The wish-granting shrine II: A father's selflessness

[Deleted]

Yet another Sunday was beginning in Karakura Town. Just like many other nights, Caballero had been patrolling around their 'hometown' (at least, that was what they had decided Karakura was), making sure that no Hollows would be prowling about and sending some Pluses into Soul Society via their Purification Blade. No hostile encounters had taken place through the entire night, which made Caballero pretty happy. The best way to deal with Hollows was to kill them, but it was best if they didn't appear to wreck havoc in the city in the first place. The little knight got a little cocky and thought that maybe, the reason why they were not invading so much as of late was because word was spreading that they were around. Of course, the tiny bean hadn't stopped to think that they never let any of the ones they saw escape, so either the rumors had been started by some other Hollows they had missed, or they were just plain wrong.

Regardles, Caballero's patrol was done for the night, so they had decided to take a little breather by resting on top of a very familiar mountain with a very familiar shrine. Between their transformation into a Gillian, their development into an Adjuchas, and everything that had transpired during those times, it had been a long time since they had rested there on a Sunday, which meant that they were absolutely oblivious to a phenomenon that had been going for quite a while now; ever since a certain girl came to that very same shrine on the last day of the week to wish for her lost puppy back.

While the sun was rising, everything was as normal. Birds chirping, the sky becoming more and more blue by the minute, and Caballero just relaxing, sitting there and kicking their stubby little feet, enjoying the day. An hour later, some people had begun climbing the steps toward the shrine. An hour and a half later, there was probably one of the longest lines of humans Caballero had ever seen, conversing amicably about things like wishes, desires, and how great it would be if they ever came to pass. The tiny bean enjoyed the positive atmosphere and being surrounded by humans, so much so that they got a bit distracted and didn't realize that the clock had stroke 9:30am, which was immediately followed by a loud clap and words from the first person in line.

"Please, o spirit of the Shrine, benevolent and mighty as you are! Let me pass my certification exams to become a doctor and I will be eternally grateful!"

The shock nearly made Caballero fall from their seat, as they were not appreciative of the loud noises coming right next to their face. They missed the fact that the man had shoved the money right into the shrine, so they would feel no sense of kinship or camraderie to the man that had just yelled in front of them.

"You're doing it wrong! You're supposed to hold it out, and then put it on the shrine!" someone else yelled.

They didn't really do anything once the man turned and left, leaving way to the next, a couple that were tightly wrapped around each other's arm. Caballero didn't really understand that at first, but when they, too, yelled their wish a bit too loud for their taste, the Hollow decided that it may be time to leave. They didn't want to get away from the park, however; it was nice. As such, they quickly jumped off of the tree, and using air ground and Tendón, reached for a tree where they could safely rest as well as watch all those people. A Hollow might try to attack them, after all.

Still, the humans would continue to do that strange thing of dropping what Caba now understood to be money, and what was an hour soon turned to two, then three, then four... More and more people would continue visit the shrine, asking for wishes and good fortune. Mostly young people, since they were the ones that believed more in this kind of stuff. All of them seemed to be smiling, having a good time, enjoying what had become a novelty attraction in town, which made Caballero happy. The line wasn't as big, but there was still plenty of people that Caballero needed to look out for, and thus they didn't move away from their tree branch until the sky was beginning to turn orange with the first signs of dusk. Only then, when peace and quiet returned to the shrine, did Caballero return to their previous sitting spot atop the small box on the monument. It was now chock-full of Ryo, Ryo that they would obviously not take as it hadn't been handed to them.

Right when they were thinking on returning to their nightly patrol, all rested up--and a bit hungry, so they may need to snack on a Hollow or two--, however, someone else walked up the steps leading to the shrine. He was a man on his mid-fourties, with bags under his eyes, a six-o-clock shadow, and whose step lacked any sort of pep or life. He was more like a zombie as he slowly walked over to the shrine where Caba was sitting. Of course, the man couldn't see them, and even if he could Caba would have not been in any danger. There was no spiritual energy whatsoever coming out of him at a glance. Thus, the little Hollow remained there, curious about the latest visitor to the shrine. They didn't want to be yelled at again, but at the same time, their positive aura quickly picked up on the fact that the man before them was not okay.

