Bleach 1. La Flor en Blanco

I'M NOT LOOKING FOR CRITIQUE ON THIS. Unless something is very apparent and needs attention, I probably won't go back and change it. This doesn't apply to grammar and spelling, I always appreciate hearing about that. I still love getting reviews, just not anything that could require a major overhaul. (Unless it really is that bad...)

This is written in a short story format, and as such is paced fairly fast. This is due to the fact that this was originally much shorter and simpler. I already have it outlined and planned, so updates should appear often.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

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"_Don't try to speak. There isn't a reason for you to speak."_

"_Don't worry too much about it. If you ever truly need to speak, you will have us to help you."_

"_Yes, we will be here."_

"_You don't have to worry about anything. We will defend you."_

Encontra watched the blurry images of her parents hit the ground. She didn't remember them ever being that red.

"…_we will be here."_

A man with a sword, a red sword, stood where they once did. He had brown hair, and was dressed in black and white.

"Hello there." He extended a hand, "My name is Sosuke Aizen."

"_Don't worry…"_

She took his hand.

He was close enough that she could see his blurred smile and glasses, "It's nice to meet you, Encontra."

She was almost sorry she couldn't answer him.

Time seemed to move faster then. She followed him outside, wondering if so many people had always been out this time of day.

"Have you ever seen people, Encontra?" He asked in his charismatic voice.

She nodded, remembering the forms of people moving through their daily routine, oblivious to her and her parents.

He smiled again, "That's good." He stepped onto the road and put an arm around her shoulder, "Now we will have to run to get there."

_Where?_ She was hesitant to go with him, and turned back to her home. The bodies of her parents weren't moving. The man's sword had been red… She wasn't stupid. _He killed them._

"This won't even take a minute." Aizen said, and then she was somewhere else entirely. Colors had been rapidly replaced in front of her eyes, and he carried her forward a few more steps before they were once again somewhere else. She closed her eyes with the rapid movements, and opened them to see everything was black, white, or gray.

She could see those colors. They weren't as blurry, and her extremely far-sighted eyes were able to make out a palace of sorts in the distance.

The young woman, for she was not a child, pointed to it, and Aizen nodded.

"Welcome to Las Noches."

The colors blurred again, and they were standing near the front entrance. The dozens of steps it took to get inside were taken up by Aizen's voice.

"Here you will address me as Lord Aizen, as I am your superior. You will be placed under the care of an Arrancar, or more precisely, one of my Espada." She nodded, trying to keep up. "I haven't decided exactly who just yet. I've been a bit busy as of late."

Encontra's mind was overwhelmed by the sudden knowledge. She had learned of the outside world, of Hollows and the Soul Society, and their respective traits, but this man didn't specify which side he was on. Things are always easier to see in black and white, yet this… Aizen seemed to be shrouded in gray.

She couldn't seem to match his pace as they started going up a large flight of stairs, and ended up trailing behind several feet.

He stopped near a door and removed his haori and glasses, dropping them in a corner. She almost ran into him as he opened the door, "I plan on getting new doors soon. These are very old-fashioned." He had an oddly monotonous voice, that shouldn't have matched the words he used so well.

Then she was in a massive room. Encontra never knew a room could be that big, but the ceiling seemed to take up the sky, and even the floor was far below her. She was on a shelf, well, sort of. There wasn't another word for it. A throne of sorts sat near the center edge.

_Maybe this Aizen really is important._

Aizen took her hand (_Like a gentleman_) and led her forward. He stood next to the throne looking out at the forms on the ground below. They looked up immediately as he began speaking.

"My Espada, I would like to welcome the newest asset to our cause." She stepped forward, eyes trying to take in everything. "This is Encontra. She is a very important person, and I expect that you will all respect her to an extent. She is not any higher ranked than an Espada, but is in a different class."

A voice from below spoke up. "She isn't an Arrancar." She made a point to remember the oddly sadistic sound it had, though she couldn't place where it came from.

"You are correct, Nnoitora. That doesn't mean she isn't useful."

Encontra began to feel a bit like an object, and wondered what would happen next. She looked at each form scattered on the ground, bright colors dotted each person. One had pink hair, another yellow; one had dark skin, and another bright blue hair. She couldn't help but stare at one of them, who she now identified as Nnoitora, with his strange spoon-like outfit.

Aizen continued, "She will be placed into the care of an Espada. She requires, ah, _special_" Encontra decided she didn't really like Aizen, "attention. Not because of intellect, but for a different reason."

Another voice, this time from the pink-haired one, "My Lord, _I_ have plenty of time to myself in between experiments. I can also study her well enough to know exactly what to do."

