One small note. Realistically, no one really addresses those they consider their family by 'Big-sis' or 'Big-bro', unless it was a place like Japan where the classic nee-san or nii-san makes perfect sense. But since neither of the characters are really 'Japanese', I decided against using 'nee-san' even though that would sound less awkward and chose to keep 'big-sis' instead.
Chapter 6: Familial bonds part 2
"So? What was that all 'bout? You gonna tell us or what?" asked Apacci, as everyone made their way back to the main room of Harribel's lair. Ruby was back to normal, no longer sleepy and a lot clearer of mind.
"As usual, SOMEONE has no tact at all. I wonder if they'll ever learn to read the mood" snapped Sung-sun.
"Normally, I'd stay away, but I do have to agree with snake here" added the lioness adjuchas.
"Well, not all hope is lost it seems, even the gorilla can learn given enough time I see!" retorted the snake once more.
"MIND REPEATING THAT?!" came the unified cries from the deer and lioness adjuchas.
"Shush now girls" said Harribel sternly, silencing them before things went any further. "I understand you're curious and perhaps a little confused but if the little one doesn't want to talk about it now, you should just leave it at that"
"It's fine, big-sis" said Ruby, back in her usual spirits "I'm fine now. I'd even say I feel a lot better than before! And besides, anyone would be curious after I jumped off like that, I know I would be"
"Hmm….well alright. If you say so" said the vasto lorde, folding her arms. "So…am I to assume that something caused you to change your mind regarding her body?" Something clicked in her mind as she spoke the sentence, making her change her train of thought immediately "Did you perchance discover who it was?"
"Was it…..another dream?" asked Nel. Naturally she had long deduced that the corpse belonged to Ruby, and judging by what just happened, it didn't take her long to understand the sequence of events.
"Yeah…"
"When you say dream….you mean, the same ones you said you would have every now and then? The one with the human girl?" asked Mila-rose
"Uh huh"
"I remember you telling me that you even had one dream where you were a human being in Hueco Mundo, dragging around that body and a scythe before being eaten by something" added Sung-sun.
"I still think it's a bunch of loony" said Apacci dismissively. Her two companions glared at her. "I mean, come on! Didn't we talk about this then? A human in Hueco Mundo?! How would they even get here in the first place? And even if they did miraculously get here from the World of the Living, they would instantly die from the spiritual pressure in the air here!"
"That may be so, but then, how would you explain the body of a human actually being present here?" questioned Sung-sun.
"But still, that doesn't prove it was Ruby" insisted the deer adjuchas. "Could've been anyone!"
"Then perhaps you should let her talk first" said Mila-rose, looking at Ruby. "So? what did you see this time, little one?"
And then Ruby told them of what she remembered from her latest dream, about how she was looking at herself from the point of view of a human bearing a striking resemblance to the clothing and body structure of the corpse she had with her, as well as the scythe in the room she was in and her 'sister's' voice. There was a small silence in the lair, with varying thoughts occupying the minds of each individual.
"So now even she knows" thought Nel to herself. She knew Ruby would learn of it eventually, but she was genuinely happy that Ruby took it much better than she gave her credit for. Of course, Tia and the others were a huge factor in making it easier for her to deal with it, but Ruby was definitely no weak minded individual.
"….I don't buy it" said Apacci dismissively once more. The irritation in her voice was apparent. She then promptly left the room. Sung-sun and Mila-rose groaned in disbelief. The former went after her.
"…Was something the matter with Pacci? Was it something I said?" she asked Mila-rose, concerned.
"Don't worry about her too much, she's just being a bitch as usual" came the reply. "That aside, I really am happy things finally fell into place for you. Though I have to admit, it IS certainly strange that you have so many episodes of your previous life"
"I thought the same too" pitched in Nel. "But if I'm not wrong, Ruby came here as a human and was killed and became a Plus, carrying around her body and a scythe, atleast judging by her dreams. Then, she said she was swallowed by 'a huge shadow with something resembling a white mask' on it. Naturally that would point at a hollow. Considering that she stands here as an adjuchas that evolved from a menos, I want to bet on her being swallowed by a Gillian."
"Indeed. And if we were to assume that she was a human with immense spiritual energy, it would also make sense why she didn't immediately collapse from Hueco Mundo's reishi thick atmosphere or the fact that a Gillian chose to go after a single human. Gillians only chase those with high spiritual energies after all" added Tier.
"Precisely. And since you didn't become a hollow by having your soul chain eaten off completely but rather by being swallowed by another hollow, it wouldn't be so strange that you retained some of her memories, albeit as dreams. I imagine that resulted from your soul being pit against the hundreds, if not thousands of other souls inside Gillians all fighting to take control. And as an adjuchas, that number only multiplies many fold. So, I'd say, its even stranger that you have these episodes now rather than when you were a Gillian. Just how DOES that head of yours work even?" wondered Nel curiously, poking at the tiny adjuchas head as if playing with a child. Ruby too, responded like one, laughing awkwardly as she was being poked. Just then, Sung-sun and Apacci returned.
"And also, try not to hold it against her too much, Ruby. It's not something you said, but rather…..as mentioned, almost no hollow have any recollection of their previous lives or why they have the emptiness in their souls. But for whatever reason, you do. Who knows, maybe one day you may even recover all of your memories. So, she's just a bit jealous, that's all" said Nel softly.
"Its alright, I don't particularly mind what she said" replied Ruby with a slight smile. Truth be told, she'd rather not remember them at all. All these memories, which felt like they belonged to another person, didn't suit well with her current lifestyle. Even now, all it did was cause discord. She was happy being here. She had her big sis. She had her family. She had friends. And she was content with the way things were now. Even if she did remember her previous life, she couldn't return to the way things were anyways. She didn't want to keep thinking about things that will never be again. But as Nel told her before, she decided she would just take these memories for what they were, recollections of a time in her unknown past.
