Chapter 207 - 12

The Oasis

Mila Rose screamed as she swung her sword down, only for it to be blocked by Diamondhead's arm. However, Sung-Sun took advantage of the distraction to strike the crystalline hero in the leg. It didn't hurt him but she had put enough force into her blow to knock his leg out from under him, causing him to lurch forward. Apacci took advantage of his state to launch a Bala at him. But Diamondhead had managed to see her charging her attack and quickly created a wall of crystal out of the ground to block it. Apacci unleashed a fury of Bala upon the wall and Diamondhead quickly touched the dial on his chest and transformed into Armodrillo, diving into the ground.

"He's gone underground!" Mila Rose told the others. All three quickly leaped into the air and hovered over the sand.

"Smoke him out!" Apacci yelled to her teammates as energy started gathering around her horn. The other two nodded and began charging their own Cero as well. The desert area lit up in a blend of pink, orange, and red, creating a decent crater in the ground. But there was no sign of their opponent.

Suddenly a giant vine shot out of the ground and swung at the three. The trio dodged and began relentlessly hacking at the growth, cutting it in two. However, two more vines emerged and reached for them as well. As the girls focused on the vines; Swampfire rose out of the ground. Fireballs formed in his hands and he began throwing them. He made sure not to actually hit the girls, however, merely seeking to put them on the defensive. The girls grimaced and backpedaled.

"Split up!" Sung-Sun said.

"Right!" Mila Rose and Apacci said together and all three girls split off in different directions.

"Divide and conquer?" Swampfire grinned. "No problem." He tapped the Ultimatrix dial and transformed into Echo Echo. "I can. Do you. One better." He split into nine copies of himself, three for each of his opponents. The three trios of Echo Echoes raised their heads and screamed ultrasonic waves at their opponents, who were moving faster to dodge the dangerous attacks. Apacci flung her chakrams at her Echo Echoes but one fired a sonic attack that knocked her weapons out of the air. Grumbling, Apacci began charging her horn and fired a Cero. Seeing it build up, the three Echo Echoes stood back to back and created a dome of sound around them; just in time as the Cero struck the dome. Apacci grit her teeth as the dome managed to hold.

Mila Rose and Sung-Sun were faring better but only just. They knew by now that the best tactic was preventing Echo Echo from opening his mouth, so they decided to put him on the defensive. Unfortunately the little guy and his clones were too tricky for their tastes. If they didn't want to get overwhelmed, they had to take Ben down now or at least make him switch aliens again.

Sung-Sun darted her gaze around, trying to find some way to gain an edge. And she had to do it soon; her Echo Echoes were closing in on her. Just as they started preparing themselves for another attack, Sung-Sun finally got an idea. She landed on the sand and struck the ground with enough force to kick up sand all around her. The Echo Echoes hacked and wheezed as the sand had wound up getting in their mouths, leaving them open for Sung-Sun to strike them all.

Mila Rose and Apacci saw what their teammate had done and grinned at such an effective tactic.

"Uh oh," one Echo Echo mumbled when he realized what he and the other copies were in for.

Apacci and Mila Rose blasted the ground, launching sand everywhere, the granules getting in the eyes and mouths of the Echo Echoes before they could do anything, causing them to cry out and cough as they tried to remove the sand. Unfortunately it wasn't fast enough as the girls swooped in and struck their opponents relentlessly. The hero and his copies were sprawled all over the place, groaning in pain. Weakly, they all merged back into one and Echo Echo tapped the Ultimatrix dial again, transforming into a different alien. This one sported a blue and black cloak that was wrapped around its lithe body with bulbous green eyes and a teeth-filled frown that caused it to resemble an eerie wraith.

Apacci groaned in frustration. Just when it looked like they finally had Ben on the ropes, he busted out a new guy. The new alien unfolded its cloak to reveal that it wasn't a cloak at all. It was actually wings and a large antenna, now causing him to resemble a Mothman. Apacci didn't want to give this guy a chance to attack so she scooped up her chakrams and threw them again. The moth alien suddenly became transparent, the chakrams flying through him harmlessly.

Apacci slouched. "Another guy with intangibility?"

"And that's not all," the alien replied with a voice that sounded like a low, cold breeze. He flew straight at Apacci, who struggled to think of how to block something that could become intangible. The moth man flew through her arm and she cried out as the limb became numb instantly. She looked at her arm and her eyes widened when she saw that it was encased in ice.

"I call this one," the alien said quietly. "Big Chill!"

"Clever," Mila Rose muttered dryly. She and Sung-Sun used Sonido to reach Apacci and pull her out of harm's way. Apacci hissed as she tried to free her arm from the ice.

"Stay here, Apacci," Sung-Sun told her firmly before she and Mila Rose took off to resume the fight.

"How are we supposed to beat him now?" Mila Rose grumbled.

"I don't know," Sung-Sun admitted. "At the moment, all we can do is hope for an opening."

Mila Rose narrowed her eyes. "Great." She gripped the hilt of her sword.

Big Chill flew at them and the two made to keep away. Even though they knew it was pointless, they began firing Bala at him. It went just as they expected; the attacks passing through him harmlessly. It was now a game of chase; Big Chill pursuing the two and them trying to maintain their distance. But Big Chill was having none of that as he unleashed an icy vapor from his mouth, striking the girls. Both girls cried out as ice began forming over their bodies. They quickly moved back to the ground, Big Chill following them as he kept his cold breath upon them. Both girls were now trapped up to their necks in blocks of ice.

"Chill for awhile," Big Chill joked before chuckling at his own pun, which only earned him annoyed looks from the trio.

But the girls were far from out as they flared their spiritual pressure, the sheer force shattering their icy prisons. Mila Rose and Apacci lunged to attack Big Chill, who simply went intangible, causing the two to collide with each other.

"Mila Rose!" Apacci barked. "Watch where you're going, you stupid klutz!"

"Me?!" Mila Rose hollered. "You're the one who almost took my eye out with your stupid horn, you bullhead!"

"You're both idiots," Sung-Sun remarked. "Did you forget about his intangibility so soon? I know you two are slow on the uptake but I didn't think you were this bad."

"Do you want to die instead?!" The other two rounded on her.

"Want to call it quits for now?" Big Chill asked, hovering over them and staying intangible so they didn't catch him off guard. The question earned him three pairs of glares, though it gave Big Chill a sense of pride.

"We seem to be at a stalemate," Sung-Sun noted. "We can't hurt you, but your ice won't hold us so easily. And since you have the upper hand, I doubt you'll be changing aliens anytime soon."

"Maaaybe," Big Chill replied and Sung-Sun wondered if he naturally spoke in such a, no pun intended, chilly tone or if he did it on purpose. Either way it personally gave Sung-Sun the creeps. Not that she would ever admit it out loud.

She looked over at her teammates, giving them a hard look. Both girls looked aggravated but, seeing that there was nothing they could do, reluctantly lowered their weapons.

"Alright, fine!" Apacci growled, as if driving the point home.

It might have been her imagination, but Sung-Sun could have sworn that Big Chill's blank face briefly changed into a smug smile, or as close to one as he could, before changing back to normal. Ben was about to speak when Sung-Sun dashed forward, grabbed Ben by the arm and flipped him onto the ground. Ben didn't have time to register what had happened until he saw Sung-Sun's sai pointing right at his face, a smug look on her face now. Ben stared at her for a brief moment and then made a face. "Cheap shot, Sung-Sun."

"Well we never actually said the fight was over," Sung-Sun said airily before holding out a hand to help Ben up. "Implied perhaps, but never actually stated."

Mila Rose grinned and Apacci snickered at their teammate's move. Ben rolled his eyes as he grabbed Sung-Sun's arm, and then proceeded to pull her forward. Sung-Sun was not expecting the move and could only let out a brief cry of shock as she sprawled onto the ground. Now Mila Rose and Apacci were laughing heartily. Sung-Sun picked herself up from the ground, glaring at Ben, who only grinned back.

"Oh man, you should see your face, Sung-Sun!" Apacci said as she clutched her sides.

Mila Rose was leaning against her sword as she laughed. "How does it feel to have the tables turned on you?"

For once, Sung-Sun found herself unable to think of anything snarky to say. Ben picked himself up and held his hand out to Sung-Sun. Sung-Sun turned her attention to him and for a moment, Ben wondered if she was going to get her revenge. When she grabbed his hand though, she did nothing. So Ben helped her to her feet unhindered. But the moment she got to her feet, Sung-Sun leaned forward.

"I will remember this, Ben," Sung-Sun whispered in a low, deceptively friendly tone. "And I will get you back when we spar again." She pulled back, covering her mouth with her sleeve, feeling pleased with herself when Ben just stood there, staring at her. Although their laughter died down, Mila Rose and Apacci were still grinning.

"What's the matter, Sung-Sun?" Apacci said as she clipped her charkrams back onto her wrists. "Sore loser?"

If Sung-Sun had any sort of retort, it was cut off when Harribel, who had been watching the entire fight, approached them.

"You four did well today," she praised before turning her attention to her Fraccion. "You three have improved." She noticed that while pleased with her compliments, they looked rather downcast. "What's wrong?"

"We appreciate you saying that we've improved, Lady Harribel," Apacci said. "But we didn't beat him."

