Grom cackled as he watched Luz's face stream with tears as she muttered nonsense. Seeing the person who had been responsible for his life ending in torment was so satisfying to see. And really, Grom had to admit, Luz looked more appealing now than when she was that scrawny fourteen-year-old. Perhaps he could have a little fun with her before he devoured her and ascended to a higher state of power. The multiple tentacles of Grom started to extend towards Luz, some of them hoisted her up, allowing him to get a better view of her figure.
While Grom was doing his depraved work, something else was occurring. Gus's body began to glow blue, the violet coloring of his eyes started to shift between bright blue and bright violet. The young Quincy got onto his knees as he wrapped his hands around his head, grunting and growling as his eyes continued to shift between the two colors.
"GET…OUT…OF…MY…HEAD!" Gus yelled.
The young Quincy's eyes shined blue as he broke through the mental fear bind of Grom. Gus fell forward but caught himself on his hands as he began panting from the exertion of not only his spiritual energy, but his magical power as well. Never was he so thankful to be part Witch than he was right now. Now free from the fear, Gus quickly took notice of his surroundings, and realized that the rest of his allies were in the same position he was a moment ago.
W-Where's…the Hollow…? Gus thought.
He carefully scanned the area, and that's when his eyes fell on Grom, but to his shock and horror, he also saw Luz there as well, and Grom was in the middle gliding his grubby tentacles all over her, and slowly removing her jacket. Gus's blood boiled when he saw this, knowing Luz was stuck in the same fear trance as he was, and had no way to fight back against him, if she even could given her current state. Despite knowing that he had to help his best friend, Gus knew that he wasn't powerful enough to stop him. That's when he remembered something. The last thing he remembered before getting hit with Grom's attack was Amity getting out in front of them and saying something.
"Ban…she said 'Ban'…wait…?" Gus's eyes widened as he came to the realization of what Amity was about to do before they were hit. As much as he didn't want to admit it, if what he was thinking was true, then Amity might be the only one here, aside from Luz, who had the power to kill Grom.
The young Quincy looked around and spotted Amity. Grom was too preoccupied with his work to notice or he didn't care to notice since he had his prize. Gus crawled over to Amity, who was in the same muttering and crying state he was in a moment ago. The half Quincy, half Witch wasted little time as he placed his right hand against Amity's head. Gus's eyes closed for a moment before opening again and showing that they were glowing bright blue again.
"Release!"
Amity released a loud gasp as her eyes lost the violet glow. The teen Soul Reaper immediately got to a seated position, as she frantically shifted her head back and forth.
"W-What happened?! I was…I didn't…!"
"Amity, calm down and listen to me," said Gus.
The teen Soul Reaper quickly looked at Gus and asked, "Gus, what happened to the Hollow?! I…wait…I hurt Luz…Luz was…Gus, I'm sorry…I c-couldn't protect her!"
Gus raised his right hand and slapped Amity across the face. "Get a grip, Blight! It was Grom's power! He did something to us! Made us see our worst fears! But that's not important right now! What is important is Luz! And she's in trouble right now!"
"WHAT?!" Amity looked around and that's when she saw Luz getting molested by Grom. "LUZ!"
"I'll get the others out of the trance, but I had to get to you first."
"Why me? We'll need everyone!" Amity argued.
"…You have a Bankai, don't you?" Gus questioned. "I heard you say something, you said 'Ban' right before we got hit. You have the power to use Bankai, right?! Tell me you do, because I don't want to have wasted this time for nothing!"
Amity furrowed her brow and answered, "I do."
"Then save Luz! GO!"
Amity rose to her feet as she walked towards where Grom and Luz were. The young Soul Reaper drew her sword and cried out, "GROMETHEUS!"
Grom turned his head slightly and sighed in frustration when he saw Amity. "I thought I heard you all skittering around back there like the obstinate roaches you are. If I were you, I'd take this chance to run. I have what I want."
"STAY AWAY FROM MY LUZ!" Amity raised her Zanpakutō into the air as she unleashed her spirit energy. Grom's eyes widened as he watched a pillar of purple energy rise into the air, becoming a raging aura the surrounded her body. Amity's golden irises began to glow as she spoke aloud, "BAN…KAI!"
The blade of her Zanpakutō immediately transformed into its goo state, and wrapped around Amity, creating a large cocoon around her. A few seconds after the cocoon formed, it shattered apart, and revealed Amity's merged Bankai form.
"OWARANAI SHIO NO IMAWAKHIKI!"
Amity shot out her left arm towards Grom, turning it into a tentacle that wrapped around his midsection. Upon contact with Grom's flesh, a loud hissing sound echoed through the air, followed by Grom's loud cries of pain that made him release Luz and let her plop to the ground. Once she had seen this, Amity wrenched the Hollow away from Luz, raised him into the air, and then slammed him down into the ground on the far side of the clearing. Oh, but she wasn't done yet. Amity raised him up again and slammed Grom back to the ground again, and again, and again, and again. Each time she did this the hole that he made from the impact grew deeper and deeper until Amity slammed him down one more time as hard as she could, the end result had Grom sticking up, ass and tentacles first, out of the ground.
Once he was incapacitated, Amity turned her attention back to Luz and looked her over. Luz's jacket was halfway off, and her pants were pulled down just enough to expose one of her hips. Amity focused and temporarily disabled the acidic power of her goo body as she used her own tentacles to fix her lover's clothes, but Luz was still trapped in the fear nightmare that Grom had put her in. She could only imagine what Luz was seeing right now, Amity was still able to recall the terrible visions she was shown thanks to that monster. Her worst fears playing out before her mind, replayed in a different fashion, but always with the same horrible conclusion.