"Szayelaporro," She decided she didn't like him either. "She isn't an experiment. This special attention, which I may have phrased incorrectly, is for a different reason. She has extremely bad eyesight, and is mute."

"…_you will have us…"_

An odd wave of sorts passed through the small group below, as if they were each registering what their leader had said. A few muttered words and a couple of strange looks were directed at her.

"What was that, Barragan?" Aizen said, and one of the larger forms responded.

"I don't understand why you would bring in a crippled child." An older voice, threaded with experience sounded in the room. Encontra decided she didn't like him, either.

"…_we will defend you."_

Aizen smiled slightly, but Encontra only heard it in his voice. "She isn't as impaired as you seem to believe. I have plans for her, and they will be disclosed in time."

She was suddenly worried. They had plans for her, so she wouldn't die yet, but she had no idea why they would need her. She considered escaping, but where would she go? The palace was the only thing other than whiteness that she had seen on the run there.

She wasn't aware that Aizen had allowed this on purpose, so that she wouldn't try to escape. He had many plans like this.

The point is, Encontra had nowhere to go. She would have to risk staying with Aizen, rather than leaving and… She had no idea what would happen.

"So, Encontra, you will be staying with Tia Harribel and her three Fraccion, her subordinates, for protection and company. I will most likely have to move you later, but for now you will remain with them." She heard Aizen address her, and a dark-skinned woman appeared next to him.

"Come with me." Her voice was fairly deep, but it wasn't at all threatening. She placed a covered hand on the smaller girl's shoulder, and, after a series of twisting paths, she started to hear voices. They were yelling but she couldn't tell how far…

They were there. The voices stopped as soon as Harribel opened the door. Inside were three more women in white. They looked first at Harribel, and then their eyes focused on her.

_Great, more people…_

"What happened at that meeting?" The blue-haired one said.

The tall one with skin like Harribel leaned down to inspect the new visitor, "Master, who is this?"

A third lady, and it was at this point that Encontra identified them at what must be Fraccion, looked at her thoughtfully, but didn't speak.

Harribel responded, "This is Encontra. She is under our protection for the moment, and will be staying with you three. She is not to be harmed in any way." It was the most Encontra had heard the Espada speak, and she rather liked her voice. "Also, she is mute and cannot see well, you will have to help her get settled."

The other three nodded in understanding, not pressing for more information.

The one with blue hair spoke up first, "I'm Apacci, this is Sung-Sun," She gestured to the quiet one, "and this is-"

"I can introduce myself!" The dark one burst out, "I'm Mila Rose."

Encontra, still confused with all the new people and, well, the fact that she was just ripped from her home, self-consciously played with some of her khaki-blonde hair and looked at the floor. She noticed that the color seemed out of place with everyone else's looks.

Mila Rose smiled slightly at the smaller girl, "Look at that hair, it's all stringy! Come here…" She pulled Encontra forward and took a few bunches of hair in her hands, "Maybe it would do better in a braid."

"Mila Rose, you're probably scaring her!" She heard Apacci say.

She wasn't scared as much as overwhelmed. She ended up being tossed between the two women for a couple of minutes as they talked/argued about their new roommate.

"Look at her; she's like a scrawny little doll!" That came from Apacci.

"Now you've insulted the poor thing. Oh, but look at those clothes! Master Harribel, does she have anymore?" Her oversized sweatpants and t-shirt probably did look odd by now…

Then she ended up grabbed by Sung-Sun, who pulled her away from the two rivals. "Come on, I'll show you where everything is." She said, leading the girl away. Encontra looked back hesitantly, but the two were still fighting over something.

Harribel said something as she left the room, "Someone will be sent with fresh clothes for you."

The room was very large, and each woman had plenty of space. "We'll clear some space and have some cushions brought in. Everything's mostly white here, as per Lord Aizen's preference." She could see differences in the clusters of furniture, which were separated by wall-like structures. Then they came to another door, "This is the bathroom. There are two showers inside, and I am going to assume you will want to use them." Encontra nodded.

"Sung-Sun, here are some clothes!" Mila Rose tossed a bundle of fabric over, and the quiet Fraccion caught them easily. "The messenger said to let them know how she wanted it altered later."

"Alright, now I recommend getting cleaned up and dressed. We will get started on your furniture." She handed the girl the clothes, and pushed her into the bathroom to change.


	2. Tiempo con Hermanos y Hermanas

Time passed. Encontra stayed with Harribel and her Fraccion, accompanying them to eat and on occasion to train. She learned about where they were, what they were, but did not hear all of Aizen's plans. In reality, she knew very little of what was going on, and lacked the desire to find out.

