White: Existence

One Shot

(A/N So I opted to create a little side thing to go with the main story. I'm thinking of writing a true side story to White at some point. Like a prologue as to how things got started. This is just a companion story to explain a few things to save a little time in the main story.)

I existed. That's all I knew. I existed. I have no memories of how I came to exist. There is no who, what, when, where or why. My earliest memory was of me just standing out in the middle of an icy white desert crowed by a dark sky. I had no idea how I ended up in such an isolated place. I was only sure of two things at that time; I knew I was a hollow and that I was in Hueco Mundo. I knew nothing else. Not even my name. I often wondered if I just manifested clear out the desert sand, clothes and all. I'm as white as that sand almost blending in with it.

I knew that I was different. I was solid white from head to foot and I was small. Well, small for a hollow. I had human legs and arms. A human torso and head complete with a full head of hair. But my most striking feature, or lack thereof, was that I had no mask. I still had my hole as proof of being a hollow but my mask wasn't there. I wore a human face. For a while I often caught myself touching my face trying to figure what I could possibly look like.

I traversed the empty desert dunes for longer than I care to think. The crescent moon was a permanent fixture that lit my way. I had no idea where I was headed. I discovered that a mask would only materialize when I fed. All that was available to me were little creatures; lizards, snakes, mice, and so on. It was quite a while before I faced true hollows, four of them in fact and Adjuchas-class. I was so starved at that time I got sloppy with my first attack. I had never gone after anything larger than a lizard before. It was a learning experience for me. I could have been killed.

It was the first time that I truly had to fight. I used my first Cero to bring one of them down. I had formed it at the tips of my index and middle fingers. It was bright crimson. I remember what they called me. They said I was a Vasto Lorde. They waited a ways from me as I hungrily fed on their former comrade. They were the first intelligent beings I had met. I let them talk while I continued eating.

They told me that there was a fortress called Las Noches where the King of the Hollows reined. His name was Baraggan Louisenbairn. A pompous name, I had thought. I wasn't too interested at the time. I was just interested in eking out a life. I had no other ambition than that. They told me a great many more things about Hueco Mundo such as its laws and rules. I just sat and listened to them. What choice did I have? I had only known two things; I was a hollow and that I was in Hueco Mundo. I might as well learn about where I live.

They explained what a Vasto Lorde was; the final evolution of a hollow. It fit me but at the same time it didn't. Only one of them had managed to see another Vasto Lorde and he said that even she was far more hollow-like than I. I was curious about her. Another Vasto Lorde? The prospect of meeting her seemed interesting. I asked where I might find her.

The Adjuchas told that she lived in the caves not too far from there. But he warned me that she was every bit a man-hater. That intrigued me even more. I wanted to meet her for sure. I grabbed a few large remaining chunks of the Adjuchas I had killed. Maybe I could bargain with her by using food. He pointed me in the direction I needed to go and I followed, straight as an arrow.

I found the caves in good time and had a look around. The place was swarming with other hollows. It was far different from the wasteland I had just come from. I earned a lot of strange looks for my bizarre appearance. I hated it. I hated to be gawked at. It became a pet peeve of mine. I tried to keep to myself from the most part but I knew that wouldn't last long.

I was attacked not long upon arriving. Apparently one hollow had been partially blinded down in the Living World by a being called a shinigami. At that time I didn't know what that was. He attacked me viscously not being able to make out me out completely. I had less trouble with him than I did the Adjuchas. It took one good punch to his mask and he fell instantly. The other around us quickly converged on us. I jumped out of the way as they made quick work of him.

It took me a little while to find the Vasto Lorde. She was settled in one of the outermost caves away from the others. I had run cross her and her little pack, hunting down an Adjuches. They closed in on him and dispatched him soon enough. She was fast. Very fast compared to her comrades. I wanted to be like that.

I crawled out from my hiding space and approached her. I was attacked before I could utter a word. He packed dragged me over to face her. Her blue eyes looked me up and down as if considering me. Her posy wanted to be done with me than and there. She, however, saw something in me and ordered my release.

I explained why I had searched her out. I wanted to learn more about being a Vasto Lorde. I wanted to learn how to fight and how to survive properly in this world. She and her little group huddled around each other for quite some time. They were coming up with a verdict. I waited patiently, finishing off the last of what I had saved for her. She obviously didn't need it.

A couple of hours passed when she approached me again. She and her pack had agreed to help me, of course on several conditions. Some were understandable and others were just ridiculous. From that time on I was under their tutelage of Tier Harribel and what I liked to call her three idiots; Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose, and finally Cyan Sung-Sun. Needless to say we didn't hit it off. Apacci had it in the worse for me above the others. We clashed—a lot.

Things were awkward at first as I was the only male in the group. I was excluded from a lot of things, ridiculed, coerced into things, called names, threatened, beaten, and became their little errand boy. Needless to say, I started to grow bitter little by little but I remained with them. I don't know why. Huh, I guess because I had nowhere else to go.

