"Izuru! I don't think you're supposed to use so much of that!" Momo whispered as she noticed the amount of Reishi Serum he was placing inside a beaker.
The squad 3 Lieutenant looked up from the small worktop they had both been stationed at, Izuru felt a little bit nervous about being picked to assist in something so important. His captain had volunteered him without asking, and when Izuru had asked Rose why, the man had simply smiled at him.
"What do you mean? I'm following the directions Akon gave us…" Izuru countered softly to his friend.
Momo shook her head at him.
"Look again, I think you have the amounts mixed up, see…only about a third of what you put in is needed." Momo continued as she pointed down at the small piece of paper between them.
Izuru sighed, deciding to humor her, he looked back down at the instruction list Akon had given them to share and to his embarrassment, she was correct. Izuru had somehow gotten mixed up with the measurements and instead of using the stabilizing compound, he had grabbed the Reishi Serum.
"Oh, I see, yes, you are right, Momo. I'm glad you caught it!" Izuru whispered back.
"Why are you so nervous, Izuru? This shouldn't be that hard for you!" Momo countered, keeping her voice low.
"What are you two whispering about over there?" Shinji asked.
"N…nothing, Captain, just going over the instructions one more time…" Momo half-fibbed.
"Alright then, just make sure you pay attention…" Shinji replied.
"Yes, Sir!" Momo answered her captain.
"I don't think I should be doing this…" Izuru stated.
Momo turned her head and lifted her soft brown gaze. Izuru looked back at her, his soft blue eyes filled with his uncertainty. The Squad 3 Lieutenant had been through quite a lot trauma over the years since the Quincy war, and if it hadn't been for Captain Kurotsuchi, Momo would have lost one of her best friends.
"Don't be silly, you can do this, I know you can. Here, we can switch places, I will mix them and you can fill the vials, would that be better for you?" Momo offered.
Izuru smiled softly at her.
"Yeah, I think I'd feel more comfortable with that."
Momo returned his smile and the two of them sidestepped each other in order to switch places.
"There really isn't any harm here, I can just take some of this out and use it in another batch." Momo replied, seeing the bright side in the situation.
"Well that's good, I really don't want to mess up with something this important. I mean, after everything Captain Kurotsuchi did for me, I'd like to be able to help out his squad." Izuru smiled.
Momo nodded, knowing that Izuru was referring to the state of his body. Izuru was now unlike anything else that existed within the soul society, he was stuck in between a stasis of life and death, his body still held the giant gaping hole that had been inflicted on him so many years ago, and while not even Izuru fully understood how he had survived, it didn't mean that the Squad 3 Lieutenant had not been grateful.
He was still able to enjoy the things he used to. He'd managed to pick up the pieces of his life, having friends, like Momo, had helped the process of accepting what he'd become much easier.
"Well, now is your chance to help them." Momo smiled as she used a dropper to remove the unneeded amounts of Reishi Serum from the beaker and placed it into another.
Izuru felt his battered body relax as he watched her work, her delicate arms moved gracefully as she reached out for the items she needed, taking care of her movements, not a clumsy bone in her body—I'm very fortunate to have friends like her!
"I didn't expect Akon to just shove us handwritten instructions and then go to sleep on us." Lisa commented as she looked down at the paper between her and Shinji.
"Yeah, well, can you blame the guy? I mean, you saw him, he needs the rest." Shinji countered, not really thinking anything of it.
"Besides, if we have any questions, Nemuri is over there." Shinji continued.
Lisa looked up from the station glancing over at the girl.
"It still looks strange to me, seeing her like a child all over again." Lisa replied.
Shinji paused.
"Yeah…" He agreed.
"I wonder, does she remember anything from her previous life?" Lisa continued.
"I don't think that's something we should be concerned with, let alone the kind of question to really be asking…" Shinji frowned.
Lisa sighed, turning her attention back to the task they had been assigned to.
"I guess you're right…It's kind of like us and our hollow sides, better left alone." Lisa stated.
"That's the best way to look at it, I know if I were her, I wouldn't want people comparing me to a different version of myself all the time, whether I had the memories or not." Shinji countered.
"Have you seen this new recruit everyone is talking about?" Lisa asked.
"You mean Ayumi? I haven't talked to her yet, but I have seen her and Kurotsuchi walking together, I wouldn't be surprised if the rumor mill is right this time." Shinji smiled.
Lisa adjusted her glasses before she replied.
"Kind of strange, but, hey, if they're happy…" Lisa shrugged.
"That's my two cents." Shinji stated.
