Hollow Hunt

[Harmony]

Namida dared a glance to the side as Takeshi fell unconscious, and she couldn't help the selfish relief that it wasn't she who'd fallen. It was good to know that other people dropped off at inopportune times... it wasn't just her problem.

You know that's not it Namida... he's not like you... he doesn't just fall asleep whenever anything of im-

-SHUTTUP! Namida interrupted within the confines of her mind, perhaps for the very first time daring to stand up to the voice that constantly humiliated and frightened her, Just leave me alone for once.

There was a brief moment of silence before Namida got her reply, Have it your way Namida. I'll go.

Namida blinked in her confusion, her face going slightly blank... why did he always manage to put her ill at ease? Her hands shook a little as she was pulled back to reality, only to find the woman leaning forwards to touch Takeshi. Namida jumped in surprise, her strain escalating with every second. Again, Namida's voice rang out, this time out of concern for the unconscious Takeshi, “Don't touch him!” Her hands were closing into fists. Her heart was racing.... why did she always have to speak at times like this? Did she want to die? She couldn't help it really.

Needless to say, the ferocity in Namida's eyes vanished as she watched, perplexed, as Torre flicked the boy's nose, teasing him... it was almost sweet. She looked past Takeshi and Torre to throw a confused glance at Dante.

“Hey there…stop being melodramatic and wakeup.”

Namida's attention was pulled back to the Arrancar, her eyes wide in something like curiosity. She didn't understand. Why wasn't she hurting them? Was she trying to gain their trust? As much as she hated it, Namida knew if that was the case, her plan was working. Her fearlessness dying, Namida again closed up, reverting back to her invincibly quiet persona. She brought her knees into her chest and looked down at the bed sheets, her gaze fixed on the folds in the fabric. She could feel her face growing warm again. She didn't want to be here.

“I am Torre. I am the Tres Espada. This is Mr. Snugglebottoms. And....It is now clear I have made some bad decisions.”

Namida this time had no response. What could she possibly say? She didn't understand why this had happened to her, she didn't know what they planned to do... she was afraid. She felt hot tears at last springing into her eyes, but she did not raise her head. She didn't want anyone to see. She was thankful of her long hair, the way it draped around her face. She could hide that way.
Torre. An Espada.

Her helplessness was so thick Namida nearly choked on it. There was nothing they could do... There was nothing Takeshi or herself or...Dante could do.

“Tell me, what are your names?”

Namida bit her bottom lip as the tears continued to stream down her face and she listened as both Takeshi and Dante introduced themselves. She could hear the defeat in Dante's voice and it made her stomach turn. She didn't want to hear him like that, she didn't want to hear him speak with a voice that mirrored this utter defenselessness she felt. How exposed they all were!

“N-Namida” Her voice was so quiet and muffled by tears that it could hardly be heard. Growing embarrassed, she lifted her arms a little to wrap them around her legs, hugging them to herself. She wanted to go home.

[GoldenKitten]

The children weren't doing much to make Torre feel better about herself. She had already been upset about what she had done and her emotions over betraying her honor were strong enough without having the abducts act like she was made of razor blades and pure unadulterated evil. A flicker of happiness passed through her at knowing their names but it quickly dropped when she noticed the tone each spoke with, obviously feeling forced into giving it out rather than wanting too. The one named Dante looked defeated, the one named Takeshi who reminded her of times she would rather forget just seemed scared and the strongest and yet most emotional of them all named Namida seemed to be shutting down. Torre began fretting, wishing they would cheer up and she began frantically waving her arms at their reactions and trying to speak in a soft voice.

“Now, now. Everything is going to be just fine...nothing is going to happen.” she didn't sound particularly convincing even if she said it kindly.

