One thing I want to correct/clarify regarding Ruby's mental age. When I said she was 20-21 mentally, I meant that she acts, thinks and behaves socially like a 20-21-year-old. Basically, her 'social' age so as to say. Basically, she has the mentality and personality of a 21-year-old. Her ACTUAL age is much, much more than that. It's something that's explained in this chapter. But, if you remember, she has Summer's experiences and memories as if they were her own. Meaning you need to add all the time Summer experienced herself in Bleach verse to Ruby's age.
Anyways, here's a special chapter for you guys for being such wonderful readers and all the support you've given me so far. And also because I'm releasing it on my birthday, so it's a treat from me! Enjoy!
Chapter 15: Those days long gone
Darkness. As always, as it had always been since she came to this world, black was a color she could never seem to escape. Why? She asked herself. Why did it always have to be dark whenever she was looking inside her head? Granted, the scene in front of her was not like the other times she had lucid dreams about her past. However, nothing about the surroundings hinted at her being in the inner chamber of Tier's lair anymore. So then why? Was this a way to show how messed up she was? A way to show her what she had become? To rub it in her face, about how broken she was? Was this fate playing with her, pitying her, by showing her the image of her mom after all the times she so desperately tried to talk to her? To meet her? After losing her family? Was that it? Was it too much to ask for? To have both? Did fate hate her so much for it?
The scent of plum blossoms and roses was just salt on her leaking wounds. Reminding her of how she would never feel her scent anymore while reminding her of what it took to finally feel the scent of the other. Telling her that these dregs of her essence were all that was left of Masaki as proof of her existence in her life.
Not now, she thought to herself. Please, why now? She asked herself again. Right now, she just wanted to be with her own thoughts, her own conflicting and agonizing feelings. She was in no condition to confront her mom. She didn't want to. Not when she was this unprepared to face her. Not when she was scared of the words that would leave her mouth towards her mom in her mental state. Words she didn't mean.
Summer's face in front of her turned wistful, her eyes solemn. She reached out with her hand, towards her cheek. Ruby's face turned away involuntarily, instant regret welling up in her face.
"…..Ruby….." called out Summer softly.
"…..hy….." asked Ruby in a voice barely a whisper.
"?"
"….W…..hy…..why…?" Summer's face tilted towards the side, a questioning glance on her face.
"…Why….? Why didn't you come….?" Asked Ruby slowly. "I…..I kept calling…so many times…..for so long…..why…..?!" she asked again, grabbing Summer by the shoulder, her face looking down. "Why….did I have to lose her….just to be able to see you…..?!" She repeated, her voice coarse and her eyes out of tears to shed as she looked straight into Summer's eyes with complex expressions of anger, longing, misery, sadness, regret, frustration and despair. All of which could be felt by the zanpakuto spirit in front of her. Summer's face contorted, her own face displaying expressions of immense guilt, sympathy, helplessness, sadness along with all the other emotions.
"…..I wish I could…..!" Ruby stopped herself before finishing that sentence. Her expression horrified in utter shock that such a morbid and inhuman thought had even entered her mind. Her grip loosened; her eyes still wide in disbelief. "…..orry…s..orry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…." She said in broken sentences, over and over again, letting go of Summer, only continuing to look down. "I don't…I didn't…I…"
She could feel her body, her fragrance of roses, her warmth and her emotions of assurance, sympathy and understanding as Summer pulled her daughter into a warm embrace. Ruby's face contorted further, unable to take it any longer.
"…Mom!" She called out, as she threw her arms around her mother, hugging her back. The two continued to hold each other in that protected moment, all of Ruby's worries, thoughts, sorrows and regrets pouring out of her mind and body in the form of her tears which started to flow down her face again. Summer gently stroked her daughter's tired frame, whispering "It's alright…..It's alright…..everything will be fine now….", just as Masaki once had. The memory was both comforting and painful.
"My little sunshine…..you've been through so much…..I'm sorry I left you all alone…I'm so so sorry…..I tried calling out to, again and again….But no matter what I did, neither of us could hear each other…..but now, I can finally see you…I can finally talk to you….my sweet little Ruby…I'm so glad….and at the same time, I also feel immense regret….if only I could have talked to you sooner…then perhaps…" before Summer could finish that sentence, Ruby looked at her, shaking her head gently.
"No mom…..please don't say that…I know how much you've suffered….I saw it all after all….please…..I'm also glad…I can finally talk to you…" she said with a tear clad face. She then took deep breaths, wiping her tears on her cloak. "Masaki asked me…..to remain strong. That was her final wish….she wanted to see me that way till the end…..She won't want me to see me like this…..not when I finally got to see you" she said, smiling weakly. Summer returned a proud smile of her own, her eyes almost tearing up.
"Look at you" she said "My sweet and innocent little Rose all grown up. I still remember the time I carried you in my arms, and now you've grown into a beautiful young woman! All that milk you used to drink must have really payed off, hihihi" snickered Summer and then stroked her hair gently. "Really, you've made me so proud and I'm sure, Masaki was also proud of you till the very end. Really, I have no words that can express how much gratitude I have towards her"
"Thanks mom" said Ruby "Hearing you say that…makes me feel really happy. And what do you know, I grew up without even drinking milk ahahahaha" she said laughing weakly. The tense and gloomy atmosphere between the two melted away. Being more composed, Ruby then took the time to look around her surroundings.
"Speaking of which…..where are we, mom?" she said, looking around.
"This is your inner world" she replied. "Hmm, how do I put it? In Shinigami terms, one's inner world is that special place within each shinigami's mind where one's Zanpakuto spirit resides. The place itself is a reflection of the owner's heart"
"It's so strange" she continued, almost as if reminiscing. "Never did I once think that I would become someone else's zanpakuto, let alone my own daughter's. Not to mention that fact that you even have an inner world. Normally it's Shinigami who have it. But since you're an arrancar now, and have a zanpakuto, I suppose it's not all that strange"
"You mean…this is the inside of my heart?" asked Ruby. This darkness? This was the reflection of her true self? She asked herself again in disbelief. Almost as if answering that question, Summer spoke again.
"You've been through a lot. You've faced turmoil after turmoil. Not to mention having to see and experience all of my messed-up memories. Don't worry too much about how it looks now. Your inner world is always changing, morphing to match the current state of your heart. See? You can already see little more than what could see before" she said, pointing at the distance. Indeed, much more of the darkness had parted, revealing a small tea table in front of her. But regardless, much of the place was still dark. "Let's take a seat, shall we?" And the two walked towards the table.
