This story takes place after Aizen invades Hueco Mundo.
Enjoy the story!
A brown haired Arrancar stood atop a cliff overlooking a burning village, watching the chaos unfold among the Hollow inhabitants. It was fascinating to see the nature of the Hollows down below when faced with an intruder far more powerful than them. The Adjuchas among them fought back, though not effectively. They were cut down easily, yet through pride or anger, they continued to throw themselves at the enemy. This, however, was not what caught the lone Arrancar's attention. A small figure pushed and shoved its way through the other Hollows. A Vasto Lorde in the crowd fleeing. One would expect the most powerful of this group to fight, but like a coward, the Vasto Lorde ran... then again, maybe it wasn't cowardice, but intelligence. The Arrancar let out a sigh of pity as he recognized the intruder.
Nnoitora Gilga.
The Vasto Lorde was smart to run. If there's anything the inhabitants of Hueco Mundo learned, it's the sheer danger these so called Espada presented. They outmatched any of the current Hollow in this world. It didn't seem to matter the number of enemies they faced, the Espada always came out on top, and Nnoitora became rather infamous while roaming around the sandy deserts in search for strong Hollow to bring to their strange new Shinigami guests. The Espada always claimed the need to find someone as strong as him. Someone that could match his skill in combat and bring him joy, but the Arrancar knew better. He was sadistic, wanting to prove himself better than any Hollow, happily killing those that didn't know their place. The only comfort, or dread depending on your perspective, was knowing there were other Espadas above even Nnoitora. Luckily, the one above Nnoitora happened to be Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. She showed kindness and mercy to those lesser than her, and even on occasion kept the bloodthirsty killer in line. Unfortunately for everyone down below, she wasn't here, and Nnoitora had full reign to kill them all.
The Arrancar began to walk away, knowing how the situation below would end. He frowned, thinking back to when he first encountered the three Soul Society captains who trespassed into Hueco Mundo and within one day made Lord Baraggan submit to their authority. He remembered being in awe and in absolute fear what these intruders would do to him, but to his surprise, the Shinigami did something to him that turned him from a lowly Adjuchas to what he is now. He never felt such power course through him, and he was thankful to the Soul Reapers for sparing him. Maybe these captains were simply trying to help.
Such Naivety.
The Arrancar was glad to have left them when he did. He shook his head, wanting to clear his thoughts. Looking ahead, he continued his journey through the moonlit desert with no destination in mind. Ever since he abandoned those Shinigami, he devoted himself to simply keeping himself occupied. He, like Lord Barragan, became bored of this world. So utterly bored, it drove him mad. Maybe, he thought, he should visit the human world again. There was always something interesting to see in the world of the living, unlike his mundane world. There was life in the streets, and the humans were very entertaining. In fact, when last he visited, he saw the humans preparing some kind of holiday for the turning of the new year. It certainly looked decorative enough, though that was a few days ago. Perhaps he missed the celebration already. Not that he would've joined of course. He knew better than to involve himself in human affairs, let alone join in the festivity. It was better not to attract the attention of any Soul Reapers in the area. Most of the time, he simply watched from afar, observing the lively atmosphere. Getting himself into trouble was the last thing he wanted after all-
The Arrancar stopped sensing an unfamiliar spiritual pressure.
He scanned his surroundings. This spiritual pressure wasn't an Espada. It was too weak. In fact, it didn't feel like it belonged to any of the Hollow residents in Hueco Mundo. It was too... soft.
It became clear what kind of spiritual pressure this was. A Shinigami. It was nothing like the three captains' pressure, but it was unmistakable. The Arrancar thought for a moment if he should pretend to not notice this presence and continue his path. He scanned his surroundings, finding several rock formations around him. There were many blind spots, perfect for a potential attack. Anticipating the enemy in this environment would be rather difficult. It seemed the best course of action was to acknowledge this person. "I know you're there," he announced. Whether it was out of fear or for the right moment to strike, no response came. "Come out now, and no harm will come to you. You have my word."