"By the way, both now and before, I remember you mentioned a scythe. If we were to take these memories of yours for what they were, then, should you have the scythe with you?" asked Sung-sun.
"Don't tell me ya dropped it somewhere…?" said Apacci.
"Good question, actually, I don't really know…" said Ruby in a somewhat lost note. "Though I would really, really like to find it if I can"
"If you still had it with you as a Plus, and if we assume the Gillian swallowed you while you still had it then…..does that mean…..?" started Mila-rose deadpanned.
"You don't think…its INSIDE her do you…." Suggested Nel, also deadpanned. There was a very awkward silence in the room, all the while Ruby looking at her own stomach with a complex expression on her face.
"Thinking about it now would be pointless" said Tier simply. "There is no viable way to verify that anyways. Perhaps the scythe is still there at that very spot or perhaps not. But I believe you shouldn't dwell on it too much anyways. First off, if you had it as a human, then it is a human weapon. It would be incapable of affecting spiritual beings such as us. And also, it is a weapon made for humans to use. How do you, an adjuchas, plan on using it even if you did find it?"
"Hrmm….that's true" replied Ruby sweatdropping.
"All that I mean is, I know it's something important to you, but you shouldn't go after it if it means you may have to endanger your life for it. For a weapon that you may not even be able to use. I understand you can get a little too excited when it comes to weapons, but this is an entire matter altogether" she explained. "Promise me you won't go looking for it"
"Ah…but…"
"Promise me, little one" she repeated again, firmly this time. Ruby gave a disappointed sigh, but nodded her head in agreement regardless.
"Good. I know it sounds harsh, but this is for your own good, especially considering what happened recently" she said. "Speaking of which, how was he? Grimmjow?"
Nel sighed, looking to her side. "Well, the rumors didn't lie. It was the first time I've actually seen him in person, but his 'reputation' certainly precedes him"
"So he was a total asshole you mean" smirked Apacci.
"Not how I would put it, but yeah, you could say that" replied Nel.
"I don't think he was THAT bad though….." said Ruby softly. "It was a bit fun, fighting him. I know I would've won if I landed on my feet in the last minute!" she chirped in enthusiastically. "I wouldn't mind…..seeing him…again" she said slowly in a tiny voice.
Sung-sun, Apacci and Mila-Rose gave her confused and surprised looks.
"The fuck?! That ass not only kicked YOUR ass, but was about to make a meal out of you as well!"
"Yeah….I know.." replied the cheetah with an lopsided smile
"Then why in Hueco Mundo would you want to see him again?!" exclaimed Apacci exasperated. "And besides, what's so interesting about that mad dog anyways?! I've heard he goes berserk, kills all who enter the Menos Forest, is loud, foulmouthed and insults anyone who tries to communicate with him! And judging from what Nelliel tells us, that wasn't too far from the truth!" said the deer, ticking off everything she knew about Grimmjow.
"But…Pacci….couldnt we say the same thing….about…..you…?" replied Ruby in the tiniest of her voices, slowly backing up. It took a moment for the deer adjuchas to register what she just said, and then it hit her.
"HAAAAAAANH?!"
Sung-sun and Mila-rose couldn't take it any longer, and their silent snickers broke into full blown laughter. Even Nel started laughing slowly.
"Ahhaahahahahaha! It's like the pot calling the kettle black!" snickered the snake.
"And just how the fuck am I similar to that jackass?! Haah?!" exclaimed an exasperated Apacci.
" 'Loud, Foulmouthed and insults anyone who tries to communicate with them', you've just given us a live demonstration" cracked Mila-rose. "Missed out 'being an idiot' "
"Why's this about me now?! Weren't we just talking about Ruby hanging out with that ass?!" she retorted back
"Trying to change the subject is one thing, but doing it so obviously is something I'd expect only you to do" snickered the snake.
"Oh for the love of all-!"
"Quiet now, girls" interrupted Tier. The banter immediately hushed down. Tier had a serious look on her face. The relaxed mood from before was blasted away in a second. She turned to look Apacci in the eye. The latter gulped. "It's alright, Apacci. It's completely ok to be a foul and loudmouthed. I've heard doing so helps relieve stress in times of pain and mental dismay" Aaaaaand the mood was just blasted right out of the lair once again, by Tier no less.
"Not…you too Harribel-sama…" said Apacci in a defeated, deadpanned voice.
"Just a little joke" replied Tier in monotone.
"Ku ku ku, you still a lot more to work on that area, Tia!" chirped Nel. "Anyways, on a serious note, for real this time" continued the green haired adjuchas, clearing her throat. "I believe that wasn't all that happened during Ruby's outing, am I right?"
Ruby cast a questioning glance at Nel, not understanding what she meant. And then with an 'oh!' she understood what she was talking about. Actually, it was something Ruby wanted to address too.
"That's right! The arrancar!" she exclaimed.
The reaction…..was immediate. Tier, Apacci, Sung-sun and Mila-rose all spun around, looking at her, dead, dead serious.
"Arrancar? What do you mean, Ruby" questioned Tier, the gentleness in her tone turned down a notch. Ruby also noticed how she used her actual name, rather than calling her 'little one'. The situation it would seem, was much more serious than she gave it credit for.
"Uh…yeah the arrancar. Atleast that's what Nel said they most likely were. Actually, I was out initially to try to find Nel, to see if I could talk to her and have her join us. On my way out there, I felt this huge reaitsu coming from somewhere. I just kept following along, and then at one point, it was too much to even walk. That's when I saw the two of them." Explained Ruby, continuing on to tell them all about her conversation and interaction with the future primera esparda.
"And that's pretty much it. After that, as you know, I tried finding my way back and that's when I ran into Grimmjow and Nel. You don't have to worry about anything, Big-sis. I think they really don't mean anybody any harm, seeing as how nobody can even get close to them. So, I told them I would visit again" she finished.
