Shattered Realms

By Eduard Kassel and MJLCoyoteStarrk

Chapter 12: Leviathan

The sound of a bell filled the night. It was like a bronze bell at a Buddhist temple being rung: ancient, beautiful, and haunting. It was the Night Bell that once hung over Las Noches before the Usurper came. During the Great Schism it was rescued from the vaults and carried into The Night. As the city of Luisenbarn was built it was raised again to hang at the top of the Tower of Night at the very center of Luisenbarn. As a relic from the time when the God-Emperor, Baraggan Luisenbarn, ruled over all under the night sky the bell became a symbol of a glorious past restored in the present that would last for all time.

Edwyn Tuma looked out of the palanquin as the road turned northeast and saw the city. It was an island of stone and glass and metal in a sea of sand. The city was surrounded by a wall of sandstone with bell towers flanking the gates. The paved roads, one of the marks of Luisenbarnian ingenuity, cut through the sands, a ribbon of strength amidst an ever-shifting sea. Shops, taverns, money-changing centers, and statues of the heroes and God-Kings of old lined either side.

At the heart of the city Edwyn could make out the strong and ornate walls of the Corte di Ossa. Behind those walls stood the Cattedrale dei Rei and the Tower of Night. The Cattedrale's belfries, its great dome of stone and metal, flying buttresses, and stained glass windows were one of the wonders of The Night and rightfully so. The city of Luisenbarn was a symbol for the might, glory, and ingenuity of the Holy Luisenbarn Empire that only the cities of Sanction and Las Noches could possibly rival.

It was designed and built with the same ideal as the first Las Noches. Its very existence was an act of defiance against the apathetic sameness of the sands with which Hueco Mundo would torment its children. It was a declaration of relevance. It was the potential of Arrancars made reality in a world that would otherwise swallow them and leave no trace of their existence.

"They're heralding my return," Benvolio said. He sat across from Edwyn in the palanquin, hardly happy at the homecoming. Edwyn saw the gold, iron, and emerald laurel crown in Benvolio's hand. The God-King's expression was thoughtful as he looked upon the crown. "It gives the Arrancars enough time to clear the road. I'm sure that Machiavelli went on ahead to explain it to any foreigners on the road. We've been doing this since the founding and still there are always foreigners who are ignorant of it."

"He seems to understand his duties to your person, sire," Edwyn said.

"Yes, and Machiavelli is more than happy to sing my praises, even when it annoys me."

Edwyn looked out the palanquin again and saw that the roads were starting to be lined with carts. He looked at the ground and saw Arrancars prostrating on the ground. It made him think of an image from the World of the Living he saw of religious supplicants bowing before their gods and altars. Once the last cart of the God-King's entourage passed he knew that they would get to their feet and pull their carts behind the party at a respectful distance.

As the God-King's party continued down the road, Edwyn could easily tell which Arrancars were Luisenbarnian and which were foreigners. The Luisenbarnians prostrated themselves along the road while the foreigners merely bowed slightly at the waist in feigned respect. Edwyn had to remind himself that foreigners could not be expected to completely follow Luisenbarnian custom, so long as they at least showed respect. It was only proper for a guest to respect their host's laws and customs.

"When we reach the Corte di Ossa the other bells will ring as well in accordance with tradition," Benvolio said. "Traditions are vital in that they maintain a sense of a society's identity. Their purpose is to help unite a populace instead of driving them apart. Remember that when you begin acting as my Prima Spada."

"Of course, your majesty. I fear that the Tuma clan has been too long isolated to where we have become strangers to the great city. I beg your pardon for such oversight," Edwyn said. The God-King nodded but offered no other comment.

"Your majesty," one of the Guardia Reale said from outside. "We are approaching the Iron Gates. Do you wish to be seen by the populace?"

Benvolio paused for a moment before saying, "No. There are too many foreigners in the city for the bazaar." The Guardia Reale responded by releasing a small amount of Reiatsu. The palanquin stopped and the carriers lowered it so that they could lower the Hollow hide curtains at the sides before entering the city.

The God-King put the crown on his head and picked up a stone tablet he had been examining ever since they left Wind Song Fortress.

"You must be thinking about why I would hide my face from foreigners, Lord Tuma," Benvolio said as he traced the runes in the stone.

"They are impure and are thus unworthy to gaze upon your face," Edwyn said, more as a reflex than after any serious thought. Benvolio snorted and shook his head as a response.

"A God-King must maintain a shroud of secrecy. Arrancars are, by nature, cruel and violent and given to the primal urges that dwell in all that evolved from the lower life forms. We're like humans in that respect. Tell me, have you ever heard of Thomas Hobbes?"

"I can't say that I have."

"He was a human philosopher who could easily have been writing for Arrancars. Arrancars need a strong leader to ensure that they don't become like the Eaters and Berserkers: little better than beasts. They need a strong hand to guide them so that they don't destroy themselves with the folly of 'self-governance'. That's the purpose of the God-King. That's my raison d'être."

"A truly divine purpose, your majesty."

"A pity that not everyone sees it as I do. Still, there are ways…"

Edwyn wondered what the God-King meant, but for the remainder of the journey he didn't say anything else. Edwyn fingered the disk around his neck and prayed silently to the God-Emperor for his wives and the God-King. When the palanquin reached the walls surrounding the Corte di Ossa the bells of Luisenbarn rang, filling the Night with their song. But not even for a moment could the glorious tumult make him think that all was well.

Persephone

Persephone watched Isra play with the white and blue spotted leopard. For a Hollow the leopard was relatively tame, nipping at Isra's hand but not hard enough to break the hierro skin. Isra laughed as it nuzzled her hand and licked it. The bald man sitting on the other side of the table chuckled.

"I see that Ggio is taken with your little girl," he said. Persephone had to agree with the man when she saw Ggio let Isra hold his head in her hands and nuzzled its cheek with her own.

Persephone looked back towards the man. His head was completely shaven of all hair and powdered, as was customary among eunuchs. His large frame, which she knew was once pure muscle, was now becoming fat bulging against his Hierro in some places. His thin lips were painted dark purple and he was clad in a long, ivory white robe. The gold medallion hanging around his neck was engraved with the face of God-King Benvolio facing left. She caught a whiff of night rose oil coming from him as the wind played over the porch.

"Thank you for inviting us for wine," Orion said. "Isra loves to visit, even if it's just to play with your cat."

The Eunuch chuckled again as he rang a small silver bell near at hand on the small glass table next to his chair. A serving boy and girl walked in carrying silver trays laden with finger sandwiches, sweet cakes, fruit, and even cheeses. It was all clearly imported from the World of the Living. They placed the trays on the table and bowed before departing.

"What is a good wine party without snacks?" the Eunuch asked cordially.

"This must have cost you a pretty gold coin or two," Orion said as he picked up one of the small tarts. He sniffed at it and bit into it. He closed his eyes and smiled in delight. "Ah, this must be from the Eurasian Confederation. It's heavy on the cream, and the custard has been whisked to perfection."

The Eunuch chuckled again and said, "Only the best for my guests."

Persephone eyed the food and frowned.

"Smugglers," she muttered. "So does that mean that you do have dealings with the Capo of Las Noches then?"

The Eunuch raised a finger and Persephone saw a twinkle in his eyes. She knew that he wasn't going to answer either way. The veteran picked up a finger sandwich herself and smelt the aroma of fish salad. She took a bite and relished its taste. While she erred towards a certain chasteness in her lifestyle, sometimes it was good to eat something exotic.

They continued in polite conversation and enjoyment for a few minutes. Even Isra came to the table, drawn by the food. She took two sandwiches and, to their mutual amusement and a bit of exasperation, gave one to the leopard. Then she resumed her antics with the pet Hollow.

"You didn't invite us here just to impress us with exotic delicacies and drink good wine with you. What do you want?" Orion asked. Persephone turned her eyes from her adaptive little sister.

So, is it time to begin then?

"Ah, quick to the chase, aren't you my old friend?"

"I wouldn't exactly call us 'friends'," Orion said. "We may have played together as yearlings at Broken Hill, but that alone does not make us friends. The world has moved on since then. Sand dunes come and go with the winds, and power shifts the same way."

"True," the Eunuch said. "Yet that doesn't negate the fact that we did play among the parapets and climbed the towers and suffered my father's punishments for it. Oh would that we had known to cherish those brighter times beneath the moon."

Orion smiled slightly.

"So that's why Benvolio sent you to be his representative in Sanction."

"Yes, Lord Orion, and why he entrusted this mission to me."

"What mission?" Persephone asked. She eyed the Eunuch, her suspicion growing even more.

"What I'm about to tell you must remain between the three of us," he said and looked at Isra who was still playing with the leopard.

"She won't say anything should she happen to overhear," Persephone said. "She loves me too much to betray anything you say." The Eunuch thought about it and nodded.

"The God-King has yet to produce a legitimate heir," the Eunuch said. "However, for him to produce a legitimate heir he must, by Imperial Law, marry."

Persephone lowered her crystal goblet and looked at Isra. She made no effort to conceal her scowl or the stirring of her Reiatsu.

"Do you mean that he…?"

"Oh no, no, no, he doesn't know about her and besides the girl is too young for him as it is. Sure some of his predecessors wouldn't bat an eye at the prospect of marrying a girl with the physique and mentality of a yearling, but not Benvolio. Despite her youth in body and mind she is not what he seeks. He intends to marry into the Van Harr bloodline, not merely the name, in order to solidify our alliance."

"And also to placate those who worship the Mother in his kingdom," Persephone said.

"Yes. Worship of Tia Harribel is rising in the Holy Luisenbarn Empire and a marriage into the Van Harr family will show her celebrants that he is willing to work with them."

"What about the Sons?" Orion asked. "Doesn't Luisenbarn already have an alliance with them?"

The Eunuch bit his lower lip and nodded. He was skilled at hiding his emotions in body and Reiatsu, a master perhaps. But she felt it for a moment, the boiling tar of the darkest rage. Persephone knew it as only those who had drunk deep from the cup could.

"A mistake of the past whose harvest is near ripening I fear. If God-King Benvolio had been in charge then we wouldn't have made that disastrous decision. The Sons are using their alliance with the Empire to their shameless advantage. It gave them a deep foothold in our lands and Delgado is exploiting it. Their influence is spreading among the lower classes, especially among the young males who desire power. They fear that the worship of your Great Mother will make them slaves.

"If we are to defeat the Sons' scourge then we must be united. And that can only occur by acts that will disrupt the status quo."

"Did you put this petition before Freya?" Persephone asked. "She is Queen after all and part of her duty is to hear these kinds of petitions."

"I did, but she was…difficult about it. She loves her position too much and she is too naïve to realize how important a marriage-alliance can be. She insists that the Daughters of the Sand can stand on their own with no need of the Holy Empire's help.

"It is troublesome to deal with those who believe themselves far greater players at the Game than they truly are. Freya, unfortunately, isn't worth being considered a novice."

"And so you come to us," Orion said. "And I have a good idea why." He looked at Persephone and her eyes widened in sudden understanding.

"Wait, are you here to say that…that…" Persephone was completely taken by surprise by this turn in the conversation. She had never considered the possibility. The Eunuch looked at Persephone and she felt herself becoming weak with unease.

"The God-King admires you. You fought side-by-side with him during the Great Swarm, protecting our nations from the Eaters. You know that he is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his nation and his subjects. He acts for the greater good, rather than his own personal interests, much like you do.

"This marriage would seal our two nations together like never before. You would not merely be a commander of armies, but also the Goddess-Queen."

"What if someone stronger than Benvolio comes along and kills him?"

The Eunuch smiled his secret-knowing smile. "I can guarantee that won't happen any time soon.

"God-King Benvolio intends to be the first God-King to create a lasting dynasty. Both you and he have the traits necessary to ensure that happens. After all, an alliance of marriage is an alliance of blood, stronger than the water of treaties and promises.

"The current system is failing, and before it fails utterly we merely replace it with something stronger. This is the road that can take us there. It is the road to our continued existence."

"What about Freya?"

"She will remain Queen of Sanction, in name only of course. In truth she will be bound to the Holy Luisenbarn Empire as a vassal," the Eunuch said.

"She won't like it," Orion said.

"Then again, it would ensure that Sanction stands," Persephone said. "Freya should learn to swallow her pride so that she can see that we can't afford to make Luisenbarn an enemy. Otherwise we would be ensnared on all sides and with the Sons marauding our territories now…"

"I understand that, Persephone. Yet Freya will try to undermine the marriage itself. She has the support of the priestesses."

"But not Apacci," Persephone said in thought. "If Apacci were to bless the marriage along with whatever the Luisenbarnians have for a priest then it would seal the marriage in both religions. It would ensure the support of the body politic."

"Except for those who are turning to the Sons for guidance," Orion said. "They would create problems for both of our nations."

"They are a minority," the Eunuch said. "The God-King has it in mind to remove them from his lands by any means necessary, even if he has to execute every last one. He would rather exile them though so as not to create martyrs. But when your house is infested with sand fleas you don't merely exile the fleas. You exterminate them."

Persephone smiled at that. If the God-King was to take a stand against the Sons and send the heads of every Arrancar who followed the Sons' example in his territory back to Delgado then it would shift power back in the Triples' favor. The Holy Luisenbarn Empire would be a buffer between the Triples and the Sons. That would leave only the Panterans to worry about, but they're fixated on Grimmjow returning to them and wouldn't stir beyond their borders until then.

Freya may not know how to play the Game, but Persephone did.

A marriage would give us the advantage. However…

She frowned. There was always that however lurking behind every promise.

Orion set down his glass drawing their attention. The old Triple put his hands in his lap and took a breath.

"You oversimplify things, old friend. This proposal, if carried out, would change a great deal. And there are many who despise the Sons in both of our nations who will recoil at this change.

"An alliance is one thing, but this… This will blur the line between our two peoples. Many Triples will never accept a man having authority over their Queen. Many will see Persephone as a traitor for her role.

"And how do we know that Apacci will endorse the marriage? What's to keep her from denouncing Persephone for even suggesting it? You know the histories, Persephone. You know that she was present when Baraggan practically ordered Harribel to marry him. Who's to say that she won't see this in the exact same light?

"As for the Luisenbarnians… How many of the God-King's loyalists will see this as a surrender, dooming their religion and way of life to being supplanted by the Van Harr regime?

"This will turn allies into enemies. Children will turn against their parents and sisters will turn against their brothers. Families will be torn apart. It could even lead to war. Freya, for one, may be so foolish she would think she could fight such a war and still hold the Sons at bay. But such a war would destroy us all," Orion declared.

The Eunuch was un-phased and refilled his glass.

"You speak truth, but if we maintain the status-quo then we will see both of our nations fall in time. And who then could stand against Delgado's insanity or his sons' barbarism and cunning? If Delgado expands his territory to all of Hueco Mundo then it would be a fate for the Arrancar worse than the return of the False Sun.

"Tia Harribel was known as the Espada of Sacrifice. The God-King and I are prepared to make sacrifices, bitter sacrifices, for the sake of the future. I ask, are you, and those who would follow you, prepared to also sacrifice the past for the future?"

Persephone considered the Eunuch's words darkly. There was no question that if she agreed then it would lead to blood. The blood would flow in the houses of friend and foe alike. Even into the sacred grounds of Sanction, maybe even the Temple itself. The thought of the sacred grounds being defiled by the spilling of blood sent a chill down her spine.

But the alternative was worse. Blood defiling sacred ground was the lesser evil when compared to the Sons laying claim to the Triples' sacred sites and befouling them with their monstrous deeds. The same victims, not killed for a greater good, but rather broken and raped for the sick unrepentant pleasure of barbarous infidels.

It was either the blade stained with blood or the iron chains of slavery.

She looked to where Isra and the Hollow leopard were curled together, tired from their play.

No. There is no real choice here.

She gave her father a nod. The Eunuch did not smile and Persephone was grateful for that gesture of courtesy. She thought that he understood what she was going through. It was a difficult choice with no real right answers as both would lead to harsh sacrifices, but sacrifice was a part of life. Sacrifice was one of the things that separated living from merely existing. Sacrifice separated the righteous and evil from the mediocre.

"My experience has taught me that when you try to exterminate the minority in your nation they have a tendency to rally others to their cause," Orion said. "Those who follow the Sons in your nation may not seem to be major a threat, but martyrdom makes for an excellent recruiting tool. Especially if you promise them luxury, power, prestige, and acceptance. If God-King Benvolio wants to eradicate the Sons' scourge from his territory then he best do it quietly. It would be best that there be no martyrs for the Sons to hold up as a rallying point."

The Eunuch chuckled at that.

"The God-King isn't a fool. When he begins the cleansing of his territories it will be swift and quiet. No one will know for certain and no one will suspect even when the sacred crown is placed on Persephone's head. If he so wills it then his wedding gift to you will be the heads of all of the Sons he finds in his domain."

"It sounds tempting," Persephone said with a fierce smile. "You may send word to the God-King that I will consider his offer as long as certain conditions are met. He needs to ensure that Freya will remain Queen in her own right. In order for Sanction to endure she must remain on the throne and be allowed to rule as a free woman and not a vassal." The Eunuch frowned slightly at that.

"However, whoever ascends to the Shark Throne after Freya will be bound to Luisenbarn by another marriage. The marriage of the male heir-apparent to the Throne of Skulls with the female heir-apparent of the Shark Throne. Once they marry and ascend to the thrones then they are to rule over both together and yet independently. The new God-King will mostly rule over the Holy Luienbarn Empire while the Goddess-Queen will mostly rule over Sanction. This way, neither nation will see themselves ruled over by a foreigner, but rather by their own monarch who merely happen to be married to each other.

"I will personally assure Freya's compliance with this plan, and whatever else is required to ensure its success," Persephone said. The words made her feel heavy and light at the same time.

Did I know that it would come to something like this?

The Eunuch smiled and raised his goblet. Orion, however, did not smile as he raised his own goblet. He understood that these plans for heirs and married realms in the next generation were so distant as to be little more than vague assurance. In the time until then their plans could very well collapse into ruin in a mere instant with a single glance or a single decision.

"I think that the God-King would be willing to accept your terms if you are willing to accept his official marriage proposal."

