The Prince and the Harbinger

Act 1: There Goes Our Investment
A lone sigh escaped Mael's mouth.

He and his partner stood upon the highest building within Yamato City, overlooking the large area as well as the wilderness that lay beyond it. It was about late afternoon at the time.

"It seems Ebern was right." Mael said in his usual, stoic tone. "Rushifa is truly becoming more and more difficult to control. He has broken off of his fight with the 11th Squad and has left Soul Society, for what destination i'm not sure." he concluded.

"Impressive, but wasn't Auron suppose to be playing fetch for him?" The tall lanky arrancar said as he folded his arms. Dolo then walked to the edge of the building and looked over it, the night life of the city still beating strong. "Look at them. They don't even know that they're dead yet. Why do we even fight over their fates? They are going to end up like us sooner or later."

"With respect, we can't rely on Lord Giovanni to do anything that he's assigned unless his majesty commands it." Mael replied plainly, tilting his head down with his eyes closed in a dissapointed manner. "As for the humans...I believe my father put it best. Those who try to hasten the end may delay it, and those who try to delay the end, may bring it sooner."

"Quite true my friend." He dusted off his jacket. "Where should we start? Want to locate the different powers here? That is....if nothing's changed since the puppet's last battle."

"Hmm..." Mael mused, looking down at the city as he scanned for threats. "It appears that our 10th Division friends are still present in the city. If they were to see us, then it would be unwise to assume that our Gigai's could perfectly hide our spiritual energy. I believe it would be best if we somehow lured them away from the town before we began searching. What do you think?"

"Hollows like before? " Dolo stated dryly. "There isn't much else we can do without drawing attention to ourselves. But we might as well put these damn things on. Besides, the tenth divisioners haven't detected us so far."

"Yeah, you're right." Mael said, quickly doning his Gigai, of which was a similar version to himself only with solid black hair with a black shirt and black pants, the latter of which had a chain hanging out of it's left pocket and he wore black sneakers.

The beast named Dolo did the same. He was now fair skinned and looked pretty much the same. He wore a jacket with a tight fitting red muscle shirt with black jeans. His jacket was similiar to the one he wore in his true form. "Where to first?"

"My first guess would be to find Naomi Fuyumine. If Rushifa is headed here, he'll start looking for her, so we should probably keep her within as much visual range as possible."

"Then follow me." Dolo turned and kicked open the roof access door and proceeded to head down the stairs. After exiting the building after some time, Dolo walked up to a phone booth that had a phone book connected to it. He flipped through it and found a page which had her listed down half the page,. Dolo ripped the page out, and turned to his colleague. "We know have somewhere to start. We have about six Naomi Fuyumine's listed here. I'm also sure, if the Shinigami are now aware of Rushifa, they will be watching her as well. So we must move her to somplace we can control and view. " He placed his hand on Mael's shoulder, bending over to look at him. "Devoide her of a living place and then follow her to what would be her new home. Hopefully we can control that outcome. SOooooo....you work up your magic and pick the right hollows to scope out these addresses, then let them do some feeding and destruction. That way we can get a view of what we face." He stared, without expression.

"Right." Mael replied plainly, quietly taking the phone book page and leaving the phone booth and walking into a nearby alley. When he was in the darkness deep enough to where most on the outside wouldn't be able to see him, he looked at the page carefully, analyzing each address carefully and then closing his eyes. Then he crouched behind a dumpster and left his Gigai curled up to where no one would notice it lest they dare to enter the murky and sinister area. Now back in his unique Arrancar garb, Mael used his right index fingernail to cut into his left hand with a small, but noticable cut on his palm.

Taking his right finger once more and putting some of the blood on it, he set into creating six rather strange symbols on the ground by dragging his bloodied finger along it's rough edge. It didn't hurt at all, but he definatley felt somewhat uncomfortable placing his hands on such degraded and filthy human grounds. When all six symbols were created, they began to glow with a red light that was barely noticeble on the outside, and within that instant, six small, spider like Hollows emerged from the bloodied spaces, each with one small red eye.

"Find the addresses that I have given you." he said, hinting that these spiders were part of him in some way. "I want you to search for the Naomi Fuyumine that has been with Rushifa Sureiya. You should know what she looks like. Find her, and bring me her location. Now go, and don't bother coming back if you fail." he said in a rather calm voice.

Once he did that, the six spiders spread out along the sides of the building in rather fast manners, leaving within just a few seconds to find their target

Coming back into his Gigai and heading back out to Dolo's space, he retained his calm expression. "It should only be a few minutes now before we know for sure."

"Great. I already can't stand the stench. Egan could have at least made these damned contraptions decrease our abilities. " Dolo's face turned green slightly.