"You've still made progress," Harribel encouraged. "You've displayed great resourcefulness in the heat of battle and forced Ben to select an alien with an unexpected advantage. The fact that he needed to resort to an alien with a power like intangibility proves how much of a threat you are to him." She then turned to Ben. "And you, Ben, have pushed the girls to fight more strategically, using the environment and their opponents' weaknesses to their advantage."

"Don't forget," Lilynette, who had also been watching the battle, finally spoke up. "Ben hasn't used his Ultimate Aliens yet."

"True," Harribel acknowledged. "But the girls have not used their Released States either. And while Ben's Ultimate Aliens have proven more than a match for an Espada, Nnoitra is nothing but a brutal savage who relies on sheer force. Whether or not my Fraccion would win is unknown, but I would like to believe that they would stand a better chance."

Lilynette looked skeptical, Harribel's Fraccion were happy with their leader's praise, and Ben took Harribel's words into consideration. Despite sparring for a few rounds, Harribel had her Fraccion hold off from using their Released States. Ben wondered what kind of special powers they might have.

"Well, since the fight's over," Lilynette spoke up. "What do you guys want to do? Relax in the pool a bit more?"

"Sounds good to me," Ben said, wiping his forehead.

"After a fight like that, I could use some relaxation," Apacci said, rubbing the back of her neck.

Mila Rose stretched her arms from side to side. "I'm surprised at how much I actually enjoy swimming. It's quite a nice pastime."

"You mean it's the only pastime," Lilynette added.

That earned a hearty laugh from four Arrancar and one human. Although she didn't partake, Harribel couldn't help feeling a small smile forming behind her mask. She blinked in surprise by this new development but found it to be a nice feeling.

...

The group went their separate ways to get ready for swimming.

"Hey, Ben," Lilynette said as she and said human made their way to their room.

"What's up, Lilynette?"

"I was thinking. Could we spar some time?"

"Oh?" Ben blinked. "What brought this on?"

"I want to get strong too!" Lilynette exclaimed, stunning Ben by both the volume and conviction in her voice.

"Oh, okay," Ben said, still taken aback by this turn of events. "I don't have a problem with it. Maybe we could even ask Apacci and the others if they want to spar with us too." Lilynette grimaced at this. "What's wrong? Worried they're going to be jerks to you or something?"

"Yeah," Lilynette admitted quietly.

"Don't worry, Lilynette," Ben reassured her. "I doubt they will and even if they do, I'm sure Harribel will get them to back off. And I'll step in if I need to."

Lilynette smiled. "Thanks, Ben."

Ben smiled back. "No problem."

They reached their room and went inside. But the moment they stepped through the door, they froze when they saw that Aizen was inside, engaged in deep conversation with Starrk about something. And from the uncharacteristically serious look on Starrk's face, it had to be something very important. Of course, the two became aware that they were no longer alone. Aizen beamed when he saw who it was.

"Ah, Ben! Just who I was looking for! I'm guessing that you were training with Harribel's Fraccion again?"

"Yeah," Ben said, looking back and forth between Aizen and Starrk, the latter still having a serious and contemplative look on his face. "What's going on?" At first Ben thought that Aizen was going to talk to him about Nnoitra, he was surprised that the Soul Reaper hadn't approached him about it already.

"Well, Ben, Szayel and I are conducting an experiment and I think your help would be vital in making it possible."

Ben tried not to flinch as he thought of the scientist Arrancar and the word experiment in the same sentence. "What is it?"

"Well, Ben," Aizen said amicably. "I think I might know a way to improve the state of Hueco Mundo. But I'll need your aliens to achieve it."

Ben raised a brow at this. "What could they do?"

Aizen chuckled. "Well, Ben, our talk about the state of Hueco Mundo had me realize that perhaps, I have not tried hard enough to truly improve life here. Perhaps I could have found an actual way to keep Hollows from devouring each other. But the desire to fill that emptiness, the desire to eat, will always be there. That's when I decided I could provide them with a substitute."

Ben tilted his head. "Like what?"

"That's where your aliens, come in. Particularly Swampfire. I know he is capable of producing seeds, so I thought that perhaps we can infuse them with spiritual energy, and then you can grow them into fruits. Hollows would be able to feed on these fruits instead of each other. I know we have seeds of our own but I don't want to risk our food supplies."

Ben and Lilynette both stared at Aizen, then at each other as they took this in.

"You really think that could work?" Ben asked, though out of curiosity and not skepticism.

"We would have to test it," Aizen admitted. "Though personally, I am confident this will work."

Ben crossed his arms. He could see the benefits of giving the Hollows something else besides each other to devour, but it couldn't be that simple. "Will they try to fight each other so they can get more food than each other?"

"This is just the first phase," Aizen explained further. "We'll go and see Szayel. I hope you don't mind me taking some initiative before informing you. Once we are certain this will work, we can spread the seeds across Hueco Mundo. With enough time and effort, perhaps we can transform this land into a true paradise."

Lilynette's visible eye widened immensely as she and Ben shared another look.

"Are you up for it, Ben?" Aizen asked.

Ben couldn't deny that Aizen's idea sounded promising. And he thought of Harribel and her girls. If they would make this work, Hollows like them wouldn't be preyed upon anymore.

"Hey, does this mean that Hollows who eat the plants can get stronger?"

"No doubt," Aizen said in a matter-of-fact manner.

A place where one could become stronger without having to sacrifice others? "And if we manage to do this in all of Hueco Mundo, everyone could become strong?"

"If we plan it out carefully," Aizen said, emphasizing the carefully part. "Then there shouldn't be any more weak Hollows."

Lilynette let out a low gasp as she looked over at Starrk again. If everyone was strong, then powerful beings like them wouldn't have to be lonely anymore. She looked over at Ben, who was put off by the pleading look on her face.

"Well," he settled. "Worth a shot."

Aizen smiled. "Excellent. Follow me."

…

Ben, Starrk, and Lilynette were led back outside to the courtyard, though Ben was curious as to why they were there. They walked further away from the spot that Ben and the girls trained at. Ben wasn't sure how long they had walked but he felt that his legs were getting a little sore. That and he hadn't sat down since his last spar. It looked like they were possibly in the middle of Las Noches, give to take a few feet. As Aizen had said, Szayel was already there waiting for them.

"Lord Aizen!" Szayel beamed happily. His smile grew when he saw that Ben was with him. "Ben! I'm so pleased to see you." Then he noticed Starrk and Lilynette, becoming extremely amused by the sight. "Well, well, Starrk. I wasn't expecting you to be interested in this project. The fact that I've managed to interest the Primera Espada is an accomplishment in and of itself!"

"Whatever," Starrk said nonchalantly. Szayel simply chuckled before looking over at Ben. "So, Ben. How much do you know about our plan?"

"I know about the spirit plants," Ben replied.

"Oh, so Lord Aizen didn't fill you in on the details?" Szayel asked. Ben looked over at Aizen.

"I believed that it would be better if we explained it to him once we were here," the Shinigami replied.

"Fair enough, Lord Aizen," Szayel said before addressing Ben again. "If I had considered this beforehand, I would already have set up an area for us to grow these plants but since we've recently created this plan, we'll have to improvise."

"Improvise?" Ben asked.

"Using your aliens," Szayel explained. "We could possibly create our very own oasis right here in Las Noches. Now, you might be wondering why we're growing them inside instead of outside so the Hollows can eat them. Well, for starters, think of this as a test run. Then, if the experiment is a success, we can start spreading them throughout Las Noches. Quite the tall order I'm sure, but we need to guarantee that all the Arrancar can be provided for. After all, we are the ones maintaining a semblance of order within Hueco Mundo. After Las Noches, we can press on. Perhaps the Forest of Menos…"

"Makes sense," Ben said, curious about this Forest of Menos. "So, how do we do this?"

"We have most of the materials right here," Szayel said, sweeping his arms over the area. "We have plenty of soil, our own sun; we just need to make some adjustments."

"What kind of adjustments?" Lilynette asked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"Primarily a source of water for the plants to grow," Szayel said. "Perhaps our very own lake."

"A lake?" Starrk asked, his eyes widening a fraction before looking over at Aizen. "This is alright?"

"The courtyard of Las Noches is wide enough," Aizen said casually.

"Well," Ben said as he activated the Ultimatrix, turning the dial to Armodrillo. "Let's get started."

…

Harribel's Fraccion were all relaxing in the pool while Harribel sat off to the side, looking off in the distance.

"I wonder where Ben and Lilynette are," Apacci said. "They should have been here by now."

"Something must have come up," Mila Rose said casually, swimming through the pool. "Or maybe Lord Aizen needed to see Ben about something."

"What would he need to see Ben about now though?" Sung-Sun wondered.

"Whatever he needs to," Harribel said. "If Lord Aizen does need to see Ben about something, it would obviously be important."

"You're right, Lady Harri…" Apacci started to reply when they heard a rumble in the distance. An all too familiar rumble.

"That sounds like Armodrillo," Mila Rose said as she straightened herself up.

"Is somebody picking another fight with Ben?" Sung-Sun asked with a frown.

Harribel narrowed her eyes and activated her Pesquisa to be sure. "No, it doesn't seem that Ben is fighting anyone. He is with Lord Aizen, along with Starrk, Lilynette, and Szayel."

"So I was right," Mila Rose said. "I wonder what's going on. And why Szayel is there."

"Well, let's go see," Apacci said, already climbing out of the pool.

