Ah yes, something I should mention is that while arrancars mostly lose their highspeed regenerative capabilities when they become arrancars (with the exception of Ulquiorra), adjuchas and vasto lorde still retain them. But this still depends from individual to individual. Some can regenerate better than others, but all of them possess the ability nonetheless.

Chapter 5: Familial bonds part 1

"Um…so..Miss Nel?" started Ruby, her injuries mostly healed now. Her stamina was another matter, hence the reason the two of them were taking it easy. Ruby didn't mind though, for she had more than a few questions to ask Nel.

"Hmm?"

"So…back then….you said Big sis sent you to find me…how do yo-" before she could finish, she was interrupted by a chuckling Nel.

"Ku ku ku ku! I never imagined Tia being called Big-sis of all things, though I suppose it couldn't be more fitting!" said Nel, with a light hearty smile. "I can see why she worries for you this much, little one" Ruby could only stare confused. And besides, 'Tia'?

"As for how I know her, it's nothing too interesting. She and I crossed paths one day, and what do you know, I was pleasantly surprised to find a fellow menos who shared my ideals of a peaceful resolution." She recounted, as if mellowing on a very distant but fond memory. "Back then, Tia was still by herself, without those other 3 following around her. I still remember my shock when I sensed the titanic reaitsu on her. It was also my first time meeting a Vasto Lorde, save for the 'God-king' of course." There was some distaste in Nel's tone as she spoke about the king of Hueco Mundo, Ruby noticed.

"My muscles tensed when I saw her approaching. I was certain I wouldn't get out of the battle alive. Except, it never came at all." The image of the vasto lorde simply approaching her calmly and slinging her sword arm over her shoulders casually still retained itself in Nel's memories. "She seemed to know I wasn't too keen on fighting either. Or perhaps it was simply because she's the type who doesn't retaliate unless someone attacks her first. In either case, it was my first time meeting someone whom I could actually sit down and have a decent chat with. Now that I think about it, our conversation itself wasn't anything particularly special. Just random tid-bits and such, talking about the moon, about what kind of hollows we come across and how we spent our time. I'd say just the fact that the two of us could simply sit and talk was special in itself" said Nel fondly, trailing off.

"He he he, reminds me of the time I met Big-sis too!" chirped Ruby. Nel tu just replied with an understanding smile.

"Well, after that, I did run into Tia every now and then, and as always, I never got tired of the time I spent with her. She asked me time and time again why I wouldn't just stop roaming around and just start living with her at her place. But I'm not one to stay put at one place for long periods of time, so I chose to go out by myself. I would however, drop in from time to time. And before you know it, she'd found others willing to be with her as she had always asked for. Of course, that didn't mean I stopped visiting. To me, it simply meant our little 'family' had grown larger"

"It sounds like you and big-sis are really close!" said Ruby.

"Hu hu hu, well, to me atleast, she's like a big sister too. It's why I was surprised when you called her that as well. Not that I've ever said that to her of course, it would be too awkward" replied the green haired adjuchas. "Anyways, over time, I'm certain she felt the same about me as well, as if I was her younger sister. Naturally I came to know Sung-sun, Mila-rose and Apacci too as we spent more time. Though I think they're way too formal for their own good. I'm sure Tia wouldn't mind if they just called her Tier for starters"

"Ehehe I know what you mean. They do keep scolding me for calling her big-sis" chucked Ruby.

"I'm not surprised. Usually when a menos leads a pack of its own, those under it are expected to address their leader with appropriate respect. Tia is clearly an exception there. Otherwise, you and I would never get away from calling her with nicknames" explained Nel. "Anyways, it was one such visit that led me to you today. I was just dropping by as usual, and well, Tia explained the situation to me in short. She told me to look for a 'energetic little cheetah adjuchas with deep red fur and black spots'. Naturally since you hadn't told any of them where you went, and also because it had been a long time since you left, Tia was starting to get worried and that's what brings us to the present. I looked at the menos forest first since I knew that was a place you would likely pass by while returning back to her lair"

"Ah…sorry about that Nel" said Ruby, lowering her head and her tone apologetic. Her ears also drooped low indicating that she truly did feel ashamed for needlessly worrying everyone. "Sorry you had to come all this way"

"Think nothing of it little one" she replied with a smile. It made Ruby feel a little better. Thinking of changing the mood, she quickly changed the topic.