"We can convince him to do that when we get back." Mael said, his face becoming somewhat comically sheepish at seeing that he smelled like a skunk. "Now that that's taken care of, what do you suggest we do next?"

"We can go and eat." He laughed with smiling as he took the lead of walking down the block.

Mael simply followed, sticking his hands in his pockets while also looking around for any signs of suspiscious activity.

Something kept telling him that they had quite the journey ahead of them.

"Which one do you like better?" Naomi Fuyumine asked her sister. They were both inside of a large clothing store reminisant of that of something along the lines of a Belk or Kohls store. Naomi was wearing a blue t-shirt with black shorts along with black flip flops to accomodate for the rather humid weather outside. She was holding up two different shirts that were her sister's size, one was pink with a chibi kitten on it's front, and the other was maroon with a gothic black skull on it's front.

Sindi stared at her sister as she held up polar opposite t-shirts. She had on a similiar outfit to her elder sister, with a maroon shirt and very small blue jean shorts with suspenders. She had on maroon flip flops on as well. "The skull. It's way cooler."

"I figured as much." Naomi said with a smile, hanging up the kitten shirt and putting the skull one on the handle of their buggie. There wasn't much inside of the buggie besides a few pairs of socks, some undergarmets, and a handfull of shirts and shorts.

"Okay~" Naomi said as they both went down the main part of the store. "What else do we need? Is there anything else in here that you want?"

"Nope! I have no one I need to impress. You should be the one looking for a little black dress." She teased.

"Ha!" Naomi chuckled aloud. "Thanks but no thanks. I'll only wear that when i'm doing something important."

"What's more important than the affections of Daite? Speaking of that... Are you two finally calling yourselves a couple after last week or what?" She frowned at Naomi. "Did you do something to run him off? I haven't seen him since then."

"Sindi, it's only been half a day since we talked. Quit worrying about it, alright? Things like this take time. You can't just rush into it first thing and make it official or something like that." Naomi said with a stoic face. "But yes, you can call us a couple now."

Sindi giggled with glee as she jumpped on her elder sister's back. "Look out world, Naomi Fuyumine is officially off the market." A large smile creeped across her face. "We should totally invite him to go out eating with us. A good old family outing."

Giggling as her sister rode on her back, Naomi smiled. "That's a great idea, actually! My little sis is always full of ideas!" she said with a happy expression, not caring about the people noticing them.

"You still need a new outfit for it, and I'll get one as well. But you have to buy something nice looking to catch Daite's attention and keep it." Sindi bargained.

"That means you have to find something good to where as well." Naomi looked back at her with a snarky and teasing smile.

"Easy enough. Like I said before. I have noone to impress." She teased.

"Pfft, whatever. I've seen how you look at some of those boys who hang out down the street." Naomi counter-teased as they began walking through an aile that had a various assortment of fine dresses and matching shoes. If she were to take Daite out today, she would at least have to look her best in front of her new boyfriend.

"I only look at them because they seem like they are up to something." Sindi defused. "So he's seen you at your worst, and your everyday. Time to wow him. " She hopped off her sister's back and started pulling down dresses that would fit her sister and in her mind would be perfect for Naomi. She then came back to her shoving the dresses into her arms. "Go try them on." Sindi started pushing the cart and her older sister towards the fitting rooms.

"Wha-?" Naomi began, before she found dress after dress being shoved into her arms as if Sindi weren't even looking at them to see if they were even her style. As of right now, most all of them were black and grey, which was rather too dull for Naomi's tastes.

"These...are a bit too bland for my liking, sis." she stated with a sweat drop and sheepish smile on her face.

"Little black dress. Remember? Just try them on, they all come in different colors any way, just see if it fits right."

"Okay..." she replied, going into the dressing room to their right. Within a manner of minutes, dress after dress began to go above the dressing room and hang on it's upper outside part, signaling that she didn't like the dress.

But then, she opened the door to reveal herself wearing a sleeveless and beautiful plain black dress with two thin straps going behind her neck. The dress was black, but it had a rather clean shine to it's edges as it hugged her body in a tight, yet comfortable manner, stretching down to just above her knees. "How does this look?"

"Wow that's amazing!." Sindi said. A wolf whistle came from two guys that were walking by. "HEY! SHE'S TAKEN PERVERTS!!!!" She said removing a flip flop and throwing it at the two, hitting one in the face. Sindi then trekked over to them causing them to run as she retreieved her footwear.

In response, Naomi giggled at seeing her sister act in such a way towards on lookers. "Apparentley so." She then closed the door and changed back into her old clothes, while taking all of the other dresses out and hanging them on a rack next to her, keeping the other black dress in her hand as she put it in their buggie. "Alright, now it's time to find you something just as good."