"Luz? Luz, please wake up! I'm here now! So, please, snap out of it!" Amity cried out.
"Amity?"
The teen Soul Reaper glanced to her right, spotting Edric, Emira, Willow, and Gus approaching them. Her siblings were very much shocked to see their sister in such a state, but they recognized that their little sister was in a Bankai state, but it was hard to tell if they were shocked by that alone, or by the fact that Luz was lying on the ground, with a Hollow hole above her naval, and part of a Hollow mask on her face.
"You…You can use Bankai?!" Edric exclaimed.
"And…is Luz a Hollow?!" Emira asked.
"Explanations later! Gus, can you free her?!" Amity asked.
Gus didn't hesitate as he knelt next to Luz, placed his hands on her head, and focused his magic on her mind.
"Release!"
Luz's eyes cleared up as she bolted upright, gasping and panting as she crawled backwards to the point that her back hit the tree behind her.
"WHERE IS HE?! WHERE IS HE?!" Luz asked frantically.
"Not dead yet," Amity said as some of the glowing eyes on her body shifted in Grom's direction. "But he soon he will be."
Luz pressed her right hand against her head as she began to cry bitter tears. "This is so stupid! I'm so much stronger than him! I was kicking his ass just a moment ago and then…the moment I figured out who he is I…I fucking froze up! I felt like a little girl scared of the goddamn boogey man! I'm so stupid…I'm so stupid!"
Amity turned her attention back to Luz and used both her hands to force Luz to look at her. "Luz, stop. You're not stupid for feeling that way. Remember what Camila said. Yes, you are stronger, yes are vastly more powerful than him. But trauma of the mind doesn't always go away that easily. Being afraid doesn't make you weak, you can overcome it Luz, but you don't have to do it alone. I'm here for you, Gus and Willow are here."
Luz glanced at her where Gus and Willow were, and both her friends showed her confident smiles, when she looked up, even Edric and Emira were doing the same, despite their obvious surprise about Luz's identity. When Luz looked back at Amity, she used a single goo tentacle to wipe away her lover's tears. After she did that, Amity turned around and faced Grom's direction, watching as he struggled to get himself out of the hole Amity put him in. However, as she readied to go and make the Adjuchas Hollow hurt, she reminded where she stood. A hand was placed on her shoulder and came to see that it was Luz's hand.
"Luz?"
"I'm done being afraid. Let me fight with you," said Luz.
"Are you sure?"
"No…I'm so scared right now it feels like I'm going to throw up but…having you near me, makes me feel less afraid." Luz sighed. "I'm sorry you have such a scaredy cat for a girlfriend."
Amity took a step back, her lower half formed a long skirt as she then curtsied to Luz and asked, "Well then, do you dance, Luz?"
Luz couldn't help but chuckle and replied, "Well, if we're dancing, then I think I need my party dress." Luz pressed her hands together and summoned her naginata back into her hands. "Enchant! La Bruja!"
A blast of yellow light shot up into the air, and in the next moment, Luz transformed back into her Resurrección form. The transformed Arrancar took part of the skirt around her waist and gave a slight bow to her partner.
"I hope you can keep up with me, hermosa."
"Don't slow me down, batata."
Grom finally managed to get himself out the hole and turned to face his prey but growled when he saw Luz back in her Resurrección form. Then something odd occurred, Luz and Amity took each other's hands, and brought their bodies close, like they really were about to dance. The eyes of Grom glowed as he prepared to unleash another La Mirada del Miedo, but before he could fire it off, everyone shut their eyes to prevent the shine from hitting them. Grom growled in annoyance, but saw this as an opportunity, if he kept the La Mirada del Miedo effect going while he attacked, then none of them could attack or defend if they couldn't see him coming. The Adjuchas Hollow opened his mouth and formed a dense sphere of energy, preparing yet another Cero.
"Do you trust me?" Luz asked.
"I do," said Amity without hesitation.
Grom fired a powerful Cero towards the group, but before it could hit, Luz spun Amity around, putting herself out in front while keeping Amity behind her. Luz thrusted her left hand forward, letting the beam strike the palm of her hand. And just like before, Luz threw the beam into the air where it exploded a moment later.
"WHAT?! HOW?!" Grom yelled.
"I don't have to see you. I had a hard time sensing you with my Pesquisa earlier, but now that I'm this close, I can see you even with my eyes closed. Mi cariño, how much control do you have over that gooey body of yours?" Luz asked.
"Since you asked so nicely~" Amity kept her left hand connected to Luz's right, but the rest of her body began to take an amorphous form, turning into a blob before thinning out and wrapping around Luz. Amity's head reformed near Luz's left ear as she whispered, "I'm right here with you."
Luz kept a firm grip on Amity's right hand as she began twirling around. Grom roared before he charged straight for Luz. The Arrancar easily sensed his nearing presence, and whipped Amity's goo body at the monster. The goo swiftly traveled forward and wrapped itself around Grom's face, and as soon as it did, Amity reactivated the acidic power of her goo, which also caused Luz to wince.
"I'm sorry!"
"Don't worry! I can handle it, but he sure as hell can't!"
Indeed, Grom couldn't, the Adjuchas Hollow was roaring in pain, but his roars were muffled thanks to the thick goo that had encompassed his face. Grom clawed at his face, trying to get the burning acid goo off his face, but it was no use. The power of Owaranai Shio no Imawakhiki granted Amity the power to reform the goo faster than Grom could claw it away. And now that his face had been covered, Luz could open her eyes, and at the same time, a few eyes opened on the other parts of ropey goo body. Luz reeled the monster in like a fish on a hook, and as he approached, Luz balled up her right fist and formed a Bala around it. Once he was close, Luz punched him right in the gut with the Bala, before firing it and sending Grom sailing backwards. Amity didn't let go of Grom, allowing her body to continue to stretch. But Luz stomped her foot into the ground before reeling him back, using Amity's goo rope body to lift him into the air before slamming him back down to where they were. Amity undid herself from Grom, and returned to her full-bodied form, now out in front of Luz as she held Luz's left hand with her right hand.