Her voice wavered in and out toward the end and for the first time she brought both her hands up to her face taking a deep shuttering inhalation, almost as if she were trying to fight back her own emotions. She watched Dante flinch from her touch, retracting her arm and shuddering at the thought of someone being so frightened of her. She could tell Takeshi was the same way and his last comment, while it might normally have been funny, just ended up being sad in the context.

“Listen, nothing is going to happen. By the end of the day, you'll be fine, guaranteed...Dante, Takeshi, Namida...” but her words sounded hollow even to her.

By this time she spotted Namida crying, the girl tried to hide it but nobody would have been fooled. She kept looking from one of them to the next, then to the girl and back again as her mental blocks began falling apart. She really knew she should have just let the matter hang, especially in the center of Las Noches where she could have been watched but she was beyond that matter now. Over the past few days Torre had been forced to do a great many things against her honor but now things were going against her maternal nature, Torre had died while her children were still young and while she had done her best to forget those memories it did not stop her tendency's from remaining even now. The constant fluctuations of emotion from anger, disappointment, happiness and sadness were just too much and despite her strength of will she was not an evil being. She knew that if her emotions broke here that it would leave the children with conflicting emotions of their own but with every moment she felt her shame at the events swell. With one final glance she saw Namida curl up into a ball and a deathly pang of guilt shot through her as she lowered her hands and gasped.

“No...no, no, no...”

Then all sense of place went out the window and Torre with a insanely quick motion stripped both of her gauntlets off which fell to the ground in a clatter. With her hands free she walked with care and precision around the bed while flipping several locks around her body before her large metal curiass fell easily in halves off her form to the floor at the base of the bed. It was a great surprise to see her without it because for all her strength she bore a rather thin and attractive hour glass figure which was robed in a delicate black cotton undershirt that wrapped her figure tightly. Without any warning she put one knee up on the bed in front of Namida and watching the girl sit entirely unperturbed, perhaps not even noticing her actions she let out a sharp huff, almost like a laugh. She reached out with her left arm and gingerly edged toward the girl as if subconsciously she was still trying to test the waters even if she was consciously in her own little world.

“Do..doing all this, listening to him...all of it, a big stupid mistake.” It might take them all a moment to notice but Torres voice was obviously breaking.

She was easily able to grasp the back of Namidas head and slowly pulled her to her chest while laying her head on the girls shoulder. Moments later she began letting out silent but obvious uncontrolled sobs while holding tightly on to the girl and rocking them back and forth in a coordinated motion. By this point she had all but lost contact with what was around her and even the boys were lost to her thoughts as the dam that had been holding her emotions over her actions for so long broke.

“No...no...I'm going to save you. I'm going to fix this. I won't let my actions be the cause of all this.”

And with a start somewhere deep in side she knew she meant it. She was just finally visualizing the subconscious thoughts that had held her for so long bit in a vocal manner.

[Gahrok]

(( I apologize for both the time this took , and the poor quality... I just got back into school and its hell and high water once more))

Don’t, he screamed as loud as he could to her in his head… Namida stop before you get yourself killed! But there was something about her, he could see it in this delicate fists suddenly balled…. when she was in a corner, this was Namida. Dante bit his lip as a wave of nervousness crashed over him. All he saw was her, his eyes fiercely focused on the determined girl. Had she seen…? Back in the town..? He cast the thought from his mind, what did it matter now anyways. Not a damn thing Dante, he told himself, not if we die here….

All thoughts stopped, the nervousness that had consumed him freezing into dark, thick and black shock…..fear. The tears…. Dante let out a half gasp, half sigh…. out of pained shock more then anything, “Namida,” he whispered… knowing his words wouldn’t reach her, that his concern couldn’t stop the rolling tears. She was alone in there. The way she hugged herself, the way she said her name…. the defeat, the sorrow.

Fuck you, he screamed at himself, fuck you… you coward…. you did this!

Dante blinked back a tear, but all he felt was emptiness.