"Since you went with something I picked out. I might as well let you do the same. " She grumbled.

"Don't be such a sour-puss." Naomi teased. "We're just going to find you a matching dress to mine, just your size is all."

Sindi blushed. "I don't need one of those.... Well not yet anyway." She said.

"Aww, come on! You'll look just as pretty as you say that I did in mine." Naomi said in a happy manner, placing her right arm around her sister's shoulder and holding her close as they went into an aile with Sindi's size of dresses.

Sindi just stared at the aile. "Okay." She said blushing.

Naomi then gently hummed to herself as she started looking through some of the dresses, smiling with a relaxed face as she went through some dresses, still holding her little sister close.

"Ah!" she beamed quietly, finding a small black dress that was Sindi's size. "I know that you'll like this one. Look on the back." she said, showing the back of it to Sindi, of which had several small white skulls going along it's upper right back to the lower left hip.

"You're wrong. I don't like it. I LOVE it." She squelled as she took the dress jumping up and down.

Naomi smiled with upside down u eyes. "Okay okay, calm down ya little goth. Go to the fitting room and see how it feels." she said, grabbing the buggie and turning around to follow her sister to the dressing room.

Sindi rushed into the dressing room. She came back out with the dress on, fitting just like her sister's but with a lack of curves of course.

"Aww, you look so beautiful!" Naomi said cheerily, though she quickly glanced around for any other boys that would come and do the same thing that they did a few minutes ago. Seeing none, she sighed and looked back at Sindi, smiling as she waited for her to come back out.

Sindi was now back in her old clothes and tossed the dress into the basket. "Alright let's get home and get ready." She said.

As they did so, Naomi pulled out her cellphone and began to dial Daite's number, putting it to her ear. "Hello? Daite, are you there?"

''Daite picked up on the other side of the phone. "Hey Naomi. What's going on?"''

"Oh, nothing much. Just hanging around with Sindi while we shop for some clothes. Say, we got to wondering; wanna go out this evening with us?" she asked.

''"Sure. I can. So is this a dinner or something? Very fancy and all that?" He laughed through the phone.''

"But of course. We can't afford to spare any expense for you, now can we?" Naomi joked with a smile.

''"Well I'll see you later than." He said with a smile, a roar came in from the background followed by the sound of a blade sinking into flesh. "I'll talk later. Working."''

"Oh dear." Naomi said in worry at hearing the noise, hanging up her phone as they prepared to check out. "These attacks are starting to happen more frequently..." she muttered.

Sindi looked back at Naomi. "What? What he say?"

"He was uh..." Naomi paused briefly to think of a way to word it right. "...he was at work, his second job. But he said he'd be glad to go out with us." she said with a smile.

Sindi raised an eyebrow. "He has a second job?"

"Yeah..he's a...a game warden!" she said quickly, with a comical victorious face.

"A game warden? What's that?" She asked quizzically.

"It's someone who, thank you," she began, cutting herself off to thank the cashier. Bags of clothes in hand, they both left the building. "It's someone who keeps an eye out for hunters who hunt animals they aren't supposed to."

"Oh. That must be boring." Sindi said walking along side her sister. "Wanna stop for ice cream?"

"You know what? I was actually about to ask you that very question." Naomi said in a cheery smile, putting her clothes in their car and then locking it. Taking her sister by the hand gently, she smiled. "Let's go."

She went with her sister with a giggle.

Sitting at a cafe, with his legs crossed and a menu up, was the beast and harbinger of pain, Dolo. "Doesn't it feel great to have a sense of civilization every once in a while, Mael?" Dolo said smoothly. "You don't ever get this kind of service or feeling in Hueco Mundo. It's always the feel of war there."

"Agreed." Mael replied, a toothpick in his mouth as he looked out at all the passerby. "I personally don't think that it's healthy to remain within a hostile envirorment for such an extended amount of time. Doing so might turn even ones of our calibur into monsters."

Dolo let out a lone sigh. "If there were more like you and Isabella, and Egen, life would be so much easier, and far more classier as well." He stopped a waitress. "May I have a bottle of your best wine? I feel like celebrating." He forced a small smile as the waitress nodded and went to get what he ordered. "So any news from our little buddies?" His face snapped back to its emotionless way.

Mael sighed, looking back at Dolo. "Only two of them. The other four have been...uh, squished...mistaken as simple bugs. They aren't very well coordinated, but they are a great means of spying. The first one has reported seeing our Naomi and her sister in a clothing store, and the last one reported seeing the two of them head for that store right across from us." he said, pointing at the ice cream shop across from the two of them.

