Hollow HEART

"Cero…OSCURAS!"

Harribel had only a few milliseconds to widen her eyes and raise her blade to try to defend herself from the imminent attack.

BOOOOM

And with a giant explosion in a straight line, the entire landscape in front was swept away like trash

FOOOSH!

"HARRIBEL-SAMAAAA!" The three beasts screamed in panic, the 3 of them soon ran instinctively using their sound, trying to help their mistress.

After a few moments of running by the beasts and the small dog, both groups managed to reach their respective "masters" and were surprised by their appearances.

To the Beasts, Harribel was burned and covered in soot, her young skin was with pink parts in raw flesh with blood running down, her blade had been fragmented and 1 leg burned to charcoal completely. Her mouth mask cracked

And part charred, she seemed to have seen better days. Soon she was caught and began to hear the screams and questions of concern from her companions.

Now with Yammy, Kukkapūro whimpered seeing his master, Yammy had lost half of his jaw and his torso had been badly burned, along with one of his arms burned and he was crouched on the ground from the effort. His eye was also closed, but blood was running down like a waterfall.

But despite their situation, they were still hollows, while their wounds slowly healed, both Adjucha and Vasto Lord had slight smiles on their faces.

Both seemed to have found a certain harmony. In that small fight, both had measured each other's capabilities.

And they could not be more satisfied.

That day the future Tercera and Tenth (Cero) Espada had joined in a single cause. And this union would result in rippling waters in the near future.

_____

PACK

The term "pack" literally refers to a group of dogs, typically hunting or living together. Symbolically, it can represent various aspects of collective dynamics and relationships:

1. Unity and collective strength: A pack operates as a single entity, where each member contributes to the group's welfare, whether in hunting or protection. This symbolizes solidarity and teamwork.

2. Hierarchy and leadership: Packs often have a hierarchical structure, usually led by an alpha. This concept discusses power, authority, and social organization.

3. Survival through community: In nature, living in a pack increases survival chances. Metaphorically, it reflects the importance of mutual support during adversity.

4. Conformity and primal instincts: On another level, it can symbolize the suppression of individuality for the collective, where instinctive and impulsive behavior often guides actions.

These four aspects guide a pack.

One fact often overlooked by Shinigami is that Hollows frequently form packs, large or small, for protection or common objectives.

Take, for example, the current God-King of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan Louisenbairn, who rules over a massive army of Hollows—a powerful force in sheer numbers.

On the other hand, there are those who thrive in smaller groups—less numerous but far stronger.

Like the Tres Bestias, or rather, now, the Five Bestias.

Harribel was the leader of the pack, always guiding her companions to safety. However, her position was recently challenged by the arrival of Yammy. Even though the massive Hollow showed no direct intent to claim her spot, her newly discovered instincts screamed for her to either assert dominance or yield. But she restrained herself, knowing that a fight between them would attract far more attention and problems than solutions.

Thus, while resting by a fireplace, Harribel sighed as she rose from the sandy ground, her tail anxiously swaying behind her.

"Yammy?" The female Vasto Lorde whispered as she gently nudged the giant Adjucha lying nearby. She moved cautiously, not wanting to wake her companions. Her call was met with a single, massive eye opening, silently questioning her.

"We need to decide what we're going to do from here," she said, sitting by Yammy's massive head, her tail nervously thumping against the ground.

This went against everything she stood for. She had lived her life protecting her kind from males who sought to devour them. And now? She wasn't just sitting beside one; her instincts wrestled between claiming her place as leader or submitting.

Yammy groaned, rolling his eyes as he muttered, speaking as softly as his colossal size allowed.

"Go back to sleep, woman. It's not the time."

Being dismissed so casually by someone larger than her made Harribel's brow twitch in irritation. Sometimes she hated how relaxed Yammy could be. They had only been together for **two days!**

The female Hollow grumbled for a moment before deciding to lie back down beside the giant. She felt she might develop gray hair if she kept trying to argue with Yammy now.

*Fosh!*

Harribel jolted at the sudden noise and opened her eyes, ready to defend herself, only to stop when she saw it was just Kukkapūro lying beside her. The small, dog-like Hollow seemed completely at ease as it settled in.

She felt odd being flanked by the largest and smallest members of her pack, but it amused her in a way.

As she lay back down, Harribel closed her eyes to rest, feeling strangely secure enough to lower her guard around them.

For the first time in centuries, Harribel allowed herself to sleep peacefully, without fear of being attacked or losing her comrades.

---

The Next Morning

"I HATE him," grumbled the deer-like Apacci, staggering alongside her allies.

"Nah, don't be so grouchy, Apacci. If Lady Harribel trusts him, we owe her that much… even if he irritates me too," replied the confident Mila-Rose, equally annoyed.

"Tsk. All you two do is complain. That's why Lady Harribel ignores your accusations," hissed the snake-like Sung-Sun, provoking growls from her companions.

Reluctantly, Harribel's three comrades followed their leader and her new… companion? They still weren't sure how to classify him but followed nonetheless, heading toward someone Yammy claimed was "important" and could help them.

They didn't trust him—Apacci, the hot-headed one; Mila-Rose, the proud one; and Sung-Sun, the sly one—none of them trusted the massive Hollow. But their mistress did, so they swallowed their complaints and kept walking.

Adding to their irritation was the presence of the "pet" Kukkapūro, loyally trailing after the brute. How the little dog-like Hollow avoided getting crushed under Yammy's careless bulk was a mystery to them all.

"HURRY UP, OR YOU'LL GET LEFT BEHIND!" Yammy bellowed from up ahead, the bastard grinning smugly, clearly enjoying their frustration.

Their mistress glanced back at them with a raised eyebrow and a hint of amusement, prompting the trio to hasten their pace and stick closer to her.