"I will collect Isra. It's time that we departed," Persephone declared as she stood. "Father, you can remain here if you want and talk about old times growing up, but Isra's tired."

"Of course, my dear."

Persephone turned to the Eunuch and bowed. "I thank you for your invitation and I trust that you will have good news when next we meet."

"I'm certain that I will," the Eunuch said.

Persephone left her father and the Eunuch to any final remarks or pleasantries they might have. The only company she wanted right now was her innocent. She picked up Isra and stroked the leopard's back. It let out a loud purr in return. She looked down at the sister that the sands gave her and smiled.

I could be declared a traitor for you and all of the others like you. No…I will be declared a traitor regardless of who still stands when the final blade is sheathed and I don't care. As long as you and all of the other innocent in the world are kept safe from the Sons' chains I will be willing to endure even the fires, darkness, and ice of Hell itself. This I swear upon my life and my blade.

Benvolio

God-King Benvolio had many regrets in his long life. When he first ascended the Throne of Skulls at his coronation he intended to never forget the mistakes of his predecessors lest he be doomed to make the same ones. Now it seemed that he reached the point that it appeared that he was destined to be reminded of each of his own mistakes and regrets.

He sat on an ornate marble seat. Twin golden skulls looked out from beneath his hands as he gripped the armrests. The mosaic of the God-Emperor sitting on his throne in his un-released form looked down upon him. Benvolio felt as though those ancient eyes glared down upon him, piercing into his very essence, through the distance of time. This seat was not the Throne of Skulls, which sat empty for the time being in the central chamber. He would only sit on it during a time of crisis in order to rally the Empire so that they could weather the storm together.

Unlike his predecessors, Benvolio did not flaunt the symbols of his power at every opportunity. He understood that doing so only cheapened power in the eyes of the populace. To maintain his sovereignty he only sat on the Throne of Skulls sparingly; in times when the Empire truly needed to be united. Sovereignty was what maintained order in a society and what held it together when the howling sands came to devour it.

But now he merely looked on as the Council of Empire neared the end of its meeting. He regretted ever reinstating it upon his ascension.

The representatives on the Council were of the great trading houses and the elite Cavalieri clans that filled the Guardia Reale's ranks. It was a body politic that was meant to bring the petitions of the Luisenbarnians directly to the God-King and the Spada. They were meant to be a proxy by which the mundane could appeal to the divine. Instead they became the means in which they could wage their vendettas and feed their own ambitions without repercussion. Instead of helping to drive the Empire forward they hindered it with the mud of their selfishness.

The Borghese were excluded of course. It was not their place to have a voice in such discussions. Benvolio was thankful for that at least. If more voices were added to this recurring chaos then he would likely give in to his impulses and enter his Resurrección to slaughter every last one.

The representatives tempted him sorely enough as it was. Their constant bickering was proof that they were ungrateful for his mercy. He supposed that they wanted him to shred hierro, as his predecessors had done, just to get some of their rivals out of the way.

Whatever the Council of Empire was originally meant to be, it had become a melee of faction politics. Even as the representatives left the God-King could discern the factions that were forming in these very chambers. Factions that, if not handled properly, could lead to civil war. That included those representatives he knew from his informants harbored Van Harr sympathies. He kept a careful eye on them, knowing that they would congregate together despite sitting on opposite sides of the hall.

Every session that Benvolio attended were reminders that the Holy Luisenbarn Empire was divided. Despite the division the Council still served him as a microcosm from which he could discern the direction the Empire was heading. There were times that he feared these sessions would move from passive aggression to drawn steel. If that happened then it meant that the Empire was on the verge of drowning in its own blood. He knew that the representatives, and therefore the Empire, hesitated on taking that final step only because of his sovereign presence.

I am the iron hands that keep the beasts of chaos at bay. Yet these serpents would try to usurp my authority.

A mistake indeed to allow them to reconvene, he thought as the great iron doors closed with a clap behind the last departing representatives.

I intended for it to be a move to restore a voice to the oppressed subjects of the Empire. Instead it has become a tool for those who wish to bring it down so that the Court's dignity could be defamed.

He let out a sigh as he stood from his seat and looked at the ceiling above with its depiction of the God-Emperor's battle against the Reaper devils during the Winter War. No artist in Luisenbarn dared to depict how it ended, with the God-Emperor brought down by a cheap trick that turned his own power against him. Benvolio thought that it was a shame about that. It was a good reminder that even gods could die by their very power when faced with cunning tricksters and charlatans.

It was a lesson that the nobility did not want to learn, that they refused to learn. Instead of facing the hard lessons they maintained their masks of power through their arguments, loving the sound of their voices.

And for all of their sound and fury, what have they achieved? Nothing. How often do they even dare to truly ask something of me rather than try to undermine their rivals in my sight? It's getting to the point that I can't help but disdain even those who profess loyalty to me. Perhaps it's time that I crush them beneath my heel, to remind them of who has the true power.

As usual he left behind the near rabble of the Imperial Council for the order of the Council of the Spada. The Council of the Spada, known simply as "The Court", was the successor to the Court of Fracción established by Poww himself in the days of the Great Schism. Unlike the Imperial Council, Benvolio knew that the Spada worked for the Empire, putting aside their own selfish desires in favor of the greater good.

The God-King stood before the mosaic depicting Baraggan on his throne of bones. The two elite guards, clad in breastplates of iron and gold, snapped to attention and approached the mosaic. They released a thin trickle of Reiatsu and Benvolio heard the soft clicking noise of the locking mechanisms being withdrawn. The two guards pushed on either side of the mosaic that hid the door behind it.

A single long corridor led to the chamber where The Court convened. It was unadorned and unobstructed. There was likely some symbolic purpose to the corridor's design, but Benvolio did not bother to inquire. The city of Luisenbarn practically drowned itself investing symbolism and meaning in every design and work of art.

Yet a corridor can still just be a corridor, he thought as he took a step forward.

The two elite guards stepped to either side of him, releasing enough Reiatsu to form twin orbs of light. As they walked down the corridor Benvolio took in a deep breath. The scent of the night air mixed with the burning tallow of candles greeted him. Unlike the rest of the atmosphere it was refreshing.

The chamber beyond the corridor lacked a ceiling or roof. It was to hearken back to the age of the first Las Noches where the ceiling was the sky, claiming all under the Night as the God-King's domain. As for security, a God-King who feared a simple attack from above would never be worthy of the Skull Throne.

Benvolio knew how the chamber was arranged and could picture it in his mind. The Court's table was established in the center of the chamber. To his left were the twin golden doors that would be opened if an assembly was called to convene here. To his right, gleaming in the moonlight was the Throne of Skulls. It was made of a single large block of marble. Skulls were carved into it and overlaid with silver. The skull that was placed to be directly above the sitting God-King's head was wreathed with a golden laurel with emeralds embedded into each leaf.

Benvolio took his place at the head of the table, which was set directly in front of the Throne of Skulls, without glancing up as his Chancellor announced him to the assembled Spada.

"Greetings, my devout councilors, my Spade Imperiali. Once more we gather to guide the course of the Empire through the ever troubled sands and waters and winds of the worlds.

"I bring the first order of business to the table. The introduction of the new Prima Spada, Lord Edwyn of the Tuma clan, Master of the Wind Song Fortress, into the Court."

The other members of the Court looked at each other. His intentions had not been secret from them, yet they would still voice their opinions at this late stage. Their very candor towards him was what made him appoint them to the Court to replace his predecessor's group of lickspittles who had hoped to retain their positions through flattery. Instead, the flatterers only met with the executioner's blade, a fitting end to worthless parasites that had nearly destroyed the Empire with their falsehoods.

"Is your holiness certain?" a thick-set Arrancar with curly dark maroon hair asked. His dark orange eyes looked at the other members while he fingered the right whiskers of his English-styled moustache. He wore a long white coat trimmed with silver fur bordered by gold embroidery. The left breast of his coat was covered with ornate medals and cords of rank hung on his shoulders. "After all, while nothing truly ill can be said against Lord Tuma, the elevation of a Borderlander to the Court will be seen by certain parties as a slight."

A thin, dark-skinned woman with platinum white hair looked at him with vibrant and calculating silvery eyes flecked with gold near the pupils. She wore the long silver and black robes of the Trading Guilds and the gold and silver and iron rings of her office. The woman looked to her neighbor who was stroking his red and grey chin beard. He returned her gaze with midnight blue eyes.

"His holiness is well aware of the risks," a fat Arrancar clad in neatly tailored Hollow hides dyed a dark green said. "You vex this body by stating the obvious, Lord Scorza."

"It should also be noted that the elevation, if provincial, will be well received in the Borderlands. The Empire is more than merely the capital," the Arrancar with the red and grey chin beard said. His dark purple coat was fastened by silver buttons and a Hollow-hide belt with gold studs.

And so it went, as though practically rehearsed. The God-King knew the Arrancars sitting around the table beneath the open sky on an intimate level, and most of all he knew how they chose to be seen in court. They ended up agreeing that Edwyn Tuma was a good choice with all of the expected hearty endorsements and reserved but sincere approval.

Even though they're honest with me, they still like their little games. They needed to have someone disapprove to begin with to show that they won't merely accept my appointments without justification. Who better to voice any reserve they may have with Edwyn than the Spada di Guerra, Benvolio thought and glanced at Lord Scorza.

Benvolio approved of the method. While his predecessors surrounded themselves with only advisors who would agree with all of their demands without hesitation, Benvolio surrounded himself with the most experienced and wisest Arrancars in their field. He did not want advisors who said nothing but "yes". He wanted Arrancars who were not afraid to tell him "no" and then be able to make their case to him.

As the Court session continued some other matters of little consequence came up, as they were wont to do. Benvolio knew the routine well: begin with inconsequential matters and end with the more serious matters.

Benvolio nodded to a secretary who placed the stone tablet he had been reading during his journey before him. The other councilors looked at it, but not the dark-skinned woman. It was as though she knew what was on it.

"Octavia is requesting that we increase the quantity of Arrancars supplied," Benvolio said. "Rather, to be more accurate, they want a higher portion of strong and healthy Arrancars in the shipments. They claim that too many of the ones we send them are weak, and therefore limited in use."

The other councilors began to mutter among themselves. Benvolio could feel their unease. He looked to the dark-skinned woman and wasn't surprised to see that she was unfazed. She was the Spada d'Oro, responsible for trade, and the Spada Sussurrando, responsible for gathering intelligence. No one knew her true name and she never divulged it to anyone, but there was a reason why she was called "Lady Fortuna".

She was one of the most successful merchants in the Guilds and operated the largest spy ring that the Holy Luisenbarn Empire ever had. He wasn't certain, but Benvolio wouldn't have been surprised if he found out that she had spies in Pantera, Sanction, and Tesla.

"We could offer an increase in other trade," the fat Arrancar said. "Luisenbarn has many commodities of value and our incomes and production levels have stabilized these last fiscal years."

"That would not do," Lady Fortuna said. The others looked at her, waiting to hear what she had to say. She looked at Benvolio who nodded for her to continue. He knew that Lady Fortuna would only speak when anything of value had to be said. Her words were seen as just as valuable as the God-King's. "There is nothing that the Octavians want more than bodies. They will not deviate from that line of payment."

"They have stated that they would accept Eaters as payment. Unhealthy ones would have the value of three Arrancars while healthy ones would have the value of five," Benvolio said.

The other councilors looked at each other and Lord Scorza swallowed, trying to conceal the reaction. Benvolio stared at the tablet and suppressed a sigh of disgust.

"They said that an Over-Mind would equate to about ten Arrancars, regardless of the condition. The All-Mind, Takhomasak…" Benvolio had to pause and scowled at the numbers the Octavians gave.

He remembered the Great Swarm as did all those who survived it. The Great Swarm had nearly eradicated the Arrancars and all suspected that the entity known as Takhomasak started it in order to gratify his never-ending hunger. There were times when he still heard the gnashing of fangs and the infernal chattering that the Eater hordes made as the mountains vomited up the abominations that were kept hidden from the light of the moon.

He returned his attention to his councilors and said, "Takhomasak would be worth about fifty Arrancars if brought in dead, a hundred if alive."

"Damn them," Lord Scorza said and the fat Arrancar nodded in agreement.

"Are they trying to insult us?" the fat Arrancar asked. "Their price for the All-Mind is preposterous. It's far too low. By Heaven's Devil, it would be an insult even if it was five times the price."

"We know that, Lord Onassis," the grey and red bearded Arrancar said. "I suppose that his majesty wants to make us aware of what the Octavians have to say. Besides, your responsibility lies in production and not inter-tribal negotiations."

Lord Onassis, the Spada di Produzione, sighed and nodded. "I suppose you're right. Still…a mere fifty Arrancars for a dead Takhomasak? Didn't they suffer at all during the Great Swarm?"

"The Octavians were spared from that horror by caring so little for what they did lose. Although, I must admit that they didn't lose that much," Benvolio said.

"I would wager that those abominations were too afraid of the Octavians. Or they recognized them as Eaters of a different sort," the red and grey bearded Arrancar said as he stroked his chin beard.

"You shouldn't jest about such matters, Lord Settlor," Lady Fortuna said.

"I wasn't jesting," Lord Settlor, the Spada di Legge, said sternly. "The Octavians frighten us all because they have us under their thumb. However, I could establish a clause in the latest set of laws going before the Council of Empire that would further limit the amount of import from Octavia while increasing our export value."

"Do it," Benvolio said. "The Octavians need to know that we will not lay down for them any longer. The only way that we can convey that is through their financial reports. As for hunting Eaters…we'll only do that if we must."

"What about the matter of repaying the Octavians what the Holy Empire owes them?" Lady Fortuna asked.

"We'll find a way," Lord Settlor said. "We could change the barter rates on certain goods or increase our production of steel and give the Octavians a discount in exchange for lowering their interest rates. They need our steel in order to produce night steel. There are any number of ways that we can beat the Octavians at their own game."

"Good," Benvolio said. "Lord Settlor, Lady Fortuna, I will leave the matter to you two. Find a way that we can use the Octavians' strangle hold on us against them. That concludes the official business at hand, but there is one other thing that needs to be discussed."

The others looked at each other and then at Benvolio.

"Are you certain that now is the time to bring it up, your majesty?" Lord Settlor asked.

"Yes. Now is the time to discuss it," Benvolio said. He looked at the assistants and clerks in the room. "All of those not sitting at this table are to leave. This is a matter for closed doors."

The assistants and clerks bowed before taking their leave. The members of The Court continued to sit. Lord Onassis tapped the table nervously while Lady Fortuna sat still. When the last clerk exited the room and closed the door Benvolio rose. He released his spiritual energy to form a dome covering the table that would hinder any unwanted ears from listening in. He looked at each member of his Spade Imperiali before sitting down again.

"Did you discuss this issue with your Prima Spada?" Lady Fortuna asked.

Benvolio nodded. "He gave me his counsel on the way here. I am now asking you for your advice. As you know we have a conflicting alliance. We have an alliance with the Triples in Sanction and an alliance with the Sons in Tesla. The number of raids that the Sons have committed against the Triples has increased and I believe that war is imminent.

"When war does break out between those two tribes, we will have to make a decision. We can chose to side with the Sons or with the Triples. Or we can chose to remain neutral. All three options have consequences to them that will rely on the outcome. These consequences could very well spell the end of the Empire.

"I need your counsel on which path the Holy Luisenbarn Empire shall travel to avoid that destruction."

Tatsuki

The last blur of Pantera had long since fallen out of view. They were halfway through an area that the map called "The Howling Plain" when the storm hit. The storm rose with very little warning, giving them only a few minutes to realize that there was little they could do to prepare. The wind sounded like the screams of the tortured souls deep beneath Octavia. The sand it brought with it was harsh against the exposed hierro skin, cutting like blades and blotting out the ever-present crescent moon above. Tatsuki felt as though they were trapped in a wind chamber filled with diamond dust and was glad for the safety goggles they found in Nemu's pack.

She looked at the rope tied about her waist and was glad to see that it was taut. The rope, like their goggles, was one of their hasty preparations. She looked back to where Hanataro had a portion of the rope wound around his own narrow waist. She could tell that he was struggling to move forward and could understand it. It was bad enough that, even before the storm hit, the sand in this basin was loose and seemed to try to pull them under if they stopped. The storm only made the conditions worse. She could see two outlines behind Hanataro and saw that even Nemu was having difficulty.

We need to find shelter and ride out the storm, she thought.

She looked around her, a futile gesture. Tatsuki couldn't see anything more than five yards around her. It was as though some great leviathan had woken up and was now devouring the world with white sand. There was no way to know which way they were going or if they were still on the same path that Rukia and her party took.

She wondered if bringing actual compasses would make a difference for them, but doubted it. She heard that sand storms like this could form their own electromagnetic charge, rendering compasses useless. They had relied on Nemu in the past to know what direction they were going and she knew that they would have to rely on her again.

I wonder if Arrancar children learn to burrow in order to survive things like this, she thought.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back to the present. She turned to see Ikkaku standing before her.

"WHERE ARE WE?" he shouted in order to be heard. Tatsuki ignored the question to shoot one of her own over the wind.

"NEMU! CAN YOU TELL US WHAT DIRECTION WE NEED TO GO TO FIND ANYTHING THAT CAN SHELTER US?" Tatsuki shouted.

Nemu looked around and Tatsuki wondered if she was using some kind of built-in sonar to help her. Whatever it was, it was failing. She could make out Nemu's eyes behind the thick lenses and had to suppress a moan. Nemu's eyes were narrow and her brow furrowed in confusion. Tatsuki was at a loss and was trying not to show it.

If Nemu, their unofficial navigator, couldn't lead them out of this storm then they might as well lie down and let the sand bury them quickly. Such a notion did not sit well with Tatsuki. The last thing she wanted was to be buried deep enough that they would die in a strange land.

She was never one to quit during a fight and this was a fight for survival. This storm was one of Hueco Mundo's ways of ensuring the survival of the fittest and she would make sure that they would adapt well enough to the situation to survive. That was what evolution was partially about: adapt or die. The Arrancars lived in a world with this weather and they had not been broken by it. They thrived in it.

