There's No Equal

It was deep in the eternal night when the young female Arrancar woke for seemingly no reason at all. A soft breath passed through her pastel lips as she attempted to snuggle deeper into her bed. After a few unsuccessful moments in which nothing happened she slowly rolled over, trying to keep her movements subtle and quiet so she wouldn’t wake her slumbering guest.

A soft smile touched her lips when she saw that he was still deeply asleep and if his relaxed visage was anything to go by, then he was recuperating peacefully. After a few moments of admiring the handsome panther she eased up off the comfortable pillow bed and snuck out of the hideout. The cool desert breeze tossed her hair around wildly and she closed her eyes, attempting to soak in the pale moonlight as if it were nourishment. Her eyes slowly opened, but stayed half-lidded.

Carefully she eased down onto the cool grainy sand, her body trembling lightly. A breathy sigh eased through her parted lips and she felt her fingers twitch involuntarily inside her lengthy kimono sleeves. She would have to feed soon to build her strength back up. Otherwise, she would become easy prey, as was the way of Hollows. Even now, hunger twisted painfully at her gut.

Selfishly her feral Hollow side wanted what she had freely given to Grimmjow, back. But she had enough self-control and, what some would call humanity, left to keep her true, dark nature subdued enough to remain respectfully level-headed, at least for a little while longer. Unfortunately, none of that could change the fact that she was starving. Her hunger had been made worse since she had fed the panther when she barely had enough to keep her own self relatively sated. Still, she wouldn’t take it back. She wasn’t that type of being.

Starvation was an enemy to all, and she knew the ghastly truth of it from firsthand experience. It was particularly hard on Hollows of any class really. She was more than a mere Hollow now, but she remembered what life was like before. Her human life was nonexistent by now, but she remembered her existence and evolution as a Hollow very clearly. Even her rebirth as an Arrancar had been nothing like the rest of her kind; Aizen had said so himself.

The stirring of sand and a soft miserable whimper caught her attention, breaking her away from her thoughts of the past. Curious and completely unafraid she turned her head towards the noise.

“Oh, it’s only you little one.” She gave a sad smile when she saw the petite creature ambling up to her. The tiny canine Hollow looked completely lost and heartbroken that it hurt her own heart to see him in such a state.

The little Hollow whimpered pathetically and dropped heavily onto its stomach in the sand beside her.

“I miss them too.” She told the lonely pup empathetically as she ran her hands gently through its short brown fur in a comforting gesture. The canine whimpered again and snuggled closer to the female Arrancar seeking some semblance of comfort. The silent duo stayed there basking in each other’s comforting presence for a while longer.

Her eyes began to drop and a soft yawn escaped her, signaling that she needed more rest. The miniature Hollow cocked its head to the side curiously as she stood up from the ground and brushed the sand off her dirt and blood stained kimono. When she moved to return to her home the pup whined almost inquiringly, instantly catching her attention.

She gave a soft smile and brought her pointer finger up to her lips in a silent shushing motion. “You can come, but you have to be quiet.”

At her words the brown furred Hollow jumped to its feet and eagerly followed her back into her home. As soon as her toes met the soft edge of her bed, the female Arrancar tiredly sunk down onto the large cushion resting in the middle of the floor. Her eyes closed with a mute sigh of delight, while the tiny Hollow sniffed around its new surroundings curiously, trying to take in everything. It wisely avoided nearing the slumbering Espada in its wanderings and after a few moments of exploration, he came back to nestle down at her side.

She let her hooded gaze travel around her surroundings, pausing momentarily on the slumbering blue haired male, before she let sleep take her into its soothing embrace once more. She hoped sleep would wash away her trepidation of having to kill and feed when she next woke, as well as lessen the horrors of what she had bore witness to that day.



The first thing that his lethargic senses caught, other than the constant stinging pain from his healing wounds, was the tell-tale whisper of moving fabric. When he finally managed to pry open his heavy eyelids, he only saw hazes of color and nothing distinct at first. Having his sight greatly impaired, Grimmjow inhaled as deeply as he could without alerting his companion to his state of consciousness or causing himself any further injury.

He hadn’t noticed before, but the whole place smelled of her. Her fresh, light scent wrapped around him like a light blanket of air and he found, much to his surprise and ire, that it wasn’t entirely unpleasant despite the distinctive doggy-like undertone that never failed to not wrinkle his nose in disgust.

But then several other, unfamiliar scents stung his nose and immediately brought his surroundings into sharper focus. The most prominent new scent was the heavy, coppery one belonging to semi-fresh blood that was shed from several different beings, all of them apparently Hollows, from what he could tell. None of the blood belonged to the bitch though.