"Just give it time honeybun. You'll slowly recover, and in no time, this place will be looking much brighter as well" said Summer.
"Alright" said Ruby "But mom…could you please not call me honeybun..? Calling me that at my age is…"
"Hoh? And what age would that be?" asked Summer with a smug smile.
"Obviously that's…..huh…" said Ruby to herself. She'd never given any thought to her actual age. But now that she did, a slow terror was creeping up on her.
"Oh my, perhaps I should jog your memory with that" said Summer with the same smug tone of voice. "You've lived through all of my memories and experiences, including my time in Hell. Now, I was in the soul society a 1000 years ago, and I've been in Hell since then till now"
"Wait wait…" started Ruby deadpanned "ju…just hold one a sec mom..!" called out Ruby with her mouth wide open comically.
"Oh ho ho ho. I'm sure you know that time passes relatively and excruciatingly slowly compared to the outside world. Which means 1000 years outside could very well be many many millennia in Hell. I don't exactly remember myself seeing as how it can be difficult to keep track of time in Hell, but I wouldn't be surprised if a hundred thousand years or a million years had passed. I lost my mind so many times in Hell, recovered, only to lose my mind again until I got tired of losing my mind, rinse and repeat. Anyways, that aside, the point is, things like time held no meaning for me but you know what that makes you, right?" she asked Ruby, still maintaining her smug smile.
"Wa…wait. Do..don't say it..!" pleaded Ruby comically but to no avail.
"Fu fu fu, ping pong! An old hag!" cooed Summer.
That was it. Summer Rose had officially dropped the mic on the ex-rose huntress. Ruby sat down, deadpanned. There hung a depressed aura over her head. Her face completely blank, muttering only words she could hear.
"…old hag…..old hag….my…my fountain of youth…ah mom….how can you be so cruel…" continued Ruby, comical tears coming out of her eyes. Summer moved over to her daughter's side, lightly patting her on her head.
"There, there, my sweet little honeybun" cooed Summer "See! Even if you are a million-year-old hag, you'll always be my darling little Rose! With me, you'll never feel old again! And besides, now you can boast to all your friends about how good looking you are for your age! Oh ho ho ho!"
"Grrr….well, if I'm an old hag, then you're the old hag's mom, which makes you an even older hag, or in other words, and old bag!" retorted Ruby with a pout, putting out her tongue.
Summer gasped with an exaggerated, wide open mouth and her hand over her mouth. "Well I never! My sweet little Rose calling me an old bag!"
"Heh heh, I'm sure dad would be happy to hear his beloved wife is now an old bag who just turned a million years old!" said Ruby in a voice loaded with sarcasm. "Oh, but don't worry mom, I'm sure you can boast to dad, Yang and the others about how good looking you are for being a million-year old's mother, hihihihi!" And with that, the roles were completely reversed in mere moments. Summer hung over, a depressed aura over her head.
"Ah…..my dear daughter….how could you roast your own mother this badly…" rasped Summer, comically clutching her chest and on her knees. "…He he…you're learning well, my cute little Rose. But still" she said, getting back up "…unlike someone, atleast I'm not forever single. I have a lovely husband with 2 cute little kids" she retorted with a victorious smile. "I'm sure you'll find someone willing to date an old relic that just turned a million years old" Aaaannd Ruby was back on the ground, the depressing aura back with full force.
"…..forever…single….old…relic….the fountain of my youth…..already gone…I'll never be able to get married…grr….that was a good one…!" admitted Ruby gritting her teeth. There was only silence and Summer's smug victorious grin looking down on Ruby.
"Pfft….aha…ahahahahaha…!"
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahah!"
What started as a chuckled turned into full blown laughter as the two continued to laugh in unison. Any tension or worry or depressing thoughts that Ruby had were completely washed away.
"Better?" asked Summer
"Yeah. Thanks mom" replied Ruby. "Really, I'm so fortunate to have people with me at times like these"
"And from now on, you can always count on me being around" said summer, coming around Ruby and wrapping her arms around her. "No matter what happens, no matter what you have to go through, you'll never have to do it alone ever again. I've always regretted leaving our little family behind. I've always regretted not being there for you when you needed me the most. That's why, I couldn't be happier being here. After so many, many millennia, I finally get to meet my daughter"
"Yeah…..I know. I saw all of it after all" said Ruby. And indeed, she had. Those many many millennia her mother had spent in Hell, going through so many, many indescribable forms of suffering. And all the changes Summer's psyche had gone through, in the process. And that's what broke Ruby, caused her scars.
"I'm….really amazed you were able to pull yourself back to being like this after what happened to you" said Ruby.
"Well…it was no pleasant experience to say the least. When you rescued me from that hellhole, it took me nearly 2 weeks to even regain my senses. It took time, but one by one, I did manage to pull myself together. In fact, I have Masaki to thank for that as well. In being with you, she helped me regain my sanity as well" explained Summer
"Yeah I know. She really was amazing" replied Ruby with a sad smile. "Ah…"
*WHAAAACK*
Ruby's thoughts were broken when Summer glomped her in the head with an annoyed pout.
"Don't go being all depressed again, I'll keep glomping you otherwise" she said.
"Hey, don't be unreasonable! I think I'm handling myself quite well if you ask me!" replied Ruby with an incredulous expression.
"Nope! As long as you're here, I won't allow my sweet little cutie pie to ever feel all gloomy and depressed. It's also what she asked of you isn't it? And so, as part of my gratitude and for making up to her, I'll be making sure of that. Both as your mom and as my way of repaying her" said Summer, her hand still on Ruby's head.
"Fine, I won't" said Ruby, "I wonder what Yang and Dad would say seeing you like this. I don't remember you being like this during our times together, but then again, I was really young back then. I could be wrong"
"Hehe, it's not so bad having someone like me, is it? And besides, spending eons in Hell can do that to you. At some point, you just adapt and mold yourself to save yourself from the pain and misery. But leave that. More importantly, how much do you remember?" asked Summer "After coming here?" And Ruby told her about everything she knew so far, without leaving a single detail. Summer put her hand on her chin, thinking.
"Hmm…it seems there are a few gaps in your memory. So that's what it was. And I believe you don't know how I ended up here as well. Heh, it's alright, people tend to forget things when they become old so allow your dear old mom to help you with that" smirked Summer.