Now over time things did start to loosen up as we got to know each other a little better. I won't really say we were friends or comrades but we did have some level of respect for each other. However, as more time progressed I started to notice that I was still far different from Harribel. My power was growing by leaps and bounds. I was—evolving. I was coming into my own and fast. In only a little over year I was almost as strong as her. That level of power took her many years to achieve and I had done it in such a short amount of time. I was proud of that accomplishment. But that was only tip of the iceberg for me.

One day I remember I was out hunting with Sung-Sun. We had been gone for a couple of days when Rose and Apacci came running. Something was wrong. They were hurt and panicked. We raced back to our hideout to find it in ruins and Harribel was not there. Apacci and Rose explained that the King's army had invaded, looking for Harribel. She let herself get taken to protect them. They had quite a lead on us but we knew where we were headed, to the capital, Las Noches. None of us had ever set foot or seen the capital before. We would be considered some backwater nobodies.

We followed what little trail that was left. The journey was pretty much uneventful but our real trial was only beginning. When we first laid eyes on the stark white walls we just stared at it. That was the capital and the only real artificial structure found in this world. We raced towards it but it always seemed so distant no matter how long we trekked. That was just how massive it was. When we finally did reach the ivory walls they stretched on for miles on either side. The walls were smooth like well-polished marble and cut so perfectly it didn't seem possible. The sheer height was unbelievable as well. The four of us just stared up at the blank white wall. I'm guessing we looked a little stupid as some of the locals started to tease and harass us.

We eventually found our way inside the walls and we were greeted with a large, lively city. And in the middle was the palace. It wasn't long before we were forced to learn the laws and rules of the city. King Louisenbairn was a tyrant in every sense of the word. Every word he muttered was law and those living within those walls had to obey him without question. Even minor infractions were punishable by death if the King so decided. It was also said that King Louisenbairn had an insatiable appetite, usually eating most of his prisoners.

I quickly learned that my appearance was not well received. Once again I was being stared at. I managed to find cover in an old piece of cloth and I was forced to wear my feeding mask. It was odd to be wearing it at all times but I needed to fit in. I wasn't overly fond of working with those 3 idiots. They quarreled all the time, dragging me into their petty fights as well.

It took us a while to dig up a good lead as to where Harribel might be in the palace and what King Louisenbairn could want with her. Apparently the King was close to becoming a Vasto Lorde himself and like me wanted someone to train him. But rumors had it that it went farther than that. King Louisenbairn had always wanted Harribel for more, uh… Well… He wanted to make Tier Harribel his wife. Of course Apacci, Sung-sun, and Rose went absolutely livid at the rumor. They were ready to just storm the palace then and there.

It took quite some time to calm them. We couldn't just charge in, although the thought crossed my mind more than once. There had to be some way to get into the palace. And there was. It seemed that King Louisenbairn had a real taste for battle and every year held a tournament that lasted roughly about a week and half. The first week was a free-for-all and the strongest 20 fighters standing competed in an actual tournament in the second week. And the winner would be granted a seat in the King's army. There was no better chance than that.

We all signed up for the tournament. We practiced for the next couple of days to kill time. It was during said practice that I realized I had a new power. I could manifest a blade, a large cleaver blade. It was white like me but the cutting edge was a dark black, along with the fabric wrapped around the hilt. It was an odd blade as generally hollows didn't use such weapons. In all honesty I wasn't sure what it was but I practiced with it. To my surprise I was a natural with it. I wielded it like I had practiced with a sword for most of my life. It was like an extension of me. This would be my trump card. I couldn't let anyone see it! Only those 3 morons knew about it and they knew better than to open their mouths.

On the day of the first fight we were divided into 16 large groups, ranging from the lowest hollow to very well-known and powerful Adjuchas. Come to find out most of the hollows participating were forced to do so. Very few actually signed up to compete.

There would be 4 free-for-all battles a day for 4 days. Followed by 2 days of rest and then the actual tournament right after. I was slated to fight on round 3 on, day 4. So I was in group 15. Apacci got slated round 4, day 1. So group 4. Rose was round 4, day 4. She was group 16. And Sung-Sun was round 2, day 3. She was group 10. That gave us a much better chance at getting into the tournament.

When the first match started we realized it was a slaughter! The last hollow that survived went on to fight in the tournament! It was vial! The goal was to be the last standing hollow, yes, but you could also eat your competitors while fighting. We continued to watch the frenzied battles one right after other. Soon enough it was Apacci's turn to fight. She acted tough but all four legs were knocking as she trotted into the arena. On her own Apacci was a true fighter and a spitfire but she was still small for an Adjuchas and I was smaller still.

Rose, Sung-Sun, and I watched as the fight got underway. We couldn't even find her for a good long while. Slowly as the group started to dwindle down we spotted her. She was still alive and fighting. Slowly the final match of the day ended and to our relief Apacci would be going on to the tournament.

The matches continued on one right after other. There were some fighters that stood out among the others. One such fighter was a small Adjuchas with a panther like in appearance. He was from group 6. Despite his size he displayed great strength and quickly became a fan favorite. When Sung-sun's turn rolled around we almost had to shove her out into the arena. Not an overly easy task with a giant snake.