…

Armodrillo climbed out of the massive pit he had made.

"Excellent work, Ben," Szayel praised happily. "Now we just need you to turn into Water Hazard and fill up the lake."

Lilynette looked inside the pit. "That's a big hole. He might be here awhile."

"Take as long as you need," Szayel said unbothered. "I don't see any reason to rush things."

Armodrillo peered into the pit too. "Maybe Water Hazard isn't the right one for this job. I've got an idea to speed things up."

"Oh?" Szayel asked.

Armodrillo touched the Ultimatrix dial again, transforming into Big Chill. Szayel watched curiously as Big Chill flew into the pit. Once the moth alien landed, he put his hands on the ground. Aizen, Starrk, and Szayel's eyes all widened as ice began forming all around the pit and spreading. Big Chill unfolded his wings as the ice built up around the pit. Once he emerged, the entire hole was completely filled, looking like a makeshift ice rink. Before anyone could comment on it, Big Chill tapped the dial again and transformed into NRG, who put his hands on the ice as his powers activated, while also shooting a beam of heat from the openings in his helmet.

"Well, that's creative," Szayel said as he watched. Aizen nodded approvingly, Starrk just watched, and Lilynette grinned at her friend's cleverness.

In a matter of minutes, the ice was melted and the pit had become a small lake.

"Wonderful!" Szayel said in delight. "Wonderful! Ben, your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me! Now we just need Swampfire to plant his seeds."

"Yeah, about that," NRG said. "I don't know if Swampfire will work. He's got seeds but I've only grown vines with them, not specific stuff like fruits. I think I'll need actual fruit seeds."

"But, if that's the case, why didn't you say anything earlier?" Aizen questioned.

"Because, I've got another plant guy who might get the job done instead," He tapped the dial again and transformed into another plant alien. This one possessed a big blue eye in the middle of his head, a venus flytrap-like structure around said head, and the lower half of his body consisted of tentacle-like vines. Pods of some sort were protruding from his back.

"So what's this guy called?" Lilynette asked.

"This one's called Wildvine," the new alien said as he took some of the pods off of his back. "Maybe these can work?"

Szayel and Aizen both studied the pods carefully. "Not what I was expecting," The Eighth Espada said. "But they're worth a try."

Wildvine nodded as he started planting the pods around the edge of the lake.

"Okay, done," Wildvine said once he was finished. "Now what?"

"Now for these," Szayel produced what appeared to be five rods with large, red crystals embedded at the tips "I was inspired by your Chromastone form to create these. Much like your alien, they serve as conductors. We will use these to absorb large quantities of energy, which they will spread throughout the water and soil. Afterwards we can use either Wildvine or Swampfire to accelerate the growth of the seeds and our oasis shall be complete. Just plant these along the rim of the lake."

Wildvine nodded again. "Alright." He took the rods from Szayel and began planting them into the ground.

"Thank you, Ben," Szayel said as the hero worked. "Now, to power the crystals…"

"Hey! What's going on?"

Everyone turned to see Harribel and her girls, the latter wearing their swimming clothes, walking towards them.

"Harribel!" Szayel said, raising his arms. "How wonderful to see you."

"Szayel," Harribel said politely. She noticed the lake and Ben planting the rods. "What's going on?"

"My latest project," Szayel explained. "And so far it's coming along wonderfully. And you will be a great asset to it."

Harribel's eyes narrowed and her Fraccion frowned, though they did relax a bit when they remembered that both Aizen and Starrk were there. "What is it?" Harribel asked.

"These crystals can conduct spiritual energy," Szayel explained. "Having two of the strongest Espada here will be perfect for them."

"What are the crystals for?" Apacci asked. "What is…all of this for?"

"We're creating fruit for Hollows to eat," Wildvine called to her as he continued planting the rods.

"Instead of themselves," Lilynette threw in.

All four girls stared.

"Is that possible?" Harribel asked in a quiet tone. She sounded somewhat uncertain but at the same time hopeful.

"We'll soon find out," Szayel informed her. "First, would you and Starrk like to do the honors?"

Starrk and Harribel looked at each other, not saying a word. Starrk sighed before stepping forward. "Alright. Guess I'll go first. So, I just need to put my energy into the crystals?"

"If you want, you can simply fire a Cero at them," Szayel said casually.

Starrk let out another sigh as he approached one of the crystals. A blue ball of energy formed under his jaw before blasting toward it. Like Szayel had said, the moment the Cero reached the crystal, it was absorbed. Harribel pulled out her sword, energy building up around her weapon before she unleashed her Cero, which came out in a wide arc compared to the Cero that Ben had seen before, at another crystal. Despite how wide the Cero was, all of it was absorbed into the crystals, which started to glow blue and yellow.

"Excellent! Excellent!" Szayel cheered.

"So now Ben does his thing on the plants?" Lilynette asked.

"Not yet," Szayel said abruptly, snapping out of his excitement. "Let us wait a bit so the plants can properly absorb the spirit energy. Then Ben can as you've put it "do his thing"."

Harribel and Starrk fired more Cero into the remaining crystals. The rods shone with bright yellow and blue hues, which reflected off of the lake's surface.

"Thank you, Starrk, Harribel," Aizen said kindly to them. "And thank you, Ben, for making all of this possible."

"Don't thank me just yet," Ben said, looking at the lake. "I want to see if this will work first."

"Well said," Aizen agreed. "That will be all for now, everyone. I'm certain that Szayel will contact us when he feels the time is right."

"Absolutely, Lord Aizen," Szayel said with a flourishing bow.

Seeing that they were dismissed, everyone started back to their respective rooms.

"Lady Harribel," Apacci said, looking back over her shoulder at the lake. "Do you…do you think it will work?"

Harribel herself looked back over at the Oasis, staring at it for a moment before turning back around and resuming her walk. "I couldn't say, Apacci. But I would like to believe so. I would like to hope so."

After that, the return trip was filled with nothing but silence.

…

An entire day passed and Ben, Starrk, Harribel, and their Fraccion were gathered around the Oasis, with Aizen and Szayel already present.

"The other Espada are not here?" Harribel couldn't help asking.

"At the moment, only we know of this project. I didn't want to inform the others until we are absolutely certain," Aizen explained before looking at Ben. "Go ahead, Ben."

Ben nodded as he activated the Ultimatrix. Once he transformed, Swampire raised his hands and released his gas over the Oasis. As it spread, long, thick vines sprouted out of the ground. Up and up they rose, pods emerging out of them. The pods only somewhat resembled the ones that Wildvine had planted earlier. Now, they were a sheer white, almost translucent color. Soon, the Oasis was completely surrounded by large, lush foliage. Swampfire lowered his hands. "Done."

"So," Lilynette said as she walked over to a nearby vine and poked one of the pods. "Did it work?"

"Use your Pesquisa," Szayel said. "Find out for yourself."

The Arrancar closed their eyes. All together their eyes widened in shock.

"It worked!" Apacci cried. "The plants are full of spiritual energy!"

"Yeah!" Lilynette jumped, punching the air.

"Success!" Szayel clapped happily. "A success!" He put his hands on Ben's shoulders and beamed. "We did it, Ben! We did it!"

"Incredible," Mila Rose breathed.

"Amazing," Sung-Sun added.

"A miracle," Harribel whispered to herself. She approached one of the fruits, brushing her fingers against it.

"Ben, Szayel," Aizen said. "Thank you both for making this possible."

"Oh, Lord Aizen," Szayel gushed. "It was your inspiration, your brilliance that brought this into existence. Ben and I simply laid down the groundwork."

Aizen shook his head. "No, Szayel. It was your planning, your work, your contributions, made this a reality. And now, a new future awaits Hueco Mundo. I think it's time for us to inform the others."

. . .

Aizen gathered the rest of the Espada, along with Gin and Tōsen, at the Oasis. Luppi and Nnoitra were looking at Ben with disgust and hatred, and several of the Espada with higher numbers were eyeing him with caution. Baraggan sneered at him before focusing his attention on Aizen. Ben noticed that Yammy was missing. When he asked, he was told that Yammy was still recuperating from a wound he had received during the trip to Karakura Town.

"They're scared of you," Lilynette said, noticing the looks Ben was receiving. "They know about how you kicked Luppi and Nnoitra's asses, and that they don't stand a chance against you."

Ben put his hands in his pockets and sighed.

"Gentlemen and Ladies of the Espada," Aizen said to his gathered warriors. "I have wonderful news. Here before you lies the great handiwork of Szayel and Ben. You shall now bear witness to the fruits of their labors."

Gin chuckled. "Literally in this case, huh, Lord Aizen?"

"Well said, Gin," Aizen replied in amusement. "Now, no doubt you are wondering why I would call you here for this. Well, the fruits of the Oasis contain spiritual energy. Not only will we be able to provide the Hollows of Hueco Mundo with an alternative food source but something just as beneficial. Lilynette, would you like to do the honors?"

Lilynette let out a squeak as she became aware of all eyes being on her, in surprise and confusion. The only three exceptions were Tōsen, Aizen, and Szayel. "M-me, Lord Aizen?"

"Of course, Lilynette." Aizen gently encouraged her.

Taking a deep breath, Lilynette made her way to one of the fruits and plucked it from the vine. She looked at it for a moment before taking a bite. She winced as a slightly sour taste touched her tongue but the bitterness was soon forgotten by a taste of pure sweet, almost creamy flavor. Blinking at the unique texture, she started devouring the fruit. The Espadas' eyes widened.

