Twilight of the Idols
Prologue: One Hundred Years, Part One
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
~Excerpt from "Ozymandias," Percy Bysshe Shelley
=====
The fragmented pieces of one nation, after a long period of division, tend to unite. After a long period of unity, that selfsame nation tends to splinter. For as long as anyone knew, the three worlds were united under the banner of the Spirit King. The peace did not last. As the Spirit King's administration became more and more corrupt, rebellions began, first in the Quincy-dominated human world, then in Hueco Mundo, and finally in Rukongai itself. Sensing that his power was finally waning, the Spirit King abdicated and fled, leaving his authority in the hands of Captain-Commander Yamamoto and the Central 46. Law and order began to break down on as organized government collapsed, and anarchy swept in waves across the three worlds...
=====
It was a bright, sunny day in Seireitei. Several Shinigami ran across the rooftops of the Gotei 13 barracks, undoubtedly carrying urgent dispatches from the desk of the Captain-Commander himself. Students could be seen hurrying towards the walled compound of the Shinigami Academy.
"Stand! Bow!" A clear voice rang out as class began. "Thank you, everyone," the teacher said. "Welcome back to our history class. As you all know, once a year, our class hosts a speaker from the Gotei 13 as a guest lecturer. Normally, they send a fourth or fifth seat, but this year's guest is someone special. As always, it is a great privilege to have active-duty Shinigami come in to speak to us, and I trust that you will not do anything to revoke this honor. Without further ado, I ask you all to welcome Rukia Kuchiki, current Captain of the Fifth Division, who has come here today to speak to us about the Winter War." There was a small spatter of applause as a short, black-haired woman dressed in a captain's haori walked in.
"Thank you for having me," she said. "History is an integral part of any curriculum, whether here or in the human world. As Shinigami, you will be expected to study history so that you do not repeat the mistakes others have made. We study the past so that we may be prepared for the future. I will be telling you about one of the bloodiest periods in our long and illustrious history: the Winter War.
"As you all know, the Winter War began with the abdication of the Spirit King and the splitting of his realm into three kingdoms. I'm sure you've all heard parts of this story many, many times, whether it might be of bloody battles or court politics. The story I'll be telling, however, is the story that I was part of. It is one that Seireitei as a whole has chosen to ignore, one that very few members of the Gotei 13 lay credence to. I can attest to the truth of my story because I participated in the events that I am about to relate to you. Are there any questions?"
"Why would our society ignore the truth?" a student asked.
Rukia smiled sadly. "Sometimes, we ignore obvious facts because they contradict everything that we know. To accept what I am about to tell you as the truth, you need an open and flexible mind. It's easy to understand, but hard to accept, since it casts almost everything you've ever known about the other kingdoms in a new light. Are there any more questions? No? All right, everyone. Follow me."
As Rukia led the class out of the classroom and into the depths of the academy compound, she could hear some excited whispering from the student body. Finally, after much debating, one student asked a question.
"Captain Kuchiki?"
"Can I help you?"
"Where are we going?"
"You will find out when we get there." As the class reached a small, secluded courtyard near the middle of the academy, Rukia stopped and turned to face the class.
"Listen carefully, now. I will not repeat what I have to say. We will be leaving Seireitei for several hours. If anyone wishes to stay here, speak up now. You will not be penalized for not wishing to come along. This is your choice to make."
Nobody moved.
"Very well." She touched one of the stones on the moss-covered wall, revealing a darkened archway. "Follow me," the captain said, and led the class through.
The group stepped out into an open desert landscape. As the students looked around in awe, the captain spoke up. "Welcome to Hueco Mundo," Rukia said, "an endless expanse of white sands, the original home of the Arrancar. It was a cruel world, where only the strong survived. It was a lawless place, and the place where the Shinigami rule was the weakest. Combined with these conditions, rebellion after the fall was inevitable. This entire area was covered in small territories, each ruled by a Vasto Lorde class Arrancar. Eventually, these feudal territories were united under one banner, and this alliance formed the beginnings of the Republic of Las Noches. As I said, only the strongest survived for very long in the unforgiving desert. Our campaigns on their home territory did not go very well." She turned and pointed towards several stone figures visible in the distance. "That is a memorial dedicated to the Winter War. Come with me. I have a story to tell you."
The war memorial consisted of three granite statue and their pedestals centered around a smooth black obelisk near the center of a smooth glass crater. "This," Rukia said, walking down the slippery steps chipped into the side of the bowl-shaped depression, "is a monument to the three Arrancar who founded the Republic and who, almost single-handedly, ended the Winter War. The names of all who perished during the final battle are inscribed on the obelisk. It is due to the sacrifice of these noble souls that we may live in peace. Do not disparage their noble actions.
A student raised his hand. "Captain Kuchiki?" he asked. "May I ask a question?"
Rukia motioned for him to continue. "But I was told that all Arrancar are evil. They come from Hollow, which we're tasked to kill because of the destruction they cause. Aren't Arrancar then the same?"
"You may think they are evil," Rukia said, "but I know better. Have you met any Arrancar before? They are capable of kindness, but we hunt them down like animals because we fear the challenge to our authority which they represent. But let's get to the story.
"The events I am about to relate to you occurred over one hundred years ago, when I was still an unseated member of the Thirteenth Division. My story begins just after the collapse of the rule of the Spirit King..." Rukia looked up to the shimmering crescent moon, and began her story.
=====
Can also be found <a href='http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6339544/1/Twilight_of_the_Idols' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>here</a>.