"Mom…!" protested Ruby. Summer placed her hands on Ruby's temples. Ruby could feel the same, familiar sensation she felt whenever she was in her dream state. The things she had forgotten, had been obvious things. Things such as Remnant. The 4 kingdoms. Faunus. About Aura. About dust. About Grimm. About the academy. About Signal. About Patch. About Semblances. So far, her memories had been about her interactions, relations and experiences with her friends and people. But it was as if the 'concepts' of her past life was what was missing. Things that one tends to take for granted. But now, all of the locks on her memories had come undone. After a brief while, Summer removed her hands, looking at her daughter.
"N..now I remember!" exclaimed Ruby "It was something I noticed when I first came to Hueco Mundo…after seeing Cinder and Pyrrha at the top of Beacon Tower. I remember a bright flash of light, and then I found myself here in Hueco Mundo. I remember my aura was running low and I was dead exhausted. But now I know….what I felt was…."
"Yeah" finished Summer "It wasn't aura. But Reiatsu. Think about it. You can't really 'sense' aura. Not unless you were activating someone's aura or if you had that specific skill. But those are extremely rare"
"Yeah….yeah, you're right!" exclaimed Ruby in realization "For one, I never had the skill to sense aura. But when I came here…..I could"
"Exactly. Not to mention, I'm sure even you noticed. The moon. That's the biggest giveaway" explained Summer.
"It's not broken up like Remnant's moon" said Ruby slowly. "So, we really are…."
"Not in Remnant anymore" finished Summer. "Ding dong. Right answer!" she chimed, flicking Ruby's forehead softly. "It was the first thing I noticed too. The thing is, I grew suspicious of Ozpin. There was too much he wasn't letting up. But still, he did seem to care for us all, so I trusted him. However, once I met Salem, I was convinced. Something was fundamentally wrong. Her demeaner…was not as Ozpin described her to be. Yes, she was a threat, but I knew right away there was much more to it. And so, I left without telling anyone on a secret mission. I simply had to know. I went back to meet Salem again. And that's when I.."
"Wait wait Mom" interrupted Ruby. "Who's Salem? I know this name popped up in your memories a few times here, but well, I don't remember her"
"Ah…I suppose Ozpin hid this conveniently from you as well. But then again, you were kids still in training. For that reason, I'll hold off on glomping him when I see him next" said Summer. "Anyways, I think it's best you know the whole story"
And so, she continued for what seemed like several minutes. About the brother gods. The previous extinction of humans of Remnant. Magic. Salem and Ozma, and their cursed lives. The relics of the gods. Silver eyes. And the maiden powers, which of course Ruby knew. And everything that transpired when she met Salem the second time. It was from her that Summer heard everything. The things that Ozpin hid from everyone. Though he mentioned the existence of Salem and the secrets of his own reincarnating life, he never, ever let up on their past history. Not to anyone. And how admittedly, she did feel pangs of pity and sympathy for Salem. Despite all of her evil deeds. In a way, she was a victim too, in Summer's eyes. And Ozpin was no angel either, not when she knew the complete story. Salem had invited Summer to join her, in Salem's stance against Ozpin. But she refused. She sympathized with Salem, but that was the extent she was willing to go. Summer knew that if she sided with anyone, her kids would be involved in this never-ending war as well. And so, she decided she would never have anything to do with Ozpin or Salem. That she would simply live the rest of her life secluded from a war between two factions raging on for eons, staying and protecting her family. Most importantly, it was so that her kids wouldn't get themselves involved in it.
But that was when Salem attacked. Summer's Silver Eyes were a major threat to the Grimm and Salem herself. By inviting Summer, Salem hoped she would both gain the powers of the eyes of the God of Light on her side, while eliminating its threat altogether. But things didn't go that way. Salem was too strong and when Summer used her silver eyes to make a run for it, that was when she found herself here in the Soul Society.
"Wait…wait…wait….mom…..this is just so much to take in…" said Ruby, slowly digesting everything her mom told her.
"I know. It was for me as well. Good grief, I think this is why Raven started acting up against Ozpin as well" said Summer, rubbing forehead. "Anyways, we can get back to Salem later. She's not important now. Or Ozpin or the brother gods or the relics for that matter. The important thing is, that's how I ended up here. And when I saw the moon, and the fact that I could feel presences, energies that were so much like Aura, I knew. I wasn't in Remnant anymore. As unbelievable as it was. And I believe…from listening to you and my own experiences, our silver eyes seem to be the key in bringing us here"
"But does that mean we can go back to remnant if…" asked Ruby hopeful, but Summer nodded her head. "Nope. Already tried that. And besides, my silver eyes never had such an ability and I doubt yours does either. And even here, when I used my silver eyes against hollows, they worked like a charm, but didn't transport me anywhere. You saw in your memories, right?" Ruby nodded with a yes. "It's almost as if…..someone is guiding us to where we found ourselves to be. I ended up first here, and then in Hell. And then you use your silver eyes to end up here, and then somehow you find yourself in Hell as well. A place no being of this world can just enter. And yet, you were there, to rescue me, and even make me part of your powers. From a place that could only be broken out of by the power of your eyes. It's almost as if…."
"Almost as if someone brought us here for that very purpose. Someone capable of breaking the rules of this place" finished Ruby.
"Bingo" said Summer "Sigh, seriously. It's a 'who's the next mastermind' contest one after the other. First it was Salem, now this mysterious person. And all I ever wanted was to be with my darling cutie pie~~!" said Summer with a baby face, rubbing her face against Ruby's.
"..Ack…mom…your hair is tickling my nose…!" said Ruby, trying to push Summer away, but the latter continued to persist. At that point, Ruby simply gave up and accepted her 'motherly affection'.
"Whoever is responsible for this….was also the one responsible for putting Ruby through everything she's been through. Once I find out, they damn be sure they'll get what's coming for them" said Summer to herself with a serious expression hidden from Ruby.
"So….mom….what do we do now?" asked Ruby.
"Well, that's up to you. After all, I am your Zanpakuto now" replied Summer.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me! Urahara-san told me that I should learn my Zanpakuto's name in order to use my full strength! So….uh….how…does this work again? Do I just yell 'Go, Mom!' and I get my powers or….?" Asked Ruby, scratching her chin. Summer burst out laughing.
"Kahahahaha…'Go, Mom!' indeed! Well, it would be interesting and convenient if it worked that way. My zanpakuto had a name as well, and now that I AM one, I have another, different name in this form too. So, listen up! My name is **e**r*a"
"…..Huh..? I didn't catch that last part…could you tell me again?" asked Ruby.
"**e**r*a" repeated Summer, but from the confused look on Ruby's face, she could tell her daughter couldn't hear her name. "Ah, I suppose you can't hear my name still"
"But I can hear you talk just fine, so why..?" asked Ruby.
