Hello again, and welcome to the first 'official' chapter of Bleached Bone Mask. I was surprised at all the Alerts and Favorites from the prologue alone. Let's see how you guys enjoy a little bit of graphic violence.

As usual, I don't own the rights to Bleach or Splatterhouse.

"Testing, Testing." - Normal Speech
What was the name of the bad guy from Tron? - Thoughts
"SPLATTERHOUSE!" - Hell Mask Speech
"The following sentence is true. The previous sentence is false." - Text
"What's there left to eat?" - Hollow Speech

Now then, on with the show.

Phase 1: The White Palace

The first thing I heard when I came around was the sound of wind blowing into my ear. I opened my eyes and found myself staring up at a dark sky. Not a single star was in sight, only a few clouds and a large crescent moon.

"Ugh," I groaned out, leaning up on my elbow. Scratching the back of my head, I asked to no one in particular, "Where am I?"

Suddenly, a voice from out of nowhere spoke up, "The realm of heartless beings. I gotta admit, I never thought I'd actually see it with my own eyes, err, your own eyes, but still." I was about to panic and look around for where the voice I heard was coming from, but then I remembered what happened before I found myself where I was.

That's right, I thought. I pulled the Mask of the Underworld off the pedestal, that portal opened up, and here I am…wherever 'here' really is.

I stood up from the sandy ground and took a look at my surroundings. Surrounding me on all sides was a giant desert. Bright gray sand dunes spread out all the way to the horizon, leading to more sand. Small, frail trees seemed to dot the landscape. What really caught my eye was a silhouette of a humungous dome. It seemed to block out most of the horizon. For all I knew, it could've been as big as New York City.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"the mask asked, snapping me out of my reverie.

I think 'gloomy' would be the word I'm looking for, I replied to the mask. Turning around to look at my surroundings, I asked, So does this 'realm of the beings without hearts' have an official name or something?

The mask made a noise like he was thinking, then I heard him (I assumed it was a 'him') answer, "To be honest, I have no fuckin' clue. You're the first guy to ever wear me in almost a millennium." I let out a deep sigh. This would be harder than I thought.

Just then, I heard something that sounded like…heavy bounds. At first, it was quiet, almost like a heartbeat. As the time passed, however, the beats started getting louder and louder, almost like the sound was coming towards me. I felt the ground beneath my feet rumble more and more as the sound intensified.

I turned every which was, hoping to find the source of the noise. I didn't have to look far when I saw what looked like the shape of a giant frog. I couldn't help but stare at the shape with an incredulous look.

I couldn't see how it was a threat, the creature being so far away, so I asked out loud, "Is that really something to be worried abou–"

I was caught off guard when I saw the frog just disappear. Nothing moved in front of its way, nor did it hide behind anything. One second, it was leaping towards me, and the next minute, it just vanished.

"Did…did that thing just…" I started, not exactly sure what to make of what I just saw. I wasn't sure whether to be on edge or at ease.

"Keep your guard up, Johnny," the mask ordered. "I don't think whatever that thing was would just poof away and leave us alone." Aside from its cocky attitude I've heard so far, it actually sounded as though it were preparing for a fight.

I was about to say something when I felt something the ground shake vigorously behind me. The next thing I knew, a stream of hot air blew against my back, followed by what sounded like hoarse breathing.

"Uh, John?" the mask started, whispering for some reason. "I think that thing's–"

I cut the mask off with an exasperated sigh. I know, I sent to him. Believe me…I know. I sucked in a deep breath and twisted around to see what was behind me. The first thing I saw was a pair of yellow eyes, staring down mine. Despite my confused fear, I stepped beck to get a better look at the thing. I hit a bull's-eye when I said that it was a frog, though I didn't think that it would be almost half a foot taller than I was. The only difference was that its skin was a shade of dark gray with a few splotches of black.

