Those Who Are the Arrancar, Chapter Three
Those Who Are the Arrancar
Mai Hime/Otome/Bleach Fan Fiction
AU, OOC, Original Characters, Yuri, Shoujoai, Action, Fantasy
Rated: M (for later chapters)
By: Vexed Fusion
Chapter Three
Australia was very pretty this time of year and Arika was always glad to have the chance to patrol Sydney. She sent her squad out and immediately began scouring the area for any signs of hollows. People walked around unaware of the threat which could possibly devour them at any given moment. Their lives were much simpler than that of a soul reaper's but Arika wouldn't exchange her job for any in the world. Or the other worlds.
She paused at Taronga Zoo. Kids were laughing and yelling and pointing at all the animals. They raced across the sidewalks and watched in awe as the chimpanzees swung from vine to vine across the water. Several were crowded around the tigers' dens watching with mouths agape as the large, striped creatures moved lazily about their enclosure and oooing when one of the beasts yawned large enough for all it's sharp teeth to be shown.
For a while Arika lost herself, like a kid, among the atmosphere that the zoo offered. She idly wondered if it would be the same were they to capture hollows and place them in cages for people to observe. The young reaper chuckled at her own thoughts and checked her cell phone. It contained a message that a hollow would be appearing in the vicinity of down town Sydney. Arika sighed and began running towards that area.
People, buildings, cars, and life in general was a blur as she darted in and out. Her zanpakuto dangled at her side and she could feel it itching for the impending fight. She had just turned down a crowded street when one of the buildings several hundred meters ahead of her suddenly came crashing to the ground. Humans began screaming and running. They probably thought it was some accident or attack.
Arika knew better as she felt the presence of a particularly strong hollow. She leaped onto the roof of a coffee establishment and then up to the high roofs of the surrounding buildings. As she came closer the hollow became visible. It was large and dark and had wings.
A vivid scream pierced through the smaller ones below. Arika saw a body fly into the air. In a moment's dash she had barely caught the young woman and landed on the ground below. Ground zero was filled with smoke and there were no humans left in the vicinity. Around her Arika could see several of her squad members fighting the giant hollow.
In her arms lay the bloody, beaten body of another of her members, Yayoi Alter. Her mouth gurgled with blood. She lifted her hand to touch the side of Arika's face and in the next moment her body went limp. Arika bit down on her lip to keep from screaming.
She carefully carried Yayoi to a safe place and then darted into the rubble and smoke. She didn't have to go far to find the monster. It was unlike any hollow Arika had ever seen. It's black body loomed over the other buildings. Arika thought it looked like a butterfly except for the fact that it's head was like a bat-mouth full of sharp teeth and eyes glowing red.
Where was the mask? Where was it's hole?
Around her, her squad was fighting fiercely but losing. Reapers were getting thrown into buildings or cut through by one of the monster's sharp legs. She saw blonde hair and followed. Erstin turned, her face bloody and her uniform torn. She could barely hold up her zanpakuto. Erstin smiled in relief at seeing the squad leader.
“Arika! It's not a hollow!”
Arika nodded as she went to the woman's side. They jumped, barely missing one of it's legs and landed on the perch of where the building lay on the ground. Arika studied the monster, but to no avail. It had no visible weak spots.
“Send back a message to HQ,” she commanded Erstin. She pointed at several reapers, “You! Cut the legs! They're the most dangerous part!” They nodded and dashed towards the dangerous being.
Behind her Erstin was explaining their situation and location to headquarters. Arika took out her zanpakuto and surveyed her surroundings. Something caught her eye. White skin, sparkling yellow eyes, and the spiritual pressure coming from her was immense. She shouted to Erstin to keep on with the attack on the monster and took off towards this person.
Arika stopped a stone's throw away from them. Up close she could see them more clearly. It was a young girl, maybe no more than an appearance of 16 or 17 years old. Her dark hair was pulled up into pigtails on the sides of her head. There were two small, black horns also sticking out of her hair. On her arms and hands were two giant, black claw type things which stopped just short of her elbow and extended past the hand. But aside from that she looked like any normal girl with a maroon skirt and t-shirt. But her face was eerie, devoid of any remorseful expression.
“Who are you!?”
The girl looked at Arika as if seeing her for the first time. Her eyes narrowed and in a move like a blur she was attacking. Arika barely dodged and tumbled off to the side. She lifted her zanpakuto and yelled out it's name.
“Sapphire!” It shifted shape into a large, blue spear-like weapon and Arika charged towards the strange young woman. “You're an Arrancar, aren't you?”
The spear was easily dodged and Arika felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She looked down to see the other girl's left arm jabbed deep into her belly. “Wh-who are you?”
“You'll find out soon enough,” her voice seemed so innocent but Arika could sense nothing but malice from this girl.
The hand in her belly stayed there while Arika struggled. She tried to raise Sapphire but had it knocked out of her hand. The spiritual pressure continued to rise, forcing the squad leader down to her knees. She stared deep into those lifeless yellow eyes which glowed with more intensity at each passing moment. With no weapon in her hand Arika began to recite any kido spell she could remember. But they were all too weak to be finished.
Around her the sounds began to dull to the point where if a needle dropped Arika could probably tell you what size it was from the sound. Her hands dropped lifelessly to their sides and she felt herself becoming lost in those eyes. She wondered how one person could hold so much power. This was probably akin to that of the General, or maybe, ten Generals. Why weren't the buildings around them also being crushed?
Lost in the black, in the dark, eyes hidden behind veils chanted things to her. She couldn't make out the words or the voices. She was swimming through an endless wake of death and anger and loneliness and hunger and, and... so many emotions. They bogged her down and made her want to cry, to laugh, to spit, to kill. This abyss would consume her. There would be nothing left.
She resigned herself to her death. She only hoped the others would flee or back-up would be here soon. Their death would serve nothing here. Arika felt her eyelids become as heavy as a thousand elephants standing on her face. She gave in and closed them.
