My Place ж Prologue and Chapter One
My Place
Rating: R; language, disturbing imagery, possible adult themes.
Pairings: implied Szayel x Luke, implied Luke x Tear
Summary: Crossover with Bleach; back story for fonicfraccion. After the final confrontation and the freeing of Lorelei, the scion and his replica disappeared from the planet of Auldrant. One returned, but the other was lost in the stream of souls that surround the worlds. Where he would go and what he would become would forever alter who he was.
PROLOGUE
"Because, I made a promise."
Tear felt her heart leap up into her chest as the redheaded man before her said those words; those words she had been longing to hear again since everything ended two years ago. She started toward him, hesitating only a moment, before running toward him, tears starting to fall from her eyes. He was back... he was really back!
She was about to throw herself at him, sobbing and pounding against him and demanding to know why he took so long to come back. Before she could reach him, he caught her, holding onto her shoulders. Tear looked up, confused... before realizing that his eyes and hair were darker than she remembered...
"I'm sorry, Grants," he continued. "I don't know where Luke is."
CHAPTER ONE
A faint beeping with the occasional soft clack was the only sound that could be heard in the large laboratory. The only light came from a massive, multi-screened monitor that extended all the way up to the ceiling and took up most of one of the walls, and the only occupant was one pink haired, human-like individual, gloved finger tapping against the keyboard before him as he watched in some mockery of patience. Of his many tasks in his master's service, the analysis and monitoring of souls that could be taken in for his master's army had to be the most tedious. He would have much rather been dissecting something elsewhere in his lab - he certainly had many other, much more rewarding tasks to accomplish that would not jeopardize his goal of rejoining the Espada.
The glasses of the remnants of his bone mask flashed as he adjusted them, before he moved to turn away, bored. He was hoping he would be able to finish something much more rewarding before he was summoned by his master; but no sooner had the thought come to his genius mind did the screen suddenly flare to life and warning sirens started to blare. Were he anyone else the sudden interruption of his thoughts would have been startling, but instead he merely turned around, curious as to what could have caused the computer to suddenly spring to life like that. His fingers flew over the keyboard, making the machine zero in on the source of the disturbance, wondering what it could have been... a Vasto Lorde that had not already been inducted into their service or killed, perhaps?
The answer he received, however, was enough for him to stop cold, staring in shock.
"This is impossible..." he murmured to himself, waiting for the computer to correct itself. Still, the computer continued to display the strange anomaly, almost like it was mocking him and his intelligence. He sat back as he watched the computer tracking the massive beam of golden light that had set off the warning sirens. It was a spirit to be sure; one clearly lost from the way it was ducking and weaving unsteadily...
...and it was human.
Threading his fingers together, he paused, trying to think of what he should do. If he reported this to his master... well, it was doubtful he would be believed. Even if he did believe him, his master would bring this anomaly to new life... and then what? It would just be like every other arrancar and useless to him.
No... this was something he needed to capture himself.
Before long, he had the data for the human soul inputted into a handheld computer, allowing him to track the anomaly as it made its way haphazardly through the wastes of Hueco Mundo. By the time he had left the palace of Las Noches, he had already transformed, knowing that his resurrección would be necessary to capture the errant soul.
It took him far longer than he cared to admit to find it, and a great deal of effort to keep up with the damn thing, leaving him to sonído repeatedly just to keep it in his sights. He knew it had to have sensed him by now, even if it was just human, so why was it still running? Did it determine him to be a threat so quickly? Such a pity; he had not even done anything yet.
Finally the thing stopped, allowing him to catch up to it and gaze upon it in the awe that only a scientist could. It was brilliant; a burning flame that had a life and consciousness of its own, unlike any human soul he had ever encountered in his existence. After a moment, he realized it was not just a flame, but had a distinct, human-like shape; the reiatsu, the shape, what the computer was telling him... it was a distinctly human soul, but at the same time, something so beyond human.
Oh, he could not wait to study it...
A faint hum, like a bird's song, came from the creature, and it took him a moment to realize that it was attempting to speak to him. The hum changed in pitch, the sounds changing as well, and he waited patiently for the soul to settle on a language he could understand.