As the man stopped in front of the shrine, he broke out into a chuckle, then into soft laughter. It was not an amused, entertained laugh, but rather the last alternative of a broken man who was on the brink of despair, and knew it.

"Damn it all... what the hell am I even doing here? Have I really gone this delusional?" he said, bringing a hand to his face and shaking ever so slightly. Caba leaned forward, thinking that the man might be talking to them, after all. Since their energy sensing abilities were practically non-existent, it was a possibility. The man walked closer to the shrine, then peeked at the opening where people had put their Ryo. It was packed to the brim.

"Agh, I feel so stupid right now. This is nothing more than a con to get more earnings for the shrine. And even if it wasn't, people are leaving so much Ryo, it's not even worth trying."

Caballero wanted to tell this man that, whatever he wanted to do, it was always worth trying once more. Unfortunately, they lacked any sort of vocal chords to do so... and the man wouldn't have been able to hear them, anyway. However, the man sighed and uttered a simple "let's just get this over with". He then put his hands together, not with a clap but with a slow motion that made absolutely no noise; already a plus for the Hollow. The man then broke into speech again, but this time, his voice wavered just a little bit.

"God, or gods... are you truly out there? My name is Aki Kitagawa. I'm not here to ask you for anything for me. I... I came to ask for my little daughter's life."

"Her name is Kanae, and she's five years old. She is always smiling, and is kind to everyone she meets, no matter what. At one point she got angry with me because I scolded her for getting into a fight with someone, until I found out that it was so that her friend would not be bullied anymore." A faint smile appeared on his lips as he spoke. Caballero immediately understood just how much love and affection this man had for her daughter, which made them lean a bit closer, if only because of how much those kind of traits drew someone with an aura as positive as theirs.

"My wife... she died shortly after giving birth. I promised I would always take care of our daughter, no matter what. Kanae is both everything and the only thing I have left. And now, she's... she's gotten sick. Something is happening to her, and nobody can help her. I worked two jobs so I could get enough money to take her to the best doctors I could find. None of them were able to even discover what was going on with her. By all medical records, they say should be fine... b-but she isn't."

Caballero listened intently, and felt a pang of pain surge through them as they saw one lonely tear stream down the man's cheek. After that, another one followed. By the way his voice quivered, he was doing everything in his power to hold them back. "Kanae is lying in bed, shaking and afraid, suffering every second. She doesn't have a fever, but she's losing color, as if her soul was leaving her body. At times... at times it seems she won't wake up. And I can't do anything to help her! I'm incapable of saving the only thing I care about in this world. I can't keep the only promise I made to my wife! What kind of a horrible father am I, god?"

The man then put the money right next to Caballero instead of shoving it into the shrine, as everyone else had done. Then he took one step back, and fell to his knees. One second later, he had kowtowed toward the shrine, forehead firmly pressed against the ground. More and more tears were escaping through the cracks now.

"I'm begging you. If this money can't save Kanae, I don't need it for anything. Take it and help me. Please."

Caballero's natural empathy made them feel an immediate sense of kinship toward Aki Kitagawa. They couldn't understand what he was going through, but the pain was reflected on them. Aki was not asking for anything for himself. He just wanted to save his daughter. Soon after, the man raised himself again from the kowtow, clapped both hands together again, and left after having burned his one last hope to save his daughter Kanae. The tiny Adjuchas looked at the stack of Ryo. They remembered the time they had helped that young human, Hana, find her lost dog Mitsu. She had given them that so they would help her, right? And this man, he needed their help, too. Having reached a decision, Caballero safely took the money and put it to safety within them. They still didn't understand money, but they knew it held Aki's last hope.

The man turned to give the shrine one last look, and had to wipe his eyes twice. A strange expression took over his features. The money was no longer there, where he had left them. "Hello? Is anyone there?" he ventured out, quickly trying to dry up any remaining tears in fear of being seen crying. There was no answer. He was taken aback, but immediately rationalized it as someone having taken the Ryo, only to run into hiding the very next second. He didn't care. That money was useless, since it couldn't save Kanae in any way. Better for someone else to use it for something they needed. What Aki Kitagawa had failed to realize was that a tiny little someone had been listening to his pleas. They were no god, nor omnipotent--far from it. But they would at least try to help him in any way they could.

