Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Negative Space ❯ Hellhound ( Chapter 5 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"Oh, my, god," I said, my words coming out like in sharp and loud spurts. In the large, warehouse style store my words echoed around the entire area. Thank goodness it was the middle of the night and the place was empty… and that I was made of reishi so only a few of the living could actually see or hear me anyway. "Raacharg! I found it!"

I spun on my heel and held up the bed set I was fawning over. It was perfect! White silk etched with golden swirls that danced across every inch of the fabric. It was the perfect match for the curtains that hung between the pillars in my rock. Or, I was pretty sure it was. I had been wrong the last time, but this one was a solid white fabric with gold patterns instead of the other way around. It had to be a match.

"That's hardly a match," he commented in a bored tone from his perch atop one of the shipping crates.

"How do you know?" I shot back at him. "Aren't you color blind?"

"I only look like a dog," he said in a bored tone as he lifted his back leg and began cleaning his foot idly.

"You sure do act like one sometimes," I said with a suppressed grin.

"My foot is dirty," he replied around the foot that was still in his mouth.

"And you're cleaning it with your mouth," I pointed out as I turned away from him and continued fawning over my newly discovered bedding.

"How else am I going to clean it?" He asked, his foot still in his mouth.

The grin I had been suppressing grew and I slowly lowered the fabric back into its crate. It would still be here so long as we returned before dawn. In the meantime…

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Raacharg shouted as I carried him under one arm. He was determined to free himself from my grip with his front feet scrabbling for purchase against my thigh and his back legs pushing against my butt and back.

It had taken me a few mere moments to haul him out of the warehouse and out to the river that ran down the center of the town. He had struggled against me the entire time, but he really didn't have the strength to overpower me. I found it extremely funny, especially when I thought about what his reaction would be.

"You wanted to get clean," I explained as I came up to the bank. "I figured I should give you a hand. You know, since you aren't a dog or anything."

"Tossing me in the river isn't going to make me get clean! My fur is just going to stink!"

"Excuses," I said, smiling. "People bathe in water. If you aren't a dog, then you must be a person!"

"Isa! I swear if you-"

I lobbed him up into the air before he could finish his sentence, grinning as I watched him soar over the barely ripping surface of the river. His body twisted much like a cats as he tried desperately to turn himself around, like he was actually capable of standing on the lingering reishi in the air. It was in vane despite his efforts, and he crashed down into the water. I waited for him to breach the surface of the water, only a little concerned that he would sink to the bottom instead of floating. My worry was for naught, because after a few seconds his head popped out of the water and his golden eyes glared ferociously at me.

"I swear, Isa," he half shouted as he began doggy paddling towards the shore. "I'm going to kill you."

"I would love to see that," I mused. "You couldn't even pierce my skin with your teeth when you found me. What makes you think you can hurt me now?"

"I was hungry then, but now I'm mad," he retorted.

"But you're clean now!" I pointed out as he hit the shore and walked up the concrete. Water cascaded down his body, making his normally smooth coat run down with the weight.

"I am going to smell like dog for a week," he grumbled as he gave me the most serious glare I had ever seen on his boney face.

"But I thought you weren't a dog?" I knew I was pushing his buttons, but it was just so stinking funny.

"I just look like one!" He bared his teeth at me to emphasize his words, his soaked hackles barely rising with the motion.

I let out a soft laugh and knelt before I rolled back to let my butt rest on the ground. "Alright, I'll stop."

His teeth vanished behind relaxed jowls and his hackles dropped. He let out a sigh before he shook violently, spraying water everywhere. I lifted a hand to shelter my face, but otherwise didn't bother hiding.

"Sorry, Raacharg. I'm perplexed by those fakes, and I'm taking it out on you."

"Who else are you going to take it out on?" he asked once he was satisfied with his coat. He trotted over and took a seat beside me, just at the right distance to his tail could slap me every few seconds as it wagged. "We're all we have."

"Good point."

We gazed out across the water together in silence for a moment. I was pretty sure that in he was worried about what had happened while I was in Las Noches. I hadn't spoken about my encounter with Grimmjow, and I had been rather quiet over the past several days. I didn't mean to shut him out, but what could I really talk to him about? Fake Espada politics?

He didn't understand the part of me that had been before his time. He only understood what I was now. He understood Isa, not Isabellia Vaccio and certainly not Amechania. I was so old that over time, as my power grew and I changed into what I was now, I had developed several versions of myself. Amechania: the name the God Maker had christened me with when he had claimed me as his. Isabellia Vaccio: the name I had taken for myself when I had torn my mask from my flesh. Isa: a shadow of my former self and happy to be out of the picture of power, doing what I wanted, when I wanted.