When his vision finally cleared, his shocking azure irises slid to his right, immediately widening the slightest degree at the unexpected sight that greeted him. He should have turned away to give her privacy, but he wasn’t that goody-goody type of guy in the slightest. His gaze freely roamed over her soft, peachy toned naked upper back, slender neck and shapely shoulders.

Unfortunately, the rest of her was currently hidden from his gaze by the new, clean kimono she had draped loosely around her curved, yet delicate shoulders. He mentally scoffed at her stupid naivety. Had he been in a better state or had a mind to, he could have taken advantage of her or killed so easily that it would have been too shameful to ever be spoken of. This incident just further proved to the panther that the dog had no self preservation instincts at all.

“Where the hell have you been, you fucking reek of blood.” Grimmjow groused loudly when the putrid scent of so much accumulated blood became too much for him to bear any longer.

The unsuspecting female gave a soft feminine squeak of surprise and turned her head in his direction. Her naturally glaucous blue gaze traveled over his lax form, checking for any worsening of his injuries before her eyes returned to his and she smiled, genuinely happy to see him awake and on the mend. Her deft hands quickly pulled her heavy kimono on and tied it properly, without even having to look, before she turned around completely to face him.

“It’s good to see you awake.” She answered instead, while stepping over a pile of blood stained clothes piled up messily by her tiny bare feet. That was the source of the blood’s scent.

“Are you hungry?” She then asked, brushing her hair back behind her shoulders as she neared him. With a half snarl already on his lips he jerked his eyes from the bloody clothes and up to search her over for any sign of wounds. When he found no apparent abrasions, their eyes met.

Hers were smiling kindly, while his were widened slightly from disbelief.

“You fed, on other Hollows.” He stated bluntly, not really believing that the dog had actually went out and savagely hunted down and killed her own kind. Not that he really cared, since it was natural for some Hollows, but he reveled in the fact that his cold statement pulled her up short.

She paused for a moment as if unsure he had actually said that, then the light and happiness in her features slowly died in realization. Her hands fell, almost lifelessly to her sides, but she never dropped his knowing, almost gloating gaze.

“Yes, I did.” She answered, after several long moments, her voice barely above a whisper and somewhat guilt ridden. She was acting as if the natural instinct and act of feeding to keep herself and in turn him, alive was a grievous sin.

Grimmjow couldn’t help but give a sinister, predatory grin at her admission. Without preamble he then asked something he knew would hurt and probably disgust her the most. “Did you enjoy it?”

When his cruel words registered in her brain she jerked back as if he had physically struck her across the face and nearly tripped over her own feet in the process. When she finally managed to steady herself, she eyed him warily, a look of absolute horror and disgust on her pretty face as she ran her fingers through her hair, her nails raking softly against her scalp in what he assumed was an act of self-consolation.

“It had to be done. The Human World is far too dangerous for hunting Pluses right now. There was no other way.” She returned at length, her tone still in that aggravating unnatural kindhearted tenor she was widely known for. She wasn’t upset with him in the least.

‘Damn bitch.’ Grimmjow huffed, a slight snarl curling his lips, and rolled his eyes at her, his expression turning crotchety when he didn’t get the reaction he was hoping for. Just once he’d like to see the bitch angry enough to relish in the killing of others. Just by the evidence splattered messily across her old kimono, he knew that she had to have the intense killing instinct and desire of any other Hollow. She had just apparently buried the urges deep within her.

“Do your wounds still hurt?” She asked softly and moved to stand next to the bed, as angry and distrustful azure irises watched her every move. She really needn’t have asked since the answer was obvious due to his actions.

The animalistic instinct that kept all Hollows alive, even at the threshold of death, was still keeping him extra wary of others since he was still heavily wounded and mostly unable to defend himself if she, however unlikely the case, were to decide to attack and or consume him. It didn’t help that he was a panther; the fierce tempered lone hunter that despised being seen in a weakened state.

In order to somewhat appease his raging instincts she, ever so slowly, kneeled down at the bedside to not seem as anymore of a threat to him, all the while being bore down up by his intense scrutiny. Grimmjow would never admit it aloud and barely to his darkest desires, but the sight of the dog in such a submissive position, on her knees before him sent a shiver of pleasure up his spine and heat straight to his loins. The feeling was so intense that he had to bite back a pleasured groan through clenched teeth.