You see, for the first time people were speaking to her often. She had three people acting as sisters, and one who, every time she spoke, was worth listening to. She learned the rankings of the Espada, and who would consider themselves above her. It was strange that, while Nnoitora, Zommari, and Barragan spoke to her as though they were ranked above her, others wouldn't bother to acknowledge if she had a rank at all. She was simply there to them.

She learned her way around Los Noches, or at least part of it, in relation to her current home. She didn't stray far, and had much of the area mapped out in her mind. She had Apacci, Mila Rose, or Sung-Sun with her most of the time, and didn't worry about getting lost.

They had altered her uniform many times, sometimes to her own desires and other changes were made according to her current roommates. She now wore a loose-fitting long-sleeved shirt and pants, and fingerless black gloves. The clothes hid her boney, scrawny body and were very comfortable.

Encontra, for the first time, was content.

"Encontra, Aizen has requested your attendance at a meeting with the Espada." Mila Rose informed her.

She nodded, looking up from her snack, an apple. She's never attended a meeting before, and only knew the Espada from when she was with Harribel and they stopped to talk or if they happened to eat dinner at the same time.

Mila Rose started to say something else, but sighed instead and left the room. She turned back once, "The meeting's in an hour. Someone will arrive to escort you before then."

And then Encontra was alone. She sighed and took another bite, deciding not to think about it.

Life was good, but now she could feel the changes coming. She never did like change.

Her escort was a young, blonde Arrancar with a mask over one eye. She didn't introduce herself, and simply said she was there to bring Encontra to the meeting. The Fraccion were out, and she assumed Harribel had already left. She considered the fact that the Espada may not know she was coming, since it was a trivial matter anyway.

They were in a room with a long table set for eleven. Encontra was lead to a chair in the far corner, near the large doors. She was told not to draw attention to herself, though she wasn't sure how she could, and to simply listen to the gathering.

A small group of people filed in, and she recognized each Espada. They talked over trivial matters, such as a fight between a few lower level Arrancar and that there was a possible Vasto Lorde sighted nearby.

Then, after they had each sat down, Aizen addressed them.

"I would like to inform you that I will be leaving Las Noches temporarily." The Espada shifted uncomfortably in their seats. "I have several matters that I would like to handle personally. Gin and Tousen are on their own missions at the moment, so until they return, Starrk will act as leader here."

At this, Barragan started to speak, but apparently thought better of it and remained silent.

Nnoitora, on the other hand, had something to say as well and was willing to voice it. "What exactly are these matters?"

Aizen wasn't fazed, "Las Noches isn't truly complete. There are some defenses that must be reinforced as soon as possible, and I must go to the Soul Society to get some of the materials I need." It wasn't a good answer, but it satisfied his subordinates.

This time it was Zommari who spoke up, "Why can't you send someone else to gather these items?"

"I must see to it myself. I can't risk the Soul Reapers discovering my plan too early. Also, I know that I cannot be caught." The meaning was lost to Encontra, but the Espada knew of his zanpakuto's abilities. He continued, "I suspect that my scout should be returning before the day is out. I had him go to the human world and see how easy it would be to reach the Soul Society from there." Some of the less intelligent Arrancar at the table took a moment to realize his plan. He was going through the human world so as to not attract attention to Hueco Mundo. It seemed like a roundabout way to do things to Encontra, but she was the least able to question it and no one else seemed willing.

"Now then, are there any more questions?" He asked. Silence followed, so he continued, "Then you are dismissed. That includes you, Encontra."

_That's me, isn't it? _She was startled by being addressed so suddenly, but still nodded and started to follow the Arrancar out. _Don't think about how any of them could step on you._

It was then that she noticed a very strange noise that seemed very close by. It reminded her of a bubbling fish tank her mother had set in the house for a short time. She glanced around, trying to find the source that definitely seemed to be moving. Finally she deduced its location to be near the 9th Espada, whose name escaped her. Actually, it seemed to _come from_ the tall Arrancar. She watched him out of the corner of her eye.

And ran right into Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez. The blue-haired Espada turned quickly, but recognized who she was before he could knock her aside.

"Watch it." He muttered, turning around again. The other Espada didn't spare the two a glance.

_I would have apologized, thank you._

Encontra looked back once before leaving the room, but couldn't see the smirk on Aizen's face.

Sure enough, the scout returned an hour or so after they had been dismissed. Aizen left soon after, with a few final orders after hearing the reports.

Encontra was to be moved. Her new room was placed near Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, and she was allowed more freedom than before. She didn't have constant protection, instead relying on the fact that two fairly strong Espada resided nearby. Somehow Aizen knew she rarely traveled very far from her room.

