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[Enter from 4th Squad with Ami (she'll post, too ^^)]

Aislinn slowed to a quick trot as she neared the entrance to the Labyrinth. This was a way she'd never come before. For one thing, she'd never have been able to normally gain clearance for an area like this, not when she was so inexperienced. For quite another, Ash instinctively would have avoided the entrance to the arrancar domain. Even the air around it felt cold and unwelcoming. It didn't take animal instinct to tell her that this place was dangerous.

She sensed her Alpha's presence as well as Zaine's familiar scent. She was reminded that their sixth seat was also going to accompany them. She hadn't taken much notice of him before, having been much too focused on the news she had delivered to Evil. Now, though, she appreciated his presence. Any ally would make Kasen's extraction that much more likely to succeed.

As she neared the pair of them, she slid seamlessly into her human form. She could sense the tension in the air, emanating both from Zaine and her captain. Evil contained that tension better than Zaine did, though. Ash supposed it was experience that kept Evil's outward appearance calm and she envied her for it. Ash never hid her emotions. Even now, her own restlessness manifested itself as a slight glow beneath her skin, as if flames flickered just under the surface. Usually she was good about keeping Summer's light out of her skin unless she needed it. Now, though, it was hardly worth checking its fire. She was angry and she didn't care who knew it.

Aislinn nodded to Zaine, giving him as much of a smile as she could muster before turning to address her captain. "Evil-taicho, this is Hateshinai Ai Ami, our healer," Ash said, knowing that Ami was already at her back. "Are we waiting for anyone else?"

It happened too fast. Or maybe the arrancar was just that good-- Ash would never be able to say. The entrance to the Labyrinth sprawled before them, silent, foreboding. There had been nothing to suggest a threat, no smell or sound or visual cue. And maybe that was the problem. Maybe it had been too quiet, like the calm just before a storm. There had only been the slightest pop, inaudible to human ears, and a breeze that played over Ash's skin. The hand that rested on her blade tightened out of reflex, though she sensed no threat.

And that was when Ami's arms were crushed to her sides, when her throat tightened as though choked off by an invisible hand. That was when Ami vanished.

"Ami!" Her name was the first word out of Aislinn's mouth, but it was a useless cry. She could no longer sense Ami anywhere. Her heart constricted as if the same invisible hand that had choked Ami had reached into her chest and had begun to squeeze her heart. The alarm that registered on Ash's face turned to panic. I can't breathe. It was as though she was paralyzed. She'd lost Ami. Fear made her feel as though she was going to be sick and the color drained form her face, leaving her as white as a sheet.

Just as suddenly, a fiery warmth flooded her chest and panic gave way to rage. She could feel the blood pounding in her temples and her eyes flashed, bright blue and angry. All at once, she forgot about her mission, forgot about Kasen and her Pack and her commander. She phased into her Lycan form with a threatening snarl, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Before anyone had the chance to stop her, she bounded forward into the Labyrinth, disregarding the inherent dangers of the ever-changing maze.

Her powerful form carried her quickly away from the group and into the confusing series of passageways that would eventually lead to Las Noches. She relied upon her superior sense of smell to guide her, moving steadily towards the dry, sandy smell that she assumed to be the deserts of Hueco Mundo and the end of the maze. As she ran, she remained only vaguely aware of the possibility of an enemy attack. Her every sense was bent on finding some small trace of Ami that would lead her in the right direction, but there was nothing-- not a spark of her spiritual pressure nor a hint of her comforting scent. Ash picked up her pace, baring her teeth in a snarl.

Aislinn slowed down to a steady lope, ears pricked forward as a voice called her name. The sound reverberated through the empty hallways, distorting and and echoing as it traveled. It wasn't the voice of anyone from the rescue party, yet it sounded oddly familiar. Still, Ash couldn't immediately place it. Her pelt puffed out as her hackles rose, making her seem even larger than she was. Ash might have been small by werewolf standards, but she was nearly five feet at the shoulder-- much taller than the average wolf. She wasn't bulky, though. Her muscles were lean and powerful beneath a healthy, silvery pelt that rippled as it rose aggressively.

She came to a stop as she found herself confronted by a sickly-looking boy who seemed to be about her age. He had a sinister look about him and, though his body glowed as though producing its own light, he had a darkness about him that made Ash incredibly wary. She rumbled a warning in her chest.

What do y' want? She demanded, too angry to be civil and too preoccupied with the loss of Ami to attend to him properly or even realize how strange it was that he knew her name. He was an obstacle, slowing her down when she needed to be running. She couldn't stand the thought of Ami alone in Las Noches, not without Ash to protect her.

Ash lowered her head and snarled threateningly as Powchii took a step forward. She tensed, ready to tackle him and tear his throat out if it came to that. She couldn't afford to waste time. All the same, Powchii's words rang with a hint of truth. Reason fought with the fury that made her thoughts hazy. She remembered this man, now. He was a Bount-- Powchii, if she remembered correctly. She'd met him a long time ago, coincidentally just after she'd met Nera. Or rather, just after Nera had nearly killed her. Powchii had healed her and then Kasen had taken her away.

She hadn't thought much about that day. It had heralded the first of her nightmares, but she had always attributed those to her experience with Nera. Having one's back broken was generally a traumatizing thing, so the nightmares of shadows and red eyes that woke her in a cold sweat were to be expected, or so Ash thought. She remembered feeling a certain heavy power since that day. It was latent, so she thought little of it, taking it to be some side effect of the Bount's obscure healing capabilities.

It hadn't really occurred to her that he would come looking for recompense. His words sounded threatening, but one particular phrase caught her attention and held it. A voice that didn't seem to be Powchii's mentioned 'her friend'.

Where is she? She asked immediately, muscles tensing with anxiety. Where's Ami?

Tell me where she is! Ash growled, lips pulling back to reveal sharp, white teeth. With the way Powchii was taunting her, she felt certain he knew more than he was letting on. She snarled again as he edged closer, feeling an odd coldness wash through her. The corridor in which they stood was getting darker and Ash rolled her shoulders forward, tail standing straight out in a clearly aggressive posture. Powchii had taxed the last of her limited patience.

Just as she poised to spring, he changed the subject entirely. Ash's sharp nails clicked against the floor as she halted her attack. What? She snapped, though she knew what he'd said. How could he know what she dreamed? She'd never told anyone about those nightmares, not Ami, not anyone. Who-- She stopped herself before she asked too many questions. She wasn't about to admit that Powchii was right. What are y' talkin' about? Quit wasting my time, 'less y' know where Ami is. If not, get out a' my way.

Her chest was cold, but she couldn't fathom why. She felt oddly weakened, as though something vital had been ripped out of her. What was Powchii doing to her? The hallway was nearly pitch black and Ash was glad for her lupine eyes that allowed her to see as clearly as though the corridor was still lit. It did little to ease her unease and only served to heighten her anger. She needed to get past Powchii now.