You let her down… he was whispering to himself now…. you made her cry. She was the only one who had the guts to stand up…. and with that fear, that cold calculating insincerity…. you missed your chance Dante…. to grab her hand….. and at the very least, die together.

“Now, now. Everything is going to be just fine...nothing is going to happen.” she didn't sound particularly convincing even if she said it kindly.

Dante’s hands gripped the sheets tight, his knuckles going white. If I’m going to do something stupid Namida, you’ll see it this time…. and maybe at least, you’ll understand. But he knew he couldn’t, Dante knew he was no fighter…. nor a fool, he couldn’t reach out… he couldn’t fight, he couldn’t do a damn thing. Everything’s going to be fine? FINE??.

“No...no, no, no...”

The espada began stripping her gauntlets and Dante watched without shock or horror, a bemused and empty dread overtaking him… what reason was their left to care? What worse could happen the failing again, then showing he’d never be a shinigami…. but most importantly showing that he’d never be hers. Even through his apathetic depression Dante noticed it in Torre, the change…. she was a pretty wo-… no she wasn’t a human, she wasn’t a person. But she looked almost like one of them… she didn’t look fearsome, nor frightening. But Dante didn’t care, he knew what she was…. he knew what she’d done.

She walked over to the bed.

Do..doing all this, listening to him...all of it, a big stupid mistake.”

Dante felt his heartbeat pick up again, he had gone towards Namida. He cared not for the words the Espada said, not even hearing them “Why do you pick….” he whispered desperately, hopelessly…. angrily… “ON HER!”.

Dante watched seething as the Espada hugged her HUGGED her…. that thing, touching her… touching Namida, trying in some vain way to console her… to be a mother, to be a friend. Failure… he thought to himself with a heart-stoppingly intense and building anger…. that was one thing.

“Get off her” he said with a solidity that became nothing of the Dante that anyone around him could have ever observed. His voice was so firm one would think he actually had the force to back his demands, indeed… that even he himself had thought so.

“You did this…” he whispered seething, with a violently increasing rage… “YOU’RE THE BULLY… YOU’RE THE DEMON….”

His thoughts flashed back so many years to George… the playground… hadn’t they been the same? Hand’t they all been the fucking same? They pushed you down one day and the next wanted to help you up…. to clear their minds, to clear their sullied minds. But it was selfish, Dante knew it…. it was just selfish. Washing their hands of it, that’s all they ever wanted….

“You can’t…. YOU CAN’T FIX THIS” Dante screamed as he hurled himself towards her. This was for George, this was for the courage he’d never found. This was for failure…… this was for his Namida.

His last thought was off her tears, as he flew towards Torre, his fist extended so as to hit her in the jaw.

[Zhiel]

Jess had spent the majority of the day in her own little portion of the massive Arrancar fortress, in vain attempting to make a garden with a bit of the artificial light available. She wasnt sure what was missing, she had thought that her replication of it all made sense, oh well. While she was in the middle of attempting to water some of the seeds she felt the familiar sensation of Torre's reiatsu, she had finally returned from the real world! Though she felt like jumping with joy she calmly put the watering can down (how did she get one of those in Las Noches? Who knows) before walking towards the door of the oversized room.

After she had left her room Jess began to jog down the white corridors of one of the many numeros living areas, she was among some of the stronger numeros so she had one of the better areas to live in, which luckily enough for her was not that far away from Torres quarters, which not many knew how to enter, though Jess was one of those few. 'I wonder what her mission had been, she seemed reluctant to do it, but a direct order from Desperado... Not like anyone could go against that.' Jess thought as she went through a wide beamed opening, and then found herself in a desert surrounded by walls and with several buildings sticking up here and there.

Walking around for a bit Jess found her way to where Torres room were, and after making sure no one was around to notice she used sonido and appeared on the balcony that masked the entrance to Torres living quarters. After a few silent steps she came into the room where all of a sudden she heard a young mans voice, and upon actually entering the room she took in the whole scene, the silently, but uncontrolably sobbing Torre, the three shinigami students, one of them in Torre's embrace, another now shouting at her and then leapt at Torre.