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck led the soul reaper captain and his lover through the white sands, she had explained to them that it would take a couple hours of walking in order to reach Las Noches, the three of them had only been walking for a little over an hour, and already they had run into four more barriers of lunar energy.
Each time the group came to another, they would share a look, as if they were wondering what was taking Linake so long to pull them down, but at least she was able to keep them visible.
"I hope Linake doesn't over exert herself." Ayumi stated as the three of them walked.
Mayuri turned his gaze to her.
"I am sure she understands her limitations, it would seem that the woman has become quite a bit stronger since I last examined her." Mayuri replied.
Ayumi nodded.
"Still, there is more to think about than just her, I would hate for anything to happen to the baby." Ayumi continued.
Mayuri reached out, grasping a hold of Ayumi's hand threading his fingers with hers. Ayumi looked up and smiled, knowing that the gesture was meant to be taken as comfort from him, a small token of his affection that made her stomach flip, she had to bite the inner side of her cheek to keep herself from grinning like an idiot.
"I wouldn't fuss over her, I am sure Zaraki will not allow her to push herself too hard." Mayuri replied.
Ayumi nodded.
"I'm sure you are right." Ayumi agreed.
"What I am more concerned with is how the hollows were able to open the Garganta that Zaraki and I came through. I am afraid I am even more baffled by the notion now that this whole talisman business has been brought to my attention." Mayuri stated.
Ayumi glanced over at Nelliel and could tell by the way her head turned slightly that she heard Mayuri speak, but she had chosen not to comment.
"Who exactly has access to the shards of amethyst, Nelliel?" Ayumi asked her outright.
"As far as I knew it was only Queen Halibel, Grimmjow and myself. On certain occasions one could be given to one of our subordinates, but that has been a rare act." Nelliel replied.
"What do you mean by subordinates? Are you referring to Fracción? I was under the impression that none of them survived." Mayuri stated.
Nelliel let out a small sigh before she continued, Ayumi noticed the way she was tucking her arm around her midsection.
"Are you still feeling alright, Nelliel?" Ayumi asked, thinking that maybe the vaccine hadn't fully taken its effect like they had hoped.
Nelliel paused as she turned to face the two of them.
"I am alright, Ayumi, thank you. As for your question Captain, the only Fracción that remain are my two men, and the three ladies of Queen Halibel." Nelliel replied.
"I see, and how was the health of these Fracción?" Mayuri persisted.
"I am not certain, when I left, my men had not been in the best health, as far as the ladies go, Mila Rose was well enough to keep taking care of the others while I decided it would be best to come to you for help." Nelliel explained.
"I see. Well, let us hope that this "Mila Rose" has been able to keep the situation under control." Mayuri replied.
"I myself do not understand how a hollow would have been able to create that Garganta, the only explanation I could think to give you is that possibly, somehow, one of the more intelligent hollows was able to find a misplaced stone." Nelliel stated.
"Has it been a common thing for the stones to be misplaced?" Mayuri asked.
Nelliel sighed.
"I'm afraid Grimmjow has managed to lose quite a few to the point Queen Halibel almost decided to not give him anymore." Nelliel admitted.
"I see, so the beast's negligence could have very well been the cause. Oh well, I guess that matter can be placed to rest for now, although, the opening was still jammed open. I'm wondering if it will close on its own once Linake can manage to get rid of this moon energy?" Mayuri rambled.
"Jammed open?" Nelliel asked.
"Yes, once Zaraki and I exited, the rift failed to close behind us, it was almost as if somehow it was forced to stay open." Mayuri explained.
Nelliel frowned.
"Maybe whoever used the stone to open the Garganta buried the stone in the sand? I mean, wouldn't that be something a creature of this type of intelligence would think of doing?" Ayumi offered.
"It could be." Nelliel answered.
"I did not think of the possibility of anything being buried, but, now that you mention it, it could very well be." Mayuri agreed.
Ayumi felt Mayuri's hand tighten around hers and she couldn't help the slight flush that spread across her cheeks. He had told her earlier it was her mind that was her strength, and maybe he was right. Ayumi did have a reputation for thinking outside of the normal realm of speculation, even Lady Yoruichi had been intrigued by some of Ayumi's theories a time or two.
The three proceeded in silence for what seemed like another twenty minutes, Ayumi looked around the vast desert and even though the land looked rather barren and dank, she found that in its own way, it still held some beauty. The endless night could give off a romantic vibe, that is, if hollows didn't interrupt the setting.