Prologue: One Hundred Years, Part One
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
~Excerpt from "Ozymandias," Percy Bysshe Shelley
=====
The fragmented pieces of one nation, after a long period of division, tend to unite. After a long period of unity, that selfsame nation tends to splinter. For as long as anyone knew, the three worlds were united under the banner of the Spirit King. The peace did not last. As the Spirit King's administration became more and more corrupt, rebellions began, first in the Quincy-dominated human world, then in Hueco Mundo, and finally in Rukongai itself. Sensing that his power was finally waning, the Spirit King abdicated and fled, leaving his authority in the hands of Captain-Commander Yamamoto and the Central 46. Law and order began to break down on as organized government collapsed, and anarchy swept in waves across the three worlds...
=====
It was a bright, sunny day in Seireitei. Several Shinigami ran across the rooftops of the Gotei 13 barracks, undoubtedly carrying urgent dispatches from the desk of the Captain-Commander himself. Students could be seen hurrying towards the walled compound of the Shinigami Academy.
"Stand! Bow!" A clear voice rang out as class began. "Thank you, everyone," the teacher said. "Welcome back to our history class. As you all know, once a year, our class hosts a speaker from the Gotei 13 as a guest lecturer. Normally, they send a fourth or fifth seat, but this year's guest is someone special. As always, it is a great privilege to have active-duty Shinigami come in to speak to us, and I trust that you will not do anything to revoke this honor. Without further ado, I ask you all to welcome Rukia Kuchiki, current Captain of the Fifth Division, who has come here today to speak to us about the Winter War." There was a small spatter of applause as a short, black-haired woman dressed in a captain's haori walked in.
"Thank you for having me," she said. "History is an integral part of any curriculum, whether here or in the human world. As Shinigami, you will be expected to study history so that you do not repeat the mistakes others have made. We study the past so that we may be prepared for the future. I will be telling you about one of the bloodiest periods in our long and illustrious history: the Winter War.
"As you all know, the Winter War began with the abdication of the Spirit King and the splitting of his realm into three kingdoms. I'm sure you've all heard parts of this story many, many times, whether it might be of bloody battles or court politics. The story I'll be telling, however, is the story that I was part of. It is one that Seireitei as a whole has chosen to ignore, one that very few members of the Gotei 13 lay credence to. I can attest to the truth of my story because I participated in the events that I am about to relate to you. Are there any questions?"
"Why would our society ignore the truth?" a student asked.
Rukia smiled sadly. "Sometimes, we ignore obvious facts because they contradict everything that we know. To accept what I am about to tell you as the truth, you need an open and flexible mind. It's easy to understand, but hard to accept, since it casts almost everything you've ever known about the other kingdoms in a new light. Are there any more questions? No? All right, everyone. Follow me."
As Rukia led the class out of the classroom and into the depths of the academy compound, she could hear some excited whispering from the student body. Finally, after much debating, one student asked a question.
"Captain Kuchiki?"
"Can I help you?"
"Where are we going?"
"You will find out when we get there." As the class reached a small, secluded courtyard near the middle of the academy, Rukia stopped and turned to face the class.
"Listen carefully, now. I will not repeat what I have to say. We will be leaving Seireitei for several hours. If anyone wishes to stay here, speak up now. You will not be penalized for not wishing to come along. This is your choice to make."
Nobody moved.
"Very well." She touched one of the stones on the moss-covered wall, revealing a darkened archway. "Follow me," the captain said, and led the class through.
The group stepped out into an open desert landscape. As the students looked around in awe, the captain spoke up. "Welcome to Hueco Mundo," Rukia said, "an endless expanse of white sands, the original home of the Arrancar. It was a cruel world, where only the strong survived. It was a lawless place, and the place where the Shinigami rule was the weakest. Combined with these conditions, rebellion after the fall was inevitable. This entire area was covered in small territories, each ruled by a Vasto Lorde class Arrancar. Eventually, these feudal territories were united under one banner, and this alliance formed the beginnings of the Republic of Las Noches. As I said, only the strongest survived for very long in the unforgiving desert. Our campaigns on their home territory did not go very well." She turned and pointed towards several stone figures visible in the distance. "That is a memorial dedicated to the Winter War. Come with me. I have a story to tell you."
The war memorial consisted of three granite statue and their pedestals centered around a smooth black obelisk near the center of a smooth glass crater. "This," Rukia said, walking down the slippery steps chipped into the side of the bowl-shaped depression, "is a monument to the three Arrancar who founded the Republic and who, almost single-handedly, ended the Winter War. The names of all who perished during the final battle are inscribed on the obelisk. It is due to the sacrifice of these noble souls that we may live in peace. Do not disparage their noble actions.
A student raised his hand. "Captain Kuchiki?" he asked. "May I ask a question?"
Rukia motioned for him to continue. "But I was told that all Arrancar are evil. They come from Hollow, which we're tasked to kill because of the destruction they cause. Aren't Arrancar then the same?"
"You may think they are evil," Rukia said, "but I know better. Have you met any Arrancar before? They are capable of kindness, but we hunt them down like animals because we fear the challenge to our authority which they represent. But let's get to the story.
"The events I am about to relate to you occurred over one hundred years ago, when I was still an unseated member of the Thirteenth Division. My story begins just after the collapse of the rule of the Spirit King..." Rukia looked up to the shimmering crescent moon, and began her story.
=====
Can also be found <a href='http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6339544/1/Twilight_of_the_Idols' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>here</a>.