And then she heard a voice. This voice didn't belong here. It was clear, crisp, and did not feel like anything else in this dark abyss. With all her strength Arika opened her eyes and she caught a flash of blonde hair. Erstin she thought.
Erstin screamed as she charged the mysterious Arrancar. The strange young woman let go of Arika to defend herself as the reaper threw every kido spell she knew at her. Arika slumped onto the ground as she watched Erstin. Erstin was fighting the spiritual pressure. Erstin was strong enough to rise above it as if it were nothing.
And then Arika understood: she wasn't bogged down by spiritual pressure, her own energy was being taken from her by this Arrancar. That's why she felt so weak and so drained. Now that she was no longer connected to the girl she felt her energy coming back and she was able to lift her body up. She looked over at Erstin, who had backed the white skinned girl into a corner.
Arika shivered. The girl did not look frightened at all. Before Arika could yell out a long, spindly leg came down. The butterfly monster, forgotten in the heat of the fight, was still in the air. It must have sensed it's masters danger. The leg shot through Erstin's body and held her in the air.
Arika screamed.
She dove towards where her zanpakuto was and made a mad dash towards the Arrancar. The young girl seemed unfazed, however, and simply stepped to the side, pushing Arika to the ground. Arika turned onto her back and watched in horror as the Arrancar moved towards her for the finishing blow. She closed her eyes, but the pain never came.
When she opened them, all around her were soul reapers.
Back-up had arrived.
The Arrancar peered around at everyone. She seemed to contemplate what to do with Arika for a very long second. And then in a flash she was gone. Several of the reapers above began to chase after her while the others took to tending to the wounded. Arika tried to sit up to see where Erstin had gone to. She caught a glimpse of blonde hair and saw the girl lying on the ground and not breathing.
Arika tried to crawl over to the girl but was pushed onto her back by several units from division four. A group surrounded Erstin and began to tend to her.
“The others,” Arika gurgled. Blood was filling her mouth from her throat and she coughed.
“They-... They're being looked after at the moment,” Arika recognized the voice as Kotetsu Isane. The elder lieutenant smiled and patted the side of Arika's head reassuringly. “We'll take good care of everyone, Arika.”
Arika could not take her eyes off of Erstin, however, and watched in panic as she was put onto a stretcher and taken from the area. Her wounds were like a dull pain in comparison to the worry she felt for her squad and for Erstin.
“Arika, Arika, are you with me?” She turned to look at Isane. “Arika, what was it that attacked you?”
It was getting difficult for Arika to breathe. The blood was no doubt filling her lungs if it was coming into her mouth. Around her, the hustle and bustle was getting blurry and she vaguely recalled the similar experience only moments prior. She managed to choke out the word, “Arrancar,” before losing consciousness.
“Maybe Lieutenant Huit has a point, boss. Like maybe we should just start playing a bit by their rules until she cools off. You know her screaming made me bite down so hard I chipped a tooth? I can't eat cookies for over a week.”
Nao was staring up at the twilight sky. She had to remind herself that it was merely an illusion so as to keep everyone somewhat sane considering the alternative of a world of light 24/7. Her boredom was increasing by the minute and not even her squad was able to alleviate it. They had all received a stern talking by Shiho before their next patrol-none of which Nao paid any attention.
She was thinking about what that Nagi had said to her. Not about the part where she could take the Arrancar's spot but about the Arrancar. Things for Nao had been busy during the time that Leto person arrived at the Seireitei. The redhead was being informally kicked out of the thirteenth division and she was trying to weigh her options about none of the other divisions wanting her. She knew she needed to get accepted somewhere or otherwise wonder the Soul Society as a free lance reaper and where was the money in that?
By the time she got settled down in the fifth division all the hoopla had passed and nothing much else was said about the Arrancar who staved off an entire squad without a scratch. Even Nao didn't bother trying to pursue the topic. If no one else was talking about it, how interesting could this girl be?
And then that stupid Shiho got herself lieutenant of her division and for the past couple decades it's been a non-stop war waged between her and that annoying, Tate-worshiping cunt. Maybe she ought to poison the girl's food again. Nao couldn't stop smiling the week Shiho lost control of her bowels during a pep talk to the squads.
“Hey, boss, what we gonna do about this? It's not like we can go against the lieutenant forever.”
Nao rolled her eyes and sat up. She looked to the few guys from her squad, sitting on the roof near her and waiting for her answers, “I don't give a shit. You want to cow-tow to that brat, be my guest. I'm going for a walk.”
She didn't even give them time to answer. In a flash she was already several hundred feet away.
Why bother worrying about that brat when there were bigger things afoot? What was Nagi up to, anyways? How would helping her benefit him? She almost hated him more than she did Shiho.
Nao stopped as she neared the fourth division. Stretchers were being hauled in and shouting could be heard in nearly every room of the main hospital. She peered over the side of the roof, watching the action. A squad had been decimated, it looked like. Though she couldn't tell which one.
The redhead moved around to the other side of the building where a pair of fourth division squad leaders were talking. She was careful to be as quiet as a mouse. She wanted to hear every detail.
“No, I swear. May Kurosaki strike me down. She said Arrancar.”
“Damn... it was that Leto?”
“No no no no, it was a different one. We saw Leto coming here as we were deployed, right? Well that squad from the eleventh division said they saw another Arrancar confirming what the officer said before she passed out.”
“Shit. Does that mean-...?”
“I don't know, but if I were the General I'd be detaining that Leto woman and torture her until she talks. No doubt she has something to do with this.”
“We don't know that.”
“Almost the entire squad was killed. It's as if someone knew they'd be there.”
“You know how powerful Arrancars are.”
“And there's another thing. They said they saw a huge butterfly. It didn't have a mask like a hollow.”
“Doesn't the thirteenth division captain use a butterfly in her bankai?”
“Hers is made of ice, dumbass.”