In direct contrast to its skin was the face. It was pure white and seemed to be stiff, like bone. Set on the face where the mouth would be was what seemed to be like a toothy grin, but it was far from friendly. It looked more like a skeleton's grin, no telling whether it had good intentions or bad. The only way I could tell what it was feeling was its eyes, and they seemed…curious?

The creature leaned closer, and I nearly stepped back in reflex as it breathed in my scent a few times. The frog-like…thing then moved back a couple of feet and apparently tried to grin with its stiff face.

"A human," it croaked out in a deep and raspy voice. "It's funny. With your mask and power radiating from you, I almost thought you were another Hollow."

I blinked a few times. I couldn't tell if it was intended to be a compliment or not. Its eyes seemed friendly, but I kept my guard up as I skeptically replied, "Um, thank you?"

The mask then said, "Well I'll be damned. Looks like this guy's harmless. Maybe you can ask him to take you that big-ass building over there." Believe it or not, I was actually tempted to do that.

Unfortunately, the creature's eyes turned from pleasant to menacing as he said in a darker tone, "I'll bet your soul tastes intoxicating." My eyes widened as the mask said, "Then again, maybe he's not."

Before I could argue with him, the frog's front paw lifted up into the and was sent flying down at me. Acting on reflex, I ducked to the right and rolled along the ground. I stood up and faced the frog only to see it shoot out its long tongue. I couldn't act in time as I felt the tongue wrap around my waist and reel me in, like a fish on a hook. I dug my feet into the ground, but the sand offered little resistance as I was dragged forward.

"Dammit, John," the mask chastised me. I was about to shoot something back at the mask when it said, "Fight back! Those new muscles of yours aren't for decoration, y'know!"

I blinked at that. Muscles? I looked down at myself to see that he was right. I had a torso that would make any bodybuilder look jealous. I would've admired myself had I forgotten that I was about to be lunch. Taking a chance, I wrapped two giant hands around the frog's tongue and squeezed tightly.

I could tell I did some damage, because the tongue let go of my waist, and the frog was roaring in pain. I blinked a few times, but shrugged it off as I pulled the tongue towards me with a hard yank. I had more strength than I thought, because instead of falling forwards, the frog flew right at me.

"Punch that bitch," the mask shouted, sounding like he was enjoying this. As soon as the frog was a few feet in front of me, I pulled a fist back and threw it forward into the beast's front teeth. I felt my arm shudder as my fist left several cracks on and above the creature's teeth, the force of the blow sending it flying a few yards back.

As the frog landed on the ground in a crumpled heap, I shook my fist around to ease the pain. Apparently, its face was made of something other than skin, but I didn't worry myself with that. Almost immediately, the monster pushed itself off the ground with its front feet. I wasn't planning on letting it attack again, so I sprinted towards the creature and reached out for its face.

I didn't give any warning as I pried the beast's giant mouth open. It pushed with all its strength to clamp its jaws shut, but I was stronger, if only by a small degree. Pushing against the frog's jaw strength, I managed to widen its maw and keep it propped open with an arm and a foot. Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw the frog's front legs flailing around.

"Eh oh uh ee," it cried out at me, which I believed translated to, "Let go of me!" I ignored its demands as I charged up a fist. With incredible strength, I threw the clenched fist into the frog's throat.

I nearly threw up when I felt my hand wave around in the moist pipe. I could feel the creature's throat vibrate as it tried to let out a wail of pain, only to have a something sound like a gag escape. I had a feeling that it was probably going to vomit all over me, but I brushed the thought out of my mind as I clenched onto the walls of the throat.

The creature let out another gag of pain as my fingers dug into the pipe, eventually breaking through the inner skin. I then began to pull my hand out, the frog's throat still punctured by my hand.

As I jerked my hand out of the frog's mouth, I shouted with rage, "You could really use a BREATH MINT!" At those last two words, the beast's throat, followed by its stomach, slid out with a sickeningly wet sound. The creature let out a shrieking wail before it fell to the ground, not moving a single muscle.