Even though Jess knew that Torre would not be able to be injured by someone like that, she did not like that someone had the nerve to strike at Torre, especialy not now, when she was showing her weaker side to them. Before Dante could even get close to Torre he tripped on Jessicas outstretched foot as she had used sonido to appear right beside him in his little rush, making him fall on his face. Wheter he caught himself or not she didnt care, though to anyone who knew of how strong Jess was it would be clear she could have done much worse.

"You've got some nerve attacking Torre-sama at a time like this, you might not be aware of this in your little shinigami skull but not all Arrancar are mindless brutes that would kill at the slightest provocation. If Torre-sama had not been the one to get you it is a possibility two of you would be dead now." Jess said, stopping to give some time for her words to sink in, before grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him up on his feet, though not in a way that it would hurt, much atleast. Though considering her short height she had a bit of trouble at the end.

"Disobeying an order is punished by death, or worse" When she said this last thing a sad frown crept up her face, but after a few seconds of silence she looked up with a smile on her face. "Well either way it doesent matter! I'm Jessica, some call me the Armadillo, whats your names?"

[Galihan]

Takeshi wasn't sure how he was supposed to cope with the events as they were unfolding. It seemed odd that this arrancar named Torre had kidnapped the three of them and taken them into the world of hollows, yet she knew what she did was wrong and she was only following orders. This new arrancar, Jessica, most likely only a numeros, only helped Takeshi reassure himself of this idea.

"We're all just pawns..." he quietly said, not sure if anybody would actually hear him but still he didn't care. He opened his book, and decided that now would be as good a time as any to write a journal entry for all that has happened so far. He flipped through the pages to find his place where he had last written down an entry. He found a page that would suffice, and began to read in his head some verses he'd written earlier.

Entry# 4003

The academy is having a trip in the living world open to all classes. I've heard of similar evaluations in the past that were led by senior students to give the juniors a simulated experience fighting dummy hollows, but apparently this one will be supervised a high-ranking officer in the Gotei 13. Could they be planning to test us against real hollows? Whether or not that is a wise move isn't for me to decide, I'll wouldn't mind seeing how much I've actually improved over the semester so far.

Entry# 4008

My swordsmanship is improving, my defense is impressive and my counterattacks have proven pretty effective so far. No point rushing in blindly when I just need to sit back, focus and time a strong parry to disarm my opponent. I think I might be in the top 5 of the class, seeing as I don't ever recall getting beaten in battle except for a few times against the instructor.

Then there was the page that Takeshi had scribbled on in Tokyo before battling the hollow Ant Bite. He closed the book there, deciding not to bother writing anything now, he'd surely have all the time he'd need once he was back in Soul Society. Yes, he would get back. There was no way Soul Society would desert their own people, they would come and there would be hell to come.

"My name is Takeshi." he replied to Jessica's intrusion, quietly adding a rather cold sounding"You may not all be the monsters that we've been led to believe, but I'm afraid for your sake that they wont see it that way when they come for us, because they do come for us you will all be the enemy in their eyes."

[Harmony]

((I'm REALLY sorry for how long this took me. I had a super busy weekend and such, and when I found time I really couldn't bring myself to post anything because I was worn out))

Namida hardly heard the words of the arrancar as she talked to them, attempting in her unavailing efforts to comfort them. Her words didn't matter... nothing she had to say to them mattered, she felt it in the empty tone, the hollow kindness. It was all a lie. She felt her flesh crawl and grow cold, and all she could do was draw her legs closer to her, until her whole body was tightly balled up. Dante and Takeshi melted away from her. She couldn't even feel the heat of Takeshi's body beside hers, they were gone... and she was alone. That's how it felt. She was in this alone.

You'll die here, Namida, said the voice with a sharp hiss.