Survival of the fittest, Tatsuki thought and something inside her roared with defiance. It was the primordial cry of all species that faced extinction and were able to adapt to the changing environment to survive. Tatsuki suddenly remembered something that Akon told them during their initial training.

"OPEN YOUR PESQUISA!" Tatsuki ordered.

"WHAT?" Hanataro shouted.

"DON'T YOU REMEMBER WHAT AKON TOLD US ABOUT THESE GIGAI DURING THE ORIENTATION? HE SAID THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY FOR A MODIFIED PESQUISA! USE IT! IF WE CAN PINPOINT ANOTHER ARRANCAR THEN WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE!"

Tatsuki tried to focus on using her Pesquisa. It proved to be difficult with the whirling sand and howling wind, but bit-by-bit she began to see nothing but black. She could feel a pulse of Reishi radiate from her, as though her body was sending out a sonar signal. Three blue flames immediately showed themselves and she ignored them since she recognized the energy. She was looking for one that felt unfamiliar, someone who knew how to come through this.

"I SENSE SOMEONE!" Hanataro shouted.

Tatsuki and Ikkaku turned to face him, their faces with matching expressions of surprise. Nemu looked at Hanataro with interest, calm despite the situation. Hanataro pointed ahead and to the left as the wind whipped around him.

"HE'S COMING OUR WAY! I THINK HE KNOWS THAT WE'RE HERE! IF WE GO THAT WAY THEN WE CAN MEET UP WITH HIM QUICKLY!"

Tatsuki wondered how Hanataro became more adept at using Pesquisa than even Nemu, but she knew that now was not the time. If Hanataro did feel another Arrancar nearby then they would go towards them.

If nothing else it gives me an enemy that I can conquer better than this damn storm. The dragon inside her roared its approval.

"HANATARO! STAY CLOSE TO ME!" Tatsuki bellowed. "I NEED YOU TO DIRECT US!"

The storm became more ferocious. It was as though the sands wanted to claim them, to feast on their flesh. Tatsuki would not give this world the satisfaction and Hanataro was their best hope to deny the sands their desire.

I guess Ichigo did know what he was doing when he suggested Hanataro, she thought.

She tugged at the rope, making sure that it kept tight before they started again. The last thing they wanted was for anyone to get separated. To be lost now meant death. Hanataro kept his focus on whatever Reiatsu he felt and would direct her if they got off course. They took things one agonizing step at a time as they made their way to potential rescue.

"HE'S GETTING CLOSER!" Hanataro shouted. "I THINK HE CAN FEEL MY PESQUISA!"

Nemu gave a start at that, but Tatsuki ignored it. She wondered if the researchers in Squad 12 knew that Arrancars could use Pesquisa to find each other. That made her nervous. Akon had told them that the Pesquisa that their Gigais were equipped with would not purely be Arrancar. She tried to look at Ikkaku, but the blowing sand made it difficult to see anything.

"GET YOUR WEAPON READY! IF THIS ARRANCAR CAN FEEL HANATARO'S PESQUISA THEN HE MIGHT KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY ARRANCARS!"

Ikkaku nodded and gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. Tatsuki did the same thing. She knew that speaking those words aloud was a risk that she felt she had to take. She hoped that the wind was strong enough that their fellow traveler would not have heard.

"EURYDICE, I CAN SEE HIM!" Hanataro shouted.

Tatsuki looked into the sand and she could make out the outline of a figure moving towards them. A Hollow hide cloak flapped in the wind and she saw that the figure was carrying a staff and a bundle was slung over his back. As far as she could tell there was no sign of hostility from the stranger. Yet she would not let her guard down in case it was a trap.

"HAIL FELLOW TRAVELERS!" the stranger called.

"ARE YOU FRIEND OR FOE?" Tatsuki shouted back.

"WHAT DOES IT MATTER? THE WIND IS FOE TO US BOTH!" he shouted in return.

"WILL YOU LEADE US TO SAFETY?"

The stranger paused for a moment and then turned.

"FOLLOW ME! THE TROOP I'M WITH FOUND A CAVE TO WAIT OUT THE STORM! YOU CAN WAIT WITH US!"

Tatsuki looked at the others. Nemu had her head tilted as though in thought. Ikkaku looked at her and she could barely see him make the slightest shrug. Hanataro only nodded.

Well, we don't really have a choice. It's either risk death or know death.

"ALIRGHT, LEAD ON!" Tatsuki shouted. "KEEP YOUR PESQUISA OPEN!" she shouted at Hanataro.

The Arrancar made sure to slow his pace to where Tatsuki and her party could keep up with him in the storm. As they continued, the storm began to lessen and Tatsuki could get a better look at him. She saw the Arrancar was allowing his staff to sway back and forth in front of him as he walked. It reminded her of how blind people would use their canes to find potential obstacles as they moved from one place to another.

Great, talk about the blind leading the blind, she thought.

Yet the Arrancar seemed to know where he was going. He would pause for a brief moment before leading them slightly left or right. Tatsuki looked ahead, trying to find any sign of shelter. All that she could see was the swirling sand, but after a while she thought she could make out the outline of cliffs.

She could feel the storm intensify, as if angered at their possible escape. She looked down at her hierro skin and saw that it looked raw and she was bleeding in places. It reminded her of the first time she skinned her knee while learning to ride a bike. She remembered that there were bits of concrete and sand embedded in the skin, glittering like diamonds in the sunlight. Her exposed hierro looked like that.

"I was making my way here when I felt your Reiatsu," the Arrancar said as he felt along the cliff face.

"Wait a minute…YOU'RE FREAKIN' BLIND!" Ikkaku shouted. Tatsuki winced and suppressed a moan.

"Exacta," the Arrancar said and turned slightly.

Tatsuki saw that he had a strip of Hollow hide covering his eyes. Strands of blonde hair hung over it. His narrow, oval face was vaguely familiar, but again Tatsuki couldn't quite place it.

"That was rude," Hanataro said. "It's impolite to point out a person's handicap."

"Oh…right," Ikkaku said dryly.

"I don't mind," the Arrancar said. "Besides, in a howler like this we're all blind together. At least I am accustomed to not having sight."

Tatsuki nodded in agreement as he led them along the cliff. The jutting stones behind them offered some protection. Ahead, Tatsuki thought that she could make out the light of a fire, but wasn't certain.

"The others are up ahead," he confirmed.

"Did…uh…did they leave you to die in the storm?" Hanataro asked warily.

"I was slowing them down," the Arrancar said. "I decided that I would allow the storm to determine if it was my time or not. We all die in the end after all. From the Void we came and to the Void we shall return."

Tatsuki's brow furrowed at that. She was a struggler by nature and could never understand why anyone would just end it all when things got tough. She was taught that hardships were fate's way of making you stronger and become more adept at living. When she was alive she never thought about death, and even after death she never thought of the possibility of a second death. She preferred to focus on the struggles of the now, the problems at hand, rather than think about what happened after it was over. The only death that she ever thought about was her own physical death and even then she was thinking of it less and less.

Does he really think so little of himself?

"It must be strange for you to hear that, you are clearly not of the Voiders," he said. Tatsuki felt as if it was as though he had read her thoughts. "Yet it's the truth. In the end, nothing really matters. The Cosmos was here an eternity before us and it will be here an eternity after we return to the dust."

"I can't argue with that," Tatsuki said.

"Exacta. Arguments are futile in the face of the Void. Everything is futile, including our struggle to evade that ever-lasting Nothingness for a little longer. Why fight death when it will only claim you in the end?"

"Have you seen death?" Tatsuki asked, more to herself.

The Arrancar turned and looked at her, although she supposed "looked" wasn't the right word. There was no expression on his face and she wondered what his eyes would say. He didn't say anything at first but then nodded.

"Death was the last thing I saw before my eyes were taken from me. He made sure of that."

"Who made sure that death was the last thing you saw?" Nemu asked.

"It doesn't matter anymore. He has vanished into the Void, and even if he has not it would still be the same. That was in another person's life. That person is now dead and now only nobody remains."

He turned and led them onward. Tatsuki could now hear something that nearly made her stop. She hadn't expected it, but she now heard music. It was the sound of drums and tambourines and the clapping of hands.

"Ah, the Bright Eyes are at it again," their guide remarked. His tone was neutral, as if he observed and noted the music with no real interest.

"Who are the Bright Eyes?" Tatsuki asked. She could tell from his tone of voice that he was not one of these "Bright Eyes."

"They're fellow wanderers that my own group met up with. They're a rowdy bunch, but we all have our own ways of dealing with the face of the Void. They just happen to celebrate it as opposed to reflect on it.

"I find them to be rather strange, but our way and their way are equally meaningless. As a result there is no reason to dwell overly long on comparisons. Such comparisons only bring about unnecessary suffering and grief."

He's certainly not shy about offering his opion, she thought as they neared the cave's entrance.

When Tatsuki entered the cave she was surprised at the sight that greeted her.

There were two distinct groups of Arrancars, yet they mingled together. One group was clad in grey robes with belts of rope tied around their wastes. The only color that they had were streaks of teal paint under their eyes that ran down their cheeks like tears. Some of them sat in a circle muttering over stone beads like Buddhist monks in prayer.

The other group, however, was clad in brightly colored clothes. The swirling of skirts and jackets created a kaleidoscope of bright colors in the firelight. Some were beating on drums as they danced while others played tambourines. Like the other group, these also had the teal markings under their eyes.

"So different and yet the same tribe?" Tatsuki muttered.

"Exacta," the Arrancar said. "We may have different ways of reacting to the truth that this life is all that there is, but we are all Voiders."

Tatsuki felt the prickle of recognition at the term "Voiders", but she couldn't quite place it. She found that troubling. Her training usually made it easier to keep data straight and Sui-Feng hammered it into her head that stress was no excuse for forgetfulness.

She looked at their rescuer and saw that he too had the teal markings. Seeing those markings made her think of what Ichigo told her about Orihime long ago. Even though she didn't know about the Arrancars back then, she knew those markings. She remembered the day the two Arrancars came to Karakura Town in a streak of light falling from heaven. One of them devoured the souls of some of her fellow trainees at the dojo while the other only observed. The one who observed had those markings. That was when the name that Ichigo mentioned after she entered the Gotei came to her.

"Ulquiorra," she said.

"Ah, so you know of Ulquiorra Schiffer," the blind Arrancar said.

"I've heard stories," Tatsuki said, careful not to reveal that she actually saw the Fourth Espada. Especially considering the circumstances: when Yammy had so casually murdered so many people, some she would have called friends. "Why? Did you hear of him through stories too?"

"No, my former self somewhat knew him. He didn't serve under him though. He served another."

Tatsuki thought about it. She tried to think back to the files that she read about the surviving Arrancars from the Winter War. She looked at the Arrancar and tried to imagine his hair longer. Doing so made her feel that she was on the right track.

"So you served one of Aizen's other Espada?" she asked.

"Exacta. My former self failed him and was humiliated by being shown mercy twice."

That was the name came to her as though from the depths of some dark sea. "Findor Carias," she whispered.

"Exacta and no es exacto. Findor Carias is long dead and now nobody remains in his stead."

"Surely you don't all call yourselves 'Nobody'," Tatsuki said. "That would get confusing rather fast."

"What's the point of names? Names are such fragile things, easy to change, inaccurate in many regards, and will always be forgotten. No matter how beloved or notorious a name is, it will always vanish. The stone on which it is engraved will fade, devoured by the sands of time.

"Only nothingness will remain."

Tatsuki could hear the pain in his voice now. She knew that this was a good opportunity to gather intelligence on what happened in Hueco Mundo over the past two centuries. Yet, she wasn't sure if he would be able to share any information with her. Regardless of if she found out something useful or not she still had to try. Some information was better than none.

"What happened to Findor? How did Findor die?"

She looked around and saw that some of the Voiders were looking at them while others continued in their meditations or celebrations. The Arrancar who was once Findor Carias reached behind his head and untied the Hollow hide. Tatsuki had to suppress a gasp of revulsion when he removed it to reveal the empty sockets where his eyes had been. She saw that his eye lids had also been cut away. A twisted mass of bone grew around where the right eye had been.

"This is how Findor Carias died: blind and afraid. The last thing he saw was his own children who did not bend the knee to Poww being slaughtered in front of him. Poww…I thought that we could rule together, but I failed to see how deep his ambitions went."

Tatsuki then noticed that Ikkaku was listening. She remembered the accounts of the Winter War. Poww had defeated Ikkaku in combat and wondered what he was thinking.

"What happened after that?" Ikkaku asked.

"Poww sent me into exile, for the wastelands to kill me. I was to be made an example to others of the price of defiance. The Voiders found me there, and took me in without question. They may not care about themselves, but they're like Ulquiorra in another regard. They're always ready to serve."

"Did Poww do this to you in Las Noches?" Tatsuki asked.

Findor shook his head as he rubbed his left temple.

"I don't like to talk about it with others, but I suppose I will tell you, but you alone."

"Why?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"I suppose not." She looked at the other members of her team. "I'm going to talk with him alone. The rest of you can rest up for a bit."

"Are you sure?" Ikkaku asked.

Tatsuki only nodded. She looked back at Findor and said, "Alright, let's talk somewhere private."

Hanataro

Hanataro watched as Tatsuki went to talk with Findor in private and wondered what he should do. He knew that he should ask the Arrancars if they knew about Rukia and her team, but something else was bothering him. He looked around the cave, trying to find Nemu. He didn't know why, but he felt that there was something wrong with her.

She's usually the most adept at using any new equipment or ability, he thought. So why is it that I performed Pesquisa better than she did? Was she just being nice?

He supposed that was always a possibility, but if that was the case then it would have been in less dire circumstances. They had been in a life or death situation and even in training Nemu always made sure that nothing bad happened. She was the best trained using the Gigais and so she should have been the one to feel Findor's Reiatsu first.

Hanataro tapped his fingers together, as he sometimes did when he was nervous or trying to concentrate. But he found concentration hard to come by as the Bright-Eyes began another tune. This one was wild, like the storm raging outside. He supposed that they modeled their songs after such storms. The Grey-Robes paid them no heed as they continued their meditations, but the Voiders clad in brightly dyed hides and brilliant medallions began to dance with wild abandon.

A thin Arrancar clad in a long coat dyed many bright colors stood in the middle with a drum and a young Arrancar female bearing her mid-riff beat on a tambourine as she danced around him. Once the beat slowed somewhat they began to sing.

The fires of today

Become the shadows of tomorrow

Burning passions give way

To the ashes of their desolation.

Fair young lads and fair young maidens

Life is short so let your fires blossom

Life is short so let your fires burn

Let them become a pyre

Upon which to heap your prayers

While you leap the dance of the living.

Life is short so let your fires burn

Fuel them with your dreams and passions

Let the cold winds of time blaze them up

Before the cold winds' bite burns them out.

The younger Bright Eyes danced with abandon. Some of them leaped over the fires. Young males beat small drums while young women beat small zills together as they twirled.

Hanataro watched the flow of colors, mesmerized. He never expected to see so many vibrant colors among the Arrancars and wondered how they made the dye for the clothing.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the feelings of hands on his shoulders. He turned and saw a large, round-faced Arrancar whose mask fragment was like the upper beak of a parrot covering the top of his head. His dark purple eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Why aren't you dancing, young fellow? Life is too short for you to do nothing but think and meditate. You can do that when you're older, but youth is meant to be enjoyed."

"I uh…uh…I don't dance."

"Nonsense," the Arrancar laughed and pushed Hanataro towards a group of young women waiting for a male to dance with them. "Just let your feet follow the beat, as the sands follow the wind. Youth is like a flower blossoming beneath the moon, something to be cherished and enjoyed while it is alive. You must not regret having not enjoyed it. Otherwise, you will wear only grey in your old age."

Hanataro was about to protest when he felt a soft hand grab his own. He looked into eyes that were a lovely shade of forest green with gold and copper flecks bordering the irises. The young Arrancar woman appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties. He noticed the lines at the corners of her mouth, "Laughing lines" was how Isane referred them. Rich copper hair framed her oval face and her mask fragment were twin curving horns at her temples that made her look like a faun. Her rich copper and blue gown was decorated with small gold and silver discs about her waist. The twin teal lines travelling down her cheeks sparkled in the fire light.

She giggled, and he blushed when he realized he was staring.

"Now, enjoy yourself, young man," the male Arrancar said. "Life is too short to be wasted on your troubles."

The young woman gripped Hanataro's hand and he saw a mischievous smile come upon her face as she dragged him to the dance. He had a strong feeling that he no longer had a choice in the matter.

Well, I suppose one dance wouldn't hurt.

Ikkaku

"So, nothing?" Ikkaku asked. The grey-clad Arrancar male turned his eyes back to him. Ikkaku could tell from the gaze that the Arrancar had no interest in Ikkaku's inquiries.

"Yes," he said. "Yet even if I had seen those whom you seek it would still be nothing."

A woman sitting nearby turned her head. Her figure was obscured by the grey cloak wrapped about her. She fingered the stone beaded necklace in her hand like an old woman praying the Rosary. Ikkaku noted that her face would be pretty if not for the frown.

"It is folly to seek the lost," she said. "Even if you find them reality will only tear them away again. All things become lost beyond any hope of recovery. That is the way of the world.

"It is only through abandoning hope that one can be free of despair."

"It is only through abandoning hope that one can be free of despair," the other Grey-Robes around them echoed before returning to their meditations.

Ikkaku ground his teeth as he tried to resist the urge to hit the grey clad woman's face in. He hated this type under the best of circumstances, and he was not in the best of circumstances.

He had grown up and became a man in the despair and filth of the Rukongai's worst districts. Even after he joined the Gotei he did not believe in their cause meaning more than merely another turf war. Yet he saw the Nihilism that lesser souls sank into when the harshess of the Ruknogai got to them. Nihilism was merely the emergency exit favored by cowards.

"Yeah, whatever," he said.

He decided that he would ask among the Bright-Eyes. If he couldn't get any useful information then he could at least get plastered by their cheap booze. He could handle stupid, but he couldn't handle cowards.