I looked down at my hand to see that it was coated with both blood and some type of slime. Slinging it off my hand, I heard the mask say, "Holy shit…that was AWESOME! Something tells me you enjoyed that."

I sighed, popped my knuckles, and told the mask, "I wouldn't say that, but I'd rather be coated in blood and gunk than in that thing's gut." As he mask laughed, I took another look at my body. More blood shot out than I thought, because my pants, or what was left of them, and stomach were coated in a thick layer.

Then, to my surprise, the blood began to soak into my skin. Even stranger was that the blood pouring out of the creature's throat began sliding towards my feet and flowing up my leg.

I was both confused and surprised, until I heard the mask sigh in contentment. "That was delicious," he said, sounding very satisfied. I cringed, but I wasn't sure why.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell you," the mask added, not sounding entirely apologetic. "See, um…I have what you may call…a craving for blood. Blood helps me stay alive, and keeps me keep you from getting killed."

I swallowed the lump that immediately formed in my throat before nervously replying, "Well, that's, um, that's good to know." Suddenly, the mask let out a hearty wheeze that soon grew into a laugh. "Relax, guy," he eased. "I'm not gonna go so far as to try and kill you for my food. If I did that, I'd be stuck here on your rotting face for God knows how long. That wouldn't be good for either of us, would it?"

I sighed as I asked the mask, "You have a really sick sense of humor. Do you know that?" The mask was silent, but I could almost feel it give off a cocky smile. I sighed once again, then said, "We should check out that dome over there."

"Not a bad idea," the mask replied, a tone of mock in his voice. "I had a feeling there was something besides hot air in that skull of yours." I ignored his backhanded compliment as I walked across the sandy dunes, headed for the dome.

It felt as though fifteen minutes went by, and we were nowhere closer to the dome. Despite the ground we covered, the massive dome seemed to stay the same size, if not appear at least a little closer. 'Just how far do we have to walk just to get to this place?' I thought to myself.

As usual, since the mask could listen in on my formerly 'private' thoughts, he answered, "I dunno. Maybe two or three years?" He then let out a wheezy chuckle, as though he told me the funniest joke in the world. I, on the other hand, just felt my eye twitch in annoyance.

I then let out a breath and asked the mask on my face, "So is there anything I can call you? I mean, if we're going to be partners in this place, I need to find something to call you other than 'the Mask of the Underworld.'" The mask was quiet for a second, and I felt that he was ignoring my question.

He then let out a heavy sigh and said, "I've been called many things in my time. Hell Mask, Terror Mask, the Tool of the Corrupted…" I raised an eyebrow and was about to ask him about that last title when he cut me off and said, "That's a story for another time, unfortunately."

I stayed quiet and only nodded slightly, allowing the mask to continue as I kept walking. "Anyway, when it came to naming myself, I never really gave it any thought," he continued. I soon heard him make a noise like he was in thought, along with a few quiet murmurs to himself. After what felt like a minute of silence, the mask cleared it's nonexistent throat and announced with unneeded passion, "From this day forth, I shall be known as…Masque!"

I blanched at that. I came to a complete stop and stared forward as I deadpanned, "Masque? Seriously?"

"What?" 'Masque' asked, curious as to what I was thinking. "It's with a 'q-u-e' instead of the 'k'. What's wrong with that?"

If Masque weren't covering my face, I would've pinched the bridge of my nose. It was, to put it bluntly, stupid. "I know that," I replied, trying to hide my annoyance. "It's just that…Masque seems a little…unoriginal."

Masque growled and snapped at me, "Alright then, smart guy. Let's see you fucking come up with something better." I nodded and then held my fist up to my chin in thought. A few names ran through my mind, but none of them seemed to fit Masque.