"Her Spiritual Pressure just increased," Zommari said.

"Exactly," Aizen said. 'These fruits can increase the spiritual pressure of whoever eats them."

"Which means," Nnoitra realized. "Whoever eats these can become stronger?"

"Indeed," Aizen answered.

A wave of silence fell on the group as the assembled Espada took in this new information. The majority of them were eyeing the fruits greedily, particular Luppi and Nnoitra. Baraggan rubbed his chin as he looked the fruits over. Ben, Starrk, and Harribel did not like that look.

"Now, that doesn't mean everybody should start chowing down on the fruits," Szayel said to his fellow Arrancar sharply. "If that happened, this place would be devastated in less than a day. Now, Ben," Everyone rounded on Ben when he said this. "Since our experiment has proven a success, we can start preparing for the others." This definitely got the Espada's attention. Luppi and Nnoitra were particularly gleeful at this announcement. Baraggan, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes.

"Others?!" Lilynette exclaimed. "You want Ben to make more of these?!"

"I did say that we would need enough fruit to provide for all of Las Noches, didn't I?" Szayel said snidely. Lilynette grit her teeth at the haughty way Szayel had addressed her. "Of course, I'll need to start constructing more conductors and that will take some time."

"I have confidence in your abilities, Szayel," Aizen reassured him before looking at the rest of the Espada. "You are welcome to the fruits of this Oasis but do not eat all of them. We need to conserve these for the time being. And none of you are to fight each other for the fruits. Is that understood?"

The Espada said nothing but one could tell that they all got the message.

"We have ourselves a wonderful blessing," Aizen went on. "This will aid us in our war against the Soul Society but also, Hollows will be able to quench their hunger without devouring each other. We can then guide them into making Hueco Mundo a utopia for those that the Soul Reapers have so callously abandoned. And it is all thanks to the brilliance of Szayelaporro Granz and Ben Tennyson!"

"Hooray, Lord Aizen!" Zommari cried, throwing his hands in the air. "Your generosity knows no bounds. Hooray for Szayelaporro and Ben Tennyson for serving as your heralds to this glorious future!"

Nnoitra let out a loud bellow. "Well, Szayel. I gotta say, I'm very impressed. Just think about how powerful we could be after eating these." He leered at Ben and Harribel. Luppi was sporting a twisted grin as the implications dawned on him as well.

"Indeed," the Third Espada said calmly. "Imagine how powerful we all will be." Nnoitra scowled at this. Luppi flinched when Harribel turned her eye towards him as well, still very upset that he had tried attacking her Fraccion as well.

Ulquiorra looked at the plants before turning away in disinterest. He was the only one who had not been moved by what they had all learned. Was he confident in his abilities without the fruit or did he just not see the idea of becoming stronger worthy of a reaction?

"Ben, you have done a wonderful thing," Tōsen praised the human. "Truly you are a noble and compassionate being."

"Ben Tennyson, the maker of miracles," Gin joked.

"I just wanted to help out," Ben said modestly, though he couldn't help but smile.

"And you have certainly done that," Aizen said. "Szayel, I would like for you to get started on the conductors as soon as possible. Alert Ben once you are ready with them."

Szayel bowed. "Absolutely, Lord Aizen. You won't be disappointed!"

Aizen then addressed the rest of the Espada. "That will be all. Feel free to inform your Fraccion as I will be briefing the rest of the Numeros myself. However I will say again that the fruits are not to be touched for the time being. You are all dismissed."

And with that, the Espada all departed back to their respective chambers. Only Ben, Aizen, his Soul Reaper cohorts, Starrk and Harribel's groups remained. Aizen smiled at Ben again.

"Great things are going to happen, Ben," He said. "Soon, Hueco Mundo will be a much better place."

Ben couldn't help smiling this time. "I hope it will. By the way, have you managed to find out anything about what Soul Society is doing? I mean, they've got to be making plans of their own right?"

"I wouldn't worry about that too much, Ben," Aizen said calmly. "The Soul Society is full of powerful warriors but they are very predictable. I told you before that such a trait was one of their biggest weaknesses; their desire to hold onto their old ways instead of embracing change. This will give us an advantage. We do have a possible lead regarding Karakura Town but it will require further investigation."

"Is it about that masked guy?" Ben inquired.

"No, this is about something else," Aizen replied. "I'll let you know once I have sufficient data to confirm my suspicions."

Ben frowned but shrugged. "Alright."

Aizen smiled again. "Take care, Ben. And thank you once more for your help." Aizen headed back inside.

"Good for you, Ben," Gin said honestly.

"Congratulations, Ben," Tōsen added as they both followed Aizen.

"Well," Starrk said nonchalantly. "That went well."

Lilynette rounded on him. "That went well?" She kicked him angrily. "That went well?! Starrk! Don't you realize what this means?!"

"I know, Lilynette," Starrk said quietly. "I know."

Lilynette huffed, putting her hands on her hips as she glared at him.

Harribel turned towards Ben. "Thank you, Ben."

"Yeah," Apacci said, looking at the Oasis. "This is…this is great."

"No more eat or be eaten," Mila Rose. "No more being preyed upon by others."

"No more forced sacrifices," Sung-Sun added.

"But we must be careful," Harribel spoke up, the seriousness in her tone drawing everyone's attention. "I saw the way Nnoitra and Luppi were looking at those fruits. And they have clearly shown their willingness to disobey Lord Aizen's orders. I suggest we keep a close eye on the Oasis to make sure they don't try anything."

"I wouldn't worry about them, Lady Harribel," Mila Rose said confidently. "You and Ben could easily take those guys down."

"While they do have me concerned," Harribel went on. "What really worries me is Baraggan."

Lilynette and Harribel's Fraccion stared.

Starrk looked at her sharply. "You saw that too huh?"

"He's already the Second Espada," Ben said. "He's that desperate to be the First?" When all he got was silence as a response, Ben already knew that something serious was at work here.

"Ben," Harribel said quietly. "Before Lord Aizen came and brought order to Hueco Mundo, Baraggan was its ruler."

"Wait, what?!"

"It's true," Apacci said.

"Baraggan was pompous and arrogant," Mila Rose clenched her fists. "He believed that everything here belonged to him simply because he said so."

"Las Noches was his palace, though there was no actual building before he came here," Harribel added. "He was so full of himself that he believed the sky itself was his roof."

Ben was floored by this information, not just at Baraggan's arrogance but the fact that Starrk was more powerful than the actual ruler of Hueco Mundo. And the fact that Aizen had the former ruler serving him. "You're worried that Barragan might try to make himself stronger and attack Aizen?"

"The possibility is high. Barragan is well aware that Lord Aizen is more than a match for him," Harribel said. "But he's always been one for opportunity. And an opportunity like this would be very promising to him."

Ben crossed his arms. As if things weren't bad enough, now there was the chance that he'd have to confront the Second Espada. Luppi and Nnoitra would be warmups compared to him, Ben was certain of that.

"Be on guard but don't do anything foolish," Harribel said, though everyone could tell that Starrk was excluded from her warning. "Baraggan would not dare use his Released State within the confines of Las Noches but he is the Second Espada for a reason."

"Is it because his Released State would alert Aizen?" Ben asked.

"While that is true, there is a rule where the top four Espada are forbidden from using our Released States within these walls because we would risk destroying Las Noches," Harribel informed him.

Ben stared at her with his mouth hanging open. Starrk, Barragan, Harribel, or Ulquiorra could destroy this entire place with their Released States alone? Warm-ups nothing, Barragan was in a whole other league compared to Luppi and Nnoitra. And this was his sheer power alone. Ben wondered, should he find himself in a fight against Baraggan, if he would stand a chance.

"Ben, don't try fighting Barragan," Starrk told him, surprising everyone with the same seriousness he had used during Ben's first fight with Nnoitra. "It's too dangerous. Just get away from him as best you can."

"Starrk…" Lilynette stared at her other half's change in attitude.

"Maybe you could fight him, maybe you couldn't," Starrk added. "I'm not taking that chance. If I have to make sure he backs off, I will."

"O-okay," Ben said, still adjusting to this very out of place attitude from the lazy Espada he knew and had possibly befriended.

Sung-Sun realized that it was time for a change in topic because she spoke up.

"You know, how about we go swimming?" She suggested. "Ours was cut short due to Szayel's experiment so perhaps we should make up for lost time."

"S-sounds good," Lilynette said, grabbing Ben's arm. "Come on, Ben. Let's go get ready."

"H-huh? Oh sure, Lilynette, sure." Lilynette started pulling him back to their palace to get ready.

"Go on ahead, ladies," Harribel told her Fraccion. "I'll be there shortly."

"Yes, Lady Harribel," Apacci said, speaking for the entire group as all three followed Lilynette and Ben. Once they were alone, Harribel crossed her arms under her chest.

"I'm surprised at you, Starrk," Harribel said to her fellow Espada.

"Tch," Starrk slouched. "I may not know Barragan as well as you do, Harribel, but I do know that he's dangerous. And not just because of his rank. Ben might be in over his head on this one."

"So you believe that Barragan may try something as well?" Harribel asked.

"I don't know anything for certain but I think it's best if we expect the worst," Starrk said.

