Author's Note : Sorry it took so long! I am still working out exactly where i want to go with this, but i think i have a general idea now! I graduate from college tomorrow, so i may have more or less time in the coming weeks to write.
Chapter 02 - Maybe It's a Cat Thing
Ten Shinigami sat around the Delta Division's meeting table, waiting for the Captain Commander to arrive. Just as they heard the bells strike noon, the door opened, and Shunsui Kyoraku entered. Ten sets of eyes turned to face him.
"I'm happy to see you all made it on time. You will be passing through the gate to Hueco Mundo directly into the palace of Las Noches. From there, you will enter the Forest of Menos and make your way to the west, where we believe the disturbance is located. Captain Kurotsuchi has been so kind as to devise a new communication device for this mission. You will be able to send reports back directly to me at any time." Shunsui passed out ten of the small phones to the group, keeping an eleventh for himself. "Is everyone ready?"
"As ready as we'll ever be." Ikkaku grinned. Shunsui nodded and pressed a button, causing one of the walls to crack open, revealing a dark path into the void.
"Then the moral support of the entire Gotei 13 goes with you."
The team took a moment to steady themselves, then stepped into the darkness, following the path of riatsu tiles to the fortress that once housed their worst enemy.
The long minutes spent in the dark void were tense, even for those who had traveled by Garganta before. Just when they began to fear that there was no exit, they found the light. They stepped out into a room of the same dull white as everything else in Hueco Mundo.
"Lord Ichigo, I'm glad you came." Harribel bowed formally to the orange haired hero. "There is something very wrong in the Forest of Menos."
"I heard. Can you give us any details?" Ichigo still wasn't entirely comfortable with the woman referring to him as 'Lord', but he also knew to pick his battles.
"We noticed a few weeks ago that the density of souls in Hueco Mundo was decreasing. I sent one of my fraccion and a few other arrancar to investigate, but they never returned. Then we started to receive word that Gillians and Adjuchas had begun disappearing. I would have come to you first, but Captain Commander Kyoraku wanted me to go directly to the Central 46." Harribel reported.
"Alright. Do you know anything about the area? Kyoraku said it was in the west of the Forest of Menos."
"Usually only Gillians venture that deep into the forest, and few retain their memories of the area once they grow to Adjuchas or Arrancar. Most of the forest is uncharted. As with Soul Society, we tend to only pay attention to the center of our world, and leave the edges to their own devices. Perhaps that was a mistake."
"Yeah, maybe..." Ichigo looked around. "There is an entrance to the Forest of Menos here in Las Noches?"
"Yes. I'll take you there myself." The acting queen of Hueco Mundo led the ten soldiers down several flights of stairs and through a large arch way to a dark cavern with towering pillars of crystal trees. "This is the entrance we use."
"We'll be sending reports back to Kyoraku as we find things out. Make sure he keeps you informed." Ichigo looked back at Harribel. "Don't send any more Arrancar into the forest until we find out what is going on."
The four captains stood shoulder to shoulder in the arch way. Sui Feng glared at the crystal trees as if they had personally insulted her.
"It's disgusting. This isn't work for Shinigami Captains. This is lowly recon work!"
"It would be wrong to waste the lives of our soldiers when we have the opportunity to spare them." Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her. He would trust her to do her duty in battle as much as he would any of his fellow captains, but he also knew that she wouldn't hesitate to stab them in the back if she were commanded to do so.
"We're supposed to head west... What exactly are we supposed to do if we run into any Gillians in the forest? Killing them seems counterproductive, if we are trying to correct a shortage of hollows." Ikkaku asked the orange haired hero.
"They shouldn't bother us if we have Ichigo with us." Grimmjow walked up behind them and shrugged. "He is the lord of Hueco Mundo, after all."
"Will they recognize me without me showing Hollow riatsu?"
"They should, but it wouldn't hurt if you gave them a taste." Grimmjow smirked. "That is, if you've mastered your riatsu control enough not to evaporate them."
"Lets get this circus moving." Shinji rolled his eyes and took the first step into the forest. The first day was uneventful. They flashed along as quickly as Tatsuki could keep up and for as long as Omaeda could endure, then rested.
The trees continued on in every direction, seemingly endless. Towering all the way to the ceiling, above which the sands of Hueco Mundo's desolate landscape lay. The strangest thing about their journey was the complete lack of Hollows of any kind.