Once again we watched as the fight got underway. It was do or die out there. Each battle was different and no other hollow could be left alive if you wanted to win. We worried for her. Little by little the fighting mass of hollows started to drop. It took us a while to find Sung-Sun but she as still down there, still fighting. She too managed to survive the slaughter. That was half us going to the tournament.

The following day was my turn long with Rose. I waited with my group as they cleared the arena from the previous battle. I had a lot of eyes on me. I was bite sized after all. I kept my mask on and the tattered cloth wrapped tightly. I was hyped. I couldn't wait to get this underway. Soon enough we were ushered into the arena. Once the doors closed the battle was on. This was going to be ugly. I punched, kicked, clawed, and bit my way through my competitors. What choice did I have? It was that or be eaten myself. I couldn't have that! Being small had its advantages. I was faster, harder to hit, and it was easier to hide. Before long, there weren't many left.

Soon it was just me and one other. Trying as he might I quickly got the better of him, busting a chunk out of his masks and blasting his head off with another little trick of mine that I had learned under Harribel's tutelage! I called it a Bala. It was similar to a Cero but faster making the impact that much more devastating for a small area. I landed swiftly on the dead bodies around me. I was the victor and that's all I cared about.

I quickly became a crowd favorite. When asked for my name I had told them I was Shiro. When Harribel had asked for my name when we first met I told her I didn't have one. She thought I was being a smartass. I wasn't. So she opted to call me Shiro until I would tell her my true name. I decided to keep it. It wasn't very original but hey…

So the only fight left was Rose's. She was totally into it like I had been. It helped that the three of us had passed and were in the tournament. It encouraged her that much more. It slowly ticked down to the final match. She was totally pumped. I just hoped she kept that spirit when she got in there. The arena was cleared and she entered with the final group.

We went back over to our usual spot to watch. We cheered her on! She was doing good! There was one point though we thought she was going to die. A much larger Adjuchas had her by the throat. She managed to kick out of his grasp and used a Cero to blast him way. Finally the match ended and Rose was the last one standing but barely. We rushed down there and helped her out. By some miracle we all made it through alive. We all believed it was because Harribel taught us how to fight so well.

During those two days off I crossed paths with the panther hollow. He introduced himself as Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. I could tell he had lot of ambition. He had something to prove. Our time in the ring had roughly been around the same amount of time. We both had some pretty high kill counts too. I had this distinct feeling I was looking at my rival.

Time passed soon enough and all combatants lined up inside the arena. We were each introduced with our signature skills. Such as my signature Bala. In this tournament the losers would be imprisoned and would later be dinner for King Louisenbairn. The stakes were high. One of us had to win the match and confront him to get Harribel back. There were a lot of tough competitors out there.

Soon the tournament was under way. The first match was barely anything worth watching. The second match was Apacci verses the group 3 winner. It didn't end well. Apacci lost and brutally. She had to be removed from the ring. She was too injured to walk off. Next up was Grimmjow and the winner of group 5. Grimmjow killed the Adjuchas with only a few short moves. He was determined to make it to the finals and I wasn't going to let him get there without me.

Another match went by with the group 8 winner standing on top. Next was Sung-Sun and the group 9 winner. Sung-sun just did win. She was badly injured and we feared for her next match. There were two more matches before Rose and I fought. She knew I wouldn't hurt her badly but she hated the idea that I was stronger than her. We had agreed that I would be the one to continue into the finals.

When it came time for our fight and I opted to end it quickly. Using my unusual speed I appeared behind her and knocked her out. What else could I do? I couldn't hurt her. My objective was to get close to King Louisenbairn. I advanced to the next match. I had two more matches before the final round. I hated taking my time but if I just rushed an attack on the King things would not go over well.

The following day I watched as Grimmjow just slaughtered his next opponent. In all honestly I was starting to crave a battle with him more and more but that would have to wait. Sung-sun's last fight ended horribly for her like it had the others. It was left to me now. I finished my match quickly by ripping off both arms of my opponent and damaging his mask.

The following day was the semi-finals. My popularity had gone through the roof as had Grimmjow's. All we had to do was go through the semi-finals. I could hardly wait and I could sense the same yearning from him. We were going to enjoy that final match when it came.

Grimmjow's opponent was the same one that had defeated Apacci. She was strong. There was no getting around that but how long would this ibex/horse thing last against Grimmjow? To my surprise she really was no pushover she was giving that panther the run around. At one point she used a Cero to confuse him and then tried to trample him. He managed to get out from under her before dealing a heavy blow, knocking her out of the ring. She too was carted off.

That just left my match. I might as well put on a show. I took my time with this. I don't know why but I just wanted to toy with him. He realized what I was doing at it pissed him off. At one point I actually was really fighting him. He didn't like the fact that I thought of our fight as a joke. So, I ended it with one swift punch to the jaw, sending him up into the air before blasting him with a Cero. There wasn't much of him left. I was the winner and I know had my eyes set on Grimmjow.