"So? How did you meet Tia? Last I went to see her before this, I didn't see you around" asked Nel curiously. And so, the cheetah adjuchas explained all that had happened; about her days as a solo adjuchas until the time when she almost died of starvation before being rescued by harribel, her early days getting along with the troublesome trio and their hunts together. Nel went into fits of laughter when Ruby told her about her bala sneezing experience to which Ruby 'pouted'.

And so the cheetah continued, narrating her experiences and tale as the pair crossed the ever silent sands of Hueco Mundo as they made their way towards the lair of the vasto lorde. Nel listened to Ruby with rapt attention as she enthusiastically narrated all that she had seen, experienced and observed. Watching the bundle of energy that Ruby was, Nel almost forgot that she was almost done in by Grimmjow just moments before. Unlike her conversations with Harribel that were calmer and intellectual, talking to Ruby was energizing and refreshing. She could see why Tier gave that extra little bit of care for Ruby. Being around the cheetah adjuchas was really like being around a little one, something that immediately triggered your parental instincts or in this case, your protective instinct as an elder sibling.

"…and so, I was like usual, and I noticed you were fighting those other two adjuchas! At first, I wasn't sure how things would go, so I waited to get a chance to approach you once those 2 you were fighting were gone. But then you left and those other two were still around, so I lost my chance then" said Ruby.

"Oh my, so that was you that time!" exclaimed the green haired adjuchas "I noticed someone was around nearby, but I didn't feel any killing intent, so I left before another fight ensued"

"Y..yeah" said Ruby awkwardly, embarrassed that she hadn't hidden herself well enough to be unnoticed. "Big-sis thought it would be a good idea to recruit other female menos if I came across them. But of course, I suppose by then you already knew big-sis"

Nel sensed Ruby's embarrassment. "You don't have to look so worried" she assured. "Even the best of us can't completely erase their presence, and those good at sensing reaitsu will find you no matter what. In fact, if you trained well, you too can sense those around you by sensing their reaitsu or suppress your own to hide yourself. I just happen to have more practice doing so, when youre always travelling and out in the open like me, it just becomes second nature. Since you too are like me, always going out and exploring, it's only a matter of time before you develop a sense for it as well". She assured in a matter-of-fact way.

"Yeah! I'm gonna be better than before!" said Ruby determined. "I'll keep practicing until I'm as good as Big-sis!"

"That's good, having a target in front of you is the first correct step for self-development" said Nel. "So after I left, what did you do?"

And then Ruby picked off from before, recounting how she continued to look for Nel whenever she went out exploring, and how it was on one such trip that she detected the huge reaitsu that led her to the human looking vasto lorde.

"….but leaving aside their different and immense spiritual pressure, what caught my attention was how human like they looked" recounted Ruby. "Even their mask looked different. Like they only had a part of it or something. Lily only had half her face mask and old-man starrk only had the lower jaw of his mask". Nel was strangely silent, lost in thought.

"They are…probably arrancar" said Nel slowly.

"Arrancar?"

"Yes. It means 'To tear off'. Quite the fitting name, don't you think?" she answered. "And as the name suggests, they are hollows who tore off their own masks and 'ascended'. By tearing off their masks, they gain the powers of Shinigami as well. That is probably why you felt their reaitsu was so very different than other hollows here. And it was likely why they possessed such immense spiritual pressure. For you see, even a weak adjuchas that becomes an arrancar will be stronger than most vasto lorde. That's how much of a boost you get"

Ruby was listening to every detail in close attention. 'Shinigami'. She knew the word, she knew whom that referred to, and yet, she did not. It was as if the information was there somewhere in her brain, but did not come about because she got knowledge about the Shinigami from her 5 senses. It was as if she knew this because someone told her about them.

"Umm Nel…? Can I ask something? It probably sounds strange, but hear me out will you?" asked Ruby hesitantly. Surely, to any inhabitant of Hueco Mundo, this must sound strange. She did not want Nel thinking that she was a weirdo but she just had to know.

"So these 'Shinigami'….what are they…..exactly..?" she railed off slowly. The green haired adjuchas stared at Ruby, her eyes raised.

"You mean you don't know?" asked the green haired adjuchas curiously.