Grom managed to get up, but revealed that his Hollow mask face was burned, with the burns concentrated mostly on the four extra eyes, searing them shut to ensure Grom cannot use his ability again.
"Everyone, you can open your eyes!" Luz announced.
"We wouldn't want you to miss the finale," Amity added.
The others opened their eyes as they watched Amity's right arm produce several construct cicadas. The goo cicadas quickly swarmed around Grom as he tried to swat them away with his claws and tentacles, but it was no use. The cicadas latched onto his body, refusing to let go. Amity twirled Luz around, as the Latina shot her a saucy smolder before she snapped her fingers. At that moment, a large Fire Glyph symbol appeared below Grom.
"Semi no Mure: Daraku no Sakebi! (Cicada Swarm: Cries of the Fallen!)"
"Ampliar: ¡Mayor Explosión! (Magnify: Greater Explosion!)"
The Fire Glyph symbol glowed with an intense red light, and that's when every single goo cicada chittered loudly before self-destructing. This attack was powerful on its own, but with Luz's Glyph Magic enhancing the explosive power, it was even bigger than normal. Grom wailed in agony as he was once again in engulfed in a burning sensation, a pillar of fire surrounding him as multiple explosions took place all around him. After a few seconds, the pillar of fire and explosions ceased, and that's when Amity and Luz danced their way over to him, leaping and twirling with grace as they got closer, and together, threw a double high kick that sent Grom into the air.
Amity produced a pair of goo wings as she and Luz took flight together, flying after their foe. Luz and Amity got ahead of Grom and turned around to face their incoming foe. That's when Luz held out her right hand, and Amity her left.
"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone!"
"Flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!
"Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams!"
"Unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!"
An intense blue flame appeared in front of their hands as Luz and Amity glanced at each other for a moment, and then directly at the incoming Grom as they cried out as one.
"HADŌ #33: SŌKATSUI!"
"HADŌ #33: SŌKATSUI!"
Grom looked up and unfortunately, that's when he saw a huge blue fireball forming, and he was flying towards it.
"Oh…c'mon…"
The girls fired their combined spell, unleashing a bellowing inferno of blue fire upon Grom as he was quickly swallowed up by it. Amity and Luz cancelled the spell and descended together, both girls spun in the air before Luz extended her right leg, and Amity extender her left right alongside Luz. The couple came down with an incredibly strong double ax kick that launched Grom straight down, crashing back to terra firma. The two lovers, separated as Luz landed on the ground, shifting out of her Resurrección form as she held out her arms. Amity disengaged her Bankai, returning to normal as she fell right into the arms of her lover. Luz spun them around, before taking hold of Amity's left, and ending their little dance with one last pose just as a powerful explosion of blue flames erupted behind them.
"Whoa…" Gus, Willow, Emira, and Edric uttered in amazement.
The two girls were panting, but both had smiles on their faces, and were blushing. The flames of their spell started to die down, but unfortunately, Grom was more stubborn than they had thought. Most of his tentacles were burned away, he was missing his left arm, the right horn of his mask was broken off, and his whole mask had cracks running all along its surface. His extra four eyes were also still burned and damaged from Amity's acid goo, but his regular eyes were still intact. The Adjuchas Hollow tried to crawl away with his one good arm, believing he might still have a chance to live if he could open a Garganta and slip away.
"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" Edric and Emira shouted as they jumped into the air.
The twins appeared in the air above Grom as both their hands glowed with spiritual energy.
"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku (Locking Bondage Chains)!"
"Bakudō #9: Hōrin (Disintegrating Chain)!"
Yellow chains of light appeared from the sky and snaked their way towards Grom, at the same time, a rope made of yellow and orange light shot out of Emira's hands and headed for the same target. Together, the two binding spells wrapped around Grom, completely immobilizing him, and preventing any kind of escape from the wounded Hollow. Grom struggled, grunting, and growling in frustration and anger. That's when Edric and Emira dragged him back and threw him before Luz and Amity. The teen Soul Reaper shot the monster a death glare as she approached Grom and drew her Zanpakutō. Grom glanced from Amity and to Luz, who was now averting her gaze away from him, a sight that made him chuckle.
"You find something humorous about your current situation?" Amity asked.
"Even if you kill me, I've still won."
"Doesn't look that way from where we're standing," said Willow as she and Gus stood next to Luz.
"Oh, but I have. Because she still fears me. Look at her! She can't even look me in the eye. Even in death, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life, girl. I will be living rent free in your head forever! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Grom laughed.
"You son of a bitch," Gus cursed. "Amity, just kill this guy already!"
"With pleasure…" Amity raised her Zanpakutō, ready to deal the killing blow.
"WAIT!" Luz cried out. Everyone turned to Luz, wondering why she had Amity stop her execution. "…I want to do it."
"Luz…are you sure?" Amity asked.
"No…but…I can't keep living in fear."
Amity lowered her sword, turned to Luz, and offered her Zanpakutō to her. "Then use this."
Luz looked down at Amity's sword, and then back at her girlfriend. "W-Wait, are you sure? I mean…is it even okay for me to touch it?"
"I can hear the voice of Imawashiki, and she says she will allow you to wield her," Amity explained. "She's usually pretty particular about other people touching her. But in this case, she's very willing to make the exception."