"Great." Dolo looked over, he took hold of the wine bottle without looking at the waitress and waved her on. "Want some?" He offered Mael.

"I'm fine, thank you." Mael said with a wave of his hand, politley. In truth, he wasn't all that hungry or thirsty, he just wanted to calm down and relax for the next few minutes while he could. "Besides, in human terms, i'm technically a minor, so I wouldn't want to start some trouble of any kind." he finished with a sheepish expression.

"Oh yeah." Dolo popped the top of the bottle with his thumb and started to drink from the bottle. "Ah. La Carpa Chenin Blanc. A great variety. " He looked over across the way into the ice cream shop's window, seeing Sindi jumping up and down, waiting for her ice cream.

"Rocky Road, Rocky Road." Sindi said singing to herself.

"There she is." Mael said calmly, looking over at Naomi standing next to the jumping Sindi, whom was smiling with a sweat drop on the back of her head. "Let's keep our eyes on her. I've got at least two of my scouts monitoring Rushifa, he's on his way here."

"Then that's two birds in the hand." Dolo said with a tinge of satisfaction. "This going much better than I expected." Dolo took another drink from the bottle of wine.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

Mael felt his "heart" stop, his eyes widening in shock at hearing the voice, a voice he was all too familiar with. The voice of the one being that had ever managed to nearly kill him...

"The wine? Or the backside of that beautiful girl across the street?" the blonde headed man asked, wearing a white sweater with black pants, a wry smile on his face as he looked at the two Arrancar.

Dolo took another drink from the bottle, downing the whole thing. He let out a refreshing sigh and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He noticed Mael's expression and knew if the cool Mael was thrown off his rhythm, this must be something to address. "Well, I would say neithier, but I would be lying. And I'm a many things, but a liar I'm not." Dolo said coldly turning to the blond man. "Besides, what's it to you? She shouldn't be of any interest to you...hmm?"

"But of course, my large and soon to be drunk friend." Anders replied cooly with a smile. "I consider every female life to be precious, more precious than my own. And I happen to know just who that little girl is, and what she means to a pair of Arrancar such as yourselves...."

The arrancar laughed. "Who says I'll be drunk, or I'm whatever the hell the word you just said." Dolo said it in a drunken manner, his mind making a quick plan to get this man away from them so he wouldn't have to kill him. " I think you just called me out of my name I think. *hic* I should kick your ass for disturbing me and my brother's quite peaceful lunch". He stood up in a stumble.

"Oh boy..." Mael quickly scratched his head, and looked out the window, trying to look as unrelated as possible.

"Hey now..." Anders said with his smile, holding up his hands in a surrendering, albeit mocking manner. "I was simply trying to start a simple conversation about girls. No need to fight, plenty of them to go around..."

"Girls? Who the hell is talking about girls? I'm just here enjoying my wine and the company of my dear brother. " He waved his hands around. "I'm not looking for a fight man. Why you coming over bothering us?"

"Good sir, I do believe that you are mistaken. I have not come here to start a fight, i'm actually looking for directions." he replied calmly and loudly as if he were wanting to make a scene in front of everyone at the diner. "I think you've had enough to drink my friend, you and your buddy should probably go home."

"I'm not the one drinking. You were. I took the bottle from you!" He said louder than him causing a complete scene. By then SIndi was walking out with a large triple scoop high ice cream cone of her favorite flavor, Rocky Road." She smiled licking it with a smile.

"So you stole it from me?" he asked with faked anger. "Why you little, er I mean, big heathen! I should take you to jail for this!!!"

"It's a good thing it's almost winter." Naomi smiled, a smally milkshake in her hand with a straw. "Otherwise that would be all over the place."

"I didn't steal it from you. I disarmed you!. You threatened to hit my brother with this." Dolo acted looking back at Mael and mouthed, "Tail them."

"I know, but the first snowing is still a ways off." She smiled as she went back to eating and held her sister's hand. Sindi led her back to the car completely ignoring the scene.

"I'm not part of this..." Mael said lowly as the two argued.

"He jumped me with a knife!" Anders defended himself plainly, before he snatched the table cloth out from under their plates and then throwing it around him. But when the cloth dropped, he had vanished.

"Still, that cool breeze is always so refreshing..." Naomi said happily as they got in their car and she began to drive away, towards the direction away from the diner.

The people at the cafe were left staring at Dolo and Mael. He turned to them with a bow. "I would like to thank you for watching our preview act of our improv group. "

"Please, leave us any feedback at the studio down the street, for that is where we are heading..." Mael quickly hopped up, leaving the pay for their order on the table and quickly whispering to Dolo as he passed him. "We need to hurry...."