Who are you?
...and there it was. He cocked his head curiously, unaware of a human anything, soul or living, that could communicate directly to an individual's mind; yet another fascinating aspect of the creature.
"Szayel Aporro Grantz, lead scientist of Las Noches," he introduced himself, folding his arms casually before him as the wings of his resurrección form quivered, the only sign of his anxious anticipation to get his hands on the creature. "And to whom do I have the honor of speaking to?"
The creature did not answer; instead it reared up, and Szayel got the distinct impression that the soul was trying to peer into his own, as if to see what his intentions were. It would not succeed of course; it was merely a lost soul, while he was a brilliant scientist... but no sooner did the thought enter his head did a vision enter as well; one of a redheaded young arrancar with a mask he did not recognize. He was giving him a brilliant smile, calling him by name with respect - much like his fracción always did - before the vision faded from Szayel’s mind, leaving him face to face with a flaming human soul that seemed to be burning brighter with rage.
I will not permit this future to come to pass.
Szayel did not even get a moment to question what that was supposed to mean when the flaming soul struck out at him. He was able to use his sonído to avoid the attack of course... barely; it took his brain a moment to register the feeling of one of his wings being sheered clean off, because the burning soul had cauterized it on contact. Unfortunately he did not have the time to regenerate, as the soul was soaring around for another pass, and with its speed, he would not have the time to dodge.
"Tch... how irritating..." he grumbled to himself, one of the buds dangling from his wings expanding and elongating until it split into several long tendrils. They reached out for the burning soul, and though it managed to sear through one of them, it could not avoid them all. Szayel stumbled as the tendrils captured the human, holding onto it tightly as it struggled violently, even as he attempted to drain its energy into the bud. Eventually it slowed, and the scientist smirked, already well aware of the outcome.
"Now, now, if we had just talked like civil beings, you would have-"
Szayel cut himself off, realizing quickly that something was going wrong. His wings began to droop, feeling heavy even as the creature stopped struggling against him. It felt like fire was coursing through his veins, and he dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. No... somehow, this... thing was draining his energy instead! How... how could it do this? It was just a human soul!
Suddenly, he felt something stirring within the back of his mind; another consciousness, coming from the flames that he held in his grasp. He could just barely sense it, though... it was almost as if it was a part of the thing that was draining him now. However, this consciousness did not seem too keen on the thought, as a new voice filled his mind.
Lorelei, what...? Stop it!
The draining feeling suddenly stopped, and the bud he had captured suddenly started to expand... before it burst with a sickening squelch. Instead of the flames he had captured, a small and naked human body tumbled out, landing roughly on the sands of Hueco Mundo. The boy unconsciously curled up on himself, almost hiding his flaming red hair from Szayel’s view, before he finally turned toward him, tired green eyes blinking up at him curiously.
Szayel’s eyes narrowed as the two gazed at each other. This was the same boy from the vision he had just seen... but he was human, and he quickly realized from the lack of a chain or a void that he was also very much alive. Perhaps that was why the thing had drained him... to give life to this human? Then what was that burning soul...?
The boy spoke, the same unusual language that the soul had spoken the first time, only much more distinct. He recognized the tone as being the same: he was asking for his name. Strange that... the soul and the human were separate creatures entirely? The boy let out a curious noise, breaking him off from his thoughts, and he let out a very put upon sigh. There was no danger now that the soul was gone, so he returned to his normal form, sliding his sword back into its sheath as he answered:
"Szayel Aporro Grantz."
The boy blinked at his last name, a curious look on his face. He shook it off after a moment, before pressing a hand to his chest.
"Luke. Luke fon Fabre."
Luke... an English name that meant "light". How apt; Szayel let out a soft snort, and shook his head as the boy continued to try to speak, indicating that he could not understand him.
"As entertaining as your babbling is, I imagine you're not finding the sand very pleasant," he replied, earning himself a blank look in return. Szayel rolled his eyes again, motioning for him to stand. Luke seemed to get the idea that time, as he looked down at himself and turned a rather vivid shade of scarlet, trying vainly to cover himself.
