22 On the move!

Twenty-Four years later, in the Soul Society, things began to change. For the past fifty years, Aizen has been hard at work on perfecting his own Hogyoku. In that time frame, many advancements had been made. 

Not only on his Hogyoku, but also in his attempts at Hollowfying Soul Reapers.

His list of victims was vast, and included the likes of his own peers, Shinji, Kensei, Love, and Rose.

Now, after hundreds of years of planning and preparation, Aizen has finally decided to take a more aggressive approach. He decided now was the time to move.

Aizen, Gin, and Tousen stood within the dark depths of Aizen's secret lab. Together the three men, were preparing themselves for a trip to Hueco Mundo.

" Are we really doing this today, Captain Aizen?" Gin asked the man.

" Yes, Gin. Though I must admit, I'm quite vexed on something in particular." Aizen stated.

" Oh? And what would that be?" Gin asked.

" Where to begin." Aizen muttered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a glowing blue orb. " I've run the numbers as much as possible. But I'm still not quite sure what it'll look like in the end." Aizen spoke. He then flashed a tiny, small. 

" What exactly are you talking about, Captain Aizen?" Tousen asked. 

Aizen turned to Tousen, and smiled at the confused man. " I need to see whether or not it actually works first Kaname. And I need a proper subject of reference." Aizen told the man. He stopped and thought for a solid minute before coming to an understanding. " I know, what to do. Come along, now. You two. We have a world to conquer."

Aizen opened up a crack in the space between him and his companions, that led to Hueco Mundo, the world of the Hollows, and together the three men entered.

It wasn't unheard of for a Soul Reaper to enter into Hueco Mundo. In fact, Soul Reapers had squads dedicated to venturing into the world of the Hollows and charting its territory. Though this was still a dangerous endeavor, even for a group. 

However, for these three Captains, it wasn't going to much of a problem at all.

" Hueco Mundo... How dull." Gin muttered. " This place has no atmosphere, whatsoever." He said.

" It doesn't need atmosphere, Gin. This world is painted black for a reason."

Gin looked at Kaname and held his hands up. " Come on, now, Tousen. Wouldn't it be nice to see at least a little sunshine here?"

" I wouldn't see it anyway." Tousen replied rather bluntly.

Gin held a hand up to his mouth, to hide his smile. " Oops... My mistake." He joked.

" Play nice, Gin." Aizen told the man. He then started walking forward through the sand.

" Where are you going, Captain Aizen?" Gin asked.

Aizen looked at Gin and smiled. " I have someone I want to meet, Gin. An old associate, if you will." Aizen muttered. 

" Oh, I know that look. You have something planned, don't you?"

" Heh. You know me too well."

*Shift!

Aizen suddenly vanished before Gin and Kaname's eyes, leaving the two men to wait in the world of the Hollows alone.

........................

Bikou was sitting on top of a spiky quartz-like minerals that inhabit Hueco Mundo. He had his staff laid across the length of his lap and was meditating.

His hands were bruised, most likely from training, and he was bleeding slightly his palms and fingers. 

He was focusing on restraining his spiritual pressure, after expending so much of it, when suddenly he felt a very strange presence approaching him.

It was a powerful spiritual energy. One that was familiar to him.

" I don't know why you're simply waiting back there. I can feel your presence, you know." Bikou muttered with his eyes closed.

" I'm not surprised." Aizen muttered softly. 

Bikou sighed heavily and grasped his staff tightly, before rising to his feet to face Aizen. He then smiled at the man. " Look at you, you're looking quite well today, Captain." 

" Why thank you, Bikou." Aizen told the man. " You're looking quite well, yourself. In fact, I'd even say you've exceeded my expectations for you." Aizen told the man. " Am I to assume, you've become a Arrancar, all on your own?" 

" You could say something that, yeah." Bikou muttered. " Have you come to finally fight me?" Bikou asked.

" Do you think your strong enough to beat me as you are now? Don't be foolish." Aizen spoke.

" I wouldn't call it foolish, Aizen. I've been thinkin of ways to kill you for years. But you know, something? You damned monster, you're still holding back your spiritual pressure, and it's still greater than mine."

Aizen smirked. " Perceptive."

" I have amazing senses." 

" Yes. Quite impressive, for a Hollow."

Bikou cut his at Aizen. " What's that supposed to mean?"

