The main interaction with Ichigo, Nel and Grimm takes place shortly after the events in the Umbrage for Dumbridge.
As always, neither Arei nor I own HP or Bleach.
Chapter 16
Pain...
It was a constant sensation when you lived in Hueco Mundo. Many risked residing in the realm of the living merely for a chance to live just a little while without the pain from heat, pain from thirst, pain from hunger. And because of the threat the Shinigami posed to their continued existence, most had only a few minutes to experience such bliss with how thoroughly they tended to keep to their patrols.
Tier Harribel had thrived despite the pain in Hueco Mundo not because she stood alone, but because she had her Fracción; Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose, Cyan Sung-Sun.
Loneliness...
Most Hollows, regardless of strength or form, could not work together. Even if you saw an army of Hollows standing shoulder to shoulder, somewhere in the mass of various forms and shapes one was likely to find them fighting or trying to consume one another. Regardless of who led the army. Even Aizen had never been able to stop the in-fighting, so had instead instilled a kind of reward system for survivors as long as they followed specific rules, i.e.: don't get caught by someone higher ranked. That was how her predecessor Nelliel was defeated...
Three young Hollows had been different, and Tier counted herself lucky to have stumbled across, and rescue, each of them. She'd found something to fill the void of loneliness that had been in her heart because of these three individuals so like her. Individuals who wanted a... a pack, a shiver...
Sung-sun, the most mature of the three. Like a mother or older sister, she could keep the other two in line even without Tier having to step in. Her snake-like tendencies making her clever and calm and slow to hot-blooded anger.
Mila Rose, tall and Amazon-like, she was rational, brave, had a temper to fit her previous lion-like form and fought with a sadistic flare that had initially made Tier wary of her before she had realized it was just that the woman loved to fight.
Apacci was a contradiction if ever she'd seen one. When they'd met her form had been deer-like, delicate and dainty... but the attitude belied that gentle look. She was short-tempered, rude, impulsive and confrontational: The tomboyish little sister of the group.
Tier loved them all and had been surprised by the realization when she first recognized the emotion for what it was.
Loss...
The emotion had nearly paralyzed her when she saw each of her Fracción fall to their stronger-than-expected enemies. As Starrk had been outright killed at that point, she had truly believed them to be dead and turned to continue her own fight with the air of one expecting death and intending to take out as many as one could.
Aizen had promised them an easy fight for the Arrancar. 'Fish in a barrel' was the phrase he used.
It was the Arrancar who were slaughtered.
Surprise...
She was alive. How, she wasn't quite sure. In fact for several long moments she couldn't even remember how she'd lost consciousness. Everything hurt and she couldn't even find the strength to open her eyes. While the pain was strong, surprise was stronger as she knew she should be dead but didn't know why she should be dead.
Then she remembered and saw red as rage filled her.
Betrayal!
Aizen, who had promised to protect her family, had led them instead to their deaths.
Aizen, who had promised her loyalty for loyalty had literally stabbed her in the back!
Aizen, who had gloated at her 'weakness' in trusting him...
Hate Hate Hate!
The predator in her was rising. She wanted to find him, rip him, and tear him to pieces! She roared her rage to the world, the cave she was in echoed the noise strangely. She tried to push to herself to her feet. She had to find him, kill him. Make him pay!
Shock...
A voice? Three voices? Piercing through the veil of her rage came three voices that instantly calmed her and made her open her eyes in shock and amazement. Three familiar, beautiful, wonderful, impossibly alive (though badly damaged) faces hovered above her, each shouting at her to calm down, please calm down! Tier, calm down!
Alive...
Alive, alive, alive, alive...
Tier's thoughts looped as she slowly reached out to touch each face lightly, mindful even in her mindless state of their wounds. She felt the tears start to fall and saw as the others started crying as well. Tears of relief, tears of joy at seeing that each of their small family alive and, if not well, then whole.
She drew them into a weak hug, each of them simultaneously collapsing onto each other and holding each other up. They fell asleep in what the living would have called a 'puppy pile' and did not awaken for hours.
Determination...
Tier and her three Fracción were badly wounded from the fight with the Shinigami and Aizen's betrayal. They'd withdrawn with her unconscious form into Hueco Mundo and away from the fighting as soon as they were able. Instead of travelling back to their old base, Aizen's Castle, they had found an isolated cave and treated their combined injuries as best as possible with minimal sustenance.
Tier knew that they needed information and a way to escape to safety for if Aizen found them, he would kill them. Sung-sun, being the least injured of the four, made her way out of the cave on careful trips to gather scraps of food and information. To Tier's surprise, Sung-sun came back one day with information that gave Tier hope that there just might be a way to survive.
The stronger Arrancar, the Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes, were avoiding Aizen like the plague, refusing to be recruited or even be approached for 'peace talks'.
Apparently, one Vasto Lorde had gotten a bit mouthy with Aizen and had been blasted to bits for his audacity to speak back to the self-appointed 'king' of Hueco Mundo. Instead of 'proving his strength', Aizen scared off potential allies quite thoroughly.
Desperation...
