel narrowed his eyes in frustration. "The next time someone interrupts, I'm just going to kill myself and leave you lot to find Inoue for yourself. Anyway, Aizen decided that her abilities were much more useful to be used for his personal purposes before the old man and his sheep truly comprehended the quarry they had caught."

Rukia appeared as if she was about to say something but she shook her head and pursed her lips in a hopefully zealous vow of silence.

"We of course needed to accurately grasp the limits of her ability. Now I'm sure that everyone of the group that's present automatically assumed that Inoue's power was nothing more then some above average healing witchcraft. Hell, I made the same assumption because Aizen didn't tell me beforehand."

Renji chuckled. "So even monsters like you are just as much victims of bureaucracy as Shinigami. That's a laugh."

Szayel rolled his eyes again but other then that his facial features didn't change much. He's having fun doing this.

Rukia edged closer, her pinky on her hilt, obviously not liking the predicument as much as she did. She guessed similar minds thought alike. "Go on."

"Oh, my dear… Are you sure your poor fragile heart could take it? Mayhaps I should end the tale before it begins so you could ask her yourself. Then again… After what Aizen made her do I doubt she would be as talkative as before."

A shared intake of breath was all the nasty creature needed to smirk his slimy grin.

If Szayel wanted to live he sure as hell seemed much too subconsciously suicidal to do a good attempt at it. There had to be some sort of endgame to this, maybe he was purposely leading on for… What exactly?

Or maybe he was lying, just breathing poison for the sake of hate and petty reprisal.

Nel didn't like how this was going and was even more concerned by what they could find out. She was already uneased by Szayelapporo's boasting chat, which meant that he, at least in the context of ego, thought he was on top again. The bastard loved the sound of the silky venom he spat out with every intake of air, especially when he thought he was going to win.

Nel hardened her heart, hoping her new companions would do likelise.

She forced herself to look at the group in front of her. They all shared a look whose meaning implied that they were utterly incensed, a malicious glint in their eyes. But there was fear in there as well, particularly among the humans who knew the teenager the most.

"Very well. You've had your warning. Like I previously stated Aizen needed to know the extent of her abilities. So Aizen begun by having her heal Grimmjow Jeaguerjaque's arm. "

Rukia, grasped it quickly. "So Orihime healed his arm…"

"...Yes, my little raven… But not only was the arm healed… It was recreated at peak physical condition. The arm had been chopped off if you excuse my brusque wording, then destroyed. The scorched, blacken talon couldn't be sewed back on and the flesh had healed and crooked back into a stump so any of the medicine I had been developing was useless. In short, the limb which had ceased to be was remade into existence."

Uryu took the lead, looking curious. "So are you claiming that Inoue-san's powers were able to warp time and space? I knew something was off."

Rukia glanced back. "What do you mean?"

"When she healed the gatekeepers arm, I could see that that the tendons, the tissue, the bones, they stretched and regrew into a new arm. But also when Orihime's barrier enclosed over Jidonbo's arm, I noticed that grass was starting to grow on the barren ground."

Ichigo was shocked. "What? Why the fuck didn't you tell us?"

"Because I figured at that point her power was more biological. Besides Kurosaki, how was anyone supposed to guess that she had that ability?"

Szayel shrugged. "That's accurate, yes. Even my observations figured as much until I took a closer look. Had Aizen given me the opportunity I would have loved nothing more then to tenderly examine the stupid bit-

"Stop!" Chad rumbled. "Don't you dare speak ill of her. Orihime didn't want to get involved in all of this! All she wanted was to help people."

Szayel chuckled. "Small good her kindness did her when she was forced to test her powers. If her powers were truly god like then she should have killed us all, instead of cowering and pissing herself like a mouse."

If looks could kill, Szayel would have been dead thrice over. However, the anger was beginning to turn into abject fear, the dark looks seemingly forcing themselves to look at the monster. They got uncomfortably close to the doctor, ready to cut him to pieces.

"Damnit! What. Did. You. Bastards. Do." Ichigo was barely controlling his temper, his fists clenched and his teeth gritted together.

"Enough games. Where's Inoue?" His and everyone else's Reiatsu was steadily rising, eyes lachrymose and puffy.

"Oh no don't worry my friends. She escaped… But the night before, Nnoitira Gilga also escaped. Into her bed."

Nel's breath was inhaled, hurting her teeth as the shock of the implication was quickly taken in, in a sudden gasp of air. Nel knew Nnoitira too well not to grasp what his interest in the subjucation and domination of women for his own sick pleasure.