"I know..." He whispered back and started running down the street in the direction of Naomi's car which already turned the corner and went down a few blocks.

"That Quincy is better informed than I anticipated." Mael said as they trailed the car. "He has to know what we're planning.."

"That complicates things. We will have to dispose of him at some point." Dolo said as he sprinted full speed. "Damn this contraption!!! He limits our physical attributes but not anything else!?" He started becoming out of breath.

"She's gaining speed." Mael noted as the car began to faster per the speed limit sign to their right. "We need to ditch these Gigai if we're to get ahold of them better."

Dolo ran into a splitting side street that functioned as an alley. He dumped his body mid-stride and started speeding off. He then jumped up over the building and started running across the roof, tailing the car.

Mael quickly did the same, however he was actually flying along the street above the other cars. Once they both started doing so, however...

"Got you."

CHIIIING!!!!

Dolo would find a rather large and powerful blue arrow composed of spiritual energy trailing behind him at incredible speeds.

Dolo looked quickly over his shoulder to see the arrow. He let out a sigh. "Keep after them...I'll handle this." He then spun around and punched through the arrow dispersing it with his hierro.

Mael quickly whirled around to find Anders, now garbed in the typical Quincy attire, a hooded robe along with matching military pants and sweater, along with his longbow aiming straight for the red haired Arrancar.

Whoosh!

Using a well placed Sonido, Mael avoided the oncoming strike and continued to chase after the car.

"I assume that you like our little show at that diner?" Anders said with a wry smile, his bow aiming straight for Dolo's head. "So, why don't you tell me why you're after Ms. Naomi and her sister? I doubt one of us will be leaving this place alive, so there's no point in keeping secrets."

Dolo glared at the quincy. Witout speaking he quickly charged foreward with his impressive speed closing the gap between them in which the large arrancar would plow his fist into the gut of the human.

"You're only human. So you should ru before you are seriously injured" He said into the quincy's ear.

BANG!!!!

However, the impact of the fist would be the same result as the Wolf Hollow's attack had on the Quincy earlier. Hard as steel and without flinching, thanks to the man's impressive use of Blut.

Anders let a sinister grin come onto his face as he looked down at the Arrancar. "I should be telling you the same thing, Hollow. Remember, I'm the one who can wipe your filthy soul from existance..."

SING!!!!

Ducking under Dolo and slamming his leg into the massive being's ankle to force him to lose his balance, Anders then switched up and slammed his other leg into the man's chest with an impressive amount of force.

The arrancr was caught off guard by the trip, but his hierro would let no dage come to him, as the kick was still under his power. Though Dolo would be horizntal i the air, he was still a spiritual being and the rules of the Human world held no hold over him. He caught the man's second kick with his right hand and stood on nothing but air perpedicular to Anders.

"Impressive..." He said in his stoic way as he realigned himself still holding onto the ankle of the quincy. He then tossed the man aide like a ragdoll to his left. "Trash..."

Although he was thrown to the left with a good amount of force, the Quincy quickly managed to stop himself in the air, drawing his bow and aiming straight at Dolo's face once more. "You didn't answer my question from before." he said lowly, still smiling. "What is it that you and your friend want with Ms. Naomi?"

The arrancar became a shimmering blur as the arrow flew through his head. After a second the soud of a cracking whip was made. It was Dolo's Escalon, his personal high speed movement technique. He then reappeared from under Anders with his clenched fists together, both of the bottom of each wrists touching each other, and thrusting out in a motion where he pushes both of his fist forward and opens his hands with fingers clenched and palms forward but keeping his wrists still together all in one motion. That technique he deemed Alabatido, allowed him to create a powerful punch that is equal to two of his normal punches directed into one place but it was now esclate to even greter hieghts using his Escalo's momentum. The force in his mind should be enough to crushed the man's defenses.

"I don't talk to dead men." He said.

But Anders was just as fast as he was smart.

Using what would be recognized as Hirenyaku, the Quincy high speed movement technique, Anders avoided the unique fist attack by a mere second. Reappearing directly behind Dolo, the man launched three more larger arrows that flew at greater speeds than the last, as well as carrying the impact force of a freight train individually.

The arrows hit their mark, causing a cloud of smoke to envelop him. A quick flash of silver occured and a large arching blast of silver energy erupted from the smoke, a cero.

Anders grinned, knowing that the Arrancar's impressive endurance and counter attack were too quick to dodge effectively. Holding out his bow, the silver blast slammed into the spirit weapon and created another large cloud of smoke and destruction.

Quickly reappearing behind and above Dolo, with a fairly seeable burn mark on his right arm, the Quincy continued to smile. "Resiliant, aren't we? Tell you what, since you refuse to speak to a lowly human such as myself, i'll just assume that your actions are for Rushifa Sureiya?"

