Chapter 12: Unchained Heart

Meanwhile back in Hueco Muendo.

It had been a long time since Ermac left. By their reconing it had been a week. Everything seemed different without him. The halls became cold & empty. Grimmjow was glad to see him gone but everyone felt an empty feeling with him gone. None more than Halibel.

She had made a full recovery and heard afterwards the whole story of Ermac's leaving. And from what everyone told her it didn't seem like he would be back.

But she remained hopeful & for every moment of every day that he was gone she sat in the courtyard & waited to see him return over the horizon. But it had been a long time & Halibel's followers feared Ermac would not return. And none of them knew how to break it to their leader. But some way they had too.

So Mila Rose, Apacci & Sung-Sung decided to check on Halibel. They walked outside & found their mistress sitting in the courtyard.

Halibel heard their feet crunching in the sand getting closer & closer then suddenly stopping. The Tres Bestias stood there & looked at Halibel. And now right as they were going to go about their task all three of them found their tongues tied. There was their master, the strongest Espada, the Ruler of Hueco Muendo and yet there she sat in her sorrow all over a man. The four of them had certainly come a long way from their beginnings.

"So." said Mila Rose speaking up finally. But then she suddenly found she had nothing to say & looked at the sky."Unusual weather we're having." Her comment fell on deaf ears as Halibel sat there still. The weather never changes in Hueco Muendo & she knew that.

"Master." said Sung-Sun stepping up."Perhaps you should come inside. It's not right for you to just stay out here."

Just then Halibel shot up to her feet, startling the other three. Her back was to them but the three could see Halibel's hands trembling and shoulders shaking. Finally Halibel shot her head up & looked at the horizon.

"I don't care!" she yelled at it."I don't care if you come back." Her fraccion stood back as she vented & the other arrancars were drawn to the sound of her screaming." Go on keep fighting! Even when you were here, you weren't really. You were never there for me!" she yelled as if Ermac could hear her." I'm tired of waiting for you!" Then she stood there & shook some more, her eyes starting to water up. And silence overtook them.

But then there came the sound of footsteps crunching through the sand. The fraccion all turned and looked in shock at who they saw, slowly stepping out of the way to let whomever it was pass.

Halibel kept her head lowered still feeling miserable for herself.

"Halibel?" said a familiar voice. And at the sound of that voice she froze in place. Then slowly she turned around & standing several feet amongst her fraccion was Ermac, arms at his sides & a gleam in his eyes.

The tres bestias were just as surprised to see him there & smiled then they realized it was real. At that time Gontainbine, Grimmjow, Melony all came out & saw Ermac there.

"Ermac." addressed Gontainbine."We'd given you up."

"What happened?" asked Melony."How was the battle, did you win?"

"Let him alone!" ordered Apacci."Let him rest."

"Don't have to rest." told Ermac. He made his way through the small crowd, they made a path for him as he walked up to Halibel. She quickly turned as well and began walking towards them. But then as they kept looking at each other and the anticipation building up the two broke into a run and Halbiel jumped up and into Ermac's arms.

He took her in his arms and began spinning her around the two laughing and smiling the whole time. Then Ermac set her on the ground before him and once again she leaned forward and hugged him tight. Ermac looked over at the other arrancars who all smiled at what they saw. Then Halibel let go of Ermac and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry." He said to her." I should have stayed but I, I-"

"It doesn't matter now." Said Halibel putting one hand on his face and rubbing it." Your home , we're together now everything will be fine." Ermac turned his gaze away from her and looked at the ground.

"My vengeance is ended. Yet my past remains a mystery, but my future." He said looking her in the eyes." My future is clear." Then slowly the two began leaning towards each other.

From what the other arrancars saw the two turned their heads to the side as they came together. But then when they looked closer with astonished eyes. There both Ermac and Halibel stood with their arms around each other and their lips locked passionately.

Two lives have begun now, two hearts become one now, one passion one dream, one thing forever true. She would had lost at love and he who had never known love.

"I love you." Said both Ermac and Halibel together.

The End