The Joyless Dunes

[Kusubanasan]

The flowing white dunes of Heuco Mundo are a timeless reminder of how dreary the world of the Hollow really is. Even the few trees that are spread far and wide throughout the area are devoid of life, as they are made of quartz crystal. Hollow can be seen roaming about here and there, but even their appearance is rare, as most hollow prefer to live underground in the vast cavern system, or in the underground forest. The sky is a shade of gray right now, as the moon is steadily beginning to rise.

A young woman with long pink hair and a naginata on her back comes running out of the huge castle with tears in her eyes. Further and further the Espada runs into the endless expanse of sand, wordlessly, just trying to get away from the situation that so compromised her beliefs of harmony between all races. She doesn't notice that several beings had been following her since she ran out of the castle. She soon runs into a little cave, a kind of retreat that she uses when she wants to compose new songs to sing without any of the other Espada knowing. This place brings her comfort, she sighs as she drops to her knees and begins punching the floor and screaming at the top of her lungs.

Why! Why do things always have to end up like this!? Why must we all fight to destroy one another instead of simply trying to get along!? All I want to do... All I want to do is.. not be so.. trapped in this... colorless world...

The sound of sandals on the rocky floor alerts Furiko to the presence of intruders. She looks up to see that the cave is now filled with men in black uniforms. The uniforms make it quite obvious who these men were, as they wear the the uniform of the Shinigami.

What's all this crap you sayin' about getting along? Peace between Shinigami and Hollow!? Pah! All you MONSTERS do is eat and eat and eat! Your very existence is a sin!

Furiko looks over at the man who spoke, he is dressed quite gaudily, this man is wearing purple instead of black, his hair is white, and he has an eye-patch over one of his eyes. Perhaps the most curious thing about this mans' appearance is the large anchor he has slung over his shoulder. The man reminds Furiko of a pirate.

Boys! We were supposed to just spy on that meeting and report back to soul society about this, but who's gonna pass up the chance to beat up a weak crybaby? THIS is a fearsome Espada!? Pah!

The man spits on her, his arrogant demeanor is something that Furiko doesn't take kindly to. She gets up off her knees and dusts herself off, and then pulls the Naginata off her back. She intends to crush this man for his ridiculous line of thinking, after-all how dare he look down upon someone else just because of what they are? Her vast spiritual pressure begins to rise, and the effect is visible to the shinigami behind the gaudy man in purple. In Heuco Mundo, the reishi in the air is thick, so instances involving spiritual pressure can be felt at a much higher magnitude. The people in the castle for instance, can probably feel Furiko's spiritual pressure from the meeting room.

I-I'll destroy you for that! Why would you ever think yourself superior to someone else just because of what they are? Shinigami have beliefs too, i'm sure, but from my point of view, you just... take joy in seeing people like me suffer...

The man scoffs, and waves his hand forward, and the group of shinigami behind him rush to attack Furiko. With a swipe of the blade on her naginata, she slices down a line of the men as if they were paper. This is intimidating to the men, as they begin to attack with far less zeal. After a bit of slicing and dicing, only the leader-guy remains.

[Kusubanasan]

Ya think you can take me, small-fry!? Think you can just kill all my men and get away 'wit that? Nobody fights Soul Society's number one patrol and lives! I'll gut ya m'self!

This man is considerably stronger than all the other shinigami that Furiko had just cut down. The man casually steps outside the cave and beckons Furiko to follow. When she steps outside the cave, the man points his large anchor-zanpakuto at her, and fires the top out as if it were some kind grappling hook. She dodges the top, and the man swings the handle around. Furiko notices his game, and grabs the chain that connected the top of the anchor. The man shows a little bit of surprise as Furiko pulls on the chain, wrenching the anchor from his hands.

I'm sorry I have to do this sir, but you leave me no choice...

From his back pocket, the man pulls out what looks like a small revolver. He points it at Furiko and clicks the trigger. From the barrel of the gun, a beam of electricity flies out. It seems that the gun fires instances of the spell "Byakurai." Furiko dodges the beam, and runs toward the man. He quickly rolls forward, and during that movement retrieves his previous weapon and swings it at Furiko during her run. She casually swipes it aside with the shaft of her naginata and then picks the man up by his collar.

'Yer nothin.... just trash! You can't kill me! You can't hurt me! I'll destroy you!

I'm so sorry sir...

She drops her weapon, and then uses her now freed hand to pierce the man's stomach. A technique that Espada often use to wound opponents, thanks to their steel-skin. She tosses the man backward with her other hand, and stares him straight in the eye. The man's face contorts with pain and fear, as Furiko calmly walks toward him with a stoic look on her face. She picks up the man sprawled over on the ground by his collar once more, and gives him a warning.

If this is the true face of Soul Society...I will... no longer falter in my convictions...Give your fellows a warning. Your.. your arrogance has caused your undoing... tell Soul Society their time... has come!

With her other hand, she opens a Garganta that would lead to soul society. She hurls the man through this portal, and then closes it. With that threat gone, Furiko is free for a small bit of introspection.

(That was... all too big a coincidence.. Boss-kun... he must have... let them come here.... to.. show me why he's doing what he does...)

Furiko allows herself to fall over on her side into the sand. She lay there for awhile wondering how things are going to turn out. A new conviction forming in her head, that if the shinigami are eliminated, perhaps they can convert the halflings to their side, as she knows the halflings are persecuted by Shinigami as well, for their hollow-like nature.