Thus, Caballero took to the skies with air ground, always making sure to follow closely on Aki's trail as he stumbled back home, drained as only a man whose world was crumbling apart around him could ever be. The knightly Adjuchas soared through the air of Karakura, keeping a dutiful eye on the human until he took a sudden turn and entered a very small house in a very quiet part of the city, one the tiny being admittedly visited less due to having less Plus and humans to look out for. Without thinking, Caballero descended as well, trying to peek through the open windows to see what they would be able to find.

[Deleted]

As soon as Caballero reached the house, their attention was drawn to a window that Aki opened. Curious, the tiny Hollow allowed themselves to descend so that they could take a peek at what was inside the house. There, the Adjuchas was privy to a sight that made their non-existent heart sink to the air ground they were just standing on. They shouldn't have been surprised, as they already knew what was going on from Aki's explanation at the shrine (although they were fully unaware that he hadn't actually been talking to them). On what was clearly a child's room, due to the colors, the toys and the small-sized bed that she may outgrow someday, a very small human rested, clearly shaking. Her face was covered in sweat, and her tiny little hand weakly clutched at her father's index finger, while he caressed her cheek with the other free hand. All the while he would talk gently to her, saying that work had been good that day, that she would get well soon, that she only needed to hold on a little more. Soon she'd be back in school with her friends, playing the games she liked, smiling like she used to.

The girl was unconscious, and Caballero was not sure that she would be able to hear him. But they could. An immense sadness took over the tiny Adjuchas, who entered the room to investigate just as the father left. Kanae's skin was deathly pale already, and she was somehow still losing color. Upon closer inspection, however, the tiny Adjuchas saw acidic touch marks that extended not alongside the skin, but... inside? They followed the dark blue veins, contrasting greatly against that unhealthy skin, guiding them all the way behind the bed, where they some tendrils formed something akin to a mycelium that joined together into a small tube. That small tube was completely spiritual in nature, and something was flowing through it. It made its way to the floor, to a tiny, barely noticeable hole in the bedroom wall, away from any tall adult's sight. Caballero could've cut it right then and there, but that would make the source suspicious.

No, Kanae would have to hold on a bit longer. They would use this to track down whatever the tube was leading toward.

The Adjuchas didn't lose any time, although it took them a little more than anticipated to find the tube outside, given their own dismal energy sensing abilities. Their usual stubbornness, however, was rewarded by finding the tube soon enough, leading them not too far away from the home, to the basement inside one of the neighboring ones. No wonder Caballero hadn't been able to spot it before. It was so well hidden that, during their nightly patrol, it seemed that everything was fine. Withered tubes were leftover on that yard, as if they had died after fulfilling their mission. Had Caballero had any nose, they would've seen the house smelled rank with death.

Quietly, they slipped into the basement, and what they found was nothing short of a bizarre sight. A Hollow, a big, fat Hollow that was just lying on its side, with tubes connected directly to its stomach. There was nothing else there other than the sheer gluttonny represented by that beast, for there was nothing else that interested this Hollow than feeding. "Ho ho ho! A snack, delivered right next to my door?", it said, clearly referring to the Adjuchas. "Well, no thanks, darling. I've already found quite a more nutritious meal, and I plan on making it last for as long as I can."

The Adjuchas didn't say anything. It simply stared, quiet and silent, piecing everything together in their mind. Mistaking that for staring at the meal, the big fat Hollow laughed again. "I'm feeling generous today, darling. See this house right next to us? The father must still be taking care of his pup. He isn't as rich in power as her, but he would make for a snack worthy of someone your... size. Go! Go feed on him! I may seem generous, but the truth is, I do dislike when someone watches me while I eat!"

Caballero's anger didn't burn today. It was not a white-hot explosion that would propel them to slaughter this damned monster and turn it into mincemeat. No, it was a quiet rage, a deathly chill like a polar wind that would freeze anything and everything on its path. And it was directed straight at this Hollow, who was gorging itself on the soul of someone who couldn't even defend herself. This creature, if one could call it such, was causing such wonderful humans so much pain. There was no way Caballero would ever let this stand. Their body contracted for a moment in sheer killing intent, making the monster burp at them with disinterest, as if it could not be bothered to even face the Adjuchas. It clearly possessed no Energy Sensory abilities.