“Oh yeah, right.”
“Once the squad leader wakes up, though, we'll know more.”
“She might not. The wounds were really bad...”
Nao watched as they walked away talking about the wounded squad. She rubbed her mouth in thought and began moving across the Seireitei, not paying attention to her surroundings. She didn't care where she ended up as long as it was away from the fifth division. A new Arrancar shows up, kills nearly an entire squad, and gets away. Possible relation to this Leto person?
But then what would that mean? Is this Leto dangerous like everyone says? If that's so then maybe Nagi's insistence for Nao to challenge the Arrancar is a bad idea because she'd no doubt lose. What was this woman like, anyways? She'd have to know that before challenging her. Just being stronger than your opponent isn't enough. Nao would need every advantage at hand.
According to those guys she talked to at division twelve, Arrancar didn't use the same powers as soul reapers. They had their own way of utilizing the energy and manipulating and bending it to their will. Because spiritual energy was everywhere this is what gave Arrancar an edge in the fight.
On the other hand Arrancar can't perform kido spells and the release of their zanpakuto is merely an extension of themselves. It's true they do have weapons like releasing spiritual energy in the form of bullets, being able to trap someone in another dimension, and the stronger an Arrancar, the stronger their skin is for deflecting things such as blades or spells.
No one, save probably Unohana Retsu, knew exactly how strong Leto was. Her ability to hold off that squad proved nothing other than she could dodge really well. She didn't try to attack them but nor did they do much damage to her.
But what were Arrancar still doing alive? And why did this one have no memory of her past life? Unless there was someone out there still with the ability to make them. Aizen was for certain, dead, thanks to that Kurosaki Ichigo. But did that mean that his legacy died as well? Nao felt for sure that there was something much bigger going on here and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. Not because she is a soul reaper who must keep the balance but because the possibility of discovering a greater power than Aizen actually sent thrills and tingling sensations down her spine.
It would certainly break the monotony of day to day life, whatever the case.
Nao finally became aware of her surroundings. Soukyoku hill. Once a barren chunk of land leftover from the days of the Great Battle, now bustling with plant life and, for the moment, empty buildings. It became the setting of a yearly festival which celebrates the lives given during the Great Battle. They called it the Jinsei Festival.
She walked down the empty street. It was quiet up on the hill-which was how Nao liked it. She avoided nearly all the past festivals, opting for patrol or a nap. They were the same, year after year after year. Nothing but food, loud music, games, and the usual drunken suspects. The redhead preferred to do her drinking on the job.
Off in the distance she noted to the moon at eye level in the sky. Fake moon to go with a fake sky. But who was that sitting on the edge of the hill? Nao moved in closer, careful to conceal her energy and stay in the shadows. She noted green hair, as green as the grass under her feet, and crystalline snow-like skin contrasting the black of the soul reaper uniform. Skin that seemed to glow under the pale moonlight.
Nao held her breath as she watched the figure. It was the Arrancar. Who else? The woman's feet were dangling over the side of the hill and she seemed to be watching the entire Seireitei. Nao wanted to approach her, but she was afraid her eyes would give away the abnormal curiosity which she felt for the Arrancar.
She looked around, spotting a white Kinari mask-probably left over from last year's festival-and donned it without hesitation. Nao felt her face, making sure nothing was exposed; the mask felt smooth and cool under her fingers and it seemed to fit her in a way that made her think it was made just for her face alone, and no one else.
Pushing aside these thoughts the redhead stepped out from the shadows and filled the gap between herself and this Arrancar. The woman, Leto, didn't bother turning around and continued staring at the lights below.
“So you were what all the fuss was about? By the way everyone talks I was expecting someone ten feet tall with zanpakuto's shooting out of their ass with each bowel movement and burping flames of spiritual energy.”
Leto lifted her head and then slowly turned towards Nao. The Arrancar's eyebrows were knit together tightly and her lips were slightly parted as though she were going to say something. Nao stared into a pair of dark eyes, dark as the night sky; she couldn't tell where the pupil ended and the iris began. They sat on the woman's face like coal on a snowman. They could have been equally as inanimate and devoid of life except that they were studying Nao with great interest.
The redhead suddenly felt self conscious and was about to turn away except she remembered she was wearing the mask. Knowing that, she continued to stare at the female Arrancar. Her skin wasn't as pure white as she assumed it to be at a distance. There were tints of blue in a design of sort-but what sort of design Nao couldn't tell since they were too faint and they went under the sleeveless kosode. Leto's face was soft, but angular, and of European descent. Her green hair, which appeared unruly and unkempt, was actually spiked into a little faux hawk with the sides hanging down loosely around her face.
Nao decided that if all Arrancar's looked like this it was no wonder they were so powerful. They looked positively and absolutely human. Reapers often talked of how hollows like monsters, despite knowing they were human, but what should they do if they faced something that mirrored their own image?
The woman turned so that only one of her feet dangled off the edge. Nao observed her lithe body with a smirk and a swallow. She seemed like she could easily be squashed by someone like Captain Homamura (but then who couldn't?) but nor was she tiny like Captain Kuchiki. It was difficult to not notice the taught muscles with the sleeveless kosode.
“Can I help you?”
Nao remembered that it was she who made the first move, “Just wanted to see the famous Leto-...” she paused, searching for something, “na.”
Leto rested her chin on her knee and continued to give Nao a confused stare, “Na?”
“Leto-na,” Nao repeated.
The Arrancar shook her head, “I don't get it. My name is Leto.”
The redhead rolled her eyes and plopped down, Indian-style, several feet from the other woman, “Leto-na. Na is a nickname, means greens, or something like that,” she gestured to the green hair, “Green, you know?”
Leto consciously ran a hand through her own hair. The wrinkles between her brows disappeared as she did so and under the mask Nao studied the smooth skin. How tough was it?
“I suppose,” she allowed, “Is there something I can help you with... er... miss?”