"Why don't you add to our ranks?" Raacharg asked, completely out of the blue.

I glanced over to him, giving him a quirked brow. "I thought you liked having every ounce of my attention?"

"I want to help you, but I am like you need me to be your Jiminy Cricket. An advisor and your senses. If you had someone who could-"

"Get them killed without meaning to," I finished for him. "You know you can't help me in a fight, therefore you are safe because you don't even try."

"If Grimmjow comes for you-"

"My resurreccion gets my comrades killed," I said harshly. "Grimmjow swore he would not come seeking violence, but if he does I will fight alone and I will most likely lose alone. I have tried to train my people to fight alongside me before. It isn't hard, but it tears at my heart when they are the first to be targeted by any enemy and slaughter before me. I may win the fight, but losing my comrades is not worth winning."

"I thought you refused to serve him?" Raacharg asked. I really hated his probing questions sometimes.

"If he forces me to serve him, I will make him regret it. The bond between the Master and the Subordinate is absolute, which is the reason that you find it difficult to defy me. This is the reason that I don't actually give you orders," I said lightly as I jabbed his side with my elbow. He grunted, which for some reason pleased me, and I continued. "The stronger you are, the more individuality you have. If I actually ordered you to do something, you'd probably have no choice since there is a vast gap between your power and mine."

"I don't have a choice," he grumbled.

"My point exactly," I said lightly as I turned my gaze out to the water. "I probably haven't gauged the difference between my power and Grimmjow's correctly, but assuming he's not much stronger than the God Maker, I should have the free will to interpret his orders as I see fit and to work around them."

"I've heard you say that name before, but you've never told me who the God Maker was," Raacharg said in a clearly curious tone.

"The God Maker," I said softly as my thoughts trailed back. "It's what I am trying to be for you. Theós Dimiourgós, or the God Maker as it's easier to say. Had he still been alive today, he'd probably be twice my age, and I'm already old as dirt. He was the first Arrancar as far as I am aware, and he was the god who made gods."

"So, he was your maker?" He asked.

"Sorta. He was my first master, the one who found Adjucha that were capable of becoming Vasto Lordes and taught them the lessons that needed learning and the values that needed to be instilled in a ruling body."

I glanced over at Raacharg when he was quiet for a moment to see his gaze distracted by his thoughts. He deserved to know more about my past, especially after I had exposed him to my godly persona a few days ago. We had been together for a decade now, which made it difficult to bring up a conversation that I probably should have had with him years ago. I didn't suppose there was much I could do now to scare him away, but I still didn't want to.

I used to be a rather terrifying individual, but now I rather liked looking like the living and going about my days fretting over trivial things like bedspreads and clothes.

"Isa," Raacharg said slowly. "I think we've got company."

"Anyone we know?" I asked.

"Luien Baras," he said like he was thinking over the name as he said it.

My eye twitched as soon as I heard that name. Why in the hell was he here? I didn't think that those fakes left their ivory city very often, and starting trouble in Karakura town was just asking for that demon child to throw a temper tantrum.

Before I had a chance to even start thinking about a plan of action, a small explosion went off to my right that sent heat scorching across my face. I didn't let the suddenness of the attack slow my reactions as I turned, my eyes searching the area to find the flame haired Numeros standing a good twenty yards away with flames licking across his hands and arms.

He looked smug as he lobbed several balls of fire high into the air. I watched them for a moment, predicting there trajectory as I pulled my zanpakuto from its sheath underneath my jacket. I turned my gaze back down to the Numeros just in time to see him actually throw a ball at us and I reacted, grabbing Raacharg by his scruff so I could pull him behind me.

I flexed power into my zanpakuto and turned it into a spear before I shifted my grip and used it like a baseball bat to knock away the flames. The main body of fire splashed to the ground like I had popped a water balloon, leaving my zanpakuto still on fire with its residue. I frowned, but ignored the flames as I turned my attention to the sky as the balls he had lobbed first began to rain down.

"Don't move," I said to Raacharg as I shifted around him, preparing myself to work around his form.

"Don't bother," he growled just before his spiritual pressure spiked and I felt him draw on the piece of my power that resided within him. The oddest sensation passed through my body and I shuddered. I hadn't felt anything like that in ages, not since Gantenbaine had... A grin spread across my face and I batted away another ball of fire.