"Lord Aizen won't let anything happen though," Harribel said in an assuring tone. "I just don't want Ben to take unnecessary risks."

"Same here," Starrk said tiredly. "But Ben…he can't help lending a hand to someone in need."

"I know," Harribel agreed.

"He's a good kid," Starrk went on, staring off over the sand. "Knows what we are, what we've done to live, and yet he still considers us his friends."

"Yes," Harribel said thoughtfully. "Is that why you're so protective of him now, Starrk? Do you see him as an actual friend?"

Starrk didn't say anything for a moment and Harribel started to suspect he would not. "Maybe," He said suddenly. "Do you?"

"…Maybe," Harribel answered back.

. . .

Later that day, or what qualified as that day, Lilynette was still excited about what had happened.

"This is so cool!" she said as she paced across the room excitedly.

"We know, Lilynette, we heard you the first time," Starrk grumbled as he tried to fall back asleep.

Lilynette looked ready to explode on her other half but surprisingly gave him a dismissive wave of her hand instead.

"Not up for punishing him, Lilynette?" Ben joked as he sat upon his bed.

"I'm too excited to let him get me down," Lilynette said as before putting her hands on Ben's shoulders and smiling at him. "You're awesome, Ben!"

"Well I already know that but please, don't stop on my behalf," Ben said, grinning at Lilynette.

"Hey!" Lilynette snorted, giving him a light slap on the back of the head. "Don't get too full of yourself!"

"Ow!" Ben rubbed his head. "Oh, so I'm your new victim instead of Starrk now."

"Would be a nice chance of pace," Starrk muttered from his cushions.

Ben made a face at the Primera Espada. "You're still mad about the whole Water Hazard thing aren't you?"

"Mad, no," Starrk answered. "A bit annoyed, sure."

Ben just rolled his eyes but smiled regardless. Though the smile didn't last and Lilynette noticed this.

"What's wrong, Ben?" she asked in concern.

"Oh, I'm just thinking, Lilynette," he replied in kind. "Hey, I'm gonna go for a walk. Is that alright?"

Starrk looked over his shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"Just to the courtyard," Ben told him. Both Starrk and Lilynette stared at him in confusion, wondering why he wanted to be out there yet again.

"You want me to go with you?" Lilynette offered.

"No thanks, Lilynette. I kinda want to be alone right now."

Both Starrk and Lilynette were taken aback by this request. "Are you sure?" The former asked.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," Ben reassured him.

Starrk just stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Alright."

Lilynette rounded on him. "Alright?! Is that all you have to say?!"

"If Ben wants to do something on his own then that's his choice," Starrk told her with a hint of sternness in his tone that took her by surprise. "Besides, he said he would be careful."

"Seriously?!" Lilynette screeched. "You're just going to let this happen even though Luppi, Nnoitra, Grimmjow and possibly Baraggan are after him?"

"Don't worry, Lilynette," Ben said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "I promise. I will be careful."

Lilynette scrunched her face up in annoyance, wanting to argue against this decision. But she saw that Ben was set on it and Starrk didn't seem to care. Instead she crossed her arms and gave Ben a deep scowl, her way of saying "Fine". Ben gave her a pat on the shoulder before heading out of the room.

. . .

Once he was outside, Ben made his way to the Oasis. He had to admit, it was an impressive sight, and one of the few times he had ever used his aliens in such a creative way. Ben admired his handiwork for a moment before sighing. He walked over to one of the trees and sat down in its shade.

"Am I doing the right thing?" Ben questioned himself, looking up at the artificial sky. "I still don't know if Aizen's a good guy or not. Problem is that he's just so…charismatic. Heh, Michael Morningstar could learn a few lessons from him." Ben frowned. "And if he's the bad guy, then is what he said about the Soul Society true? Or…are they both bad? I need to find out what's really going on and what I might have to do when I find out. Somehow." Ben just sat there with his thoughts.

. . .

Ben wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, but he soon heard the all too familiar sound of feet moving through the sand. A lot of feet. Something in Ben's head was screaming danger so he quickly sat up.

Approaching the Oasis was none other than Baraggan himself, accompanied by his Fraccion. Ben shot to his feet. When they finally noticed him, the group stopped their approach.

"Well, well," Baraggan said in that deep, gruff voice of his. "Ben Tennyson. I don't believe we've ever had a proper conversation between us, have we?"

"Can't say that we have," Ben said tensely.

"Now, now," said one of the Fraccion, a tall blonde haired man whose face was completely covered by his mask. "No need to be so edgy. We're not here to cause trouble."

"But if you're looking for trouble," said one of the Fraccion. He was a young man with a feminine face, sporting scruffy black hair and mask remains on top of his head that resembled the skull of a saber-tooth tiger. "We'll gladly give it to ya."

Ben narrowed his eyes before looking over at Baraggan. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually," Baraggan said briskly before looking at the Oasis. "I wasn't expecting you to be here but I find this too good an opportunity to pass up. I admire your ingenuity, boy, and I do not give praise lightly. Your powers and skill do make you a formidable warrior. The fact that you have managed to defeat two of the Espada is proof of that."

Ben's hand twitched, eager to activate the Ultimatrix and go alien at a moment's notice.

"As such," Baraggan continued. "I want my Fraccion to spar with you."

Ben was floored by this sudden request. "You do?" Then he immediately went back on guard. Sure, Baraggan was suggesting his Fraccion instead of himself but he honestly wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to establish their supposed superiority just like Nnoitra, Grimmjow, and Luppi had.

"The boss wants us to be prepared for fighting the Soul Society," Baraggan said. "And what better way for us to do so? Or do you have your hands full training with Harribel's Fraccion?" Ben caught the way that Baraggan practically spat out her name. Some bad blood between them? Maybe when Baraggan used to rule, he had openly encouraged attacking female Hollows. From what Ben remembered regarding Barragan's past comments, he could see the Arrancar doing something like that.

"Don't blame you though," said a large Arrancar with his mask remains resembling a short, tusked helmet, letting out a lecherous chuckle. Ben frowned at him.

"Surely you can spare some time for us," The masked, blonde-haired man said amicably to Ben.

"You have faced Espada and won," spoke the tallest of Baraggan's Fraccion, towering over even Yammy. He had short hair, triangular lines with inner circles on each cheek, his mask remains resembled horns sticking out from his chin, and his outfit resembled more of a Chinese robe compared to some of the other outfits. "We like to witness your power for ourselves."

"Indeed," spoke a member of Baraggan's Fraccion that made him blanch. He was dark-skinned with long wavy lavender hair and an outfit that exposed his midriff, complete with mask remains that resembled a small tiara on top of his head. "We all know about your incredible adventures and heroic deeds but we haven't seen you in action yet." He smiled at Ben in a way that made him think of Szayel as a shiver ran down his spine.

"Man!" shouted the last member of the group, a muscular man with red tattooed lines running across his bare chest, his mask remains taking the form of a beaked helmet. "Just the thought of facing a guy who took on the Espada is getting me so pumped up!"

"As you can see, Ben Tennyson," Baraggan said in amusement. "My Fraccion are very eager to test themselves against you. Do you see a problem with this?"

Ben was in a tight spot that was for sure. He was still certain that Baraggan had an ulterior motive. Seriously, how many times was he gonna have to defend himself under the pretense of sparring here? That aside, Ben was used to fighting multiple opponents but he wondered how well he would last if they all ganged up on him, let alone Baraggan himself jumping in. But he was also worried that if he tried to make a run for it, it was just going to make matters worse. Ben decided he would go along with this for now until he managed to get an opening to escape. Maybe, if he pushed these guys hard enough, they might activate their released states. That would be sure to draw Aizen's attention, or at least Starrk and Harribel's.

"Alright," He said finally. "Let's do it."

Baraggan smiled and Ben thought it made him look devious. "Good. Now, which of you should face Ben first?" He looked his Fraccion over. "Ah! Charlotte! Go!"

Ben had a good idea which one was Charlotte and he was not disappointed as the one with long lavender hair leaped over the other Fraccion towards him.

"Here, here, here!" Charlotte chanted as he clapped before twirling like a ballerina was he made his decent. "I'm here!" He struck a pose as his feet touched the ground. "Lord Baraggan's Number One Fraccion: Charlotte Chuhlhourne!" He then winked at Ben, who fought to keep a straight face. Several of the other Arrancar snickered at this.

"You'll have to excuse Charlotte," the blonde haired Arrancar said. "He can be quite…theatrical."

"Noted," Ben replied. Quickly, he activated the Ultimatrix and slammed the dial down. When the green light passed, he had transformed into Chromastone. "Let's do this."

"My," Charlotte said as he drew his sword. "I can tell this is going to be fun!"

He leaped high into the air, surprising Ben with his leg strength. Then Charlotte began spinning downward towards him, screaming at the top of his lungs as he did so.

"Beautiful Charlotte Chuhlhourne's Miracle Sweet Ultra Funky Fantastic Dramatic Romantic Sadistic Erotic Exotic Athletic Guillotine Attack!"

Chromastone was too busy being baffled by the extremely, and needlessly, long attack name that it didn't occur to him to defend himself until Charlotte was right above him, his sword raised for a downward slash. Chromastone had just enough time to block the blade with his arms, but was caught off guard when the sheer force behind the slash brought him to his knees.

"Whoa," Chromastone grunted. "You're pretty strong."