"I would say that if we consider Las Noches the center of Hueco Mundo, then at our rate for the time we have been traveling, we would be in the sixtieth district of the Rukongai, give or take a district or two. I wonder how far the forest extends? Is it possible that Hueco Mundo is larger even than Soul Society?" Yumichika lay stretched comfortably on the sand.
"Yumi, Soul Society extends beyond the eightieth district, you know." Ikkaku sighed, but blinked when nine sets of eyes turned to him with varying levels of interest. "What? You didn't know that?"
"No, actually. How do you know that, Ikkaku?" Shinji asked.
"Captain Zaraki was from the eightieth district. You know how his sense of direction was. He tried to find someone to fight beyond the Rukongai, but he said it just became a wasteland. No people. No buildings. But the land kept going, and nothing stopped him from walking past the edge." Ikkaku sat up. "Why?"
"Because as far as I know, no one has ever gone that far before, but I can't begin to think of why not... The outer districts are overcrowded. They don't have enough land to grow food for everyone or build homes for everyone. And... I've never once thought about the possibility of passing beyond the Rukongai." Shinji fell silent and the others slowly went back to the conversations they had been in before Ikkaku had drawn their interest.
"Ikkaku... Don't you think it strange that no one has ever considered such a notion before? As Shinji said, the outer districts are overcrowded... Expanding would be the logical solution, but it has not happened in two thousand years?" Yumichika toyed with a small braid of hair and the feathers interwoven with it. "And we are heading to the edge of the known world of hollows..."
"You think there's some sort of connection?" Tatsuki rolled over to look up at the third seat.
"I do... But the real question is if that connection is why we are here..." Yumichika teases the fourth seat's short hair. "The only thing we can do at this point is keep our eyes open and not let our guard down."
"Yeah..." She closed her eyes and rolled back on her side, continuing to use the beautiful man as a pillow.
Across the camp site, Shinji was also thinking over the situation. Hiyori was leaned against his back, snoring quietly, and Ichigo was leaning against a tree a few feet away, facing him.
"Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, the Living World... They are all layers of the same realm of existence... The Living World is a sphere, without edges. It stands to reason that Soul Society and Hueco Mundo should have the same extent... Soul Society extends in a circle, but covers approximately the area of Japan. Maybe..." He grinned and glanced up at Ichigo. "Maybe there are other regions of Soul Society for other regions of the Living World."
"You mean like a French Soul Society, and an American Soul Society? Would that make since when nations in the Living World form and dissolve on such a relatively short time table?" Ichigo frowned. "But it does make some sense... The people of Japan can't be the only ones who die..."
"Japan used to be divided between tons of different small regions each with its own lord... That could be why there are so many districts... Japan is an island. Maybe the other Soul Societies are more connected? Maybe it is based on proximity rather than national allegiance."
"Lets say this is all true... How does that connect to the disappearing hollows? They aren't going to the Living World... The Twelfth Division would have noticed if they were going to Soul Society... The Quincy shadow world was destroyed. Where could they be going?" Ichigo traced a spiral in the thin sand.
"There's another layer, Ichigo. You know it. Luckily we don't interact with it very often, but... Souls that end up there are beyond the reach of the Soul King. They are removed from the balance." Shinji grimaced. "Hell."
"Hell... You really think hollows are just... falling into hell?"
"I don't know. But I think we will find out tomorrow." Shinji closed his eyes and adjusted his Zanpakuto at his side. "Ichigo... Can we get word back to anyone in Soul Society if we need to?"
"Yeah. I can get word to Rukia, and she can pass on messages."
"In a way Urahara doesn't know about?"
"No... Why?"
"I think he is involved."
"If we can't trust Urahara, we are deeply screwed, you know that right?" Ichigo sighed. "Why do you think Urahara is involved?"
"Cause its Urahara. He's always involved in everything. I only ever trust him if I know how he is involved." Shinji grinned. "You know..."
"What?"
"Nothin'. Just... This smells like Aizen."
"I hope you're wrong."
Several yards outside the camp area, Sui Feng stalked silently through the shadows. Her lieutenant was snoring loudly back with the others. She rolled her eyes and continued her patrol, inspecting the light sand for foot prints that did not match their group, listening for breathing or the sound of foot falls.
"We really ought to put a bell on you." The voice from behind her set her heart rate into panic mode in an instant. She drew her blade and released it in one fluid movement, not a whisper leaving her lips as the command was shaped by her tongue. "Woah, it was just a joke."
"Jaeggerjaques! What the hell do you think you are doing, interfering with my investigation?!" The Captain of the Second Division lowered her blade and took a step back.