"I mean…thank you, both of you, but I do have my own Zanpakutō. Well, it's not a traditional katana like yours, but…"
"Trust me, Luz, use Imawashiki," Amity insisted.
Luz looked down at her lover's left hand and carefully reached out with her right hand. The Latina gingerly gripped the hilt of Amity's Zanpakutō, and the moment she did, a pulse, something akin to a heartbeat, rippled from the sword and through her. Luz reasoned that this was Amity's Zanpakutō telling her that she was being granted permission to wield it. Now armed, Luz stepped forward, tightly gripping her lover's sword in her hand as she glared down at the monster that had tormented her in her youth, who had for almost five years been the boogey man who dwelled in the shadows of her mind.
"You don't have the balls…!" Grom mocked.
"Heh…you're right, I don't…because I'm a girl you jackass!" Luz raised the Zanpakutō into the air with both of her hands, making Grom's pupils shrink to pinpricks.
"NO – WAIT!"
"GO! TO! HELL!" Luz roared as she slashed with the Zanpakutō, slicing Grom's Hollow mask right down the middle and causing a blast of green energy to come shooting out of the wound and straight up into the sky.
"Everyone, get back!" Emira warned.
Edric zipped straight to where Willow and Gus were, scooped them up in his arms, and moved them a few feet back before putting them down.
"Luz, back away, now!" Amity warned.
"W-What?! What's wrong?! What did I do?!" Luz asked.
"Nothing, but you don't want to be close for what happens to him next."
With that cryptic warning, Luz took a few steps back along with Amity. Emira was with the others now, and just in time. Grom continued to wail as the energy poured out of his wound, but then that energy started to take shape, solidifying until it transformed into something. Behind Grom stood two black iron gates. Both of which had the upper torsos of huge skeletons on them. The skulls of both skeletons were wrapped in bandages, covering most of their heads, while leaving at least one eye socket visible. The skeletons looked melded to the gates, and along the seam of the gate were several chains that kept it closed. However, that would not remain the case for long.
"W-What is that?!" Willow asked fearfully.
"Those are the Gates of Hell," Amity answered.
"WHAT?! I know I said, 'got to hell', but I didn't mean that literally!" Luz exclaimed in shock.
"It's alright, Luz. You didn't do anything wrong," Emira assured.
"The duty of a Soul Reaper, aside from exterminating Hollows, is to help ferry the souls of the dead to Soul Society. Where they can rest in peace until such time as they can be reincarnated. That includes Hollows as well," said Edric.
"Hollows, the lower-class ones, were all once human souls who at one point lost all reason, and abandoned what made them human. Some Hollows aren't evil, some are just poor souls who have been in the World of the Living for too long and lost themselves to anger or frustration. When we kill Hollows with our Zanpakutō, it judges them. Just like you humans have your religions about how your deeds when you were alive determine your place in the afterlife, it's the same here. If you've lived a life where you've done more good than bad, then you will be purified and sent to Soul Society. But…if you live a life of evil, then, when a Hollow is slain, that soul is sent directly to Hell," Amity explained.
A crack formed in the gates as several of the chains started to break.
"And now is the time of his judgement…"
Once all the chains had been broken, the two skeletons reached out with their hands onto either side of the gate, and pulled the doors open. A harsh red light shined from within, and as soon as it did, Grom screamed even louder, as if the pain he was feeling was magnified even further. Soon, black chains with barbed hooks shot forth from the red expanse. Edric and Emira's binding spells were immediately canceled as the hooks embedded themselves in Grom's flesh, the pain must've been excruciating as the barbs hooked deeper into his skin and muscle.
"HELP ME! DEAR GOD, HELP ME!" Grom begged.
Luz furrowed her brow as she proclaimed, "Now, it's time for you to know what fear is."
No sooner had she said that did a giant purple arm emerge from the red light, holding an equally large knife in its hand. The giant arm and knife thrusted forward and skewered Grom straight through his chest, sending blood spraying from his wound. Grom continued to beg and plead, but such things fell on deaf ears in Hell. The arm and knife, along with the chains, pulled Grom towards the red light until nothing could be seen of the Hollow. Upon his disappearance into the red expanse, the Gates of Hell slammed shut. A moment after closing, the gates began to disintegrate, breaking off into particles before disappearing completely.
"Amity…is…is it over?" Luz asked.
"Yes, he's never coming back, Luz. Once a soul goes to hell, it stays there. All he will know for the rest of his afterlife is eternal torment, pain, and suffering. He will never escape, and he will never be able to reincarnate. He's gone forever, Luz. You're free of him," said Amity.
"G-Good…c-could you take your sword back? I-I don't want to drop her and make her angry."
Amity carefully took her Zanpakutō and sheathed it back into the scabbard. Once Amity had done that, Luz buried her face in Amity's chest as she began to cry loudly into the night, tears streaming down her face. The strength in Luz's legs started to give, and slowly, Amity brought the two of them down until they were seated on the grass.
"It's over, Luz," Amity assured as she cried and held Luz close. "You never have to see or think of him ever again, you're safe now."
Luz heard Amity's words, but she still continued to cry. Willow walked over to the couple and wrapped her arms around them. Gus walked over as well and did the same, offering his comfort to Luz. Edric and Emira appeared on either side of Amity and draped their arms around their little sister, along with Gus and Willow. They were content to remain like that until Luz was ready, she had faced her fears this night, stared her tormentor in the face, and was now free of his presence in both life and death. She had earned the right to cry for as long as she needed to, and they would be there to give her the comfort she needed.