He hated himself for getting off on any thoughts containing the dog, even if she was now in her proper place. Lost in the dark images plaguing his mind, Grimmjow barely registered the subtle movements of his caretaker as she leaned in nearer to him.

“Are you alright, Grimmjow?” Her slightly worried voice sounding closer than before and his name rolling oh-so innocently off her tongue broke him out of his perverse mind and he snarled at her closeness. She, as usual, was wholly unaffected by his temper and only seemed concerned with his welfare. Her care only served to piss him off further.

“Why the hell wouldn’t I be alright, bitch?” He bit back, his words far sharper and much colder than any blade.

She blinked slowly and watched him patiently, before speaking again. Her tone was just as infuriatingly patient and kind as always. “May I change your bandages now?”

His narrowed gaze bore through her for several long moments before he retorted with a nasty sneer. “Get on with it then.”

Her lips eased up in a small smile as she eased up to get some further height on him and pulled out a crisp roll of bandages from within the folds of her kimono.

Just like before she was gentle yet swift and efficient while tending to his wounds. He barely felt a thing, until she got to his mangled arm, which had yet to really begin healing properly. From what he could see and feel he guessed that he would need a few more days and another feeding or two before he could use his arm again. There was a tic in his jaw and his one good hand clenched in anger, his fingernails nearly drawing blood in his frustration.

He could barely believe that he was in such an incredibly pathetic state and being tended to by her. His stony gaze shot over to her fair, youthful features and without preamble or thought her name rolled slowly off his tongue for the first time since he had learned it, shortly after her birth as an Arrancar. “Czarina Tredegar Edevaneajax,”

The female paused in surprise, her heart racing painfully in her chest and nearly stealing her breath. She didn’t know how to feel or react as he repeated her full name in an indeterminable tone. She could only raise her head to lock gazes with the temperamental panther, who appeared curious as he watched her reactions.

She parted her lips to speak but all was silent as only a small rush of expelled air left her. A predatory smirk showing his fangs curled upon his lips and her eyes widened in surprise at the dark intentions she saw in them, but she was too slow to react. With inhuman speed and strength Grimmjow shot out his good arm and latched hold of the stunned female who instantly froze up under his gaze and the brutal strength of his grasp on the back of her fragile neck.

He held her there at his mercy, their gazes never straying from each other, for several tense minutes. Grimmjow marveled at how well she was behaving. Most Arrancar would have tried to fight him off, but she just went slack and submissive, like an ignorant well-behaved pet waiting for its punishment.

“Such a good dog you are.” He mocked with a cruel chuckle and noticed the goosebumps that rose upon her visible skin and the slight shiver that raced up her spine. “Were you this submissive for that bastard Aizen, were you a good pet?” He asked while slowly pulling her closer.

It was then that she tensed under his hold, though she still didn’t fight back. There was no use. He was too strong, even in his weakened state. It wouldn’t take but a slight twist of his wrist or a mere tightening of his fingers and she would die within seconds. Fighting back or struggling in any way would only trigger his baser instincts and make things worse for her. Felines of all sizes preferred to play with their prey before they killed. There was a slim chance that, if she didn’t react to his taunts or threats, he might grow bored with her, his new toy.

“Did you take your master’s whip willingly?” His warm breath ghosted over her dry lips and she couldn’t resist the urge to run her heavy tongue over them. This movement immediately caught his full attention and he watched as the pink appendage slowly slipped back between her slightly parted lips after leaving a soft shine on them. The half-frustrated half-pleasured growl that had steadily been building up in the back of his throat finally broke through and so did his hair thin patience.

Before she knew what was happening he slammed his lips roughly upon her own stealing her breath as his tongue immediately demanded entrance and received no resistance as he brutally raped her mouth. Her wide eyes slowly dropped closed and she noticed through the frenzied attack that his tongue felt similar to a regular cat’s as the barbs scraped over her soft tongue, but the feeling wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

A small, meek moan of wanting managed to escape her when he jerked away from her with as much brutality as he had attacked her mouth with. Her breathing was haggard, as was his, but he was much less affected than she. The needy moan had surprised him and he wanted to hear her make it again. However the pain of his wounds suddenly came rushing back and he growled.

His grip on the back of her neck tightened and her eyes snapped open upon feeling the dangerously increased force. Immediately she could tell that the proud panther was in pain and without a hint of hesitance, gently lowered her abused lips onto his, her eyes sliding shut as they met. Grimmjow allowed her this and flicked his tongue against hers teasingly and scraped his fangs against her plush lips before forcefully pushing her mouth open further, so he could feed.