"I'm doing my own investigation. You've got the training of a Shinigami Captain, but I have the instincts of a Hollow. Can't hurt to have a second opinion." Grimmjow smirked and leaned back against a tree.
"Go to hell." Sui Feng sealed and sheathed her blade. "There is nothing a Hollow can do that a Shinigami Captain can't do better."
"You mean like Cero?" The blue haired man grinned as her face twisted in irritation. "Jeez, they don't teach ninjas how to take a joke?"
"I'm about ten seconds from showing you the business end of an eighty level destruction kidou you smug moron."
"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you are one of the two captains who voted against ending my probation, huh?"
"What tipped you off?"
"No idea. Just a gut feeling, really." He slid down the tree and sat cross legged. "Do you really hate me just because I am a Hollow?"
"Of course. Do I need any other reason?"
"I suppose not." Grimmjow shrugged. "I guess if you are going to hate me regardless, I don't really need to worry about being rude and pissing you off. That's always the worst part about going to the Sixth Division. I have to tiptoe around that stick in the mud aristocrat or Ichigo has to deal with him, and then I have to deal with him."
"Get to the point."
"Why the fuck do you put up with that incompetent fool as your Lieutenant? I stole his zanpakuto and returned it three times today. I used it to clean my nails. He never noticed."
"That buffoon! I'll beat him to within an inch of his miserable life! That disgrace!" Sui Feng snarled. "Next time just do me and my division a favor and stab him with it!"
"Back to my question." Grimmjow ignored the outburst of rage. "Why?"
"Because his father served in that position under Yoruichi, because he is filthy rich and the division is deeply in debt to his family, and because for all his faults, he is at least loyal." Sui Feng sighed. "I'd rather have someone loyal at my side than someone skillful."
"Well holy shit. You almost sound like you have a heart."
"Funny, coming from a Hollow." She glanced at the hole in his bare stomach. "Why do Arrancar have their holes in different places, while pure Hollows are all through the center of the chest?"
"I don't know for sure. Aizen had some theories. Urahara and Kurotsuchi do as well, but I refuse to let them poke and prod me to find out if they are right or not. The best idea I heard was that it has something to do with Chakras and what a specific Arrancar needs to stop their hunger."
"Chakras? So, since yours is in your abdomen, you need autonomy? Freedom and power over yourself?" Sui Feng pointed at the hole.
"That's right. Freedom is what satisfies my hunger. For Ulquiorra, it was the verbal expression of self. Although, by that theory, Nnorita would have been satisfied by wisdom, and somehow that is hard for me to believe." Grimmjow laughed. "Although, I guess it doesn't really matter what it means. No hollow can truly fill that void."
"What... What does it feel like?" Sui Feng hesitated.
"The hole? Well, around the edge is sensitive, but not really a hindrance. Inside is just sort of... numb. Like scar tissue." He shrugged. "A lot of Adjuchas, Vasto Lorde, and Arrancar try to hide their holes. Some even try to hide their masks. I think they are ashamed of what they are. Its disgusting."
"And joining the Gotei 13 doesn't seem like you are ashamed of being a hollow?"
"It was never about shame. It was about loyalty to my kind and to my king." Grimmjow clenched his fists. "Believe me, I still struggle with my hatred for Shinigami every day."
"Then explain it to me. Why did you want to join our ranks?" Sui Feng finally sat across from the Arrancar.
"Want to? I didn't want to. Let me ask you something, to see how good your surveillance really is. Do you know what happened in Hueco Mundo after the Thousand Year Blood War ended?"
"The Hollows celebrated. We needed all hands in the Seireitei to help with cleanup and defense, so I couldn't spare any men beyond ensuring you were not planning a surprise attack while we were injured."
"Ha! Well, let me tell you, shall I?" Grimmjow snarled. "Arrancar and Menos of all ages and strengths dressed up as Shinigami and drank, sang, and danced in the halls of the ruins of Las Noches for three days and nights. They told stories about their heroes in Soul Society who saved them from annihilation. Who set aside fear and fought side by side with their born enemies. For three whole days, Captain Feng."
"What happened after three days?" The short woman asked, letting her curiosity slip out.
"A few weaker Adjuchas got drunk and tried to go through a Garganta and party in the Seireitei. They were slaughtered as if our alliance had never happened." Grimmjow's accusing stare made Sui Feng fidget guiltily. She knew it was her division, on her orders, who had purified those Hollows.
"I'm surprised that didn't provoke an attack."