The day after was highly anticipated. I could hardly wait to get the fight underway. I was just giddy with excitement. Grimmjow and I were introduced as usual but I could already see he was about to make the first move. I smiled under my toothy mask. Oh, this was going to be good. I could wait no longer.

I threw the announcer from the ring and we quickly went at each other. Grimmjow was indeed strong and I loved it. Now, was I stronger than him? Oh, yes I was! I learned, however, that even though I was stronger, Grimmjow clearly was a far more experienced fighter than I. He was better at reading my movements than I was his. Harribel told me that strength didn't always mean an easy victory. Skills, strategy, and experience were just as important to a fighter.

So in some respect we were evenly matched. What I lacked in skill I made up in strength and what he lacked in strength he made up in skill. The battle became heated when I tore into his middle with my mask. I left a large deep gash in his chest and stomach. That blow I thought would have crippled him but it only seemed to have angered him. In turn he bit into my own mask and pinned me to the floor of the ring. My mask was breaking under the pressure of his bite. It let go with one loud crack just as I pushed him off me. When I got up my mask was completely gone and my face was bleeding, badly.

My true face had been revealed for the first time. Even Grimmjow just stared at me in shock. I was an oddity, a freak. I heard the murmurs quickly start to echo around me in the arena. I hated having all those eyes on me. This fight quickly went from good sport against a rival to personal. I hastily charged Grimmjow, pummeling him to the ground with a relentless barrage of powerful punches mixed in with a few Bala. I was angry. I should have considered it a possibility that my mask could be broken just like any other hollow's.

It wasn't before long that I realized I had barely left Grimmjow breathing on the broken floor. He wheezed and choked on his own blood. I was once again the victor, which was what I had wanted. Yet, the victory felt empty. I had won because my anger had gotten the better of me over losing my mask. That was something not even Harribel could break me of. Looking back on it, it was a petty excuse to get that angry.

Now, my final fight was with the Grand Asshole himself, King Baraggan Louisenbairn. I was quickly claimed the victor. Grimmjow was picked up and carted away. Not long after a loud horn sounded as a large gate opened on the other side of the arena. It was King Louisenbairn. This was the first time I had set eyes on him. The man looked like a literal skeleton. A gold crown adorned his skull head and he was dressed a deep purple robe with a black fur trim. He was carted in on his throne and brought up onto the ring floor.

I bowed down like everyone else had done. I couldn't give away my true intentions just yet. I quivered, however, as I felt the amount of power he let off. Harribel spiritual pressure was fearsome as well. I had wanted to be like her, it was my greatest aspiration. I didn't like the man as he was already stronger than my Master. It unnerved me a little to be in his presence.

The man was a blood thirsty tyrant even by hollow standards. If he became a Vasto Lorde, life in Hueco Mundo would only grow more despondent. As he spoke to me and the crowd I felt my anger build more. Grant it, he was talking about me with praise but I knew it was just shit. He knew I was a Vasto Lorde and I knew that didn't settle well with him.

I continued to stew in my anger for a while as he continued to prattle on to the masses. I just needed the right moment in which to strike. I had my trump card just waiting. I could feel the phantom sensation of the hilt in my right hand. My patience, however, was running out fast. I just wanted to fight this bastard and be done with it. I just wanted to go back home to the caves with everyone. I was tired of Las Noches and all this fighting.

Finally, I had had enough of his chatter and attacked him. I slashed at him with my blade but to my surprise my blade did minimal damage. I attacked him again but he caught my blade like it was as blunt as a board. I was quickly blasted back by a large Cero. I hit the ground hard, flipping out of the ring and onto the ground. I got back up to my feet as King Louisenbairn stepped off his throne. I had challenged him directly, which meant no else would interfere.

He told me it had been a great many a year since anyone tried to challenge him. He said he was happy to have a chance to battle me. I was still young Harribel taught me that and with age came power. King Louisenbairn was ancient, older than any known hollow. How he wasn't already a Vasto Lorde was beyond me. Perhaps only certain hollows could. I didn't know.

I hopped back into the ring with my blade in hand. I had my goal and I was very close to achieving it. I just had to beat the so-called God-King of Hueco Mundo. I had been waiting for this. I quickly started to charge the King Louisenbairn as he sent a large Cero at me. I jumped up to avoid it. I twirled my blade around by the fabric and quickly started to attack. He was fast and he had experience on his side like Grimmjow. A year's worth of training and a few prize fights does not make a warrior.

King Louisenbairn had strength, speed, skills, experience, and sheer raw power. That power I quickly learned was the ability to destroy. Things rotted and withered away at his control. I was horrified as I watched some of his guards turned to bones and then to dust. I could not let that same power touch me. I used my sword, my Bala, and Cero to keep him at a distance but his speed was top notch. He managed to grab my left arm from behind. It quickly started to deteriorate to nothing but bone. It started to spread up my arm, fast. I had no choice. I cut my arm off just above the elbow.