Nemu

Nemu closed her eyes. She knew that she could perform Pesquisa since she had done so back in Pantera. Yet now, it was as if something was interfering with the Pesquisa capabilities that Mayuri equipped her with.

Perhaps it is not a pure Pesquisa, she thought. The very notion troubled her, but it was possible. The Pesquisa she was equipped with was designed to work the same way that Soul Reapers used to find each other in combat situations. It made the operation easier to manage, and a tactical advantage should she need to extract herself.

She looked at Hanataro who was drinking from a stone cup filled with fire-root ale with two of the younger Voiders encouraging him. She wondered how Hanataro could have felt Findor's Reiatsu when she couldn't. Thoughts ran through her mind and she wondered if, bit-by-bit, the Arrancar Reiatsu in their Gigai was corrupting them.

No, she told herself. All of the testing we did prior to departure showed that such a thing is impossible.

True, but is it possible?

Nemu bit her lower lip as she thought about it. All of the testing had been done in the Soul Society. It was likely that the Spiritual Energy that formed the Soul Society was completely different from that of Hueco Mundo.

If that's the case, Nemu thought, then that would mean that our simulation was not exact. Yet we claimed that it was near enough as to make no difference. Could we have made…made an error?

Nemu shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the very notion.

Father does not make mistakes like that. He would have considered it and…

And would he have cared?

Nemu knew the answer. Mayuri Kurotsuchi did not care about the consequences. He experimented without regard to the consequences. That had been what got him locked away in the Maggot's Nest in the first place. The only thing he cared about was getting results and he would get them any way possible.

And of all the consequences he disregarded, the well-being of his test subjects was by far the lowest on his list of priorities. Whether it was natural stock or his own creations Mayuri Kurotsuchi was, at best, apathetic to the fate left by his actions.

I am the creation of an unworthy creator.

Perhaps we are, Nemu thought to herself. She reached into her hidden pocket and touched what was there. She withdrew her hand quickly and looked at it, the secret. Had she really considered disobeying her father's instructions? Had she really almost taken a step that would take her beyond the boundaries of her programming?

Thoughts raced through her mind and she was finding it difficult to keep them in line. It was as though her mentality was shifting away from the mechanical and towards the biological. She looked around, eyeing each of the other team members. She closed her eyes and felt all of their Reiatsu, including her own.

What she found confused and frightened her.

We are becoming more like Arrancars. If I doubt it now then I would have to doubt my own senses and ability to process.

It was a horrible conclusion to reach because of what it indicated, but she could feel it. She watched as she was able to gather Reiatsu to her and she pictured a small sphere in her hand. The sphere formed and she recognized the sensation of a small bala, potent and yet unstable.

She looked at Ikkaku who was being taught by two of the brightly-clad female Arrancars to perform one of their dances. She supposed that Ikkaku wouldn't know if he was becoming more Arrancar than Soul Reaper since he was in Squad 11.

Nemu made her way to the fire where some of the Voiders were cooking meat. The aroma pleased her and something inside her demanded to be fed.

"May I have some?" she asked.

One of the Voiders cut off a piece of meat from the end. He handed it to her without a word and she took a bite. The meat pleased her and she took another bite. She wanted more and yet she knew that she had to restrain herself. If she indulged too much then it could put her over the edge and she could not afford that.

I must tread carefully.

"Thank you," she said after swallowing her third bite.

The Voider only grunted, never stopping his cooking nor turning his attention from it. Other Voiders were making mush out of ground fungi and roots while others were making out a salad out of mushrooms and white leaves from a plant that Nemu didn't recognize. Other Voiders were cleaning Hollow hides by beating them. Puffs of dust and sand emerged from the hides with each blow. None of the Voiders looked to be really enjoying or loathing the labor. They were just doing them for the sake of doing them. There was no goal, no reward or punishment for getting the job done.

They're like me, she thought. I did so much for my father, and with him, yet I never found any actual purpose in it. It was just another thing to do, another duty, another order. I was never anything more than a tool performing its function.

Perhaps the time has come for me to do something for myself.

Tatsuki

"Alright, we're alone. Now, I'm going to ask you again. Did Poww blind you in Las Noches?"

"No es exacto. We had left Las Noches before that. The city of Luisenbarn was still being built when it happened. I remember that it was shortly after the bell was hung in the Tower of Night. That was the first thing we built, as a monument to our former master. We buried his remains in the foundation.

"A lie of course. The Visored left no remains, even the crown crumbled to dust. Whose bones? I don't know. Real or fake did it truly matter? Those bones served their purpose: to unify us for a time.

"After we buried those bones came the Dark Days. We were struck hard by storms and disease and raids from…from other groups. I wanted to find some of the others who had left Las Noches, so that way we could unify them and make ourselves more powerful in doing so. Poww, on the other hand, wanted his own kingdom to rule over. Unifying the other tribes would have forced us all to be on equal footing. I suppose I don't need to explain much after that."

I suppose not. Power corrupts, Tatsuki thought and then asked, "Why did you leave Las Noches?"

Findor looked confused and tilted his head slightly.

"You don't know about that?"

"I'm a Rover," Tatsuki said, remembering the word that Commander Martell used. "Much has been forgotten among us."

"Why should I tell you then? Your clan would be happier remaining in ignorance. There is neither purpose nor joy to be had in remembering such history."

"Sometimes it's best to know the mistakes of the past so that way we don't repeat it. Sometimes it's best to face the dark-side of history so that we can come to terms with it."

"What does it matter? Nobody truly learns from the mistakes of others, and even themselves."

"So, you're telling me to just drop it?"

"Exacta."

"What if I won't?"

Findor thought about it and sighed. He covered his empty sockets as he said, "I suppose that it would be futile to refuse you anymore. It would be less futile to tell you what Findor Carais experienced in Las Noches before he left. It was like a ring in this regard: it began and ended with fire."

Las Noches, Prior to the Great Schism

There was something beautiful about a monument to the war's dead being reduced to a state resembling a war zone. It was not a beauty to be spoken of in the open, but a beauty one savored in the sanctity of one's mind.

Findor Carias and Choe Neng Poww watched as the Arrancars dug away at the rubble of what would have been the Hall of Heroes. Its pyramid structure was designed to honor the dead in the fashion that the World of the Living's oldest civilization honored its kings.

Now, the white pyramid had been reduced to charred rubble.

"I wonder if this was meant to be an opening offense," Findor said with a frown. He could feel heat radiating from the fires that still burned beneath the rubble. He looked up at the massive Arrancar and saw that Poww's expression remained unreadable as they surveyed the destruction. "What do you think?"

"You're correct in your assessment, Carias," Poww said. "Yet the attacker is weak. A declaration of war should be a declaration of two things: identity and intent. This is the way of an assassin. It is the way of cowards who fear to face drawn blades."

"If it was an assassination then it failed. Nobody died. Queen Harribel was deep in there and her Reiatsu created a bubble that held until they dug her out. It seems as though she could have escaped on her own, but didn't." Findor shook his head.

"It doesn't surprise me that she survived, considering how powerful she is. Nor should it surprise anyone. She was the Tres Espada after all," Poww said.

"Still, the surviving Espada have power over the weaker Arrancars and the young who lack war's perspective," Findor said as he placed a hand on top of a scorched stone.

"Perhaps it was an attack on her, or perhaps it was meant to be a message. This explosion seems to have not been meant to kill. Rather, it was meant to burn, Carias."

"We all remember the fire of Heaven's Demon. If this was a reminder of that then why bother with the explosion? What purpose does it serve?"

"The one who answers that will gain power," Poww mused. "As for the reason why the Hall of Heroes was destroyed in such a way…I do not know. But I do know this much: someone has set things into motion."

The Fury

All was sound and fury.

The Day above cracked and gave way in places to reveal the Night beyond. So great was the storm that even the heavens broke asunder before it. The commanders of the Alliance barked orders while the Loyalists stood their ground.

Findor released another blast of Tijeras Neptunea, sending a Loyalist soldier back, screaming as the hot water burned his face and eyes. This was war and many of the Arrancars were getting their first true taste of battle. Some were reveling in its bloody glory while others were clearly becoming ill, assuming they weren't dying in the first place.

Not even Masqueda's remains were this bad, Findor thought as he saw one of Grimmjow's followers fall. The Arrancar's torso was being consumed by the venom of a potent Resurrección. Findor looked away. It was best to focus on those still alive and not on those that were already dead.

He looked around him, trying to find Poww or Tesla. If he could combine his forces with one of theirs' then they could push the Starrk Loyalists back. He was certain that they could triumph if they united.

Yet the battle was spread throughout the valley. It was as though the Loyalists saw what he saw and were taking advantage of the chaos.

"STARRK! COME OUT AND FACE ME! I'LL TAKE YOUR HEAD BEFORE YOU EVEN KNOW IT'S GONE!" Grimmjow roared from closer to the heart of battle. "IF YOU MAKE THIS ANY MORE DIFFICULT THEN I'LL FUCK YOUR QUEEN AND MAKE YOU WATCH BEFORE I KILL YOU! SO STOP WASTING MY TIME BEFORE I GET REALLY PISSED OFF!"

Fucking barbarian, Findor thought as he gritted his teeth in rage. The damn fool can't recall friend from foe. He realized that he should have known better. Grimmjow had no true friends, or true allies for that matter. Grimmjow only had those who feared him or envied him, but none who truly loved him.

Grimmjow had been the Espada of Destruction for a reason. He destroyed all those who were close to him regardless of whether they shared blood with him or not.

Findor opened his Pesquisa, hoping to find any trace of his true allies nearby. Yet the amount of Spiritual Energy being unleashed made it difficult to distinguish any individual. It was a mass of confusion and violence.

The battle became more ferocious as more Arrancars unleashed their Resurrección. Findor could feel the Spiritual Energy become more unbearable and he knew that the weaker Arrancars would die soon if the amount of energy in the air became heavier.

As he looked around, keeping an eye out for friend and foe alike, he saw something coming down from the western slope. He could see the tower that the Octavians built rising from that direction, a glittering monstrosity of steel and glass on top of stone. From the slope tops he could make out figures with large metal vats pouring something into the valley.

What the…?

The vats appeared to be filled with some kind of liquid that turned into a pinkish vapor when it struck the stone and sand. Findor's eyes widened in horror.

Shit! I thought they were holding to their neutrality! Did that bastard, Pytr, choose a side after all? Or is this his own play for power?

"GAS!" someone shouted.

The pinkish gas spread quickly in ever-thickening tendrils that would have made Szayel Aporro laugh in maniacal glee. Only those who were aware of the threat and had quick enough reflexes escaped into Sonído. Many Arrancars ceased fighting to run only to find themselves caught in more skirmishes. The gas consumed all, not distinguishing Allies from Loyalists. Findor backed away as the gas came closer. Sonído was risky in open battle like this. There was always a chance of encountering a falling blade or a cero while in Sonído.

"STARRK! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND FIGHT ME!" Grimmjow shouted. It was as though the gas meant nothing to him.

"Damn fool," Findor muttered under his breath. "If he wants to die that's his business, but I refuse to die for the likes of him."

Findor was familiar with what Szayel Aporro Granz did in his secret labs, and Pytr Todesengel was no different. He was the closest of Granz's old fracción to matching his master's insanity and genius. Whatever Pytr had made would be cruel and effective.

"PYTR, YOU BASTARD!" Findor shouted as the gas swept over him.

He could feel its affects almost immediately. It became difficult to breath and his Resurrección became difficult to control. He could feel his Spiritual Energy seep away from him while also trying to implode on itself. Whatever the gas was, if he breathed it too long then it would become fatal. He heard a scream and he looked to see a young Arrancar being pulled apart and imploding on himself simultaneously.

Must…get…air, he thought as his head began to swim and ache. He staggered seeing other Arrancars drop to the ground and try to crawl away. Yet the gas sank and rose, making it difficult for Arrancars of any size to escape. Findor could not believe what this gas meant. Pytr Todesengel had now surpassed his former master in cruelty and in giving insanity substance.

Am I…going to…die…here…like…this?

"No," Findor whispered as he staggered. He tried to control his Spiritual Energy, willing for it to stabilize. If he was able to stabilize it then he would have a chance to escape. There were more screams as more Arrancars succumbed to the gas. Findor became afraid and he knew that he had to get out of the affected area quickly. A final desperate Sonído would do it, but he could no longer distinguish which way he was going. The pink haze surrounded him, blotting out any landmarks that he could use to find the quickest way out.

"Oh…fuck," Findor whispered as panic began to take hold of him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"This way!" someone shouted.

He couldn't see who it was. The gas was too thick, but he knew the voice.

"Starrk? What?"

"No time for that," Coyote Starrk said as he led Findor out. "If you're strong enough I need you to help me get the others out. We can fight later." Starrk looked in the direction of the Octavians and muttered, "Damn it. I told him… Pytr has gone too far."

"You should kill me now," Findor said. "You might regret it if you don't." Starrk didn't say anything. Instead he shoved Findor forward.

"If you feel any others, grab hold of them and help them out. Those who are strong enough must help the weaker ones get clear!"

Why now? Why are you playing the king now? If you did this earlier then perhaps…

Findor didn't allow the thought to continue. Any chance for Starrk to truly be his king was long past.

I made my decision long ago. Regardless he complied, not out of any obedience to Starrk, but the loyalty to the comrades he still needed to believe in.

The Great Schism

The night wind howled, causing the flames to rise towards the ever-present crescent moon. The mass of Arrancars stood gathered around the pyre. Those who were closest to the dead were closest to the flames. As the flames died they reached towards the burned corpse. The hierro was already brittle in death and it now cracked easily. And in their reverence to the dead they tore away chunks of flesh to partake of this sacred communion.

"Her flesh shall become our flesh," Apacci said as she put the burned piece of meat to her mouth. She tore into it with a bite and devoured the rest with the second. She was careful to conceal her ruined face, but not her mournful eyes.

Harribel's children of the body followed suit with Agamemnon, the eldest and most powerful son, taking the lead as he so often did in the past with his brothers and sisters. Some wept while others, especially Ulysses who some looked on with a degree of aversion for his smuggling activities, maintained an aura of flawless stoicism. Lilynette came after them and tore two pieces from the corpse and walked to where Starrk sat, far from the others as though in isolation.

Findor watched as she held one piece out to Starrk who took it but refused to eat it. He simply stared at the piece of meat that had once belonged to his mate's body. Lilynette looked at the piece in her hand and looked at Starrk who only nodded. She put the piece into her mouth, devouring it in a single painful looking gulp. Findor thought he saw a flash of pain on Starrk's face for the briefest of moments as Lilynette partook of the communion of the dead.

Starrk looked at Findor who lowered his head. It was the second time that he was shown mercy; the second time that he failed to die in glorious battle. Still there was a chance that they could defeat him. However faint that chance was it remained to set matters right and redeem the sacrifices made.

There was a stir among the gathered Arrancars and Findor looked up. He smiled as he saw Starrk walking through the gathered Arrancars. They stood aside and many of them fainted from being in Starrk's close proximity.

That's it…walk towards Grimmjow, he thought as Starrk made his way forward. He saw that Poww, Tesla, and five other Arrancars who were savvy to the plot make their way towards Starrk. Keep your eyes on Grimmjow and ignore everyone else.

Don't see us coming. Hold on to that wretched apathy just a little longer so that we can help reunite you with your beloved.

At that moment Starrk turned and looked Findor in the eye and then he eyed the other Arrancars moving towards him with blades drawn. For that brief moment that their eyes met, Findor could see the hatred. It was as though he knew that they were using this moment to assassinate him and he was threatening them.

He was daring them to try it.

Findor's eyes widened when he felt the level of Reiatsu radiating from Starrk increase. It was the most intense release of Reaitsu that he had ever experienced and he felt his knees weaken. He could see the others were feeling the same way and, for the first time, Findor found himself afraid of Coyote Starrk.

"GRIMMJOW!" Starrk roared.

Oh shit, we made a mistake.

Grimmjow's followers gathered before Starrk, protecting their leader who merely sat on a boulder. There was no reverence in his pose or regard to Starrk. In Grimmjow's eyes, Starrk was little more than an annoying puppy. Findor dared to hope that Grimmjow's haughtiness was justified.

But as Starrk got closer, Grimmjow's followers moved aside in order to avoid the aura of pure hatred that radiated from Starrk. Grimmjow stood and smirked, unbowed and seemingly unimpressed. Findor could feel his stomach drop. Grimmjow had failed to see the raging wolf that had come into his presence.

The Panther King was as delusional as Findor had feared.

"So, come to challenge me already? You know, you got some nerve challenging me to a fight while your little fuck-toy is burn—"

The move startled everyone, Grimmjow most of all. Findor could not see when exactly it happened. Starrk didn't say anything and in one quick and fluid motion he drew his sword and slashed Grimmjow across his face from his left lower jaw to his right brow, bisecting his nose and cutting the corner of his right eye. Grimmjow did not have any time to recover from his initial shock of having his face slashed to where a permanent scare would form, ruining his once pretty face

Findor's eyes widened when he saw Starrk place a hand on Grimmjow's chest and in one effortless motion threw him to the sands. He kicked Grimmjow in the side before stomping him in the stomach. Grimmjow's followers backed away and looked at each other as the former Primera Espada kicked and dug their leader into the sand. They were torn: either to avenge their disgraced leader or to let Starrk finish him.

Findor found his scowl as he looked away. He cursed himself and Poww and Tesla for the fools they had been. They should have known better than to trust Grimmjow to be able to hold Starrk off while they finished him off. Harribel had been stronger than Grimmjow and Starrk defeated her without Resurrección. Despite all of his bravado Grimmjow was never strong enough to enter the ranks of the top half of the Espada.

But they had deluded themselves. Harribel had been weakened by her grief and broken mind, or so their little cabal had thought. Grimmjow was as much the bloodthirsty warmonger he ever was. They thought that Grimmjow, with a little help of course, would succeed where Harribel had failed.

Delusions are less than nothing when they collapse and leave you humiliated, Findor thought.

Starrk finished releasing his anger on the battered Sexta Espada. He breathed heavily and his Spiritual Energy decreased. Yet no one came near. Findor thought that he saw tears in Starrk's eyes and grimaced in disgust.