It was a rough night for all involved, complete with a lot of psychological trauma that would have to be unpacked at a later date, at least as far as the others were concerned, Luz was their more immediate concern. Amity had stayed over at Luz's house, both because she wanted to, and because the Latina asked if she would. It wasn't hard to understand, Luz wanted her girlfriend close to her after having gone through such a harrowing experience. Amity spent the whole night holding Luz, and stroking her hair as she slumbered in her embrace.
Camila showed up the next morning, and Amity, in her Gigai, had informed Camila that Luz wasn't feeling too good and that she was going to stay over and help look after her. Camila didn't question it, and agreed to let Amity take care of Luz, with the older Latina having Amity promise to come and get her if something was wrong. A whole day had passed, and Gus and Willow would occasionally call or text to see how Luz was doing. Each time she replied with the same, she was resting. The mental toll of that night had been heavy, and she didn't blame Luz for sleeping in, but she hoped this didn't mean that Luz was going to shut herself inside from here on out. Eventually, Amity got the call she had been dreading since the night of the event, Emira and Edric wanted to talk to her.
With a heavy sigh and equal reluctance, Amity told Luz that she would be at the Owl House for a bit, and that she would be right back. Luz told her she would be okay and flashed her a smile. After leaving the Noceda house, Amity dashed through the sky and returned to her temporary residence. After entering the shop, she made her way upstairs and opened the door to her room, where she found her older brother and sister waiting for her. Amity entered and closed the door, she then walked further inside and sat down at the edge of her bed as she stared directly at her siblings.
"I know you have questions, and I don't want to leave Luz alone for too long. So, let's not beat around the bush or think of better ways to approach the subject. Say what's on your mind and I'll answer as best I can," Amity stated.
Emira sighed as she said, "Then I guess I'll start then. Amity, how long have you known that Luz was a Hollow? And not just a Hollow, but an Arrancar?!"
"…I've known since the first day I came to Gravesfield. She revealed herself to me on that day, without hesitation or any prompting or suspicion on my part. Until that moment, I believed she was just a normal human girl," Amity admitted.
"Am, this…this is serious. You've been keeping a huge secret from Soul Society for about a month and a half now! Arrancars are extremely dangerous! You should've reported this the day you came here!" Edric scolded.
"I thought about that as well. But at the time, I thought Luz had ulterior motives. I thought she revealed herself to me because she believed wholeheartedly that there was nothing I could do to stop whatever plans she may have. With that thought in mind, I decided to either try and eliminate her myself, or failing that, gather as much information as possible about whatever it was she was scheming so that Soul Society could come up with a proper response."
"That does make sense, but something tells me that's not how it turned out," said Emira.
"You're right, it isn't. I came at this investigation from different angles, trying to understand if there was a method to the madness. But with each day that passed, I became more and more confused as to what Luz's actual goal was for this town. She hunted Hollows to feed on, she's friends with Willow and Gus, and she deeply cares for her mother, Camila. It wouldn't be the first time a Hollow played the long game to get what they wanted, but this didn't seem like a normal kind of game they would play with their victims. Plus, Willow and Gus confirmed that Luz was their friend from a long time ago, aside from becoming an Arrancar, nothing about her has changed."
Edric and Emira were having a hard time trying to wrap their heads around this, and Amity couldn't blame them. Just like herself, they have were taught a certain way when it comes to how Hollows act. But Luz's behavior goes against all the things they learned about Hollows, as far as their mentality is concerned. Luz displayed other traits of an Arrancar, but not once had Luz used her powers or abilities to harm a living soul.
"Listen…"
Amity told the story of how Luz died, as well as how she was able to come back to life, in a way. Their expressions shifted a lot throughout her story, but Amity ignored that and kept on going. She needed her brother and sister to understand, she needed them to see what she was unable to – or rather – what she had refused to believe back then. That Luz was a Hollow who still retained her human soul.
"I got approval from Captain Darius to change the nature of my mission, from investigation to field research. Luz is an anomaly, everything about her flies in the face of what we know about Arrancars, hell, we encountered another anomaly last night. That Hollow carried a grudge so powerful that it allowed him to retain his sense of self even after spending five whole years evolving into an Adjuchas. Both of these cases warrant further study," Amity explained.
Edric sighed as he asked, "Okay, so, at what point did sleeping with a Hollow become part of this research? Were you trying to figure out if Arrancars could have sex like regular people or something?"
Amity blushed a little, but her serious expression didn't change. "That was not something I had planned on happening, nor did I plan on finding out my true orientation through that event."
"Does Captain Darius even know? Like, really, does he know you've slept with her? And are currently dating Luz?" Emira inquired.
"I have decided to omit that part from my research, for now. I will add it into my final report, because I think that we're overlooking something beneficial for everyone."
"And what's that?" Edric asked.
"Luz can be a great ally to Soul Society.'
"What?!" the twins exclaimed.
"Luz has decided to dedicate her life to protect this town and those she loves from the Hollows that try and crossover into this area. All she wants to do is live her life, the life that was cut short for her a year ago! If we take that life, we might as well be murderers! Instead of making her an enemy, why not make her ally to the Soul Reapers? We can work together to exterminate Hollows that are difficult to contain or kill, or when we plan expeditions into Hueco Mundo, having an Arrancar like Luz would help in protecting the expedition goers, and she could probably open a Garganta for a quicker escape," said Amity. "There are many more benefits to having Luz as our friend and ally than treating her as an enemy."
Neither of the twins could actually fault Amity's logic, it was sound. After witnessing Luz's abilities firsthand, the duo would admit that they'd prefer to have Luz on their side as a friend and ally. If she so chose, Luz could probably rampage across Soul Society and cause massive damage before they managed to kill, contain, or drive her away. And if Luz could help them in dealing with more problematic Hollows, they would suffer far less losses than they would sending a Soul Reaper. However, there was one obvious flaw in this plan.