"Ah, human modesty..." Szayel murmured, undoing the zipper of his coat, before dropping it on Luke. He blinked at it, before taking it, pulling it on quickly as he attempted to stand. He wobbled on the spot, forcing the scientist to reach out, placing a hand on his back to steady him. Luke looked over, managing a weak attempt at a smile as he shuffled the coat around his tiny frame, practically drowning in it.
Szayel raised an eyebrow; such a curious creature... he had seen his resurrección, seen him return from it, and yet he was not the least bit afraid of him. Was he that naïve, or had he seen things much worse than himself in his previous life?
~.oOOo.~
Luke fidgeted where he sat in the middle of the large laboratory, picking at the clothes he had been given. He was not used to being this covered up, and for a moment he wondered if because this much clothing was so uncomfortable and hard to move was what made Asch so damn stiff and irritable. The thought brought a smile to his face, and he fought back a snicker as Szayel entered the room. The scientist raised a curious eyebrow at him, and he shrugged sheepishly, earning himself another curious look, before the man shook it off.
Luke smiled again; if so many clothes made a person stiff, well... He glanced around at the pristine and perfect laboratory, at the perfect rows of test tubes, the perfectly polished computers and lab tables, and... Yeah, so far his theory was pretty accurate.
Szayel started speaking suddenly, drawing his attention over to where the scientist was tapping away at one of the many fon machines in the room. He had never seen this much technology all in one place, and he could not help but think that Guy would love it here. Although that thought sobered his mood rather quickly, and he sighed softly, wondering where on Auldrant he was and how he could get home. He was sure the others were worried sick about him by now...
Szayel turned and Luke perked up, blinking at him as he spoke that incomprehensible language. He shook his head helplessly, not bothering to say he did not understand him, because it was obvious from the look on his face. He had never heard such strange speech before in his life, and it made him wonder if he had ended up in some strange secluded island... but they had been all over Auldrant; how could they have missed such a place, even if they were not looking for it?
The scientist gave up after a moment, motioning for Luke to pay attention to what he was doing. He motioned to his eyes, pointed to the computer screen, and then pointed to his lips; say what he saw on the computer screen. Luke could understand that, and he nodded enthusiastically. Szayel seemed pleased with that response, because he went over to the computer and tapped in a few commands, bringing up a picture on the screen. Luke blinked at it, wondering how this was supposed to help them understand each other, before he shrugged.
"Boat," he said, and after a small pause, the computer started clicking and humming, as if it was looking for something, before a blazing red symbol appeared on the screen. Szayel did not seem too pleased by the sight of it, and pressed another button, making another picture appear.
Luke continued to say the names of the pictures that appeared, the red symbol appearing each and every time. Eventually, the computer started making noises as well, as if attempting to communicate with him, but he still could not understand it. Finally, some strange symbols appeared on the screen, and the computer finally spoke something he could understand.
"This. Language. Is not. Recognized. On Earth."
Luke jumped, pointing at the computer. "Ah! I understood that!" he exclaimed, the computer writing out the strange symbols as he spoke. Szayel nodded as he read the strange text, finally satisfied they were getting somewhere, but Luke was not so satisfied once what the computer said sunk in.
"...this isn't Auldrant, is it?"
Szayel glanced at the computer as it translated, frowning at the unfamiliar word; before he spoke and the computer translated it into something Luke could comprehend.
"This is Hueco. Mundo, a place. Where corrupted. Spirits dwell."
Luke's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "Corrupted spirits? But I'm not... how could I have gotten here?!"
Szayel let out a sigh as he read the words on the screen, adjusting his glasses in a very Jade-like manor as he spoke.
"I do not. Know how this. Came about but I. Intend to find out. From now, specimen. You are my top. Priority in terms of. Research."
Luke felt his heart sink down into his stomach as he scooted back on his seat. Specimen... that sounded a lot like Dist talking, and he knew how obsessive Dist was about his work. He looked up at Szayel, biting his lip.
"...w-what are you going to do to me...?"
Szayel just smirked, not bothering to look back at the translation on the screen. There... now the boy was afraid...