"SHUT IT, they don't have to hear that part!" Nel panicked, her warning sounding more like a shrill plea then a confident thinly veiled threat. Nel didn't want any of them to know what had happened. She knew firsthand about Nnoitira's lusts for carnal dominance.

Many a time some Fraccion lower then him decided to mouth off to him, hurting his ego. What he did to them afterwords, well Nel had been in denial that he would do something so monstrous and pointless…

Now she wasn't. Panic seeped into her core, quickly realizing that she had to shut him up, before any emotional damage could be done to the group. The tragic part was that none of the teens seemed to accurately grasp the implication. She doubted any of them had had a lover before, being young and unbloodied.

Rukia was the first to take the hint, a look of pure horror on her porcelain face.

"What a sad plot twist… Princess Inoue the maiden is no longer as pure as she once was."

The look of horror on everyone face made Szayel grin even wider. Nel had to restrain herself when she habitually pulled her sword out, just barely ceasing the automatic death the scientist deserved.

Ichigo glared, more incensed then she had even seen him, his face truly the color of some sort of crimson berry. "I'm gonna fucking kill you!" He could barely spit out the words, his jaw clenched and compacted.

Szayel cackled, a clattering of bone and plump pink mouth tissue as he crazily ranted on, adamantine and unrepentant. You can't kill me, you wouldn't kill me. Besides I'm only japing. Her virtue was the only thing unvilolated.

Rukia punched Szayel in the face, breaking a few of his teeth in half. His head jerked back and forth, making a cracking sound much like a bull whip. "I don't care what we promised. All of you will die for you did to her! The rest joined her, pummeling the dandy, all giving in to their emotions in a moment of raw despair and wrath.

Nel quickly dragged all of them off of the scheming bastard, gently tossing them away so that they could land of the soft ground.

Everyone of them bowed their heads in utter shame, crying amongst themselves. Nel had to use her strength to keep the men off. Szayel meanwhile was busy coughing up blood, looking quite unamused. He reached as far manacles would allow him, pressing upon his nose, with the side he touched the correponding nostril gushed out red blood.

"Let us kill him! He must die! They all must suffer…" As Ichigo pulled against her torn top, forgetting all sense of human skittishness around the female body. His grip loosened, and his body once tense and taunt no slackened and limp.

"Inoue..." Ichigo went to his knees crying, instantly followed by his two friends. It was here that Nel realized that Renji probably didn't know or share a close enough bond to the girl. The rest had gone from anger to sadness rather quickly upon learning of the tragedy but he was still stricken with anger instead of grief, looking more shocked and appalled then upset.

Yet still, he came.

Nel unsheathed her blade, ready to butcher this vermin for causing such undeserved trauma to her friends, None of them had appeared to truly experience suffering before the bastard had open his mouth. Even the way he tormented them before was worst compared to this,

It was one thing to break someones bones but to break a person's spirit… That was one thing that remained of her Hollow nature. That sense of wronging at having your freedom and individuality taken from you was surging along side a ocean of endorphins, adrenaline and

At this point Inoue was all but certain to be dead. He would pay for that. Aizen would pay for that.

But oddly Szayel showed no fear as befitting a parasite. Instead he scooted to the left and pointed his tied in that direction, Don't worry my so impatient captors, your princess is very much near. Szayel revealed a bloody semblance of a smile or rather a toothy flicker of lips that reminded the buxom warrior of Nnotira but without the hint of objectification hidden within the gums.

Everyone paused, as Szayel gestured to the horizon. It was miles upon miles of dunes, the perpetual infinity of the desert stretching forth. A dust storm was brewing to the northwest, there was nada on the other side-

No, there was something. Or rather someone.

A petite figure was shadowed in the center, blurred like some sort of mirage, But as soon enough she could make out colors. Orange being one of them.

Nel stared back gobsmacked. She's alive?

Rukia mumbled something silently to herself, her face changing from despair, to shock, to confused joy. She smiled, then cried some more with Nel having the impression that they were a different flavor then before.

"What an quaint and amusing ending! I have such questions to ask her-"

Rukia clenched her fists, then snarling, the petite lady stomped towards the doctor. "Hado #10". Rukia poked all the pressure points in the neck, causing cerulean light to emerge from behind his lips, "MUSEI!"

Szayel's lips suddenly closed. They tried to move but when the lips twitched they refused to part, like someone had glued them together.

