Challenge One

Challenger One:

Loki smirked as he looked on from the outside of the house. His fingers tapped his chin as if he was in deep thought. Taking a step forward, Loki started toward the home of his target. He looked at his hand as his form shifted to one not his own. As his skin paled and his frame became longer, Loki chuckled at the fun to be had. He knocked on the door as his vision became obscured by the thin metal frames rest on the bridge of his nose. A hand rested to the blade as his side.

"Satoshi?" questioned Vale as he opened the door. His eyes narrowed at the sight of his brother. "To what do I owe the pleasure...If I am owed one..." He rested a hand to the hilt of his blade.

"Rest easy, brother." said Satoshi, raising a hand to dismiss the worries of his brother. "Not a single harsh word or action toward each other could keep me away from my kin."

"Really?" Vale reaised a brow as he stepped to the side and invited his brother in. "I do not recall a harsh word and deed between us." His head tilted to the side as a hint of a smile tugged on his lips. "Forgive me. I often drink too much. What happened between us, brother? I do miss you so."

Loki growled internally as his form smiled. He raised a hand pushing the the thin frames along his nose. "Let the past remain the past, brother." He turned to face his brother. "Are you going to invite me to sit."

Vale extended a hand. "Please."

"I am curious, brother." said Satoshi, folding his legs beneath him as he sat at the end of the table. His brother sat across from him. "What will you do, now?"

"Now?"

"Yes." Satoshi slid a small saucer toward the center of the table. "You've become quite the wanted man on both sides. Sousuke Aizen seeks you. The Goeti 13 seeks you. Who, I wonder, will find you first?"

"Why? You've never shown interest in this before. Who I chose to bow to has never been your concern." Vale narrowed his eyes. "And, how do you know what Sousuke Aizen seeks?"

Satoshi blinked slowly as he placed his hands to the top of the table. "Rumor, brother. Or, so I hope that is all that it is."

"And, what of this rumor?"

"I hear he's looking for you. Something of distrust and disobedience."

"Really now?" Vale smirked. "Strange."

"Hm?"

"In all my years, I have never heard Sousuke Aizen use the term disobedience. Are you sure those were his words? Perhaps...Added by the passing of the rumor..."

"I heard the words myself, brother."

"Did you?" Vale chuckled. "How?"

"I..." Loki cursed himself. "As strange as it may be, he came to me. Disguised as a hollow, of all things." Satoshi shook his head. "He questioned me about her. And, your agenda."

"Why would he care to know that?"

"He claimed he wished to know the man who followed him." Satoshi sighed. "I told I knew nothing of what you were after. But, his asking served its purpose. And, now, I'm curious. What are you doing, brother?"

Vale sighed as he picked up the bottle of sake at the center of the table. He poured himself a glass after filling his brother's cup. "To be honest with you, Satoshi. This all started off as a means to an end. I wanted my revenge for the death of Erize. But, now...Now, I want to watch it all burn."

"The Gotei?"

"Every last one of them..." Vale nodded. "Aizen...the Bounts before him. They did nothing more than show the world the flaws and secrets of their perfect systems. A system the Gotei refuses to correct. I don't want them to correct or find a better means of doing it. I want it all to burn." Vale looked at Satoshi with narrowed eyes. "So, be gone when the first flame flickers."

Satoshi smirked as he raised his saucer to his lips. "That's rather poetic of you brother." He sighed as he took a sip then sat the saucer to the table. "If I could convince you to follow his tasks, and his alone, he said he would allow you to have her."

"Who?"

"Erize." said Satoshi. "There's an Espada who can bring her back, in some form, apparently."

Vale's eyes grew wide. Was this true? Was reclaiming his stolen love as simple as abandoning his path? "Erize...Will she be...Will she be her?"

"I don't know. But," Satoshi rose from his seat. He smiled as he down at his brother. "If I am to be frank, if having her back means sparring the lives of the masses...Does it not make sense to do this?"

"I don't care about them!" said Vale. "The masses...They didn't care about me...."

Satsohi walked toward the door, first stopping in front of the window to take in his reflection. "Then, do what you wish, brother. But, you Sousuke Aizen will not stop."

"He's asking for my loyalty."

"He's asking you to focus..."

Vale narrowed his eyes as he turned to face his brother. "So, that's his message, Loki? I need to focus?"

Loki smirked as he opened and stepped out of the door. He paused. "What gave it away, Master Tervaden?"

"Satoshi Tetsuya carries two blades. Always two. Remember that for the next time."