"Las Noches should be just up ahead over this sand dune." Nelliel spoke over her shoulder to the couple.
"Excellent!" Mayuri grinned.
"You seem excited." Ayumi commented.
Mayuri looked over at her and their gazes met.
"I am. Why wouldn't I be? I would half expect you to be just as excited, why, the faster we handle this situation, the faster we can return to the soul society." Mayuri replied.
Ayumi smiled.
"I thought you would be more interested in studying the Espada." Ayumi admitted.
"While I will admit I do have a slight interest, I am afraid the appeal has lost its value. I have already had the opportunity to study and even succeeded in reanimating some Arrancar's in the past. Mind you, that was quite the task I do not wish to repeat." Mayuri stated.
"When I think about all the things you have accomplished over the years, this virus seems like child's play." Ayumi countered.
"Yes, well, it would seem that way wouldn't it? Ah, just a simple virus, it should be easy to cure." Mayuri sighed.
"While I have had a lot of major successes over the years, I have also had my failures. I am afraid when dealing with a pandemic the only solution to the problem would be to either find its host for the antidote, if there were one, or, get lucky, such as I did with you. I could have done many experiments to try and find another solution, but there would have been high risks involved and since I did not want to take the chance of being the cause of a premature death to one of the students, I chose the only other course." Mayuri explained.
"I understand, Mayuri, I wasn't trying to insult you." Ayumi replied, thinking that she may have upset him with her remark.
"I am aware of that. Although, you seem to speak as if you are more aware of my past endeavors than most." Mayuri noted.
Ayumi averted her gaze from him and when she felt the palm of her hand start to clam up, she tried to pull it from his grip—how am I supposed to tell the man that I followed his work to the point of obsession? Would he even take me seriously after knowing I had acted like such a simple minded school girl?
Mayuri refused to let go her hand, instead he pulled her closer to him. Ayumi realized why when he bent his head down and whispered in her ear.
"Have you been following my work, Ayumi?"
Ayumi didn't trust herself to speak, the tone of his voice sent her mind reeling, did the thought of her following his work really turn him on?
Ayumi nodded, not trusting herself to speak aloud.
"Did I fascinate you?" He whispered.
Ayumi cleared her throat as she tried to keep her footing in the sand. It wasn't easy to walk and listen to his forward flirtation at the same time.
"Yes." Ayumi admitted.
"My, my, I think I am beginning to see the bigger picture, you liked me before you became a member of my squad." Mayuri teased her.
Ayumi didn't have to turn her head to know that he was smiling at her.
"I did, I was very excited and nervous to meet you." Ayumi admitted.
"Well, it all makes sense now and I have to say, you flatter me, woman." Mayuri smiled.
Ayumi's lips parted as she heard his comment—I flatter him? Why would he think that?
"There it is, Captain, in the distance is Las Noches." Nelliel blurted, unknowingly bringing the two lovers back to the present.
Mayuri cleared his throat and turned his head forward taking in the sight of the structure.
"I see. Will there be any problems getting inside? I would like to be able to treat them as quickly as possible, I am afraid I still have rather pressing matters to deal with once I return to the soul society." Mayuri stated.
"There should not be a problem." Nelliel answered.
"Did you bring enough vaccine for everyone?" Ayumi asked.
Mayuri grinned.
"I always come into every situation fully prepared, I had thought about the possibilities of there being Arrancar, while I wasn't sure of their survival, my experience has told me to always expect the unexpected." Mayuri answered.
"You've been at this for hours now, woman." Kenpachi stated.
"I told you it was going to take time, Kenpachi, I'm almost done, I know it doesn't seem like I am doing anything more than just standing here, but I've almost sent them all back now." Linake countered.
"How many of these things did they have?" Kenpachi asked.
"Over a thousand, I've had to link up to the core energy and follow it down like a spider web, one by one. I couldn't just force it all closed at once, or it could take us and half of the desert with it." Linake replied.
"What do you mean with it?" Kenpachi countered.
Linake sighed.
"This is a gravitational pull, I have to ask it to return, and this is not the same type of energy that you and I are used to, I can't command anything, I have a relationship with these energies and it's all about balance." Linake tried to explain.
"So what, it would just suck us up with it if you tried to demand it?" Kenpachi asked.
"Energy takes the path of least resistance, I have to coax it to do what I want it to do, if I don't, we could be effected by it." Linake answered.
"I really don't like you messing with this shit…" Kenpachi sighed.
"I know what I am doing, just try and be patient, I only have ten more to send back." Linake countered.