"We were in no better shape than you were. Most didn't take it personally. To them it just meant life was back to normal, which was better than the war, but still horrible." He shook his head. "I knew how many of the surviving Arrancar wanted to join the men who they fought beside. And I knew someone would have to be first. And I knew that I was the only one strong enough to do it."
"You joined the Gotei 13 just to set the president? Just so other Arrancar could join later? That's... Impressive. I did not believe Hollow's capable of that sort of camaraderie, when they live in a cannibalistic society."
"You Shinigami still have no idea what it is like for us. Old men tell you how to think and what to do and you never question if they are right or wrong." Grimmjow stretched his legs out straight and frowned at his companion. "What do you actually know of Hollows?"
"We know that you lose your hearts and are consumed by an eternal hunger for souls. We know that when we purify a Hollow, the souls it has devoured are released into Soul Society."
"When a soul is sent to Soul Society by a Shinigami, they lose their memories, to spare them from the pain of what they have lost and to allow them a new life. When a soul is left to linger and their pain consumes them, their worst memories plague them for as long as they remain a hollow. The good fades away, but the bad grows more vivid. The more powerful a Hollow, the more painful and intense the memories and pain. But when we consume a weaker soul, just for a moment, our pain is diluted. But then, our power grows stronger, and the pain increases." Grimmjow closed his eyes. "We gain all the painful memories of those we consume. Every instant we are not consuming a soul is like being in a nightmare you can not awaken from."
"Why don't you all just allow yourselves to be purified? Why live in that agony?"
"Instinct. We are driven to live and to consume. We become Gillians, overwhelmed by pain until we simply lose ourselves. Then, if one soul among the thousands can claw his way to the surface and endure the torment, he can become an Adjuchas. Then it is even worse. He must consume daily or be washed away beneath the tide of pain. During that stage, we are so consumed with fear that we do not sleep. If we sleep, we may lose ourselves. And if one is strong enough to become a Vasto Lorde, then the fear is traded for loneliness. Starrk knew that better than any of us. He grew so powerful that no lesser Hollow could stand in his presence."
"Then what? Why do your instinct drive you to more and more pain?" Sui Feng frowned at the blue haired man.
"It is only a feeling, but it is like every fiber of our being is always saying that peace is just around the corner. One more soul, and it will all end. Our legends say that if a Vasto Lorde continues to devour his own kind, they will transcend their pain. Urahara believes that is how Shinigami were created. By Hollows that collapsed in upon themselves and were reborn in a new world." Grimmjow smirked. "Maybe you were once a soul within a great Hollow. Maybe you were the one who climbed to the top and stood your ground against the ocean of pain and terror."
"You... have the terrible memories of thousands, maybe millions of human souls who... who were never sent on to peace by Shinigami... And from all of your agony, more Shinigami are created? If I were in your shoes, I would hate us too."
"Finally, you see me as more than just the enemy in your midst." Grimmjow met her gaze and gave her a genuine smile. "Now you are free to hate me all you like. I really am quite a bastard." He laughed and stood. "I need a cat nap before we get moving again. See you in the morning."
"Yeah..." Sui Feng didn't bother standing. She closed her eyes where she sat and ran over what he had told her and tried to piece it together with what she knew. The world needed balance. The number of souls in the Living World and Soul Society had to remain more or less equal. So the souls evolved to begin devouring each other and moving into another world that would not upset the balance.
But eventually, the number of living souls began to outgrow the number of souls in Soul Society, and so hollows evolved again to transcend and become Shinigami, who in turn purified hollows and guided souls on to the next world, helping to keep the balance. The Shinigami formed their own organized military and began doing their work too well, and the number of souls in Soul Society began to outnumber those in the Living World...
And so had been born the Quincy. When a Quincy killed a Hollow, rather than being sent to Soul Society, it was immediately sent back into the reincarnation cycle. But again, they did their job too well, and even misunderstanding the cause, the Shinigami observed the shifting balance and acted to stop it.
But now, Shinigami, Quincy, and Hollows were almost allied, which would lead to a surplus of souls in the Living World. So the disappearance of Hollows did not make sense from the standpoint of a natural progression... That almost certainly meant outside forces were at work.
Destroying the balance of the world just didn't make any sense though! It would only end in the destruction of everyone involved... Unless the culprit were beyond the reach of the collapse of those worlds.
Sui Feng glanced toward the camp where her fellow soldiers slept, then shook her head. Shinji's wild conspiracy theory couldn't possibly be correct.