I let out a scream of pain just as he aimed for my face. I formed by feeding mask just as he reached me. The mask quickly decayed and fell apart but my head thankfully was not affected by his power. Try as I might I was losing little by little to him. I was injured and out classed. He was still an Adjuchas supposedly but the amount of power he possessed was frightening… I wondered if he wasn't already a Vasto Lorde and just hid the fact for some reason. If so why would he hide it? It would mean bad news for me if was one.

I was holding him off but just barely. I was learning just how weak I actually was compared to him. I was young and naïve. It hurt my pride more than anything. I was making a lot of stupid mistakes do my inexperience. I started to see how foolish I had been but I had done this for the right reasons. I made a promise to the girls that I would save Harribel. I couldn't break that promise.

But with one quick strike I was rendered helpless. I lazed upon my back, knocked senseless. My cleaver had be thrown from hand and started to ebb away. I had tried but that still wasn't good enough. I had nothing to show for my efforts. I had failed and broken my promise. I saw King Louisenbairn loomed over my head. I was going to die! That scared me. I didn't want to die and I didn't want to break that promise. I had promised to protect our Master from this tyrant.

I felt my body start to decay and turn to bone! I was dying at the moment! The realization hit me so hard that… I think for a moment I blacked out but when I awoke… Something inside me shattered and erupted from deep inside me. I'm still a little unsure what happened. The next thing I knew, I was back on feet but they weren't the same feet I knew. They were long and clawed. In fact my whole body had changed.

I had black markings coming out from my hole covering my upper torso wrapping around my shoulders to by back. Red tuffs of fur had grown out from my wrists and around my neck. My white hair was now long and a striking orange. I had both my arms back and each one of my fingers ended in black armored talons. I reached up and felt a large heavy mask that covered my whole head complete with 2 large angular horns and a lot sharp, pointed teeth.

Where had this come from? I didn't ponder as I held out my hand, forming my blade again but this time it was thin and solid white. It was sleek and overflowed with power. I looked back as King Louisenbairn came out of his own stupor. He charged me and tried to use his ability on me again but somehow I negated it.

I instinctively aimed by horns at him as a large red Cero formed between them. King Louisenbairn somehow avoided the energy blast but was not expecting the next one. I raise my new sword for the first time and swung it down. A white energy edged in cherry red erupted from the bladed, it cut into him deeply nearly severing his whole body in half. He hit the ground hard. I felt my power starting to wane. I had to finish this now. I walked over to him and held my sword over his head.

He laughed as he looked up at me. I had bested him and yet he was laughing at me. As he lay dying he told me something I did not like. It was me he wanted and not Harribel. I wasn't there at the time of the raid so he had her kidnapped to lure me to him. I looked down at him in shock. I asked why he was after me. Was it because I too was a Vasto Lorde? He laughed again at me, calling me stupid and ignorant. He then asked me if I knew the truth behind my existence. I had no idea what he was talking about. He then proceeded to tell me that when he came into the world he only knew two things: he was a hollow and that he was in Hueco Mundo. Those were the exact same things I knew when I first opened my eyes. Was he the same as me?

On his final few breaths he said the oddest thing yet. He told me to eat him and to take his power for my own. He said was still a child, merely an infant. I knew I was young but that was highly insulting. I didn't realize what he meant by calling me that at the time. I did much later on, however. Compared to him I was an infant but it went deeper than that.

When he finally passed I did as he had instructed. I devoured him. The amount of power he contained flooded me and I became ill. Very ill for just over a week. I ran a high fever as my body tried to adjust to the huge surplus of power. My body ached, I was disoriented, I had hallucinations, and I was in and out of conciseness.

When my fever did break and my body leveled out, I remember waking up in a rather lavish bedroom. I was laying on a large traditional futon made out of expensive material. The room was decorated heavily with expensive items. More than half of them I didn't even know what they were and if they severed a purpose or were just there to look at. The only thing I did recognize was my Master sitting to my right.

She was okay that's I all I cared about. I had kept my promise. I then remembered Apacci, Rose, and Sung-sun. She told me that were fine and were already up and running around in the palace like they owned it. The palace. I let that settle for a moment when she said that. I was inside the palace. It made sense as to why I was surrounded by such extravagant things.

I then asked when we would head back home to the caves. She looked at me oddly like I had said something stupid. And I had. I had defeated and devoured the God-King of Hueco Mundo so that meant that I was the new ruling party. I was the new King of Hueco Mundo and Las Noches was my home. That did not go over well with me.

I didn't want that. I had just wanted to keep my promise and remain hidden, away from prying eyes. I wanted to keep living a simple and humble life but now I was the center of everything. The entire realm now revolved around me and my word. It wasn't fair. I had no idea that was the consequence of defeating the former king. I just wanted to get my Master back and all of us return home. That had been my goal.

I refused and told her I wanted to go home but the law was absolute. When I was well enough they would hold a coronation for me. I was to take the throne and there was nothing I did that could change that. I hadn't even walked the sands of Hueco Mundo for two years yet and I was the now the king. I was horrified. I had wanted power but I wanted physical power only. I never wanted conquest. What had I done?