"Kind of weird how we haven't been attacked this whole time." Kenpachi stated as he looked around for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Not really when you think about it, I've lifted these barriers, I am sure the hollows have felt that shift by now, although, I do feel sorry for the soul reapers stationed in the human world, I have a feeling they are going to need some backup." Linake replied.
"They'll call into squad 12 if they need it." Kenpachi offered.
Linake nodded.
"Alright, now shut up, I need to concentrate!" Linake demanded.
Kenpachi chuckled.
"Did you just tell me to shut up, woman?" Kenpachi teased.
"So what if I did?" Linake countered.
Kenpachi shook his head as he continued to laugh low in his throat.
"You're pushing it, wife, don't think I'm gonna let you get off easy after this stunt you pulled." Kenpachi stated, choosing his words very carefully.
Linake paused for a second, turning her head to meet his gaze, while his words sounded threatening, Linake understood what was behind his warning, she may have pissed him off before, but she could also see the pride gleaming back from behind his uncovered eye accompanied by a sense of deep seated arousal.
"Fair enough." Linake answered before turning back to her task, once her face was turned, she allowed herself to grin.
Ayumi craned her neck, looking up at Las Noches as the three of them closed the distance. While the smallest part of the building swooped down like a dome, there were four large towers strategically placed along the structure. Ayumi half expected someone to stick their head out from one of the towers sounding some kind of an alarm, but, it was quiet.
Nelliel led the two soul reapers forward to the entrance of the Espada's stronghold feeling a sense of restlessness wash over her as she placed her hands against what looked like a concrete wall. When Nelliel pushed slightly, a hidden door opened. Ayumi smiled, thinking it wasn't too far off from the hidden entrance back at the squad 12 barracks.
"I will take you to the Queen first." Nelliel stated as she stepped inside.
"Very well." Mayuri answered.
Ayumi stepped inside behind Mayuri and allowed herself to look around, trying to take in as much as she could of her surroundings. Ayumi had half expected the inside to look as dank and cold as the outside, but was surprised to see it well lit. While the atmosphere wasn't exactly warm or inviting, it wasn't the worst environment she had found herself in.
Nelliel didn't waste any time, heading straight down the main hallway from the entrance she turned to her left and led the pair down a curved pathway. Ayumi had to remember to keep up with the group as her curiosity filled her, she didn't have time to stop and look at the building the way she wanted to.
Nelliel paused as she came to a set of large white doors.
"This is the Queen's sleeping quarters, if you would not mind, I would like to enter first, and I will come back for you once I know my Queen is presentable." Nelliel stated.
Mayuri let out an exasperated sigh.
"Do what you feel is necessary, I suppose." Mayuri replied.
Nelliel nodded before she slid the large white doors open and stepped inside the dark room.
Ayumi couldn't make anything out from the opening.
"I will only be a couple minutes." Nelliel informed them as she turned and slid the two doors back closed.
"I don't know how presentable this Queen is going to be considering she is Ill, I mean really, who cares about such pretenses at a time like this." Mayuri complained.
Ayumi smiled softly.
"Perhaps she wanted to make sure her Queen was in a state of appropriate dress?" Ayumi offered, seeming to think of another scenario.
Mayuri smiled.
"Once again, I stand corrected by your logic." Mayuri replied taking Ayumi's statement into consideration.
Just as Mayuri was about to speak, the two large doors slid back open revealing another female.
"You may enter, Captain." The dark skinned woman stated as she stood to the side of the door.
"And who might you be?" Mayuri asked before moving an inch.
"I am Mila Rose, One of Queen Halibel's Fracción." The woman replied.
"Ah, yes, I see. Very well then, come along Ayumi." Mayuri stated as he stepped forward.
Ayumi met the dark skinned woman's gaze as she passed her by, the woman looked tired, and a thick layer of sweat coated her forehead and upper lip. It seemed to Ayumi that this Fracción had been pushing herself to stay upright in order to care for her Queen.
"You do not look well, perhaps you should take some time to rest?" Ayumi offered to the woman.
Mila Rose glared back at her.
"I'm not about to take orders from you, Soul Reaper!" Mila Rose sneered.
Mayuri paused mid-step.
"It would not be wise of you to upset me while I am in your presence, Fracción." Mayuri stated, his golden eyes gleaming against the darkness of the room.
Ayumi stilled as she witnessed Mayuri's agitation on her behalf, Ayumi had not expected such resentment from the woman she had only been trying to help.
"Mila Rose, it would be wise to listen!" Nelliel informed her comrade.