Rating: R; language, disturbing imagery, possible adult themes.
Pairings: implied Szayel x Luke, implied Luke x Tear
Summary: Crossover with Bleach; back story for fonicfraccion. After the final confrontation and the freeing of Lorelei, the scion and his replica disappeared from the planet of Auldrant. One returned, but the other was lost in the stream of souls that surround the worlds. Where he would go and what he would become would forever alter who he was.
PROLOGUE
"Because, I made a promise."
Tear felt her heart leap up into her chest as the redheaded man before her said those words; those words she had been longing to hear again since everything ended two years ago. She started toward him, hesitating only a moment, before running toward him, tears starting to fall from her eyes. He was back... he was really back!
She was about to throw herself at him, sobbing and pounding against him and demanding to know why he took so long to come back. Before she could reach him, he caught her, holding onto her shoulders. Tear looked up, confused... before realizing that his eyes and hair were darker than she remembered...
"I'm sorry, Grants," he continued. "I don't know where Luke is."
CHAPTER ONE
A faint beeping with the occasional soft clack was the only sound that could be heard in the large laboratory. The only light came from a massive, multi-screened monitor that extended all the way up to the ceiling and took up most of one of the walls, and the only occupant was one pink haired, human-like individual, gloved finger tapping against the keyboard before him as he watched in some mockery of patience. Of his many tasks in his master's service, the analysis and monitoring of souls that could be taken in for his master's army had to be the most tedious. He would have much rather been dissecting something elsewhere in his lab - he certainly had many other, much more rewarding tasks to accomplish that would not jeopardize his goal of rejoining the Espada.
The glasses of the remnants of his bone mask flashed as he adjusted them, before he moved to turn away, bored. He was hoping he would be able to finish something much more rewarding before he was summoned by his master; but no sooner had the thought come to his genius mind did the screen suddenly flare to life and warning sirens started to blare. Were he anyone else the sudden interruption of his thoughts would have been startling, but instead he merely turned around, curious as to what could have caused the computer to suddenly spring to life like that. His fingers flew over the keyboard, making the machine zero in on the source of the disturbance, wondering what it could have been... a Vasto Lorde that had not already been inducted into their service or killed, perhaps?
The answer he received, however, was enough for him to stop cold, staring in shock.
"This is impossible..." he murmured to himself, waiting for the computer to correct itself. Still, the computer continued to display the strange anomaly, almost like it was mocking him and his intelligence. He sat back as he watched the computer tracking the massive beam of golden light that had set off the warning sirens. It was a spirit to be sure; one clearly lost from the way it was ducking and weaving unsteadily...
...and it was human.
Threading his fingers together, he paused, trying to think of what he should do. If he reported this to his master... well, it was doubtful he would be believed. Even if he did believe him, his master would bring this anomaly to new life... and then what? It would just be like every other arrancar and useless to him.
No... this was something he needed to capture himself.
Before long, he had the data for the human soul inputted into a handheld computer, allowing him to track the anomaly as it made its way haphazardly through the wastes of Hueco Mundo. By the time he had left the palace of Las Noches, he had already transformed, knowing that his resurrección would be necessary to capture the errant soul.
It took him far longer than he cared to admit to find it, and a great deal of effort to keep up with the damn thing, leaving him to sonído repeatedly just to keep it in his sights. He knew it had to have sensed him by now, even if it was just human, so why was it still running? Did it determine him to be a threat so quickly? Such a pity; he had not even done anything yet.
Finally the thing stopped, allowing him to catch up to it and gaze upon it in the awe that only a scientist could. It was brilliant; a burning flame that had a life and consciousness of its own, unlike any human soul he had ever encountered in his existence. After a moment, he realized it was not just a flame, but had a distinct, human-like shape; the reiatsu, the shape, what the computer was telling him... it was a distinctly human soul, but at the same time, something so beyond human.
Oh, he could not wait to study it...
A faint hum, like a bird's song, came from the creature, and it took him a moment to realize that it was attempting to speak to him. The hum changed in pitch, the sounds changing as well, and he waited patiently for the soul to settle on a language he could understand.