Charlotte let out a throaty giggle as he pressed his blade against the hero's arms. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm not one of the Espada, Ben Tennyson."

Chromstone grunted as he tried to push the blade away. "I'll keep that in mind!" He shouted before managing to push Charlotte away, seizing the opportunity to dash forward. He threw a punch that Charlotte blocked, the Arrancar retaliating with a slash of his sword that struck Chromastone's crystalline body to no effect. Chromastone responded to that with an uppercut but Charlotte dodged out of the way just before his opponent's fist could connect. He in turn opted for a spin kick at Chromastone's head but the hero ducked and fired a blast of light. The beam knocked Charlotte back but the Arrancar flipped back onto his feet just before touching the desert sand.

Chromastone took a fighting stance, narrowing his eye at his opponent. So this guy was pretty skilled, made sense considering he was a Fraccion of the Second Espada. Ben wondered how good the other guys were and how they ranked amongst each other, unless there was some truth to Charlotte being the Number One!

"Not bad, not bad," Baraggan said, crossing his thick arms together. "But I think this fight could be a little more interesting."

Chromastone tightened his fists, expecting the worst.

"Considering that Ben is a match for the Espada," Baraggan went on in a way one would act as if talking about the weather. "Perhaps sending only one of my Fraccion against him is an insult to his skills. Our hero deserves more of a challenge. Redder! You and Charlotte will both fight Ben at once."

Chromastone was tempted to swear. So this was his plan? Have his Fraccion gang up on him?

"Yeah!" Redder, the one with the tattoos and beak-like helmet, screamed as he began pumping himself up. "Gonna hurt ya! Gonna hurt ya! Gonna hurt ya!" When he noticed that Chromastone was just staring at the display before him. "Hey! What's wrong with you?!"

"Uh," Chromastone muttered.

"Redder, must you always be so uncouth?" Charlotte sighed dramatically before addressing Chromastone. "I apologize, Ben. Redder likes to do a "pre-battle ritual" where he and his opponent shout what they're going to do to each other before fighting. He claims it gets the fighters excited for the actual battle."

"It does work!" Redder shouted at his teammate before looking back at Chromastone. "Come on! Gonna hurt ya! Gonna hurt ya! Gonna hurt ya!"

Chromastone just continued staring at him, having a strong feeling that this guy might actually get along with Rath. And that alone was a horrifying thought.

"Come on!" an aggravated Redder demanded. "Do it!"

"Redder!" Baraggan barked at him. "Just fight."

Redder flinched at his leader's words. "Y-yes, Lord Baraggan. Forgive me."

Suddenly he used his Sonido to appear right before Chromastone, who had no time to defend himself before Redder hit him with such a powerful punch that it sent him flying backwards into the lake. He quickly broke the surface, glaring at the sudden attack.

"Ha!" Redder cheered. "See? This is what you get for not joining me! I bet if you did, you might have blocked that!"

"Not bad, Redder," Baraggan said loudly, even for Chromastone to hear despite being in the lake. "Why don't we continue to make this more interesting?"

Chromastone frowned. "Now what's he up to?" He whispered to himself.

"How about you two Release yourselves?" Baraggan implied rather than suggested.

"Oh great," Chromastone grumbled. "I probably should have seen that coming."

Redder has a large grin on his face as he turned toward Charlotte. "Sounds good to me. What do you think?"

"Well, his majesty did command it," Charlotte added. "And besides, this will allow Ben Tennyson to witness more of my great beauty."

Chromastone quickly floated out of the pool, wondering what was going to happen next.

"Sparkle!" Charlotte cried as he held his sword out in front of him. Smoke started pouring out from the blade. "Reina De Rosas!" He then winked before striking a pose as a violet light covered him.

Redder pulled out his sword and held it out horizontally with both hands. "Scap!" His body started emitting a crimson light. "Aguila!"

Power exploded from the two as they were engulfed in clouds of smoke. Chromastone struggled against the combined power threatening to launch him back into the lake. Soon the smoke started to part, revealing his opponents. Redder's appearance was very different. He now resembled a large, humanoid eagle with bright red feathers, his mask remains now merged with his head.

Charlotte on the other hand, Chromastone had to rub his eye fiercely to make sure he was not seeing things.

Charlotte had not changed much in terms of body appearance but his clothes sure had. They left a lot of skin open, his outfit resembling something akin to a ballerina. He wore a pink miniskirt with very visible underwear, with a pink heart outline just above the garment, with a smaller heart outline on top of the first. He also wore a crop-top with shoulder pads resembling wings, complete with a short, flowing cape. He had disk-like bracelets around his wrists and ankles. A horned tiara perched upon his head completed the look.

"Behold!" Charlotte said as he struck another pose. "Our true power!"

"You may have beaten Nnoitra," Redder shouted. "But do you think you can defeat two Released Arrancar at the same time?!"

Chromastone growled as he took another fighting stance in the air. "Let's find out!"

Redder chuckled. "Good, you still got fight in ya. Glad to see you're not chickening out!"

He suddenly aimed his wings toward Chromastone…and fired his feathers! The hero quickly created a barrier around himself just in time to block the barrage. The feathers collided loudly against the barrier, ricocheting off and landing everywhere. Some landed in the lake while others punched through some of the trees.

"Hey!" Chromastone shouted angrily. "Watch it!" He lowered the barrier and fired a blast at Redder who quickly sidestepped the incoming attack.

"My turn!" Charlotte announced before doing a variety of poses. "Beautiful Charlotte Chuhlhourne's Final Holy Wonderful Pretty Super Magnum Sexy Sexy Glamour Cero!" He finished this by putting his hands together into a heart shape, firing off a pink Cero far bigger than any Chromastone had seen so far.

His eye widened when he saw that thing could possible cover most if not all of the Oasis. Quickly he shot forward and stuck his arms out, focusing on absorbing the Cero. Despite the power and size of the Cero rapidly diminishing, Chromastone found himself straining. He was trying to absorb all the energy to avoid the plants being damaged but he wasn't sure if he could do it in time. Then he was struck by an idea: instead of absorbing the energy, he channeled it through his body and out his horn, sending the attack right back at his opponents, as well as Baraggan and the remainder of the Fraccion, who all scattered to avoid the attack as it blazed across the desert. Chromastone let out a big sigh of relief when he saw that he managed to save the plants in time.

. . .

"You idiot!" the saber-toothed Arrancar shouted at his teammate. "You knew he had an alien that can absorb Cero, why did you fire one at him?!"

"I didn't know he could redirect the Cero as he was absorbing it!" Charlotte called back to him in embarrassment.

"That was very clever," the blonde Arrancar said. "Charlotte's Cero has the widest range out of all the Arrancar. The fact that Tennyson was able to stop all of it is quite impressive."

"We all know how clever he is, Findorr," the largest of the Fraccion said.

"Charlotte needs to quit messing around and just fight the guy," The saber-tooth Arrancar said before addressing Baraggan. "Your majesty, please let me fight the human."

"That won't be necessary, Vega," Baraggan told him. "Charlotte and Redder will be more than enough for him, especially when they decide to fight seriously."

"A pity," Findorr said, putting a hand on the rapier at his side. "I was hoping to test my skills against the boy too but I suppose it can't be helped."

Baraggan chuckled. "I don't recall saying you all wouldn't get a chance to fight him. I just didn't say when."

The other members of Baraggan's Fraccion chuckled to themselves as they resumed watching the battle.

. . .

"Not a bad trick," Redder said as he and Charlotte stood beside each other. "But I know that's not all you can do. Show us the power that defeated Nnoitra! Show us these Ultimate Aliens we've heard about!"

Chromastone slouched in mid-air. "Should've known." He muttered.

"I already warned you not to underestimate me just because I was a Fraccion," Charlotte reminded him. "That goes the same for all of us."

Chromastone frowned. These two were decently tough and they didn't seem to care about the damage they might do to the Oasis. Why? Were they confident that Ben would preserve it? Or did they not really care about what would happen? It didn't matter. Ben realized that fighting these guys might damage the Oasis, so he couldn't risk doing that. But just as he was about to reach for the dial, he froze at the suddenly serious look on Charlotte's face.

"I wouldn't mind extending this fight just a little bit longer," the effeminate Arrancar said in a low tone with a hint of steel in it. "But I don't want to waste Lord Baraggan's patience."

Chromastone tensed up, sensing that something really bad was about to happen.

"Oh, gonna go ahead and do it, Charlotte?" Redder asked his teammate.

"That's right," Charlotte said. "Behold, Ben Tennyson! My most beautiful and most deadly attack! Rosa Blanca!"

Chromastone prepared to defend himself but was caught off guard by what was actually happening. Instead of a direct attack, something began rising up around them. They looked like thorny vines, merging together in a mass of darkness. Chromastone looked around and saw that the thorns were emerging from all over the Oasis. They seemed to rising up, branching out, and spreading towards each other. Chromastone's eye widened when he realized that the vines were merging together to form another large dome, similar to Tōsen's. When the dome closed, a large white rose bloomed from the top, its bright petals a contrast to the perpetual darkness that otherwise surrounded them. At least this one didn't rob the hero of his senses. So what did it do?

Charlotte had a calm smile on his face but there was a bit of smugness to it. "You are finished now, Ben Tennyson. My cruelest attack. You will fall here, unable to be seen, heard, or sensed within my thorns."

