Author's note: Apologies for the late date and shortness of this chapter, I had to rewrite quite a few time before I was happy with it.
Italics: Zanpakuto or Emphasis
Bold: Ochiro speaking, Kido or Emphasis
Bold Underlined: Two or more people speaking at once.
"Speaking"
'Thinking or quoting'
Hallibel couldn't help but be wary of the anger and hatred rolling off the hollow before her, never before had she witness such raw strength from one of her kind, even a Vasto Lorde. It made her nervous to ask him the question she'd been wondering about for a while.
"Excuse me?" He whirled on her and she resisted the urge to flinch, "You mentioned the safe haven on the other side of The Scar? Do you..." she fidgeted for a moment, "Would you be willing to escort me and my...er- just myself across it?" She saw Ochiro's eyes narrow.
"And what of your 'allies' that you mentioned earlier? Surely you do not mean to leave them?" "No! I mean- I...am afraid for their safety, I merely wish to make sure it is safe for them to cross. In the event of...an ambush." The blonde finished her statement carefully, not wanting the much stronger hollow to know that she was afraid he'd betray her. He seemed to sense her fear as his anger slowly left his form.
"Are your allies Vasto Lorde or Adjuchas? An Adjuchas would only have enough reiryoku to make it across once and even then they would have to be fairly powerful. It would also be impossible for them to evolve. You are not allowed to consume other hollows at this place. The raw reiatsu of the Vasto Lorde should be sufficient for keeping them alive if they are Adjuchas." He didn't seem to notice the caution in her last statement. That or he didn't care, either way it relieved Hallibel.
"My friends are adjuchas, but...they are rather weak, they rely heavily on teamwork to take down their prey. I do not think they have enough raw reiryoku to make it across The Scar if what you said is true." It was a harsh criticism, but a true one.
"Hmmm, I could make a path for them on the way across The Scar, but...I can't guarantee it's the same place I remember. After what I've just found out...for all I know it might not even exist anymore. I wouldn't get your hopes up but I can escort you and your friends over." Hallibel could sense the sadness in his statement.
"Okay, I'll bring them along and we'll make the journey. ...Do you...know what happens if they fall in The Scar?" Hallibel had been curious about that the second he mentioned it.
"Simply put, they will go insane. The darkness in that place is...alive and will torment all who come into contact with it. It envelopes a person in their deepest fears, doubts, guilts, anything and everything that could be used against you is. It will torment them until they kill themselves or something else does it for them. No one can make it out of that place alive."
"How do you know so much about it?" Hallibel asked, trying to rid her mind of the horrendous visions she was seeing. His reply was not what she expected though.
"I fell into it once." It was such a quiet statement that Hallibel scarcely heard it, but she still heard enough to ask the shocked question, "I thought you said it was impossible to make it out of The Scar alive? How did you live?"
Ochiro looked at her and she saw in his eyes who he was at that moment, not a wrathful demon running for revenge, not a scared prisoner, but a man who had been through more than she could ever imagine and still moved forward. A man who pushed through any obstacle in his way regardless of its effect on him, so he could keep it from affecting someone else. She saw someone who had sacrificed everything for others. And she got her answer, but he spoke anyway.
"Who's to say I didn't Die in some way? Who's to say I ever Lived through it?" They made the journey to her friends in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts.
Several Hours Later
"We're close, be careful, the girls can be rather...loud when they meet a stranger." The blonde warned.
Ochiro let out a chuckle, "I assure you I can take care of myself and them as well." Hallibel recognized his promise to not hurt her friends and mentally thanked him. They were so close to safety, to peace. Hallibel couldn't help but feel excited. They enter the Menos Forest and Hallibel began looking for her companions, she knew they were here, she could feel the remnants of their reiatsu lying in the air.
Long before they actually saw her friends, they heard them, "What did you just say to me you fat cow?!"
'Apache' Hallibel thought dryly, "You heard me you anorexic slut!", 'Mila Rose', "You two are being quite immature, did Mistress Hallibel not tell us to hide?", 'Sun-sun' Hallibel finished. "SHUT UP SUN-SUN!"
"And that makes three." Hallibel muttered under her breath as she shook her head. She glanced at Ochiro and saw the amusement in his eyes, "They rely on teamwork to hunt? I can tell they are gifted in the skill." Ochiro stated dryly. Hallibel came to the defense of her faction, "They might not seem like it, but they are gifted in the skill." Her defense dropped after that, "They just can't cooperate in any other aspect. Into the breach, shall we?" Hallibel motioned forward and Ochiro braced himself for an amusing, if not annoying, journey.
"Sun-sun, Apache, Mila, we have a guest, it would leave a better impression if you behaved. Come out girls, and meet him." Hallibel called out to her followers and heard them quiet down. She walked toward them and gestured for Ochiro to follow. He did so with a grin under his mask, 'This will be interesting.'
The Privaron Espada are being renamed in this story, and will also being redone. I did not forget about Barragan, he or should I say 'she' will come into play later.
I can't really remember everything I need to say right now but feel free to ask questions if you have them. Hopefully I'll get better and faster as time goes along.
Have a good one!