"Well…I 'know' what they are, but for one, I haven't seen a Shinigami myself. But even how I know them…how can I put it? Its as if I only know them because someone told me and not because I know them myself" said Ruby.

"Hmm….certainly strange that you have no knowledge of Shinigami or meeting one" replied Nel. "Well for starters, Shinigami are beings that guide the souls of those in the world of the living to the afterlife, also known as the Soul Society. Pluses that have no regrets holding them back can pass on by themselves, but sometimes, the assistance of a Shinigami is needed to allow them to pass on peacefully."

"So they're good, then? Since they help the dead to pass on…" wondered Ruby. But Nel only nodded.

"Good, bad, that's a very narrow way of looking at anything. Remember this, Ruby. Nothing in our world can be simply classified as Good or Bad. Even heaven is not devoid of evil, nor is hell devoid of hope. Just like how Hollows like us, who are said to be devoid of mercy and compassion, can feel those emotions, Soul Reapers are also not devoid of ill intent. In fact, the job of soul reapers is to kill hollows like us so that we can be 'purified' and we can regain our former identity as human souls and live in the soul society. So by your logic, they are our enemies. And indeed, should you come across a particularly powerful soul reaper, you really should avoid contact with them. But even so, they are simply doing their duty as guides who help the departed pass on. It is simply the way of things that we are fated to fight each other. That doesn't mean that they are evil, nor are we or that we need to hate each other for it"

Ruby nodded in understanding. Perhaps one day, she would meet a soul reaper and experience it firsthand.

"Anyways, as for why you haven't seen any Shinigami at all, it's a bit surprising actually. All hollows originate from human souls present in the world of the living. And it can take from months to years for any human soul to become a hollow. Such a time span is much too large to not come across a soul reaper at some point in your life. But then again, going by that logic, hollows shouldn't exist at all in the first place then, if the soul reapers always did their duties" she said, almost to herself.

"Um..this may sound strange but" started Ruby, interrupting Nel's train of thought "Sometimes, I get vague flashes in my mind. Dreams, memories, I don't really know what they are, but they feel so real. Most times, I get visions of a blonde-haired human girl, calling out to me, taking care of me. It's never the same scene I see, but sometimes I do see the same scene more than once."

"…."

"One such time, I had this dream where I remember seeing the sands of Hueco Mundo. I had….human hands. Human legs. I was….a human. I remember carrying the body of a human over my shoulders, while holding a scythe in my other hand. The body had clothing much like my own, hands like my own and legs like my own. I couldn't see my own face of course, but I feel like if I could, I would have seen the same face as mine on the body. I remember walking, on and on, and then seeing a giant white mask before I woke up from that nightmare…..Now that I think about it, I think that was probably a Gillian's mask" said Ruby solemnly. Nel stared at the cheetah adjuchas for longer than a moment, before breathing out slowly.

"Those dreams of yours are likely…..your memories from when you were alive" spoke Nel slowly. "Remember how I mentioned that all hollows originate from Human souls? Well, as you know, human souls become hollows because of the regrets and lingering feelings they had when they died that becomes too much for their selves to bear, thereby creating a void in their hearts. Thus the term, 'hollow'. But you….it appears in your case, you were devoured by a menos when you were still a soul. Normally, when a human becomes a hollow, they don't retain their memories of their previous lives, and instead, only carry over the regrets and lingering feelings from the moment of their death. That is also what becomes the reason for the void in their heart that gnaws at their very souls. It is for the same reason that hollows often end up attacking the last person in their thoughts, even if that person was someone the hollow dearly cared for as a human being"

"What does that mean then…?"

Nel paused for a bit, making sure she worded what she wanted to convey to the little one before her in the way she intended it. "This is still only conjecture, but I believe that what you saw in your 'vision' of when you were in Hueco Mundo, was yourself as a Plus. And because you were devoured as a Plus by a Gillian, before you became a hollow, your memories that would normally be gone are still there somewhere. So instead of calling them dreams or visions, I would say they are your memories from your former life" she said, taking another short pause. "Its really a blessing you know, having memories of your former life. Most hollows are only left with their insatiable hunger, regrets, resentment and unguided feelings from their former life, not even knowing why it is that they feel that way. I, too, am one such being. The only thing I can always feel, constantly, is this feeling of guilt and hatred when I see anyone fighting, or when I myself have to fight. It is why I detest baseless conflict. But I'll never know why. In that respect, I suppose I do feel a bit envious of you" she said softly.