This room was fairly small, as the still-scrawny Encontra didn't need much space. There was a bed pushed into one corner, as well as a bathroom joining the room. A couch was set up against one wall.

It was relaxing on this couch that Encontra met her new neighbors.

They didn't bother to knock, simply walked in. She snapped up when she heard the door open. In walked three Arrancar, one she recognized as Shawlong Kufang.

"So this is the girl Grimmjow told us about." Shawlong said, walking around to stand in front of her.

"She _is_ pretty small. I thought he was exaggerating." The tall, muscular one added.

Encontra shrank back defensively. _They're supposed to protect me. I'm sure they mean no harm…_ Of course, that thought didn't entirely help matters.

"Worries a lot, too." The small, blonde one spoke this time.

Shawlong leaned down to look her in the eye, despite her defensive stature, "There's nothing to fear from us. We are under orders not to harm you." When she still refused to meet his gaze, "Relax, we only wanted to come say hello and introduce ourselves, considering we'll be seeing you more now that you live so close."

This calmed her down a bit, and she situated herself a little more comfortably. _When you put it that way…_

The big one started speaking, "I'm Edorad Leones. This is Di Roy Rinker." He gestured to the remaining one.

Shawlong didn't seem to remember her, and introduced himself as well. "We are Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez's Fraccion." He stepped back, "If you still have any doubts, here's a gesture of good faith."

Edorad went out into the hallway and returned with a tray of food. "We thought that, since we'd meant to stop by anyway, we'd bring you your lunch."

Encontra smiled, finally more comfortable with the move, and reached for the food.

They weren't anything like Harribel and her Fraccion, but they weren't bad.

_Not bad at all._


	3. La Pantera Habla

Encontra had to learn her away around that area of the palace. She immediately memorized where to go for food, and which rooms were most likely to have someone fighting inside.

Sometimes, though, things didn't go so well for a crippled girl. She wandered into a hallway that seemed unfamiliar, and wasn't sure how to get back. She paced for a few minutes, trying to find something that she recognized, but was plagued with thoughts of traversing too far and getting, well, more lost.

Then she saw a form she recognized. Barragan, the 2nd Espada, happened to be walking down the hallway that she had gotten lost in. One of his Fraccion, the short one, followed closely behind him.

She looked up, smiling in recognition and glad to see someone she knew. She lifted a hand in greeting.

They walked by her without pausing for a moment. Her hand fell, and she sighed. Maybe they hadn't seen her or something. Their blurred forms turned a corner, and she leaned against the wall.

_Someone_ had to come by eventually. This was the only thought she had as she waited, thoroughly bored, in her spot in the hallway. She leaned her chin on her hand, seriously considering risking ending up in a worse situation than before by trying to find her way through identical passages.

Sure enough someone did come through. Encontra didn't notice at first, lost in her daydreams, but she looked up to find the Sexta Espada standing above her.

"There you are." He held out a hand, which she gratefully took. "Good thing you aren't hard to find. What were you doing out here anyway."

She looked away, a bit embarrassed to be stuck admitting she was lost. If she could speak, she could at least make up a good excuse.

"Got lost, did you? Eh, whatever, I guess I'm stuck taking you back." He said, pulling her down the hall. "I was looking for you; looks like Aizen has some new orders or something like that. I didn't think I'd have to track you down." He didn't look at her when he spoke.

She matched his pace, and he released her hand.

"I'm your new guardian. My Fraccion and I were the only ones willing and able to keep an eye on you. Well, my Fraccion were willing, I was able. I guess Szayelaporro was ready to watch you too, but I guess Aizen didn't want his new asset cut into little pieces." He looked down at her for a moment.

Encontra tried to look grateful, but wasn't sure if there was a look for that.

"Yeah, well anyway the pink freak is going to move your room between mine and my Fraccion's, and there's going to be a connection of some sort so we can reach you easily. Says he'll get it done tomorrow if you don't mind staying somewhere else for an hour or so."

She thought about staying out longer, since an hour didn't seem like enough time to move a room. Also, how does one move an entire room in the first place? Of course, unable to ask any questions, she just nodded.

"Also, it's being done because of some new developments in the living world. Some scouts have been looking around, and once things there clear up it'll be time to get started. I guess I could've just told you to be careful."

She didn't know exactly what Grimmjow was talking about, but nodded again anyway.

He stopped suddenly, "Here you go."

She turned and saw the door to her room. She frowned for a moment, trying to think of a way to thank the blue-haired Espada. Finally she just settled on smiling and patting his elbow lightly.

He looked very…bored, but responded with a "Your welcome." Before turning and leaving.

It seemed change was happening more than she would've liked.

She walked in to see a bunch of Arrancar measuring her room and setting up equipment of some sort.