Tier rubbed her temple and sighed out loud. Is this what being a parent feels like? She wondered to herself. It was giving her a slight headache. Why was this so much harder than putting her life on the line while fighting out there? Nel, it seemed, noticed her internal concern.
"Don't stress yourself too much over it, Tia. Even if they were arrancar, Ruby certainly does make a point. For someone that strong, they could have easily killed her simply by approaching her. But they didn't. Judging from what happened, I would still lean towards them just being two very lonely, solitary and possibly depressed beings seeking out for someone to talk too. In fact, I would love to meet them in person too" she said, comforting her.
"That would be awesome! I'm sure they would love the company!" chirped in Ruby excitedly.
"You know…..I'll never get used to how all the serious stuff just flies over that head of yours" said Apacci, once again poking Ruby's head with her front toe.
That wasn't what Tier was worried about though. She had already arrived at the same line of thought as Nel. Nay, it was Ruby herself that concerned her. Her reckless nature, her curiosity. It was that which troubled her most. This time, she barely got out alive. And if she WERE to indeed meet another arrancar, things might have turn out as well as they did this time.
"It'll be alright, Tia" whispered Nel softly. "She has you, she has Apacci, Sung-sun and Mila-rose and also me. We'll protect her. We're all strong. Ruby herself is strong. She may be curious, but not foolhardy. Things will be fine, don't worry" The two of them were now watching Mila-rose and Sung-sun play around with her, her bright silver orbs glowing with a cheerful zeal. Though no words were passed between them, both of them could mentally agree, that they would do anything to protect that fervor of hers. Because that could be what might fill up some part of the void left in their hollow selves.
A few days had passed since then. Nelliel decided to stay with Tier and the rest for a little bit longer before she left off exploring again. A traveler's stop, she called it. Not that Tier minded, though. On the contrary, she was quite welcoming about the fact.
"Hey, do you think we can go today?" asked the cheetah adjuchas, curling up to the vasto lorde. The same vasto lorde looked at Ruby with thoughtful eyes. Ever since that day, the little one had been pestering her to allow all of them to accompany her when she visited the arrancars that she mentioned. That way, it would safer, she mentioned. Naturally, at first, she'd refused. Then, she would give Ruby superficial answers just to placate her for the time being, promising her that one day they, they would definitely go visit the arrancars. Tier wasn't sure if she could use the same tactics today. The little one seemed more determined not to let up than ever today. She sighed in defeat.
"Alright, get ready we'll leave in some time" said Tier, rubbing her temple.
"Yeeeeesssss!" squealed Ruby in delight. "Oooyyy pacci! Milaaaa! Sung-su! Nelly! We're finally going to see Lily and Starrk!" she called out loud to the aforementioned adjucha who were just outside the lair. The said adjucha came in one after the other.
"Huh..? For reals?" droned Apacci's voice. "Do we have to..?"
"Don't bitch and moan, its good for even you to go out once in a while" scolded Mila-rose.
"It's alright, you don't have to hide the fact that you're SCARED" added Sung-sun. Before another argument could break out, Nelliel stepped in.
"Alright! Isnt that nice, Ruby! Even I'm excited!" she said in an enthusiastic voice.
"Just make sure to be on guard at all times, we do not know what we might encounter on our way there" warned Tier. "If you're all set, we can leave"
There was nothing much in terms of preparation that was left, except to decide on the route. Only Ruby could be of help there.
"So? What's our plan?" asked Nel.
"Hmm….well, when I spoke to them, they told me I could find them again if I looked out for their spiritual pressure which could be felt from the Menos Forest" explained Ruby.
"Tch, there of all places…?" groaned Apacci. "I'd really rather not go if I can"
"No, no one gets left behind" said Harribel firmly, and that was the end of discussion right there.
"Really now, we have all of us including Harribel-sama, you think that goof can take us all on?" growled Sung-sun, in disbelief of Apacci's needless worry.
"If we're all done complaining…." Started Mila-rose "I think I'll move on ahead, now that we know where we're going" she said, leaving first. And so the rest followed suit.
The journey to the menos forest was quick an uneventful for the most part. Sure, they did run across a small group of gillians but that encounter passed by without so much as a warmup, considering the group that the Gillians passed by. Soon enough, the towering stone pillars of the Menos forest poking in to the ground from the underground cavern materialized into their view.
"We need to go into the forest to feel their reaitsu" said Ruby "Based on the area I was in when I left their place, I think it should be that way" pointed the cheetah, moving in said direction.
"Ruby Rose! I thought I sensed a familiar spiritual pressure! So, you've come to face me again, have you?!" called out a voice, the sound of approaching footsteps. The voice of a familiar male adjuchas to both Nel and Ruby, but unfamiliar to the rest of the group.
"Don't tell me….is that him?" asked Apacci.
"I thought we might run into him, but I didn't think we'd find him as soon as we stepped into the Menos Forest" replied Nel.
The figure of the jaguar adjuchas came into view, his clear, deep blue eyes focused on the lot of them. He raised his eyes in confusion at first, and which then narrowed in anger and disappointment, with his face twisting into a nasty growl.
"How disappointing….I didn't think you were one to hide behind others after losing a fight" he spat, glaring at Ruby. "Not only do you bring the bitch that interrupted my fun the last time here, but you also bring along a vasto lorde and her 3 stooges as well. Did I scare you that much, make you piss yourself, HAANH?" he roared. And with that, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez had somehow, singlehandedly managed to piss off every single one of Ruby's companions, including the ever cheerful and easygoing Ruby herself.
"Yeah, you weren't kidding, Nelliel. He's as much of an asshole as the rumors say he is" scowled Apacci.
"For once, I agree with you" added Mila-Rose.
"His audacity is stunning, knowing he's in front of Harribel-sama AND Nel AND us. A fool who doesn't care to whom he speaks to" hissed Sung-sun. But Ruby stepped in.