Raacharg had changed in the few seconds I had been distracted. He was still in a medium sized doggy body, but he was no longer just any Adjuchas. His tail had kinked and become shaped almost like a scythe with the end flattened and shaped into a crescent. His normally brown fur had taken on an orange tint, leading down to hot orange paws that were basked in flames that seemed to spin at his heels like saw blades. His mask appeared to be unchanged, but more flames licked out from between his sharp canine teeth.

"You cheeky little shit. You've been keeping secrets from me" I mused aloud. All on his own he had done what had taken me almost four decades to do. He's used my power inside him like Arrancar used a zanpakuto and created a way to store his true form. I hadn't coached him into doing it, he'd just done it!

"Of course," came his response, his voice was deeper and rumbling compared to his normal tone. "If you knew I had grown in power, your snoopy ass would never leave me alone."

He was right about that. He had taken the first step towards becoming an extremely powerful Vasto Lorde. When he had dug me up all those years ago I hadn't seen his potential, but now there was no question. Given time, I could turn him into an Arrancar. One with morals, someone I could actually trust that would be just like me and understand how we were meant to truly function.

Clearly, unlike Grimmjow. I couldn't trust his ass, especially when his Fraccion was here trying to turn us into Hollow jerky.

I watched almost in awe as Raacharg's flaming form darted forward, his feet finding purchase on the reishi in the air as he caught one of Luien's fireballs in his mouth and crushed it. Red and orange flames exploded from between his teeth, but he just swallow it down like it was a shot of liquor before he continued his trek through the sky, catching and eating the fire as it rained down. I think the living's folklore would have named him a Hellhound, a beast that fought alongside supernatural creatures like myself.

Oh…

That's why he had been keeping it a secret from me. I had just been lecturing him about how I got people killed, and it wasn't the first time I had given him that speal. I had probably been making him feel unwanted and too weak to be anything more than he was.

I was an idiot.

Something slapped against my back, startling me just as flames engulfed my jacket. I had gotten distracted in the middle of a fight with a Numeros. Fanfuckingtastic.

I tore the jacket off and tossed it away before I slapped at the flames that still lingered on my jean pants from whatever liquid it was that allowed it to still burn. This guy was annoying. Like, really annoying.

"Why is it that whenever I am around you fakes, my clothes get ruined?" I asked in a clearly pissed off tone as I put out the last bit of fire and turned on the Numeros. "In the last week I went through three outfits. Three! It's ridiculous!"

"You aren't worthy of even being called a Privaron Espada," he shot back as he tossed another ball of flames at me. I batted it down, but the splatter caught me in several spots and I had to slap at them to keep it from burning through my jeans.

"You are just a babe," I snapped as I turned on him, glaring. "Let me guess, you weren't even a Vasto Lorde when Aizen made you an Arrancar with his toy. You were just some run of the mill Adjuchas that showed a bit of potential."

"You don't know what you're talking about," he growled. Flames spread down his body and ran across the ground beneath him to roast the grass under his feet.

"I don't? Are you so sure?" I may have asked a question, but I made certain that my skepticism showed in my tone.

"You're just a piece of trash that needs to be taken out," he growled, his anger growing.

I rolled my eyes and twirled my zanpakuto in my hand. "Did my defeating your big bad boss piss you off? Tell me, did he send you or are you actually strong enough to disobey his orders?"

His face scrunched and I saw the confusion at my statement as well as the rage it had brought forth. "You aren't worthy of his attention."

He was functioning on his own.

Great.

Was he really strong enough to resist the command? Raacharg couldn't disobey me when I gave an order. I would have been surprised, but I hadn't actually experienced Grimmjow's level of power. Maybe he was weaker than I thought? He smoked me before I released my resurreccion, so I didn't think so, but I hadn't actually experienced his true form to know what his level of power was. He wasn't like me, a 10 as Aizen liked to number us. He was a 6, but he had to have more power than I had seen.

Raacharg came up to my side and I glanced down at him from the corner of my eye. His teeth were grinding together making an awful sound as flames dripped from his bone jowls. It was kinda gross, but also amusing.

"I'll give you one chance Luien," I said as I caught my zanpakuto in my hand with the blade pointed at the ground. "I defeated Grimmjow, and I will defeat you too. Leave now, cause us no further grief and I won't kill you."

Flames sparked higher around him, rising like his anger was physically manifesting in a fiery aura. "I'm going to kill you before you can trap me inside that darkness. You've got some annoying tricks, but otherwise you're weak and undeserving."

I rolled my eyes and took my zanpakuto in both hands. If this dweeb wanted to die, so be it.