Yes, much more than she would've liked.

Szayelaporro had her room moved, every piece of furniture exactly as she remembered, except they had brought in a coffee table. The pink-haired Espada had said that it added something to the room. Encontra ran into it several times before getting used to it being there.

Grimmjow's Fraccion seemed nice enough, treating her with a polite respect that she returned. Occasionally she would return to her room to find her next meal set on the coffee table, and took it as, in the simplest way, another gesture of good faith.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, barely looked at her twice. He had been confined to his room longer than normal as protection duty, and saw it all as a waste. She saw him regularly, and ignored the treatment, brushing it off as though it were nothing.

It wasn't until later that she learned exactly what he thought of her.

Aizen had called for her and Di Roy was escorting her to him. He left her by the door, and the young woman opened it herself to walk in. This door was smaller, as it led to a smaller room; almost definitely made for smaller meetings and discussions.

Grimmjow was inside already. Encontra stepped back, but didn't let the door close. Her finely tuned ears could make out the conversation easily, though she really didn't mean to eavesdrop. Of course, this would be more believable had she been trying not to listen.

The Espada in question, however, didn't even know she was there.

"I just don't get it!"

"Grimmjow, I've told you already that I have important plans for her." Aizen's tone never had to match Grimmjow's.

"Yeah, but she can't even take care of herself! We're stuck following her around half the time so she doesn't get lost!" It became hauntingly clear who they were talking about.

The former Captain smiled, "She is more of an asset than you know."

"She's a cripple! We can't even ask her what her powers are, let alone how we could use them!"

Aizen had a response before Grimmjow had completely finished, "The only thing that matters is that _I_ know her abilities."

The Espada sighed, calming down slightly, "I guess you won't be telling me what these abilities are, huh?"

Aizen's smile didn't falter, "Correct."

"And you probably still expect me to babysit the cripple."

"It's hardly babysitting. Physically she isn't much younger than you." He seemed to really want to piss someone off today. Maybe that was his entertainment: watching his Arrancar get frustrated and go kill something.

"Physically she's…" He stopped himself, correcting his last statement a bit. "The girl's a lot weaker than anyone else here."

"Precisely, so someone strong has to protect her."

Grimmjow stopped suddenly, and, sighing one more time, accepted defeat. "I'll keep an eye on her, but you can't make me like it."

"Good. You are dismissed."

He stalked out of the room like a frustrated cat, or, at least, he matched one's gait.

He probably meant to give the only person standing outside a mean look, but stopped when he noticed who it was. His eyes widened for a moment, but the lack of expression on her face took away any noticeable guilt. The Espada looked away, walking down the hall with a slightly different set to his shoulders.

It must be mentioned that Encontra walked into that room just as insulted as Grimmjow had been walking into it earlier.

"Encontra, it's nice to see you." Aizen addressed her, and she nodded slightly in response. He was sitting in a throne-like chair, though this time it was on the ground.

She shifted uncomfortably, suddenly wanting the comfort of her couch.

"This will only take a moment." _How could he possibly know?_ "You have been here for a while now, and I had a feeling you don't actually know why you're here."

Considering no one had bothered to tell her, that was a pretty good guess.

"I don't plan on telling you yet, but I thought you might want to know that I plan to soon."

She was only half listening, trying not to think about Grimmjow.

"There are certain items required to utilize your full potential, and I am in the process of retrieving them now."

_I'm sure he didn't mean it… Oh yes, new items, wonderful._

"Please understand that once I have these in my possession, your role here will become much more noticeable."

_Maybe then he'll…Wait a second, I don't care._ She really was more interested at this news, but her mind was preoccupied.

"Now then, you are dismissed." He said, waving his hand slightly to indicate the door.

Encontra left, her mind finally letting her rant about what she had heard, at least to herself.

_If he's so upset about watching me, then I guess I'll show a little respect and see if that makes a difference._

Part of her really hoped to see her dinner waiting on the table.


	4. Un País Nuevo y Cerca

I apologize for the delay!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

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Harribel turned around at the sound of her name. She was just on her way back from sparring with Apacci, who was getting much better at defense.

"What is it, Grimmjow?" She asked. She had never particularly cared for the Sexta, but he wasn't as bad as some of the others.

He didn't meet her eyes, but continued. "It's about the girl."

"You mean Encontra? You know she isn't that much younger than you."

"I know that! I mean, never mind. It's just, I haven't been seeing her around as much. I used to see her every day, but know I don't know where she is half the time."

Harribel's eyes narrowed, "Isn't that part of your job?"

"That's not the point. She sees my Fraccion all the time. Well, they see her…" That just made the higher-ranked Espada look more… mad, maybe? "Alright, she's definitely been avoiding me. If she gets hurt, it's my responsibility."