She couldn't answer it. The voice was right. All of them would die... Takeshi, herself, Dante... all of them. She didn't want to die.

She was reminded then briefly of her life, before she was sent to soul society. Back then she convinced herself that she wanted to die, that the world was better without her, that her life impacted no one; back then she really was alone. Now she had people that cared about her... she had another chance, a new life... and Namida, despite all her fears and anxieties, was happy. She could never admit to herself how much she valued life, but now, under the shadow of these monsters, Namida found herself clinging to all those pitiful thoughts: There's so much more for me to see... I don't want to die, I'm happy here Why hadn't she taken advantage of her second chance? Why hadn't she found more reasons to smile? Why hadn't she taken the time to finish a story? Why hadn't she told Dante what he meant to her? Why hadn't she...

It didn't matter now. She had wasted it, and she was going to die.

There was a sudden clatter and Namida's body lurched, but she did not look up. She couldn't bring herself to. She just wanted to disappear, melt through the floor, anything but stay and die in here.

A voice pierced through the dark, and Namida recognized it as Torre's, but there was something different now... there was something human, something sad...regret? She clenched her jaw, eyes stinging furiously from her tears. She couldn't believe that Torre felt regret. That was just something she couldn't allow herself to do. But maybe there was something human about her aft-

“Why do you pick….ON HER!”

Suddenly hands were on her and Namida jumped again, her body trembling violently. She choked on her tears, and began to sob like a child, allowing herself to be pulled close to the arrancar. Dante's angry voice was a reminder that she wasn't alone... he was still there... he... was trying to protect her. But, she found herself not wanting to be separated from Torre; she couldn't pull away, not even to look at Dante. There was a pang of guilt at this realization... that she couldn't even raise her head to acknowledge her friend... but she couldn't stop it anymore. The arrancar's body was warm and strong, and Namida found comfort in the embrace, reminded suddenly of her own mother. She could not lift her arms to return the hug, she couldn't move at all. All she could do was sit and be held while she and the arrancar cried into one another. It felt good...to cry with another person.

Dante's voice again broke through, and Namida's blood ran cold at the sudden change in his tone, “Get off her” She had never heard him speak that way before, and Namida began to pull away from Torre slightly, suddenly afraid. She didn't know who she was afraid for or why, but there was a certain dread that began to choke her. “You did this…YOU’RE THE BULLY… YOU’RE THE DEMON….You can’t…. YOU CAN’T FIX THIS”

Her eyes bulged and as Dante hurled himself at Torre, Namida screamed hoarsely, frantically, “DANTE NO!” She couldn't move, she could only watch as Dante brought up his fist. She could see the hatred burning in his eyes and she was afraid for him. Torre... Torre was still an arrancar... she still held the potential to kill them all with a single wave of her hand... and Dante...

If he died...

Suddenly another figure appeared and Namida pushed away from Torre desperately, horror etched across her face. Her stomach churned and Namida willed herself to look away... she couldn't... she couldn't watch Dante die... but there her eyes stayed, glued, to Dante and this dangerous blonde-haired arrancar.

Dante fell with a crash and Namida peered over the side of the bed, wide unblinking eyes traveling from him to the face of the new arrancar.

"You've got some nerve attacking Torre-sama at a time like this, you might not be aware of this in your little shinigami skull but not all Arrancar are mindless brutes that would kill at the slightest provocation. If Torre-sama had not been the one to get you it is a possibility two of you would be dead now."

The words didn't register at all. Namida wasn't even listening. She couldn't.
The stranger began to lift Dante to his feet and Namida blurted, “Don't hurt him!” Her eyes took on a pleading light, and the harshness of her voice faded, “...please don't hurt him... he didn't... he...” She clasped her hands together tightly in her lap.

"Disobeying an order is punished by death, or worse"

Namida misinterpreted these words and thinking the arrancar was referring to Dante, she scrambled forward stopping at the very edge of Torre's bed, her eyes glistening in panic, “He couldn't help it!”

