La Reina de las Noches hadn't seen her Espada for awhile. She did not worry. He was away on a mission and he would return to her. When he did, he had completed his mission.

Steal Inoue Orihime from the light.

The mission proved to be so delicate as to not arouse the suspicions of the Shinigami who protected her that Aizen gave it to Ulquiorra, the most trusted Espada of the entire collection. No one had to wonder if he would fail because Ulquiorra did not fail. It was impossible for him to fail his Lord and not return to his Reina.

When the short alarm of a gargenta being opened and two people entering Las Noches, Agito was ready to go to the King's Court where the throne of Aizen and all of his Espada were situated.

"Why must we go?" bemoaned Starrk from her bed. Ever since they met and had their heart-to-heart, Agito returned to her rooms and forbid herself from returning to the library. Willfully going to Aizen's blind spot was a coincidence, returning there would be a red flag and would bring his wrath down upon her.

So instead, she offered an open invitation to Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerbuck to her rooms at any given time. They have abused the privilege religiously.

Starrk moved in completely by taking all of his soft pillows and piling them in every comfortable spot he could find. Lilynette was having so much fun running around and finding new crooks and crannies to hide herself in, storing little souvenirs from her adventures outside in random places.

Agito did not mind. In fact, when she had accidently found a small curled shell of some hollow crab tucked behind her books, a soft curl of pleasure hooked itself around her gut and demanded that she'd give a little gift back to Starrk's counterpart.

So now here they were, Reina and Las Noches' most powerful Espada, sharing a space together. That sounded like a pathetic sitcom.

"You don't have to," she allowed, checking the straightness of her tie in the mirror, "But I do."

"'Kay," he muttered before he fell back into the pillows to sleep. She huffed in amusement before leaving her rooms.

"Reina!" Agito stopped and turned around obligingly to little Lilynette who stormed over to her in her hyper excitement. Lily was a rather small Espada, most often mistaken as a fraccion but was in fact a very important part to Starrk's power. Agito liked to think of the girl as Starrk's little sister, though their relationship was so much more complicated than that. She wore a rather revealing Arrancar uniform and a helmet skull that overtook her left side of her face. She had platinum blonde hair and a magenta eye full of warmth, the subtle complete opposite of older, lazy, dark hair and silver cold eyes of her counterpart.

"Where are you going? Where's Starrk?"

"The Lazy-One sleeps," Agito said, "Give him thirty minutes before suffocating him." A nasty, mischievous smirk stretched across the girl's face.

"Yes, ma'am!" she said, both respecting and making it a joke of Agito's title. "But you didn't answer where you are going."

"Meeting," she answered, "You nor he are needed to be there. But at least I'll have to go."

"I'll go with you then," Lilynette said, walking in step with her.

"It's not going to be very interesting," Agito tried to deter, "There's only the introduction of the human within our castle."

"Yeah but I'm going with you," Lilynette said, "You'd teach some of the stuff right? That subtle shit everyone tries to pull to one up another. You play that game with Aizen all the time."

"I do," she admitted, "But that doesn't mean I'm winning."

"No," she agrees, "But that does mean you got the balls to look him in the eye and talk shit." Agito couldn't help but agree. She wondered why Starrk didn't want to teach Lily the game of power play and would ask later but for now, she can give an introduction.

"There's many rules," she said while they both walked the halls, "Very many rules in the game of powerplay. There's even pregame rules."

"Pregame?"

"Those rules are for you, the rookie, to follow. You don't know what the hell you're doing but you're learning. You are allowed some clumsiness and a few screw ups in the beginning but when you become a master in the art there is no allowance. A single misstep can be just as fatal as a literal knife to the chest."

"Now you're just being dramatic," Lilynette said, waving off the bleakness of her words. Agito paused as she placed the palms of of her hands against the doors to the King's Court, looking back at Lilynette to make her nervous. A very calculated move, something she would recognise as deliberate if she were fully trained in translating body language and power moves. It betrayed the girl's naivety of the stakes of the game.

"Am I?"