Look at you. Even now you are no true king. Where is your pride in your conquest? Where is the satisfaction of vanquishing your greatest rival? You should be daring others to step forward, glorifying in the challengers' humiliation and roaring about your power to the Moon.

You look like someone who has lost.

Damn you, Starrk! You won! YOU WON, DAMNIT!

"Skullak," Starrk said in a whisper.

A tall Arrancar with brown hair and a mask fragment that resembled a gladiator's helment came forward from the crowd. His crisp white uniform was bordered with gold trim and he had two gold cords of rank hanging from his shoulders. Skullak Tuma, head of the Privaron Squads, bowed deep.

"Yes sir," he said and waited in silent obedience for his orders.

"I want you to carry out the sentence on this one immediately."

"S-sir?"

Starrk didn't respond at first. He looked down at Grimmjow who was curled in the fetal position and trembling, not moving from his position but watching and aware. Grimmjow's sword lay forgotten, and Findor could not tell if the trembling was pain, fury, fear, or some combination of all three. Starrk's gaze hardened.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, you are to be exiled to The Night." The monotonous way that Starrk pronounced the sentence made the night wind seem colder. "If you return to Las Noches then you will be executed immediately."

He turned to Skullak who only nodded in understanding. But it was a reluctant nod. It was clear to Findor that Skullak was torn between two Espada whom he considered comrades. Findor felt little sympathy for him. He never knew a time when loyalty to a reigning monarch and the friendship to one who aspired to become king conflicted with each other.

Starrk looked at the other Arrancars gathered.

"As for the rest of you," he said. His voice was not raised and yet it could be heard by all. "There will be no reprisals. My Queen shall be the last life lost in this useless war. Her flesh shall be consumed by those closest to her so that her strength may become their strength.

"You have a choice. You can kneel before me and be pardoned, or…" he pointed at Grimmjow who was now struggling to his feet, "…you can follow him into The Night and be banished. If you follow him and return then the same fate will await you as it will for him.

"I am King here, and my command is that you choose."

The Starrk Loyalists, led by the Privaron Squads and Nelliel, left with their king. Some of Grimmjow's surviving followers carried the beaten Panther King away. The others stirred, some began to wander back towards Las Noches while others mingled in their collective groups.

Factions were already forming or were being reaffirmed. He could almost smell plots and aspirations taking shape. But to what end? They had tried, and they had lost.

"Well, what do we do now?" Findor asked himself. A shadow fell over him. He turned and found Poww blocking the light from the crescent moon.

Poww looked down on him with uncaring eyes that might have made Emperor Barraggan Luisenbarn feel approval.

"First we shall honor our fallen ally. Then we must build a new kingdom, a holy empire fit for His Majesty, Emperor Baraggan Luisenbarn," Poww stated with chilling certainty.

Findor didn't say anything, but only nodded in agreement. The wind was blowing and The Night was a vast emptiness before them, waiting to conquer or be conquered.

Present

Tatsuki sat in silence as Findor finished his story. She examined the information in her mind, piecing together the series of events that Findor related. Some of the things made sense, but there were still questions.

"Do you know who was responsible for the explosion?" she asked.

Findor shook his head and said, "We never found out. There were suspicions and rumors, of course, but nothing more."

"Yet Grimmjow didn't hesitate it to use it to divide Las Noches."

"It's…more complicated than that," Findor said. "Findor never found out all of the details. It could be that the outcome had little to do with the intent of the unknown instigator. He never found out what caused Harribel to lose her sanity. As for why Grimmjow divided Las Noches, the answer is clear. He always said that he was 'The King' and he wanted to prove it once and for all."

"And yet he failed."

Findor nodded and smiled at that memory. He turned his head slightly in the direction of the cave's opening. "The storm's at its height and we are alive. Hueco Mundo has decided to let us live a little longer."

"If your lives mean so little then why hide in caves when a storm hits?" Tatsuki hits.

"Any animal hides to survive," Findor replied. "It's instinct, nothing more, nothing less. When animals evolved to the point that their minds could grasp concepts like desire and hatred and love then they appointed the instinct to survive as a desire to survive."

Tatsuki thought about it and supposed that he had a point. She remembered learning about Evolution in school and how emotions evolved with the brain's evolution. Yet all of those complex emotions were based on the primal instincts of fight or flight. The tribes of Hueco Mundo each defined themselves after some philosophy. What the Voiders had was neither the best nor the worst proposal she had heard.

"You were only obeying the instinct to retreat."

"Exacta," Findor said and stood.

"Anyways, I better gather my comrades together," Tatsuki said. "But before we go, I need to find out if anyone knows about a group that may have come through here a while back."

"There are many strangers in the wastelands," Findor admitted. "You can ask around, but I doubt it would matter. Depending on how long ago they vanished they may all be little more than bones in the sand or among the stones. You must be prepared to find out that they have returned to the Void."

"I am," Tatsuki said and wondered if she truly was. Rukia was Ichigo's friend and she couldn't think of her as being a pile of bones buried among the stones.

She went to gather the other members of her team, asking the other Arrancars if they had come across Rukia's team.

"They were led by a petite femal Arrancar with a mask fragment like the beak of a bird," she was telling one of the grey-clad Voiders who looked at her with a blank expression on his pallid face. "Her hair is black with a white streak. They would have some strange-looking equipment with them and…"

"Excuse me," a young Arrancar said.

Tatsuki looked down at the girl. Her teal streaks were accompanied by bright pink streaks that were clearly not part of the Voider look. She wore a belt decorated with simple disks of silver and bronze and her dress and jacket were bright blue decorated with embroidered silver crescents and stars along the jacket's trim and dress's hem.

"Yes?"

"My dah has some things that might interest you. He was hoping that it would fetch a good price, but nobody wanted them."

"Did he try selling them to the Octavians?" Nemu asked.

The girl's eyes widened in horror at the idea and she shook her head.

"Oh no, we Bright Eyes don't deal with them. They might take us and make sure that we don't sing or dance no more."

"Yeah, they probably would," Tatsuki said remembering the flesh tanks and Maki-Maki. She knelt to get on the girl's level and smiled. "Can you take us to your dah?"

The girl's eyes became filled with glee and she smiled. "Sure. He's over there," she said and pointed to a large jovial looking Arrancar with a large dark beard. His bright orange vest looked almost ready to burst from his ample gut as he rolled on an orange mat.

"Thanks," Tatsuki said and walked to the Arrancar.

When he saw her approaching his eyes widened and he burst out into a booming hearty laugh.

"Oh, ho, ho, ho! A stranger walks among us," he laughed. "What can I do for you?"

"I understand that you have some items that you couldn't sell."

"Oh, did my little Anna tell you that? She is a sweet girl, a bit strange for a Voider, but sweet all the same. Yeah, I found some things deep in Triple territory, along with corpses. They had no further need of it and the items caught my eye," he recounted.

"Corpses?" Tatsuki asked.

"Yar, it looked as if they fought among themselves. I guess they had a little squabble over some futile thing. That's the problem with the non-Voiders, they take the insignicant things like power and politics and religion and make it far too important."

Tatsuki felt that this Arrancar was actually boasting about taking nothing seriously.

Talk about inconsistent, she thought.

"May I see the items that you found?" Tatsuki asked. He got to his feet with a small smile and dusted off his trousers

"Of course," the Arrancar said and led her to a cart with a Hollow hide covering whatever he had in it. When he removed the hide Tatsuki gasped at the sight of the equipment. It looked very much like some of the things she saw in Squad 12's barracks. Nemu came up next to her to take a look.

"You know this stuff better than I do, Judea," Tatsuki said to Nemu. "Is there anything that might help us here?"

Nemu looked through the equipment as Tatsuki traded some dried meat for whatever one of them could carry. Apparently he "despaired" of making a good trade anytime soon and would sooner not haul so much stuff around for however long it took for a good deal to come along.

She pulled one out that looked to Tatsuki like a small back-up generator and another that looked like a tablet. She continued searching through the equipment, but she only took out a slender cylinder that looked like a pen and something that reminded Tatsuki of a Frisbee and one that reminded her of an oversized briefcase.

"That should be all of the vital things," Nemu said. As they walked away, the Voider covered his cart with the Hollow hide and then laid back on his mat.

"So it's a simple matter of putting the pieces together?" Tatsuki asked looking at the equipment.

"Yes. It should not take long, and…" Nemu looked around to ensure that none of the Voiders were listening in. When she was satisfied that they were talking in relative secrecy she leaned forward and lowered her voice as she put a hand on the piece of equipment that reminded Tatsuki of an oversized briefcase. On closer inspection Tatsuki thought that it looked more like the case used to store a military-grade laptop computer. "This is their emergency messenger. It can also store video messages and it is the most logical means from what I saw of retrieving any data."

"What about the rest of the equipment?" Tatsuki whispered.

"Some of the equipment is vital to restore power for the messenger in case its battery has completely drained," Nemu said. She looked at the Voiders as though to make sure that none of them were starting to listen in.

"Stop worrying about them. We might as well be plotting on how best to kill them all or sell them to the Octavians and they wouldn't care. They would probably say something along the lines of, 'If fate wills it then who am I to argue?'"

"Commander, I would point out that many cultures have members who proclaim certain values quite loudly only to discard them in favor of self-interest when presented with the least credible of advantageous circumstances," Nemu said. She grabbed her bag and opened it.

"I have the tools we need to reassemble it," she said. "However, I would rather wait until we are alone with the others before I reconstruct it."

"Fair enough, but will you have it fixed by then? I don't want to have to wait another five hours after we leave for you to fix it before we see if there's anything even on it."

Nemu looked at the collected equipment and her eyes narrowed slightly as she assessed it.

"It is in relatively good condition considering the environment. It should take me approximately forty-five minutes to repair any damaged components I find."

Show-off, Tatsuki thought, but said, "Good. You do that. In the meantime, I'll keep an eye on the storm."

"Very well. Did the former Fracción tell you anything useful?" Nemu asked.

"He told me as much as he could. I'll tell you what he said when it's just the team. Having to repeat it more than once would just be a waste of time."

Nemu nodded and she knelt by the equipment and dug in her bag. Tatsuki walked to the cave's entrance and looked out at the blowing storm. She could tell that it was weaker than before, but still too strong to walk out. She leaned against the stone wall and saw that she was not alone. Findor sat nearby, his face towards the storm.

"Eager to set out?" she asked sarcastically.

"I came to listen to the storm's dying song," he replied.

"I guess we came here for the same thing, but for different reasons then."

"Exacta," Findor said. "You came to see how much longer before you could continue down the path of your life. I came to reflect on it."

Tatsuki didn't say anything for a bit. She looked back into the cave and saw the two different groups of Voiders. It had bothered her and so she decided to satisfy her curiosity. After all, curiosity did kill the cat but satisfaction brought it back.

"I thought you Voiders were Nihilists. So why is one group brooding and the other celebrating?"

"The reaction to the embrace of Nothingness varies in degrees, but it usually falls into three main categories," Findor said. "The first is to meditate upon the realization that life is meaningless and come to think that your very existence means nothing. That's the road that the Grey-Robes usually take. The second is to meditate upon it and just go about your usual business. There aren't many Voiders out there like that, but they do exist. The third is to meditate upon it and realize that life is something that should be celebrated and cherished because it's the only one you got. That's the road the Bright-Eyes take.

"It doesn't matter which road we go on. We know that, in the end, we all return to the Void."

"What about you?"

Findor paused for a moment in thought before he replied. "I'm only looking for my place to die. I've lived too long and I've seen too much. I've…suffered too much and I've lost too much. Still, I'm not much of a Voider for loss to hold such a grip on me."

"Then why didn't you just end it yourself?"

"What makes you think I didn't try?"

Tatsuki paused for a moment and then thought she understood. "That's why you were out in the storm."

Findor neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead he merely said, "It won't be long now."

Tatsuki turned her attention back to the storm and she did feel that it was dying. She thought that it would be another half hour before it died down to a manageable level.

"Tell me, how do we get out of this basin?"

"Well, you could follow us when we leave, but there's no guarantee that we'll lead you on the road that you want to be on. You could go on your path, but the nearest safe paths are far away from here."

"Where's the nearest path?"

Findor's head tilted in thought. "I heard about one," he said. "It cuts through the mountains west of here, but hardly anyone travels it. It's called 'The Valley of Screams'."

"Why is it called that?"

"I don't know for certain. I only heard rumors and rumors of rumors about it. I heard of travelers who went there only to turn back because the path was too treacherous and narrow for their liking and the wind rushing through the valley sounded like screaming. Others, however, said that there are monsters that dwell in the dark."

"What are the other paths?" Tatsuki asked.

"There's the Moon Road, to the north, but the journey there would take three times longer than to the Valley of Screams. Then there's the Bone Pass to the south, but security is extremely tight there and most have to pay a fee to go through it."

"So my best chance is this 'Valley of Screams' to get out of this basin quickly."

"Exacta."

"Thank you for the information," Tatsuki said.

Findor got up and said, "I best collect my few posessions. We'll be moving out soon."

As Findor left her Tatsuki took out the map she got in Octavia. She unfolded it and looked it over. She found Pantera and looked the map over to find the Valley of Screams. She found it on the western side of the mountain ranges that almost completely surrounded the Howling Plains. It was marked in red and next to it, written in small letters, was a single word: MUERTE.

I bet it's like those old maps that said, "Here there be monsters," all bark and no bite.

There was the sound of movement from back in the cave. Tatsuki looked up and saw that the Voiders were preparing to move out. She folded the map and made her way back into the cave to find her companions.

Later

Tatsuki watched as the Voiders began to wander into the sands of Hueco Mundo. The Bright Eyes continued to play their tambourines and drums as they sang. The Grey Robes only remained silent, heads bowed as they reflected over the stone beads in their hands.

"You better go along with them before they leave you behind," Tatsuki said. Findor only turned his head slightly.

"Life is full of meetings and partings. If I get left behind then it's merely another parting that will prepare me for a new meeting. But it's strange."

"What's strange?"

"You're curious about me, but you never asked why I came to you when I sensed your Spiritual presence. Did you think that I did it as a matter of course?"

Tatsuki looked at him, scrutinizing his words as an officer of the Second should. She never gave his actions in the storm a second thought before. But after seeing and listening to the Voiders she began to wonder.

"I suppose that you normally would have left us to the storm," she said. "After all, why would someone who cares about nothing help complete strangers out of the jaws of death?"

"Exacta. Hueco Mundo is a cruel place and it takes what it wants. I needlessly interfered with it by helping you. Yet, I was also curious."

"What do you mean?" Tatsuki pressed. Findor smiled slightly.

"I think that I sensed it because I never really forgot it and my blindness caused me to compensate with my other senses, especially my Pesquisa. Regardless, I know that you're not true Arrancars…at least not yet," he remarked with hardly a change of tone.

"What?" Tatsuki asked, shocked.

"I must commend whoever made your hierro, or whatever it's truly called. It is very close to the real thing, but still some of the Reaper leaks through. Not much, not enough you betray you to even an inquisitive Vasto Lorde or an Arrancar who could have been counted among the Espada."

"Why didn't you say anything to the others?" Tatsuki demanded, ready to strike if Findor was plotting some treachery against them.

"What would it matter? It wouldn't really have made any difference to them. It would be a completely different matter with other Arrancars of course, but Voiders find holding onto grudges as pointless as mourning lost friends. Besides, you're not here to hurt us, so why should I hurt you?"

"If we were to hurt you, would you have betrayed us?" Findor actually smiled at her question and tilted his head. If he still had eyes Tatsuki supposed that he would be looking off into some distant place or past.

"Findor Carias would have, but he is gone. Nobody remains in his place and you can't really hurt someone who is already dead."

Findor readied his staff and he shouldered his pack.

"I suppose I should wish you luck," Tatsuki said.

"Voiders don't believe in luck," Findor said as he turned towards her. "And there is little reason for you to wish me well."

"Then I suppose that I will just wish you peace."

"I suppose, although we both know that peace will not be what lies ahead. Only Nothingness lies at the end of all paths we take."

Findor turned his head and began to say something that sounded like a poem. Tatsuki watched as the blind elder Arrancar walked away into the wilderness, and listened to his words carried back to her on the wind:

The wind howls through the valley

Once great cities swallowed in sand reach to the heavens

Vast remnants lost to the seas of time.

We are the shattered realms

Wastelands composed of broken dreams and the ashes of our longing.

Where must we go,

Oh we who wander the Wastelands,

To find our better selves?

It is in the Wastelands

That the desert rose blossoms

While the sands swallow our footsteps

The wind carrying away any token of our existence

As we return to the Void.

"Good travel," Tatsuki whispered. She returned to the others and said, "Let's get going. We don't want to get caught in another storm."

They moved on.

Tatsuki waited until after an hour or so from when they separated from the Voiders. For all their disinterest their way of thinking could give them a "no reason to not follow" with surprising stealth. So when she was certain that they were not being tailed or spied upon Tatsuki called for them to halt.

"Nemu, set it up," Tatsuki ordered. She was hoping to finally get some answers.

Nemu only nodded and briefly surveyed their surroundings. She picked a spot on a small island of relatively smooth rock and took off her pack. She took out the equipment they got from the Voiders as well as parts already packed before departure and began to set up the apparatus. The others stood watching as Nemu expertly reassembled the machine.

This had better not be a dead end, Tatsuki thought. I want some answers, damn it.

"I have finished assembling the emergency messenger," Nemu said.

"Oh, so that's what it is?" Ikkaku asked.

Tatsuki saw that the case was open and hooked to the small generator. The piece that reminded her of a tablet lay flat on a smooth silvery surface with two cords plugged into it. A small red dot glowed faintly and flickered once.

"It is merely rebooting itself," Nemu said. "This machine was designed to turn off after five hours of inactivity if a message was not sent in order to preserve its battery life. It has not been used in quite some time."

"Will it work?"

"It should," Nemu said. "The inner equipment appears to have suffered very little damage, but the software may be corrupted from the time it has not been used."

"That thing better work," Tatsuki mutterd, glaring at the machine. "When will we know?"

The machine let out a soft beeping sound and the red light turned green.