For the first time in my life I felt hot streams of fluid fall from eyes. I didn't know what they were. I had never seen another hollow create such an odd substance before. Even Harribel didn't know. I didn't know what tears were as such a thing never existed in Hueco Mundo before. I really was a freak. I was not a normal hollow. I never was going to be no matter how hard I had wished to be. I wasn't even a Vasto Lorde but something else entirely. I knew it was the truth and I had known since I first met Harribel. I wanted to deny it but I knew I wasn't like her at all.

King Louisenbairn knew I was different from other hollows because he was like me. I had the distinct feeling he and I were the same type of being. He had lured me here to devour me but instead I had won and devoured him. I was a growing threat to him and he wanted to be rid of me before I could mature. But he got careless or I just got lucky and the tables turned. I was now the ruler in his stead whether I wanted the title or not it was mine. And I really didn't want it.

A week or so passed since I had awoken. We all had to adjust to living in the palace walls. I was having the hardest time adjusting out of all of them. I wasn't use to having people wait on me hand and foot. I was constantly asked what I wanted and needed. It was driving me insane. I just wanted to be left alone. I wanted to leave this place but I could never do so.

A few more days passed and coronation day had arrived. I was dressed in finery, primarily white in color and with red and black trims. I hated them as I felt constricted. My mop-top was trimmed up and styled a little to make me look more presentable. It was then, for the first time, I was introduced to an item called a mirror. The servants had to explain to me that the man staring back was actually me. That was the first time I had seen myself for what I really was. For an hour or so I just sat in front of it, gazing at myself. I even dragged Harribel and the girls into the room to look at themselves in the large silvery object. We really were some backwater nobodies. The mirror fascinated us to no end.

When the time came for the ceremony I was a nervous wreck. I was escorted to a newly decorated throne room. As I was the new ruler the colors had changed from purple, black, and gold to white, black and red. All of the residents of Las Noches and then some were crammed in to watch me ascend to the throne. Everyone had hopes for me. They wanted me to make this desert world a better place to live. Most of them had been like me and were just eking out an existence out in dunes but wanted to be comfortable. I understood that need and that's what propelled me to continue with the ceremony. I had actually contemplated running but where would I go? I was still king, ceremony or not. It was just a way to introduce me properly to the masses.

After a few words and an odd little ritual I sat down on the throne for the first time. A silver crown adorned with red stones was placed on my head and I was formerly introduced as King Shiro, the new ruler of Hueco Mundo. I was now officially recognized as the Hollow King. I did not want the God-King title of my predecessor. I was a hollow and I didn't want or need to be more than that.

A gave Harribel the option of being my personal advisor, which would allowed her and those dimwits to stay in the palace with me. I didn't want to be alone in this vast palace. I was truly alone for a while as I wondered the barren desert and I didn't want to feel that way again. She took me up on the offer and I made her my Head Advisor and the girls became her ladies-in-waiting. They were just tickled pink.

Of course I had some issues with some of the former king's loyalists. I figured that would happen. They were mostly former guards and solders. I didn't grant them the same freedoms that they once had. They couldn't attack areas on a whim or kill for the fun of it. They couldn't bully other hollows into submission or just flat out do as they pleased. I wouldn't allow it. Life outside the walls of Las Noches was tough enough without the threat of attack from authority. There was civil unrest for a while until we rounded up all of them. I gave them the option to reform or be left in prison until they starved and reverted back into Menos-class. It was about an even split in the end.

I changed a lot of rules after hearing people's needs, wants, and complaints. The brutal tournament, for starters, I almost had it discontinued but there were enough people that still wanted it. I changed the rules on that. Killing outright was not allowed in the preliminaries or tournament. If they did, the combatant would be disqualified and imprisoned. If it was by accident then it couldn't be helped. Also no hollow would be forced to compete. They had to willing sign an agreement wishing to participate.

I changed a lot of the more oppressing rules while making some new ones of my own over the years. One such rule was the banding of the creation of Arrancar. A small group of hollows had found an amazing loophole to gain immense power rapidly by the forceful removal of their masks. It worked best on Adjuchas-class hollows. They were hollows that aspired to be like me. They gained a human appearance like me and even developed their own blades which when released could recall a good bit of their former hollow appearance. The technique was called Resurreccion. They were said to be more shinigami-like than hollow. At that time I still hadn't seen a single shinigami so I had no idea.

One or two weren't a problem but over time stronger Adjuchas started to also preform the practice. It was a horrible trend and all because of my maskless face. There came times when even I had to step into battle to fight some of the stronger Arrancar. I was slowly growing stronger still with each battle with them. My goal was to protect the peace and integrity of the kingdom I was trying to create.

The ones I defeated personally I devoured as a show of my own power. After a while I managed to nearly wipe out the practice. One or two would show up once in a while to challenge me but they would ultimately fail. I had carved a reputation for myself fairly early on. I could be a just and fair but I could also be brutal if pushed too far.

I had a bad temper and Harribel and her idiots knew I had a few bad triggers and avoided them. And those that did not heeded my warning to stop usually ended up severally beaten, imprisoned, or if truly enraged, killed. That, however, was rare but it did happen on several occasions. Harribel referred to me as being a brat at those moments and throwing a bad tantrum. In all honesty, she wasn't wrong. I could be childish when I didn't get my way.