"Pacify, Amechania!" I called out as I slammed my zanpakuto into the ground. Its blade sank into the soil better than it had in the stone of Las Noches and my armor appeared on my body in a flash of white.

I frowned down at my clothes as I contemplated all the ways I had dressed wrong today. Apparently, dressing like one of the living had been a bad idea. My pants had been a nice boot cut, but unlike the leather I had worn the last time I had used my resurreccion, my jeans had been a looser fit and my greaves had shredded the material clear up to my lower thigh when they had formed. My tank top had thankfully been tight enough to stay on underneath my girdle and the rest of the armor that covered my chest and shoulder. I had pulled my hair back into a loose braid this morning, but when my mantel formed and the feathers ran through my hair and over my ears, it had pulled my hair free to fall behind my shoulders. The one thing that was still out of the norm was the missing vertebrae that were still embedded in the walls of our home.

It really couldn't be helped now, but I needed to stop ruining my clothes and losing hair ties. Then again, raiding some neglected closets and storage units did sound like good stress relief after I took care of this mess.

"Isa!" Raacharg half shouted, dragging my attention up as he jumped in front of me and crushed a ball of fire between his teeth. I blinked at him for a second before my gaze focused on several more incoming balls of fire. Great, just great.

I withdrew my zanpakuto from the ground and moved forward, turning my back to the Numeros. I called on my heirro, an ability I often refrained from using. Surprisingly, it was far less taxing for me to heal some injuries than to use my heirro. I chose to use it now so I could use my body as a shield, letting the fire hit my back and slide down my body without actually damaging anything.

"You should go hide, Raacharg."

"I can help, Isa. I won't get in your way," he argued back as he glanced around me toward Luien.

"You can't help in my Negative Space," I corrected him. The disappointment in his eyes was clear, so I gave him a gentle smile. The intent of that smile was probably ruined by the fire that had coated my back side, but I didn't let it bother me as I said, "I'm not sending you back to Hueco Mundo, just go hide until I'm done with this guy, and avoid Kazui when he comes. Knowing him, he's already felt us and is on his way."

His ears perked up with my words and he nodded eagerly. He turned and started running, his body losing all those wicked flames and his tail winking back to normal. He stopped for only a moment to murmur a barely audible thank you before he darted around the side of a building.

I smiled to myself for a moment until another ball of fire connected with my back making a wet slapping sound. To Luien it had probably looked like he was winning with my one side all sorts of engulfed in flames. He was so wrong.

I turned back towards him and batted away another ball of fire before it could hit me. Thanks to my hierro I was completely unaffected by Luien's barrage. I could feel the heat of it on my skin, but it didn't hurt. All it did was make me sweat profusely, which was gross. I debated for a moment if I should stop, drop and roll to put myself out before I stopped my hierro, but one glance at the river beside us and I knew what to do.

Just as I started to move towards the river I noticed his shots coming from a shifting direction. He had moved to try and intercept me while keeping his distance to avoid when I called my Negative Space. Smart, but not smart enough. Using sonido I darted into the water, letting my momentum carry me several feet under the surface.

I opened my eyes under the water which was highly uncomfortable, and glanced up at the surface. I could feel that the flames weren't on my body any more, but rather on the surface of the water as whatever fuel they had used to burn slicked off of me to float. It had to be an oil of some sort that he was using to keep it burning. Interesting.

I frowned a bit, but kicked against the slow current of the river to get to another spot of water that wouldn't be covered in flaming liquid. Luien must have had the same thought because the fire seemed to spread across the surface as I moved, coating as far as I could see in distorted orange and red. I frowned as my body began to protest for air. Hollows didn't actually need to breathe, but it sure was painful when we couldn't.

I ran several fingers down my zanpakuto's blade, igniting the spark inside of me that was needed for my next big trick. With my hand bleeding, I shortened my zanpakuto into a dagger and caught it between my teeth, holding it so my hands could work freely. I slapped my hands together and forced power between my palms. Kazui would probably be pretty pissed off with me for doing this, but I was just going to go straight up. I wouldn't hit any buildings… most likely.

"Gran Rey Cero," I murmured into the water as blue light grew in my hands. I pulled the light into two orbs that were connected by a string of lightning like energy before I shot it from my hands, straight up to the surface.

It had probably looked like an explosion had occurred under water to any nearby members of the living, but I didn't let the display stop me from rushing up in the turbulent water and breaking the surface without any flames coating my body. I made sure to keep going until I was well into the sky before I stopped and called power to my feet so I could remain standing in the air.