“Juliet.”
“Juliet?”
Nao nodded.
Leto seemed unconvinced but accepted it all the same.
The two stared at each other for several more moments. Nao pondered this like two great predators meeting each other in the clearing and curious but not wanting to get too close to the other. Although she hardly considered herself a predator. Closer to a killer, she mused.
“What's with all the beaded metal netting over your hakama? Is this a new style? Like the Renji tats?”
Leto looked down at her legs and frowned. “They're to contain and trap spiritual energy. When I first came here I was emitting enough to subdue weaker soul reapers as I passed them by.”
“Fashionable.”
The Arrancar sighed, “It weighs a lot. They might as well have me carry around the weaker soul reapers.”
Nao laughed, “I'm sure they would accommodate that, assuming you didn't kill a squad, too.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Carry them?” Nao shrugged.
“No, kill a squad?”
The redhead studied the snow skinned woman for several moments and then asked a more serious tone, “You haven't heard?”
“Heard what?”
“You'll find out,” she played.
Leto turned more, “Does this have something to do with the injured squad?”
“Mostly dead squad,” Nao snorted, “And yes. And I don't know if I want to tell you. Seems to me it would be more fun to let them hunt you down.” She pursed her lips and watched for discomfort in the other woman, but none came. She sighed, “Well you're no fun.”
“I wasn't aware I was here for your amusement,” Leto began to stand up but stopped half way when Nao explained.
“It was an Arrancar. Another one. She apparently kicked the shit out of the low level squad. Most of them are dead already. The leader and a few others are in serious condition. I'm surprised you haven't been detained.”
Leto peered back towards the Seireitei below as though searching for someone, “They wouldn't find me. I'm surprised you found me, to be honest.”
Nao became intrigued, “Well why wouldn't I find you? It's not like there are many places to hide in this place. Everyone's energy is different.”
“But I cut mine off. I wanted to be alone, tonight,” Leto sat back down leaned back on her hands which disappeared in the long, uncut grass. She was much taller than Nao originally thought.
“Those things on your wrist, they suppress your energy as well?”
The Arrancar lifted a hand and studied the white fabric wrapped in a gold tether up to her elbow. She had the same look of disdain as she did for the netting over her hakama. Her mouth opened to say something but closed when she put her hand back behind her.
“And the gold trim over your kosode, I take it? They really don't trust you, huh?”
Leto's face darkened, “They ought not to. Aren't my kind designed to be killers, after all?”
Nao scoffed, “And Soul Reapers are trained to be cuddly bears. I thought you'd have a little more back bone than that. Don't tell me you buy into the bullshit people talk about around this place?” Nao surprised herself at that. What did she care how this Arrancar acted?
“I don't,” was the annoyed reply, “You think I enjoyed being attacked when all I came to do was find out more about my past? You think I actually like being here knowing that every other person I meet wants nothing better than to slice my face open? For all I care you reapers can go to hell and let the worlds collapse.”
A tepid silence filled the air for several seconds.
“So why stay here?” Nao's voice came out much smaller than she intended.
Leto let out a small sigh and looked up towards the night sky, “I don't know. To find things, I think. There has to be something more to my past than what I know of it.” She squinted at the moon, “All seems rather fake here. Can't really get past it, although you probably can't understand that.”
Nao stared at the Arrancar in silence. Who the hell did she think she was?
“Oh, poor little Arrancar, can't remember her past and wants everyone to feel bad for her. I see how you are. I thought you might be a little more interesting but it turns out you're just like everyone else,” she began to mimic the stoic, tenor voice of Leto, “Oh, I'm just such a victim. People want to attack me and all I want to do is find out about my past. Boo hoo hoo.”
Nao half expected the other woman to storm away but she continued to stare at the redhead in silence. And in a move which honestly surprised Nao, Leto began to laugh. Her laugh sounded odd-like someone who didn't laugh very often. Her cheeks lifted up into a smile which didn't seem to fit the morose mood that the Arrancar probably carried around with her.
“Is that what I sound like?” Leto asked through the laughter, “Oh man. I was hoping it wasn't so emo.”
The fourth officer smirked, happy to have the mask on because she didn't want the woman to know how amused she was. “Well you do and you are. You think you're the first person to have such a troubled life or something?”
Leto sighed and shook her head, “It's not like that. I guess I'm just a bit defensive. Aside from Lieutenant Kusajishi and Captain Zoku I haven't received the warmest of welcomes here in the Seireitei.”
“Who gives a rat's ass then? If you ask me that gives you an edge. Separates the people you can trust from those you can't. Besides, you're an Arrancar. Your kind killed many, many reapers during the Great Battle.”
The green haired woman groaned, “Severed monkey balls, shut up. I probably know more about your stupid battle than most anyone else does because of people reciting it to me.”
“Severed monkey balls?”
Leto rolled her eyes, “Shut up.”
“So what are you going to do?” Nao grinned under the mask. Severed monkey balls indeed.
The snow skinned woman became perplexed again, “About what?”
“Castrated chimpanzees,” the wrinkles reappeared between Leto's brows and Nao took pity, “The new Arrancar, you idiot.”
Leto's eyes reclaimed the seriousness from earlier and she stared back out at the Seireitei, “Why do you care so much? I don't even know you.”
“I don't know you either. I just thought maybe you could use a friend,” keep your friends close and your enemies closer, thought Nao.
The woman appeared taken back by that sentiment and searched for words, “Oh, well... okay.” She forced a smile, “Thanks.”
Nao just shrugged and played with the grass in front of her, “You should be thanking me. People would kill to be friends with someone like me.”
“You wear that mask for everyone?”
“Only you,” Nao retorted.
Leto studied the redhead and then licked her lips, “The new Arrancar. Seems to me I should make contact with them, don't you agree? It might help tell me something about myself.”
“Seems like to me you should ask yourself about yourself if you want to know something about yourself.”
