Corroded Spirits

Corroded Spirits: Prologue

Prologue: Shattered Remains

 Wind howled everywhere. Sand and dust twisted and hurled in the air like mini dust-devils. The lonely moon of Hueco Mundo hung with a stillness that was so obvious it looked like it was despairing at the course of events that had took hold under the land it loomed over. Above the large dome, of what was at least left of Las Noches, 4 figures were currently in an ongoing battle. Or, to be more exact, a nearly ended battle.

 Ichigo Kurosaki, the young teenager, who by some amazing twist of fate, became one of the strongest Shinigamis known to both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, was standing tall, whole body bruised and filled with still-bleeding cuts and injuries. Across from him, stood one of the strongest members, of what was known as the Espada that consisted as Aizen Sosuke's frontmen in his army. The ever-so-stoic, emerald-eyed, 4th Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer.

 The two were at the conclusion of their battle. It had been a close one. They had started inside one of the towers inside Las Noches. It was there, that Ichigo found both Ulquiorra, and the person whom he had come for in the first place. His friend, and ally in battle, Orihime Inoue, who had been kidnapped by Aizen, Ulquiorra specifically, for whatever reason.

 He had quarreled with the stark Arrancer then, only managing to cut him twice, until Uryu came. When their battle progressed, and ended them up to the roof of the dome, that was when Ulquiorra donned his Resurreccion. From then on, everything went downhill. It had been impossible for Ichigo to land a single blow on the Arrancar, let alone do so without sustaining any damage himself. The futile battle had even reached a point where Ichigo thought, that he was going to lose. That he would die, and Ulquiorra wouldn't hesitate on pointing Uryu and Orihime next.

 Thankfully, though, Uryu had decided to step up and help the brash orange-haired teen. With that, and Ichigo's Hollow Mask summoned, they managed to put up andequal fight, until all three adversaries were in the same beaten up conditions. The turning point of the battle, had been the part where Ichigo tried to initiate a Getsuga, and in some way, without him knowing, the Getsuga collected more Reiatsu than necessary and fired itself as a Cero. It's still a mystery, and Ichigo doesn't have the heart as of yet to ponder on it.

 So now, all that's left is to deliver the final blow, on any of the boys, and the battle will finally be over. 

"Let's finish this already, Ulquiorra." Ichigo almost gasped, whipping his Zangetsu at the side. 

Ulquiorra merely stared at him, which made no difference from when the two first started the battle. In fact, throughout their entire battle, Ulquiorra did not breathe a word, not even when he released his Zanpakutou. He suddenly took a step forward, about to initiate an attack. But when he tried to place another foot forward, one of his wings began to dissolve.

 "What?" Ichigo exclaimed as he stared in confusion at the sight before him. 

"He's disappearing?" Uryu asked, dissipating his Kojaku.

 "What's happening?! Why are you-" Ichigo was cut off, as more parts of the Arrancar began to dissipate in small shimmering dust-glitters, until they faded in the wind. Then, when only half of the Arrancar's face and body remained, it was then, that he opened his mouth, to speak up. 

"This wasn't supposed to happen." He said, just as his mouth faded away as well.

 "What do you mean?" Ichigo asked. 

The Arrancar, no longer had the ability to reply. With his eyes, the only remaining parts left, he looked straight into the Shinigami's own brown orbs, until they too, disappeared in the wind.

 The two boys, stood there for a while, staring deep into the place where the Espada had once stood. "He's gone. I don't feel his Reiatsu anymore.." Uryu whispered. 

Ichigo took another moment, before sighing and turning around. "Okay, then.. Inoue, come on.. We gotta-" Ichigo stopped himself short, when he saw that his ginger-haired friend, wasn't in the place where she had been sitting moments ago. 

"Where'd she go?!" Ichigo billowed. 

"Calm down, Ichigo!" Uryu yelled, taking a step forward. "Her Reiatsu is moving..  She's not that far. Let's just follow that." Uryu said, jumping down the hole that the Espada had created earlier to pass through from. With no room to protest, Ichigo simply followed his friend, so they could retrieve Orihime, again.

 It takes them a clocked 6 minutes to find where Orihime is, and they're both amazed and dismayed that where she was, was somewhere deep in the heart of Las Noches. They didn't mind, and they didn't stop to think why, or how she got there in the first place. They found her in a vacant room. Though when they entered said room, one shouldn't say it was vacant.

 The walls were a mess of scratches, like someone clawed through there. Pieces of furniture littered the white floor; red and white torn cloth tangled everywhere, making a low-lying web on the floor. It wasn't the state of the room, that horrified the two boys. It was the person that occupied it.

 Across the room, sat below the only high window, where one had a perfect view of the lonely crescent moon, was Orihime Inoue. She was smiling, and her face was still the same with its' perfect light features. Only one thing, made her look off-setting. Her fingers, or rather her nails were all broken and split, with dirt and white linings under them, and blood trailing down to her hands. She looked up to the two petrified boys, and smiled sinisterly at them. 

"This wasn't supposed to happen.." She whispered.