I took my zanpakuto in hand as I glanced around and found Luien standing by the shore, eyes wide and almost frantically searching as he backed away from water that was rushing onto the shore. In the sky above him, I knew he wouldn't see me as I extended my zanpakuto. It was almost too perfect.

I angled myself down and shot at him. He didn't see me until my zanpakuto's blade sank into his shoulder and I took him to the ground with the force of impact. As I landed above him, I let one foot rest on the ground while the other connected with his chest like Captain Morgan. I heard the air woosh from his lungs as his body was forced to absorb my impact and I grinned. Using one hand I pulled my hand back and flicked my zanpakuto with my hand guard's armor, making the metal ring.

"No!" he shouted as his hand raised and flames began to spew from his palm.

"Depress," I cooed as I met his enraged orange eyes. The flames he had been manifesting winked out as darkness engulfed us. I didn't wait for the power to completely escape me as I wrenched my zanpakuto, turning it in his chest and making him cry out in agony. He tried to take hold of my zanpakuto to stop me from turning it, but I kicked at his hand to force him to release it.

"You are nothing compared to a god," I purred as I put more weight into my zanpakuto and felt the blade grind against the back of his rib cage. I didn't normally enjoy being cruel, but I had been wanting to do this to one of the fakes for years. It was about damn time I got to have some fun.

"You're not a god, you're a damn harpy," he spat out as his hand went scrabbling for something. I ignored it as I leaned even harder into him and felt my blade finally break through the bones it had been scraping against. His body spasmed with the pain and I missed the motion his hand made until his zanpakuto was grinding against the greave that protected me from my knee down. He had intended to stab me through my calf.

How amusing.

I pulled my zanpakuto from his chest, and used the butt of it to smack his hand so hard that his sword shaped zanpakuto flew from his grip to land several feet away. I took a moment to stab into his sword arm, cutting through tendons and muscle to make it a useless limb before I stabbed my own zanpakuto into the grass that I knew was underfoot. In one almost giddy movement I stooped down and wrapped my left hand around the back of his neck, securing my grip by digging my nails into either side of his spine. With a little more effort than I had intended to use, I lifted him from the ground by his neck and pulled him close. I left him on his knees so I didn't have to try and manage the entire weight of his body as I pulled him against my front and held him to me by his neck. It put the top of his head at the level of my nose, which was perfect for what I was about to do.

I moved quickly, securing his head in place as my other arm wrapped around behind his head so I could hold him close like a lover, completely controlling his head. I took hold of the mask that covered him from his right cheek up to his hairline and dug my nails into his skin, securing my grip around the whiteness of it. His hands pushed almost frantically at my girdle, but with his wounds only one of his arms was functioning properly. It made controlling him easy, and rather amusing.

"You've fucked with the wrong person, Luien," I said softly. Like this, his face was only inches away and his eyes at the perfect angle for me to look down at him. "You aren't strong enough to even think about hurting me."

"You shouldn't even be alive still," he growled in mock threat.

"I am very old, Luien. It makes me very, very hard to kill," I said as I dug my nails under his mask just a little more. "You don't deserve to be a god. Your Fake Espada master is at least strong enough to justify his status. You, however, are not."

His expression shifted and I wasn't sure if it was my grip on his mask or my words that had done it. Maybe both. But, it was exactly what I wanted to see in his eyes. Fear. I wanted him to be scared of me as I slowly tore that stupid mask from his stupid face.

"Tell me, Luien," I purred as I pulled on his mask just a little more. "Do you know what happens to an Arrancar when the rest of their mask is removed?"

His eyes hardened and he didn't answer me.

"Then no, you don't know." Was I enjoying this too much? Probably. "We retain a bit of our mask when we become Arrancar. It shows what we used to be, a bit of our past and the flavor of our power. All that precious spirit energy you worked so hard to obtain is released back into the world and you die as an empty, powerless husk. There is no moving on to your next stage in life, no bliss of passing on to the Soul Society. You just die. Pathetic, weak, useless-"

A hand abruptly clasped over my own where I held Luien's mask, startling me so badly that I went completely rigid. I was so suddenly aware of the body that loomed just behind me that my heart lurched into overdrive and adrenaline flushed through my body. I didn't let it show on my face that I had been startled as I slowly turned my head. I felt the feathers in my hair brushing against fabric before the feathers that extended from my ears hit that same fabric and the firm resistance of the body that was far too close to mine.