About 25 years into my rein a message was went to me by a hollow that had been feeding in the Living World. He gave me a letter of all things and told me that it was from the shinigami. I read it over. They had wanted to meet with me. I was curious as I had never seen a shinigami before. They had already set up the time, date, and location. It was in the Living World. I had never been to the Living World and I wanted to see how that world differed from this one.

I dressed in some of my best robes and gathered my guards that I wished to take along with me. Harribel was coming as well without her girls. We didn't need them to go off and causing something. Once we had all assembled we passed through a Garganta and into the World of the Living.

I remember being greeted by a vividly green world that was so bright it hurt my eyes at first. I had never seen such things before. There were so many vivid colors form the plants and animals. Then there was that bright blue sky overhead. I loved that color. It was perfectly clear without a single cloud to mar it. I then saw something large that sparkled in the sunlight. It was a lake. I had never seen water before. I had heard of it but I had never seen it.

We arrived a little earlier than we had expected and those of us that hadn't been to the Living World before found ourselves wading out into the water. It was warmer than we had expected. We must have look like a bunch of children because when the shinigami did arrive our antics weren't too warmly received. All of them had a stick up their ass.

I walked out of the water and on to the bank with my entourage. Sopping wet and muddy, I bowed to them in greeting. They curtly did the same to me. It was… It was awkward. They seemed to be on guard as if looking for someone in particular. Not an overly trusting bunch, never were. Never will be.

A moment later they asked for the location for rest of our party. I didn't understand what they meant. We were 20 people strong, me included. That was a pretty good number. They were roughly the same about, 15 to 20. I told them this was the whole party but for some reason they didn't seem to believe it. I properly introduced myself but for some reason they still thought I was trying to pull the wool over their eyes.

Come to find out, after some verbal fighting, that they had no idea that Hueco Mundo had changed hands. They were still expecting to see King Louisenbairn before them instead of me. It took some convincing that King Louisenbairn was dead and that I was his replacement. A lot of convincing actually, given my appearance they were highly concerned. I looked… Well, I could nearly pass for one of them if it wasn't for my solid ivory looks, black/gold eyes, and the hole in my chest.

Come to find out a few Arrancar had decided to escape to the World of the Living to evade punishment. Needless to say this did not go over will with the shinigami that patrolled this world to find hollows with powers similar to theirs. I had to explain to them what was going on and that I had no idea that the issue had spread from my realm. Their leader, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni-sotaichou was not at all impressed or pleased to hear that I had let some of them escape into this world and that my maskless appearance was the cause of the Arrancar in the first place.

I offered my services to be rid of them as a sign of peace between our two realms. I was blatantly rejected the moment the words came from my lips. They would have no part in working with us. I could have handed Yamamoto a basket of day-old kittens at that moment and he would have killed them instantly. That was the vibe I was getting off him.

I was hastily reprimanded for not keeping tabs on some of my more troublesome subjects over the last couple of months. I retorted back about their lack of observation, that 25 years ago Hueco Mundo had changed rulers and not a one of them noticed. That stung them. For 25 years they were completely unaware of such a major change in power and they were harping on me few a renegades. They had no room to talk when their mistake was so much bigger. Hypocrites!

I offered one more time to clean up my mess. I didn't want anything in return but a possible peace treaty between us. Once again he would have murdered the day-old kittens. He would have nothing to do with me. He looked a good bit younger than me but I was pretty sure he was still older. I honestly did try to be civil with them but it seemed they were itching for a fight the moment they arrived. They were not expecting me but King Louisenbairn and I threw them off track.

We parted ways bitterly, only adding fuel to a fire that had burned for many eons. If they wanted to deal with the Arrancar on their own I didn't care. I had offered my own personal assistance but I was shot down. Arrancar were strong and not something to scoff at. I decided to just let them do what they wanted. Arrancar were not welcome in Hueco Mundo anyway and they would be killed just the same. They were damned no matter where they went.

A few months passed without anything major. However, I did learn that the shinigami had created a new task force designed specifically to watch Hueco Mundo relentlessly. They had clearly learned their lesson. I had nothing to hide from them. What I did in my realm was my business all they could do was watch, they couldn't say anything. As long as I kept to my realm nothing would happen.

A few more decades passed and I had finally gotten the hang of ruling my realm properly. I was quite popular among the people. I knew I couldn't please everyone but I did my best and that's all that mattered. I was nothing like King Louisenbairn, which of course kept my popularity up so high. I was considered benign despite my hair-trigger temper and brutal fighting habits.

But despite trying to be nonthreatening, Soul Society saw me as the opposite as I slowly got to know them a little better. And by better I mean a few skirmishes here and there. Nothing major. I did learn, however, that the blade I wielded was something akin to a Zanpakuto. I was intrigued by this and I studied what I had available to me about Zanpakuto. I heard that to use a Zanpakuto properly that you had to learn its name. I tried to communicate with it but once again because I wasn't a true Zanpakuto, I could not. So I just opted to name the blade something I desired but for the longest time I could not think of a worthy name. As it was I was practically a master of it the day I first manifested it. Now, I did learn some new techniques over time but the blade was already a part of me.