Attacks on their position were becoming more numerous as other hollows realized that they were weakened. In a bid for survival the four women pooled their remaining energies despite their wounds in order to open a Garganta and fled through it swiftly, landing in a painful pile of limbs in an alley during the middle of the living worlds night cycle.
Together they trudged through filth to find a small, run down hovel to hide in and settled down into a weary rest. What little progress they had made in healing from their wounds was lost that night.
Worry...
How were they going to survive? Tier had no intention of leading the others back to Hueco Mundo. Other Hollows, or even Aizen, might attack them again and Tier's main concern was not vengeance (Though Apacci argued the strongest to try to stage an attack). Her concern was to keep her family safe, to keep them alive.
As it was, Sung-sun had to sneak out to swipe medical supplies from a small local hospital that was run outside of some strange man's house (he seemed to almost purposefully leave the supplies where she could swipe them without having to get too far into the building after the initial theft) and food from a nearby bakery.
Fear...
Several times the group had sensed powerful Shinigami walking past the small and damaged hovel that they were hiding in. Months passed end over end where they would huddle together and do their best to bury their combined Reiatsu. Many times the Reiatsu, familiar but they couldn't place it in their weakened states, would pause and seem to be looking at them before moving on without killing them. Even after so long they were still recovering from their injuries and dared to do no more than steal food and supplies. Tier would never have let her Fracción attack a human for food even if they had wanted to. It might have meant a longer recovery time, but they did not need the attention of the wrong eyes to fall on them because of some random human's death.
Besides that... the bread was surprisingly filling... especially the little meat filled buns...
Later, when Tier could comfortably stand, she watched out the damaged window and saw that it was Ichigo Kurosaki, Aizen's enemy, who was the one who passed them by so often without issue. His eyes met hers before he moved off, only sparing her a single nod when their eyes met. Why wasn't he killing them? They were weak, easy to take down even in his lesser state. It confused her...
Amazement...
A week after seeing Kurosaki pass by he'd paused again outside the small and damaged hovel they were hiding in and waited. What amazed her was not ten minutes later she sensed Nelliel and Grimmjow approaching.
She went to the window and watched as the two Arrancar talked to Ichigo, even joking around with him playfully. Nelliel even had a kitten on her shoulder who kept trying to reach out and swat at a string she was dangling for it.
What the...?
Wariness...
They were walking over now, all three of them kept their hands in sight and none of them looked to be wearing their zanpakutos. Still Tier was wary. She turned to the others.
"Hide, now," she ordered firmly.
Apacci didn't want to, they'd come close to losing her once and none of her Fracción wanted to experience that again especially since they had worked so hard to recover as a group. But they followed her orders with minimal fuss and hid amongst the rubble.
Nelliel was the one to knock on the broken-down door.
"Tier-chan? Can Itsy-go come in?" she called gently, "He's just here to talk. That's all."
"Itsy...?" Tier cut herself off, knowing that Nelliel got childish about nicknaming people. She'd been lucky herself that the woman hadn't been able to think of a way to maim 'Tier' or 'Harribel'. "He may enter only if he stays two steps from the door and no further. You and Grimmjow are not allowed within and must stay outside the door."
Intrigue...
She heard their muffled voices speaking before Nelliel popped her head back in, the kitten now sticking out of the eye of her mask.
"He agrees. And Grimmy and I will stay right here, okay?" A cheerful smile later and the buxom woman disappeared.
Ichigo entered a moment later, took exactly two steps from the door frame from heel to toe and stopped. She blinked in surprise at the precise movement and raised a brow at him.
"You said two steps only, so to avoid confusion or insult," he shrugged at her and offered a faint half-smile. "I know how literal you guys can get."
"I... appreciate it," Tier said slowly, "Now what do you want?"
"Just some answers to a few questions. First, I want is to make sure you aren't intending on being a threat to anyone who doesn't threaten you first," He responded simply.
"We are no threat unless someone attacks us," Tier agreed with a nod.
"Will you return to Aizen when your wounds are healed?" He asked, his stance relaxing only slightly due to her first response.
"Never," she hissed angrily, "Protection for Protection. Loyalty for Loyalty. Trust for Trust. He betrayed us. Led us to die, lied to us, tried to kill me dishonorably from behind. I will NEVER help him or his again."
Ichigo nodded and relaxed further. "What are your intentions? Are you planning anything?"
"My only intentions are to keep my family safe," Tier said firmly.
"Family? Those three behind you? Are they the same three from before?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes, they are my Fracción. I will keep them safe," she responded, her stance shifting just a bit just enough to promise violence if violence was his intent.
Ichigo held up his hands slowly. "Easy now, I won't hurt them. Are you all still recovering?"
"...yes," same the slow response to the sudden, unexpected question about their health.
"If you want, you can follow me," Ichigo said as he turned to the door. "I know somewhere you can be safe and can recover faster. You don't have to fight for us if you don't want to either, I swear it on my Soul," he said the last fast enough to cut off her next question. "I won't demean you by demanding that of you. All I ask is that you don't try to kill anyone unless they try to kill you first."