Mila rose snorted before she turned away from them, her body shaking uncontrollably as she made her way over to a small white couch and took a seat.
"I think I will make her wait until last, maybe then she will come to understand that when someone goes to the trouble of offering their assistance, it would not hurt to show a little gratitude, I swear, some creatures just don't understand the benefit of having manners." Mayuri scolded.
Nelliel sighed heavily as she stepped forward.
"Captain, if you would please…" Nelliel asked as she gestured to a large bed that sat in the middle of the room.
Mayuri turned his gaze away from the Fracción who had dared to open her mouth in such a way, he was half temped to leave her untreated as an example.
"Mayuri, it's alright." Ayumi whispered behind him, her soft hand pressing against his back.
"Very well." Mayuri replied as he stepped forward.
"I will need a light source in order to administer the vaccine." Mayuri stated as he came to the side of the bed, all he could make out was white sheets laid over a female form.
Nelliel stepped away from the side of the bed, Mayuri could hear another door sliding open to his left. A flash of light coming in from the adjoining bathing area filled the large room giving Mayuri a better look at what he had to work with.
"Ah, much better." Mayuri smiled as he glanced over at Nelliel.
Ayumi leaned forward, taking in the appearance of the "Queen of Hueco Mundo". The woman's golden blonde hair stuck out against the white pillow case she laid back against, her deeply tanned skin still seemed vibrant even in her sate of illness, and the woman looked as if she had spent years being kissed by the sun, not stuck in this world of darkness.
Mayuri reached his hand into the inner pocket of his captain's haori and removed a large syringe before taking a seat next to the Espada who laid unconscious on the bed.
"While this is the best scenario I can offer to you, this vaccine has not been tested against this woman's cellular structure, I do not feel that it will be a detriment to her, but just be aware that she may not take to it in the same manner that you did, Nelliel." Mayuri explained.
Nelliel's lips parted before she nodded for him to continue. Ayumi too felt a little taken aback, it wasn't like Mayuri to call one of the Espada by their names.
"You've taken this drug of his already, Nelliel?" Mila Rose asked from her sitting position on the couch.
Nelliel looked back over to the offending Fracción and nodded her head.
"As you can see, I am no longer ill." Nelliel answered.
"It better not make her worse!" Mila Rose continued.
"What exactly are you trying to say? Are you actually implying that I am not competent in my abilities to help this woman?" Mayuri turned, glaring at the woman who didn't seem to know how to keep her mouth shut.
Ayumi swallowed hard as she witnessed the flair of challenge in Mayuri's gaze as he stared back at Mila Rose.
"That was not necessary, Mila Rose, if you insist on making this situation even more uncomfortable I will have to ask you to leave." Nelliel countered.
"I will not leave my Queen!" Mila Rose challenged.
"Then shut up! Frankly speaking your incessant ramblings are beginning to annoy me, one more word from you, Fracción, and I will leave you to your fate." Mayuri threatened.
"Mayuri…" Ayumi began.
"Ayumi! It would be wise for you not to confuse these beings as friends to you, they are in fact, our enemy!" Mayuri snapped.
Ayumi stilled as she took in Mayuri's statement, her gaze shifted over to Nelliel and even though the Espada was trying to save face by not showing how Mayuri's claim had hurt her, Ayumi could see in Nelliel's eyes that still being labeled as an enemy to them did hurt—She seems to be so much different from the others!
"I understand that." Ayumi answered, hoping that she wouldn't further hurt Nelliel, but Ayumi could not deny what was plain to see. The Fracción had snapped at her, when all Ayumi had been trying to do was be helpful—All because I am a Soul Reaper!
Mayuri turned his gaze back to the sleeping Espada and fought against his agitated state, the Fracción was trying his patience, and with the little amount of sleep and the constant tension his body had been under for days on end, Mayuri had to admit his patience was thinner than usual.
Mayuri reached out lifting the side of the white sheet from the Espada Queen's body, gently, he pulled her right arm forward, grasping a hold of her bicep tightly in his hand. Once enough pressure had been added in order to see the veins in her arm, Mayuri uncapped the syringe with his teeth keeping the plastic cap between his lips, he delicately slipped the head of the needle into the female's vein, then slowly pushed down on the plunger.
Mayuri pulled away after pulling the needle from Halibel's arm, placing the cap back onto the empty syringe he tucked the used needle back into his pocket before standing from the bed.
"Is that all it will take?" Nelliel asked.
Mayuri met the Espada's gaze and nodded.
"It is a more concentrated dosage than you received, I made it so, in order for it to be effective enough to be given by injection verves intravenously." Mayuri answered.