" Oh, I meant no offense. I am simply saying that it is indeed impressive that a Hollow, of all creatures, is able to ascertain my strength, despite only seeing me a sparce amount of time, while my associates in the soul society still have not grasped the depth of my ability yet, despite spending years in my presence. That's all." Aizen explained. " In fact, of all the creatures I've stumbled across, you by far intrigue me the most."

" Oh really?"

" Yes, which is why I've sought you out today. What would you say to a temporary truce?"

" A truce? Between us?" Bikou was caught off guard by the sudden request. " I thought you planned on killing me. Why change now?" He asked.

" I still plan on it. But I see an opportunity for the both of us to get stronger and reach levels no one else could imagine."

" Oh? And how is that?" Bikou asked the man.

" With this." With that said Aizen reached into his robes and pulled out the shining blue orb. " This is the Hogyoku. An object of great power." Aizen explained.

Bikou's eyes carefully studied the object in Aizen's hands. He had never seen anything like it before.

" It governs the power of dreams itself. The very essence of people's desires. It absorbs the desires of those around it and manifests them into reality. With this, anything can be achieved." Aizen explained.

Bikou was speechless. Could such an object truly exist? And if it did, why hadn't the soul reapers utilized it before. 

" I can see it on your face. You're curious as to whether or not it truly does what I say it does, and if it is true, why haven't we used it before. And the answer to that is simple. The Soul Reapers did not possess the wit or understanding to even begin creating such an object." Aizen explained. " And even now, I myself, have not fully completed its construction. It's still missing something. What that something is, I don't know entirely. But I do know this, my Hogyoku, is real. With it I've already broken down the barriers between Soul Reapers and Hollows. With this Hogyoku, I managed to turn multiple soul reapers into Hollows, Hollowfying them."

Bikou's eyes widened. " That's impossible!" Bikou exclaimed. " A Soul Reaper couldn't possibly turn into a Hollow, at least not how you're describing it." 

" Oh, but it is possible. After all, the Hogyoku has allowed the impossible to become possible." Aizen stated. 

" Why? Just what do you plan on doing with such a terrible thing?" Bikou asked the man. 

" What do you know of the history of Hueco Mundo?" Aizen asked.

" Not much of anything at all." Bikou answered honestly. " But what does that have to do with what I asked you?"

" It has everything to do with it." Aizen stated. " Since, I'm honest with wanting you a part of this... I'll reveal it to you." Aizen muttered. " What if i told you the human world, the Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo all once existed at the same time and place. In one unified world."

" I'd say you finally lost whatever sense you had." Bikou muttered. 

" Ah, a logical conclusion to make from the uninformed. But what I'm telling you is the absolute truth." Aizen told the man. " And the one responsible for separating the three worlds, was none other than the Soul King himself."

" The soul king?"

" Yes. Not many, not even those who live within the Soul Society know of the Soul Kings existence. When he separated the three worlds, he created the concepts of life and death. He shared his power with those that existed, Hollow and Spirits alike. However, despite his noble intentions, he was betrayed. In a part of history that has been forever stricken from the books that are available to the common soul reapers. The only place this information exists is deep within the records that belong to the five great noble houses, specifically, the Tsunayashiro family's secret tomes." Aizen muttered. " It is known as the first and greatest sin in the history of the Soul Society. Do you know what it is?"

Bikou was quiet. He listened carefully to every word Aizen spoke and for some reason, he believed him, for even though he knew not to trust Aizen completely, he could tell that Aizen's words contained nothing but truth so far. 

" No. What was it?" He asked.

" In a bid for power, the five great families betrayed the soul king, and brutally mutilated him. They ripped his body into pieces and discarded them, so that he couldn't fight them back. They then placed him within an amber prison and sealed him within the Soul Kings palace. Trapped forever in an eternal slumber, destined to guard the flow of souls in and out of the Soul Society, forever. A sad fate for a loser betrayed by the people he sought to protect." 

Bikou was surprised to hear of such a grave and grisly action being committed by the very same people who would condemn Hollows for acting on instincts that preserve them. 

" Okay. So, where does this factor into your plan? Huh?"

Aizen smiled and stared longingly into his Hogyoku. " I plan on using the Hogyoku to reach beyond the realm of the Soul king. A pale object forever stuck in a prison, shouldn't be in charge of what the world should be. Once I've completed the Hogyoku and bonded with it, I will become the new soul king, and I will be the one to decide how the world should be." Aizen explained. 