"It happens. It's not uncommon that you can have trouble hearing your Zanpakuto's name. Especially when you start off as a soul reaper. But….you're an arrancar. And it's not been that long since you became one. Give it some time. I know you trained with Urahara and the others, but I'd say being able to talk to me like this is a huge improvement considering where we were before. And besides, I wouldn't be surprised if being a million-year-old hag impaired your hearing somewhat" snickered summer, patting the ex-rose huntress on the head. "Ah my darling little Ruby….it seems that no matter how much of a happy front you put up, your dwindling regrets, guilt and self-blame for her death and for leaving them behind are still eating you on the inside. And that's likely what prevents you from hearing my name" thought Summer to herself sadly.
"That again?! Come on, mom…!" cried Ruby with a pout. "But….I understand. I'll just wait until I can hear your name. And regarding what I want to do….well, I still want to keep my promise to her. To Masaki. Even if it means never being able to go back to Remnant, I still want to keep my promise to her. Will you….stay with me till then?"
"Darling" cooed Summer, hugging her from behind "Of course I will. Didn't I already say so? I'll continue to support you and be with you till the end. Wherever you go and whatever you do. And all the times you spent with Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu felt like my own as well. Though I was still recovering from my own ordeals, staying with them…made me feel like staying with my own children. And when you came to look at them as your own siblings, I began to look at them as my own children as well. And they are truly wonderful children. Fu fu fu, I can't imagine Yang's reaction when she finds out she has 3 other cute little siblings!"
"Ahaha yeah, something to look forward to when we find a way to go back" remarked Ruby "It's strange. This place feels more like home now than back 'home'"
"And there are some people waiting for you here, aren't there?" asked Summer.
"Yeah" replied Ruby with a distant tone "I…I'm still….a bit nervous…..It's not that I don't want to meet them now. Quite the opposite. It's just that…..it feels like it's been so, so long since I last saw them. Eons. And I'm not even sure….if they even remember me now. Perhaps they moved on thinking I was dead. I would want that too. I wouldn't want them to wallow about me for all these years. But I guess, I also wanted them to remember me. I…..aaah….I just don't know, I think I just need a bit of time, mentally prepare myself" said Ruby dwindling her thumbs, looking to her side.
"It's fine darling. I completely understand" said Summer. "Hihihi, you really DO look like a little girl in love" snickered Summer with a toothy grin.
"N..not you too, Mom…" replied Ruby sheepishly with a blush.
"That's all fine and good isn't it? But what do you plan to do till then? Surely, you don't plan to just sit here till you feel ready, do you? Your poor old mom would get so bored!"
"No…..I was thinking of finding them first. They obviously aren't here, seeing as how big-sis's lair looks so abandoned. I wonder if it has anything to do with that titanic structure I saw in the distance. It did look like a palace of sorts" theorized Ruby. "I wonder if that has anything to do with Aizen"
"Aizen huh…" repeated Summer casually "Captain Reiji used to talk about him a lot of times during the war. As you know, I haven't really met him, but captain used to tell me that he pretty much used to remain invisible and blended in quite well amongst the common soul reapers without making himself stand out too much. Captain said he was a gentle and meek boy. Exceptionally capable however, and that's saying something after it comes from captain Reiji"
"Yeah I know. Master never praised anyone as much as he did him. Not that he spoke of him a lot mind you. But 'gentle and meek'? That doesn't match what Urahara-san said at all" replied Ruby.
"What's your plan, darling?" asked Summer
"I…..I don't know" admitted Ruby "I assume he's much stronger than me. I could barely fight Urahara-san, and he himself said Aizen was likely way above his level. That would mean I'm no match for him by myself either. But if he's responsible for whatever happened to big-sis and the others then I…!" She could feel her mom's hands on her shoulders.
"Relax sweetie" said Summer "Try not to panic before confirming anything. At this point, you're much too out of the loop. So the first, best thing for you to do would be to determine your current situation. Location of your friends and family. Everything that happened after you left. That kind of thing. After that, you can decide. This includes Aizen. And perhaps, you can also try to find clues on how we can return to Remnant along the way."
"…alright. That makes sense. I guess I'll just do that then" replied the ex-rose huntress, relaxing her shoulders.
"You should get going" suggested Summer, moving in closer to her.
"How?" asked Ruby.
"I'll send you back" she said, pointing her hand at Ruby's forehead.
"Wait mom…will I still be able to talk to you again?" asked Ruby. Summer smiled back.
"Whenever you want, honeybun. Now that your bond with me is at this level, you can see me whenever you want. And I'll also be watching over you. I'm your Zanpakuto after all" she said, giving a small peck on Ruby's forehead. "Stay safe, my dear little Rose" she said with a warm smile and then touched Ruby's forehead. She could feel a sharp sensation pass through her mind, as if jerked awake suddenly from a deep sleep.
She looked around. Familiar rocky walls with a faint beam of moonlight flittering through the small, circular hole on the roof. The sight of her big-sis's sword arm embedded on the ground where her grave lay. She was back in Hueco Mundo.
"I should probably head out" she told herself, picking up her Zanpakuto. Out via the way she came and towards the main lair entrance she went. That's when it hit her. She could sense several spiritual energies. All of them arrancar. Her eyes narrowed in confusion first, because amongst those spiritual pressures were 2 presences that felt so familiar to her. So damn familiar, it was on the tip of her tongue.
And then it came to her. Her eyes widened in utter shock, recognition and disbelief. Her heart was pounding so damn hard. Her hands were shaking. She stopped herself from turning around the corner of the cliff and confronting whoever these group of arrancars were, which also included the presences of her close friends and family, Starrk and Lily. But she already had a hunch. To whom these other presences belonged to. After all, judging from the number of spiritual pressures she could sense, in the back of her mind, she had a really good guess to whom these other presences belonged to. There were so many, many questions on her mind, apart from the barrage of thoughts swimming inside her head from her conversation with her mom and all the things she'd learnt from her. She really wasn't in the right state to face all of them now.
However, her damn body and legs simply had a mind of their own. She could do nothing as she found herself being drawn towards them, until she came into view.