"That's it?" Chromastone asked in confusion. "That's all it can do? Not really much of an attack."

Charlotte gawked while Redder laughed uproariously, even clutching his sides.

"Don't underestimate Rosa Blanca, Tennyson," Baraggan said coldly. "It may not seem to be much in terms of offensive power. But it does have its uses. For example…." He snapped his fingers. One by one the rest of his Fraccion were beginning to draw their zanpakuto.

Chromastone grit his teeth. "So that's it. You had Charlotte use this Rosa Blanca thing so you could all gang up on me!"

Baraggan let out a mighty bellow of laughter at the accusations. Findor, Vega, and Parduouc were amused while Poww remained completely nonplussed. "A very clever tactic I will admit," The Second Espada said. "However, this was never about you, Tennyson."

Chromastone did a double take. "Wait, what?"

Baraggan snorted before leering at him. "Didn't I say that I wasn't expecting you, earlier? I meant it. You are…unique, I will admit. But in the end, you are a measly human with a flashy little tool. That is nothing compared to the power I wield and therefore you are not even remotely a threat to me. A nuisance due to your spreading popularity perhaps but not a threat."

Chromastone growled under his breath. Baraggan really was full of himself. He'd hate to see what would happen if Baraggan was in a room with the likes of Vilgax, Michael, and possibly Aggregor.

"Now then," Baraggan addressed his Fraccion. "Men. Get rid of this eyesore!"

Chromastone gasped when he realized that Baraggan was talking about the Oasis!

"Yessir, Lord Baraggan!" His Fraccion declared as one. They moved to attack but stopped when Chromastone fired a beam in front of them.

"I won't let you do this!" He declared, only to be pelted by more of Redder's powerful feathers. It felt to Chromastone like he was being pelted with stones as the barrage blasted him out of the air and into the water. He quickly flew out.

"Stop!" He yelled before hitting the Ultimatrix dial again, transforming into Big Chill.

"What's this?" Redder asked in amusement. "A bug to fight a bird?"

"Something like that," Big Chill responded before turning intangible and flying at them. Both were too surprised by this unexpected move that they weren't ready as Big Chill flew through them, their sides being encased in ice.

"What?!" Redder cried.

Baraggan's eye widened. But he and his Fraccion were unable to do anything as Big Chill flew above them, unleashing his ice breath. They let out cries of shock, frustration, and anger as ice began to form on their bodies.

"That oughta cool you down," Big Chill joked. "Now then," He looked at the thorns encompassing the Oasis. "I need to get rid of that Rosa Blanca thing." He began flying towards Charlotte when he felt an overwhelming pressure forcing him down. The sound of shattering caused him to look to the side, spotting the ice around Baraggan breaking into shards. And he looked furious. Big Chill tried to go intangible again but Baraggan increased the force of his spiritual pressure, pinning him to the ground. He strained to push himself up against the change in weight, only for a large hand to grab him by his head and hoist him into the air.

"A dangerous ability," Poww noted as he studied his captive. "But it seems you have to concentrate to use it." He began to squeeze Big Chill's cranium, causing the hero to cry out in pain.

But then Poww was the one to cry out in pain as blood gushed out of his chest, releasing Big Chill in the process.

"What?!" Baraggan cried out before four new figures appeared before his group. "You!"

Rubbing his now sore head, Big Chill looked up to see none other than Harribel and her Fraccion, weapons drawn. "Harribel?"

"I found it suspicious to sense two of your Fraccion releasing themselves, Baraggan," Harribel asked evenly, her eyes fixed on him. "And my suspicions were correct."

"B-but," Charlotte stammered, staring at the four females in disbelief. "How did you get through my Rose Blanca?"

"Please," Apacci sneered. "We were here the whole time. The moment we sensed you and Redder releasing, we decided to investigate. We were ready to jump in just in case Ben needed help but he was doing great." This earned her a glare from Redder himself. "But then when Charlotte went and used this creepy attack."

"We apologize for just now intervening," Sung-Sun told her newfound friend. "But you were doing so well against them that we weren't sure if you truly needed our help."

"At the moment," Big Chill said as he stood up. "I'm not complaining. Much." Sung-Sun just gave him a light smile in response.

"C-creepy?!" Charlotte shrieked. "How dare you insult my most beautiful technique?!"

Now it was Mila Rose who scoffed with a shrug, eyeing the thorns. "I've seen better."

Charlotte ground his teeth, his fists were clenched, and it looked like a vein was bulging on his face.

"We heard everything, Baraggan," Harribel said, diverting everyone's attention onto her. "You wished to destroy this Oasis under the pretense of your Fraccion sparring. Why would you do this?"

"Hmph," Baraggan crossed his arms, suddenly looking more relaxed despite being confronted by a fellow Espada. "That is none of your concern, Harribel."

"This is a foundation that was established by Lord Aizen to improve life here in Hueco Mundo and you would destroy it," Harribel raised her sword at him. "That makes it my concern."

Baraggan eyed her with contempt. "Improve life in Hueco Mundo? With these…these…handouts?!" He clenched a thick fist, raising said appendage as it shook with rage. "The law of Hueco Mundo has always been survival of the fittest. Kill or be killed. It's what has separated the strong from the weak. And now a rogue Shinigami has condoned this?!" He swept his hands across the Oasis. "Where the weak can be given power on a silver platter instead of earning it?!"

Harribel's brows furrowed. "You wished to destroy the Oasis simply because it is an insult to such a barbaric philosophy?"

Baraggan chuckled. "Barbaric. Despite our differences, you have always intrigued me, Harribel. So powerful yet so willing to defy the natural law of our lands." He raised a hand when Harribel seemed ready to speak. "Spare me. I know all about your philosophy of sacrifice. It is your Aspect of Death after all."

"Aspect of Death?" Big Chill asked.

"Later," Mila Rose replied.

"Lord Baraggan," Vega said to his lord. "What do you wish to do?"

Baraggan eyed Vega, causing said Arrancar to flinch. His face was impassive but even Big Chill could tell he was annoyed.

"Harribel's presence changes nothing," Baraggan said coldly. "We are still under the power of Charlotte's Rose Blanca. Aizen won't know a thing. Back away!" He barked at his Fraccion, causing all of them to flinch and stare at their leader in disbelief. He shot Harribel a smile that made her tighten the grip on her sword. "These four will obviously stand in our way so I shall deal with them."

Harribel's Fraccion all stared in shock at this declaration but quickly resumed their fighting stances.

"You really wish to fight, Baraggan?" Harribel asked edgily. "How do you think Lord Aizen will feel when he learns about what you have done?"

"Aizen won't know," Baraggan said firmly. "This will be treated as a simple sparring accident gone out of hand." His eye remained fixed on Harribel. "We won't kill you or your Fraccion, Harribel, but we are going to make sure you get the story straight."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Harribel asked coolly. Baraggan raised a hand and tightened it into a fist, the message perfectly clear. This caused Big Chill to clench his own fists in disgust. Then he was struck by an idea. They had to get rid of Rosa Blanca somehow. If they could do that, everybody would know what was going on and maybe Aizen and Starrk could put a stop to this?

"Ladies, Ben," Harribel said firmly. "Keep an eye on Baraggan's Fraccion. I will hold him off alone."

Her Fraccion stared at her in disbelief. "Lady Harribel..." Apacci started to object.

"We can't take chances," Harribel told her. "Baraggan may order them to destroy these plants regardless. I won't let him destroy this chance for Hueco Mundo."

Harribel's Fraccion were upset at their leader's demands but they didn't want to let her down. "Yes, Lady Harribel," Mila Rose responded.

Big Chill looked back and forth between the two groups in concern. On one hand, if they could break the Rosa Blanca, they could foil Baraggan's plan. But on the other hand, if they could defeat Baraggan, they could probably scare his Fraccion into backing off. Harribel understandably wanted her Fraccion out of the way, but maybe…

"I'm helping you," He decided, causing all four girls to stare at him.

"Ben…" Sung-Sun said.

"Ben, no," Harribel said sternly. "I already warned you about Baraggan and I…"

"I'm not letting you face him alone," Big Chill said just as firmly. "Taking him down is one of our best options for saving this place."

"That is true," Harribel acknowledged. "But I…"

"Oh, what confidence," Baraggan chortled. "So you think that because you beat Nnoitra and Luppi that you are a match for me, boy?"

Big Chill smiled at Baraggan. "I understand if you're afraid of me, Baraggan."

All amusement left Baraggan's face as he eyed Big Chill angrily, his Fraccion looked outraged. "What did you say?"

"After all," Big Chill went on. "I did beat two Espada. I wouldn't blame you if you felt threatened by me."

Baraggan's body began to shake. "Me? Threatened? By the likes of you?!" His spiritual pressure flared, taking the shape of a red aura around his body. Big Chill struggled to deal with the pressure. "Come at me, boy! Have Harribel help you if you wish, it won't make a difference! See how truly weak and feeble you are compared to me!"

"Ben, please," Harribel tried again.

"Don't worry, Harribel," Big Chill said confidently. "Between the two of us, Baraggan doesn't stand a chance."

Harribel sighed, shaking her head. "I can see now that there is no point in arguing with you. Very well, we shall fight together."

"Ben," Mila Rose said softly.

"How interesting," Findorr said.

"Pointless," Poww said. "Harribel may be the third Espada but she doesn't stand a chance against Lord Baraggan."