"Head Captain Belos won't approve of it," said Edric.
"You know how much disdain he has for Hollows, if he finds out that you've been keeping the existence of an Arrancar from Soul Society a secret, he'll brand you a traitor. And if he finds out that you're sleeping with a Hollow, forget being brought back for execution. He'll send someone from Squad Two to come and kill you here in this world!" Emira exclaimed.
"Em's right, being with Luz…as her girlfriend…it just doesn't work out well for you, Am. Even with Captain Darius – hell – even with Dad, it won't be enough to convince him," Edric added.
"I know I can make a good case for Luz. Dad is the most brilliant scientist in all of Soul Society, and the Captain of Squad Twelve. If he and Captain Darius can back my findings, then Head Captain Belos can see the positives of keeping Luz alive!" Amity stated.
"Amity, listen to yourself. Everything you're doing is to keep Luz alive, to spare her a possible extermination squad coming for her. But it's only a matter of time. Look, I know you want to become a captain eventually, and as much as it may hurt your pride, you're better off telling Captain Darius that you failed in your mission. He's probably keeping this hush-hush so that Soul Society doesn't panic," said Edric.
"That was my guess as well," Amity commented.
"Then it's probably better for Luz that when you go back, and speak with your captain, you tell him that you want to change your mission back to the original one, and to report that you failed. I know it may not look good, but I'm sure the captain will understand. It may not look good on your record, but at least it gives you what you want and what Luz wants, for Luz to live," Emira argued.
Amity nodded her head.
"I have contemplated that option, but Luz won't stop eliminating the Hollows. They pose a threat to the people in this town. And if they assign a Soul Reaper to this region, then it would only be a matter of time before some other Soul Reaper finds out her true identity and we're back to the original scenario, but far worse. I'm Luz's only chance of being able to live her life without fear of someone coming to end it. She's had too much taken from her, I won't let her second chance at life be taken away as well!" Amity proclaimed as she bolted to her feet.
Edric and Emira glanced at each other before staring at Amity, and then asked at the same time, "You really love Luz, don't you?"
If you had asked Amity that question a few days ago, she probably wouldn't have been able to answer it clearly. But after everything that happened last night, and with the possibility of Luz's life hanging in the balance, Amity knew what her answer was.
"Yes, I do."
"Even though no one in Soul Society will ever accept this relationship?" Emira asked.
"I don't care."
"Even if it means that someone may come for your life too?" Edric asked.
"If that happens, I'll face the consequences head on. Even if it means they send my own family to do it."
The siblings had an intense stare down to the point that Amity felt like they were about to have their spiritual energies clash in the air between them. But then the tension disappeared, and the twins had their award-winning smiles back on.
"Now that's a good answer, Mittens," said Edric.
"Look at our little rebel troublemaker, just like your big bro and sis," Emira cooed.
Amity rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms and smiled at her big brother and sister. The older Blight siblings crossed the room and hugged their baby sister.
"We'll do what we can to help from our side," said Edric.
"Thanks, you two," Amity replied.
"You do know that you have a big report to write considering four Menos Grande appeared here," Emira reminded.
"I know, I'll think of something to say later and have you corroborate it."
"And lying, we are so proud of you!" Emira exclaimed.
"Whatever."
"Also, how long have you been able to use Bankai?" Edric inquired.
"Uh…"
Thankfully, Amity's phone went off, giving her an excuse to push her siblings off so that she could answer it, although, she was a little worried when she saw the caller ID read "Camila".
"Hellow, Camila," Amity greeted.
{Amity, I'm sorry, but have you heard from Luz?}
"What? No, why? Isn't she still in her room?"
{No…she came down from her room, gave me a hug and told me she would be out for a little while. That was almost thirty minutes ago. She said she was feeling better, and she looked alright, physically speaking. But…I don't know, maybe I'm being paranoid, but she didn't seem like her normally cheerful self.}
Amity frowned, she hated lying to Camila, if she knew what happened, Camila could offer more comfort to Luz. But that would require telling the older Latina the truth about Luz's death and her rebirth.
Wait…
"Camila, it's okay. I'm pretty sure I know where she is. So, don't worry. I'll have her call you when I find her," Amity assured.
{Gracias, Amity. Sorry for being a worry wort.}
"It's alright, really. See you soon." Amity hung up the call and looked at her siblings. "I need to head out. But what will you two do?"
"Guess we should head back," said Edric.
"Can't be gone too long," Emira added.
"Alright and take it easy when you get back. After this, you two need a vacation from the vacation," said Amity.
The Blight siblings chuckled before Amity left the room. She left the Owl House and headed to the flower shop that Willow worked at, and once there, she entered the shop, but was surprised to see Willow working.
"Willow? Why are you here?" Amity asked.
"…I work here, remember?"
Amity shook her head. "I mean, why are you at work right now after what happened? Why didn't you call in sick to work?"
Willow's expression fell just a tad. "Honestly, being alone at home with my thoughts is kind of the last thing I want right now. After seeing those…horrible visions…I kind of just want to do something that'll keep me busy. And don't worry too much about me, I'm stronger than I look."
"What about Augustus?" Amity inquired.
"He's…well…" Willow took out her cellphone, scrolled through it for a bit, and flipped it around to show Amity. "Look."
Amity walked up to the counter and saw that what Willow showed her were text messages from the young Quincy.
[Gus: Willow, I'm going to take some time to myself for a bit. I want to get some training in while I can and help sort my thoughts. If anything happens, don't hesitate to call, or text me. And tell Blight she better keep Luz safe or else she'll get an arrow to the back of her skull.]