[Kusubanasan]

The halflings were all Shinigami at some point in their days, this leaves Furiko wondering which side they will take, as the halflings will very likely be the deciding factor in the coming battle to end all battles. Furiko gazes at the moon shining overhead and then shifts her body so that she's laying on her back. After a little more staring at the moon, she begins to wave her arms and legs around making a "Sand Angel."

Things always have to be really hard don't they Furiko? You're such a dummy for talking back to boss-kun like that... he knows what he's doing... Little Rokujou-chan didn't sound too happy with me either... and that jerk Koga! He'll never let me live this down! Aww.... Shinda's too chill to care but... he'll probably get me about one later.... Welp! I guess I should get going then!

The Espada regains her pluckyness, now she is ready to take on anything that comes her way. Genocide or not, Furiko realizes that Shinigami and Hollow are incapable of understanding one another, and will thus always end up fighting. So either the shinigami have to go, or Furiko and her friends must go. Furiko cringes at that thought, but is confident in her own ability to keep her friends alive.

(Hehe, I'll show them all how tough I am when I beat up some of those captain guys! I know a lot of them think I'm weak because I don't really like to hurt things... Especially that jerk! Oooo... he makes me so mad! But...)

She thinks back on a dream that she once had, where she and her friends were sitting on a beautiful green grassy knoll in the middle of a colorful meadow that was adorned with wonderful smelling flowers, and to complete the image, a clear blue sky and the warm yellow sun. She smiles to herself, as she picks herself up and wanders back over toward the castle.

[Shinda Korosu]

As Shinda stepped out of the castle enterence, he felt Espada 3 fighting something. At this he frowned, waiting until the fight was over before looking around, seeing a white dot in the distance he sonido'd over, appearing in front of Furiko, "Quite an exit you made." Shinda said, looking behind her at the dead Shinigami, "Hmm, i thought i sensed Shinigami, though it seems you took care of them." He said, looking up at Furiko again.

[Kusubanasan]

While walking about her merry way, Shinda suddenly appears in front of her. She peers at him for a moment while trying to discern his motives, since it isn't strange for the espada to attempt to eliminate those they see as deserters. Though, she sees it strange that they would send someone of a lower rank than her to finish the job, so she decides that Shinda probably showed up just to see if she was okay.

I guess I did look like a dummy huh? Hehe, sorry about that! I'll go right back to the room! Y-yeah, there was a little bit of a shinigami problem here~! I guess... the bodies kinda tell ya what happened, huh?

Furiko suddenly points her finger at Shinda's head and fires a Cero. The Cero narrowly misses his head and strikes a shinigami that was trying to cut him down from behind. She picks her Naginata off the ground and hurls it into another one that was behind Shinda.

Gee, a few more of those guys? This is silly.... is Soul Society planning something, ya think? Oh well Shinda, there are about sixteen of these guys, none of 'em are very strong though~! comeon' let's take 'em and get back to the meeting, okay?

Furiko takes a step backwards, and begins to dance. A spiritual pressure begins to emanate from her while she does so, and the shinigami visibly start to become ill.

[Shinda Korosu]

Shinda had his hand at his side as the Shinigami approached him, yet did nothing about it at he sensed Furiko's spiritual pressure building, guessing she would handle them which she did. As she stated their numbers he turned around, drawing his gunblade and clicking the handle into gun mode, "A foolish amount." He says as he pulls the trigger, firing a red reishi bullet through the head of one, it flying backwards and landing on its back, dead. He then twirls his blaster and turns around, shooting one running at Furiko's back.

[Kusubanasan]

Hehe, Shinda-saaaaan, you're always so cool when you fight!

A Shinigami attempts to charge Furiko while she's dancing, but despite being attacked she doesn't miss a step in her routine, as her leg comes down in a fierce axe kick to the mans' neck. Blood flies from out his mouth, and Furiko sticks her hand through his chest and crushes his heart. She continues to dance and dance, and the shinigami grow weaker and weaker. An errant fireball cast by one of the shinigami flies at Furiko, who gracefully leaps over it once again, not missing a single step in her dance routine.

Shinda-saaan, do you like my dancing~?

[Shinda Korosu]

Shinda ignored her question as he continued fighting. When a shinigami charged at Furiko, he was about to shoot it but as Furiko handled him, he shrugged and turned around. One of the Shinigami smirked, Ha! Your bullets we've adjusted to! We can easily dodge them now!" One of them boasted as he shot at one, the person easily dodging. "Hmph. So you have. Very well then." He said, clicking his handle into blade mode. At this some of them gasped. In a flash, he was in front of the boasting one, slashing him across the chest as he fell. At this, a large amount of them charged at him from behind him. He simply turned and faced them, his palm stretched towards them "Cero." He said as a black blast shot out of his palm into the large group of Shinigami, killing the large group.

[Kusubanasan]

With all the shinigami dead, Furiko stops using Danza de la Miseria, and skips over to the corpse that has her naginata sticking out of it's chest. She pulls the naginata out of the mans' chest and proceeds to wipe it clean with the mans' long hair. She then places it back on her back and spins around to face Shinda.

That was fast, eh? Hehe, comeon' lets get back to the meeting already, before Koga comes out and attacks us for getting all the kills out here!

With that, she turns around and opens the door to the castle, and walks back in.

[Shinda Korosu]

Shinda nodded at Furiko's statement, following her across the forest and to the door to Las Noches. At her mention of Koga he smirked, "What excuse does he not have for attacking us?" He says as he steps inside Las Noches, the door closing behind him.