"And what do you want me to do about it?"

"You know her better than I do. Why would she avoid someone who's supposed to protect her?" He asked, finally getting to the point. He had never found out that Encontra had heard anything he'd said to Aizen, as if that weren't obvious enough.

Harribel sighed, and motioned for him to walk with her. "Have you ever at least acted like you don't mind watching her?"

"Uhh…"

"There you go. Watching her was my first order as the Trecera and, as needless as it seemed, I made sure to treat her as though I cared. In the end, I really did care about her." She stopped at the entrance to her room.

"Wait, what made you care about someone so weak?" He asked. Grimmjow was never one to care about that sort of thing, but he didn't want to get punished for messing up the easiest job he'd ever had.

"My Fraccion liked her." She turned around and didn't wait for his response. "Start with an apology."

Well, at the very least he knew where to start.

First, he would apologize.

He just didn't know how, and there was no one he could ask.

Soul Reapers have their zanpakuto to act as a conscience, but Arrancar are different. They _are_ their released state, or they were. No spirit residing in their head. Soul Reapers also had someone higher ranked to talk to, or someone lower ranked who wouldn't blab about it to everyone.

Stupid Soul Reapers.

Grimmjow sighed, and walked into Encontra's room.

The aforementioned mute considered ignoring him, or feigning sleep, but instead decided to indulge him for a moment. She sat up on her couch, but didn't give him space to sit down. She gestured to the door, trying to tell him he should have knocked.

"Uhh…"

She waved her hands to say never mind, which he thankfully understood.

"Hey, I just thought I'd… come by and…" He honestly had no idea what he was supposed to say.

Encontra suddenly pitied the Espada, despite herself. He was just so _awkward_ standing up there. She sighed and turned so she wasn't lying down, giving him space to sit. Apparently he didn't get the message, so she patted the cushion next to her.

He sat down next to her, still not meeting her eyes. Seeing as he was being difficult about whatever he'd come in there for, Encontra just looked around, bored. It was hard to instigate a conversation if you couldn't talk. She leaned down over the coffee table to pick at what was left of her lunch, but the green vegetables were cold and unappetizing.

_Maybe if I dumped them on his head…_

"Look," She leaned back again as he started, "I'm sorry."

She gave him a surprised look that he took as a questioning one.

"I guess I haven't been really nice to you." He searched his mind for a compliment, "You're not that bad."

Encontra couldn't hide her satisfied look. _That's right._

"Well…" He stood up to leave, "That's it."

She stood up as well on instinct, walking with him to the door. He turned around once, and she extended a hand. In a truce of sorts, they shook hands, her pale blue eyes meeting his much brighter ones.

She looked at him with a slightly frustrated look on her face. He didn't move, matching her frustration with a confused one. Finally she place one hand on his cheek, the other hesitantly touching the remains of his mask. Her frustrated look faded, but her eyes were blank. Grimmjow froze as her fingers gently felt his features with a feather-light touch, and relaxed as he realized what she was doing.

Encontra wanted to see his face. She'd never seen in detail, but something in her instincts, as if embedded into her genes, told her that things were easier to see for other people. She knew there were distinct lines making up everything, she just had never seen them, nor had the desire to until now.

She brought her hands down, smiling at him in thanks. It hadn't worked, but he deserved her gratitude for letting her try.

The Espada was surprised by her sudden actions, but didn't allow his voice to show it. "You're welcome." was his gruff reply as he continued to the door. "I told the guys to Sonido you around when you need to go somewhere." He said as he left.

She smiled, feeling much better about her new, no not new anymore, current home.

Shawlong arrived that evening to take her to dinner. Apparently she would no longer have any meals brought to her, and instead she would be brought to the meals.

That was how things went. Shawlong was the one to favor the job of her chauffer. Encontra suspected that he had had a sister when he was alive. Although it often seemed like he was just the most tolerant, but one also had to take into account Edorad, who enjoyed tossing the scrawny girl around. Literally.

She saw Grimmjow more often, as he took up a habit of going to his own room through the connection in hers. She took it as a way of him checking in without talking to her, and that was fine with her.

Of course, some people just can't leave things alone.

Grimmjow walked in early one morning and tried to wake her up. For an Espada, he was very incompetent at certain tasks. As evidenced here, when he stood in front of her sleeping form saying "Wake up." In several different pitches and tones of voice. Though futile, it would have been extremely amusing for anyone watching.

Finally something clicked in his mind. He sat down on the edge of her bed and started to shake her shoulder. She stirred, but just turned over.

