Stumbling through. (Shikuro and Kaoseu)

People go missing every day; some are devoured by hollow, others still are slaughtered by members of their own race. Yet this... This was a particularly peculiar incident.

Life would meander on in the gentle forest, the presence of a singular human would not change that. The ever steady growth of the trees would not falter, the winds would not cease their breath, the waters would not forget to churn. Life simply moved on.

Darkness blanketed the dense wood on this particular night. The moon dared not show its guiding light tonight, and the forest was filled with an eerie silence. The all encompassing silence was broken by a piercing gasp. Birds took wing, animals rustled in their shelters. The silence was broken as that simple gasp reverberated throughout the forest, ripples of sanity preserving sound flowing through the night. A young blue haired man braced himself against a tree as he attempted to escape the endless wood. Slowly would he place one foot in front of the other in his meager attempts at movement. His skin was a deathly pale white, his eyes and lips almost devoid of life and warmth. It appeared as though he had just woken from the dead.

His head was fogged; where was he? What was he doing here? Who was that man who freed him from the depths? Questions buzzed throughout his psyche as he struggled along. His legs barely found the strength to carry him forward, whatever clothing he wore completely drenched in what was a mixture of sweat and water. Time was quickly running out, the last of his Reiryoku being used in a valiant attempt to keep his body from freezing. Slow... Raspy breath.

"Just... Keep moving..."

His words sounded through the foliage. An eerie echo returning back to the boy, the forest was empty... No life, even the trees seemed cold... Branches near bare even in their supposed time of growth . His foot caught the remains of a rotted root and he stumbled forward, landing on his already battered and feeble arms. Embittered by his folly he attempts to rise, but his strength had run dry. He collapses onto the ground as an overwhelming shiver rattles him to the bone..

"Help.... Me..." He croaked.

It had been a long while since Kaoseu had stepped foot in the human world for little more than the Hell of it. His rhythmic gait took him through the Garganta with ease, and onto virtually silent forest terrain. The still night air invigorated his lungs, though he needn't breath. His stark-white plating rattled against itself as he trembled with the open air, his now-healed wings flapping near his sides, eager to catch wind. he had just eaten before he left, a few lowly Hollows in the wrong place at the right time, fully knowing that he'd want to enjoy his time here without causing trouble. This in mind, the Hollow set off on foot, aimlessly following game trails through the thick brush.

It wasn't until a few minutes in that he realized he wasn't walking along any normal game trail. The path seemed unsteady, as if the animal was wounded, or larger than he presumed, but the largest animals he knew to roam this wood were deer, and they never grew too large. Narrowing his eyes, he opened his senses and felt around the area, tracing a rather faint line of Reiryoku along the path he was currently taking. Not one for risk, he grasped the handle of the emerald blade that he had removed from his own body during his recent fight with Stratus, and carried on.

After a few minutes, he found the source of the feeble trail, laying on the ground. His first immediate thought was to put the human- for that's what he was- out of its misery. Silently, he moved along the brambles and stood over the pitiful specimen, sliding the crystalline shard from its makeshift sheath. He aimed the tip at the base of the neck, just between the two disks that would sever the cord and relinquish all pain. Just before he pressed down, two words escaped on a single breath of air.

"Help... Me..."

Narrowing his eyes once more, Kaoseu crouched down next to the body, this time examining it closely. He was drenched in water and smelled of sweat, so he'd obviously been exerting himself. He couldn't see any injuries indicative of a fight, save for small scrapes and cuts, most likely from stumbling through the woods. He was well built, wiry musculature. Not tall, but not short, either. Flipping him over, the Hollow caught a bit more of his scent, and he realized this was no ordinary Superhuman or Fullbringer. He had the unmistakable smell of a Quincy.

Acting on impulse, Kao grabbed the back of the boys shirt, and picked him up effortlessly, tossing him over a shoulder, carefully out of the way of his range of motion for flight. He moved to a clearing where the branches wouldn't impede, and spread his wings, crouched, and pounded down while pushing off, rocketing into the air. It felt fantastic to be able to fly again, something he'd never thought of as a Shinigami. Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he banked to his right, in the direction of a small rocky mountain, one he knew to be riddled with caves.