"I'm NOT letting that one fly, no way! I'm NOT hiding behind big-sis Grimmjow, and I DON'T need to for beating you! I'll have you know I only lost the last time because I landed on my head, and you landed on your feet! I'll be more than happy to settle the score another time. But today, I'm going to meet Lily" she replied pouting and sticking out her tongue. However, this only pissed off the jaguar even more.
"All I see is a coward making excuses and running away! STOP IGNORING ME AND FACE ME BY YOURSELF, YOU CONCEITED LITTLE PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A-!?"
"That's enough out of you, Grimmjow" said Nel in a deathly silent voice, stabbing her spear into the ground right in front of him. Her high-pitched voice and the tone in which she warned him didn't match at all, making it all the more unsettling. "AS she mentioned, we are only passing through. So, if you'll excuse us" she said, removing her spear and going past him.
"If you think you can interrupt my fun a second time, 'Nelliel', don't think things will go the same as last time!" he roared again, this time charging an all too familiar crimson red orb in his mouth.
*thunk*
The crimson orb dissipated just as soon as it formed, Grimmjow's eyes instead resting upon Harribel's sword arm just inches away from his face. Her eyes were narrowed at him in a threatening manner.
"Enough. I do not want to step in unnecessarily but I will if I must. Let us pass peacefully, and I promise neither of us shall have anything to lose" she hissed. The jaguar was shaking, both in fury and in shame. Threatened, humiliated and not even given a decent fight. His day couldn't get any worse. Gritting and baring his teeth, he withdrew. And with that, Harribel eased her guard as well, gave one final glance at the King of the Menos Forest and went her way along with her companions.
Grimmjow couldn't understand it. There he was, a powerful adjuchas engaging them in battle. Any menos would take the chance to hunt and devour such prey to increase their strength. And Ruby even had the strength in numbers and fighting prowess. So why was he the one facing such humiliation?! Then it clicked. That strange spiritual pressure that he always felt in the menos forest. Naturally, he'd looked for the source but after looking he knew that it came from outside the forest, very far away from where he was. That presence had always irritated him because he knew whatever was emitting that reaitsu was stronger than him by many folds. So, he avoided going after it.
Was that it?! Were these bastards going after that spiritual pressure because he wasn't worth their time?! No! He could never allow himself to be trampled upon this much, he would rather die than being cast out and shamed like this, to be pitied upon. And so, he made up his mind. He would follow them, to see what it was that was so much more interesting than facing the king of the menos forest.
There was an uncomfortable silence between the travelers of Tier's group and none was sure which one wanted to speak up first. But they all had different thoughts racing through their minds. Tier was indifferent, but aware. Nel chose to ignore. Ruby was giggling to herself. Mila-rose and sung-sun kept glancing back every now and then, and Apacci was feeling increasingly irritated.
"Grimmjow! You can walk alongside us if you'd like!" Ruby called out cheerfully, startling the 3 traveling behind her. Of course, it was Ruby who broke the uncomfortable tension.
"Piss off" came the indifferent reply.
"Man, even after he knows that we can see him following us, he still acts like that" said Apacci exasperatedly.
"Things are fine the way they are Ruby. We don't need that jackass walking next to us and Harribel-sama" commented Mila-rose.
"Hmm? You think so? I thought he might be feeling left out" said Ruby casually.
"Yeah right"
"Hmm….if you say so" Ruby thought she should atleast try asking him but it seems both parties preferred their current arrangement just fine.
As they walked on, the increase in spiritual pressure became apparent. Soon enough, they were at the point where they could barely walk. Meaning they were close to their destination, thought Ruby. They haven't moved around since last time, she thought to herself. A sad, solitary and stationary life is what they were leading. Ruby was hoping that would change after today. Finally, Ruby could see the familiar figures of the two arrancars sitting by the sands just as she remembered.
"Damn…..what the hell is this?!" groaned Apacci, barely able to move from the immense spiritual pressure. All the members of the group had stopped where they stood and she was the furthest away from the arrancars. Just a foot ahead of her were Mila-Rose and Sung-sun, their expressions mirroring Apacci's.
"Incredible….not even Harribel-sama's presence was this strong and it looks as though they aren't even exerting themselves!" exclaimed Sung-sun.
"Feh…weaklings" breathed Grimmjow, right next to where Ruby was. Ruby was a couple of feet ahead of Mila-Rose and Sung-sun, and about 18 meters away from the arrancars.
"Big talk for someone who can't get any closer than that, asshole" cursed Apacci. "Leave those two, it's obvious you don't even compare to Nelliel and Harribel-sama" And how right she was. Nelliel was standing about 10 meters from where the Arrancars were, and Harribel was the only one who could approach them, albeit the strain of it evident on her face.
"Ruby!" exclaimed Lilynette, surprised but happy. "You came to visit! Um, I'm happy you came along, but who're these guys?"
"Amazing…..so these are real arrancars" said Nel, amazed. "I cant get any close than this"
"Indeed…..their spiritual pressure feels much different too, almost like a shinigami's but also like a hollow's" added Harribel.
"Oh, let me introduce you! That's Harribel my big-sis that I was talking about the other day! And these are all my friends, Sung-sun, Apacci, Mila-rose, Nelliel, this one here is Grimmjow" said Ruby, pointing to each one in order.
"Huh, so you're the infamous Harribel in the flesh! The rumors and Ruby's stories speak two different things, that's for sure! Ruby did say that you were really strong, and I can see she wasn't kidding. No one has been able to come this close and talk to us in such close proximity. I think you're probably the first one that has actually been able to approach us" said Lily.
"Standing is all I can do" admitted Harribel "I would have never imagined I would meet such powerful beings here in Hueco Mundo apart from Barragan"
"That old fart? He's pretty pissed off at the fact that someone stronger than him exists but there's nothing he can do about it so he's left us alone for now" replied Lily unamused. "But I have to say, even you are something else….um….Nel, right? For an adjuchas you're pretty strong yourself!"
"Yup that's me!" she said with a smile.
