the castle of sand and moonlight [Hanako/Magnolia]

”Bah, did you hear her magpie, she thinks you want her to hunt!?” Raijins tenor timbre rumbled in the expanse of Magnolia’s inner world as her golden eyes flickered, studying the tall, brown-haired lass that had followed her from the sekaimon. A faint smile forming on the corners of her lips as she shook her head softly, the tiniest of chuckles escaping past her full lips.

”No, we’re not here to hunt, instead we’re here to remember. “ Magnolia said softly as she strode forth towards the hulking, empty palace that lay before them, her geta barely pressing into the sand despite the ill-suitability they had to this sort of environment. A thin veil of sparks flickered every now and again as Magnolia made her way across the sweeping dunes that lay between the two destinations. Each step transporting her several feet, almost like she was skipping upon the air.

There was a quietness that surrounded them, as if there was nothing else in the world but the two of them. With the distant silver moon that hung in the void above, it was not quite homely, but there was a serenity to it. It was like when you found yourself lost in the woods, and there was nothing but the sound of rustling in the tree’s. However there also was a haunting eeriness too, a feeling of absolute desolation that was matched by nothing else in the realms. Where nothing dared to tread, but the infinitely hungry.

”What do see when you look at the magnificence of this structure?” Magnolia’s voice was clear and strong, echoing across the vast emptiness that surrounded them, carried by the wind. There was a kind of untethered emotion about her, as if the worries of the world had simply fallen away. A kind of hushed wistfulness for something that she’d never see again.

” Because what I see is the fruit bore from hesitation. “ Magnolia’s words were laced with amusement as she finally had made it to an opening in the cavernous structure, a wall that had looked to be blown apart, perhaps by a quincies arrow? Crossing that precipice, Magnolia glanced over her shoulder to see if Hanako had managed to keep up. This was only the first destination they had to reach after all.

”It’s alarming really, how mighty things so quickly fade and degrade to mere memories. “ Magnolia finally spoke again as they made it through the castle proper to a large flickering room of light. The giant dome above was covered in the artificial sun of las noches. The only thing marring it’s skyline being the giant gaping hole in the center, where hueco-mundo’s starry sky filtered in from above. She’d stop now, turning around to face hanako before she bent over slowly, scooping up a pile of sand with her left hand, only to let it sift through her fingers. While her golden eyes watched the granules as they slipped away she asked the question that would broach upon the true reason for them coming here. The thing she wished hanako to see most.

”Tell me, If one day the soul society became like this, how would you feel?” Magnolia asked, the mirth and bemusement gone. Her golden eyes shifting from the sand to rest upon Hanako’s face, as she awaited the womans answer.


.

Yes, remember. There was something here to remember. Hanako felt it like the remainders of a dream, slipping away once one wakes and lurking just outside one’s grasp. It was an uncomfortable, disquieting feeling, like someone or something watching. It made the hairs on the back of Hanako’s neck stand.

Hanako’s thoughts were somewhat disturbed by Magnolia’s speed with which she proceeded towards Las Noches. She moved ahead several feet with each step, so even in a moderate walking pace she covered a lot of ground very quickly. At first Hanako tried to use several small flash steps, to keep up. It worked well, for a short time. Up to this point Hanako had only used single steps in a battle to maneuver around a limited area, but never many consecutive ones to actually cover larger distances. Exhaustion came quickly and there was no other choice left than to fall into a light jog. Even so Hanako had to use a small amount of energy on her feet to keep from sinking in. A part of her wondered what was beneath the sand and what would happen if she sunk into it.

When they finally reached the castle, Hanako breathed hard. She could feel the training before and walking over sand was always way more strenuous than it looked like, every child knew that. And yet this was not the only reason. It was this place, everything about it, the atmosphere itself. It felt as if there wasn’t enough oxygen for her to survive, although her lungs seemed to get along just fine.

“This structure…”

Hanako didn’t have to think long about what she thought about the infamous Las Noches.

“When I look at it I see a statement, a monument to ego and pride. You can’t miss this place, not even from far away. I doubt it’s size really serves any purpose beyond that.”

She lightly placed a hand on the edges of the opening. From what she had seen there was probably enough room for all of the Shinigami that resided in the Seireitei to live. And yet it seemed deserted. There was no one here. No one had fixed the hole in the wall and no guards prevented them from entering.

When they came to the large dome that was a desert like the outside, but with colors and light, she more than ever believed that las Noches served no practical purpose. It was something different about it.
The eerie feeling Hanako has had since they entered Hueco Mundo was even stronger here. As if the something that caused it was more concentrated in here than on the outside. That the space looked more like her home than the home of all Hollows made it even more unsettling. She followed the flowing sand with her eyes and her voice was thoughtful when she answered again.

“How old is this place?” she asked. There was a faint memory of large distances in time, but Hanako couldn’t remember it any better than she could grasp what made her so uneasy. At least with this history she knew where she could read it up once she was back home.

“I know that it was taught in the academy, but I can’t remember the details. It is strange that it is deserted. In here...outside...we haven’t met anyone. I can’t imagine that no one wants to claim this.”

She made a vague gesture at the sand and the sky. While she looked up she noticed the hole. There had been a big battle here. She could vaguely remember the involvement of some humans and a traitor from the Gotei and something of a Hollow army. But now she was fairly certain that it happened centuries ago.

“What do you mean...like this?” Hanako asked and somehow the question made a shiver run down her spine.
“Do you mean nothing more than a monument? Deserted, damaged and half forgotten?”

She imagined that in some centuries the Seireitei was a desert like this. All Shinigami either had left or died and turned to dust long ago. And then also two wanderers would come along, a sensei and a pupil, the latter trying to remember something from a history lesson, but unable to, because at the time it seemed to ancient, to unimportant.

“It would make me very sad.” she simply said and Magnolia would probably be able to tell that she meant it. Soul Society was her home. And in a way, Soul Society was her purpose.

Hanako looked at her feet and the sand. Following a sudden impulse she stooped down and touched the sand with her left hand. Seeing her hand there, outstretched, as if she wanted to hold her body up, some vague memories flashed through her mind. Memories of pain and fear, despair and terror. With a start Hanako straightened up again and her gasp could be clearly heard. With an almost hounded expression on her face she looked around her but after only a few moments she realised that there were still only Magnolia and her. Like images from a nightmare the splinters of memories began to fade. But unlike a dream there was no relief upon waking...because Hanako hadn’t been asleep.