Hueco Mundo
Nel
One year after Ichigo defeated Aizen..

Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck stood on the white sand dunes of the desert watching the moon of Hueco Mundo as it hung above her world endlessly. A single tear found its way from her eyes down her cheek as memories came back to her.

FLASHBACK

She had awoken, after saving Ichigo by defeating Nnoitra Gilga, in a daze, to find that her mask had been fixed, restoring her body to its former glory. Also she noticed that her scar had disappeared, leaving her appearance flawless like it once was during her days as the Tres Espada.

After she had gathered enough strength, she had begun her search for her Fraccion. She searched everywhere only to find them one by one, dead. Nelliel was absolutely crushed and for a day she lay next to the corpses of her friends letting her sorrow flow out of her. Eventually, when Nelliel had regained her composure, she found the strength to bury her friends so that other hollows couldn't defile them in death. She said her goodbyes to her beloved friends and moved on.

After that she searched Las Noches for clothes as she was basically naked. She ended up finding a dress that looked excatly like the one she used to wear when she was an Espada. She took it and left the fortress far behind her. She no longer cared about being an Arrancar all she wanted was to be alone so she could nurse her wounds.

FLASHBACK END

Recently she had found herself constantly thinking about the orange-haired Shinigami that she had become attached to during his time in Hueco Mundo. She constantly wondered how he was and if he ever stopped to think about her.

Ichigo was her only friend that remained alive, and she always found the urge to go to the World of the Living and find him. However she always brushed aside the feeling and continued her solitary existence. However, for whatever reason, the urge today was more intense than it ever had been previously.

She turned on her heel away from the moon and trudged along the sand dunes for about an hour before she stopped.

Behind her she felt several low spiritual pressures approaching. She turned slightly and gazed emotionlessly behind her as five Shinigami appeared behind her. None of them had enough power to even put a scratch on her so she turned and continued to walk away. She heard the sound of metal cutting through the air, turned and extended her hand at the last second catching a blade aimmed for her neck. One of the Shinigami had enough courage to charge and swing his Zanpakuto at her.

The Shinigami at the other end of the sword quivered in his robes and Nel gave him a peircing stare. He backed off and the other four ran to his side with their Zanpakuto's drawn and ready to defend themselves if the need arised. Nel lowered her hand and turned around and continued to walk away. This time none of them charged but decided it was best to back off and retreat to their superior.

During the time that she had been wandering Hueco Mundo, the Shinigami had started a pastime that was simply called 'Hollow Hunting'. Normally these groups of Shinigami that entered Hueco Mundo were lead by a Captain or a Vice-Captain with the goal of killing off as many Hollows and Arrancar as they could before returning to Soul Society.

She picked up her pace, trying to put as much distance between her and the spot where they had tracked her to. She didn't feel the need to fight anymore and would often ignore Shinigami Hunters that detected her. The only defiance that she showed them was stopping their attacks with ease and then continuing on into the desert, completely ignoring that they even existed.

Of course every now and then a Captain or a Vice-Captain would come across her, and on occasion, forcing her to draw her Zanpakuto out of self-defence. However she would avoid hurting the Shinigami that stumbled upon her because she did not wish for them to think of her as a mindless killing machine. Though she always saw it in their eyes that they thought that of her entire species. To them, she was just a mindless killing machine with too much power for her own good.

She turned as a powerful spiritual pressure spiked up a few hundred feet behind her. Not even looking back she swung her arm backwards and knocked aside the Shinigami's attack. She turned and faced her enemy and immediatly recognized the man.

He stood 8 feet tall, easily towering over her. His black spiky hair reached down to the middle of his back and his face was seriously scared. Though this time he wore no eye patch. The Shinigami Captain know as Kenpachi Zaraki stood behind her, the excitement of having a chance to fight her again was etched on his face. He had hunted her down once before and found that fighting her was quite fun.

"Well, well," He sneered as his excitement almost burst from his body, "Lookie who I found. Nice to see ya again, did ya miss me?"

"Not particually." Was her response. "I have no need to fight you so just leave me alone."

"That's no fun," He said slightly off put that his favorite Arrancar to fight didn't share his obsession with crossing blades, "how about this, and hear me out now. We have just a little fight because I sure as fuck didn't come out this far, into this god-forsaken desert, just to be turned down by the likes of you."

Nel just stared at the man, she was immediately reminded of Nnoitra. He shared the same blood lust as the Captain who stood before her. She turned around and continued walking.

"Come on now," She heard him call out. "My blood is boiling and I sure as hell wouldn't wanna miss out on all the fun we could have killing each other."

She stopped in her tracks and said one thing before using a Sonido to lose the man. "Those who cross blades and fight just for the blood, glory, or the challenge are animals, and I have no intention of stooping to your level."

She raced away as the sound of static followed her wherever she appeared or disappeared. Eventually, Kenpachi stopped his chase after her for he had set his eyes on a new target. A group of Arrancars that were close by had the misfortune to be seen by the bloodthirsty Captain. She watched from a distance as they scattered when Kenpachi and his group of Shinigami launched an attack. She turned around, when the sight began to make her sick, and continued to walk until she stopped.

An overwhelming urge to break free of this living hell had finally gotten to her. She no longer wished to remain here in Hueco Mundo. She stretched out her hand and soon enough a Garganta opened in front of her. She stepped into it and she felt the mouth behind her close.

'Just wait for me, a little longer. I'm coming to find you, Itsygo.'