HAHA Namida look at you! So pathetic, I love it!

"Well either way it doesent matter! I'm Jessica, some call me the Armadillo, whats your names?"

Takeshi again introduced himself, but Namida remained silent.

[GoldenKitten]

Torre had stopped crying a few seconds later, the momentary chink in her usually strong emotional wall repaired. However Dantes final words rung in her ears and the world around them went instantly cold, Torres emotions rapidly shifted and contained hint neither of anger or happiness, but instead an intense and condensed willpower. She turned her face toward him and had he not been so driven by Namidas predicament he likely would have frozen in place.

“CAN'T FIX THIS!!! YOU WATCH ME!!!” she nearly spat. The words were not hollow like before and seeing Torre border on what likely appeared to be anger to others was nothing short of fearfully intense. Still her facial expressions mellowed and the cool cutting energy of the emotion dropped quickly.

She had continued to hold the little girl and almost been oblivious to Dantes strike even as she watched him in her choler until Jessica showed up. When Namida had pulled away she made no attempt to hold on and sat staring blankly at the bed for a bit while her follower spoke with the children. Jessica had never been as forgiving and kind as Torre but she knew that in this case it might be for the best, Torre often caved in and was to soft when she got all maternal. Maybe what they needed was someone stricter to pull them out of their self-pity. When Jessica had made her introduction and got a few responses Torre finally threw her legs off the side of the bed and before pushing herself up she turned her face toward the other arrancar as if she was about to say something important.

“Jessica, if you don't stop standing on my bed I am going to throw Mr. Snuggles at your head...”

It was at that moment that all strong emotions that had been ravaging the surroundings were dropped, at least on Torres part. She pushed off of the bed with little more than a backward glance as she grasped the blunt side of her zanpaktou and raised it. The large room gave her plenty of space to swing it around, grasp the hilt and then toss it over her shoulder as she walked away. Mr. Snugglebottoms jumped down from the bed and followed her as they approached the opening to the balcony that led outside and looked out across the massive desert. Once more for a short period a soft melody rose in the silence and was only accented by the strong breeze before Torre turned to look at the group over her shoulder.

“It would appear my ability to open a portal outside has been cut-off...so either Calixta does not trust everyone here or the shinigami are coming...my bet is on both.”

She sighed and looked out over her home once more, not really loving Las Noches but knowing that once she made her move the place she had stayed for many years would be home no longer. Even for someone as moral and honorable as her it could be hard to give up the admiration that was held for the Espada here. Then turned around and walked back toward the group, bending down to pick up the pieces of her armor.

“If the shinigami are coming a meeting for the Espada will be called soon, let us be gone before that happens.”

She wrapped up very matter-of-factly as she adorned her armor once more. She did not seem worried about Jessicas presence, probably knowing that the girl would have followed her anywhere. While none of them had been looking Mr. Snugglebottoms magically adorned a large black backpack with no help from anybody else as he took up a position by Torres feet. She put her hand on her hip, clearly not intending to take the time to take anything from the room and watching over them all.

“When I joined Las Noches I was merely looking for a place where I belonged. I had no plans of grandeur and I still do not. Still you would be surprised what people will do that is against their very character just to have somewhere that they are accepted. Regardless it has gone on long enough.” she paused.

“Can't fix this? Long before I was Torre of the Espada I was human and I cared for myself and those I could protect quite well, and then I was Victoria, one of the strongest hollows in Hueco Mundo. In that state I protected life itself. I was feared by the shinigami solely because they did not understand me, but I was not their enemy, oh no. I was the enemy of every other hollow and they quaked in fear at fighting Victoria, the hollow that protected life...and now they will again. Little Dante, I do not claim I am perfect and am free of mistakes. But trust me when I say that I can, and will fix this. And not just this, I am going to fix all of it.”