Once he made his landing in one of the harder-to-reach caves, already stocked with food from when he was here as a Shinigami, he started a small fire in the little pit he'd made from before, close enough to the back to preserve heat, but far enough to the front, he could lounge in the shadows. He set the boy down by the flames to start warming him, and set a few items of food by the fire, so they'd be easily accessible when he awoke. From there, he took shelter in the back recesses of the cave, now mentally arguing with himself as to what the Hell he was thinking as he waited, feeling out the bits of Spiritual Pressure from around him, whilst outside, it began to rain.

The man's heartbeat was rapidly slowly as the faint light of his life was rapidly fading. Cold... Icy cold was gripping every fiber of the man's being as he lay face down. His body was screaming out for him to move, for him to spark to life and escape from this hell. Yet, simultaneously a familiar presence lulled him into the solace that was death. It seemed very grim for the Quincy, and as he took his last raspy breath he was taken high into the air.

The wind snapped at his face and blew his azure locks wildly about his visage. Dim, hazel eyes gazed helplessly at the ground that was passing below. It seemed certain that he was dead... Was this what dying felt like? Soaring freely through the air and enjoying the breathtaking view that was flight from a bird's perspective. Hado could very definitely get used to this. Unbeknownst to the Quincy, a winged savior was carrying him to shelter. Away from the watery bastion that had held him prisoner all those years. Faint sparks of Reiryoku were managing to keep him stable, but he could no longer move. He no longer had feeling in his body, all that could be mustered was maintaining his eyes open. Even the cold promise of death and unconsciousness could keep him from this beauty.

In an instant, it was all over. An artist's pallet of colors turned to a dim, earthy brown as man met floor. It was in that moment that Hadoland realized he was not dead yet, that someone, or something had rescued him. Faint traces of life found their way back into the human's body at the realization. Movement was still beyond his capability, but he could shiver.

Faint light danced to life as a fire was sparked and the comfort of warmth licked across his entire body. He was placed in very close proximity to the roaring flame, yet his shivering would not cease. Pigment would not return to his face, and the same icy grip would still embrace him. The healing warmth of the fire was clearly being repelled by a strange Reiatsu... It was faint, very faint, but the icy traces of a very familiar individual were present. The chains binding the Hado were still in place, and it was these chains that were sapping the man of his strength. The presence of another being was apparent in the room, and it became apparent what must be done. A tugging sensation filled the core of this man as he summoned the last of his energy to allow him a few words of speech.

"Reiryo.......Ku..... Cha.... Cha.... Chains."

His breath once again slowed. Focus filled him as solace from the cold allowed him such a pleasantry. An internal battle was brewing. The young man's spirit was fighting a losing battle against the much more potent chains that bound him. A spiritually aware individual would be capable of seeing this battle, but what one did with it was strictly up to their discretion.

In the middle of his own internal struggle, one of more importance was taking place but a stone's throw away. He would have paid it no mind, were it not for the shaky words that drifted to his hiding spot near the rear of the shelter. Reiryoku Chains- a hassle, and a pain in the ass. At least, they used to be. Sighing to himself, still unsure of his motives, he snaked his abnormally long tails to the individual, coating the barbed tips with condensed Reiatsu. His own power revealed the faint glow of the ghostly chains that bound the boy.

Without touching him, Kaoseu lifted the chains a bit off the Quincy's form, and slid the points of his tails into a link, from opposite sides. Letting his Reiatsu flare for just a second, the Hollow snapped his tails in opposite directions, severing the link and dissolving the chains that bound his charge. There was little left to do now, save watch and hope for the best. Drawing his tails back to himself, Kaoseu did just that, curious as to see what would happen, and more so as to what he would do about his identity.

Warmth instantly washed over the young man as his binding was broken. His brow relaxed, and the ever present shiver ceased. Hazel hues made slowly made sense of the blur that greeted them and feeling slowly returned to the Quincy's body. His arms filled with new-found strength he pushes himself to a sitting position and gazes upon his savior.

The face that greeted him scared him, to say the least. As his Reiryoku was unshackled it momentarily flared in shock, but with the absence of any hostile intent emanating from the hollow his fear began to subside. This was most definitely not the first time a hollow displayed no ill-intent towards him. Nevertheless, Hado could feel his heartbeat pounding in his head, the situation quickly became tense as he wasn't sure where the situation could go from here. He still felt slow, groggy, as if he hadn't moved in years. He was in no condition to fight, and a small voice in the back of his mind warned him that, even if he was, he was sorely out-matched.