Ever since Las Noches had been built by Aizen, concepts of days and night existed consider how Aizen deemed it necessary to create a ceiling that could emulate the concepts of day and nights in Hueco Mundo. Esparda were to stay inside their individual palaces allocated to them with quarters provided for their fraccione. Aizen and his gang of soul reapers were never around a lot of times, but occasionally, he would call in a meeting of all the Esparda in his throne room whenever they had a new arrancar to be someone's fraccione or just to have the existing Esparda report on the current situation or when they had a potential Esparda candidate. The latter….was rare to say the least. Adjuchas and Vasto lorde were already rare to come by, and ones that could match up to an Esparda were ever rarer. Even so, all Esparda and the fraccione were to track and locate any existing adjuchas or vasto lorde that fit that description. They were only required to do so when they felt like it however, and Esparda and their fraccione did get time to indulge in their hobbies, whatever they may be. But since there wasn't anything much to do in Hueco Mundo, most Esparda opted instead to roam the lands they once considered their home, looking out for potential recruits.
The figure of a young, female arrancar with a mask in the shape of a helmet containing two horns, one of which was broken, an eye socket over her left eye with a tattoo in the shape of a flame over the socket and short, light green hair was running about the palaces of various Esparda, with a determined look on her face. This one's name was Lilynette Gingerbuck. It had been 94 years since she had been at this, and since then till now, her resolve had slowly but surely faded. 94 years since she started searching for her family and friend, Ruby Rose. Though they had spent naught more than a year or so together, that time was burned in her mind for time immemorial. It had been Ruby who pulled her and Starrk out of their lonely existence. It had been her, who made sure that they would never ever have to feel solitude again. It had been her who painted her monochrome life making it one full of colour. Before she met Ruby, Lily couldn't really say she was living. It was only after she met Ruby did she truly understand what it meant to live.
After he took over as the De Facto ruler of Hueco Mundo, Aizen Sosuke had promised her and her friends a means to look within the Garganta, and they indeed had. But so far, nothing. No matter what they tried or where they looked, both in Hueco Mundo or in the Garganta, they could not find her. It wasn't long till most of them had practically given up, each one taking the loss in different ways. In so many years, it wasn't hard to imagine that her friends and family would consider her dead and move on. She was the only one who still had a faint glimmer of hope that Ruby Rose was out there somewhere. But even that was dying out, she had to admit to herself. Not to mention, after Aizen created Las Noches and all Esparda had their own palaces and their old gang met less and less frequently. In Lily's mind, all of the times they spend together was just a painful reminder of how things were and how far each one had drifted apart.
And that's why, she would constantly go out on these search missions, despite being weak herself. Though she called them search missions for other vasto lorde or adjuchas, every one of her companions knew that she was only searching for Ruby. Her other self, Starrk, would often dissuade her from doing so, because while Lilynette was enthusiastic about these missions, he was not. But he was often dragged along because Lily couldn't fight. Whenever she spoke of Ruby, Starrk's already unmotivated spirit would plummet even further. Over the many years, he had learnt to shut himself off from Ruby, because it was simply too depressing to think about her when he spent most of his time doing nothing. Lily would often feel disheartened when Starrk would advise her to give up and she would drag him along anyways, only for them to meet with failure and sour both their moods. But today was the last straw. She decided she would look really hard this one time, before taking a long, hard break from these search missions that had been so hard on her psyche. Especially when her friends and family themselves had learnt to move on and she was hanging on practically by herself. Perhaps she would should visit Tier or Nel or her fraccione or the Tres Beastias for some tea, calm her nerves after today's mission, she thought to herself. Starrk would probably be in high spirits too, considering he wouldn't be dragged along by Lilynette for a good while.
And that was how her day currently started off. They had an esparda meeting scheduled up soon. Usually Grimmjow, Nel, Tier and Starrk would meet up and attend the meeting together. But today, Lily planned for something different. She turned to Starrk.
"Hey….um Starrk..? Is it alright if before the esparda meeting we could…" said Lily, looking to her side. Starrk sighed. He knew her better than anyone. And whenever she started a conversation this way, he knew where it was going before she even finished her sentence. He wasn't in a particularly good mood today either. After all, he didn't particularly like Aizen and they would soon need to meet him. Heck, he was the one who stopped them from ever going near that demented Scientist that was the cause of it all.
"No" he said flatly. "It's a pain in the ass. And besides, I already hate going to those meetings. Going on a wild goose hunt is the last thing on my mind"
"…..bu..but….please" she pleaded "I plan to make this the last time. Honest. I'm…..also tired of looking. So, one last time, I just want to try. Please. I won't ever bother you with this again" Starrk sighed again. Many a times she would make puppy dog eyes just to get him to move, or other times, she would make a ruckus and force him to accompany her anyways. But this time, she was genuinely pleading. To him of all people. To her own self technically.
"…..alright fine. Stop making that face" he said giving up. "one last time" Her face lit up with genuine delight. She went and hugged him. Something that she never openly expressed. Further proof that she really was dead serious this time.
"If it's ok, can we meet at Tia's lair? I just think it should start where it all started" she requested. Starrk visibly groaned. Tia's lair was miles away from Las Noches. But that look was back again and he was left with no choice but to oblige.
"Thank you so much, Starrk!" she chimed. "I'm going to go get the others, you move on ahead if you want!" she added, dashing away from the room. Starrk sighed for what was probably the millionth time. Getting up was a pain, going so far was definitely a pain, and looking for her, opening his wounds again was more than just a pain.
"One last time" he told himself, and made an effort to get up.
And so Lilynette dashed ahead to meet the others, meeting with different responses with each one of them. She dropped by Nel's palace first, saying hello to her 2 fraccione, Pesche and Dondochakka with whom she got along well. One of them was a pervert and the other one was a wuss and both of them were stupid but she would still get along quite well with the strange duo. The two called themselves 'brothers and protectors' of Lilynette whenever the three of them would go out to pass time. The two were also fiercely loyal to Nel, and like her, disliked unnecessary fighting, which was also another reason Lily got along with them well. Something that rubbed off on them after being with Nel for so long, she imagined. Nel was at her chamber, reading those books again. She gave Lily a hearty greeting, made some small talk before Lily asked her the question. Nel's expression dulled considerably.
"Lily…" she started with a stiff expression.
"…I know Nel. I know it's the last thing you had in your mind. Especially considering how close Ru-chan was to you. But…I…..I'm also…..getting tired. Of facing failure and not finding a single hint. I know…she's probably dead. You were the one fiercely rejected the very idea from the beginning. But still….one last time. Please, Nel" asked Lily. "I really….dont plan on looking after this. I just wanted to, one last time, for old time's sake"
"…alright. Please, don't make that face Lily. If you really intend to make this your last time, I don't want you to go about it with that face. Let's meet at Tia's lair. Aah…..." she remarked, looking up in reminiscence. "How many, many years has it been since we last went there…."