" I see. And what do you want from me? You're already strong as it is." Bikou wondered.

" I need someone to measure my strength against." Aizen answered honestly. " Truthfully, the end will be the same. However, even with my strength alone, I cannot overcome those that exist to protect the Soul King. Squad Zero. The Soul King's personal guards. There's also the problem of getting to the Soul King's palace. It will require an object of great power, which can only be created by concentrating one hundred thousand souls, while also using a jureichi." Aizen explained. 

" I see. And you want to fight me?"

" Yes. But more precisely, I want you to get stronger, Bikou. Of all the Hollows I've come across over the years. You by far have shown the greatest talent. The highest potential for growth."

" So, what I'm understanding is. You want to keep me close, so that you can use me as a way to help bolster your already massive strength even higher. Then, once you've evolved you want to test your strength against a strong opponent. And you believe me, to be the strongest Hollow you could face, and by defeating me, you'll have grown beyond the concept of Hollows. Correct?"

Aizen smiled. " Brilliant observation."

" Hehahahahaha." Bikou started laughing loudly. " HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

His sharp screech rang loud. Any normal person would feel the noise stinging their ears. 

" That's amazing. I can't say I've ever heard that before. You want to try and help your killer get strong? Who does that?" Bikou asked. " Okay, then Aizen... Let's assume I say yes, what's next?"

" What's next? I'll conquer, Hueco Mundo, of course." Aizen muttered. " And then, I'm going to build a force. An army of arrancar, similar to you. Though of course, It'll still take some time." Aizen explained.

" An army of Arrancar." Bikou stopped for a moment and thought of Starrk. 

No. Despite knowing that Aizen was speaking truth. Bikou still didn't trust him. And he certainly didn't want to endanger Starrk and Lilynette.

" So, once again, Bikou... Will you join me?" Aizen asked the man. 

His voice had a certain tone to it. Bikou could tell it was laced with venom. And that it was more of an order than a choice.

But...

" Alright." Bikou muttered. " But I want to set one thing straight, Aizen."

" Oh? And what is that?" Aizen asked.

" I'll admit. This whole plan of yours... It sounds absolutely ridiculous. So, insane that, if I'm being honest, sounds like fun. I was planning on killing you someday anyway. Better to keep you close at hand. That way, we can both be aware of each other. However, I serve no one. We'll be partners. Equals."

" Oh? You assume us equals?"

" Nah.... I know it." Bikou sneered. He laughed and then he sighed. " That's the only way this conversation continues."

" I see.... That's a fair negotiation. Either way, we both get what we want." Aizen explained.

It was a fair and even trade and ensured both parties received what they wanted from the other.

Bikou- More strength.

And Aizen a foe to measure his growth and ability against. 

" I look forward to working together." Aizen told the man.

He extended his hand and Bikou returned the gesture, shaking hands with Aizen.

" What now?" Bikou asked.

" Well, first..."

Aizen extended his Hogyoku and suddenly Bikou was engulfed in a bright light.

When the light vanished, Aizen took a couple steps back to observe his work.

" Tell me... How do you like the new outfit?" He asked.

Bikou took a deep breath and released it. Exhaling sharply while laughing. 

" I gotta say, it feels pretty nice." Bikou muttered. Bikou emerged from the light wearing a white jacket and black baggy pants. Wrapped on top of those pants was a white pelt. On his feet were a pair of simple black boots with a long white line going down the middle of them. And on his hands were two fingerless white gloves. 

" Good. I'll leave you a hell butterfly that will carry messages to you. That way, we can keep in touch." Aizen told the man. " Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to turn my attention elsewhere. But I will keep in touch. Until the day comes, get strong, Bikou. I have high expectations." 

" Heh! Me too, Aizen. Me too!"Bikou watched as Aizen quickly vanished, tracking his spiritual energy as far as he possibly could until it vanished completely.

Aizen's sinister plan finally begins to unfurl as he successfully strikes a deal with one of the most powerful Hollows to ever exist. The great Monkey Hollow, Bikou has turned his raw power to Aizen's cause. Together, they will seek to overthrow the heavens themselves.

What comes next?

To Be Continued!

.........................