The Arrancar just smiled softly, genuinely, “Seems that way.”
Mai Hime/Otome/Bleach Fan Fiction
AU, OOC, Original Characters, Yuri, Shoujoai, Action, Fantasy
Rated: M (for later chapters)
By: Vexed Fusion
Chapter Three
Australia was very pretty this time of year and Arika was always glad to have the chance to patrol Sydney. She sent her squad out and immediately began scouring the area for any signs of hollows. People walked around unaware of the threat which could possibly devour them at any given moment. Their lives were much simpler than that of a soul reaper's but Arika wouldn't exchange her job for any in the world. Or the other worlds.
She paused at Taronga Zoo. Kids were laughing and yelling and pointing at all the animals. They raced across the sidewalks and watched in awe as the chimpanzees swung from vine to vine across the water. Several were crowded around the tigers' dens watching with mouths agape as the large, striped creatures moved lazily about their enclosure and oooing when one of the beasts yawned large enough for all it's sharp teeth to be shown.
For a while Arika lost herself, like a kid, among the atmosphere that the zoo offered. She idly wondered if it would be the same were they to capture hollows and place them in cages for people to observe. The young reaper chuckled at her own thoughts and checked her cell phone. It contained a message that a hollow would be appearing in the vicinity of down town Sydney. Arika sighed and began running towards that area.
People, buildings, cars, and life in general was a blur as she darted in and out. Her zanpakuto dangled at her side and she could feel it itching for the impending fight. She had just turned down a crowded street when one of the buildings several hundred meters ahead of her suddenly came crashing to the ground. Humans began screaming and running. They probably thought it was some accident or attack.
Arika knew better as she felt the presence of a particularly strong hollow. She leaped onto the roof of a coffee establishment and then up to the high roofs of the surrounding buildings. As she came closer the hollow became visible. It was large and dark and had wings.
A vivid scream pierced through the smaller ones below. Arika saw a body fly into the air. In a moment's dash she had barely caught the young woman and landed on the ground below. Ground zero was filled with smoke and there were no humans left in the vicinity. Around her Arika could see several of her squad members fighting the giant hollow.
In her arms lay the bloody, beaten body of another of her members, Yayoi Alter. Her mouth gurgled with blood. She lifted her hand to touch the side of Arika's face and in the next moment her body went limp. Arika bit down on her lip to keep from screaming.
She carefully carried Yayoi to a safe place and then darted into the rubble and smoke. She didn't have to go far to find the monster. It was unlike any hollow Arika had ever seen. It's black body loomed over the other buildings. Arika thought it looked like a butterfly except for the fact that it's head was like a bat-mouth full of sharp teeth and eyes glowing red.
Where was the mask? Where was it's hole?
Around her, her squad was fighting fiercely but losing. Reapers were getting thrown into buildings or cut through by one of the monster's sharp legs. She saw blonde hair and followed. Erstin turned, her face bloody and her uniform torn. She could barely hold up her zanpakuto. Erstin smiled in relief at seeing the squad leader.
“Arika! It's not a hollow!”
Arika nodded as she went to the woman's side. They jumped, barely missing one of it's legs and landed on the perch of where the building lay on the ground. Arika studied the monster, but to no avail. It had no visible weak spots.
“Send back a message to HQ,” she commanded Erstin. She pointed at several reapers, “You! Cut the legs! They're the most dangerous part!” They nodded and dashed towards the dangerous being.
Behind her Erstin was explaining their situation and location to headquarters. Arika took out her zanpakuto and surveyed her surroundings. Something caught her eye. White skin, sparkling yellow eyes, and the spiritual pressure coming from her was immense. She shouted to Erstin to keep on with the attack on the monster and took off towards this person.
Arika stopped a stone's throw away from them. Up close she could see them more clearly. It was a young girl, maybe no more than an appearance of 16 or 17 years old. Her dark hair was pulled up into pigtails on the sides of her head. There were two small, black horns also sticking out of her hair. On her arms and hands were two giant, black claw type things which stopped just short of her elbow and extended past the hand. But aside from that she looked like any normal girl with a maroon skirt and t-shirt. But her face was eerie, devoid of any remorseful expression.
“Who are you!?”
The girl looked at Arika as if seeing her for the first time. Her eyes narrowed and in a move like a blur she was attacking. Arika barely dodged and tumbled off to the side. She lifted her zanpakuto and yelled out it's name.
“Sapphire!” It shifted shape into a large, blue spear-like weapon and Arika charged towards the strange young woman. “You're an Arrancar, aren't you?”
The spear was easily dodged and Arika felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She looked down to see the other girl's left arm jabbed deep into her belly. “Wh-who are you?”
“You'll find out soon enough,” her voice seemed so innocent but Arika could sense nothing but malice from this girl.
The hand in her belly stayed there while Arika struggled. She tried to raise Sapphire but had it knocked out of her hand. The spiritual pressure continued to rise, forcing the squad leader down to her knees. She stared deep into those lifeless yellow eyes which glowed with more intensity at each passing moment. With no weapon in her hand Arika began to recite any kido spell she could remember. But they were all too weak to be finished.
Around her the sounds began to dull to the point where if a needle dropped Arika could probably tell you what size it was from the sound. Her hands dropped lifelessly to their sides and she felt herself becoming lost in those eyes. She wondered how one person could hold so much power. This was probably akin to that of the General, or maybe, ten Generals. Why weren't the buildings around them also being crushed?
Lost in the black, in the dark, eyes hidden behind veils chanted things to her. She couldn't make out the words or the voices. She was swimming through an endless wake of death and anger and loneliness and hunger and, and... so many emotions. They bogged her down and made her want to cry, to laugh, to spit, to kill. This abyss would consume her. There would be nothing left.
She resigned herself to her death. She only hoped the others would flee or back-up would be here soon. Their death would serve nothing here. Arika felt her eyelids become as heavy as a thousand elephants standing on her face. She gave in and closed them.