Let's see, I pondered, my eyes shifting around as I ran a few scenarios in my head. I thought back to when Ryan, Nathan, and I found the mask in a chamber under the Aztec pyramid. Suddenly, that memory led me back to my high school history class. I remembered when we first learned about the Aztecs living in Tenochtitlan, and they were ruled by… "How about…" I started, hesitating for a few seconds. "…Montezuma?"

The mask was quiet, so I immediately assumed he was thinking it over. He soon replied, "Hmm…I didn't much care for the guy himself, but I like how the name rolls off the tongue." He then began repeating the name over and over again to prove his point. I chuckled to myself quietly at this. I was about to tell him that he didn't have a tongue, but I decided to let him have his fun.

When he was done, I asked, "So you like the name?" The mask let out a laugh before saying, "Oh yeah. Not a bad choice. Oh, wait. Hang on a second." He then made the throat-clearing sound again and was quiet for almost half a minute.

"From this moment on," he announced, the same way he did the first time. "I will be known as…Montezuma!" I tried to stifle a laugh as 'Montezuma' stayed quiet, giving off an aura of pride.

"So, 'Montezuma,'" I started, smiling behind Montezuma. "Are you ready to get going?" The mask sighed, albeit it sounded more content then depressed, as he said, "Yeah, let's move." I nodded before I started sprinting towards the dome in front of us.

Almost ten minutes after I began running, I soon saw the detail of the dome pierce through the darkness of its silhouette. In contrast to the sand, it was purely white, with no single blemish from what I could see. Surrounding the main building was six cylindrical, solid white buildings that almost reached up to the top of the dome. When I squinted hard enough, I could just make out a few smaller towers on the tip of the dome. It looked more like a palace than just an average dome, but it looked nothing like any Aztec ruin I had ever seen.

Montezuma whistled and complimented excitedly, "Now that's one hell of a crib!" I only nodded, skidding to a stop along the sandy ground. I said nothing, only panted to catch my breath, as I stared at the palace in awe. I couldn't help but think of who or what may have been living in there.

I was about to take a step forward until a deep voice that seemed to surround me bellowed, "Who dares trespass on these sacred grounds?"

I flinched and looked all around, looking for the source of the voice. Soon, I calmed down and folded my arms across my chest, saying, "Nice try, Montezuma."

"Huh?" the mask in question replied. "I didn't say anything. I heard it, too." What he just said made me raise an eyebrow. Unlike every other time he spoke to me, this time, he sounded completely honest. "If that wasn't you, then who–"

The voice resounded again, this time saying, "Those who are not permitted shall not enter Las Noches." Las Noches, I asked myself, looking towards the gigantic palace. Is that what they call that place?

Suddenly, I felt the sand shift underneath my feet. I looked down and saw small pseudo-rivers of sand slither between my feet and under my boots, joining together at one spot a short distance in front of me. Slowly but surely, the small pile of sand grew larger and wider.

"I think you should move, Johnny," Montezuma suggested. I made no sound of approval as I stepped back slowly, watching the sand pile grow larger more quickly now. I twisted around and began to run until I was encompassed by a large shadow. I slid to a stop along the sand and turned around. What I saw was both unbelievable and frightening.

Looming over me was a giant, gray being. His arms were long, almost reaching the ground, and his forearms…well, to put it simply, they made me think of the old Popeye cartoons. They were that big around. I looked upward to get a good look at its head. It looked pretty much like a giant sandcastle with a white face on it. What really caught my attention was the hole in the center of its chest. It suddenly made me think of the etchings on the tablet: The one chosen shall be granted access to the realm of beings without hearts.

Is this what that text was talking about? I thought to myself as the giant sandman looked down at Montezuma and me. With a deep breath, the being announced, "I am Runuganga, the Guardian of the White Sands. You are not allowed to pass."

Montezuma and I could both only say the same thing:

"Oh, fuck me."

"Oh, fuck me."

Alright, that was the next chapter in John's trek through the desert. Also, I shall grant immortality for whoever can guess where the Thoughts quote in the dialogue key came from.

As usual, read, review, and favorite.