He placed his hands upon the cave floor and heaved himself to his feet. Everything was still woozy and numb, and he still hadn't quite regained control of his Reishi absorbing Reiryoku. Minutes passed in silence as the young man attempted to regain his bearings before taking a single solid breath. "Well... This is the 2nd time a Hollow has saved me from death... Yet I am left ever puzzled as to why."

Colors more befitting life snapped back into the man's face as he allowed the heat to radiate throughout his body. It was pleasant, and as his panic subsided, he calmly examined the creature. His calculating gaze examining every feature of the beast, just in case. Years of training warned him against Hollow's, and despite the lack of hostility, he couldn't shake his trained instinct. He shook his head as if to come to his own senses, and then nodded his head. "Sorry... Thank you, for your errr... Help." His eyes rose, and for the first time did his gaze focus intently on the Hollow's own empty eyes.

If the Shinigami had a glimpse of what was beneath his Hollow mask, the smile that split his lips would've been either terrifying or comforting. To help make it more the latter, he spoke his mind rather than letting his facial features show it.

"Heh. You're welcome. Not so often I help out a mortal, but that's a part of my life I can't be rid of, no matter how much my own turned against me, for something I couldn't help. Was a good run though."

Why he divulged so much information was beyond him, though there was a part of him that wanted to talk about it, that wanted someone to know. He mentally kicked himself for letting his emotions well so far to the surface, though that was part of his nature now. As he changed physically, many changes seemed to be happening with him on a more personal scale.

He watched as the Quincy slowly regained his strength, his tails twining around themselves.

"Reiryoku chains, eh? You piss off a Shinigami?" he asked.

He had little information on Quincy, but Reiryoku chains were usually almost a last resort for any race capable of making them. This kid may well be much stronger than he could tell, but in his current state, he was barely a threat. So long as no trouble was started, no blood would be shed.

The Hollow's face twisted into what seemed to be a manic grin. It would seem that Hado's heart would not be allowed any respite on this fateful night as one thing after another scared him half to death. The word's that escaped the Hollow's... Lips? Comforted the startled Quincy. His torrent of emotions finally settled as a sad smirk found its way to his visage. Thoughtful hazel hues gazed up towards the Hollow as his brief story reverberated throughout Hado's very soul.

"Your own kind turned against you? It seems that... My own family turned against me..."

The Quincy silently rubbed his wrist, miming the removal of shackles finally opened. The sight of food suddenly caught his gaze and his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten in four years... Yet, despite this shocking statistic, hunger did not tempt him. Anger, depression and dread filled the depths of his mind and repulsed all semblance of an appetite. A slow, exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he shook these thoughts from his already troubled mind. The hollow's followup question allowed for a more sincere smile to shine through on Hado's features.

"I've pissed off more Shinigami than I can count, not intentionally course. Hell, I even kissed a captain once and then ended up being fought over by two captain level women..."

Wisps of memory flooded his mind as this particular memory was his fondest, and at the same time it was the one that started his downward spiral into imprisonment.

"To tell you the truth... I'm not sure why these chains were on me. Last thing I remember was fighting a small hollow.." The Quincy's face contorted as he attempted to remember the exact events of the battle. His hand shot to his stomach in horror as he realized what had happened.

"A cero impaled me and then a frozen, manic, terrifying Reiatsu crushed me... And that's the last thing I remember."

He couldn't help but feel sorry for the kid, being betrayed by not only his own kind, but his own flesh and blood. A flood of memory came to him, then, a snowy haired boy, with silver eyes- his sons- Hibiki and Akki. He knew he had done right by them, by both killing and distributing what power he had left as a Shinigami, ensuring their future. He wondered just where they were at, at this point, unaware of the dire straits the latter of the two had just been put in. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Kaoseu gave a derisive snort at the young Quincy's tale.

"That's a Quincy for ya... and you kissed a captain? You've got guts, that's for sure, 'specially if it pissed off another female captain... Hate to see a fight between Kaiyo and any other cap'. Woman's an animal."

"As for your battle, if you were just fighting a small Hollow, he was either more powerful than you thought, or that Cero was fired by another Hollow. Hollows have a strange growth- Larger they are, usually means weaker. It's when they start to look more human- size and shape- that they really get strong. What you got hit by was probably a tailored Cero, something specific to that Hollow. You're lucky you're alive." said the Hollow.

After a few moments, he stood, stretching his limbs and moving closer to the fire, his talon-like feet clicking on the ground in mild unison with his platelike armor.

