“I so envied the weak. The weak can always find others to be around. I want to be weak. And if that’s impossible, I at least want to find companions who are as strong as I.” — Coyote Starrk.

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After he finished off the two Adjuchas, he continued on forward to find who or what they were looking for but so far he had found nothing notable, other than the never ending sea of sand.

Almost an hour gone and he was going to write it off when he felt something.

A wave of potent Reiatsu that slowly became thicker the more he moved forward.

‘Quite a strong presence. The mythical Vasto Lorde Hollow perhaps? If it is, be quick to consider your retreat Itachi.’ Amaterasu suddenly spoke up as Itachi kept walking forward and trying to figure out the source.

“I am aware, Amaterasu.”

His expression was hard as he unsheathed both blades and held them tight as he drew nearer to the source. His mind was painting up different scenarios like what exactly would his chances be if this was a Vasto Lorde. He hadn’t met one before but given that they were the highest recorded evolution of Hollows, it should be okay to assume that they were on par with the Captains at the very least.

‘There—’

His eyes spun into the Sharingan and he was ready to confront whatever Hollow was behind this spiritual pressure but his steps halted and his mind jerked back and forth as he finally arrived before the Hollow. It was—

“A child.” Itachi stated, still mounting his guard as he carefully scanned the surroundings for anything else. Just because it took on the appearance of a child didn’t mean he’d relax his wariness.

While Itachi was having a mental dialogue with himself, the Hollow – a green haired girl child, wrapped in rags, one that looked fully human if you excluded the two-horned bone helmet on her head that also covered one of her eyes with also one of its horn broken – stared at him in equal or an even greater amount of shock.

“Who ar—”

“STARRK!” She shouted in desperation and disbelief while staring transfixed at Itachi.

Itachi’s head whipped around in surprise as he was sure he didn’t pick anyone else’s Reiatsu.

To Itachi’s shock, a man’s upper body came out of the sand as if he had been sleeping and the sand had covered him.

‘Their Reiatsu… it’s the same.’ Maybe that was how the man escaped his eyes but still, how could two people have the same Reiatsu, or at least one so compatible with the other that they seem to meld into each other?

“Lilynette, can you… stop… shout..ing….” The man, Starkk, grumbled in annoyance at his little companion but trailed off when he saw an unfamiliar third party standing in front of Lilynette with swords… drawn.

—!!

The eyes that were now staring down at Itachi were no longer lazy sleepy eyes but instead calm and curious blue eyes. Not hostility in them, Itachi noted.

While keeping a schooled expression on his face, Itachi’s mind was thrown in for a loop as he stared at the man that was now standing between him and the girl.

Of everything he expected Hollows as strong as both of them to say, Starrk’s first word left him more confused than anything else.

“H-how?” The man was looking at him with eyes that looked genuinely curious.

“H-how are you not dead?” Starrk asked again.

Itachi had no idea what was happening, especially with the reaction of these two Hollows, so he decided to exchange words to see where this was going, but he still held his blades in his hands.

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“Dead? Why should I be dead?” Itachi asked. It was clear that both parties were confused and were having trouble understanding what the other was talking about. Not to mention that they were Shinigami and Hollow. Under normal circumstances, they should have been trying to kill each other from the get-go.

Itachi took a step back, eying Starrk as he did so, but he saw no tell on Starrk’s face that he wanted to attack him. Instead what he saw was something akin to hurt and dashed hope when he stepped back.

‘Is it because of their Reiatsu? That should be it. Normal Shinigami would be dead if they were exposed to the brunt of that Reiatsu.’

“It’s alright. Talking to someone after a few centuries is a nice start. Best you leave while you still can.” Starrk’s expression was forlorn as he stepped back from Itachi.

“Starrk ….” Lilynette tugged on cloth wrapped around her companion’s body with a quivering voice.

Starrk gave her a wry smile and shook his head before reaching down and started patting her Hollow mask.