He moved to wait outside with Nelliel and Grimmjow, all three moving to stand on the other side of the street.
Was this Hope...?
The others looked out at her from their hiding spots. Each one looked worried and, yes, hopeful. Real food, real medical attention and the promise, a soul promise, that they would not be forced into another fight for another tyrant hiding behind a face of kindness and false honor.
They followed. Slowly they limped along behind Ichigo and the others. They were led to what looked to be an abandoned warehouse and each could feel the reiatsu of those within. Oddly, the energy of most within seemed a cross of Shinigami and Hollow... like Ichigo himself. Tier had seen other individuals in the fight but had not known that there were so many. She'd been focused on her own opponent, the Captain Hitsugaya and then later the two who had joined them, the glasses wearing Lisa and the blonde with pigtails, Hiyori.
"Yo! Shinji!" Ichigo called out, "I've got guests! Get Hachi will ya?! They're hurt!"
As they entered the warehouse building a large group of people approached. They kept a careful distance but each looked ready to attack if Tier or the others made a wrong move. Tier recognized her former opponent, Lisa, but was unsure of the names of the others. There had been no time to really focus on anything other than her own fight.
As it was, she could understand their need to be careful. It was very practical of them.
"My, oh my," said a very large and rotund man.
Tier's eyes widened not out of fear but at the sudden assault of color as said man stepped into the main room of the warehouse.
He was wearing an olive-green tuxedo with a yellow bow tie. He had golden eyes, a pink mustache and pink hair... and how the hell was any of that natural? Was it the result of the Hollow energies?
She blinked as he moved before the four of them and looked them over with kind and worried eyes.
"Look at you poor dears," he said in a soothing voice. "I'll get you fixed right up. I have abilities similar to Orihime. Sit over here girls and I'll get you healed up one at a time."
They were led to the side where a large crate sat and Mila pushed Tier forward.
"Heal her first," Mila ordered softly, "If you're like the Princess then you heal our Tier first."
"Hurt her and you die," Apacci growled from behind Mila.
The Shinigami/Hollows (later Tier would learn that they called themselves Vizards, she hadn't really paid attention in the fight to beyond learning her opponents' names so if they mentioned what they called themselves she'd honestly missed it) all tensed. Sung-sun smacked Apacci upside the head and hissed.
"Stop being an idiot," she said primly from behind the torn sleeve of her top, "We've been trying to heal Tier properly for months, if not a year now. If he can heal her where we couldn't then we will be in his debt."
"I get it, I get it," Apacci slumped, "It's just..."
"I'll be able to heal all of you dear," the man said with a small smile as he patted the tired looking Apacci. She twitched but didn't react otherwise. Tier knew then that she really wasn't feeling well, as she hated being touched casually like that. "And then we'll get some food in you. Call me Hachi."
"I... I'm Apacci," came the hesitant response.
Introductions slowly circled the room at that point and while Ichigo's odd allies didn't relax entirely, they'd apparently been prepared for this visit.
Tier stood and moved to the side when she was healed and watched as Hachi fixed up her girls. She looked at Ichigo with a frown.
"Why do this?" she asked him suddenly, "Why help us?"
"Because... not everyone fights for power," He said softly in a serious tone, "Some of us fight to Protect."
His eyes met hers and she felt a flash of pure understanding pass between them. Here was someone truly honorable, someone truly worth fighting along-side. He understood what being a Protector meant. Perhaps... perhaps…
Tier turned with a raised brow when a small blonde girl, ah, that was Hiyori, Tier recognized her now (she smelled like violence and fire and power) started to shout in indignation.
"We're watching this lot too?!" came the yell, "How the hell are they gonna pay rent?!"
"Um... I thought they could earn their keep like we do," Nelliel said hesitantly, before turning to Tier, "We help protect the city from Hollows, so..."
Her fracción turned to her expectantly, awaiting orders. Tier's word was law for their little family. Tier tilted her head and thought for a while.
"I find that acceptable," she said with a nod, "Also, Sung-sun can cook, Mila is good at gathering fire-wood, Apacci and I can hunt for food."
That earned her a long stare from everyone, even Grimmjow and Nelliel.
"What...?" she asked with a confused frown.
"Don't you buy food?" came the hesitant question from the blonde man with the weird smile, Shinji if she recalled correctly...
"I've stolen bread, that's good, especially the ones stuffed with meat. Managed to nick a steak a time or two," Sung-sun said proudly.
That earned a face palm from several of those around them.
"You... you haven't had Ramen yet? Or Sp'getti, or p'zza or or..." Nelliel looked like she was about to have a small fit when the four women shook their heads.
"That changes now! Hac'i-chan!" Nelliel turned to the healer, a woman on a mission and he saluted her as the two disappear into another room.
Confusion... happiness... relief... awe...
Emotions... could be nice, Tier thought to herself as she smiled at her Fraccion as they wondered what Nelliel was talking about and started to argue about what 'ramen' and 'sp'getti' could be (to the amusement of Ichigo and the Vizards).
Yes, emotions were nice, especially when one shared them with family.
Author's Notes:
*shiver, group of sharks.