I had to suppress a shiver as I realized who it had to be before I even saw their face. Kazui wouldn't have gotten this close to me without his zanpakuto pressed to skin. His father probably would have shouted at me. Those half-breeds would have probably done the same. The only person that would risk getting so close to me…

"Let him go, Isa," Grimmjow murmured just as his bone jaw came into my view.

"You gave me your word that you nor your people would come after in violent action," I said, reminding him of his promise.

"You're right, I did," he said as his teal gaze shifted down so he could look at me from the corner of his eye. The angle of his jaw and face made it look like on viscous eye of a predator was looking at me. Strangely though, I didn't feel like he was trying to be menacing. It felt more… I didn't even know how to describe it. It was like he was just waiting for my reaction.

"And you expect me to let him live, why?" I asked in a voice that was far calmer than my still pounding heart.

"He disobeyed my order, and because of that he broke my word to you." His hand shifted and his fingers slipped between mine, securing his grip over my hand and effectively stopping me from pulling any more at Luien's mask. He turned and his mouth came so close to my ear that I could clearly hear him as he murmured, "I don't blame you for wanting to kill him, but I'd much prefer to punish him myself."

My eyes narrowed and I turned my head so I was looking back down at Luien. Grimmjow's hand was quite a bit bigger than mine, making me realize that I was completely compromised. It was just his hand that was actually touching me, but his body was so close to mine that he could easily stop me from doing anything. I could only see where one of his hands were, so for all I knew his other was waiting to grab me, or even worse, resting on his zanpakuto. My hands were completely consumed with holding Luien in place and my zanpakuto was well out of arm's reach. I was as good as trapped between the two of them, and I had absolutely no leverage.

Good job, Isa. Good fucking job.

"If he or any of your cronies ever raises a hand against me, I won't play with them like I am now. I will just kill them," I said softly.

"I would expect nothing less," he replied in a similar tone. His hand gently pulled at mine and I resisted him for a moment. Unfortunately, in my Negative Space I had no extra power to really combat his strength and size. I wouldn't be able to actually stop him from forcing me to do what he wanted like this. Knowing that and hating it, I sucked in a deep breath and completely released Luien, allowing him fall from my grip to the floor.

I stood there frozen, like I couldn't believe I had actually let him get his way. I didn't even realize that Grimmjow's hand was still holding mine until I felt him move through his clothes brushing my feathers. I startled and tried to hide it as I stepped away, putting as much space as I could between Grimmjow and I before making my way to my zanpakuto. I ripped it from the ground and kicked the pole with my armored toe, making the metal ring.

"Invigorate," I growled. As soon as I had enough power from the returning darkness I pushed my zanpakuto into turning back into a dagger before I went to sheath it. I quickly discovered that my leather sheath had probably burnt off during Luien's initial assault and let out a pissed off huff. I noticed then that the only things to survive the fight had been my armor and thankfully the important parts of my jeans. That was ridiculous.

"You made quite the mess."

I stopped mid step where I had just started walking up the hill and glanced over to see Kazui standing a few feet away, looking as Human as ever in jeans and a screen tee. I rested my zanpakuto on my shoulder, letting the metal ring off my shoulder pauldron. "Shit happens."

"Did he come after you, or the other way around?" He asked as his brown eyes shifted to glance at me for a moment before they slid back to watching the two fakes I was leaving behind.

"He came after me," I answered smoothly.

"That's what Grimmjow said," he replied as his posture relaxed. "I was inclined to believe it was the other way around, but I'm glad I was wrong."

I watched him for a moment, gauging if he was being sincere or not before I started back up the hill. I had honestly thought that conversation was going to go badly for me. Guess not.

I didn't let myself look back at the two fakes and the demon child as I stomped up the grassy hill and reached the concrete walkway above. My senses were normally pretty horrible, but with my resurreccion still running I could clearly feel Raacharg waiting for me just a bit down the alleyway. I made my way towards him, but didn't stop when I came around the corner he was behind. Instead I passed him, motioning with my hand for him to follow me.

"I refuse to let that ruin our night," I said as I gestured vaguely behind me. "I am going to find new clothes, and we are going to continue what we were doing."

"Isa, I think you need hear something first," Raacharg said in an almost timid tone.

I stopped, my foot hitting the ground harder than I intended as I pivoted to look back at him. He didn't back up from me like I thought he would though, and instead he came up closer and sat. Somehow that gesture demanded my attention and I let my shoulders ease, forcing myself to open up to whatever he had to say.

"Grimmjow spoke to me before he went into your Negative Space," he started.