Seeing the both of them peacefully retreating, Itachi silo contemplated what action to take towards the two of them. They were the first Hollows he had seen that almost completely resembled humans, and also weren’t hostile at first sight.

‘What do you think, Tsukuyomi?’

‘The same thing you’re thinking, I reckon. The world is not black and white. There are always exceptions.’ The soft-spoken spirit said to which Itachi nodded.

‘Besides, you came here to observe Hollow behavior in their home world, didn’t you? If so, then observe.’

Itachi agreed wholeheartedly with Tsukuyomi’s words so his path was already decided.

“Your Reiatsu, it’s great, but it’s not at the point where it can kill me just from exposure to it.”

Starrk and Lilynette turned around to stare at him in shock as they instantly felt it when Itachi released the hold on his Reiatsu. The threatening oppression of his Reiatsu washed over the both of them and somehow that rekindled their hope.

“You are—”

“Shinigami.” Itachi interjected succinctly. “But you two, despite being Hollows, you’re different from other Hollows I’ve met. It’s… a bit off-putting.”

“My name is Starrk , and this is Lilynette.” Starkk introduced himself and his companion.

Itachi wondered if it’d be wise to give out his name so easily. Normally it would be a bad idea, but this time Itachi figured he’d just go ahead with it rather than thinking too much on it.

“Itachi.” He said.

With a basic truth established between them, it felt as if they were now finally on the same page where one could talk and the other would understand.

“Is it just you both?” He asked and they both nodded.

“It’s always been Lily and Starrk since we could remember. Everyone else was weak and died because they stayed too close to us.”

And for the first time since he became a soul, Itachi finally found an answer to a question he’d asked himself since the very first time he confronted a Hollow.

Yes. Hollows could feel positive emotions too.

The situation was weird enough as it was, and instead of Itachi going back and continuing his mission, he decided to pass some time in the company of these two weird Hollows.

“Do you mind if I sit with you for the time being?”

Starrk frowned.

“It’s alright. Your Reiatsu won’t kill me. That much I can guarantee you.” Itachi said with understanding eyes, seeing through Starkk’s worries.

The three of them sat on the sand, watching the empty night sky of Hueco Mundo.

“Being strong is a curse. It separates you from everyone else, leaving you to travel this dark dreary world on your own.” Starrk muttered despondently.

“I… know.” Itachi replied. To him, being stronger made one duty-bound to bear an equal ratio of responsibilities. It was as essential as it was compulsory.

Lilynette turned to look at Itachi who sat a short distance from Starrk and couldn’t help but be curious.

“You’re a Shinigami, right? Aren’t you supposed to kill Hollows like us? You wanted to kill me when you met me, what’s changed?”

Instead of baring hostility at Itachi for the reminder, Starrk looked at Itachi with curiosity, clearly wanting to hear the answer as much as Lilynette does.

Itachi looked to the two Hollows that bore some similarities as well as the complete opposites of Kenpachi and Yachiru and wondered half idly when such extremes on both sides would stop.

‘Probably never.’ He thought.

“Because up until now, none of your Reiatsu has flared up in hostility towards me. I am not a blind sword to not know the difference between a neutral and an enemy.” Said one of the said extremes. “Granted, the both of you are the first Hollows that I’ve seen that aren’t looking to feed on the next helpless soul.”

Starrk and Lilynette snorted, the former scowling as he spoke, “What use is it for us to grow even stronger? We have no such wish.”

Itachi didn’t say anything to that, the objective of his reconnaissance mission flaring as he made note of everything the both of them said.

‘No hunger for strength and individuality? Is it because he’s a Vasto Lorde? If so, does that mean that the stronger their strength and evolution is, they become more human?’

This was proving to be a highly educative mission in a way that he never expected. These two Hollows – Starrk and Lilynette – were so fascinating and it made him wonder how other Vasto Lorde were.

He also noticed that their hole was smaller, but what exactly did that mean?

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