"And then you're Grimmjow, right? King of the Menos Forest. You don't look too please to see me buster, what's the matter?" taunted Lily. "Aww, is the poor kitty upset that the king of the menos forest has been reduced to his knees?" she continued in a sing song voice. The 3 future tres bestias snickered loudly.
" .That?!" growled Grimmjow.
"Erm..ah,…Lily I think you shouldn't tease this one too much ehehehehe" suggested Ruby half laughing.
"Man, calm yer tits will ya? I was just pulling your leg, jeez" replied the younger arrancar.
"Lilynette, you really should stop doing that. If you piss them off, it'll be such a pain in the ass to deal with it later on" said Starrk in a bored voice. "Oh, and I believe we haven't introduced ourselves, I'm Coyote Starrk and she's Lilynette"
"Please to meetcha!" said Lily, waving off.
And with introductions and acquaintanceship, things were finally a bit more relaxed.
"Color me surprised but I have to say, I was really skeptical to believe Ruby, but who would've thought she was right on the mark!" exclaimed Sung-sun.
"Agreed. I too never expected someone as strong as you two wouldn't be interesting in fighting or killing hollows" added Mila-rose.
"Just goes on to prove the kind of ludicrous world the lot of you are living in" said Grimmjow airily. "Honestly, it pisses me off to no end. Not fighting? Not eating hollows?! That's the biggest load of bull I've come across in all of Hueco Mundo" he spat.
"Tch, annoying bastard. Is fighting all there is in that head of yours?" asked Apacci. "And you should wash out that filthy mouth of yours too, I wouldn't want words from you being heard by Harribel-sama"
"And what made you think I was talking to you?" he retorted back.
"How is it ludicrous, Grimmjow?" asked Nel cooly "The fittest survive in this world. That's the only absolute truth of Hueco Mundo. So how does it matter how they survive? Maybe some are just tired of constantly being hunted and constantly having to hunt their own kind, even if that is the way things work"
"Hah, easy for you to say, Nelliel, being on the top! Try saying those words when you're fighting for your life against a prey you can't win against" he scowled.
"And that is why I seek power in numbers, for what I cannot accomplish by myself, even with my strength, I can do so together" replied Harribel
"A weakling's way of thinking" said Grimmjow disgusted "That's not true strength. The truly strong stand alone, without relying on the strength of others and pride themselves on it. Those that seek in numbers have no pride at all"
"You're wrong, Grimmjow" snapped Ruby. Insults and slurs, she could tolerate, but that comment about her big-sis having no pride was crossing a line. "If you're really strong, why does it matter who's with you? In fact, isn't what you're doing just the same? You eat other hollows and their strength becomes yours. So, aren't you depending on the strength of others to increase your own as well?" she asked. An uncomfortable pause followed, after which the jaguar simply gave up.
"Tch….this is pointless" he said, clearly unwilling to go on further.
"At times, I'm surprised how you act older than you look" said Nel, looking at Ruby.
"Too much strength isn't always good you know" said Lily, finally cutting in the conversation. "I mean, look at the two of us. We were initially 1 being, too powerful to approach any living being without decimating them. With so much power, what did it matter? It's not like we could drown ourselves in the pleasures of a fight, considering that most of them ended before a fight even started. Nor could we sit and have a conversation. All that we were left with was despair and loneliness. Becoming arrancar had done no good. And so, we split our soul into these two forms that you see before you and even that didn't help. But just the fact that the two of us could stay close to each other already meant so much after centuries of being alone"
"But in your current state, couldn't you suppress your spiritual energy? Surely then you should be able to move about without harming others. Weaker they may be, but many hollows are still Menos class that are not to be taken lightly" suggested Harribel.
"Perhaps, but suppressing this level of spiritual energy is an arduous task. And unfortunately, precise reishi control is something neither of us know well" replied Starrk.
"Hmm…..hey I know! Why don't we do this then?" chimed Nel. "None of us have nearly the same amount of Reishi as you two, but Tia for one should be quite good at it, considering how she's able to control it so that it doesn't affect those near her. Ruby should be good at it too, considering her skill with firing balas. Although the amount of reishi she can control certainly could improve"
"Oh yeah, that reminds me! Ruby! You wanted to learn how to fire a cero right?" pointed out Lily. "So why don't we just go along with that, you teach me and starrk how we can suppress our spirit energy, and we can help you out with ceros!"
"Wait just a damn minute, what did you just say?! Teach how to fire a cero? You mean to tell me you don't know how to fire one?!" inquired the jaguar, looking at Ruby. She nodded in the affirmative.
"How the fuck does that even-"
"Yes, yes, we all know by now its unusual, almost impossible to come across a menos that can't fire a cero but can already fire balas. Been there, done that. Let's not dwell on that again, shall we" said Nel, brushing him off.
"And who said you could interrupt me when I'm talking, woman?!" he snapped.
"Sigh, don't be a bitch about everything. Just suck it up will ya, otherwise we'd just be hurling insults all the time" chided Lily. "Anyways, thanks for the reminder Nel! So? How's that suggestion sound Ruby? Tier? If we can suppress our spirit energy, we could even come over to visit your place! Since we wouldn't have to worry about automatically killing off anyone coming near us and assuming you'd have us over that is" Ruby's eyes brightened at the idea. Indeed the prospect of having Lily and Starrk over would be really cool. She immediately turned to Tier with puppy dog eyes.
Sigh, there it is again, thought Tier to herself. Nel just silently smiled to herself. She edged over to Tia.
"It's fine isn't it Tia? Didn't you always say that if you can make allies and become stronger as a group, you'd cross that bridge? And here you have an arrancar willing to join our little group! With this, we can also protect Ruby better" she whispered. Yes, the offer was indeed tempting. And the little one's puppy dog eyes just made it infinitely harder to refuse.
"Sigh, alright. I'll see what I can do to help, although I think you give me too much credit. Consider this my thanks for looking out for the little one" replied Tier.
"Yesss!" cried out Ruby and Lily in unison.