"I see, that makes sense." Nelliel replied.
"Thank you, Captain." Nelliel continued.
"Yes, well, if you would be so kind as to show us the remaining patients, we will get this situation handled and be out of your hair." Mayuri replied.
Nelliel glanced over at Mila Rose and Mayuri didn't have to ask the Espada what she was thinking.
"As I stated, she will be last to receive anything form me!" Mayuri reiterated.
Nelliel averted her gaze from the captain of squad 12 before walking towards the doors, she understood that Mila Rose's hostility was unwarranted. Especially since the captain had come all this way to help, but, Nelliel couldn't help but feel a little upset by the situation and the statement of her still being labeled as an enemy. Somewhere, deep down, Nelliel had been foolish enough to start thinking of the soul reapers as possible friends.
"Follow me and I will escort you to those who remain." Nelliel spoke softly.
"Very well." Mayuri replied, intending to follow the female out of the room but when he noticed that Ayumi had not moved from her position to follow him, he stilled.
"If you are about to lecture me regarding my decision it would be wise not to even bother, Ayumi. While I understand that you seem to have a very compassionate nature, one thing you must learn and learn quickly is that not everyone means you well!" Mayuri stated.
Ayumi sighed heavily as she looked back over to Mila Rose, the woman had actually taken her advice after all and was now curled up on the white couch she had sat on previously—Am I really letting my compassion cloud my judgment?
"Ayumi, let's go!" Mayuri ordered her.
Ayumi met his gaze and nodded, deciding that Mayuri was the more experienced officer, he was the captain and she was the subordinate and even though she felt sorry for the Arrancar, when she really thought about it, it was the Arrancar's own behavior that put her on Mayuri's bad side and she really had nobody else to blame for that but herself.
"Alright." Ayumi replied as she turned and followed Mayuri out of the room—It wasn't like Mayuri had outright refused to help her, he was just making her wait to be treated, maybe now the Arrancar would learn from her brash behavior.
"Are you sure this is the right way, woman?" Kenpachi asked as he looked down at his wife.
"This is the direction I sense Mayuri's spiritual pressure coming from." Linake answered.
It had taken Linake another hour to fully send back the remaining lunar pulls and she had to admit, the process had left her feeling a little bit drained. Her abilities had gotten stronger over the years but with her being pregnant a lot of Linake's energy went to the child, she wasn't even working at her full potential right now.
"You need me to carry you?" Kenpachi asked her, seeming to pick up on her fatigue.
"I'll be alright, my love." Linake replied.
"I thought the moons energy was supposed to charge you or some shit?" Kenpachi asked.
Linake glanced up at him and smiled.
"The moon within the Soul Society does charge me when I pull from it and direct it to, this moon's energy however, seems to be more dense, it took more to coax it into going back, I have a feeling that if I were to try and absorb it, it would have the opposite effect of our moon, this hollow moon would only make me pass out." Linake answered.
Kenpachi sighed deciding to take matters into his own hands as he stepped in front of her and bent down. Linake sighed as she realized what he wanted her to do.
"I told you I am alright…" Linake countered.
"Linake, get on my back!" Kenpachi ordered her, his tone giving away that he wasn't in the mood to argue with her about it.
Linake inhaled a deep breath before she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and placed her legs on each side of his ribs. Kenpachi reached back and took a hold of her by the thighs bracing her weight with his hands as he stood back up and began to walk in the direction she had been leading them.
"Happy now?" She whispered into his ear.
"I won't be happy until I get you home, woman." Kenpachi countered, keeping his eyes peeled for any possible threats.
The couple had not run into anymore swarms of hollows, so, Kenpachi figured Linake had been right about her guess and all of the trapped hollows most likely took off once they realized the world was no longer being sealed.
"I think I see something coming up to our left." Linake stated.
Kenpachi turned his head and noticed the light grey structure in the distance, the building would have been hard to notice under normal circumstances, the tone of the concrete making it almost blend in with the sand from far away.
"Good eye, Woman." Kenpachi replied as he turned them to the left and headed in the direction of the structure.
Linake smiled, resting her chin on his shoulder as he trudged through the sand towards Las Noches.
"Why didn't you use your Zanpakuto back there?" Kenpachi asked her abruptly.
"You know I only use Godai as my last resort." Linake answered.
Kenpachi sighed.
"I wish you would use it more often, it would keep you from wearing yourself out by using your internal powers." Kenpachi admitted.