"You should eat. Get your strength back. Dunno how long I'll be here, so best be prepared. I'm Kaoseu, by the way, Kaoseu Enjel."

What an interesting set up... An extremely battered Quincy having a friendly conversation with a Hollow. The mention of Kaiyo quickly brought back the events that had come to pass just earlier this day. To think, neither the reborn Quincy nor Kaiyo noticed the secondary trap that his sister had laid for him. A faint pink tinged his features as he spoke of the captain.

"Yeah... Kaiyo's an animal all right."

The Quincy spoke with a familiarity in his voice that would clearly indicate to the Hollow that she had been the one whom he had "kissed". The information provided about the other hollow came as no surprise to Hadoland, he had previously encountered such fearsome creatures. The beast in front of him was very likely to be one such specimen. His hand clutched the location in which he had been impaled, there was no pain, not even a scar, yet his body was not able to forget the sensation.

He began to heat some simple cup ramen. The Quincy's appetite still had not shown itself, but perhaps a morsel or two of food would bring it surging forward. The Hollow introduced itself, and it was then that Hado realized the sheer magnitude of memories that it possessed from its past life. He would not pry, but this very clearly a hollow with a strange past.

"Hadoland Daimon... Err... Pleased to meet you?"

The bottom of the ramen was coated with a thin layer of Reishi, acting as a makeshift stove for the cheap sustenance. A little trick that Ikuto had taught him quite some time ago. He pulled back the lid and began to eat his first meal in... Four years. Yeah... The man was ravenous, and he paid no heat to the scalding of his tongue as he swallowed down the ramen.

"How'd you find me anyway?"

The Quincy's tone would've raised Kaoseu's brow, were it possible. His sharp-toothed grin flickered across his features for a moment, before settling back down, unsure of how to feel, this being the first news that his old Captain had somehow lived the catastrophic accident everyone thought she had perished in. On one hand, she was alive. On the other, she still was a Captain, and forced to uphold Shinigami Law. Kaoseu was a direct violation against that law. He chuckled lightly, recalling the last time they had met, when he was still somewhat human, a Visored, being hunted. It was the first time he had crossed blades with a Shinigami as an enemy.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he watched as the boy ate heartily... at least, as heartily as one could eat cup ramen. He was silent for a moment, deciding which part of the conversation to address first. In his pensive state of mind, the rain fell a bit harder, a flash of lightning breathing it's eerie blue light into the cave, just for a moment. It struck Kaoseu for a moment, when the indigo haired Quincy spoke his name.

"Hadoland Daimon...? You don't mean the one with the ballista incident, do you?" he asked, grinning. "Nice work on that one, had to do that report before my run of bad luck. As for how I found you, I thought you were a deer, at first, so I followed the wreckage of the trail you left. Surprised you even made it as far as you did. That, and those chains were giving off a bit of feedback that stuck around. Don't ask why I helped you, I dunno the answer to that one myself, yet."

Here, he turned back into the cave, his twin tails no longer twitching erratically, instead, they swished about one and other in steady rhythm with the beating rain.

"So tell me, how often do you see Kaiyo? How's she been?" he asked, eager to find out any news of anyone in Soul Society, and, just maybe, pass on a message.

A Senkai gate slowly drifted open some distance away from Kaoseu and Hadoland's position, out from it came a rather carefree Shikuro. He was still trying to figure out what to do about this, he had been called out since the level had been high ranked officer appropiate and he had been one of the only ones free at the time. He only left a mild stak of paperwork. His breath seeped in the cool air of the real world, it always seemed so differend in comparison. He had stopped waiting for the door to close after him, his own reasons he didn't want anyone to slip by him and gain access to the soul society, not on his watch. After he heard the doors close he knew they'd be gone, with a scratch on the back of his head, he let his senses drift, down to anything above avrage, or out of the ordinary levels of power. He found some, uncertain of what it was, he asumed this was the reason for his departure. He gave himself a short strech, warming up his body. He needed to be ready should he run into worse situations, he had pretty bad luck with his real world and the challenges. Especially what that damn limiter that was placed on him.

With that done, he didn't need anymore prep work, he felt his body was ready to move a split seconds notice. He dashed forward through the forrest, he was sure to let his presure flow. He wasn't one to be even attempting assissinations. Furthermore this way he didn't accidentlydo fiendly fire, his speed was outstanding so he could land a blow before the opponent could state alignment.