"That, Szayelapporo Granz, was a spell used to silence obstinate prisoners and those traitors who would dare speak ill of the Soul Society's justice. I will not let your tongue draw any more wounds from her! No more..."

Rukia struggled not to cry. The Shinigami had seemed so professional and erudite when they first met, never losing focus of their objective, a microcosm of elegance. It was a common supersition among hollows that Shinigami were icy hypocrites, unfeeling to their marrow.

But they were human. They were all human. Arranncar, Shinigami, Quincy… Any difference was just tribalistic nonsense.

Nel rested her left hand on Rukia's right shoulder. She flinched at first but then slammed into so hard, Nel at first reckoned that she was punching her instead of hugging her.

Thank you. She whispered. Thank you for everything

Nel smiled, beaming. Arigato Rukia. I wouldn't hold me forever if I were you. Ichigo and everyone else has a head start.

Inoue! Inoue! Inoue! The pilgrims chanted forgetting all techniques that would got them there quicker.

Orihime looked like a delicate figure. She was shaking uncontrollably, her body covered by a hooded brown cloak. Despite what she had seen and done, Inoue was smiling.

And crying.

Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks and snot pelted down from her nose, both mingling and dribbling with each other as she lightly bobbed her head.

She swayed from side to side, tumbling until the short girl-Her youth was everpresent on the visible part of her face- fell on one knee.

INOUE! They all yelled, mobbing around her weak frame. Cirrus clouds were blocking the canopy, hinting at the artificial rain that was about to come. Sand was spun off the dunes due to the frigid incoming winds, causing streams of dust to paint her back.

As they all piled upon her, they all reacted differently. Chad waved his ham sized hands in front of her face, then snapped his fingers when that didn't get the response he wanted.

Uryu pulled out what appeared to be a medkit, gingerly checking Inoue for blood. The young knight appeared rather reluctant to get close to her. That made sense, his father was a doctor and Nel had read somewhere that they treated both physical and mental wounds. She had probably been through hell

"Kurosaki kun?" Inoue looked up at Ichigo, You came… You all came..." She immediately hugged Ichigo by the waist, bawling just above the Shinigami's belt line. Ichigo look absolutely embarresed as the other men gave him a funny look.

He wagged his head, rotating it like a owl, as if to say "It's not what it looks like!"

"Wow, Ichigo… I didn't know you were such a pervert." Chad teased.

"Inoue! Don't hold me like that."

"What do you mean Kurosaki-Kun?"

Ichigo yelped, then gently helped Inoue to her feet.

"I know its weird! I'm just so happy!" Orihime hugged Ichigo and for once, Ichigo smiled maturely, and patted her on the head.

"I know Inoue…"

Much to his chargain Inoue giggled. "Kurosaki kun is smiling! It must be the Zombie-Robot apocalyspe!"

"What's tha- Nevermind…"

"I thought you'd abandoned me… They told me if I came with them, none of you would be hurt..."

That was when Rukia pinched her.

"Oowie!" Orihime rubbed her arm as Rukia pulled her close.

"How?" Rukia broke into tears, sobbing. "How could you possibly get the idea in your silly little head that we'd let Aizen kidnap you!"

Orihime bowed her head down, mumbling some sort of apology. Ichigo glowered at the short woman but Rukia knelt, then gently grabbed Orihime's chin who wouldn't look her in the eye.

Rukia smiled in spite of herself. "Didn't I tell you? You're tougher then you think you are. How else did you break out?"

That brought the smile back on her face. "It was nothing. You know I'm made of tough stuff! When I was a kid I never caught colds and-"

OOMPH

Rukia ran towards Orihime and embraced her, given the young woman a hug. The funny part was that she was so short that she only reached to her chest but when she went sprinting she had nearly jumped but stopped herself out of self control.

Well kind of. She was sort of gently rocking her back and forth, crying into her chest. Chad joined her, forgetting how uncomfortable his race was supposed to be with affection.

Were all Shinigami and humans like this? Nel understood that civility and intellect was part of it but despite his claims elsewise, Aizen had left the idea of a conscience off to the wayside, purposely preventing them from achieving the pure humanity that had been denied to them. Most of her brethlin had believed him to be their salvation and were devoted to him thusly. But in the end all he wanted was a cult to worship him, toys he created to be thrown away once they had become obsolete and null

Aizen had promised revenge and conquest but that wasn't what Nel wanted. She hope this meant there could now be harmony between worlds, that the stalemate between races would be made into a armistance, then perpetual peace.