"Coming from the man who only uses his Shikai or Bankai when an opponent is worthy. I would think you would understand where I am coming from." Linake countered.
"Woman, I'm not the one who's carrying our kid!" Kenpachi snapped.
"I'm sorry I upset you, I used the power that I was the most comfortable with given the situation. Godai could have given me an advantage by attacking from afar, but I was more concerned with protecting my body from within, I was going to be swarmed no matter what I did, so I took the best precautions I could." Linake explained.
"The best precautions would have been keeping your ass in the Soul Society!" Kenpachi retorted.
Linake snorted.
"Then what? You and Mayuri would still be walking in circles taking your frustrations out on a tree, admit it, you needed me this time!" Linake countered.
Kenpachi let out a frustrated breath, he didn't want to admit it, but, she had a point, without his wife's abilities they would have been stuck, in more ways than one.
"Yeah…we needed you, woman, but it doesn't mean I have to like it!" Kenpachi frowned.
"I don't think I did too bad, myself." Linake boasted.
Kenpachi tried to fight it, but he couldn't help the half grin that appeared on his face—she knows I'm proud of her, the woman just wants me to say it out loud!
"I thought we came to an understanding about this back on the dune?" Linake continued.
"We did, an understanding that you'll never risk our kid or yourself again!" Kenpachi countered.
Linake turned her head to the side and pressed her lips against the side of his neck.
"I wouldn't have come if I didn't think I could take this place on, Kenpachi, after all, I was trained by you and your men, and I'm not the pathetic damsel in distress that I was when I first came to the Soul Society." Linake retorted.
"That may be the case, woman, but you're still mine, and I'd like to keep it that way, so cut the shit, will ya!?" Kenpachi growled.
Linake smiled as she heard the tone of his voice, she knew she was frustrating him, but deep down, they both knew that if she wasn't pregnant, Kenpachi would have already fucked her senseless right here in the middle of the desert sands of Hueco Mundo.
Mayuri and Ayumi followed Nelliel as she led them down another long corridor to another area inside Las Noches.
"Ah, I can feel Zaraki and Linake's Spiritual Pressure, I guess that means Linake was successful at tearing down the barriers." Mayuri smiled.
Nelliel paused for a second, trying to get a feel for the energies that surrounded them, she could no longer feel the dense pressure of the moons energy, and she was glad for it, maybe now that the energies had been lifted the souls of the perished hollows could move on, like they were supposed to.
"I can feel the difference, I would say that Linake pulled it off." Nelliel agreed before continuing down the hallway.
"I take it you will be the one to bring up this matter to your Queen once she has woken up?" Mayuri stated.
Nelliel didn't hesitate to answer him.
"Yes, I will. I know that you may not believe me when I say this, Captain Kurotsuchi, but that was not our intention and if we would have known the moons pull was causing such a thing to happen, we would have removed them ourselves." Nelliel stated.
"Yes, well, whether I believe you or not is neither here nor there, the issue has now been dealt with and it is your responsibility to deal with the consequences." Mayuri replied.
Nelliel hated to admit it, but this Soul Reaper had a way about him, and even though she may not understand the way his mind operated, his statements rang true to her—it is our responsibility!
"It will be taken care of, I can assure you." Nelliel answered.
"Good. That settles that then." Mayuri sighed.
Nelliel turned to her right leading them half way down another hallway and then paused at another set of doors.
"This is the sick bay here at Las Noches, this is where you will find the remaining Fracción." Nelliel explained.
"I see, I half expected you to take us to the beast next." Mayuri grinned.
Nelliel turned and met his gaze. Mayuri could see the emotions clearly written on the Espada's features, it looked similar to guilt.
"Grimmjow is stronger than my men, I took you to our Queen first due to my pledge of loyalty to her, now, I wish for my subordinates to be treated next." Nelliel admitted.
"Very well." Mayuri replied.
Nelliel slid the doors open and stepped aside allowing the captain and Ayumi to enter before her.
Mayuri paused as he looked down at the medical beds.
"Oh my, I do believe I have met these two once before." Mayuri commented as he looked down at the interesting looking creatures.
Ayumi paused mid-step as she got a good look at two of the four Arrancar's occupying beds.
"H…Have these two always looked this way?" Ayumi asked, trying her best not to sound rude.
Nelliel's gaze averted as she stepped over to one of the beds, the man lying there had a large mask covering a large area that surly went well beyond his actual facial structure, while his body looked relatively normal. The other had blonde hair sticking out behind a mask that reminded her of an insect of some sort while his skin looked light purple in color.