"What is it? Do you want a turn or somet-"

Immediately, Caballero's Gravitational Pressure began pressing down on the slothful Stray. It may have become more powerful by feeding, but it was still nothing more than a Stray. Caballero's sheer power weighed down on the creature like a heavy stone, crushing it against its own fat belly. A pained gasp escaped its lips as it fought its best against the weight, but was ultimately unable to do anything. Silently, Caballero approached, drawing not the purification blade, but creating Filo from their body and holding it at their side.

"P-Please... let me... go..." it wheezed, allowing the pressure to squeeze its lungs even more. But Caballero would not let up. If anything, that petition made them double down on the pressure before they raised their blade. This monster would be cut down to pieces right then and there. With steel-like efficiency, Caballero methodically sectioned every weak spot of the monster, ensuring to prolong its demise for as long as it could. This creature didn't deserve mercy; it deserved pain. A pig, preying on innocent humans and laughing about it. How dare it? How dare it even exist, really? Before Caballero was done, the monster had already expired. Filo was only stopped by the fat and fib transforming into Reishi as the creature dissolved. The tiny Adjuchas would not even consider eating this monster. It deserved oblivion, Hell, whatever it was.

After it died, however, something coalesced from the tubes. It fell slowly, almost like a leaf, but looked liquid in form. Caballero quickly used Tendón to capture it with great care, as it felt extremely familiar. The moment its tendrils touched it and formed a cup, the Hollow saw a flash of Kanae's mind, one that was extremely quick from their perspective, one that was easily forgotten the very next second. Slightly confused, the tiny bean made its way back toward the Kitagawa's home, carefully entering the bedroom again from the window. The closer they got, the more the substance they were holding pulsed. It became lighter the closer it got to Kanae, and thus Caballero was instinctively drawn toward her. Carefully, they deposited it right above her... and the glowing spirit liquid, a soul turned into that form by the powers of that filthy Hollow, returned to its rightful owner.

The tiny bean didn't know what else they could do. They waited a little, but nothing seemed to happen. At the very least, Kanae had stopped shaking, which would bring some solace to Aki. Hoping that the girl would wake up one day, Caballero turned toward the window, ready to leave, when a rustling of the covers made them turn. The young girl yawned, and stretched out her limbs as if she had just woken up from a very long nap. Her color was rapidly returning. Caballero would've celebrated, but they figured it was best if they left. More like that Hollow could be holed up in Karakura, and now that they knew, they needed to go back to their usual patrol-

"Oh, hello! Who are you?"

[Deleted]

Caballero's eyes would've opened wide, had they had any. Kanae was sitting on her bed, arms resting gently on the covers, and she was looking straight at them. Caballero tentatively pointed one stubby little arm at themselves, as if in question. This promptly made Kanae giggle in amusement. "Yes, of course I mean you! What's your name?" she asked again, bright like the sun that was setting on the horizon. Caballero was taken aback by the sudden question, for it was one for which they had no answer. Some of their friends had taken to call them by different monickers over their life as a Hollow. 'Kishi', 'squirt', and 'little warrior' were some that came to mind. But a name, a real name...

"Wait... you don't have one?" Kanae asked, tilting her head in confusion. Caballero gave a slow negation with their head, and surprise took over her face. Kanae's mouth fell agape, as if she could not believe what she was hearing--well, seeing, actually. "That's not good. Everyone should have a name! Why don't you come here and we'll think of one together?"

The tiny Adjuchas had to leave, but they didn't have the heart to leave her alone now. Instead, they complied with her request, getting a little closer to the bed where she was now sitting, although still partially under the covers. Kanae looked up to the ceiling, and Caballero did the same, imitating her thoughtful expression. Then, a lightbulb turned on for her.

"How about... Mister white mask?" she said with a smile before immediately frowning. "No, I don't like it. It's boring!"

Caballero had no means to tell whether that was true or not, but they nodded anyway. It was good to see her in such high spirits after such a short time. In fact, now that they looked at her better... she really seemed spiritually powerful. With her energy back, it was no wonder she was recovering that fast. All of a sudden, her eyes caught wind of the Purification Blade that they were carrying behind their back.

"Oh! Is that a sword? Can I see? Pretty pretty please?"