"…..yeah….but that's why, for old time's sake, I wanted to start there. I'm going to go get the others. I'll see you there, Nel. And thanks a lot for this. It means a lot to me" And the green haired beauty watched the young arrancar dash out to what she presumed was towards Tia's palace.
"I sincerely pray that after this time, you're able to move on past Ruby, Lily. Because I have too, and so have many of the others" thought Nel to herself as she watched Lily dash towards the direction of Tia's palace. "Because I don't want you to suffer in her memory any longer, and she wouldn't want you to either"
Lily found the Tres Bestias bickering about something trivial as usual, with Sung-sun taking the calmer approach and pulling Apacci and Mila Rose's legs as usual.
"I see that the three of you are lively as usual" commented Lilynette dryly.
"Huh, look who's here! Damn, how long has it been since we saw your scrawny arse!" greeted Apacci.
"Here to join Harribel-sama for the meeting? Then how come the old man isn't with you? I thought he usually comes along whenever we have Esparda meetings" asked Mila-rose.
"Harribel-sama was just getting ready to go to the usual spot too" added Sung-sun.
"Yeah….about that" started Lily "Um….how do I put this…"
"Put what?" asked Apacci.
"Well, the thing is.." she replied and then popped the same proposition she made to Nel and Starrk earlier. The change in the atmosphere was instant.
"Tch….and here I was thinking what this was all about" spat the lioness arrancar. "Way to sour the mood"
"Please…" asked Lilynette. "Nel and Starrk are coming too, I just want to do this one last time. I won't bother you guys with this again"
"Harribel-sama's lair huh.." remarked Sung-sun coolly. "How many years…"
"Well I don't like it one bit!" growled Apacci. "She's gone! Not matter how much I wish it weren't true, no matter how much we all wish it wasn't so, she's not coming back! When will you ever learn to accept that?! Huh?! Instead you sprinkle salt on everyone else's wounds as well!"
"I…..I….I'm…!"
"And now you want to ask Harribel-sama as well?! Out of all of us, she's the one that took it the worst. Merely reminding her of Ruby makes her completely depressed the whole day! So much so that we had to make her give up accompanying us on those searches later on. And now you want to put her through that again?!" she continued to berate Lily while the latter cowered.
"You needn't take it out on her you know" reprimanded Sung sun in her usual snide way "But Harribel-sama's lair? Out of all the places, you picked that place…." Sighed the snake arrancar.
"Please…I won't ask again. I'll do whatever you want later. Please just…"
"Sigh….even if you say that, it's hard to refuse such a face" said Mila rose. "But I have no idea how we're going to convince Harribel-sama into.."
"I'll come along" said the vasto lorde arrancar with a visibly pained but composed voice.
"Ha…harribel-sama!" exclaimed the Tres bestias.
"Go on little one. Tell the others as well. We'll be there soon" she insisted with a stoic expression.
"Thank you…" said Lilynette, before heading off to see Grimmjow, the last one left.
"Harribel-sama…" started Sung-sun "Is it really alright…?"
"She called her little one….." thought Apacci irritated. "Damn, this is what happens always…"
"Out of all of us, she's the one still trying the most. In a way, it was still comforting to know someone was trying. That someone amongst us still possessed hope. How can I allow myself to wallow in pity now that even the last of us is ready to give up? This is the least I can do to honor that" she said. "Get ready girls. I expect you to put aside your woes and regrets and be prepared to properly face this with her for her earnest efforts. After all, she is suffering no less than the rest of us are, and yet, she's pushing herself to confront us all by herself. And it would be unbecoming of me to turn a blind eye to that"
At last, only Grimmjow was left. Though he didn't show it, Grimmjow was scarred more than he showed. He took on no fraccione, in fear of losing those close to him again. And it was with him she knew she would have the toughest time. As with the others, she nervously approached him.
"Haven't seen your mug in a while, and I don't see that old fart with you either. Now what do you want?" he snapped at her. Lilynette gulped. How could she forget? Whenever the time for Espardas to meet drew near, Grimmjow's mood would always take a sharp turn. Nobody hated attending Aizen's meetings more than Barragan and Grimmjow. And she was about to ask him something that was going to piss him off further. But still, holding her ground, she did. He remained silent for a while, his expression unreadable.
"…Fuck off" he snapped.
"Wh..what..?"
"I said fuck off you little pissant! I'd rather see that bastard's face than going along on another pointless hunt for her" he roared, referring to Aizen. Lilynette gasped visibly, almost tearing up.
"Gr..grimmjow….please tell me you don't mean that….not you…." she stammered., visibly stunned.
"Does it feel good? Haaah?! Reopening everyone's wounds each time you drag us all on a pointless search for her? And I was even foolish enough to go along with it even though it was obvious. The fittest are the ones who survive in this place, and she simply wasn't. And yet, I clung on to hope like a fool only to have it crash down every time. You can do whatever the fuck you want. But I'm just done. Leave before I make you" he snapped at her, turning his back.
"Grimmjow…..I know…you cared about her more than you admitted to anyone. I know I'm being selfish. But please, it hurts for me too. I never took it for granted. I wont ever ask you again. Everyone else agreed to come along. I want to do this together. Please." She begged. He continued to glare at her, but that stubborn look never left her eyes. The same eyes that looked so much like hers.
"….Tch" he spat. "Fine, I'll be there, whatever. Now do me a favour and get out of here and never, ever look at me like that" he said. Lilynette stood there blinking.
"Didn't you hear me? I said I'll be there, so GET LOST!" he roared, practically scaring the living daylights out of her. She breathed out a small 'Thank you' before leaving. Grimmjow to his thoughts. Images of the cheetah adjuchas popped into his mind making the same stubborn eyes that Lilynette made just now whenever he and Ruby sparred and he would ask her to give up whenever he had the advantage.
"Damn!" he roared, punching the wall to his left, obliterating it to bits.
The first ones to arrive at Tier's old lair were the Tres Bestias, Lilynette and Nel. Tier urged them to go along first, promising to come with Starrk. And so, the iconic trio walked long, almost forgotten path towards what was once their home. Just leaving Las Noches had taken them a few hours, entering into the open night sky of Hueco Mundo. Along the way, Nel and Lilynette joined them.
"It's been a while since we've hung out like this, hasn't it?" asked Nel. "It's been a long time since I ventured out on my own leaving Pesche and Dondochakka"
"A few years give or take" answered Sung-sun. "I do feel bad for your fraccione though. Considering how clingy they are to you. I'm sure you must've had a hard time convincing them"
"True. They wouldn't let me leave without bringing them along. I had to practically force them to stay back. And this was only after I convinced them that I wouldn't be alone" replied Nel. "I'll be sure to apologize to them later"
"Where are the rest of the others?" asked Mila-rose. "I thought you'd come along with Starrk and Harribel-sama"
"Well, I found Nel leaving on the way and decided to join along with her. I thought it would be better for Tia to meet Starrk alone. It has been a while since the two saw each other after all" answered Lily.