"Come on…" He muttered, finally just lifting her to a sitting position by the shoulder. Her shoulders slumped, but she blinked a few times and yawned.

Encontra sent a glare his way and turned so she sat cross-legged on the bed next to him. She looked at him again to say "_What is it?_"

"Aizen sent me to tell you there's an important meeting later today. I'm supposed to not let you out of my sight until then." He explained. "So you can go fix… that," He gestured to her messed up hair, which caused the glare to deepen. "And then I'm stuck with you."

_More like _I'm _stuck with_ you. She jumped off the bed and went into the bathroom. She kept her clothes there, considering the residents of Las Noches rarely knocked or waited. It wasn't like she could tell them to wait, either.

Grimmjow waited impatiently for the girl to return. He dismissed her actions from the day before as something casual, a simple decision made from frustration, although he himself wouldn't experience that feeling until several other events would occur.

She emerged in her loose, comfortable clothing, hair smoothed considerably and her pale face looking much more awake.

Grimmjow stood up, "Come on then."

Encontra just looked at him questioningly.

"I have things I need to do, believe it or not, and you aren't supposed to leave my sight." He answered, and at another question he tried, "You can eat breakfast while we walk."

That satisfied the mute well enough, and she followed him out. In any other case, she would have questioned why she was following him instead of him following her, but a break from the routine was welcome.

On the way out they passed D-Roy with what appeared to be his breakfast. Grimmjow, without hesitation, grabbed a bagel and a sausage patty off it, throwing the bagel to his follower and taking a bite out of the sausage.

Encontra smiled, and hurried to keep pace.


	5. Su valor, sin la pantera

I'm not dropping this story! I just stopped reading Bleach, and then high school reared its ugly head… Sorry for those who have this on alert/favorites!

I have a complete outline of this, thankfully finished before my infatuation with Bleach ended, so this story will be completed eventually. It will always have a place in my heart, though! ~

I'm also making a solid attempt to keep Encontra from being a Mary-Sue. I think I'm doing okay, considering the entirely inconsequential part she plays in the canon storyline.

* * *

Grimmjow normally knew where he was going. Even if he wasn't exactly going anywhere, he knew where he was going.

Not now, though.

Normally, he would have gone to train first thing, but he had a half-blind mute girl following him. You can't exactly take someone like that to a fighting arena, can you? The next thing on his list could easily be scouting around the palace and picking off weak Hollows. That wouldn't work either.

So he compromised and went to the training room to fight weak Hollows.

…thus, Encontra was bored.

You see, she had just been dropped off on a rock in a strange looking room that she only knew was a room because Shawlong had explained it to her one day, trying to keep her weak eyes on the Grimmjow's blue and white form.

Eventually she started picking at the rock aforementioned Espada had practically dropped her on. Literally, since he just snatched her up and set her there.

He wouldn't admit it, but it was to keep just out of range of the fight.

But he had almost forgotten about her when a few weak Hollows appeared, and he spent time toying with them. Target practice, he claimed when the Arrancar in charge of the room asked why he needed weaker prey. He had given that answer after breaking the subordinate's wrist for questioning him.

At one point, just when Encontra was considering leaving for a little while for a nap, the incessant fighting came a bit closer.

As in, Grimmjow wasn't paying attention and she was knocked to the ground by Spiritual Pressure.

She shot up after regaining some semblance of… _anything_. The mute had only seen the other Espada briefly, many she simply passed in the halls, but this was fighting.

_This is power…_

Her eyes still wide, she followed the form closely as it returned to the fight at hand. Once her awe faded slightly and she began to see the form as just Grimmjow again, she could feel an odd wetness on her elbow.

She looked back and saw red, and realized she just scraped it on the ground. It only stung to move it, so she searched the room for help without rush. An Arrancar stood a ways away, and she walked over fairly casually to ask for assistance. Ask meaning gesture to wounds and end up bandaging herself if he wasn't blind as well and could at least try to understand what she was saying.

He clutched his hand oddly, and hid it under a long sleeve as she approached. Black hair shrouded his features from even a trained eye, and mask fragments covered the lower half of his face. He looked down at Encontra and seemed to almost shake when she gestured to her slight injury.

"Ah… Y-you need bandages and some… Well, you don't heal like us, do you? Aha…" He stuttered, "I have some right here…" He kept talking while he removed a handful of things from a satchel, "The Espada don't need these much, but they work wonders… You know, for the little things." He finally untangled some of the pieces of cloth and handed them to the half-listening girl, who nodded in thanks.

She turned around and ran right into Grimmjow.

After realizing he hadn't actually been doing what he'd been told, he glanced toward Encontra. And promptly rushed back when he realizing she was definitely not where he left her. Then he noticed exactly where she was, and that that was definitely blood on her sleeve. He felt decidedly odd when he saw that, almost stalking over and… Well, he did end up demanding what had happened.