She pushed the doors open and the moaning of the gates announced your arrival. The attending Espada were scattered around the room. Some in plain sight, other's in hidden nooks. As Agito, with Lilynette following, circled the outer edge of the room, she noticed now how it had been so obvious of their regard. At least once did they look and make eye contact before turning away.

To humans, to look someone in the eye and then turn away would be an action of disregard. But to a hollow, who are barely able to control their raw instincts, this behavior was them acknowledging her presence and deferring to her. It was exhilarating knowledge. Knowledge that she had to hide from Aizen. If he knew about her stance with the hollows here, he would cripple her.

Agito wasn't sure if she was being literal or figurative.

Agito found a place semi-close to Aizen's throne hidden in shadows with full view of the entire Court. Lilynette stood beside her but couldn't stop looking around, trying to catch what she couldn't see.

"Well?" she asked, "Teach me!"

"Who is on the floor?" she asked in a whisper, "Who would you think Aizen or I are displeased with?" Lilynette looked around and frowned in concentration She couldn't read an obvious body language that would suggest the King and Reina's wrath but there had to be something.

"Luppi?" she asked, spotting the new Sexta Espada, covered with frost and looking thoroughly beaten.

"Correct," Agito said, "Why?"

"Because he failed?"

"No. Anyone could fail, Lilynette. We must expect subordinates to fail. But why should we be displeased to see Luppi down in center stage looking like that?"

"Because-" she said, unsure of herself, "He-"

The doors opened and in came in Ulquiorra, followed by Orihime Inoue, the human among hollows, the lamb among lions.

"Because-" Agito said in Lilynette's ear, "He failed and dared look at his superior in the eye. He should be in tears, licking up his snot from the tile below and weeping apologies." Lilynette shivered and Agito silenced them both to hear what was going on.

"Welcome to the castle of Las Noches," Aizen greeted sitting casual in his throne but there was a cold calculation in his eyes that belayed his true interest. "You are Inoue Orihime, correct? Forgive me of being so forward but would you show us your abilities?"

It wasn't a question so much as a command and the nauseating swirl of heavy reiatsu made Inoue dizzy. She was a pretty girl that reminded Agito of honeysuckle flowers, long bright red hair with large doe eyes and soft curves. She wore a human school uniform and twin hair clips that clipped her bangs to the side.

"...yes...sir," she mumbled, obviously overwhelmed with the multiple presences in the room.

"It seems as though there are some who are not happy with your being brought here. Isn't that right, Luppi?" Aizen said, glancing over at the defeated Espada who looked like a petulant child. It was not an endearing look seeing as how Luppi was an adult Arrancar who didn't need to rely on childish actions.

"Of course it is," they bit out, spitting venom as if they had the right to vent their feelings in the King's Court, "Our entire fight was just a smokescreen designed to lure out this one girl. Who would be happy with that?"

"My apologies," Aizen said, so clearly amused by the whining of a brat, "I did not expect you to get so severely beaten." Agito leaned down to speak in whispers.

"Did he tell the truth or did he lie?" Lilynette jolted with surprise before focusing on what transpired.

"Lie?" Agito patted her shoulder, a silent praise.

"Now then, that's right," Aizen said, gazing around the room, "Orihime, for your demonstration, please heal Grimmjow's left arm"

The entire room of Espada flickered with surprise. None had to react however because Luppi reacted enough for all of them.

"Ridiculous!" they exclaimed, "That's impossible Aizen-sama! Grimmjow?! His arm was reduced to ash by Commadante Tousen, how can you heal something that's been erased?! She is not god!"

"Souten Kishun. I reject," Orihime enchanted, setting to work without heeding Luppi's raving. Agito approved of the girl's tenacity, ignoring the angry Espada to obey Aizen's orders. Clearly the girl knew who was truly the one to fear.

"Hey, are you listening, girl?!" Luppi demanded, "If this is some show to save your ass you'd better knock it off! If you can't do it I'll kill you! If that power of yours is fake then there'll be no reason to ... keep you ... alive ..." Luppi was silenced with undisguised awe. Orihime had spoken an incantation and by the glow of a bright orange light she had covered the stump of Grimmjow's arm and without any difficulty, his arm grew back. No, it didn't grow back. It reversed back.