Dolo was unflinching. "What does that mean to you? He's not human....well not anymore."

"He was human at one point, and his father was a good friend of my race. One of the only Soul Reapers to oppose the Quincy purges as well as actively side with us." the Quincy replied in a serious tone. "We owe his late father a great debt, and if we must save his only son from damnation at your hands, then so be it."

"Who says we had anything to do with his fall from grace? It was our common enemy the shinigami who caused him to become the beast he is, or have you not seen him of late?" He tilted his head slightly.

"Oh we have. We've been watching him, as well as you, Dolo Indeasedo..." Anders said with his wry smile returning. "You and you king seem to have quite the agenda, attempting to mind control something as powerful and unstable as Rushifa."

"Well then. If you know my name then you know what I am capable of." He removed his hood showing his hollow mask and pale skin.

"We know enough to where we acknowledge you as a potent threat. Your red haired friend, however..." Anders began, before he cut himself off to look to the right.

BOOOM!!!!!

A white form could be seen flying through the air past Dolo, slamming into a building with a loud crash. When the dust cleared, the bloodied form of Mael could be seen. His entire left arm having been blown off, and his form littered with various scars and impact marks. Breathing heavily, he managed to pick himself up after using his sword as a crutch.

"...doesn't seem to meet our conditions."

Dolo blinked and stared at Mael. "What happened to you?" He asked unsurprised.

Mael pointed wearily behind the larger Arrancar. "Another...another...*gurch!* Quincy..."

"Come now, Anders..."

From behind Dolo, emerged a serene, calm voice originating from a fairly tall, youthful appearing man with short white hair and blue eyes walked calmly towards Dolo and Anders. He wore the standard Quincy uniform, albeit with the signature white robe around his neck that extended to his knees.

"...these Arrancar threaten our homes, the lives within these homes, and our pride as Quincy guardians." Asumu Godai spoke calmly, looking at Dolo with a cold gaze. "Let us destroy them."

Act 2 The Oncoming Storm
A glare came across Dolo's face as he looked towards Asumu. He could tell that this one was different. He looked over his shoulder at thin air, then over his other towards Mael. "I know when a strategic reteat is needed." The beast said holding up his hands in a surrendering motion and paced backwards toward Mael. "We're leaving. No trouble at all. Well none that will be caused by us." He nodded as he quickly scratched open a Descorer, and pulled Mael into the pocket with him by the collar.

It closed just as quickly as it opened and the two stood in the inbetween of Hueco Mundo and the other worlds. "We can't head back to the kingdom like this." He said. "Let's get you cleaned up, possibly using some freshly converted hollows in the sands? Or maybe the forest?" He said dryly.

"The former...the former will do better..." Mael said with another cough, blood coming from his wounds and mouth at an alarming rate. "I was reckless...I don't deserve...any mercy for such...such a defeat...I am sorry...Lord Dolo..."

"Shut your mouth if you are going to talk like that. You are way to good a resource to let die like an animal back there. I can't handle two quincies by myself. Besides..." He started walking a path forming under him."... The mission hasn't failed. I have my pet tracking her. Remember. She's pratically invisible."

"Seeing doesn't matter to a Quincy..." Mael replied in a somewhat more healthier manner. "They are absolute masters over Spiritual Energy detection. And you've read Ebern's reports on Asumu Godai. He has to be one of, if not the most powerful Quincies alive."

"Sinamor has no spiritual presscence. He will never find her. She's been giving me information for years. Like your blatant fear of quincies after your encounter with the blonde one." He looked back at the red head.

"Don't be too harsh on him..."

Suddenley, and without warning, the Garganta that was previously closing was caught in at least three strange binds of spiritual energy, blue in coloration, and it began to open seemingly against it's own will.

"...After all, such abominations as yourselves have a right to fear beings that are clearly your better." Asumu spoke as the Garganta reopened fully to reveal both himself and Anders.

"I hope you two aren't going to leave us after all the time we've spent together." Anders said in a sarcastic manner, smiling wryly.

Three bala were quickly fired from each of Dolo's fists as he jabbed out a three hit combo, making a total of nine bala shooting towards the two quincy. He then sighed as he picked Mael up by the collar and threw him over his shoulder. He then performed an uppercut releasing a bala upward into the empty space of the pocket dimesion. He grumbled to himself as quickly made his way across the gap and ripped open another garganta jumpin into the dark space.

TingTingTing!!!

Anders was quick to intercept the oncoming attacks, blocking them with his left hand with relative ease, his face showing a rather annoyed expression at seeing Dolo consistantly try to leave the area.