"What the hell happened here?"

The young Arrancar's eyes widened and he stepped back, "I-I think she fell… I didn't see. I'm sorry…"

Encontra was honestly confused. Grimmjow had pretty much just appeared out of nowhere (though she did recognize the lack of noise that would normally come from fighting), and now his stance was strangely mad for such a small incident.

Deciding not to make a big deal of things, Encontra lightly touched Grimmjow's arm and started walking, effectively dragging him away without drawing too much attention to the fact that _she_ was leading _him._ It was just an old habit she'd picked up.

Of course, this did put off her bandaging the small injury, something Grimmjow took notice of right away.

"Come on, I'll patch you up back at my room." At her questioning look, he continued, "I wanted a break anyway."

She nodded in response, fiddling with the cloth in her hands and pressing a bit of it against her elbow so she didn't leave a trail of blood or get more blood on her clothes.

Grimmjow glanced down at her and decided to make conversation, no matter how one-sided it would be. "After this we should have just enough time to grab some lunch and get to the meeting." he chuckled, "If you're lucky he won't make you drink that damn tea."

Encontra let out a small laugh, silent as always, and almost wanted to tell the Espada about how she had once spilt a pot of tea when she was helping…

_My mother…_

Then they were back in the familiar hall with Grimmjow's room, as well as her own. She knew if she continued down the hall she would reach a kitchen, and past that was the throne room.

Grimmjow lead her inside the room and past a small table and plush chairs in the center, gesturing to a large couch in one corner. In the opposite corner sat a large bed, shaped to take up most of the space, and Encontra immediately took notice of the large windows, just out of her reach, that let light in. Blue sky could be seen just beyond it, which the mute hadn't seen since arriving in Las Noches.

The Espada didn't give her a chance to look out and see what it really was though, immediately tearing part of her sleeve away and wrapping the bandages around it.

Then another question took precedence in her mind, which she tried to convey to the blue-haired man.

_Why?_

He caught her eyes and looked away, but apparently understood at least a little. "I'm supposed to be watching you. I can't take you to Aizen dam—" He stumbled over the right word, pulling away, "…injured."

She nodded, but didn't seem to say anything else.

He tested the bandages, and Encontra suddenly noticed just how close he was. Much too close… But not. It wasn't bad, so could it really be _too_ close?

By the time she'd pondered it at all; he'd helped her up and lead her to the door that connected to her own place. "Go change shirts. It's almost time to go."

Aizen's throne room still baffled Encontra. It was huge, and honestly looked odd. The Espada and a few Fraccion had gathered, speaking in low voices that she could barely discern.

"My dear Espada," Aizen began, calling attention to his seat much higher above them, "I have called this meeting in order to discuss the purpose of our young resident, Encontra."

"Finally." she heard Szayel mutter. She knew it was because of his curiosity rather than disdain that fueled the response.

Suddenly she was standing on the platform. Below, though she couldn't see it, Grimmjow's eyes had widened and he was looking around frantically for some trace of her standing there. When she looked to her left and saw Gin Ichimaru, she almost jumped right off the ledge, but managed to keep most of her emotions hidden.

"Aww, did I scare the little one? No matter. Hold out your hands." he said in his smooth voice.

She did so, and he brought out something and started to press it into her palm.

There was Grimmjow. His face, in such detail… She couldn't have ever imagined seeing like this! She placed the concept in her mind. It was then that she realized she hadn't moved. The vision blocked all other sight, and it was moving as he did, muscles requiring it. It was strange, but seemed entirely natural.

Then it was gone.

She gasped, and her eyes fell back to a confused look. She glanced down, spotting the blue of Grimmjow's hair. She couldn't take her eyes away, now that she knew his face better than her own.

"You see, Encontra, using those crystals, can see whatever she so desires. They were once populous in the Soul Society; created and implemented by Soul Reapers. Most sources have them recorded as Seers. They fell out of favor when Kido could be better utilized for the same purpose. Experimentation and rebellions lead them to be almost extinct."

She took in all the information like it was water and her mouth was as dry as sand. Things still didn't make sense. Things hadn't fallen into place.

"They couldn't protect themselves because of their poor eyesight without the crystals. This one would have died if not for a few Soul Reapers keeping her alive."

"How does this help us?" called a tired voice. Starrk, she guessed offhand.

"That I shall reveal later, when I have the tools to do so. For now all you need to know is that she has a purpose."

Then she was back with Grimmjow, and somehow everything and nothing made sense at the same time.

"You are dismissed."


End file.

Bleach, Romance