"Now," Nemu said as she tapped on the tablet. The screen went from black to bright blue. "All systems are functional. Shall I retrieve the last entry?"

"What do you think?" Tatsuki asked, her voice oozed with sarcasm.

"I believe that it would be beneficial…," Nemu said. Tatsuki slapped her palm to her face.

"Just play the message."

Nemu tapped something on the tablet's screen and the machine's main screen flickered on. At first only static showed and then the picture became clearer and a message from three years before began to play.

Operation Izanagi, Three Years Before

Ando knelt in front of the emergency messenger's camera, knees sinking slightly into the sand. He had never expected to despise mere geography as much as he had come to loathe the pervasive sands and stones of this realm. He rubbed his temples, feeling another headache coming on. He waited until the recorder's little red light turned on before he began.

"This is data-entry forty-nine A. I apologize in advance, Captain, for having to send this report on the expedition's emergency messenger, but this absolutely cannot wait. I and two of my assistants are the only members of the Squad Twelve detachment remaining. All of the others were killed or…they have gone native.

"Sir, there is something about the Gigais that we did not foresee. The Arrancar Reiatsu that was used to make them started to gain strength when we first arrived while the Soul Reaper Reiatsu used in order for the Gigais to be responsive to the user became weaker. Akira was the first to realize this when he examined the members of the security detail who were starting to become…" He paused as he searched for the right word to use and said, "Erratic. It started out small. They seemed to be slightly more stand-offish than usual and then their behavior became more unstable.

"Akira suggested that perhaps because the Reiatsu that composes Hueco Mundo is different than what it is in the Soul Society that perhaps it was doing something to the Gigais. That our simulators were imperfect and missed something vital present in the atmosphere of Hueco Mundo. I did not want to believe it, but I had to maintain observations on the other members just in case."

He paused and lowered his head. He rubbed his right temple and grimaced slightly when he felt his stomach rumble with hunger.

"I am afraid that Akira was right. I wish that he was here to make this message and not me. He seemed to have a better grasp of the situation than I did. Unfortunately, he was killed in the Menos Forest along with more than half of our remaining members.

"I will allow Hayato make the report on that fiasco. He is the chief of security after all. But I will say this much: if Central Forty-Six does give the order to attack Hueco Mundo, make sure to eradicate these 'Others' in the Menos Forest first. They are, by far, the most dangerous threat that we encountered among the Arrancar."

He paused trying to think of what to say. His mind kept returning to that final image before everything became chaos. A single figure, clad in tan and white shirt, pants, and boots. His lower face was hidden by a white veil, like some Bedouin in the World of the Living preparing for a storm. His palms had been pressed together as if in prayer. Then he showed them his right palm. It was branded with a mark that looked like a seven-pointed star with an eye in the center.

Once that mark was revealed then the forest became alive with the sounds of battle as the Others attacked. He could still hear the beating of their drums and the prayers they sang as they fought. He had identified it as psychological tactics, but knowing had hardly diminished the tactics' effectiveness. He had never seen any man from Squad 11 or from Hayato's squadron being pressed so hard, and that included having to fight their way out of Pantera.

Of course, it could have been because we were all exhausted, he thought. No Arrancar could have been that good at fighting. Could they?

He cleared his throat before beginning his report again, "Returning to the matter of contamination, Captain. I had hoped the manifestation would be limited to those with more Arrancaresque behavior and personality. Akira was skeptical of that theory and it seems, once again, that his grasp of the situation was superior to mine. Captain, we need to engage Emergency Proto…" He didn't finish the word before he heard the scream.

The other members of the team immediately reacted. Ando turned and saw one of the ruffians from Squad 11 trying to fight off…

His eyes widened in disbelief and he whispered, "Deishi…" He watched as his assistant bit into the ruffian's throat. Deishi, who was soft-spoken and brilliant and diligent in his tasks, had become akin to a beast. His eyes, once soft brown, had become completely black.

There was another scream. Ando turned and saw one of Hayato's men fall to his knees clawing at his face while his teeth chattered together.

"This…this can't be…happening…not all at once," Ando said. He pushed down his rising panic. He was a scientist documenting a new phenomenon. He had to capture this moment so that it could be studied later.

If there is a later, he thought as he moved the camera to show the display. All but five of the remaining members were metamorphosing. Releases of Reiatsu betrayed what was happening. The Arrancar Reiatsu in their Gigais had become the dominant Reiatsu, forcing them to evolve in order to adapt to their new nature.

"Akira…you were right," Ando whispered. "Captain, don't come for us. I doubt any of us will be…"

That was when things became truly chaotic. The bestial Hollow nature that was the basis of all of Hueco Mundo's life was being unleashed in those who had once been Soul Reapers. They attacked each other and those who had not yet transformed. The desire to feed on flesh had awakened and they had no control over it.

Ando saw Kuchiki trying to use Kido, but nothing happened. Realizing that her skills in Kido were now rendered useless, their commander drew her sword.

"TO ME!" she ordered. "TO ME! TO ME!"

It won't do any good, Ando thought. There are too few of us left and I don't know how long even I can remain a Shinigami.

"Please," he prayed to anyone or anything listening. "Let me die a Shinigami."

He heard another scream. He turned and saw one of the last ruffians from Squad 11 who had not succumbed to the growing Arrancar nature being dragged down by some of his own comrades. He could see them tearing into the poor soul's torso, tearing out entrails and feasting on flesh even as he screamed.

"HAYATO! DRAW YOUR SWORD!" Rukia shouted.

As if his meager blade can do us any good, Ando thought. Then he saw Hayato. The bull's horns of his Gigai mask glamed bone white in the moonlight, but his eyes were completely black. Dread rushed through Ando's body.

"COMMANDER! GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Ando shouted. His shout resembled more of a rat's squeak, the way it usually did when he was frightened.

Hayato charged at the commander who raised her blade more out of reflex than any real understanding. Ando knew what he had to do. He dropped the camera, the messenger still recording a message that would never be sent. For all of his life, Ando had been afraid. He had been too afraid of his Captain to refuse his orders, no matter how obscene they seemed. He had been afraid of certain truths being revealed because he knew that all of Squad 12 would probably have to face a variety of charges despite their good standing with Central Forty-Six.

Yet, at this moment, he didn't feel afraid.

He charged into Hayato before he could reach Rukia. He had drawn his sword but was using it as a bar biting into the rabid being with his weight bearing down on it. He knew that he wouldn't last long against Central Forty-Six's dog, even deprived of a logical mind, but he could do something to redeem himself of his own sins. He turned to face Rukia as he struggled to keep Hayato down.

"RUN!" he squeaked. "COMMANDER, RUN!"

Rukia looked at him in shock. Ando could feel Hayato's hands clawing at him.

Please…don't let me die in vain. Let at least one of us live.

"RUN, DAMN IT!" Ando squeaked just as Hayato's hands dug into his stomach. "RUUAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Ando's dying screams brought Rukia out of her trance and she ran. Hayato stood with Ando's body in his hands. With a strength that could only be described as bestial he broke Ando's body and began to feed.

The camera's eye saw it all.

Present

They sat in silence as the image showed the dead, their crimson blood stained the white sands. Nemu turned off the equipment, the tiny clicking sound seemed obscenely mundane after the horror just shown. The woman herself remained silent.

"Shit," Ikkaku whispered, breaking the silence.

"So now we know," Tatsuki said. "They…they turned on each other."

"It was more than that," Ikkaku said. His eyes were still wide with disbelief. "Most of them actually became beasts. And that's not a metaphor or anything like that. You heard what that rat-faced guy said. They were becoming more Hollow-like, and…and… Fuck."

"In all likelihood," Nemu said, "it would seem logical that Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki is also deceased."

"Yet we didn't see her die," Hanataro said. "She could have survived."

"Her chances of survival were approximately fifteen percent in that kind of situation. And only because we know at least one other survived this scenario. However, if we were to also factor the passage of time since the recorded incident, then her odds of survival are reduced to nearly zero percent," Nemu continued.

"If she's dead then why should we even continue?" Ikkaku asked. "We got what we needed. We now know what happened to the last team. That was the mission, and we've got a lot to report on several of these tribes as well."

"What? What if Rukia is still alive? Are you saying that we should just leave her here?" Hanataro asked. "I…I never would have believed it of you Ikkaku. You faced enemies more terrifying than anything I could ever face and you're…you're actually saying that we should give up."

Ikkaku looked at Hanataro and saw the shock in his eyes. He sighed and said, "I'm not afraid of Hollows or Arrancars. I can fight against them. And no Squad Eleven member worth their steel fears death. But you can't fight insanity. And even we fear losing ourselves." He looked at Nemu. "And if I got what we saw right then we're going insane too. Aren't we?"

"That is correct," Nemu said. "It would appear that the moment we arrived in Hueco Mundo, the Reishi that flows in its environment began to affect our Gigais by strengthening the Arrancar Reiatsu used to make them. Over time, it appears, it gets to the point that the Shinigami Reiatsu used will be overpowered by the Arrancar. However, a sudden imbalance of this nature causes the Arrancar Reiatsu to revert back to those of a Hollow."

"Is that a guess, or do you actually know it?" Ikkaku asked.

"It is merely a hypothesis at this stage. I would require far more instruments and time to study the condition to offer a more exact explanation."

"Well, then that means that it doesn't necessarily have to happen to us. These Gigais are the not the same as the last expedition. Everyone knows that Captain Kurotsuchi is always trying to improve his inventions," Hanataro said. "Perhaps it might happen much later than when it happened to Rukia's team."

"He didn't know about the problem. So how could he fix it? What if it happens sooner?" Ikkaku asked. "Look, I'm gonna keep my original suggestion that we get out of here with this information ASAP. That way we can come back when we're really prepared, and the Gotei will have the intel."

"But what if something bad happens to Rukia? They'll give her up for dead and there won't be a third mission until they solve this contamination problem. That could take years, assuming the technology isn't just banned outright," Hanataro said. His voice betrayed the panic starting to take hold. "We have a duty to this mission."

"As far as I'm concerned we've fulfilled it," Ikkaku said. "We were sent here to find out what happened to the last expedition and now we know. Our mission is accomplished."

"But…"

"Look, if you want to go on, then fine. But I'm in favor of leaving right now."

"Nemu," Hanataro said, looking at Nemu in desperation. "Please, tell him. Tell him that we can go on, that we still have time."

"I am afraid that I do not know with any certainty how much time we have before we degrade into the state of being Hollows."

We're at a crossroads, Tatsuki thought as the image of the Dragon within her surfaced. Her Sister Dark was hungry and waiting to devour her if she let her guard down. We may not have much time left.

So are you going to run away then? Do you really think that you can run to Mommy and she will keep you safe from the mean old dragon? The voice was faint and Tatsuki could not be sure if it was her imagination or if it was the growing insanity.

"We'll vote on it," Tatsuki said. "We'll either go back to the Soul Society or we continue forward. Ikkaku, I assume that you're in favor of going back with the information we've retrieved."

"Damn right," Ikkaku said. "But I'm not going to abandon my comrades," he added. "If the vote is to stay to find Rukia then I'll stay as well."

"Hanataro, I assume that you're in favor of staying here to find Lieutenant Kuchiki, alive or dead." Hanataro only nodded. Tatsuki looked at Nemu.

"I am afraid that I must abstain from this vote," Nemu said. "I am not programmed nor was I given permission by Captain Kurotsuchi to make any decision regarding the course of action of this mission." Tatsuki looked at Nemu, but Nemu quickly diverted her eyes.

Was she telling the truth? Does she really have the inability to determine her own course of action or the action of others? If not then why lie just to cover her refusal to vote?

"Then the decision lies with me," Tatsuki said and closed her eyes.

We did accomplish our primary objective. This information could be useful to the Gotei and they can form another expedition to return here that's better equipped with the intelligence we've gathered. It's what Captain Sui-Feng would do.

But you made a promise.

True, but I am an officer. We were given orders that once we found any information regarding Rukia's team's fate then we were to return. Doing anything else would be seen as a disobedience to direct orders and I was trained to obey orders. If I disobeyed then it would be taking an unnecessary risk. If we fail to return it will affect the political situation in the Soul Society and others may be subjected to this contamination. Returning is the only logical course of action.

But you made a promise.

I know I made a promise, but I have other duties that need to be performed. How can I fulfill them if I stay here any longer? If I lose myself then I won't be able to fulfill my promise anyway.

But you made a promise. You promised Ichigo to bring Rukia back.

I only told him that I would do my best. Is that the same as a promise?

It would have been for the Tatsuki who was friends with Ichigo, Orihime, and Rukia. You may not have exactly said the words 'I promise' but you told him that you would do your best. Would just abandoning her here when you could still go on really be doing your best?

Tatsuki supposed that it wouldn't.

Ichigo, the heroic fool. He took needless risks that no one would ask of him; that they asked him not to do. Yet he always seemed to prevail. They had to shackle him with the chains of duty and rank in order to bring him to heel. Yet it didn't stop him from doing his best to do what he thought was right.

If there's a chance that Rukia's still alive then would it be right to just leave her here?

"Well?" Ikkaku said.

Tatsuki opened her eyes. "We'll stay here and search for Rukia. We'll stay for as long as we're able to maintain our identity as Shinigami and soldiers of the Gotei."

Ikkaku sighed in resignation and said, "Fine. But the moment we start staring at each other as though they're the next meal then I'm out of here."

Tatsuki smiled. "Fair enough. Now let's get going. We've wasted enough time as it is." Tatsuki looked at Nemu. "Nemu, gather that data and put it in your pack. We'll hand it over to the Captain-Commander as soon as we get back."

"Yes, ma'am," Nemu said.

For a brief moment Tatsuki thought she saw something flash in Nemu's eyes before they returned to their usual emotionless gaze. It was hard to say what it was, but it made her uneasy.

Well, this is a surprise. You're actually being less pathetic, Sister Dark spoke as they broke camp. You're actually putting your desire to be equal to the desired male before duty. Already you draw closer to the mask. But when you fall it will be my vices that drive us. So go ahead and seek your prize. I'll be waiting at road's end. The Dragon laughed.

Benvolio

"I want you to send this to the Prima Spada in his chambers," Benvolio said as he finished carving the last rune of his message into a small tablet of clay. He pressed his seal, a crowned skull surrounded by vines and a halo of daggers, into the soft clay and handed it to the messenger clad in ivory shirt with gold embroidery at the collar and pants tucked into dark grey boots.

"As you wish, your majesty," the messenger said.

"Tell my chamberlain that I will be in my private chamber and do not wish to be disturbed by anyone other than the Prima Spada."

"Yes, sire," the messenger said before he walked out of the greeting chamber. Benvolio sighed as he stood and made his way to the silvery moon-wood doors at the other end of the chamber and opened it.

He made his way down the empty hall, removing the crown from his head as he went. The soft glow of the luminescent minerals embedded in the designs carved into the wall soothed him. The sculptured busts of the past God-Kings seemed to look at him with their stony eyes, but Benvolio was never bothered by them. He had a better idea of what his course of action should be after he talked with the other Spade Imperiali. Once Edwyn received his message he knew his Prima Spada would see him to discuss it in further detail. He came to the twin ornate silver-wood doors that led to his private chambers and stopped.

He placed a hand on one of the doors and frowned when he felt the Reiatsu beyond. He looked around to ensure that the hall was still empty before opening the great silver-wood doors. The room beyond was barely ornate, but shadows of opulence that once covered nearly every inch of the room remained in places. The stained-glass windows depicting the Glorification, when the moon would become the sun, shone with bright colors. Many of the tapestries and gilded works of art were gone, sold to various merchants or used to repay part of the Empire's debts.

The room was now Spartan, with only the bed and reading chairs remaining. A stone shelf now lined one end of the sitting chamber and it was filled with books taken from Las Noches. A fire blazed in the chamber's hearth.

Standing by the shelves was a tall, pale figure clad completely in black. The hierro of his bald head was thin enough to show the blood vessels clinging to his skull. The man's lips were painted blood-red and his eyes were pale silvery-blue and luminescent, like those of a fish from the depths of the World of the Living. His mask fragment was the lower jawbone of a fish with long thin fangs digging into the sides of his neck creating the effect that he was wearing a choke-collar.

Benvolio saw the title of the book the man was reading: Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.

"How was your council meeting?" the man asked in a cold smooth voice that sent chills down the God-King's spine.

"I do not recall granting you an audience, Mephisto," Benvolio said. "You may be an envoy from the Sons of the Mantis, but that does not mean that you can enter my chambers without my expressed permission."

Mephisto closed the book and looked at Benvolio. The God-King had to repress the shudder caused by looking into those dead eyes and he resisted the urge to look away. Mephisto's smile was both charming and yet eerie as there was no true warmth to it.

"I do apologize, your majesty. I was merely curious to see what you did with the chambers ever since you replaced Caligula. I must admit that I find it rather dull."

"What does it matter to me if you find it dull? It suits my needs," Benvolio said. "Come now, it's clear that you did not enter my chambers merely out of curiosity. What do you want with me, Mephisto?"

"Very well then, I shall get to the meat as it were. I need to know what your decision is. My father is getting rather upset at your dodging his messages. He is quite patient when waiting for a process to be completed, he understands bureaucracy, but needless delays vex him."

"And what do I care if Delgado is upset with me? His influence is disrupting the peace. I will not permit any of my subjects to be treated in such a horrific manner. There was too much of that going on during Caligula's reign and I will not have such unnecessary torment mar my own reign."

Mephisto smiled as he returned the book to its place on a shelf. He turned to face Benvolio, his long thin fingers laced together behind his back. Benvolio took a step forward, hand on the pommel of his sword. He prepared to gather the Reiatsu around him, hoping that the display of strength would be enough to intimidate the man in black.

He reached for the currents of Energy that flowed through Hueco Mundo and paused. Surprise flashed across his face. He could not gather Reiatsu to him. It was as though something was keeping it away from him, the way that the encircling mountains held back the sands from the basin.

This can't be possible, he thought.

Mephisto smiled, his pale eyes seemed to blaze with amusement.

"There's no need for such cheap tricks, your majesty. I merely want to talk."