Still no response came. He took a gamble and focused his own spiritual pressure and heightened his sensory abilities, allowing him to find where this intruder was hiding. It left him vulnerable to do so, but he figured this Soul Reaper would not give up their hidden position so easily. Not a moment too soon, he identified exactly where the Shinigami was.
"Stay hidden, and I will cut you and that boulder you're hiding behind down."
A soft squeak was heard from behind the large rock formation. The sounds of ruffled clothes was heard as it began to slowly move from its hiding spot. The Arrancar gripped the hilt of his blade, ready to draw if necessary. Shortly after, a frightened female Soul Reaper with wavy red hair revealed herself. She didn't have the signature captain's cloak on. In fact, she didn't seem to hold any prominent position. The Arrancar lowered his guard, inspecting the girl in front of him.
"You're... average..."
The female Shinigami was taken aback. "E-excuse me?"
"Oh, I mean you don't look like anyone important."
"I- What!? How dare you!? That's so rude! How can you say that to a person you just met!?"
"No, I mean you're not a captain or a lieutenant of Soul Society, yet you're somehow here in Hueco Mundo. Are you that desperate to die?"
The girl angrily crossed her arms. "No I am not desperate to die! I was on a practice mission to exterminate some Hollows but then I got kidnapped by a big ugly one and instead of killing me, it brought me back here to this place, and now I can't get out and I'm scared and can you please help me get back home?" she asked as her rant turned to begging as she approached closer to the Arrancar.
He gave her a pitiful look, wishing he had ignored the presence and pretended not to notice. "You're asking me of all people for help?"
"Well why not? Anyone would feel better seeing another Soul Reaper, and I have no idea how to get out of here."
The Arrancar was in utter confusion. "Soul Reaper?"
"Yeah, c'mon. Anyone can spot a Shinigami a mile away!"
"I'm not a Shinigami."
"Oh, and I guess that's not your zanpakto either." She said sarcastically, pointing at his sword. "You're not even doing that great a job of hiding your zanpakto. C'mon, who're you trying to fool? You're not stupid are you?"
He stood there, looking at the girl's smug face. He thought the bone fragments around his jawline would have made it obvious what he was, but it turns out this girl was not only unimportant, but an idiot. He pondered if he should kill her and spare the world of her stupidity, but let out a soft groan instead, shaking his head. He didn't like fighting much. Not that he wasn't a proficient fighter. He was strong enough to be at the level of a Fraccion, and this Shinigami was certainly far below him in terms of strength. After some thought, he decided against taking her life. It wasn't worth the trouble... or the aftermath. He began to walk away from the girl, continuing his journey.
"Hey so..." The girl followed behind. "What's your name, anyway."
"Go."
"Go, huh? Never heard of you before in the other squads. Are you a new Shinigami like me?"
"Go away."
"Huh? But you said you'd get us out of this place!"
The Arrancar shot her an annoyed look. "I did not. Stop putting words in my mouth."
"Okay, but you'll get us out of here, right?"
"No! Go away!"
"Oh, c'mon! Don't be like that! You'll die too if you go alone in this weird place! There's a lot of Hollows around, and they seem way stronger than the ones I'm used to seeing!"
"That sounds like your problem, not mine," he muttered.
"Seriously, what's your name? I can't keep saying 'You there' or 'Hey you'."
The Arrancar sighed. "Chroma."
The red haired girl smiled. "Nice to meet you, Chroma! I'm Ifuni Seisa of the 13th squad!"
Chroma glanced at the Shinigami. She seemed so jovial and carefree for someone that just begged for assistance a few minutes ago. Did she not realize what it meant for her to be trapped in Hueco Mundo and the dangers it possessed? Or that she was happily walking beside an Arrancar that can cut her down in a single stroke? How can she be so... relaxed? Chroma looked forward. This girl...
"...You too..."
Was interesting.