Elsewhere, Grimmjow was clearly not sharing the same thoughts as Ruby and Lilynette.
"Tch, all this friendship crap is making me puke" said Grimmjow in disgust, "I've seen what I've come to see, and I think I'd like to head back now" he said, turning to leave. But before he did, he had a few parting words for a specific someone.
"We aren't don't yet Ruby, we still haven't settled the score. Next time, I'll be sure to finish you off" And then walked away from the rest of them. "And you'd better hope you know how to fire a cero by then, a bala won't save you the next time" he said in a low growl and finally left.
"Tch, what an ass. I heard the guy was foulmouthed and temperamental but to see it in person is something else" scowled Lily.
"Eh I'm sure he's just not used to having a decent conversation. Probably a bit stubborn about it too" said Ruby, writing it off.
"I still think you're too accepting of him if you ask me" replied Apacci deadpanned.
"Well, forget him. Ruby. What's this about learning how to fire a cero? I thought we were already telling you how to do that!" asked Sung-sun.
"Ah well..I just figured it might be nice to get a lot of opinions and try a lot of different ways to find which one worked for me the most, nothing against you guys…." She said, her paw over her head.
"True enough" agreed Nel. "In that case, let's see if we can take this together"
So while Apacci, Sung-sun, Mila-Rose, Nel and Lily worked with Ruby, coaching her and observing her attempts and corrected her, Harribel had a chat with Starrk. Of course, Lilynette couldn't approach Nel, Ruby and the others so she continued to take part from where she was. Starrk wanted to be in a place of peace and quite away from all the excitement, so for the first time in ages, he let Lilynette by herself, while taking a spot away from them elsewhere. Harribel approached him and stood next to him.
"You've been awfully quiet" she told him. "Hmm….Starrk correct?" The male arrancar, who was simply lying down all this time, looked at her face.
"Uh huh. I'm not one for such lively conversations, so I let Lilynette do all the talking" he replied in a tired voice. Or rather, in a tone that pretended to be one.
"If I understand you correctly, this is likely the first time you've had such noise and disturbance in your lives correct? Then why not indulge in it while it exists?" she asked him. It seemed so strange to her that Starrk would just lie around doing nothing. Something that Lilynette was doing right now by mingling with the others and being active is what she expected one who was lonely all their life would do. The aforementioned arrancar looked at his female counter part as she was demonstrating her weak cero that became wisps as soon as it hit a nearby rock. Nel looked amused, consoling her and unexpectedly ending up coaching her along with Ruby.
"I like to take things slowly, observe things from a distance and see how things play out and soak things in, in a calm collected manner" he explained. "So this, you could say, is my own way of indulging in it"
"I see….that would mean that though the two of you are 'one' you are still two distinct beings, two distinct individuals that happen to share the same soul" theorized Harribel. "Similar to multiple personalities in one body, except that the personality has a body of its own"
"You aren't wrong, but not completely on the mark either. She and I are…..were, one being. Neither of us know how we were as 1 individual, whether we were male or female or the kind of personality we possessed as a single being. We became an arrancar because we were tired of our strength, strength we were cursed with that alienated us from the rest of our kind. And so, we became arrancars in hopes that we could control our power. But all that did was increase it even more. Much more. So, in the end, we placed our hopes on being able to restrain our reishi. But as you can see, that was not meant to be" he explained.
Tier said nothing, just taking in all that she had been told and sorting out her own thoughts. To be so powerful that you gain strength as a means of splitting yourself to combat loneliness, was something she couldn't fathom but understood still.
"We may be more similar than I thought, you and I" she told him, sitting down next to him. "I too, detested gaining more strength at the cost of sacrificing others. But that went against the natural laws of Hueco Mundo. Soon enough, I found myself on the brink of desperation and solitude, until I decided to gain strength through numbers and comradery. It started with one, two, three and before long, a scene I would never have imagined in my old days became commonplace"
The two of them continued watching their respective little ones and companions interact with each other in silence together, doing so giving them a mutual sense of understanding.
"Today was fun! We should do this more often!" said Lily enthusiastically, waving Tier, Ruby, Nel and the rest goodbye and back at Starrk's side.
"Of course! We still need to teach you and the old man how to control your reishi so you can come visit after all!" said Ruby. "And I still haven't learnt to fire a cero!"
"I'm not that old, I'll have you know" came the counter from Starrk.
"Hmm..I think all you really need is practice. A cero is simply to basic for a menos to break down and give more hints than what you already know" replied Lily
"Your cero could use some work too, Lily" said Nel with a smile. "After all, being an arrancar, its no good if little old me can block it with the back of my hands now is it? Fu fu fu!"
"Hrmm….when you put it that way I cant even make a comeback" she grumbled, but there was some truth to her words. She did indeed need to work on her skills as well.
"Shall we depart then?" asked Tier to everyone present and after getting affirmative nods from everyone present, the gang proceeded to make their way back to the lair.
"See ya soon" waved Lily. She and her male counterpart watched the group until their forms vanished in the horizon.
And so, the once stationary, monochrome times of Tier Harribel were finally filled with noise and color. After their return to the lair and a brief period of relative calm, an unexpected visitor showed up at their territory, one that had all but forgotten about when he left early the other day.
"Grimmjow?" observed Ruby, her eyes raised.
"Ruby Rose! I know you're in there! It's time we settle the score!" he called out from outside the lair. Tier and Nel sighed.
"Didn't think we'd see him this soon again" commented Nel.
"You'd think he would've gotten scared of Harribel-sama and ran with his tail between his legs by now" said Apacci.
"It's all right, sis! Pacci! I might as well give him what he wants. And besides" she said, flaring up her reaitsu. "I too, have some things to finish up with him! He he, this looks fun!"
Nel, Tier and her underlings followed Ruby outside to witness the contest. Naturally, there was an unspoken and mutual understanding that they would step in should things get ugly from either side.