"Why is he so willing to run away, I wonder?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Cowardice is always the first defense mechanism of the weak minded." Asumu mused quietly, his expression remaining the same, stoic and calculating gaze. "Despite his natural inborn power, he is quick to retreat when things don't go his way."

He then looked over to Anders. "You stay here and watch for Naomi-chan and her sister, just to be on the safe side."

"And you?" he replied, looking over to Asumu casually.

"I will follow him, and get the answers I need from him myself." Asumu replied as he began to walk into the Garganta and into the portal that Dolo had just left.

Dolo and his partner was gone from sight. The landscape was a narrow tall passage that was an eerie lavander color, with a similiar colored fog coming off the walls. The place looked almost organic as if Asumu dropped into the lining of a beast's digestive system. It was completely silent within this new place as it was comprised of a very densed reishi folded on top of itself manyfold, rendering detecting of spiritual entities null.

"How very interesting." The Quincy said to himself, holding out his right hand from his cloak and waving it slowly. A blue tint emerged from his form, and the fog quickly began to disappear. "A very elaborate ruse to hinder my spiritual detecting abilities. I'm impressed Dolo..."

Dolo did not answer. In reality, Dolo already left the area creating another garganta down the passage some with a sonido. Out of the darkness of the tunnel, a bright light flashed almost like a train in a tunnel.

Asumu was not one to be afraid of being alone.

Without another word, he was following the trail left behind by his Arrancar opponent, analyzing the light made at the end of the tunnel, feeling as if it were a hostility of some sort...

A howl came from the light that was ever coming closer and brighter. It smashed through the garganta that Dolo had escaped through, destroying the object completely. It turns out, Asumu was in the Dangai, and the Kototsu was now making its rounds ant this exact time. If Asumu didn't leave now, the human would be swepted up and dropped off in a new place at a new place in time. The Kototsu made that steam like howling sound as it chugged through.

Without a trace of fear or surprise, the Quincy glanced at the Kototsu with a half-lidded glare. He didn't know exactly what it was, but whatever it could be, it wouldn't bode well for him to stand by and let it hit him.

WHOOSH!!!

Quickly using Hirekyakyu, Asumu reappeared at the other end of the gate where he had entered previously, and then left the realm altogether.

"Damn..." he said in calm annoyance, noticing the presence of several Soul Reapers near his area.

Act III, Princes, Claws and the Hunt
Back in the human world, Sindi was hopping out of the car and carrying a tower of bags from out the trunk. "I think we spent more than we supposed to." She said with a smile.

To this, Naomi smiled, also carrying several large bags out of the trunk. "Nah, we spent just the right amount on things that we need. After all, we do need to make the best impression on Daite san tonight as we can."

"True. True." Sindi said holding the door open. She then followed her sister into the elevator.

When they stepped in, Naomi hummed happily and quietly to herself to the strange elevator music playing, before looking over at Sindi. "See? Don't we have all sorts of fun when we hang out together?"

"Yes we do. So don't ruin it with mushy talk sis." Sindi replied.

"But that makes everything better!" Naomi said with a comically sad face, the elevator stopping to let both of them walk to their room.

She stuck her tongue out comically. They staopped at the door to wait fro Naomi to open it, who took her time to get the keys out. Sindi then started getting antsy. "C'mon Naomi! I got to go to the bathroom."

"Why don't you use the one down the hallway right there?" she blinked, looking down at her sister in a deadpan manner while emphasizing that a restroom was just down the hall.

"That one is disgusting." She turned a sickly green thinking about it. "I feel better in our own personal bathroom."

"Ugh, you can be such a whiner sometimes..." Naomi commented teasingly before slowly opening the door to irk her sister. "Better go now while you have the chance!"

Sindi quickly bursted through the door tossing her bags on the floor, stumbling and flounding about as she locked herself inside the bathroom. A sigh of release echoed from the closed space.

Initially sweatdropping at seeing her sister go at such a fast pace, Naomi walked into the main dining room and set her end of bags on the counter, before walking back and taking Sindi's bags and doing the same. While doing this she was humming happily to herself as she daydreamed about her going out with Daite.

At this point in time, she was happy with the way her life was going. She and Sindi were becoming more and more closer and having more fun, she acquired a great boyfriend, in terms of both personality and appearance, and everything was going so much smoother.

As she walked by a nightstand next to a couch, however, she saw a picture. A picture of her and Rushifa...before he vanished. Her expression changing into one of sadness, she sat down on the couch and picked up the small frame, looking at it with a heavy heart. It was of her and Rushifa at a park, with both of their faces leaned against each other and both smiling widely.