Nel also doubted that they could execute her now. If she shared what information she knew and helped out in the final battle, then she was sure that any misun

"Rukia, please I can't breathe, you're gonna smush me in half!"

"I k-know! I'm just so happy you're okay!"

Nel found the scene incredibly adorable. Friends reunited after long odds, countless trials and tribulations, and perilous dangers. She guessed that this meant this story was going to have a happy ending.

"Orihime… I can't breathe…"

Nel attention was turned back to the girls.

Everything went silent for Nel as Espada properly analyzed Inoue. She had done this chigo and Uryu talking to one another, too deep in conversation to Chad and Renji doing some kind of odd jig… Her eyes focused back to the embracing pair.

There was something wrong with the picture she was seeing. If Orihime had escaped, then why was was she wearing different clothes? Even if she had changed afterwords, her new rainment would, no should have been caked with dirt, dust and the blood of any hollow she had to cut through. But then again she didn't know if she escaped after or before the Arrancars left...

Also had did she escape so fast? That was a more pressing issue. Nobody mentioned that she knew any sort of movement technique and Nel had already observed her walking normally before she fell. They were at one of the furthest corners of Las Noches, as fall out in the boonies as it was possible. And she was supposed to believe that she had traveled miles without exausting herself?

A gasp of pain erupted from a shuddering Shinigami.

She could see that Orihime was clutching Riukia… Much too hard. Though just about everything else had gone deaf for her with nothing but the echoing sound of her heartbeat getting through to her ears, she could definitely hear the telltale sound of bones cracking and the reddening of black fabric caused by the scratching nails… No claws.

Her heart slowed as the pieces were put together.

And she… The way she smiled was much different then the one before. It was too much like Nnoitira for her liking. Then...

Aizen… He couldn't have...

Szayel… Though he could not speak, he contorted the tissue on his face to create a semblance of a smile. That wasn't new. But the way his eyes were twisted in triumph and satisfaction was all the confirmation Nel needed to realize that something was not right with this situation.

Nel Slapped the scientist, sending him tumbling and spinning deep into the dunes. Then, Nel wildly jerked her head back at the pair, as Pequisa revealed her suspicions and turned her fear into panic.

Nel screamed a warning that she couldn't hear out to Rukia as Orihime's cloak was blown off by the winds, revealing her serpentine eyes, said something mocking to Rukia, before flicking her nose.

Golden reiatsu enveloped her face like a shawl as a gargantuan display of force followed by a sickening crack made Rukia fly into a dune.

"RUKIA!" Renji followed after her, digging her out. Then he was struggling to drag her and himself from the collapsing sheet of dead soil, now widening into a sinkhole that might has well have been the gates to Hell for all Nel knew.

It felt like hours before they reacted properly. They froze then shook as if the earth quaked. And the salt rain fell from cloudy sockets.

Nel's attention focused on the rest… Well, Ichigo trembled, Chad cursed and cried as he knelt and wildly beat the ground into dust, no method to his insane illogical display of emotion. His fists were digging a hole the size of a football field all the way to bedrock, the force of the impact parting the great white sea omnidirectionally.

"It can't be, it can't be," he mumbled in a language much similar to their own.

For once the remaining ryoka that were so completely different in personality had silently agreed to one thing.

Orihime Inoue was lost forever

But Inoue, the one her friends had came to rescue, wasn't gone. She was right there, pulling off her hood to reveal a shapeless outfit that twirled loosely around her chest and hips, no better then being in the buff they who had journeyed to a strange alien land to rescue, like the tales of Chivraly she had had read in what seemed like long ago.

But this wouldn't end the way they wanted. Instead of rescuing a princess, they would end their crusade in failure and disgrace, their

Nel had stood still long enough. She grabbed her blade and rushed towards the hollowfied girl. No matter what she was, she wasn't letting the succubus harm her friends. They'd probably hate her forever but she could live with that as long as they were safe.

Clouds of sand were kicked in the air behind her as she met her foe in mortal combat. If the newly made Hollow was afraid, she didn't show any hint of it. Good, she's new. That means the power has gone to her head. It had happened to every Arrancar, even her. That would definitely work in her favor.

The warrior feinted with chop at the head but drew back at the last minute and slashed downwards below the breasts with the other edge of Gamuza. The blade missed as the demon bent backwards, cutting off the front of her half shirt and the very tip of her aeriola. This didn't seem to cause her any pain. Actually the blissful smirk that had emerged showed the exact opposite.