"How are you doing this?"

"An insignificant question. All that you need to know, sire, is that I can. If the lazy Wolf King was here he wouldn't be able to gather enough Energy to light a candle." Mephisto's smile faded and his pale eyes narrowed, making him look more imposing and formidable than many Arrancars whom Benvolio had to deal with. The only other Arrancar who Benvolio found himself truly uneasy with was Dorian Narciss. "Now, are you willing to listen to my father's proposal or not?"

Tatsuki

The tall jagged cliffs rose on either side of the narrow and rocky path, putting Tatsuki in mind of fangs. She'd have laughed at the obvious analogy for menace in a movie, but she wasn't laughing. This place, for all of Hueco Mundo's states of corrupting, felt wrong on a level that even Octavia's wrongness hadn't been able to reach.

The wind that howled through the valley did make it sound as if the very stones were screaming. Tatsuki felt that the Valley of Screams deserved its name and that troubled her. She felt her nerves on edge and every muscle was tensed, ready to act. Adrenaline pumped through her already, preparing her to fight or to fly.

"I hate this place," Ikkaku muttered as he reached the top of a steep slope. That almost made her smirk. It was such a simple summation for what she was feeling that it made her thoughts sound like some melodramatic literary student. But it was a spark quickly blown out.

"It is getting darker up ahead," Nemu said.

No shit. Way to state the obvious, Tatsuki thought.

"Shall I make a light?"

Tatsuki didn't say anything nor take the time to think about it. She fired a cero into the growing darkness ahead of them. The light it cast showed her jagged rocks and bones littering the path ahead. Yet there was something about the tunnel beyond that struck Tatsuki as odd.

"Eurydice," Nemu said. Tatsuki looked at her and was not surprised to see that Nemu seemed as unconcerned as ever.

"What is it?"

"I do not believe that this valley was made by natural rock formations."

Tatsuki looked at the cliff above the tunnel ahead and saw that it sloped. She looked at the jagged peaks and saw that they rose at regular intervals and curved towards each other. It was like the ribcage of some great beast. It wasn't a mouth, but rather a corpse.

That was when she noticed the roundness of the tunnel's entrance. It was like an empty eye socket. She swallowed the saliva that had built up in her mouth. She now understood that this was the remains of a great beast, but she had no idea if the Valley of Screams was composed of the fossilized remains of hundreds of such creatures that died in combat. As the eons passed, the mountains formed from the blowing sands and the shifts of the forest below and times where the environment became harsh enough to harden the sand.

The result of cataclysm was the creation of this place where the remains of ancient creatures and natural phenomena shaped the landscape.

A cruel and tragic history lined with menace, all conjured in her mind but she could not dismiss it as mere fancy.

Am I going mad?

Hardly, the Dragon whispered. It just means that you're seeing things clearly. All creation is born from destruction. Now, what else do you see?

Tatsuki looked at the bones littering the path and shuddered. Those bones left no doubt that there was something else lurking in this ancient grave. Something that lived and hungered. Her mind began to conjure images from horror movies she watched while alive, of ghouls feasting on the newly buried corpses and of slimy creatures rising out of fog-shrouded swamps to attack nubile girls and young boys. Death defiling life in the cold and dark.

"Do we really have to go in there?" Hanataro moaned.

Tatsuki shook herself form her thoughts and looked at Hanataro. He looked pale and frightened enough to bolt or faint.

"Yeah, yeah we do," Tatsuki said. "But I want everyone to be on their guard. Some of those bones look a little too fresh for my liking.

"Shouldn't we at least have some light?" Ikkaku asked as he looked into the darkness beyond the gaping hole.

Tatsuki now thought about it. Light was a double-edged sword in these kinds of situations. On the one hand it would enable them to see a threat before it got too close, but on the other hand it could serve as a beacon for any enemy.

"Only enough to light our way," Tatsuki said. "Nothing stronger than a faint glow. Nemu, can you handle it?"

Nemu nodded as she held out her left hand. A small orb of Reiatsu began to form and it cast a soft light, no stronger than a glow stick. Tatsuki nodded her head in approval.

"Alright, let's go. Nemu, you have the light so you lead the way. Ikkaku, you bring up the rear. In case anything tries to ambush us from behind in the dark I want an experienced fighter there."

"You got it," Ikkaku said.

"Hanataro, I need you to keep your Pesquisa open. Light and your ability will be our advanced warnings of anything coming towards us."

Hanataro nodded and she could tell that he was nervous. He had never had so much responsibility placed on his shoulders before. Yet he was willing to take up the burden when he needed to, even when he was afraid.

"Alright, let's get going," Tatsuki said and they walked into the darkness within the remains of the long dead titan.

It didn't take long for them to be swallowed by the darkness. Ten paces after entering the tunnel and Tatsuki began to feel uneasy. It was as though some necromancy brought life back to the ancient leviathan so that it could swallow them into its bowels.

Coming here was a mistake. There was no doubt in Tatsuki's mind about that now. But her instincts told her that a single step back would escalate their peril. She looked at the others in the dim light and saw that the others felt uneasy as well. Their attention was on her. She was their leader and she had to set the example. She did not break her stride and called on her training to control her features. If she panicked then they would also panic, with the exception of Nemu.

The tunnel sloped down gently, but if felt as though they were falling with each step. The orb of light Nemu made was faint but it allowed them some visibility. Tatsuki could barely make out the smooth curve of bone giving way to the sharp edge of stone. Their footsteps caused the bones that littered the path to crunch and Tatsuki wondered how many creatures came here only to find death.

That's not the right question, the voice of the Dragon murmured from deep in her psyche. The right question is how many of them were brought here to die.

Tatsuki shuddered and fear began to sharpen her senses.

She could smell the tunnel now. It was a horrible reek as though the ancient beast was still rotting and not picked clean by scavengers and the sands of time. It was the smell of death.

Nemu stopped for a moment and they did the same. Ikkaku's eyes darted around into the darkness around him and he gritted his teeth.

"What is it?" Tatsuki whispered, but she felt as though her whisper might as well have been a shout.

"There is something with us," Nemu said. Her tone was unchanged, and Tatsuki wondered if it was her training or true apathy. But the priority for that was low.

Tatsuki scanned the area around them. She couldn't see anything, but she thought she heard the clicking sound of nails on stone and a skittering sound as something moved in the darkness. She saw Hanataro biting his tongue in order to suppress the moan that was trying to escape him.

"What do we do now?" Ikkaku asked. Tatsuki noticed how uneasy his voice sounded despite the glint of bare steel in Nemu's faint light.

Tatsuki thought about it. She knew that they couldn't go back now. They were too deep inside the monster and the road back was most likely blocked by whatever was waiting in the darkness. Going back would mean certain death. She knew it and she was certain that the others knew it too.

Something's driving us in one direction, she thought. Gods, why did we come to this place? Why didn't I heed my instincts before we entered this dark abyss? Why did I think that the warning on the map had no real bite to it?

They heard a clicking sound coming from behind them. Tatsuki knew that sound, she had made it herself on cold winter days. It was the sound that teeth being clacked together made. It was followed by a soft chirping sound like a cat would make while hunting prey. And that was when the realization truly came upon her. It was fear made manifest and no rumor or rumor of rumors could possibly even begin to describe it.

We're being hunted.

"We need to go forward," she said.

"Fuck," Ikkaku whispered.

Tatsuki felt as though her feet were weighed down with slabs of lead, but she moved them forward. The others followed her. Tatsuki could feel her heart beat quicken in her chest with the growing terror rising inside her. If she could see their enemy then she might not be so afraid, but the darkness kept them hidden. This place was the manifestation of the oldest and strongest of mankind's fear: the fear of the unknown.

The sounds of the things in the dark grew behind them, but now she thought she could the sounds around them. She hoped that it was merely an echo, but the deepest part of her mind was afraid that it wasn't.

Nemu stopped again and the others stopped just behind her, keeping close to the light in Nemu's hand.

"What is…?" Tatsuki began.

That was when she raised her hand and fired the orb of light upward. The orb brightened burst like a flare. The flash it made revealed that they were in a round chamber with tunnels radiating from it like the spokes of a wheel.

Yet it was what the flash of light revealed that caused Hanataro to scream and Tatsuki to panic. Ikkaku released a cry of surprise and fear as well. Only Nemu didn't make a sound.

They had seen the creatures before, in Octavia. They had been drugged at the time, but now they were seeing them as they truly were. The thin nearly skeletal creatures surrounded them. Some of them, the youngest of the Eaters perhaps, released a hiss of pain as the light fell upon them. Others screamed before breaking into quick chattering that made Tatsuki think of the cries that cicadas made in the summer time. Their long claws scraped against stone. Some of them hunkered over bones like misers over their money.

She remembered the single word written on the map next the Valley of Screams: MUERTE.

"Oh…fuck," Tatsuki muttered. "What did I get us into?"

The light began to die and now Tatsuki saw their eyes glowing in the darkness. They were coming closer. Tatsuki wanted the light again, but the only light they had were the oncoming glow of the creatures' eyes. They knew that they had no reason to hide.

The four Reapers stood back-to-back. Tatsuki felt her courage fail her as she watched the approaching eyes and the chattering become louder, sounding more like hail striking pavement. Soul Reapers were eaten by Hollows, it was a fact of nature. A fate they all knew could come in any mission. But these were somehow lower than Hollows, and she feared that being devoured by these creatures would be a far worse fate.

Some of them let out whoops of what could pass for laughter. The chamber became a cacophony of noise that was the definition of madness. They were greedy and Tatsuki knew what they were greedy for.

Knowing the situation helped Tatsuki to find her center again. Her mind began to clear just enough for Nemu's words to rattle her sanity again.

"Something else is coming," Nemu whispered as she stared into the never-ending darkness.

The Eaters stopped their advance. They lifted their heads and their pale luminescent eyes looked in the direction Nemu was looking at. Tatsuki turned her attention to one of the tunnels that led from the bone yard into the depths of the mountains. The Eaters began to scratch at the bone-covered ground with their claws and began to make a strange clicking noise in the back of their threats. A chill of fear gripped Tatsuki as she wondered what could distract these monstrosities from their meal.

Her eyes caught movement in the darkness. She couldn't see what it was, but she could make out a massive darker patch in the darkness advancing unnaturally towards them. Her senses could not isolate what was wrong with the movement but she could tell that there was something wrong. Deep in her psyche she knew that she did not want to know.

But revelation is not obligated to the wishes of individuals and it all-too often does not bring relief. As the shape came closer Tatsuki felt greater fear fall upon her, gripping her mind and her body with ice-cold confusion.

She could now make out a large something being carried on the backs of giant insects resembling horn-covered bed bugs. Nemu had no qualms about lighting the darkness. She released an orb of white Reiatsu, the Eaters backed away from its light and Tatsuki screamed at what she saw. Even Nemu, normally composed and who had witnessed the horrors made reality by her creator, let out a small whimper of fear. Nemu jerked as if barely suppressing the urge to step away from the abomination before them.

The creature that was revealed was nothing any of them could imagine except for in their darkest nightmares. A giant sack was being carried on the backs of the insects, squirming with the larvae inside. Throbbing veins broke the monotonous white, and sickly purple fungi was starting to grow in areas. But it wasn't the sack that caused Tatsuki to scream.

It was the creature that it was attached to. It seemed to be suspended in the air. A pale creature with an oversized head that looked to have no bone beneath, only palpitating flesh and blood vessels surrounding the brain that seemed to merge with the sack. Pale blue lightning began to spark from the ends of the quills that covered it. Its face was mostly a large mouth filled with sharp fangs that dripped saliva and venom. Where there should have been fingers and toes there were only long claws. Where there should have been eyes there were only two slits that Tatsuki could only suppose were its nostrils flaring as they opened and closed.

She couldn't help but look between its suspended legs and she nearly fainted. It was hermaphroditical, and Tatsuki suspected that it had the reproductive abilities of both genders. It was a thing that defied all nature, an abomination of evolution. No chance roll of mutation or innocent design of a predator, this creature was a sick horrible jest on life itself.

The Eaters here were its children and it was their father and mother. She knew this without knowing how she knew.

Yet it still followed some of the laws of evolution. It would only allow the strongest, cleverest, and most agile of its children to reproduce with it and it would only reproduce with the Eaters it felt best fit to bear its brood. More than a century of inbreeding in the darkness of caves beneath the mountains did to the Arrancars as it did to humans: it evolved them into a more grotesque being fit to survive in the absolute darkness than beneath the moon.

What Tatsuki didn't know was that they had stumbled upon one of the Eaters' larger hives. The creature that she was looking at was that hive's Over-Mind.

Tatsuki felt a sudden itching in the back of her mind. The itching intensified and became akin to having a migraine. She winced and began to rub at the back of her head, but the pain was starting to travel throughout her mind. Then the pain became a voice coming from deep within her mind.

Come to me. Come to me. Come to me.

Tatsuki felt her body move and tried to fight it. The Eaters swayed and the insects supporting the Over-Mind moved forward. The monstrous body wobbled from the movement and the hideous mouth opened and closed as though it was eating the light and darkness. Its misshapen hands squirmed causing the claws to click together.

Come closer. Closer. Closer.

It was a simple command and Tatsuki knew that she shouldn't obey. She tried to stop. She tried to scream. She tried to fight. She tried to delay this for even a moment for each moment she resisted was another moment for a chance to escape.

You cannot fight it. Your will is my will now. You are mine. Mine. Mine. MINE!

Tatsuki took another step forward. She looked to the others and saw that they were also trying to fight the urge to walk towards the hungry monstrosity before them. The Over-Mind loomed over them and seemed to be grinning as it opened its mouth revealing rows of long sharp teeth and squirming things that looked like pale maggots.

A stone went flying past Tatsuki's head and struck the Over-Mind near one nostril, ripping tender flesh and sending blood and maggots into the air. The creature roared and twisted, the new sensation of pain sending it into an insane panic. Its insect litter bearers were crushed beneath the shift and the mass of flesh fell to the ground with a horrific, soft, and wet thud.

Tatsuki felt its hold over her mind vanish. She stumbled and gasped for breath as though she had just emerged from some gas bank. She looked and saw Ikkaku panting.

"Ikkaku," she whispered.

"RUN!" he yelled as the small orb of light floating in the air began to dim.

There was no need to say anything else. Tatsuki and the others ran while the Eaters remained stunned. They didn't run very long before they heard the Over-Mind release a roar that was answered by a chorus of angry clicking and tacking and hissing of the Eater Swarm.

Tatsuki looked over her shoulder and saw glowing eyes catch up to them and heard the sound of claws digging into stone. The glowing eyes began to form a ring on the path behind them. She turned her eyes around to the dark path ahead.

"Left," Nemu said.

Tatsuki turned to her left and swung her blade. She heard a shriek as she felt her blade bite into something soft. She heard the plopping of entrails striking the stones before the thud of the Eater corpse.

"Right," Nemu said again.

She heard another Eater drop as Ikkaku killed it. It went on like that for what seemed like hours. Eventually the Eaters seemed to have caught on as they kept their distance. Some of their swarm ahead of the main group would race ahead, probing for weaknesses.

She heard Hanataro let out a cry.

"Above," Nemu said.

There was the sound of a struggle followed by a harsh gurgling sound as Hanataro drove his blade into the Eater's throat. Tatsuki cursed the darkness around them. She could hear the Eaters but she couldn't see where they were coming from and the echoes from the sounds of the greater swarm made it impossible to hear their attacks. Tatsuki looked behind them and could only see the tunnel behind ringed with glowing eyes.

Damn it, they're probably keeping their eyes to the tunnel walls as they attack. Shit, they could have them closed and using their senses of hearing and smell to track us, she thought. Those damn eyes are the only thing that's showing their location.

She nearly froze. There was now a blue light in the center of the ring, making the tunnel behind them resemble a malevolent eye. The Over-Mind was coming, but its pale light was still far away.

"FASTER!" Tatsuki shouted.

They picked up their pace. But the Eaters ahead of the pack picked up their speed as well. The attacks became more frequent as if the will of the Over-Mind was like the lash at their back. For a brief moment Tatsuki thought she could hear the chattering become a single voice crying out, "EAT YOU! EAT YOU! EAT YOU!"

Tatsuki didn't like their odds. Ahead there was only darkness and behind was that giant, malevolent, and pale eye.

"I SEE LIGHT!" Hanataro shouted.

Tatsuki and Ikkaku brought up the rear, cutting down Eaters that got too close. Nemu fired a Kido-enforced bala at the head of an Eater trying to outflank them. Its head exploded in fire, bone, and brain before darkness swallowed it again. The Eaters that followed it howled and fell on the corpse, tearing into the still hot-with-life flesh. Tatsuki winced as she heard the snap of bones being broken by powerful jaws and teeth.

"GO!" she ordered. She dared a glance back into the darkness behind them and shuddered. She could see the luminescent eyes of their pursuers, but there were a lot more than before. It was as if the entire hive had gone after them, urged on by the commands of the Over-Mind. "Nemu, can you block the path behind us?"

"I can," Nemu said as she attracted Reiatsu to herself in order to form a cero.

"Then do it. DO IT NOW!" Tatsuki shouted.

Nemu aimed at a weak point in the ceiling of bone and stone and fired a poisonous green cero. The greenish light exposed the Eaters for a moment, making them look even more nightmarish than Tatsuki thought possible. They shrieked and began to run forward as the ceiling began to collapse.

"RUN!" Tatsuki shouted.

They ran. Every few feet Nemu would stop to fire another cero to block the path behind. Yet it didn't do much good. There were many paths that led from the mountains into the Valley of Screams and the Eaters knew them all. Tatsuki could feel an itching at the back of her mind as the Over-Mind searched for them.

Every time Nemu blocked the path they could hear a hundred, no a thousand, shrieks of rage coming from around them.

Ahead, the light became brighter. They could make out the cliff of stone and bone begin to grow apart. They were nearly out of the Valley of Screams and the wind began to howl as though taunting their efforts.

It would just be our luck if we ran right out into a storm, Tatsuki thought. But I suppose that would be better than being chow for those things.