I practiced with it relentlessly in both forms. The second form was harder to control and time was limited when I first started. It also drained me to maintain my full hollow form but with more practice I was able to maintain the final form for longer periods of time. As a way to mock the shinigami I opted to call it a Bankai. Now I could have gone with Resurreccion like the Arrancar but it was still more closely related to Bankai. Also I didn't want to be associated with that filth.

When I did come up with the name it was on a night were I had snuck back down to the Living World to watch an astral event called a lunar eclipse. I had gone alone. I had thought about taking my Master with me but… She would have bitched at me for coming down to the Living World without a proper reason. I had one. I wanted to see this eclipse thing.

I had rested on a grassy hill and looked up at the full moon. It was a slow process but one I was happy to watch. The moon found in the Living World started to fade to black and then to a bright red that sliced through the dark shadows. For a several minutes the once white moon was a brilliant deep crimson like it was painted with blood. Then it slowly started to fade away, the pure white light cut into dark sky once more. It reminded me a lot about my blade and even myself for some reason. The colors the moon had changed to were the same ones that represented my house and rule. The moon… The eclipse… Something about it struck me and the word Zangetsu slipped from my lips. The name seemed right somehow. I couldn't explain why but it felt like a long forgotten word that I had just suddenly remembered. Almost like it had been sitting on the tip of my tongue for a long time just waiting to be spoken.

Zangetsu would be the name of my blade. I opted to call the Bankai form Tensa Zangetsu. I even came up with a name for its prized attack, Getsuga Tensho. I was on a roll that night. It was like a dam had burst in my mind and flooded me with ideas. I guess "ideas" would be the logical way to explain it. They all seemed to be like forgotten words that I should have already known. Especially Zangetsu that word meant the most to me.

Getting back to the matter at hand. I was not popular with the Shinigami. Not at all. But I was very popular with my subjects and they feared that I could amass a very loyal army. Now I did have an army but it was for protecting Hueco Mundo not for invading. I didn't want to start a fight but I'd finish it if need be. I wanted to protect my people not send them out to die.

Needless to say the flames of war were slowly starting to build. I tried to smother them out where I could. It wouldn't take much to ignite and spread. I had to be very careful in everything I did. If I so much as sneezed funny they would claim I was threatening them. Nothing I need would appease them. I had no idea what I did to make them so hostile towards me and my kingdom.

I often wondered if it was my looks and strange abilities were the cause of their disdain of me. They didn't understand what I was and were being overly cautious about me. Often times they accused me of being an Arrancar and that I encouraged the others to remove their masks. That was not the case, not ever. I was no Arrancar. Even Arrancar still has some fragments of their masks left. I did not. I only manifested a simple mask to feed and my horned mask when I was in a serious battle.

Speaking of Arrancar… They were formidable in battle. Did they think I was amassing an army of them? But I despised Arrancar. I found Arrancar to be cowards. If they couldn't fight as they originally were they should not fight at all. It was dishonorable. They wanted to be like me without a mask but I wasn't like them. I wasn't like any of them. I wasn't a Vasto Lorde and I wasn't an Arrancar. I was something else altogether. Just what I was I didn't know but I did eventually learn.

I had begun to hate the shinigami for their hatred of me and my kingdom. Hate begets hate after all. In all honestly, Hueco Mundo was a far better place to live. I think they started to notice that and grew jealous of what I had. My people listened to me with very little to no force while in Soul Society they were suffering from a lot of civil unrest. They had an iron fist pounding its people into submission and I had earned my peoples loyalty over many hard years.

It just so happened during this time I had a rather unusual visit. I wasn't quite sure how these 2 had made it into my kingdom. They were nothing more than couple of shinigami children. Children that had no place here and could have ignited the war I wanted to avoid. A couple of noble brats to boot, which did not help. One was a girl, from the Shihoin clan and the other was a boy, from the Shiba clan.

I had found them running outside the walls of the capital being chanced by some of the local hollows. I wasn't happy to see this unfolding in my realm. My temper flared. I jumped in and intervened. My own subjects didn't recognize me at first until I pulled down my cloak. By that time I was not in the mood to hear them out. I knew what they had tried to do. I wanted to keep the peace but they just tried to kill and devour these wayward brats. That was punishable by death. I blasted them away with a Cero and captured the children that dared to enter my realm uninvited.

Little did I know just how much they would alter my world from that day forward. If it wasn't for them I might never have realized just what fate had in store for me and why I had come into existence. They both would change me little by little. I would learn a great many things from those two. Our lives would forever be intertwined not even time or death could interfere with us.

(A/N So, What do you think of this? Interesting right? I hope so. I took me a while to come up with a good backstory. I will be putting parts of this in the main story but I couldn't cram all this into main story without making it so long. I hope this clears up a few things that people have been asking me about.