Something inside Agito rumbled. It wasn't anger or warning that made the creature inside thunder. It was curiosity. It frightened Agito worse than if it were angry.

"What?! How-How did ... she restore ... I've never heard of anything at that level. How did you do it, woman?!" Luppi was hysterical. Agito leaned down again to whisper, "Why would I disapprove of Luppi?"

This time, Lilynette didn't even have to think about it.

"They're being too hysterical," she answered in a whisper, "Too weak and too many chaotic emotions. Not a good example for Arrancar soldiers."

"Do you not understand?" Aizen said, clearly questioning his Espada's intelligence, "Ulquiorra saw this as 'temporal regression' or 'spatial regression'."

"No way, no human could possess such an ability. It can't be-!" Luppi said, making a bigger mistake of himself by reacting so beneath that of an Espada. They do have standards.

"Correct. But this is neither," said Aizen staring at Orihime with the interest of a scientist looking at a pinned little butterfly, "This is 'The Rejection of Events'. Her ability is to limit, reject, and negate any kind of event that has happened to her target. It is an ability that can return a target to a former state, no matter what has happened. That is even better than 'temporal regression' or 'spatial regression'. It easily tramples the horizon of events God has decided. It is a power that trespasses into god's territory."

That something inside Agito that's been perking up since it's seen Orihime's ability fucking cackled. A bubble of hysteria rose up in Agio's chest and she couldn't stop herself from grinning like a loon, thankfully there was no one to see her break of character.

She didn't understand why it was reacting in such a way but in little trickles of knowledge, she figured it out.

A power that trespasses into god's territory? What Orihime had was an ice cube compared to the whole oceans of what a real god could do. It was humorous to the creature within that Aizen, who prided himself in being 'closest to god', fell so short to actual true knowledge of the gods. The gods weren't horizontal beings that followed time like dogs to their master. Gods need not listen to the demands of time. Time was a bitch that took the gods dick with spread legs. To deny the occurrence of events was nothing but childs play to beings whose very willpower defines their conscious and existence.

Orihime was a human child with a drop of cast off godly power. And Aizen was panting over that. It was hilarious.

Luckily, Agito was able to push down the need to taunt Aizen for his shallow understanding of what he should truly fear. She schooled her features down to her impassive self and kept silent as the floor moved on the the next act.

"Hey girl," Grimmjow called, testing his new arm which moved just as well as the original, "Fix up one more spot."

"What are you planning, Grimmjow?" asked Luppi, rightfully knowing that this wasn't going to end well. Orihime did as Grimmjow requested, healing over the scar tissue that marked over his Espada rank. Lilynette leaned back against Agito to whisper, "They're gonna die, aren't they?"

There was only one answer she could give.

"Yes." Within one second and the next, Grimmjow had sonido'd over to Luppi, impaling the Arrancar through the gut with just his bare hand.

"You son of a-!!!" Luppi cursed, blood swelling up his throat and dripping down onto the floor. Grimmjow was grinning so ecstatically, no one could fault him for his joy. Everyone could feel the returning pulse of power that had originated from the blue-haired Espada originally but had dropped with his missing arm and had now returned. It was a rather joyous occasion and Grimmjow did so love to celebrate with fresh blood.

"That's how it goes," he mocked before pointing his fingers in Luppi's direction, powering up a cero, "Later, Former-Sexta."

With a single blast of a cero, and not even a very powerful one, Luppi's top half of his body was gone. Grimmjow started cackling his glee, "It's back!! My power is back!! I am number six! It's Sexta Espada, Grimmjow!!"

For a long while did he laugh. Blood soaking onto the tile and touching the tips of his shoes. Agito glanced back at Aizen for his expression and was surprised to see how bored he looked. She would have thought he would enjoy this play of events. He did so love watching his toys fight for his attention.