I shifted my stance and cocked a hip out so I could rest a hand on it. "What'd he want?"

"He hadn't seen your Negative Space when he found me, but he appeared almost relieved to find me alone. That was when he realized you had Luien in the darkness and Kazui showed up," he said slowly. "He... wants to talk once he's done dealing with Luien."

"Grimmjow wants to talk. Really?" I asked with a rough sigh.

"I know you're probably pretty pissed still, but I think you should hear him out."

"Why on Earth should I listen to someone who can't even keep his word?" I asked in an almost defiant tone.

"I don't think his Fracciones are bound to him like I am to you." He turned his head at the same time that I felt conflicting spiritual pressures rise. I ignored it, knowing who it was and what was happening, but he took a moment's pause before he turned back to meet my eyes. "I don't think the ways of the past have been taught to the Arrancar that Aizen created. He seemed to believe he couldn't completely control his people, when I know that you have absolute power over me if you choose to."

I blinked at him, a blank expression on my face. Unbelievable… Were his Fracciones really running around doing whatever the hell they wanted? With power came responsibility, and with responsibility came rules. Aizen had ruled purely by fear, but I had always believed even those fakes had ruled with their bonds to their people. Gantenbainne had been my Fraccion before he became an Arrancar, while the others had hailed from other descendants of the God Maker. They had all known our ways. They had all been through the same trials, learning the same lessons I had even after the God Maker's death. How the hell these fakes had gone without being taught the ways of our people… Fuck me.

I blinked a few more times before I actually came up with words to respond with. "Seriously?"

Okay, it was one word.

"Yes," he answered. "I feel like you when I exert any sort of spiritual pressure. Luien doesn't feel anything like Grimmjow. Because of this, I don't think they are actually bonded."

I slapped my hand on my forehead and ran it down my face in a frustrated gesture. "No wonder. Why the hell would he-"

'I am the King. My words is law.'

Oh my god. He must have the biggest ego I have ever seen. He honestly thought he could control them just because of who he was. No, what he was. Jesus…

"Fine," I said with a sigh. "If anything, I can lecture him about how much of a naive child he is."

Raacharg's tail wagged and he eagerly nodded his head. I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously.

"Why do you seem so happy?" I asked.

His tail didn't stop wagging, but he stood and started down the alley in the direction that lead towards several stores. "Oh, no reason."

I eyed his furry butt for a moment before I moved to follow him. His reaction to Grimmjow was rather disturbing. Did he like him? I was completely baffled by that concept, but I didn't ask. Raacharg probably knew something that I didn't. He always did. He was a lot more keen to the details that I often overlooked. When he had called himself my Jiminy Cricket, he had been completely right. Silly animated movies or not, he was my conscience.

It took me maybe five minutes to sneak into the back of a store to raid their extra stock. I almost felt bad because I was taking items that would actually be noticed, but my own urge to get clothes quickly so I could drop my resurreccion was far more prominent. If I was going to be heading back to Hueco Mundo I would have just snatched up a tank top and shorts and called it good, but dealing with Grimmjow required a jacket so I could ensure my number stayed hidden. Unfortunately, my own Espada worthy ego wouldn't allow me to blatantly show it. It was… embarrassing.

I ended up in a fresh pair of jeans that were damn near skin tight, but I supplemented the look with a belt that could hold my zanpakuto and ankle high boots that would hopefully not get destroyed if I had to call on Amechania again. They were kinda cute with their straps and buckles. On top I had grabbed a thin screen tee that actually covered the back of my shoulders. The light wash jean jacket was like a security blanket to make sure my number stayed covered. Then again, if I got roasted again the jacket wouldn't stand a chance.

I let out a sigh as I walked out the back door and adjusted how my zanpakuto rested under my belt. It wasn't ideal, but I didn't have a real sheath. My zanpakuto was never intended to be handled as it was. Ever since I had turned it into a dagger, I had been making my own sheaths to hold it. I actually took the time to learn how to tool leather a thousand years ago just so I could make sheaths.

After a hundred years or so, always holding your zanpakuto got old. And I'd lose it places sometimes...

Unfortunately, my spare sheaths were in Hueco Mundo and I was here, so the belt would have to do.

"Let's go find some place to hide," I said to Raacharg as I started down the back alleyway and headed for the shopping area that was populated by the living.

"Hiding where no man would dare start a fight?" he asked as he trotted at my side.