Sindi was humming to herself as she used the bathroom. She was humming Call me Maybe by Carly Rae Jenson so loudly that one could visualize her kicking her legs to the beat all happily. Outside a floor above the window to their apartment, blending against the white washed wall was the Panther, Sinamor. The essentially non-existant being was clung to the wall.

Letting out a sigh, before smiling warmly at the picture, Naomi spoke to herself quietly. "Oh Rushifa....you wouldn't want me to be depressed like this...you would want me to move on, and I know for a fact that you would love to meet Daite-san in real life...yeah...I was in a low place in my life after you left...but i've moved on now. But never forget, I'll always love you, Rushifa, and i'll never forget you..."

She then kissed the frame softly, before setting back on the night stand and taking her new dress and walked to the front of the bathroom, sighing with a smile. "Hey, you having fun in there, kiddo?"

"Shut up!" She yelled almost giggling. Sinamor crept closer down the wall to the top edge of the window.

"Well hurry up and get on with it, you silly!" she teased. "We have to start getting everything ready for tonight!"

"Alright! Just let me concentrate." She then soon went back to humming.

"Ugh, you are so ridiculous." Naomi said with a laugh, turning around and heading back to the kitchen. Pulling out her phone, she dialed Daite's number and prepared to call him, waiting for him to pick up his own phone.

The call went straight to voicemail after a few rings. A flush rung out and Sindi came out the bathroom. She then yawned grabbing one of the bags and sat on the couch going through it for her dress.

"Huh, Daite isn't answering. He must still be at his job. Oh well..." Naomi sighed, taking her dress and walking towards the bathroom. "...this just means it will be all the more fun to surprise him later." she finished with a smile.

Sindi found her dress and ran into her room to dress up.

"Does it fit?" Naomi said with the bathroom door open so that Sindi could hear her.

"Yes!" She screamed out.

"Good! Now make sure everything else is ready, like teeth brushed and all that stuff! I don't want you going over there and smelling like a skunk!" Naomi yelled back comically.

"You need to do the same as well! He'll end up running away from your dragon's breath." She replied playfully.

"I don't have dragon's breath!" Naomi whined, before turning around to brush her teeth at the sink behind her.

For some reason, she felt as if though she and Sindi weren't the only ones in the apartment....

Meanwhile in the middle of the town, Daite stood in the middle of the air covered in the blood of hollows. He had his zanpakuto drawn with both hands on it. "Why are there so many of them? Is there some bait in the area or is it something pushing them out here from Hueco Mundo?" He thought to himself. "Where the hell is that captain they were sending out?" He snapped as he was attacked from three directions by three different hollows. The captain quickly cleaved through the mask of the one coming behind him and then released a Byakurai into the one to his left. Daite dodged the last hollow with a flash step and then cleaved its head straight off with a beheading strike from above.

Then, another larger Hollow leaped at him from above. It was a large, spider like appearing creature which opened it's fangs up to devour him whole....

SIIIING!!!!!!

But then, a blue streak of light flew from behind Daite and ran into the creature, sending it flying away into the city below.

"It seems Dolo left us quite the mess..." the blonde haired Anders said as his energy bow lay at his side.

Daite turned to look over his shoulder at Anders. "Dolo?" He said with surprise.

"Yes, Dolo. That's what I just said." Anders replied in a deadpan tone. "He and another Arrancar were here just minutes ago, spying on Naomi-chan and her sister. My friend and I only just now managed to chase them away, but they left us plenty of hollows in their wake."

"Well that back-up from Soul Society would be much appreciated now. A second captain would be nice around now." Daite stated shouldering his blade. "So you and this friend of yours, chased off Dolo and another arrancar?" He fixed his hair. "How can I believe that they were here without as much as -" A look of realization came over him. "The damn hollows. They kept coming in masse. They had the scanner confused with thier congregation in multiple points all over the city. Hopefully my subordinates are doing fine. The real threat is gone."

"No, the real threat is on it's way here."

The calm, serene voice of Asumu came from behind Anders, dressed in his own garb as he walked passed Anders and a little closer to Daite than the latter was. "This was merely a way for them to get a better look at the ones closest to Rushifa Sureiya. I'm certain your Society has heard of him?"

"Of course. Why you think I'm here?" Daite said shouldering his blade. "It seems like things are shapping up to becoming all out war, and Rushifa is looking to be a powerful assest to whoever gets ahold of him." He looked over Asumu. "Captain Daite Hattori Onigokua, 10th Division." He introduced himself.

"Asumu Godai." the Quincy replied plainly without moving or changing his serious expression. "We are of the Quincy Order. To repay our debt to his father, we are sword to protect Rushifa and his loved ones. As we are doing right now."