The Hollow pondered on the implications of giving a sword to a child. On one hand, it was their purification blade. It didn't cut, it simply sent Plus and Hollows to Soul Society. On another, she may mistakenly activate it if she had any sort of Reiatsu, or it might drain her to perform Konso, which may not be advisable in her state. Ultimately, Caballero was about to decline, but found it impossible to say no. Thus, before handing it over, they charged it themselves so it would glow a little.

"Wooow! It glows blue!", she exclaimed, marveled. "It's like a knight's! Are you a knight, mister?"

A... a knight? Caballero was not sure that was the truth, but then again, they knew very little about themselves. "You know? I was having a dream before. A very, very bad dream! There was this big monster that wanted to eat me, and I was trapped there!" she exclaimed, her voice carrying over to the corridors of her home. "But then, a knight came to the rescue! They were so tall, and had an armor that was so shiny and sparkly, and they also had a cape! Their helmet had biiig horns, but he didn't look scary at all! And then, he fought the monster and beat it in just one strike, like bam! Bum! Hyah!", she said with great excitement, making gestures with her fists as if her bring the story to life.

Caballero was taken aback by her words. Either the monster's ability induced nightmares, or this young woman's spiritual gift went beyond just having a little energy. Perhaps... perhaps she was like Hikari?

Of course, Kanae was preoccupied with her own thing, watching the tiny Adjuchas. Not once had she displayed any fear of them. "Hmmm... You look different, but you also look a lot like that knight, mister! Only very, very small", she said, returning the blade to them. Her eyes then lit up as she looked at the tiny Adjuchas.


"Oh! I think I know what to name you! How about... Caballero?"


Caballero made a flourish with it to entertain her a bit, and then placed it right where it belonged, on their back. However, at that moment, the tiny Adjuchas's attention was drawn to the heavy, rushing footsteps coming from the corridor. They could only belong to one person, a parent so desperate that his gruff voice was almost shrill as he called out for her daughter. "Kanae?! Kanae, is that you?!"

"Daddy!" she returned, sounded as happy as ever. The adult burst into the room as quickly as he could, and then stopped dead cold on his tracks before the sight of Kanae looking at him, now incredibly confused. "Daddy? What's wrong?"

The man's chin began to quiver, then fully tremble. It looked as if all air had left his lungs as he took hesitant steps toward the bed, fearing that this would be just a cruel fantasy played by a tired brain that just wanted to see his daughter smile once again. However, when that same daughter smiled again, he finally walked to the bed and took her on his arms, embracing her tightly. "...Nothing! Nothing's wrong, Kanae! Nothing's wrong now!"

"Daddy, you're itchy!" she complained a bit, but Kanae was still giggling. The father took heed and separated her for a moment, as if to see her better. "You know? I was having this bad dream with a monster, and a knight came to the rescue! And then I saw another little knight. They are veery small, like me, and have a big head with big eyes! They look so friendly!"

The father broke into genuine laughter, happiness and relief overflowing from it. "It looks like that dream ended well, with two knights saving you!"

The daughter pouted a bit, as if taking offense for a moment that she was not taken seriously. "What? No! The other one wasn't a dream, daddy. Look, look right... there?"

Kanae pointed to nothing but empty space. Caballero was no longer there, but rather outside the window, watching the scene for a little moment. They were truly happy that the family was finally whole again, as whole as it could possibly be now, that was. They wondered whether Aki's wife would be in Soul Society, waiting for her. They needed to hide, as Aki walked over to the window as if to close it, with Kanae still on his other arm. However, before he did, he smiled brightly and talked to the apparent open space. He didn't care if he seemed insane. His little daughter was back; nothing else mattered to him.

"Whoever you are, god or something else... thank you. I owe you my daughter's life, and my own as well. We will come back to your shrine every Sunday, I promise!"

Thus, Caballero left the happy family alone, unaware that the story of this miracle, which would appear all over the newspapers in Karakura Town, would only bring more and more people to their resting spot. Maybe they would need to find a new one... but that was far into the future. For the time being, the legend of the wish-granting shrine would continue to grow, whether the skepticals believed in it or not.

[THE END]

[Col Arana]

Some paragraphs were a bit short so I combined them. Final count for 41 paragraphs, total of 12,300 Ryo