"How about we start destroying this place already?" Parduouc asked.

"Don't be so hasty," Charlotte told him. "If we tried, Harribel's Fraccion would try and stop us."

"As if they could," Vega said.

"Once their leader and their human friend are defeated, they won't have any will to oppose us," Findorr said. "This Oasis will be destroyed regardless so for now let us witness his majesty's great power against those who oppose him."

Mila Rose scowled at them in disgust. "How fitting that Baraggan's Fraccion are just as arrogant as he is."

"I don't like this," Apacci said warily. "We should help! After all the training we've been doing, standing on the sidelines like this is just…"

"I know how you feel, Apacci," Sung-Sun replied in a surprisingly empathetic way. "But at the same time, I find myself wondering if maybe Ben's help will be more than enough."

Mila Rose and Apacci gaped at their teammate. "I guess I can't blame you for that," Mila Rose finally admitted as Big Chill and Harribel faced down Baraggan. "So, I guess, for now, we wait until we're certain they really do need us. And keep Baraggan's Fraccion from butting in."

"Agreed," Sung-Sun said.

Apacci clenched her fists, still upset at the fact that they weren't helping. "Come on," She said finally. "Let's give them some space."

The girls moved back to avoid the impending battle.

"Hmph," Baraggan snapped his fingers. His Fraccion pulled out cloaks that Big Chill hadn't seen them with earlier, producing what seemed to be a bunch of bones from within. The bones flew towards Baraggan, emerging together to form a large throne. Big Chill was about to make a witty retort when Baraggan jammed a hand into the throne. With a solid tug, he removed a colossal axe, shattering the throne in the process. It wasn't as big as Nnoitra's weapon but it was still very intimidating.

Big Chill went on the offensive first, flying at Baraggan and preparing to freeze him only for something unexpected to happen. His body was starting to slow down. And it wasn't because he was tired, his body was just moving slower. Baraggan backhanded him with enough force that Big Chill was amazed that his head was still attached to his shoulders as he was sprawled on the ground. Baraggan swung his axe, only for Harribel to appear in front of him, blocking the axe with notable effort.

"Ugh," Big Chill rubbed his aching cheek. "What…what was that?" he asked himself. But he had no time for an answer as yellow energy began gathering in the hollowed part of Harribel's sword. With a burst of strength, she pushed Baraggan back before charging forward to slash him. However, the same thing that happened to Big Chill was happening to her, she was suddenly slowing down upon closing with Baraggan. He was about to bring his axe down when another flash of green light drew his attention. Big Chill was gone and in his place was XLR8, who quickly ran by and pulled Harribel away from the impending danger.

"Thank you, Ben," Harribel said, keeping her eyes on Baraggan, who was looking at them with disinterest.

"How is he doing that?" XLR8 asked.

"It's his special power," Harribel said bitterly. When XLR8 tilted his head at her, she elaborated. "Baraggan possesses powers over time."

"Oh," XLR8 said. Then he slumped. "Well that's a little unfair. Wait. He can control time but he's only the Second Espada?"

"The Espada are only ranked in terms of their spiritual pressure," Baraggan reminded him, annoyance in his voice towards his rank. "Just because Starrk has more than me, doesn't mean his abilities can match mine. Nothing can. My power, the power of time, of aging, is the only thing that is absolute."

"Okay," XLR8 mumbled to himself. "I really should have thought this through. Though I can see why he's so arrogant now. And why he used to rule Hueco Mundo with a power like that."

"It can't be helped," Harribel said as she stood up. "I was hoping to find some sort of opening in his power but he might just be untouchable."

"This battle is over," Baraggan said with absolute conviction. "Though you are welcome to try any tricks you think can save you. Go ahead, Ben Tennyson. See if you have an alien in that little trinket of yours that can stand up to my power."

XLR8 scowled. This reminded him a little bit of his first adventure with Paradox.

Harribel's Fraccion watched anxiously while Baraggan's grinned with satisfaction.

Baraggan casually raised his axe with one arm and brought it down, Harribel and XLR8 just managed to avoid the blow which kicked up lots of sand in its wake. XLR8 zoomed behind Baraggan and moved in to kick his enemy, only to feel his body slow down once more.

"Did you think that my power only worked in front of me?" Baraggan asked as he grabbed XLR8 by the leg, swung him overhead, and slammed him face-first into the ground.

"Ben!" Apacci cried, preparing to jump in to help, only for Mila Rose to grab her by the collar.

"Don't be foolish," Mila Rose hissed at her. "You'll just get in the way!"

"Are you saying we're supposed to let Baraggan do this?!" Apacci demanded.

"Of course not," Mila Rose retorted. "But what do you expect to do against a power like that?"

Apacci bit her lip. Mila Rose looked back at the fight, trying her best to keep a straight face.

XLR8 groaned as he pushed himself up. So speed was out and it was safe to say that muscle wouldn't be much help either. If he did have some sort of time alien in his Ultimatrix, XLR8 was certain he hadn't unlocked it yet. Was there anything short of Alien X that was capable of dealing with this guy?

"Such a shame," Baraggan said as he strolled towards the hero's fallen form. "I was actually hoping you could provide me with some entertainment but it seems unlikely. Oh well, I shall end this fight immediately."

"Ola Azul!"

Baraggan titled his head as a projectile of yellow energy shot past him. He turned towards the source, Harribel, who was pointing her sword at him.

"Ola Azul, a special technique that belongs only to you, Harribel," He said. "You can gather spiritual energy into your sword, using it to not only enhance the power of your blade, but also fire it as a long range projectile. A versatile ability but it still pales in comparison to my own power."

Harribel did not respond, settling on glaring at her opponent.

"For what it's worth, Harribel, you have always been someone of interest to me," He continued, showing how little concern he actually had for this fight, even going as far as to hoist his axe over his shoulder. "Powerful, graceful, and quite intimidating if pushed. You would have been a great subordinate under my command."

"I refused to serve under you then and I still do," Harribel told him coldly. "Lord Aizen is the only one I serve."

"Hmph," Baraggan raised his axe again. "So be it. I shall not kill you, Harribel. But I will make sure you learn to never stand against me again."

"Fight's not over yet, Baraggan," XLR8, rising up to his feet.

Baraggan simply looked over his shoulder with disinterest. "After witnessing my power, you still wish to fight me? Your tenacity is impressive but you must realize that it's futile by now."

XLR8 lifted up his visor so that Baraggan could see his smiling face. "Now how many times have I heard that before? Okay to be fair, not many people I've fought actually used the word but I'm sure that's what they meant."

"Is this how you intend to defeat me?" Baraggan asked rhetorically. "Driving me to boredom with your ceaseless prattle?"

"Nope," XLR8 replied. "But it's a nice perk."

Apacci's body was shaking. She wanted to help out, somehow, but she was worried that Mila Rose and Sung-Sun would prevent her from doing so. But she refused to just stand by. She wanted to aid Lady Harribel, help Ben, and protect the Oasis.

Just then she got an idea. Spinning around before Mila Rose and Sung-Sun could register what was going on, she plucked one of the fruits off its tree. "Lady Harribel!" She called over to her leader, getting everyone's attention. "Catch!" She threw the fruit at Harribel, whose eyes widened when she realized what her Fraccion's plan was. She went to grab it only to be struck by the flat of Baraggan's axe as he struck a hand out and grabbed the fruit instead. Apacci froze in horror.

"Nice work, Apacci," Mila Rose growled.

Baraggan eyed the fruit with disdain. "Did you think a little boost in power would help you? Perhaps you need a demonstration of my power to understand how feeble you really are." Sure enough, the fruit began to darken, shriveling up and drooping before it was little more than a small black lump, like a deflated ball, in Baraggan's palm. He squashed the aged fruit into a glob of mush in his hands.

XLR8 winced as he witnessed this. Slowing down time was bad enough but he could see Baraggan was being serious when he talked about the power of aging. Which of his aliens could possibly stand up against Baraggan's power? The guy was practically untouchable.

"Do you see now how helpless you are?" Baraggan asked, raising his axe for another swing.

XLR8 tapped the Omnitrix again, transforming into Diamondhead and slamming his fist into the ground, creating a wall of crystal that separated him and Harribel from Baraggan. He doubted it would hold the guy long but at least it could give them a quick breather.

Baraggan looked at the wall in boredom. "What is this? Trying to 'buy yourself some time'? Such an action is like spitting in the face of God." He put his hand on the crystal and began to focus his power. Everyone expected it to crumble like the fruit, only for nothing notable to occur. Baraggan's eye widened at this. "What is this?!" He tried again but still the crystal wall was unchanged. "W-why…why is nothing happening?!"

Everyone else was stunned, staring at the wall in disbelief, Harribel turning her head towards her alien ally.

"Ben," she said, her words struggling to form as her mind was still comprehending what she was seeing. "The diamonds created from your Diamondhead form cannot age. That means…you are immune to Baraggan's power."

"Huh," Diamondhead looked at his hands in wonder before a cocky grin split his face. "Looks like we've got an edge!"

"One of his aliens can resist Lord Baraggan's power over aging," Findorr muttered.

"N-no way," Vega stammered.

"Nothing can stand against his majesty's power," Redder said in disbelief.

"Nooooooo!" Baraggan roared in anger and denial. "Impossible! Impossible! There is nothing in all of existence that can withstand my power! Aging is absolute!"