Ahead of the group, Harribel silently questioned (not for the first time) where they were heading. Yammy had insisted on seeking out this "white Hollow," as he called it.

A "powerful Vasto Lorde."

Vasto Lordes were rare, not only because they were difficult to evolve into but also because they were solitary by nature.

She and Baraggan were anomalies for wanting to live in groups. According to Yammy, however, there were three Vasto Lordes who might accept being their allies—so long as they weren't like Baraggan, who sought to dominate everyone around him. Harribel loathed Baraggan's tyrannical ways, so this intrigued her.

Still, despite her reservations, she followed Yammy through this desolate wasteland, seeking the allies he spoke of.

Why would she trust someone she'd only known for three days? Perhaps because Yammy showed no signs of deceit. Everything he said seemed honest—his ambitions, his abilities, and his strength. For now, the least she could do was give him a chance.

---

Hours Later

After walking for hours with no signs of life, Yammy suddenly halted in his heavy strides, causing the group to stop as well. The sudden pause made the females tense.

Harribel cautiously approached Yammy, scanning their surroundings.

"Did something happen?" she asked.

"No," Yammy replied curtly. "We've arrived… right there."

He pointed to what appeared to be a white dome made of intertwined thorny branches.

"This is the Vasto Lorde's den?" Harribel thought. It was certainly unusual. She looked at Yammy, silently asking, "Are you sure?"

Her questioning glance was met with Yammy's blank stare before he lumbered forward, moving as carefully as his colossal size allowed.

"ULQUIORRA!" Yammy's voice boomed across the void of Hueco Mundo.

Harribel wondered how someone as loud and direct as him had managed to evade Baraggan's notice.

...

Silence hung in the air for several moments before, slowly, a figure began to emerge from the cocoon-like structure.

Harribel heard her companions gasp at the sight of the pure white Hollow before them. The figure was far from beautiful. The Vasto Lorde's body was covered in lacerations, his pristine white form marred by cracks and bleeding wounds. It was as if he'd given up on caring for himself.

But what struck Harribel the most wasn't his injuries. It was the look in his eyes—lifeless, dead in every sense of the word. He gazed at them with vacant curiosity, devoid of emotion, until his eyes focused on Yammy.

Then, something changed. A strange light flickered in the Vasto Lorde's eyes.

In a blur, he vanished and reappeared before Yammy's massive face. Harribel and the others tensed, expecting a devastating attack, but none came.

The Vasto Lorde simply stood there, staring at Yammy as if trying to understand him.

Then, he lightly touched Yammy's mask before retreating, a faint expression of awe on his face.

"GURARARARA! DIDN'T I TELL YOU I'D COME BACK WITH COMPANY?"

*Wait… they already knew each other?*

And once again, Harribel found herself diving into the ever-growing mystery that was Yammy Llargo.

_____

[Flashback, Ulquiorra's Memories]

Darkness… as far back as I can remember… everything was darkness… and I was the only light… where no light existed.

It was as if I was pressed by the darkness, uncertain of what I would become… born under those dark sediments, they were all black, while I had a white form. My comrades were pure black. In those black forms, with their glowing eyes and bared teeth, they were certainly devouring something. And then, there was nothing inside me except my eyes.

I didn't feel anything… no, rather, it might be more accurate to say what I felt was "emptiness."

But,

I couldn't hear anything.

I couldn't bite into anything.

I couldn't smell anything.

I couldn't feel anything to the touch.

I had no companions.

I couldn't rest.

That's when I came to the conclusion that things not reflected in my eyes did not exist.

Walking… walking… walking… walking… walking… walking… walking… walking…

When I reached that thought, I found something extraordinary. It was, in a sense, the birthplace… of those strange and translucent objects dotting this world.

For the first time, my eyes were captivated by something.

No color.

No sound.

No smell.

It didn't interact with anything!

It just existed there.

It was the closest thing to "emptiness" I had ever seen.

I submerged my body into that vast emptiness; there was nothing there. Until even my line of vision disappeared, and I dissolved into the void, feeling as if everything had vanished—

Happiness.

The happiness of being there, alone.

At least, that's what I thought.

One day, I encountered a source of noise.

A deafening roar—a giant had somehow fallen near my "happiness." He lamented something like, "Why this world?!" and "Why me, Yammy?!" while pounding the ground in rage.

I was curious and, at the same time, enchanted by it. The giant roared and screamed in tones that were warm and different, pleasant to hear.

I followed the giant closely. After a while, he seemed to notice me. For a few moments, he froze, staring at me, before sitting down and muttering to himself.

We spent the next few hours in silence, until suddenly, the giant began talking to me. I couldn't respond, but he talked more than enough for the two of us.

I didn't understand much of what the giant said, but somehow, he seemed to enjoy our conversations.

I spent the next few days in the company of the red giant. At times, I saw that vivid ruby color when the giant grew irritated, but those moments were brief.

For a time, my monotonous life was reduced to sleeping in my "happiness" and listening to the giant talk.

Until one day, he left. I felt empty again—the only companion I had found was leaving me. But before he left to pursue his plans, the giant gave me his name and made a promise.

"Guararara, listen up, Ulquiorra! I'm leaving for a while now, but I promise I'll come back to get you someday. And when that happens, I'll be surrounded by people who'll entertain you as much as I do in this boring life! I SWEAR this in my name! In the name of YAMMY LLARGO!"

And I held onto that promise. I waited for days, months, and finally years for him. And it seems it was worth it.

Because standing before my eyes was YAMMY LLARGO, with COMPANY! Real people (Hollows) who seemed to walk willingly by his side…

I was no longer alone.

I no longer walked alone.

'What kind of man… are you, Yammy Llargo?'