Hanataro stopped and Tatsuki nearly ran into him. If Nemu had not just blocked their pursuit again, she would have hauled him forward. But they had precious moments and her training told her to figure out what would stop him now of all times first.

"Hanataro, what is it?" she demanded, looking behind and around.

"I don't know. Something doesn't seem right," Hanataro said.

"Who gives a shit?" Ikkaku asked. "We can't stay here." Ikkaku looked behind them and his eyes bulged in shock and horror. "Oh shit. They're…"

Ikkaku didn't have to say another word. There was a cracking sound and all heads turned to look. A clawed hand was reaching out from behind the pile of rubble. It was followed by another and then another as the Eaters dug their way through the rubble.

"RUN!" Ikkaku shouted.

Tatsuki looked at him. She had never heard such fear in his voice, but she knew why. Squad 11, for all of their bravado, still had limits as to what horrors they could handle. The swarm of Eaters proved to be too much for Ikkaku and she wondered what Captain Zaraki would do in their place. Would he stay and fight, smiling as the Eaters tore at him while he slaughtered their swarms to his final breath, or would even he run from the abomination?

She didn't want to think about it.

"Hanataro, we need to move, now," she said.

"I know, but…"

"But nothing," Tatsuki said. "We're going and that's final."

She grabbed Hanataro around the waist and hoisted him to her shoulder. She ran, carrying him like that and so Hanataro, unfortunately, saw what happened next. It was a sight that would long haunt him and he would never share it, for good or ill.

His scream could not find a way out of his throat for what he saw was too horrific for any kind of sound. The Eaters were pushing their way through the rubble and behind them, far behind them were the shapes of two Over-Minds and the Eaters around them were devouring each other while other Eaters tried to rape their respective Over-Mind only to be met with claws and teeth. But that wasn't the worst of it.

He felt it more than he saw it. He felt that these creatures were being controlled by a presence greater than that of the Over-Minds. He could feel it, at the back of his mind, demanding this slaughter so that it could feast in its hungry dreaming. For a brief moment he could see the shimmering shape of something that resembled a polluted river leading into the very heart of a hungry darkness. He could feel the stream tugging at his mind, forcing him to travel its putrid currents. He tried to fight it, but he felt his mind travelling along its course, feeling it branch off to other hives scattered in the mountains, hiding in the darkest places of Hueco Mundo. Until…

A ghost image floated across his vision of an enormous hive of hideous and malformed creatures hidden in the depths surrounding a stone dais upon which lay a creature more abominable than the Over-Mind. Great, pale and luminescent worms with large maws of lighting blue fangs and tentacles seemed to squirm over it devouring anything that came too close. It was a creature that slumbered and dreamed of what its children were seeing. Its thoughts and hunger radiated from it, travelling along the links that connected it to its horrendous brood, making its hunger their hunger.

The creatures around it did not look human to any extent. Some resembled giant beetles with skull-like heads and others looked like giant slugs oozing poison and acid that ate into the very stones and some were like giant skeletal spiders. They were chattering the same word over and over again as if trying to wake it up.

Takhomasak, Takhomasak, Takhomasak…

Hanataro's mind watched in revulsion as one of the giant worms crawling over the creature oozed forward and thrust itself into a giant spider's epigyne. Hanataro could now see that the worms were all connected to the abominable creature's bloated, spine-covered body. The giant spider did not resist but seemed to squeal in pleasure.

Oh…oh gods, Hanataro thought in revulsion. He saw that all of the creatures here were bloated with giant sacks that seemed to squirm with abominable life from defiled seed that prospered in any body that it was planted in. They're all pregnant.

The picture vanished as Hanataro closed his Pesquisa and they emerged into moonlight. Hanataro blinked, glad that the image was gone from his eyes.

Nemu didn't look back as she fired another cero, this time to block the entrance into the dark tunnel that formed the valley's heart. They did not stop then. They did not stop until exhaustion forced them to at the valley's edge. Ikkaku leaned against a rock wall, looking at the cliffs on either side, afraid of seeing the Eaters swarm from some hidden cave.

Nothing moved and the screaming winds were faint now under the moonlight.

"We…we lost them," Ikkaku panted.

Tatsuki let Hanataro down and saw his face.

"Hanataro, what's wrong?"

Hanataro couldn't say anything. He knew that his face was pale and his eyes were wide. His body shook with the terror and revulsion at the final sight of the Eaters and the Over-Minds as well as the image he had of the greatest abomination hidden in the darkness. Then his mind cleared. He knew that sanity would return, but it would never again be fully intact. He was Fourth Division, he knew that not all wounds were from blades, and the exceptions were the ones hardest to heal.

There were some horrors that were never meant to be seen or known and Hanataro had seen two of them. Yet his whole life before Unohana came into it had been nothing but horror. If he saw the Eaters and the All-Mind as just another horror, no different than seeing the bloated corpses after a flood stuck in the muddy streets or in the limbs of trees then he would be alright.

"It's nothing," he said. "I just…gods…those…those things."

"Yeah, I know. It's one thing seeing them in cages. It's quite another to see them in their natural habitat," Tatsuki said. She decided that she needed to talk right now or risk losing her grip on her sanity. "The Arrancars must be used to them in order to hunt them down without a second thought."

"Good for them," Ikkaku said. "Let's get going. I don't want to be here when those…creatures decide to dig their way out of that tunnel. In fact, I'd rather not be here, unless it's with every last member of Squad 11 here to burn this place to dust and dance on the ashes."

"Right," Tatsuki said. "Hanataro, open your Pesquisa and tell us if you can sense anything."

Hanataro did. He knew that he wouldn't have to see that horrendous sight again and it was becoming easier now. He was glad that he had Thrall teach him how to use it properly. He had found it odd that the Pesquisa that the Gigai was equipped with worked properly at the beginning, but after a while it didn't seem to do much good. He wanted to talk to Tatsuki or Nemu about it, but he wondered if he should bother. He wasn't the best at using the Gigai and he thought that it had merely been a matter of user error.

That would be typical for him after all.

But the recording they saw made him realize that it wasn't merely user error. Now that they all knew of their situation he thought it best not to tell them.

He focused on his Pesquisa and felt no distinct Reiatsu ahead or to the sides. He could feel plenty behind them and recognized the corrupted Spiritual Energy as that of the Eaters. It was like being near a bunch of rotting corpses, squirming with maggots. Looking away did not make him any less aware of its vile presence. He tried to pull any attention away from behind them, but he could still feel the presence that linked all of the Eaters trying to pull him into the stream of its consciousness.

Just a corpse along the shore, Hanataro thought and returned his focus on the path ahead. There was still nothing, and yet…

…yet, Hanataro thought and frowned.

"What do you sense?" Nemu asked.

"I don't feel anything, but…"

"But what?" Ikkaku asked.

Hanataro shook his head. His frown deepened and his brow furrowed. "I don't know exactly, but I think we should be careful. Something's not right."

"Tch… Nothing's right about Hueco Mundo, and this place might win the prize. Let's just get the hell out of here," Ikkaku said and moved forward.

The Valley of Screams continued to widen before them. It no longer felt claustrophobic as it had just before the tunnel of stone and bone that formed its heart. The cliffs on either side seemed to flare away from each other. The skulls of ancient beasts seemed to glare at them from the rock walls. The dark entrances to caves seemed to stare down at them like empty eyes and they eyed them. A couple of times Tatsuki thought she saw movement in their dark and empty gazes, but it could have been her imagination.

If there's something in there then it's not Eaters. Those things would not hold back from a meal, she thought.

Hanataro stopped again. He sent out a pulse of Pesquisa that even Tatsuki felt. Ikkaku and Nemu also stopped and looked at Hanataro.

"Hanataro, what are you…?" Ikkaku began. He never finished the question. Hanataro's eyes widened.

"AMBUSH!" he shouted just as a tall figure leapt from the cliff on their right. Sonído carried the figure towards them swiftly.

Nemu reacted quickly, drawing her sword and blocking the swing of a great blade at the end of a short staff of bone. The figure dodged before Nemu could react and Tatsuki saw that it was clad in robes of Hollow hide and lined with hair. It wore an iron mask that was made to look like a malformed grin, revealing sharp teeth. A crescent moon was carved into the mask's forehead.

There was another roar and a giant of a man with shoulder length blonde hair streaked with crimson burst from beneath a boulder kicking up sand, rocks, and bones as he swung a great cudgel with bits of iron and bone driven through it. Ikkaku dodged the blow that caused part of a boulder to shatter. There were more yells and other figures came rushing at them. Tatsuki brought up her sword just as a tall figure with a long beard with bits of bone braided in its strands brought his own blade down.

"CATCH THE NELS!" a voice roared.

Tatsuki looked up and saw a tall, broad-shoulder Arrancar silhouetted against the moonlight. The sharpened lengths of bone and iron strapped to his back and shoulders and the heads dangling from them made him more imposing and his Reiatsu radiated aggression.

"WE NEED TO FIGHT THROUGH THEM!" Tatsuki yelled.

Ikkaku turned to say something and that was when the whip caught him. Tatsuki saw a flash of silver as the whip came towards Ikkaku. Its end seemed to branch out suddenly like five long fingers and she wondered if it was some kind of Zanpakuto ability. Each end of the whip caught Ikkaku by surprise, grabbing him by the leg before yanking him off his feet. As Ikkaku fell a tall thin man with dark purple hair with the sides sticking up like horns came rushing out of his hiding place in a dark crack in the cliff. His grin was so broad that it caused his mouth to open and he stuck out his tongue.

Tatsuki looked at the twin crescents branded on the tongue and saw that he was creating a cero. Before Ikkaku could do anything a bright violet light flashed from the man's tongue.

"IKKAKU!" Tatsuki screamed.

Before the cero could hit Ikkaku, a small purple cero struck it and caused the beam of violet light to go off course enough to barely miss Ikkaku's head. The man and Tatsuki turned and saw Hanataro with a palm outstretched.

"Well, well, well. That's something I never expected," the man said in a soft voice and yanked at his whip, taking Ikkaku with it. He swung at Hanataro with such strength that Ikkaku was swung with it. Hanataro dodged easily.

"Come back here, little boy," the man said, licking his lips. "We can play a little game. Won't you like to play a game with your pal, Jaffe?"

He swung his whip again and this time the five finger-like ends released Ikkaku, causing him to fly into the stone wall. Tatsuki tried to intercept him, but was stopped by a broad man with dark skin and bright red hair swinging at her with a great axe. His face and chest were ornate with shards of metal and bone driven into his flesh, a display of strength by mutilation.

Tatsuki dodged the attack only to face an Arrancar who would come up to her waist when she was standing with matching facial and torso decoration attack her with a pitchfork. She leapt back, blocking another attack from the pitchfork.

Just what I need to face right now, a midget and a giant, she thought.

She tried to find Nemu and saw her fighting against five Arrancars. She was using her gymnastic training to her advantage, dodging and kicking, tumbling and stabbing. The Arrancars were hard pressed and she was sure that Nemu stood a chance.

"NOW!" someone shouted.

There was a soft popping sound as a net caught Nemu. Tatsuki's eyes widened in surprise. The Arrancars who attacked Nemu had led her into a trap and now two of them rushed her. One of them, an Arrancar with shoulder-length grey and blue hair and clad in a long white coat with mask fragments tailored to it held a bottle. Nemu struggled against the net, trying to free herself as the Arrancar held the bottle to her face, forcing her to breathe in. Nemu's struggles slowed and then ceased.

"That's two down," a deep voice said from behind her. Tatsuki tried to turn to attack, but before she could she felt something hard strike her in the stomach. She landed hard on her back. Her sword fell from her hand.

"LET ME GO!" someone shouted.

She recognized Hanataro's voice and she turned to look in the direction. Jaffe held Hanataro by the back of his jacket, grinning.

"Lookee here, a pretty girly-boy," he said and laughed as he bashed Hanataro's head against the nearest boulder. He allowed Hanataro's body to drop and lay on the ground.

"Did ya kill him, Jaffe?" someone asked.

"Nah, it wasn't worth my time after all." Jaffe looked at Tatsuki and grinned. "I guess that's all of 'em. Ain't I right, Commander?"

"Yes. You all did well. All four are down and at the Mantis's mercy."

A large shadow loomed over Tatsuki.

Tatsuki looked up at the hulking figure standing over her. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and barrel-chested with long black hair. His mask fragment was a helmet shaped like the upper head and hood of a cobra. His armor was made of mask fragments and strips of iron. Spikes of carved bone and iron protruded from the shoulders and down the length of his back. The withered heads of five women hung from the protrusions by their ropey hair or were impaled on the bone tips. He wielded a large war hammer and a zulfiqar hung at his waist. She could feel the power radiating from the cruel-looking split-bladed sword, but nothing from the war hammer.

She looked in revulsion at the heads that hung about his waist, especially the head at his crotch facing towards him. He pointed his war hammer at her.

"You're mine, Nelliel," he said in a deep and rumbling voice.

"My name's not Nelliel," Tatsuki said.

The Arrancar looked at her and a cold smile spread across his face. His golden eyes flickered and the black slits for pupils widened slightly. He reached down and grabbed her hair before she could reach her sword. Another Arrancar who had the face of a scarred weasel grabbed her sword and examined it.

You allowed yourself to be snared by a trap used by cowards and weaklings against their betters? You truly are pathetic, the Dragon rumbled in the back of her mind. Tatsuki let out a growl of rage and frustration in response.

"You are an abomination and your soul must be saved from your own folly. The male must be dominant over the female. That is the way that the Laws of the Mantis and Nature demand. And I shall be the one to save you." There was no fanfare in the way the savage said it, there was only calm authority and absolute certainty. It was the tone of a true believer.

"I'd like to see you try, asshole."

He let out a soft chuckle as he thrust her against the cliff's stony surface. Tatsuki could feel her Gigai's hierro crack slightly at the impact and felt blood trickle down her face. Trap setter or not he was very strong.

"A Nel must not defy a Son for they are ordained to be chattel," the Arrancar said. "That's what it teaches in the sacred Scriptures."

"Fuck your Scriptures."

He sighed and brought her head back and then thrust her against the cliff-wall again. The other Arrancars laughed and jeered as she spat blood. She could feel the hierro over her face was cracked now.

"The words of Scripture are absolute. They are timeless and are perfect for they flow from the Mantis. We are His Sons and a son ought to obey his father in all things. The words of derision from a heathen are but the petty acts of defiance of a worm before a sandstorm. We hurt you not to defend that which needs no defense, but so that your suffering can be your salvation."

"Thulsa, we have two Nels. What do you want done?" one of the other Arrancars asked.

"We'll take the Nels with us. One shall be our offering to the Great Mantis and the other shall become first chattel. The Sons will have a foothold in these lands once the rite has been performed.

"Rexor," he turned to face a tall and lanky Arrancar clad in a coat made of mask fragments dangling from the cut hair of those he killed.

"Sir, what is your command?" Rexor said and he stroked his long thick mustaches.

"Send word to my father in Tesla that the Colony of Maluerta will initiate its rite for invocation. The Sons will have a permanent colony in these lands that is properly sanctified."

"As you command, blood of the First Son," Rexor said and vanished in a burst of sonído.

"What about the other two, sir?" another Arrancar asked, kicking at Hanataro.

Thulsa looked to where Ikkaku and Hanataro lay unconscious and smiled.

"We'll leave them for the Eaters. I felt a hive nearby and I'm certain that they're hungry. A fitting fate for fallen men."

Tatsuki struggled to get free only to have her face bashed against the cliff-face again. She felt dizzy from the impact and darkness fell upon her as the Sons departed with her and Nemu as captives. From deep within the darkness swallowing her vision she could hear the Dragon laughing at her.

End of Chapter 12

A.N.: This chapter marks two events: the first actual glimpses of the Great Schism and the fate of Rukia's party. It also digs into the complex relationship between three groups: the Luisenbarnians, the Triples, and the Sons of the Mantis.

This chapter puts the spotlight on three leaders: Benvolio, Persephone, and Tatsuki. Each has a difficult choice to make and they know that their decisions have consequences to them. Yet circumstances can come that take the choice away from them. A leader's decisions are usually not based on what they want to do, but upon what they need to do for the greater good in a situation. Yet they can also make mistakes, as the case with Tatsuki.

The character of Mephisto is inspired by Mephistopholes from Faust as well as a nod to the novel Mephisto by Klaus Mann. His appearance is partially inspired by Judge Holden in Cormac McCarthy's excellent novel Blood Meridian and the Ancients in The Strain.

The description of the Eaters is based on a combination of the films The Descent and Pitch Black, the works of Clive Barker and H. P. Lovecraft, the art of H. R. Giger, and the painting "Saturno devorando a su hijo" (Saturn Devouring His Son) by Francisco Goya. The Over-Mind's ability to use mind control was inspired by Aaroniero's ability of synchronized awareness. It made sense that if Aaroniero could connect with other Arrancars in order to send them information then he could also use it to control them, but was too arrogant to do so.

Thank you for reading and please review.

Soundtrack (Volume 1):

Shattered Realms: "Le Chant de Roma" by Taku Iwasaki

Main Themes: "Into Dust" by Mazzy Star; "Cities in Dust" by the EverLove

Operation Orpheus: "The Lark Ascending" by David Greed

Tatsuki Arisawa: "The Beginning" by ONE OK ROCK

Ikkaku Madarame: "Low Man's Lyric" by Metallica

Hanataro Yamada: "Carry on Wayward Son" by Kansas

Nemu Kurotsuchi: "Me and the Devil" by Soap&Skin

Ichigo Kurosaki: "The Taste of Regret" by In Fear and Faith; "Childhood's End" by Pink Floyd

Rukia Kuchiki: "Kiri" by Monoral

Orihime Inoue: "Tell Me Why" by Three Days Grace

The Dragon: "Become the Beast" by Karliene

Meditation of Grief: "Snowfield (from "Clannad)" by Shinji Orito

The World of the Living: "Dona Nobis Pacem 1" by Max Richter

The Soul Society: "Torn" by Nathan Lanier

Hueco Mundo: "Cavil Kills and Cavil Spares" by Bear McCreary

End Theme 1: "Breakthrough" by Kaname Kawabata

End Theme 2: "Scapegoat" by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]