"…"

If she was realized it right, Ruby probably spent a lot of time dragging and carrying her own dead body not even realizing it. How morbid, how cruel, she thought to herself. One day, Ruby would realize it on her own, but there was no need to mention that now.

"Don't think about it too much" she advised "Just…..take them for what they are. Regardless of what happened, or what you once were, you're here now. You're not alone, you have a caring group of companions and friends, and even one that is like your family. If those memories are bad, just remember where you are right now, and surely the weight of those bitter feelings will lighten. If they are good memories that you regret you will never experience again, rather than brooding about the fact that things will never go back to the good old days, instead feel happy that you experienced such happy moments at some point in your life".

Ruby listened wide eyed, as the weight of Nel's words hit her. her mind felt…lighter. As if a weight had been lifted off her chest and her mind. The relief she felt couldn't be described in words. But still, she needed to express it someway.

"Y..yeah!" she replied, with a warm smile. "Thank you, Nel" The latter just chuckled in response.

"No need for thanks. After all, we're all comrades, aren't we? Speaking of which, we're here at last" And sure enough, the pair could see the familiar figure of Harribel holding her sword arm over her shoulders, as well as the familiar figures of Apacci, Sung-sun and Mila-rose right behind her with expectant eyes.

"You know….I've never seen it myself but I've heard that Tia can get quite scary when she's reprimanding someone" said Nel with a sweet, almost scary smile "Do your best out there, little Ruby!"

The aforementioned adjuchas gulped. As the two approached Harribel, her sharp eyes narrowed down on the cheetah adjuchas who now hung her head, slowly looking up at her big sis's eyes.

"Ehehe…ahahaha…..I'm back…big sis" she said sheepishly, trying to break the mood. "Welp, I'm really beat! Ahahahaha! I think I'll go take a nap now!" And so the rose huntress tried to slip away, only to be blocked by Harribel's sword arm.

"Eeeep!"

"And just where do you think you're off to, Ruby? We aren't done just yet" called out Tier, with a sharpness in her tone that could cut as well as her sword arm itself. This was followed by Sung-sun and Mila-rose confronting her as well.

"Tsk tsk tsk, this is what you get for scurrying off on your own. It's time to own up for your mischief" said Sung-sun.

"It's a pain in the ass every time you go off exploring and leave Harribel-sama worrying all the time, ya brat. And this time, we even needed to ask Nelliel to go look out for you. You aren't going anywhere without some disciplining this time, cariño" said Mila-Rose in a reprimanding tone.

Harribel turned to Nel and sighed. "Sorry to put you through this, Nel" she said apologetic. "I hope the little one didn't cause you too much trouble"

"Ah, water under the bridge, Tia. And besides, I had fun accompanying the little one too" waving it off.

"Sigh, as I said, try not to call me 'Tia' in front of the girls" replied Tier, nodding her head. Nel only giggled in response.

"So?! What did the little twerp get herself into this time, Nel?" questioned an impatient Apacci.

"Grimmjow" said Nel simply, closing her eyes. One word, and that was all that was needed to explain the situation to everyone present.

Harrible facepalmed herself in disbelief. The other 3 also groaned in agreement. Of all the things that could've happened, she just had to tussle with the mad feline of the menos forest. The mad beast was notorious for fiercely prowling about the Menos forest, which is why no menos at Adjuchas class went there alone.

"How bad was it?" asked Tier in brief.

"Broken left leg, broken lower jaw, and few snapped off canines, along with numerous injuries to her body" ticked off the green haired adjuchas. "She recovered after I found her, but I'm glad I found her at the time I did. He was about to finish her off"

Tier glared hard at the cheetah adjuchas, whose head sunk even lower. Tier's face twisted into a scowl, she slowly started making her way towards Ruby.

"Oh man this won't be pretty" gulped Apacci.

"Perhaps I should make some distance" thought Sung-sun. Mila-rose was already one step ahead of her, already taking shelter behind Sung-sun.

"J..just try not to be too hard on her, Tia…" requested Nel slowly. Whether it registered in Tier's mind, she couldn't say.