"Not being able to take down that Hollow, or protect Luz, really hit him hard. And I doubt the nightmare visions helped any," said Willow.
"But he did protect her. He used his magic to free me from that mental fear prison. If it wasn't for him, Luz would be dead right now," Amity countered.
Willow placed her phone back in her pocket and sighed heavily. "I know he knows that, and in his heart, he knows it was the right decision to make. But at the same time, he so badly wanted to make up for not being able to help Luz with his own strength. He blames himself for not using his powers to go to that camp and rescue Luz. He blames himself for not being able to comfort Luz during those years after the incident. And he definitely blames himself for not being there to save Luz from getting eaten and turned into a Hollow. Even though it brought Luz back to us, it just raised a new fear of Soul Reapers coming to kill her."
Amity rubbed the back her head as she sighed in frustration. Gus was clearly placing too much weight on his young shoulders. He was three years younger than Luz and Willow, but he in no way let that impede his ability to fight or protect the two people he cared about most. However, there was only so much he could do.
"Do you know where he is? Maybe I could talk to him? Or I could have Luz talk to him?" Amity offered.
"No, he's probably off to his little secret Quincy Training Bunker."
"Do you know where it is?"
"Secret Quincy Training Bunker. It's a place where you can't sense spirit energy. Luz probably could find him if she tried hard enough, but she and I agree, Gus needs a place for himself that we don't know about. Every guy has to have their own private 'man cave'. I'm sure he'll come to us when he's ready, or when he thinks he's 'stronger'. Anyway, what brings you in?" Willow asked.
"I needed help getting a bouquet together, and–"
"Humph!" Willow crossed her arms and pouted as she turned her nose up at Amity. "And you came here, believing that I took a day off. Which meant that you were going to ask someone else to help you pick out flowers. I feel insulted that you would consult someone else besides the girl who can literally summon any kind of plant she wants."
Amity chuckled as replied, "Heh, forgive me, Willow."
"Hmm, okay. So, what kind of bouquet were you wanting to get?"
"Well…"
Amity finally arrived at her destination after leaving Willow's shop. She wasn't sure that Luz would one hundred percent be here, but it was a good enough guess to start. The teen Soul Reaper crossed through the gates and into the cemetery, she walked the rows of tombstones, remembering the way that Luz had taken her once before. As she neared the spot she was looking for, she spotted Luz. The Latina was sitting on the ground across from the tombstone that rested next to her father's grave. Amity didn't announce her presence, she figured Luz had sensed her by now. The teen Soul Reaper stopped once she was standing right next to Luz, remaining silent until her girlfriend spoke first.
"Hey," Luz greeted.
"Hi." Amity glanced at the grave, Luz's grave. The place where her body from when she was a regular human rested. "You came to visit your grave."
"I know…morbid as hell, right? I just…I don't know. I came here thinking…I don't know what I thought when I came here…Maybe I needed a reminder that I'm no longer human? That I shouldn't be afraid of monsters like him, because I'm a bigger, stronger monster," Luz reasoned.
"You're not a monster, Luz. And you are human," Amity told her.
Luz hit the ground with her right fist as she retorted, "Maybe it would be better if I wasn't?! Then maybe I could've stood up that son of a bitch and not have frozen up! I almost got you and everyone else killed! I had him! Up until I realized who he was, I was about to kill him! And then…the very moment I knew who he was, I reverted to that scared fourteen-year-old girl! I finally gained the power to protect myself and those I love…and when the time came to finally use it for that purpose…I choked!"
"I have seen monsters, Luz. I've seen what monsters can do when they are unburdened by empathy or sympathy. I've seen them take great pleasure in the suffering of others. You, Luz Noceda, are not a monster. You are human."
Luz went silent.
"And being human is your greatest strength. You never lost sight of yourself even after becoming a Hollow. I was quick to label you a monster, stubbornly believing that you were here to cause harm to everyone. But time after time, I've witnessed how you protect this town, and how you protect the ones you love most. Being afraid doesn't mean you're weak, Luz. It's what you do when you're afraid that matters."
Luz scoffed. "Then I guess I suck ass. I froze, remember?"
"Yes, you did. I'm not denying that that happened. But then you fought back."
"Only because you were there to help me," Luz remarked.
"And that was a bad thing? Aren't we girlfriends, Luz? In times like that, isn't it natural to rely on your lover?" Amity inquired.
Luz opened her mouth to counter, but her argument died before it could leave her mouth.
"You are powerful, Luz. But even powerful people require help sometimes. You're not weaker because I was there to help, we made each other stronger."
Luz's eyes began to water, she desperately tried to wipe her tears away to make them stop, but they kept coming. Amity knelt beside Luz and gently placed her right hand on Luz's left shoulder.
"It's time for you to truly heal, Luz. And it's time for her to rest."
Luz looked at Amity, wondering what she meant, but then noticed that her girlfriend was looking directly at the grave where her body rested. The Latina looked down at Amity's left hand, only now noticing the bouquet of flowers. Amity got up and walked to the grave, she knelt before the grave and placed the bouquet before the tombstone. The teen Soul Reaper reached out with her left hand and placed it atop the tombstone as she closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry for what you went through, and for how it forced you to change yourself. I wish I was there; I wish that any Soul Reaper was there to help bring you the peace that you deserved after you died. But now the person responsible for forcing that change onto you is no longer here. His suffering, his punishment, will last for all eternity. You're free of him forever. You can rest now, Luz Noceda," Amity prayed.
Luz had covered her mouth with her right hand as she began to cry in earnest. Amity's words, they hit her hard, she didn't expect them to affect her this much. She was talking to the Luz of the past, but somehow, hearing those words, it felt as if a part of her soul that was shackled to that past, to that pain, had been broken, making her feel so much lighter than she had ever felt in years.