"I am afraid they once looked quite different before they were attacked needlessly." Nelliel replied.
"A…attacked?" Ayumi repeated as sympathy filled her.
Mayuri allowed the two women to continue their conversation as he went to work, once he was able to finish with the task he would be free to concentrate on the job ahead of him within the soul society.
Mayuri walked over to the large masked Arrancar and like before, Mayuri pulled a filled syringe from his inner pocket and skillfully injected the creature with the vaccine, only to turn on his heel and repeat the process three more times.
"Captain Zaraki killed him years ago, so I guess Nnoitra paid for what he did to us." Nelliel stated.
Ayumi's head was reeling from the information Nelliel had just revealed to her, and even though Nelliel was supposed to be considered her enemy Ayumi knew she would never be able to feel that way about her.
Nelliel seemed to be more open with her emotions then the others Ayumi had been around, while Ayumi knew that was clearly just personal speculation, from her observations the other Espada and Arrancar's seemed to look down on sympathy and compassion to a certain extent.
"I can't say that I feel sorry for him in the slightest." Ayumi answered honestly.
Nelliel smiled softly as she met Ayumi's gaze.
Ayumi glanced over at Mayuri seeing that he was busy tending to the one of the Queen's females Ayumi took the opportunity.
"I will never consider you my enemy, Nelliel." Ayumi whispered softly.
Nelliel met Ayumi's gaze and smiled fully.
"I will never consider you mine, either." Nelliel replied.
Mayuri turned on his heel away from the bed of the last Arrancar and noticed the look the two women were giving each other—did I miss something important here?
"What is it?" Mayuri asked the two women, wanting to know what it could be that the two would look so happy during a situation such as this.
Ayumi looked over at him and shook her head.
"It's not important." Ayumi answered.
Mayuri's brow furrowed as Ayumi tried to bypass his question and his gaze narrowed. Ayumi felt herself start to squirm under Mayuri's scrutiny—the man is too damn observant!
"I was just explaining to Ayumi that I personally will not ever see her as an enemy." Nelliel spoke up, taking credit for the conversation.
Ayumi glanced over at Nelliel and while she was grateful that the Espada felt the need to keep the peace between her and Mayuri, Ayumi decided to fess up.
"I actually told her first…" Ayumi admitted.
Nelliel laughed softly.
"I don't see why the two of you would feel the need to keep such a silly conversation a secret from me." Mayuri sighed beginning to feel the days of fatigue catching up with him.
"It's not silly to me." Ayumi countered.
"Yes, well, when it comes to Espada, I would have to say you are the most tolerable, Nelliel." Mayuri offered, once again referring to her by name.
Mayuri's brow rose as he witnessed the two women smile back at him as if he had just done something unexpected—I swear…
"If it is okay with the two of you, I would like to move on from here, I believe the beast is next on our list…" Mayuri stated.
Kenpachi paused as he and Linake walked up to the front of Las Noches. The two of them studied the outside of the structure looking for the entrance. Kenpachi figured that with this being some kind of base, the entrance would most likely be hidden, taking a wild guess Kenpachi let go of Linake's thighs and pushed against the concrete.
"Probably a hidden door, right?" Linake asked him.
"Yeah…I could always kick this shit down, but, I figured that would leave a sour taste in their mouth." Kenpachi grinned.
Linake laughed.
Kenpachi slid his hands over the smooth surface of the concrete lower down and when he applied more pressure the thick door swung open.
"You should probably put me down now." Linake stated.
"Why's that?" Kenpachi countered as he ducked his head down in order to enter the doorway, once inside he was able to stand at his full height again.
"You sense what way they are?" Kenpachi asked her.
"Go straight, then take a right." Linake instructed him.
"Alright…" Kenpachi replied once again reaching his hands back to support her weight.
"You don't have to keep carrying me, you know." Linake sighed.
"What's the problem, woman, you don't like being up against me anymore?" Kenpachi teased.
Linake rolled her eyes at him.
"I'm not even going to give that question an answer." She retorted.
Kenpachi chuckled as he turned right and headed down another corridor. The two of them could make out voices in the distance as they continued forward.
"Hey! Kurotsuchi!" Kenpachi called out trying to get a feel for where the bastard was, the sooner he got done with this mission the sooner Kenpachi could get his woman back to safety.
"Mayuri paused in the middle of the hallway as he heard his name being called by the rough voice of Zaraki.
"Ugh! I swear, that man has absolutely no restraint! On the bright side, with Linake in tow I didn't have to worry about him getting lost…" Mayuri stated with a smile.