Who are you?
...and there it was. He cocked his head curiously, unaware of a human anything, soul or living, that could communicate directly to an individual's mind; yet another fascinating aspect of the creature.
"Szayel Aporro Grantz, lead scientist of Las Noches," he introduced himself, folding his arms casually before him as the wings of his resurrección form quivered, the only sign of his anxious anticipation to get his hands on the creature. "And to whom do I have the honor of speaking to?"
The creature did not answer; instead it reared up, and Szayel got the distinct impression that the soul was trying to peer into his own, as if to see what his intentions were. It would not succeed of course; it was merely a lost soul, while he was a brilliant scientist... but no sooner did the thought enter his head did a vision enter as well; one of a redheaded young arrancar with a mask he did not recognize. He was giving him a brilliant smile, calling him by name with respect - much like his fracción always did - before the vision faded from Szayel’s mind, leaving him face to face with a flaming human soul that seemed to be burning brighter with rage.
I will not permit this future to come to pass.
Szayel did not even get a moment to question what that was supposed to mean when the flaming soul struck out at him. He was able to use his sonído to avoid the attack of course... barely; it took his brain a moment to register the feeling of one of his wings being sheered clean off, because the burning soul had cauterized it on contact. Unfortunately he did not have the time to regenerate, as the soul was soaring around for another pass, and with its speed, he would not have the time to dodge.
"Tch... how irritating..." he grumbled to himself, one of the buds dangling from his wings expanding and elongating until it split into several long tendrils. They reached out for the burning soul, and though it managed to sear through one of them, it could not avoid them all. Szayel stumbled as the tendrils captured the human, holding onto it tightly as it struggled violently, even as he attempted to drain its energy into the bud. Eventually it slowed, and the scientist smirked, already well aware of the outcome.
"Now, now, if we had just talked like civil beings, you would have-"
Szayel cut himself off, realizing quickly that something was going wrong. His wings began to droop, feeling heavy even as the creature stopped struggling against him. It felt like fire was coursing through his veins, and he dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. No... somehow, this... thing was draining his energy instead! How... how could it do this? It was just a human soul!
Suddenly, he felt something stirring within the back of his mind; another consciousness, coming from the flames that he held in his grasp. He could just barely sense it, though... it was almost as if it was a part of the thing that was draining him now. However, this consciousness did not seem too keen on the thought, as a new voice filled his mind.
Lorelei, what...? Stop it!
The draining feeling suddenly stopped, and the bud he had captured suddenly started to expand... before it burst with a sickening squelch. Instead of the flames he had captured, a small and naked human body tumbled out, landing roughly on the sands of Hueco Mundo. The boy unconsciously curled up on himself, almost hiding his flaming red hair from Szayel’s view, before he finally turned toward him, tired green eyes blinking up at him curiously.
Szayel’s eyes narrowed as the two gazed at each other. This was the same boy from the vision he had just seen... but he was human, and he quickly realized from the lack of a chain or a void that he was also very much alive. Perhaps that was why the thing had drained him... to give life to this human? Then what was that burning soul...?
The boy spoke, the same unusual language that the soul had spoken the first time, only much more distinct. He recognized the tone as being the same: he was asking for his name. Strange that... the soul and the human were separate creatures entirely? The boy let out a curious noise, breaking him off from his thoughts, and he let out a very put upon sigh. There was no danger now that the soul was gone, so he returned to his normal form, sliding his sword back into its sheath as he answered:
"Szayel Aporro Grantz."
The boy blinked at his last name, a curious look on his face. He shook it off after a moment, before pressing a hand to his chest.
"Luke. Luke fon Fabre."
Luke... an English name that meant "light". How apt; Szayel let out a soft snort, and shook his head as the boy continued to try to speak, indicating that he could not understand him.
"As entertaining as your babbling is, I imagine you're not finding the sand very pleasant," he replied, earning himself a blank look in return. Szayel rolled his eyes again, motioning for him to stand. Luke seemed to get the idea that time, as he looked down at himself and turned a rather vivid shade of scarlet, trying vainly to cover himself.