And then she heard a voice. This voice didn't belong here. It was clear, crisp, and did not feel like anything else in this dark abyss. With all her strength Arika opened her eyes and she caught a flash of blonde hair. Erstin she thought.
Erstin screamed as she charged the mysterious Arrancar. The strange young woman let go of Arika to defend herself as the reaper threw every kido spell she knew at her. Arika slumped onto the ground as she watched Erstin. Erstin was fighting the spiritual pressure. Erstin was strong enough to rise above it as if it were nothing.
And then Arika understood: she wasn't bogged down by spiritual pressure, her own energy was being taken from her by this Arrancar. That's why she felt so weak and so drained. Now that she was no longer connected to the girl she felt her energy coming back and she was able to lift her body up. She looked over at Erstin, who had backed the white skinned girl into a corner.
Arika shivered. The girl did not look frightened at all. Before Arika could yell out a long, spindly leg came down. The butterfly monster, forgotten in the heat of the fight, was still in the air. It must have sensed it's masters danger. The leg shot through Erstin's body and held her in the air.
Arika screamed.
She dove towards where her zanpakuto was and made a mad dash towards the Arrancar. The young girl seemed unfazed, however, and simply stepped to the side, pushing Arika to the ground. Arika turned onto her back and watched in horror as the Arrancar moved towards her for the finishing blow. She closed her eyes, but the pain never came.
When she opened them, all around her were soul reapers.
Back-up had arrived.
The Arrancar peered around at everyone. She seemed to contemplate what to do with Arika for a very long second. And then in a flash she was gone. Several of the reapers above began to chase after her while the others took to tending to the wounded. Arika tried to sit up to see where Erstin had gone to. She caught a glimpse of blonde hair and saw the girl lying on the ground and not breathing.
Arika tried to crawl over to the girl but was pushed onto her back by several units from division four. A group surrounded Erstin and began to tend to her.
“The others,” Arika gurgled. Blood was filling her mouth from her throat and she coughed.
“They-... They're being looked after at the moment,” Arika recognized the voice as Kotetsu Isane. The elder lieutenant smiled and patted the side of Arika's head reassuringly. “We'll take good care of everyone, Arika.”
Arika could not take her eyes off of Erstin, however, and watched in panic as she was put onto a stretcher and taken from the area. Her wounds were like a dull pain in comparison to the worry she felt for her squad and for Erstin.
“Arika, Arika, are you with me?” She turned to look at Isane. “Arika, what was it that attacked you?”
It was getting difficult for Arika to breathe. The blood was no doubt filling her lungs if it was coming into her mouth. Around her, the hustle and bustle was getting blurry and she vaguely recalled the similar experience only moments prior. She managed to choke out the word, “Arrancar,” before losing consciousness.
“Maybe Lieutenant Huit has a point, boss. Like maybe we should just start playing a bit by their rules until she cools off. You know her screaming made me bite down so hard I chipped a tooth? I can't eat cookies for over a week.”
Nao was staring up at the twilight sky. She had to remind herself that it was merely an illusion so as to keep everyone somewhat sane considering the alternative of a world of light 24/7. Her boredom was increasing by the minute and not even her squad was able to alleviate it. They had all received a stern talking by Shiho before their next patrol-none of which Nao paid any attention.
She was thinking about what that Nagi had said to her. Not about the part where she could take the Arrancar's spot but about the Arrancar. Things for Nao had been busy during the time that Leto person arrived at the Seireitei. The redhead was being informally kicked out of the thirteenth division and she was trying to weigh her options about none of the other divisions wanting her. She knew she needed to get accepted somewhere or otherwise wonder the Soul Society as a free lance reaper and where was the money in that?
By the time she got settled down in the fifth division all the hoopla had passed and nothing much else was said about the Arrancar who staved off an entire squad without a scratch. Even Nao didn't bother trying to pursue the topic. If no one else was talking about it, how interesting could this girl be?
And then that stupid Shiho got herself lieutenant of her division and for the past couple decades it's been a non-stop war waged between her and that annoying, Tate-worshiping cunt. Maybe she ought to poison the girl's food again. Nao couldn't stop smiling the week Shiho lost control of her bowels during a pep talk to the squads.
“Hey, boss, what we gonna do about this? It's not like we can go against the lieutenant forever.”
Nao rolled her eyes and sat up. She looked to the few guys from her squad, sitting on the roof near her and waiting for her answers, “I don't give a shit. You want to cow-tow to that brat, be my guest. I'm going for a walk.”
She didn't even give them time to answer. In a flash she was already several hundred feet away.
Why bother worrying about that brat when there were bigger things afoot? What was Nagi up to, anyways? How would helping her benefit him? She almost hated him more than she did Shiho.
Nao stopped as she neared the fourth division. Stretchers were being hauled in and shouting could be heard in nearly every room of the main hospital. She peered over the side of the roof, watching the action. A squad had been decimated, it looked like. Though she couldn't tell which one.
The redhead moved around to the other side of the building where a pair of fourth division squad leaders were talking. She was careful to be as quiet as a mouse. She wanted to hear every detail.
“No, I swear. May Kurosaki strike me down. She said Arrancar.”
“Damn... it was that Leto?”
“No no no no, it was a different one. We saw Leto coming here as we were deployed, right? Well that squad from the eleventh division said they saw another Arrancar confirming what the officer said before she passed out.”
“Shit. Does that mean-...?”
“I don't know, but if I were the General I'd be detaining that Leto woman and torture her until she talks. No doubt she has something to do with this.”
“We don't know that.”
“Almost the entire squad was killed. It's as if someone knew they'd be there.”
“You know how powerful Arrancars are.”
“And there's another thing. They said they saw a huge butterfly. It didn't have a mask like a hollow.”
“Doesn't the thirteenth division captain use a butterfly in her bankai?”
“Hers is made of ice, dumbass.”
“Oh yeah, right.”