Surprisingly, Grimmjow didn't play dirty or use foul play during the entirety of his fight. It would seem that even the mad feline of the menos forest had his virtues. The two were only gauging each other's abilities at first, before claws and fangs were barred at each other in violent clashes of strength, agility and wits, along with red blasts of balas and ceros.
"Heh heh hehhheh hehe! Good! Good! I see you can fire a cero now, even if it is pathetically weaker compared to mine!" he snapped, firing off another crimson beam. Ruby evaded by using her cero as a propellent to reach higher ground.
"Hu hu! Pretty neat right? And it only took me a short while too after Nelly's lessons!" she said proudly.
And the two continued to engage each other in festive sport, until claws broke, the combatants were bloodied and clawed at to the point at which Tier had decided it was enough.
"Tch" spat Grimmjow. "Just when it was getting good too. I swear woman, you're just persistent in getting in my way and stopping me from getting my prey"
"The strong follow the weak, and I am deciding that the match has been settled. You should be thankful I didn't just kill you instead of allowing Ruby her wishes of fighting you" glared Tier "And from the looks of it, I would say that this match goes to her" Grimmjow was beaten enough that he was limping badly, though his instant regeneration was slowly taking care of that. Ruby on the other hand, was able enough that she could walk normally, albeit extremely tired.
"Tch. This still isn't over until I decide it's over, Harribel. Nothing you, the brat or Nelliel say changes that. As for those 3….well, lets just say that the brat is far more interesting that the 3 of them, so I don't really care about fighting them unless they piss me off"
"Tch. Asshole" cursed Apacci. She wanted to argue back, but the truth was that Grimmjow could definitely take on the 3 of the my himself. Ruby was amazing to fight him on even ground.
"You alright, Rubes?" asked Nel. Of late, unbeknownst to the 2 of them, they started calling each other by Nelly and Rubes. To Ruby, being called that way, triggered a very fond memory, one that she was very grateful to Nel for.
"I'll live, just tired" she said, yawning. "Think imma gonna sleep" she said, stretching her worn out body and promptly going back to the lair to take a well-deserved nap.
"Does him coming here bother you, Tia?" asked Nel.
"Not entirely. It is good training for the little one and as long as we're here to supervise, I have no qualms with it…..yet" she replied.
"Hmm….perhaps he may not be so bad to be around as much as we initially thought" she wondered to herself "Normally menos like him are leaders of their packs. Seeing as he's all by himself, I wonder if something happened. Maybe something in Ruby draws him to her. Although he boasts of eating her, he hasn't tried doing anything of the sort or even fatally injuring her"
"Its possible. But I still maintain that he's not the easiest individual to reason with" she said.
"Oh no arguments there" agreed Nel. "One day, I swear one of those 3 is gonna blow their tops and have a go at him"
And so, time passed again. Grimmjow's visits became more frequent, with each bout ending either in a win, loss or inconclusively, all of which was carefully supervised by Tier. The tense mood between the mad king of the menos forest and Tier harribel's group significantly decreased. There was no open hostility between the two, although little banter here and there, especially between Apacci and Grimmjow definitely existed. Heck, Grimmjow would even train Ruby in his own way while they battled, something that Nel and Tier didn't fail to notice.
"Why the fuck are you charging up a cero like a bala?! I told you, you gotta pour more reishi into it but slower than a bala to make it actually matter! Like this!" he roared, firing off a cero towards her during another one of their almost daily bouts.
"You mean like this?" asked Ruby tauntingly, charging up a cero and firing one off at the upcoming cero. The two collided violently, but it was obvious Grimmjow's was stronger, albeit only by a tiny fraction. Grimmjow's face had the tiniest of satisfied smiles, one that disappeared as soon as it came.
And that wasn't all. Ruby, Harrible and Nel and the others also visited the arrancar duo every now and then apart from Grimmjow's visits. At times, he would even accompany them, if only to see Starrk fight. Though the latter would always refuse. Harribel, as promised, taught Starrk and Lilynette her know-hows on reishi control. On occasion, she would call over Ruby to demonstrate. The two were quick learners and much well behaved than her other companions. That made it a lot easier for her to keep her peace of mind and stay in focus.
Other times, Lily would spend time with Ruby and Nel, while Harribel and Starrk watched over them. The two had formed a special sort of bond, one that grew out of them both being parental figures to their respective underlings/selves. The time she spent with stark would be one filled with calm and quiet, something that she did appreciate a lot. Though she got used to the new noise and activity of late, the occasional quiet and calm mood was something she enjoyed during her time with Starrk. The same could be said of the male arrancar. Though he would never trade Lilynette for anyone for she was him and he was her, he did enjoy the company of others too, every now and then, and Harribel was a pleasant company to an introvert like him.
And so, many, many such days passed in relative peace. It was during this period that the group had learnt that Grimmjow had indeed been a leader of a pack of adjuchas that followed him around as Nel had predicted. But one that he was forced to abandon and consume after they lost their will to keep going. It was this revelation that them all see the jaguar in a new light. But even this fact did not surface that simply. It took many days of interactivity, bouts, insults, banter and most importantly, Ruby, to finally make him open up a little about his past to the others. And through all these ups and downs that the group went through together, the arrancar duo had joined in too, the fruits of Harribel's teaching's finally paying off and their immense reaitsu finally under their control. The arrancars had no real attachment to the place they were at and were eternally grateful for the assistance that Tier had offered them, so decided that they would move in somewhere nearer to Harribel's lair. Grimmjow still chose to stay in the Menos Forest, for it was a place that he was familiar with and still considered his territory. But no longer was he hostile to Tier and her comrades.
Though the little bouts and banter with Ruby continued, Grimmjow, Ruby, Tier, Nel, Starrk, Lilynette, Sung-sun, Mila-rose and Apacci had grown as close as a real family would. Though this was more of an internal feeling than something that any of them say out loud. Tier, Nel, and Grimmjow in particular developed bonds like that of siblings, with Tier being the eldest, and Grimmjow the youngest. And like any sibling bond, while they supported each other, fights too, broke out between them often, especially between Tier and Grimmjow or Nelliel and Grimmjow. One fight, in particular, was really serious, to the point that both Ruby and Tier had to step in to stop the two of them.