Tier was glaring straight down at Ruby. The latter cowered under her gaze, her face agape in an anxious expression. Deathly silence followed for a while.

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"You…...FOOLISH CHILD!"

Tier's spiritual pressure came crashing down on those around the vicinity, with Ruby receiving the worst of it. The entire surrounding trembled with the force of her spiritual pressure. Apacci, Sung-sun and even the hidden Mila-rose flinched hard from the force of it. Oof, thought Nel to herself. Indeed that didn't look pretty. But the pressure was gone as soon as it had come and in the next instant, Tier was already down on her knees, with her left arm protectively wrapped over Ruby's body.

"I'm glad you're safe" she said softly, as if her stern tone from before was a distant memory. Nel, Sung-sun, Apacci and Mila-Rose sighed in relief. Ruby gasped, wide eyed, her expression changing from anxious to guilty.

"I'm sorry….." whimpered Ruby.

"It's alright now. Go on and get some rest. We'll talk again later" she said. And so Ruby gave a tiny nod and went inside the lair. The rest of the watched as the little one slowly made her made inside. Nel slowly walked over to Tier's side.

"She has learnt her lesson, Tia. Don't worry, she won't be this reckless in the future" assured Nel. "Why don't we go inside, cool our heads a bit?" she suggested. Tier sighed, but agreed nonetheless.

Inside, they all could see the little one on the ground in a worn out but peaceful slumber, purring softly in steady, slow breaths. Nel's mouth widened in a small smile, while Tier's expression softened upon witnessing the scene.

"How am I supposed to be mad at her when I look at her like this" she said, softly stroking Ruby.

"Just like a little child" said Sung-sun.

"Must be nice livin' such a carefree life" commented Apacci dryly. But despite her comment, deep down, she could still feel the relief she felt when Ruby was back safe and sound and was now sound asleep. The same could be said for everyone present in the room.

Black filled her vision as it always did in her sleep. The scene in front of her shimmered, becoming less murky and dark, like the surface of a dirty pond being purified. This time, the image of a young girl with silver eyes, dark hair that was deep red in color at its tips, wearing a long, black sleeved blouse, black stockings and a red cloak net her eyes. Ruby was reaching out to her waist, adjusting her blouse using the red lace on her waist and the girl in front of her mirrored her movements.

So that's how I look like, she thought to herself. The cloak and the attire of the girl in front of her were the exact same as the body she carried around. So, that body really is mine, she thought to herself sadly. She already had a hunch that might be the case, but she just didn't want to believe in it just yet. And even now, her mind was actively rejecting the idea.

When Ruby observed the scene around the girl's image, she saw a cupboard lined with tools, notes, some few basic cosmetics, some pictures stuck to the wall and a couple of magazines. To the right of the image was the scythe she had herself carrying while she was in a human form from her visions of Hueco Mundo. The scythe was resting against the wall. Her attention went back to her image reflected in the mirror in front of her. Ruby was now meticulously combing her hair, flattening out some of the bed hair sticking out.

"Rubes~~~! You done yet~~?" called out a voice coming from outside the door to her left, which Ruby recognized as Yang's, the blonde hair girl from all of her previous visions.

"Just about done, sis!" she replied in her own voice. That confirmed it. What she was seeing was herself as a human, perhaps from her life as a living human being, before she came to Hueco Mundo. She even had a sister just like her big-sis called Yang! That also meant the body that she carried around was her own. The very realization of that fact darkened her mood, which was reflected in the vision she as experiencing that also darkened along with her mood. The same body, that was dead. The same rotting withered husk of a corpse that she carried around everywhere-"

The ex-rose huntress awoke in a cold sweat, gasping heavily, her eyes wide in utter shock. Apacci, Sung-sun and Mila-rose jumped in surprise, while Nel and Tier watched in surprised, their eyes raised. It hadn't even been 15 minutes since the little one had drifted off to sleep, and Nel was just about to summarize the series of events she had witnessed to Tier and the others when the little one awoke with a jolt. Ruby was looking around confused.

"Is everything alright, Ruby?" asked Nel concerned. The cheetah adjuchas said nothing, and simply walked over to the crevice in their lair where she had kept her withered corpse. She held it by her mouth, gently dragging it out and laying it on the ground.