“Once the squad leader wakes up, though, we'll know more.”
“She might not. The wounds were really bad...”
Nao watched as they walked away talking about the wounded squad. She rubbed her mouth in thought and began moving across the Seireitei, not paying attention to her surroundings. She didn't care where she ended up as long as it was away from the fifth division. A new Arrancar shows up, kills nearly an entire squad, and gets away. Possible relation to this Leto person?
But then what would that mean? Is this Leto dangerous like everyone says? If that's so then maybe Nagi's insistence for Nao to challenge the Arrancar is a bad idea because she'd no doubt lose. What was this woman like, anyways? She'd have to know that before challenging her. Just being stronger than your opponent isn't enough. Nao would need every advantage at hand.
According to those guys she talked to at division twelve, Arrancar didn't use the same powers as soul reapers. They had their own way of utilizing the energy and manipulating and bending it to their will. Because spiritual energy was everywhere this is what gave Arrancar an edge in the fight.
On the other hand Arrancar can't perform kido spells and the release of their zanpakuto is merely an extension of themselves. It's true they do have weapons like releasing spiritual energy in the form of bullets, being able to trap someone in another dimension, and the stronger an Arrancar, the stronger their skin is for deflecting things such as blades or spells.
No one, save probably Unohana Retsu, knew exactly how strong Leto was. Her ability to hold off that squad proved nothing other than she could dodge really well. She didn't try to attack them but nor did they do much damage to her.
But what were Arrancar still doing alive? And why did this one have no memory of her past life? Unless there was someone out there still with the ability to make them. Aizen was for certain, dead, thanks to that Kurosaki Ichigo. But did that mean that his legacy died as well? Nao felt for sure that there was something much bigger going on here and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. Not because she is a soul reaper who must keep the balance but because the possibility of discovering a greater power than Aizen actually sent thrills and tingling sensations down her spine.
It would certainly break the monotony of day to day life, whatever the case.
Nao finally became aware of her surroundings. Soukyoku hill. Once a barren chunk of land leftover from the days of the Great Battle, now bustling with plant life and, for the moment, empty buildings. It became the setting of a yearly festival which celebrates the lives given during the Great Battle. They called it the Jinsei Festival.
She walked down the empty street. It was quiet up on the hill-which was how Nao liked it. She avoided nearly all the past festivals, opting for patrol or a nap. They were the same, year after year after year. Nothing but food, loud music, games, and the usual drunken suspects. The redhead preferred to do her drinking on the job.
Off in the distance she noted to the moon at eye level in the sky. Fake moon to go with a fake sky. But who was that sitting on the edge of the hill? Nao moved in closer, careful to conceal her energy and stay in the shadows. She noted green hair, as green as the grass under her feet, and crystalline snow-like skin contrasting the black of the soul reaper uniform. Skin that seemed to glow under the pale moonlight.
Nao held her breath as she watched the figure. It was the Arrancar. Who else? The woman's feet were dangling over the side of the hill and she seemed to be watching the entire Seireitei. Nao wanted to approach her, but she was afraid her eyes would give away the abnormal curiosity which she felt for the Arrancar.
She looked around, spotting a white Kinari mask-probably left over from last year's festival-and donned it without hesitation. Nao felt her face, making sure nothing was exposed; the mask felt smooth and cool under her fingers and it seemed to fit her in a way that made her think it was made just for her face alone, and no one else.
Pushing aside these thoughts the redhead stepped out from the shadows and filled the gap between herself and this Arrancar. The woman, Leto, didn't bother turning around and continued staring at the lights below.
“So you were what all the fuss was about? By the way everyone talks I was expecting someone ten feet tall with zanpakuto's shooting out of their ass with each bowel movement and burping flames of spiritual energy.”
Leto lifted her head and then slowly turned towards Nao. The Arrancar's eyebrows were knit together tightly and her lips were slightly parted as though she were going to say something. Nao stared into a pair of dark eyes, dark as the night sky; she couldn't tell where the pupil ended and the iris began. They sat on the woman's face like coal on a snowman. They could have been equally as inanimate and devoid of life except that they were studying Nao with great interest.
The redhead suddenly felt self conscious and was about to turn away except she remembered she was wearing the mask. Knowing that, she continued to stare at the female Arrancar. Her skin wasn't as pure white as she assumed it to be at a distance. There were tints of blue in a design of sort-but what sort of design Nao couldn't tell since they were too faint and they went under the sleeveless kosode. Leto's face was soft, but angular, and of European descent. Her green hair, which appeared unruly and unkempt, was actually spiked into a little faux hawk with the sides hanging down loosely around her face.
Nao decided that if all Arrancar's looked like this it was no wonder they were so powerful. They looked positively and absolutely human. Reapers often talked of how hollows like monsters, despite knowing they were human, but what should they do if they faced something that mirrored their own image?
The woman turned so that only one of her feet dangled off the edge. Nao observed her lithe body with a smirk and a swallow. She seemed like she could easily be squashed by someone like Captain Homamura (but then who couldn't?) but nor was she tiny like Captain Kuchiki. It was difficult to not notice the taught muscles with the sleeveless kosode.
“Can I help you?”
Nao remembered that it was she who made the first move, “Just wanted to see the famous Leto-...” she paused, searching for something, “na.”
Leto rested her chin on her knee and continued to give Nao a confused stare, “Na?”
“Leto-na,” Nao repeated.
The Arrancar shook her head, “I don't get it. My name is Leto.”
The redhead rolled her eyes and plopped down, Indian-style, several feet from the other woman, “Leto-na. Na is a nickname, means greens, or something like that,” she gestured to the green hair, “Green, you know?”
Leto consciously ran a hand through her own hair. The wrinkles between her brows disappeared as she did so and under the mask Nao studied the smooth skin. How tough was it?
“I suppose,” she allowed, “Is there something I can help you with... er... miss?”
“Juliet.”
“Juliet?”