"Exactly," I confirmed as we breached the shadowed alley. As soon as I emerged into the light of the overhead lamps I damn near ran into a woman who had abruptly stopped in front of me. Her vibrant orange hair struck me like a sharp warning as I danced around her, doing my best to avoid touching her. Large brown eyes followed me as I moved, and I unintentionally met her curious gaze. Clearly, she could see me.

"You're not a Plus, are you?" She asked in a gentle voice. Why was she just talking to me out of the blue? Was this how the living normally treated strangers?

"What's that?" I asked with a quirked brow.

She was a slightly older Human, but her age did nothing not ruin her beauty but rather added a seasoning to it. She was gorgeous with orange bangs that framed her face while the rest of its length trailed down to her waist. Blue pins held the long length of her hair back, accenting the orangeness like the contrast only made her more vibrant. Her face was all soft features with the perfect set of pink lips to make her look like the kindest woman I had seen in ages. Her body was voluptious, to say the least. All soft curves with a magically tiny waist and ample breasts.

If I was into girls, I would most certainly find her very attractive. She made me look like I was flat, and I wasn't. I had curves in the right places, but I had a toned body from conditioning myself for combat in my Negative Space rather than her soft and delicious curves.

"A Plus is a wandering soul, but I don't see your spirit chain. Would that make you an Arrancar?" She asked as her head tilted cutely to the side.

"Something like that," I slowly responded. "You don't exactly look as scared as someone should be when facing an Arrancar."

"My son told me about you," she said, flashing me a genuinely kind smile.

Oh… shitballs.

Super shitballs.

This was demon boy's mother? I should have put two and two together, grabbed Raacharg and opened my garganta to slipped away as soon as I saw her. This was Kazui's mom, and if he caught me with her, anywhere near her, he'd probably try to take my head. That encounter at the river hadnt just been a fluke. There were Kurosaki's everywhere and I wasn't running. Why wasn't I running?

"I didn't know Kazui would even bother mentioning someone like me," I said casually as I nonchalantly shifted to block Raacharg's form with my own.

"You're not one of the Espada, so you're kind of a mystery to us," she said lightly.

Geez, what was I doing talking with her like this? Being an idiot, that's what. I needed to get away from her before her stab happy son decided to appear.

"No, I'm not part of their motley crew." Damn it, Isa. Stop talking and go… Why wasn't I going?

"Oh, I'm glad I could meet you then," she said as her smile managed to grow somehow and she offered me her hand. "I'm Orihime Kurosaki."

This woman was damned infectious. For some reason I couldn't explain, I wanted to smile. Like, a real smile. What the fuck? Only Raacharg got those kind of smiles.

I watched her hand for a second before I did what was probably the polite thing and took it. "Isa Vaccio."

"Orihime, we need to get going," the girl said as she came over to us. Or rather, to Orihime. She didn't even acknowledge my presence, making me guess that she was wasn't gifted like woman who's hand I was still shaking. The girl, a blonde and small framed girl who looked like she was younger, glanced down at Orihime's outstretched hand and made a small 'o' with her mouth. "Are you talking to someone?"

"Isa, she's one of the Numeros," she said cheerily as she released my hand and turned to her companion. Normally that accusation would have pissed me off, but I didn't have the heart to correct her even if her friend wouldn't hear me. What was wrong with me?

"Oh, hi Isa. I'm Yuzu," the blonde said lightly as she looked at the space just off to my left. Yep, she was completely insensitive to reishi.

"Hi," I said for some strange reason as I waved awkwardly at her. Were normal Humans supposed to know about us? I didn't think so, but then again I hadn't hunted the living in ages.

"I'm sorry to rush, but we need to get going," she said as she bowed. I stepped back with my brow quirked as I watched her stand straight. She took Orihime's hand and started dragging her away. "We're gonna be late for the movie!"

"How much time do we have?" Orihime asked.

"Ten minutes!" Yuzu said urgently as they moved quickly down the sidewalk. "Ichigo, Kazui and Karin should already be there!"

I watched their backs as they moved far enough away for their voices to be lost in the chatter of the crowds, wondering how in the hell I had managed to run into her. I had made quiet the comotion fighting Luien. How it hadn't resulted in a conflict with Kazui was beyond me. Clearly he and Grimmjow had spoken, but what had made him decide to leave me alone was a mystery.

"You alright?" Raacharg asked as his shoulder bumped against my thigh.

"Yeah," I said slowly as I shook my head and glanced down at him. "I just don't understand what's happening right now."

"Me neither, but this does present a useful opportunity," he said lightly.

"What?" I asked, clearly not getting where he was going with his words.

"Let's go to the movies."

Oh. He was brilliant.