"Is that…?!" gasped Nel, looking at the pathetic state of the corpse. No doubt this was the same corpse that Ruby mentioned carrying around all the time. Her corpse, she told herself with a sad expression.

"What's the matter, little one?" asked Tier gently. Ruby once again was lost in her own thoughts, her face solemn as she continued to stare at the body. She then looked back at Tier.

"Bis-sis…..I think I would like to bury her somewhere. Somewhere here would be nice" she said in a low and audibly painful voice. Tier and the others had their questions, but there was a mutual understanding amongst them that there was only one right thing to do there.

"I know just the place. Follow me"

First went Tier, followed by Ruby, Nel, Apacci, Sung-sun and then Mila-rose. They went out of the lair, around and behind the massive cliff opening under which their lair lay. Tier navigated around a few more rocks, going further and further into the cave system. The path itself was straightforward, but they were going further and further away from the surface. The group walked, until they came across another massive open area, consisting of concave, rocky walls and flat, sandy ground, with a small circular hole in the ceiling. The moonlight from Hueco Mundo's moon could be seen filtering into the cave, illuminating it with an ethereal glow. Ruby's eyes widened in amazement.

"Oh, that's right, you haven't been here, have you?" mentioned Mila-rose. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"This place amazes me every time I visit!" said Nel.

"It's where I come when I have thoughts I want to clear" said Tier. "Would this place do, little one?" Ruby just nodded, seeing as how she was holding her body in her mouth. She went over to the center of the room, placed her body aside, and began digging at the soft sand. The others helped too and before long, there was a hole in the ground deep enough to bury her corpse. Tier gently lifted it off and placed it in the hole. Those present got one final look at the corpse, before Ruby decided she was satisfied and covered it up with sand again.

"We'll need a gravestone, wont we?" said Tier, and placing her left hand at the base of her right arm she….

*SNAP*

Broke off her sword arm at its base, thoroughly shocking everyone including Ruby and Nel. She then drove the tip of the sword into the ground just a bit north of the grave, making a fine grave 'stone'.

"Harribel-sama, your arm-" But Tier shushed them.

"It's nothing to make a fuss about, and besides, my arm will regrow again." She said, pacifying them. She then turned to Ruby. "Normally, this isn't something that is commonplace here in Hueco Mundo and this is something Humans do in the world of the living, but will this suffice, little one?" Ruby said nothing, and instead ran up to her and hugged her in a tight embrace, almost knocking down the vasto lorde. She could feel her eyes glistening, the liquid from her eyes slowly trickling down her face and into the sands below. She tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't come out. But it didn't matter for no words were needed to convey her current thoughts. Tier simply knelt down, stroking her fur with her left hand. Nelliel, Apacci, Sung-sun and Mila-rose could only watch as the scene in front of them filled them with mixed but warm feelings.

After a long, long time, Ruby Rose of Remnant had finally been given a proper burial.

Well folks, sorry for the delay, I was a bit ill for the past 2 days and the chapter got delayed a bit. But I'm doing better now and should be back on track! Anyways, I wanted to make this chapter twice as long, but I thought I might as well break it into two parts because the next chapter has some important and interesting encounters which I want to deal with separately. And as usual, thank you for reading my story and all your feedback, it means a lot to me and I hope I can continue to keep you interested.

Response to reviews:

Guest: Well, ahahahah, though I did mention sexual themes might be present, it may or may not be what you're thinking off. It's not coming anytime soon for sure, so we'll deal with it then I suppose!

Momentei: Definitely. The whole point of my fic, as you can see, is character development and interactions. Though bleach is an action series, no point if all I have is text to describe 'action'. So that's why I focus on interactions and try to tell a tale.

Heavyarms150: Something that will be addressed soon, and I have planned something unique, that's all I can say without spoiling too much!

fightingchampion: Thanks! He's one of my favorites too!

shoughkevin7: Haha interesting! Don't want to spoil what I've planned but I can tell you that I have considered including ships.

Firewyrm2: You might be surprised or perhaps not, but this will be present, just maybe not immediately and not in a way you are thinking off perhaps. But I have something similar planned. Havent seen Akatsuki no Yona so I'll need to watch that first before I read the crossover ahahaha. And yeah, nowadays I prefer reading fics that are either complete or have a good update schedule so I know the series wont be dropped.