Nao nodded.
Leto seemed unconvinced but accepted it all the same.
The two stared at each other for several more moments. Nao pondered this like two great predators meeting each other in the clearing and curious but not wanting to get too close to the other. Although she hardly considered herself a predator. Closer to a killer, she mused.
“What's with all the beaded metal netting over your hakama? Is this a new style? Like the Renji tats?”
Leto looked down at her legs and frowned. “They're to contain and trap spiritual energy. When I first came here I was emitting enough to subdue weaker soul reapers as I passed them by.”
“Fashionable.”
The Arrancar sighed, “It weighs a lot. They might as well have me carry around the weaker soul reapers.”
Nao laughed, “I'm sure they would accommodate that, assuming you didn't kill a squad, too.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Carry them?” Nao shrugged.
“No, kill a squad?”
The redhead studied the snow skinned woman for several moments and then asked a more serious tone, “You haven't heard?”
“Heard what?”
“You'll find out,” she played.
Leto turned more, “Does this have something to do with the injured squad?”
“Mostly dead squad,” Nao snorted, “And yes. And I don't know if I want to tell you. Seems to me it would be more fun to let them hunt you down.” She pursed her lips and watched for discomfort in the other woman, but none came. She sighed, “Well you're no fun.”
“I wasn't aware I was here for your amusement,” Leto began to stand up but stopped half way when Nao explained.
“It was an Arrancar. Another one. She apparently kicked the shit out of the low level squad. Most of them are dead already. The leader and a few others are in serious condition. I'm surprised you haven't been detained.”
Leto peered back towards the Seireitei below as though searching for someone, “They wouldn't find me. I'm surprised you found me, to be honest.”
Nao became intrigued, “Well why wouldn't I find you? It's not like there are many places to hide in this place. Everyone's energy is different.”
“But I cut mine off. I wanted to be alone, tonight,” Leto sat back down leaned back on her hands which disappeared in the long, uncut grass. She was much taller than Nao originally thought.
“Those things on your wrist, they suppress your energy as well?”
The Arrancar lifted a hand and studied the white fabric wrapped in a gold tether up to her elbow. She had the same look of disdain as she did for the netting over her hakama. Her mouth opened to say something but closed when she put her hand back behind her.
“And the gold trim over your kosode, I take it? They really don't trust you, huh?”
Leto's face darkened, “They ought not to. Aren't my kind designed to be killers, after all?”
Nao scoffed, “And Soul Reapers are trained to be cuddly bears. I thought you'd have a little more back bone than that. Don't tell me you buy into the bullshit people talk about around this place?” Nao surprised herself at that. What did she care how this Arrancar acted?
“I don't,” was the annoyed reply, “You think I enjoyed being attacked when all I came to do was find out more about my past? You think I actually like being here knowing that every other person I meet wants nothing better than to slice my face open? For all I care you reapers can go to hell and let the worlds collapse.”
A tepid silence filled the air for several seconds.
“So why stay here?” Nao's voice came out much smaller than she intended.
Leto let out a small sigh and looked up towards the night sky, “I don't know. To find things, I think. There has to be something more to my past than what I know of it.” She squinted at the moon, “All seems rather fake here. Can't really get past it, although you probably can't understand that.”
Nao stared at the Arrancar in silence. Who the hell did she think she was?
“Oh, poor little Arrancar, can't remember her past and wants everyone to feel bad for her. I see how you are. I thought you might be a little more interesting but it turns out you're just like everyone else,” she began to mimic the stoic, tenor voice of Leto, “Oh, I'm just such a victim. People want to attack me and all I want to do is find out about my past. Boo hoo hoo.”
Nao half expected the other woman to storm away but she continued to stare at the redhead in silence. And in a move which honestly surprised Nao, Leto began to laugh. Her laugh sounded odd-like someone who didn't laugh very often. Her cheeks lifted up into a smile which didn't seem to fit the morose mood that the Arrancar probably carried around with her.
“Is that what I sound like?” Leto asked through the laughter, “Oh man. I was hoping it wasn't so emo.”
The fourth officer smirked, happy to have the mask on because she didn't want the woman to know how amused she was. “Well you do and you are. You think you're the first person to have such a troubled life or something?”
Leto sighed and shook her head, “It's not like that. I guess I'm just a bit defensive. Aside from Lieutenant Kusajishi and Captain Zoku I haven't received the warmest of welcomes here in the Seireitei.”
“Who gives a rat's ass then? If you ask me that gives you an edge. Separates the people you can trust from those you can't. Besides, you're an Arrancar. Your kind killed many, many reapers during the Great Battle.”
The green haired woman groaned, “Severed monkey balls, shut up. I probably know more about your stupid battle than most anyone else does because of people reciting it to me.”
“Severed monkey balls?”
Leto rolled her eyes, “Shut up.”
“So what are you going to do?” Nao grinned under the mask. Severed monkey balls indeed.
The snow skinned woman became perplexed again, “About what?”
“Castrated chimpanzees,” the wrinkles reappeared between Leto's brows and Nao took pity, “The new Arrancar, you idiot.”
Leto's eyes reclaimed the seriousness from earlier and she stared back out at the Seireitei, “Why do you care so much? I don't even know you.”
“I don't know you either. I just thought maybe you could use a friend,” keep your friends close and your enemies closer, thought Nao.
The woman appeared taken back by that sentiment and searched for words, “Oh, well... okay.” She forced a smile, “Thanks.”
Nao just shrugged and played with the grass in front of her, “You should be thanking me. People would kill to be friends with someone like me.”
“You wear that mask for everyone?”
“Only you,” Nao retorted.
Leto studied the redhead and then licked her lips, “The new Arrancar. Seems to me I should make contact with them, don't you agree? It might help tell me something about myself.”
“Seems like to me you should ask yourself about yourself if you want to know something about yourself.”
The Arrancar just smiled softly, genuinely, “Seems that way.”