"What about that ass? I'll be damned if you managed to convince him of all people unscathed" asked Apacci.
"He said he'd be here" she answered, genuinely surprising all of them. "It wasn't easy though. I really thought he might sock me in"
"You could've called me, I'm sure he wouldn't have made such a fuss if you just brought me along" mentioned Nel.
"You think so? I doubt anything would've changed" argued Sung-sun.
"But….that means, we're all going to be here. After such a long time too…" said Mila-rose.
"This place….still looks the way we left it" commented Lily looking around.
"Ku ku ku, that one's still there too!" said Nel chuckling, pointing at the damaged roof from her friendly sibling 'fight' with Grimmjow.
"Oh dear, here's the cranky one" pointed out Sung-sun to the approaching figure of the jaguar arrancar.
"Grimmjow…..you came" said Lilynette.
"And just who the fuck are you calling Cranky you hag" cursed Grimmjow scowling at Sung-sun.
"Fuckin' hell, your mouth is still as filthy as ever!" retorted Apacci
"Apacci, this is just the pot calling the kettle black, so please try not to embarrass yourself even more" called out the snake calmly.
"Oy, I'm defending you here in case you haven't noticed you bitch!" snapped Apacci.
"Fu fu fu, this truly does bring back memories, doesn't it?" asked Nel smiling.
"Tch" was Grimmjow's annoyed response. "Let's just get this over with, I'm already pissed off as it is. I have to deal with that bastard after this"
A short while later, two more figures appeared.
"You're all here I see" called out Tier's voice from the distance, who was with Starrk.
"Tia! Starrk! My, truly it has been a while, hasn't it!" greeted Nel.
"Ah, Nel I see you're doing well. And Grimmjow….." called out Tier, looking at the blue haired arrancar. "I didn't expect you'd be here"
"Trust me, I wasn't planning to be here Harribel" he replied. "I'd say I'm more surprised by you being here. Did you finally decided to stop drowning yourself in pity?"
"Grimmjow!" hissed Nel with a tone of warning.
"What did you just say you son of a bitch?!" cussed Apacci angrily.
"You really are asking for it, aren't you?" hissed Sung-sun.
"Sigh, I thought this is what would happen" sighed Starrk, facepalming.
"Why is everyone getting so worked up?!" asked Lilynette. "We're meeting up after so long, please, calm down!"
"You'd better stay out of this, you little pissa-"
Grimmjow stopped whatever he was about to say, and so did the rest of them one by one.
Approaching slowly, was a figure clad in a cloak, a zanpakutou in her hand. The white mask on her head gave away her identity as an arrancar. The arrancar had the appearance of a young adolescent woman. She had short, dark hair with red highlights. Sharp, dull, almost lifeless silver eyes but one that also contained a glint in them that radiated power. But what stood out the most was the horrible scars that looked like a skin disease covering almost her entire face. Her eyes were focused on them, as if she was analyzing something.
"An arrancar….?" Asked Mila Rose to herself.
"….Looks like it. But I don't recognize her. Does anybody else..?" asked Nel. No one spoke up.
Many thoughts were racing in Ruby's head. She was trying to suppress herself as much as she could. Those voices. Voices that were unmistakable. Voices that she hadn't heard in what was effectively eons for her. The last time she heard them, was in the 4th layer of hell. And that already felt like ages ago. And their looks. They looked at her like she was a complete stranger. They were looking at her with caution. Though Ruby had expected that, it still didn't stop her chest from sending waves of pain throughout her body. Those stares just seemed to burn a hole right through her. She nearly winced. They even looked differently than she remembered them. Everyone looked so…..human. They all looked….like her. They felt like her. Their reiatsu felt like Starrk's and Lily's now. And those two were also standing right there, the only two beings who hadn't changed a lick, save for the new white attire. But no, that wasn't right. Her reiatsu felt much more darker and eviler than theirs. Thanks to her's and Summer's combined togabito natures.
She looked down, at a loss for words. She would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed. She had hoped things would be as they were long ago. But already, they were so different. Everyone had changed so much. Those precious days, those joyful moments and those peaceful times…..were long gone…were never coming back. Her memories of those days were all that was left to remind her of what she had lost. What do I do? She asked herself. What…..do I even say…?
"I…." she started, and they continued to look at her as if expecting something.
"I…I'm sorry" she said "I'm new here and I got here just some time back. I got lost trying to find my way around. I didn't mean to startle you. I have no intention of harming anyone" she said. Why? She asked herself. Why am I saying all this? Why am I pretending to be a stranger? Why….can't I just come out and say it? Why….?
"Wait just a minute…" said Sung-sun "You said…..you just got here some time back? Here, and not in Las Noches?"
"Las Noches…? What's that? Is that the titanic structure in the horizon?" asked Ruby.
"Wha….! You don't know about Las Noches?!" exclaimed Lilynette. "Geez, where in the world have you been living lady?! Clearly under a rock from what I can see!" Something was bothering Lilynette when she looked at her. Something that was nudging at her from the back of her head.
"How curious" called out Nel. "There isn't a single hollow that doesn't know about Las Noches. Unless you were away from Hueco Mundo itself for decades"
Ah, so this is what Urahara-san meant when he said a lot of time might have passed when I fell in the Garganta. But I wasn't there for more than a few hours…..I think. So then, does that mean in those few hours….many decades had passed on the outside…? She thought to herself with a hopeless spirits sank even lower than they were before. How long had she been away….? Just how much had she lost?
"….it would appear so. I haven't been in Hueco Mundo for a long long time" replied Ruby.
"More importantly" asked Starrk "How is an arrancar like you not aware of Las Noches? Especially a humanoid arrancar like yourself?"
"You're right….!" Agreed Apacci. "How can you be an arrancar and not even know about Las Noches? Don't tell me you don't even know about Aizen?"
"Aizen?! You know him?! He's here?!" asked Ruby frantically.
"Everybody knows him, he's the ruler of Hueco Mundo now" informed Tier. "You surprise me, arrancar. Don't tell me you don't even know about Barragan being overthrown by Aizen who then established Las Noches in Baragan's palace. He's also the one that turned all of us into arrancar from menos. Everyone except Starrk and Lilynette that is"
"Wait…what?!" exclaimed the ex-rose huntress, practically shouting. Aizen….did what now? He's the one that made them into arrancars?! He took over Barragan? Las Noches?! What in tarnation happened here when I wasn't around?!