"Ah, human modesty..." Szayel murmured, undoing the zipper of his coat, before dropping it on Luke. He blinked at it, before taking it, pulling it on quickly as he attempted to stand. He wobbled on the spot, forcing the scientist to reach out, placing a hand on his back to steady him. Luke looked over, managing a weak attempt at a smile as he shuffled the coat around his tiny frame, practically drowning in it.
Szayel raised an eyebrow; such a curious creature... he had seen his resurrección, seen him return from it, and yet he was not the least bit afraid of him. Was he that naïve, or had he seen things much worse than himself in his previous life?
~.oOOo.~
Luke fidgeted where he sat in the middle of the large laboratory, picking at the clothes he had been given. He was not used to being this covered up, and for a moment he wondered if because this much clothing was so uncomfortable and hard to move was what made Asch so damn stiff and irritable. The thought brought a smile to his face, and he fought back a snicker as Szayel entered the room. The scientist raised a curious eyebrow at him, and he shrugged sheepishly, earning himself another curious look, before the man shook it off.
Luke smiled again; if so many clothes made a person stiff, well... He glanced around at the pristine and perfect laboratory, at the perfect rows of test tubes, the perfectly polished computers and lab tables, and... Yeah, so far his theory was pretty accurate.
Szayel started speaking suddenly, drawing his attention over to where the scientist was tapping away at one of the many fon machines in the room. He had never seen this much technology all in one place, and he could not help but think that Guy would love it here. Although that thought sobered his mood rather quickly, and he sighed softly, wondering where on Auldrant he was and how he could get home. He was sure the others were worried sick about him by now...
Szayel turned and Luke perked up, blinking at him as he spoke that incomprehensible language. He shook his head helplessly, not bothering to say he did not understand him, because it was obvious from the look on his face. He had never heard such strange speech before in his life, and it made him wonder if he had ended up in some strange secluded island... but they had been all over Auldrant; how could they have missed such a place, even if they were not looking for it?
The scientist gave up after a moment, motioning for Luke to pay attention to what he was doing. He motioned to his eyes, pointed to the computer screen, and then pointed to his lips; say what he saw on the computer screen. Luke could understand that, and he nodded enthusiastically. Szayel seemed pleased with that response, because he went over to the computer and tapped in a few commands, bringing up a picture on the screen. Luke blinked at it, wondering how this was supposed to help them understand each other, before he shrugged.
"Boat," he said, and after a small pause, the computer started clicking and humming, as if it was looking for something, before a blazing red symbol appeared on the screen. Szayel did not seem too pleased by the sight of it, and pressed another button, making another picture appear.
Luke continued to say the names of the pictures that appeared, the red symbol appearing each and every time. Eventually, the computer started making noises as well, as if attempting to communicate with him, but he still could not understand it. Finally, some strange symbols appeared on the screen, and the computer finally spoke something he could understand.
"This. Language. Is not. Recognized. On Earth."
Luke jumped, pointing at the computer. "Ah! I understood that!" he exclaimed, the computer writing out the strange symbols as he spoke. Szayel nodded as he read the strange text, finally satisfied they were getting somewhere, but Luke was not so satisfied once what the computer said sunk in.
"...this isn't Auldrant, is it?"
Szayel glanced at the computer as it translated, frowning at the unfamiliar word; before he spoke and the computer translated it into something Luke could comprehend.
"This is Hueco. Mundo, a place. Where corrupted. Spirits dwell."
Luke's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "Corrupted spirits? But I'm not... how could I have gotten here?!"
Szayel let out a sigh as he read the words on the screen, adjusting his glasses in a very Jade-like manor as he spoke.
"I do not. Know how this. Came about but I. Intend to find out. From now, specimen. You are my top. Priority in terms of. Research."
Luke felt his heart sink down into his stomach as he scooted back on his seat. Specimen... that sounded a lot like Dist talking, and he knew how obsessive Dist was about his work. He looked up at Szayel, biting his lip.
"...w-what are you going to do to me...?"
Szayel just smirked, not bothering to look back at the translation on the screen. There... now the boy was afraid...