But as he looked now, something changed. Agito didn't know if it were good or bad.

"Congratulations, Grimmjow," Aizen said drawing attention back to him, "Welcome back into the fold. Now, let's finish some business here before we all go our separate ways. Orihime Inoue."

The human girl jumped in surprise that her name was being called. Just from watching the violent display before her, she was pale and nearly sick. But she held it together and even though there was something that called for her to heal the dead Arrancar, she did not do it. She didn't think it would be appreciated by anyone.

"Orihime," Aizen called, "For your excellent services for our comrade, you will be placed under the best care Hueco Mundo will provide. I want you to meet someone very precious to me, mi Reina, Agito Diabolos."

Agito patted Lilynette on her shoulder, silently telling her to stay in the shadows, before stepping into the light to be the full focus of her audience. Orihime's eyes widened at the sight of her. Agito kept her face passive.

The last time she had seen the traitor, Ichigo's godmother, she was dressed in a gown and pretty jewels. Now though she wore a pure white, fitted suit with her hair cut and styled and honestly, this look fit Agito so much better than at 'costly Lady' outfit she wore before.

Aizen dismissed everyone and with a few jumps of sonido, the Espada and their entourage were gone except for a chosen few. Agito strolled down to her new charge, knowing exactly what Aizen had planned with this move. Aizen wanted to hurt Ichigo. What better way was it to kidnap his friend and make his godmother the jailer. It was exquisite irony.

"Come," Agito ordered the girl, passing by, "Follow me."

Orihime followed. They left the King's Court and walked down the twisting halls of Las Noches. The girl would never find her way around. They went down deeper until Agito knocked on a slab of wall. At first, Orihime was confused until the wall slid open. A door! A hidden door!

"Evening, Arachnid-san," Agito called. Orihime quickly followed after her before the door can close.

"Reina," said an Arrancar with six arms and two legs, all of them moving with their own purpose. His hair were more like bristles than hair, a dark plum color. His mask looked more like goggles that covered his forehead but the goggles had four big lenses. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"This human girl," Agito said and Orihime flinched at being so casually demeaned to her species, "She needs a uniform."

"Is there anything you have in mind?" asked the spider Arrancar, looking over Orihime's form as if he were looking at a doll's measurements.

"Think ... princess," Agito said, spit out the word like pus on her tongue. The Arrancar stiffened up and was it Orihime's imagination or did the Arrancar bristles ... bristle?

"Reina..." the hollow said with a hiss, trying his best to be respectful even in his anger.

"I know," Agito agreed, "It's what Aizen wants and what he does not understand."

"Tch," the hollow cursed, "The girl will die swiftly."

"She's under my protection," Agito said, "Now how about that uniform?" Dutifully, the Arrancar did as he was told. If the human's uniform had to be in the style the Shinigami's liked, then that was what he must do. Aizen-sama and his Shinigami followers had a very different style cut compared to the other Espada and Arrancars in need of a uniform. Where Arrancars thought of rather bold clothing styles and choices, the Shinigami seemed to believe the more simpler the cut, the more fear they inspired.

So he made an Arrancar princess dress, rebelling with Aizen's choice of princess by making the uniform a bit childish with the excessive shoulder pad. He was finished with the girl's uniform before his anger really took it's control on the dress. Orihime changed into the gown and grew sad when Agito burned her human clothing with a simple lift of a finger. They left the Loom and walked through the halls.

Orihime stared at the back of Agito's head, trying her best to understand her jailer.

She was Ichigo's godmother. She was Tatsuki's beginner Karate sensei. She came with them to Soul Society and betrayed them. It seemed very simple but it was actually confusing because Ichigo loved his godmother.

Orihime knew Ichigo saw his godmother as more of a familial role model. She didn't know much about the connection between the two but she remembered a few times where the red head came to school all smiles and laughter, talking about his weekend with his godmother. Those days were few and far between but the connection there was strong. Orihime learned to trust it. She trusted Agito when she appeared and said that she was returning to Soul Society. And then...

She betrayed everyone.