It was just a quiet time like any other. Tier was out gazing out to the sands, while her 3 future fraccione were inside taking a nap. Ruby was cleaning herself and Nelliel and Grimmjow were having a talk outside. And again, it started off normally enough. But soon, it broke into a small disagreement, a heated argument and then claw and spear were drawn. Even at this point, Tier didn't think too much of it. Because with Grimmjow, these sorts of things were normal. It would settle down eventually. But then the two started battling for real, with spear and claws drawing blood and inflicting serious wounds on the other, all the while hurling arguments and insults at each other.
"Do not step in, Tia. I'll handle this myself" growled Nel, in a voice very uncharacteristic of herself.
"And just how do you plan to do that, huh?!" he snapped back, hurling a cero at her. The green haired adjuchas swallowed it, and returned the beam with twice fold power, which Grimmjow dodged. The cero continued travelling, almost hitting the roof of their cavern and exploring at the cliffs behind them instead. Deciding it was enough, Tier stepped in, restraining Nel while Ruby, who was alerted to the sounds outside, put two and two together and restrained the jaguar. After things calmed down, the two of them got heavily reprimanded by the vasto lorde for all the commotion they had caused and nearly destroying the lair. Things still remained heated between the two of them for quite a while, but the jaguar and the green haired adjuchas were able to reach a compromise in the end.
"And? What were they fighting about?" asked Starrk to Harribel, when the latter finished recounting the incident to the male arrancar a couple of days after the incident.
"Sigh, something about Grimmjow wanting to battle Nel in a serious fight and how she refused. I know not what he told her to get her that enraged but I wish he would learn to tone down his bloodlust" said Harribel, rubbing her head.
"Well, it worked itself out in the end, so I wouldn't worry about it too much" he replied.
"Because I was there!" pointed out Tier.
"Even if you weren't there, I still think these things happen from time to time. And you know what they say, people grow closer the more they fight and make up" replied Starrk, going back to gazing at the sky.
And then there was Ruby. Though her spars with Grimmjow continued, neither Tier nor Harribel felt the need to monitor the two of them anymore. Both because Ruby was strong enough to hold her ground against him and also because the two had also grown quite close. Ruby was one who was openly friendly and social to everyone so to an outside it would have been hard to tell. But Nel and Tier knew that all the time that their little one and Grimmjow had spent together definitely drew them closer. It was around her that Grimmjow had the most relatively controlled and composed demeanor and it was to him that the little one would put in that little bit of extra effort to make sure that the jaguar was having a good time like everyone else.
In the many, many days that had passed so far, the brief flashes of memories that the ex-huntress would have of her previous life grew more in number. Sometimes they would last but a moment, but other times, she would see whole episodes of her memories. At times, she would witness the warm, comfortable embrace of her dear family, or at other times, she would be shrouded in the dark embrace of anxiety and uneasiness, creatures with red eyes and masks ever so similar to hollows haunting her dreams, awakening her in cold sweat. She would see her sister yang who was like a combination of Nel and her big-sis. Other times, she would see images of a girl in white, dressed in white with piercing ice blue eyes, a stern expression and a haughty demeanor, one that reminded her of Sung-sun. And on the rare occasion, she even saw the face of a woman who looked so similar to her, but a face that was aged a few years adorned with the warm smile of a mother looking down at her child.
But these memories were no longer detrimental aspects of her new life. She was happy, satisfied. Through her experiences, her long, arduous struggles starting from her early days at Hueco Mundo as an adjuchas, and most importantly, her new family, she had grown strong enough to accept them all and make peace with them, leaving in her the memoirs of days filled with the most serene and precious moments. Memoirs of days that were long….
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Gone.
Gone.
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Gone.
Gone.
Gone.
Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone.
AHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAAAAAAAA!
Red filled her left eye while her right was covered in the darkest black, a searing white-hot pain shooting through the right side of her skull. She could feel the warm liquid drip down drip down from her red filled eyes, making an audible noise with each drip that splashed into the puddle of her own life essence on the floor below. The lower half of her body screamed for release as her now useless limbs hung onto her screaming abdomen by a few threads of pink meat, the butchered ends of her limbs and abdomen creating their own pools of crimson liquid that drained into the floor below. She wanted to flail her body, flail her uselessly clamped arms, anything to make that pain, that terrible, terrible, searing pain dampen. She just wanted to slice off her legs in hopes that the pain would be sliced away with them too.
It burns, it burns, ahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhth the paaaaaaaaaiiinnnnnnnnnnn ahaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, Tieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Grimmjooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww ahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
In that demented, twisted, distorted mishappen world she bore witness to with her mangled, crimson left eye, she knew not whether she was laughing or crying. The only thing the almost lifeless leaking crimson eye witnessed was the twisted visage of a thin, pink haired man with rectangular framed remnants of a hollow mask with an ecstatic and studying expression on his face before a gloved hand reached out for her crimson eye and her world blinked out entirely.
Welp, this was a long and special chapter as you can see and this is where I turn on the M rating. As usual, thanks a lot for reading, I really tried my best with this chapter and as usual, I appreciate all the feedback and suggestions and hope I can keep you entertained!
Response to reviews:
Momentei: Yeah indeed. But things are going to get a major shift in tone as you can already tell. So much so that burying your own corpse will feel like nothing more than a kid's fairy tail
fightingchampion: Thanks!
dovah117: Oh she will have a LOT of changes in the bleach world. In fact, most events will deviate greatly from cannon.
Firewyrm2: I see. I'll see if I can give it a shot then!
5h1n Z3r0: Welp, starting this chapter end, any of that will be the least of her problems.
Primal Warrior: Thanks a lot!