Their swords met in a steel kiss, but somehow hers was harsher, causing Nel to almost crash on her back, nearly losing balance. Now she was the one leading. Nel countered with a parry, then a side and upper block. She was gripping her Zanpakuto so hard, then her skin was started to scrape from the impacts.

"So you're my replacement, huh? I thought it would take longer then that to find another woman with big bouncing breasts. She turned to a frozen Ichigo. Kurosaki-kun I'm hurt! Was I really that useless?"

"You should pay attention!" Nel yelled as she cut just above her navel. But she spun around too fast to properly gut her like a fish.

Orihime's swordplay was wild, more instinctual and free from then the Elder hollow's disciplined and acrobatic swordplay. Orihime saw a opening and cut just below her ribcage. Nel barely blocked it with Gamuza, with the raw strength from Orihime's blow sinking part of her own blade into her flesh.

Orihime's arm seemed locked in place with neither able to get any leverage. Nel thought that was good sign…

… Until Orihime pulled a Tanto from her sleave to stab Nel in the eye.

A Arrancar with two swords? Nel was confused, but had to shake away her thoughts to continue having them. Nel slid to the left, dropping her sword in the process, She felt blood coming from a wound in her cheek but she couldn't feel it.

Shit! Nel thought to herself. But this worked to her advantage as Orihime now thought she had a opening. But Instead Nel opened her mouth to release a cero.

It landed pointblank into her abdomen, on the underside of her rib cage. However the blast stopped before it completely blew her in half, instead disipating as the blood, viscera and bone that was upturned by the black sank back into her body.

What, she can't be that strong! What kind of monster did Aizen create?

Suddenly Orihime Inoue had disappeared in a flash of light. A quick flicker of Perquisa revealed where she was now. That and the warm breath that she could feel causing intense pressure to the back of her neck.

"I'm bored now. Goodbye."

The prod sent flying through the air, twirling and spinning. Nel felt a sharp pain in her side as she attempted in vain to breathe. When she tried again, frothy blood came rushing to the roof, pouring out of. Nel thought fast on her feet, quickly striving to regain control of her freefall. She twisted her back in a wild jerk, flipping backwards to face the rear. The last step in her on the spot ballet was actually landing on her feet. This happened to be a quite egregious error as the leg she had landed on broke immediately,

Damnit! She had to continue fighting! Ichigo and the others were at risk if she failed. She tried to stand up but the pain was making the affected leg unusable.

Inoue… Ichigo whimpered his eyes glassed up in shock and horror, as all of Nel's former worst fears were eaten up and replaced with new even more horrifying terror.

She tried to stand again, but only got a few hops in before she she fell once more. She tried to drag herself blood mixing with the sand, and the sand stinging her wounds, every breath filled with bloody spittle. Nelliel vision grew cloudy and blurred meaning that the rib had pierced a lung.

Nel had never felt this weak and helpless.

"Hello Kurosaki-Kun," Inoue-san purred to a horrified Ichigo, carressing his chin with one decievingly delicate hand and catching tears with her opposite finger. "Do you like my new look?" She spat out the words at the bewildered and confused teenager her voice low and dangerous, as he shook his head in denial, refusing to see what was right in front in him.

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I'm sorry Ichigo and Co but your princess is another castle. Are you sure she existed in the first place?

Any one who gets that reference is going to receive a free internet cookie (:

Yeah I know it's been a really long time (at least 5 months at my estimation), I'm trying to get better I swear!

Hopefully I made up for it with the over thirty pages of my diseased brain matter that I like to smear onto the web. And hopefully into your stores pretty soon if god isn't a flying spagetti monster!

I've been debating this for a while and I think I should start listing what I thought is a good atmospheric addition with the ST I listen too.

So in order…

1. Nagisa

2. The place where wishes come true.

3. White Noiz

4. Heavens Night

Also for those of you wondering why Orihime chose a brown cloak for her new outfit, it's more a less a cruel shadow of what Ichigo did in the Soul Society Arc.

Since I've already started the next 6 or so chapters of this story along with properly planning out new and old ones, hopefully my pace should quicken.

Don't quote me on that, you guys know how my mind gets.

If you like it leave a review, if you don't like it leave a review anyway so I can get better. Like always thank you for the support!

EDIT: Sorry for the crappy grammar. I was so excited to be back that I didn't check my writing properly or wait for my beta reader to get back. I gave you guys a unfinished product. Hopefully you guys will forgive me. ):