He dashed through quickling closing in on the two straglers, he was still unsure what he'd find, or how he should react to it. Mixed feeling swirled over him, he knew Kaiyo had gone to these districts earlier, though he was unsure wh or what she had been doing. He worried that the reasons for the spike that set off the alarms was something she had caused. If she had he was sure that it wasn't on purpose, and that she most likely didn't even know it, he trusted that she would have told him if she had known. Other things had his worry, it could have been someone on the trail of Kaiyo's left over presure, they still haven't found out what happened when she had fallen the last time. He didn't want that to happen again, so he was determinated should it be something after her, he would definetly stop its way if neccesary hopefully persuade it to hunt him instead of possible.

Ofcourse all this was speculations, sometimes his thoughts travelled much further than they had too. He had chosen to wear his standard Shinigami uniform with long sleeves. On his left arm he still had equiped the armguard, he had gotten so used to having a guard there due to his shikai it had grown so essential he had worked something not as strong ofcourse, but still efficiant to use. On his left arm was neatly placed his Lieutenant insignia, marking him as second in command of 11th divison. On his right wrist, the only red item he owned was placed, a band which had been given to him by Kaiyo herself. With that atire he finally arrived at the destination, pretty sure that unless the people here had been clueless to sensing they'd know he was comming, and he had been moving fast. Sometimes the speed alone keeps a hostile enemy from attacking right away. He landed on the ground, his eyes drifting from one to the other, something seemed familiar, that aside it was a hollow being, atleast one of them, the others presure seemed differend, not a hollow but quincy... And if he wasn't mistaken a quincy he had met before, yet he couldn't exactly pin out who it was right now. His hand was ready however, both these people would in normal conditions be his enemies, but so would they be to eachother, and it didn't seem like he had stepped into a battleground. He wanted to know why. "Who... are you..?" He spoke out, stern voice, and a very serious expression on his face, this was a rather delicate situation.

Expressive hazel hues twinkled with amusement as they absorbed every scrap of information the Hollow's visage betrayed. His brief tidbits of information regarding Kaiyo seemed to pique his interest more than anything else. The creature's face twisted into what Hado could only assume was a bemused grin, it was mildly unsettling to say the least. The Hollow's eyes seemed to momentarily glaze over from time to time, a state that one could only assume was a thoughtful silence. However, it struck Hado as extremely odd that the Hollow had heard of him. He spoke of filing a report, as if he had once been a Shinigami. A broad grin adorned his features as he recalled the event the Hollow spoke of. Apparently his exploits had not gone unnoticed, even in Soul Society.

An understanding nod was given to the speaking Hollow. It was definitely not Hado's business to pry, though he seemed to describe his Hollowfication as "bad luck", whatever that implied. The fact that the young Quincy was in such a pitiful state that he resembled a wounded deer did nothing to help his ego. The Hollow's reasoning for coming to his rescue however, only served to further confuse the young man.

"Those chains grew stronger the farther away I drew from my prison. I didn't even realize their effect until I was a few miles out. Apparently some form of reassurance should I ever escape."

Lightning flashed, as if on dramatic cue to highlight the mention of his escape. A rain storm had reared its head, and the power of nature was coming to bear. The rainfall created a gentle symphony as it fell against the cave wall. The creature's tails swished rhythmically along with the heavenly beat, and the wayward Quincy felt at ease... Well, as ease as one could possibly be with a monstrously powerful Hollow sitting right next to him. His eyebrows cocked upwards as Kaoseu's curiosity regarding the goldenrod captain continued. Hado's lips parted to begin to answer the Hollow's question, but the Quincy's words were cut short as the unmistakable Reiryoku of a Shinigami, a powerful one at that, reared its head.

An impenetrable silence filled the small coven as Hado's internal radar continued to sound its warning. The Shinigami was rapidly approaching their current location; could the breaking of the chains restraining the Quincy be the culprit? A modicum of minuscule seconds fluttered by before the Shinigami suddenly made his appearance. Hado's hand shot to his throat as his arrival brought back another streak of memory. The cold steel slicing his throat, and the restorative power that quite likely saved his life. To be perfectly fair, it was a Shinigami's fault in the first place, but that was beside the point. The situation had grown unnecessarily tense in an instant, and his hazel hues began to dart between the two powerful combatants. Would the Quincy need to flee before conflict erupted between the two? Neutrality quickly shadowed his expression, he would not reveal to the Shinigami that he was in no condition to fight.