"The hell is your deal, woman" asked Grimmjow with a questioning look "All this has been happening since the past 94 years. How can you be an arrancar, a humanoid arrancar at that and not know any of this?! As the brat pointed out, which fucking rock were you sleeping under?"
"Wait….94 years? That's how long this has been going on?" asked Ruby curiously.
"Alright…..what's your deal? Like seriously lady, where did you pop up from?! As they all pointed out before, arrancars don't always have a human form when they transform from menos. Only exceptionally high level adjuchas and vasto lorde even get perfect human forms like yours. There's no way all of Las Noches wouldn't know about you already. Not to mention, how DID you even become an arrancar in the first place without Aizen's help?" questioned Apacci with a suspicious look.
"I…..it's.." stammered Ruby. "It's a long story.."
"Well, we're listening" said Mila-rose.
"What's wrong Lilynette? You've been silent for a while now" asked Starrk.
"Hmm….I don't know why, but when I look at this lady, I'm getting this strange feeling….I've been racking my brains over it. Déjà vu maybe…?" she answered. In her mind, the image of chains were what came to her. Why chains, she asked herself. No, that wasn't right. It wasn't chains. Those were shackles. Shackles and a…..cell? Where did she remember seeing that last? And blood…?
"What feeling?" asked Starrk.
"I don't know…like I've seen something before…." Said Lilynette. More vivid images were coming to Lilynette's mind. A table..? Jars…? There were things inside the jars. Something morbid. Something horrific. She shivered, fear and anxiety running through her. Why did these images bring these emotions? Wait….I know this..! This is that bastard's old lair! That's right! But why am I remembering this now?! Wait a minute…..that table…that room….the drawings….. That was it. That's what she was reminded of when she looked at this woman. Those drawings. Some of them were detailed drawings of the cheetah adjuchas. Some of them were drawings of a vasto lorde with the same dark hair and skull mask as the one this lady was wearing on her head.
Ruby gasped internally. Di…did she figure out…..crap…I need to…..
"I'…I'm sorry, but I need to go now…." Said Ruby quickly trying to make a move, only to be blocked by a sword.
"You're not going anywhere, not unless you answer our questions" said Mila Rose, drawing her broadsword shaped Zanpakuto.
"And besides, it's our job to escort adjuchas and vasto lorde level menos to Aizen. And we just happened to find an arrancar. You're not getting away woman" declared Grimmjow. "Especially not when you look so strong. I can't wait to fight you!"
"I….I'm sorry, but I really need to get going. I promise I'll answer all your questions later but for now I need to…" she said, taking more steps.
They were interrupted by the sound of Lilynette falling down, sprawled on her legs, her expression one of utmost shock, confusion, disbelief and realization. Her single pink eye as wide as the eye socket on her left eye, and her pupil dilated considerably. She was shivering, stammering and breathing heavily and hard.
"Li…Lilynette! What's wrong?!" asked Starrk
"Ru…..by….?" she called out slowly, looking directly at the mysterious arrancar.
"!"
That's it for now! I wasn't actually planning to stop this here, but the chapter was really long as it is. And I really wanted to focus on Ruby talking to the arrancars in a separate chapter. I know I mentioned the scientist in the previous chapter, but guess that's for next time. Sorry!
Response to reviews:
Spellflame: Hmm not quite. It's something that follows other resurreccion releases.
Argorok: Thanks a lot!
The-Killer40513: Yes it is.
Greer123: Indeed.
Cyan-Snake: Ah I'm not sure I understood what you mean correctly. But I assume you're talking about the fact that Ichigo has the typical self blame back story of many other shounen mc. Actually, I did that so that bleach canon would be largely unaffected but you'll see that things will start changing despite that starting the part where Rukia arrives to the World of the Living.
Momentei: Well, atleast wherever she goes, there's someone to help her up always. But it's true. It's always been up and then down for her. He wont. It'll be….more of a mixed feelings type of thing. You'll see. Thanks a lot for your support, appreciate it always!
NEGATARO: Szayel will die, I guarantee. The chapter was getting too long though, but I had no choice but to split it here. Next chapter, promise.
Lucian Naruto: Indeed, you'll find out soon enough
firewyrm2: I mean….I dunno. The thing is, there's no reason for her to go back to the World of the Living. It wouldn't make sense plot wise. The earliest I see her going back is when the arrancars arrive after rescue Rukia arc. The thing is, starting at that point, Ruby WILL have a lot of opportunities to interact with some of the main cast. You have to remember that she's an arrancar, and not a Shinigami. So cannon bleach wise, she should not appear and has no reason to appear until after SS arc.
Vedahzii: Ah, well, I know I promised no more dark stuff, but never said there wouldn't be feels. Anyways, atleast she got some solace this chapter.
Lordus: As always, I really, really appreciate your comments. I'm really, really happy you caught all the parts I focused and emphasized on and what I was trying to convey at each part. I really wish I could reply with a big wall of text of my own, but that would make this section alone super long. But just know that I'm extremely grateful in how you've looked at my chapters, it always does put a smile on my face. And damn, you're so, so close to getting the resurreccion name right! Really close!
Robbie2413: Well, now you know. That titanic structure was Las Noches. She's….not quite a shinigami. She's still an arrancar in her core. It's just that She's much more in tune with her Shinigami side as well compared to the other arrancars. Not to forget, she AND summer both have Hell Reiatsu. And yes, Grand Fisher is toast if he comes across the rose huntress.
erching: Thank you so much, I'm honoured! And yes, I agree. I feel that the arrancars had so much potential, and I really was tired of the typical harem/romance setting for any story. That's why I focused on character development and something more fundamental than romance. Family and Friendship, companionship and comradery.
AssassinAkane: Ahaha this is a most interesting comment! Hmm, I'd still go for Rival/Mentor. Definitely not romance. Regarding Ruby's romantic routes…..ah, sigh. The thing is, I really didn't want to dive straight into it. For now, you'll have to see. Maybe something will develop, maybe not. Because I wanted to focus on getting her base relationships with everyone right first, so that it feels like Ruby gradually grew close to each of the characters and not just jumped right to being a Romantic partner or family. All I can say is, there is a chance there will be romance. But I'll be honest with you, with each reader shipping a separate character, I know that Ruby ships are a risky gamble. I cant please everyone for sure. So for now, just take it for what it is, and you'll surely enjoy it!
Rairi Valelira: Thanks!