Once Amity was done praying at the grave, she turned around, moved closer to Luz, and brought her lover into a hug. "You came back to life as a Hollow, but now, your life can really begin anew, Luz."
"T-Thank you…Amity…Thank you," Luz cried. "I…I love you, Amity."
Amity's eyes widened when she heard those words, it surprised her to hear them, and yet, her heart swelled with happiness. "I love you, too, Luz."
(Soul Society)
Footsteps echoed through the long hallway, along with the fluttering of a cape. The Soul Reaper who walked down this hallway was cloaked in a white cape, with a hood covering most of his head. Upon his back was an emblem that represented Squad One, the squad that was led by the Head Captain of all the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Upon the Soul Reaper's face was a mask, gold in color, with a single slit to act as a visor for him to see. The masked Soul Reaper continued to walk until he stopped before a pair of double doors, and upon reaching them, he pushed on the doors and revealed what was on the other side.
Sitting upon a throne-like chair and illuminated by two basins filled with oil and lit on fire, was the leader of all the Soul Reapers in the Seireitei, Head Captain Belos. Like the Soul Reaper who entered the room, Belos wore a golden mask. It had a bird-like visage, with a long beak-like nose, but sported two curved horns from the sides of the mask. Blue glowing eyes could be seen from the two eye holes in the mask, watching as the other masked Soul Reaper approached the raised steps to his "throne". Belos also sported a cape, but his had gold trimming around the edges, his forearms were covered in golden gauntlets, and his feet, instead of the traditional sandals that most Soul Reapers wear, Belos had brown boots with protective gold-colored metal plates.
Many speculated why Belos wore a mask, some believed that it was due to a horrible injury he received during a battle with a Hollow, others think it was because he had some secret relation to the Soul King and needed to protect his identity. And then there were the other, less interesting ones that theorized he was just not confident about his appearance and decided to wear a mask instead of showing his face. Whatever the real reason, Belos made it a decree for all Squad One members to wear a mask, however, the subordinates' masks were more noticeably bird shaped, and silver colored, while his lieutenant was the only one permitted to wear a golden mask. And as such, he was referred to as the "Golden Guard", the enforcer Head Captain Belos's will and of the laws that govern the Soul Reapers.
The Golden Guard walked further into the room and once at the center of the room, he got down on one knee and bowed before the Head Captain. "You summoned me, Head Captain Belos?"
"Indeed, I did. I recently received a rather…interesting report," said Belos.
"Interesting? How so?" the Golden Guard asked.
"Apparently there was an incident in the World of the Living. An incident in which not one, but four Menos Grande appeared in a town in North America," he informed.
The Golden Guard's head snapped up, obviously shocked to hear such news. "What?! T-That's not possible! Menos Grande rarely ever leave Hueco Mundo! One might leave if it sensed a high enough spiritual power to warrant it wanting to find and consume it. But it's unheard of that four would just descend on a single town! Do we need to dispatch an extermination team? A clean up team?"
"None."
The Golden Guard tilted his head in confusion. "None? Pardon me, Head Captain, but why not?"
"Because the threat has been neutralized already."
"How?! We have a Soul Reaper in that region that can take on four Menos Grandes?"
Belos reached into his cloak and pulled out the report he was handed. "From what Captain Darius Deamonne has written here, the beasts were felled by his Third Seat subordinate, Amity Blight of House Blight. But it seems she was not alone. She was assisted by her siblings, Emira and Edric Blight, the lieutenants of Squad Nine."
"Huh…I mean, the Blight family has some exceptionally skilled members. Their father for one, and it seems his children are not to be taken lightly either. So, the three of them working together took down the Menos Grandes?" the Golden Guard questioned.
"I have no reason to doubt Captain Dairus. That is why I wanted one of his best to go and investigate the oddity of the swift Hollow disappearances, despite there not being a single Soul Reaper in the area to dispatch them. The older Blight siblings, coincidentally, were taking some leave to visit their younger sibling, and happened to be there when the attack happened. From the report, they managed to kill two of the four, but the remaining two were killed by the yet to be identified source of the disappearances," Belos explained.
"But Head Captain, is it really that concerning that Hollows are disappearing as fast as they arrive to that town?"
"It is, my Golden Guard. What if there is a more sinister force at work that's causing their disappearance? If it is benign and of no threat to us or the souls of the living and dead, then we can allow it to operate as it has been, with supervision of course. But if it has hostile intentions towards Soul Society and the World of the Living, then it must be eliminated. Be it a Hollow or something else," Belos stated. "And this is what brings me to why I summoned you."
Belos rose off his throne and began to walk down the five large steps, he continued to walk until he was standing a couple of feet from the Golden Guard, prompting his lieutenant to rise and meet him. The Golden Guard got up from his kneeling position and looked his captain in the eyes.
"I want you to go to the town of Gravesfield, and report back to me what you find," said Belos.
"Do you not trust the Blight girl or have reason to believe she's hiding something?" the Golden Guard inquired.
"Again, I have no reason to doubt a subordinate of Captain Darius. I am merely curious. Do not reveal yourself if at all possible. The beauty of the mask is in the anonymity of it. You may walk freely in that town, and even if she spots you, you will not be recognized. This is a separate task from the mission I handed down to Captain Darius."
The Golden Guard bowed slightly to his captain and responded, "I will fulfill my mission dutifully, Head Captain."
"Thank you," Head Captain Belos reached out and placed his hand on the Golden Guard's shoulder. "I can always count on you, my dear nephew."
To Be Continued…