An unlikely ally [Scarlet | "Training"]

[Scarlet]

Kneeling down on the ground wasn’t a form for table position, but at the moment Hikari felt the weakness in her legs. If she tried to get up and start walking hastily then she was certain she’d fall. She had to wait and gather her strength enough that she could manage back to her home. The large Hollow was gone now with its body fading away into nothingness and the tiny Hollow with its cracked mask seemed just as wounded if not more so than she was. What Hikari hadn’t been expecting though was for the tiny Hollow to make its way over towards her.

She’d only seen a couple of Hollows so far yet all of them had been for the most part very animalistic, seeking out people that they’d devour in order to quell the hunger inside of them. Hikari could understand to some degree why that was a thing, having been hungry in the past. But the concept of hunger actually breaking the mind was terrifying. Now she had to question though why this tiny Hollow seemed to be fully capable of normal thoughts and actions. As a Hollow shouldn’t it be acting the same as the one they’d just brought down?

It didn’t make any sense for the tiny Hollow to attack her now after they’d just worked together. It was hurt just as badly as she was now, if not more so. Hikari could tell based on how she was feeling and the pain that was surging throughout the specific spots on her body, she was hurt enough that fighting, it wasn’t really possible. She’d reached a limit to her body that she couldn’t push past, not yet anyway and although her ax was now on the ground by the bodies, she wouldn’t be able to use it if the Hollow attacked her.

“Don’t waste time, everyone go back to your bodies. I think you can split back in.”

Hikari wasn’t really sure if what she said had any truth to it. All she knew was each person had a chain connecting them to their bodies. She’d heard that one only becomes a Hollow after the chain is broken. She wasn’t certain if that meant they were still dead or not but the connection was something she had a feeling wasn’t just meaningless. As for the Hollow well it didn’t show any signs of aggression. Hikari struggling to stand back up places pressure on her major wound to stop most of the bleeding.

Looking down at the small Hollow Hikari would give a look of puzzlement for a moment then follows up with a large grin and a nod downwards of her head. A sign of acknowledgment and repast towards the little Hollow. “Thanks for the help.” Hikari wouldn’t waste any further time walking over slowly to the bodies and her ax. Over the next minute or so the souls of the citizens would slip back inside themselves and Hikari would manage to place her ax on her back once again and start to make her way back home, where her grandfather would no doubt begin screaming at her for getting so hurt when she wasn’t even back to full strength to begin with. “Keep up what you’re doing little buddy, I don’t want to cut you up like the big guy next time I see you.”

[Deleted]

Well, it seemed that Caballero was not the only stubborn individual. At the very least, the human that had become their ally matched them in that regard. In spite of her multiple injuries, both past and new, Hikari still forced herself back on her feet. The tiny Hollow was no medic, so they couldn't be sure, but the way she was bleeding was definitely not good. They attempted to tell her to be careful, but alas, speech was something beyond them, and that was not simple enough that they could quickly express it with Tendón. Thus, they couldn't do much but watch carefully in case she fell or she needed some support.

It looked like this would not be necessary, however, and she proceeded to put pressure on her wound, staunching the bleeding... a little bit. She looked at Caballero as if slightly confused, but then nodded at them and gave them a friendly smile. "Thanks for the help." From there, Hikari would go on to retrieve her axe, which of course hadn't dissolved alongside the Hollow. This was a real weapon, not a spiritual one. She placed it on her back, where she would be able to carry it back home, and bid adeu to Caballero, telling them to keep up the good work.

The tiny Hollow, whose childish disposition rendered them a sucker for praise, jumped up and down in excitement--only to regret it as their aching body reminded them that they were in no shape to do something like that. Thus, they would have to content themselves with simply waving her goodbye. Caballero wasn't too aware that they didn't even know her name; for the little knight, them having fought off that Hollow and saved those humans together was more than enough to consider her their friend. Needless to say, this also meant that they would be a little sad to see her go on her own way, but the little Hollow needed to regroup and lick their wounds. Plus, their friend hadn't said goodbye, so in Caballero's mind, she'd be back sooner or later, right?

With that misguided reasoning, the tiny being stood in the middle of the shopping district, alone, their chipped blade on their back. It most likely wouldn't hold on for much further now, but the thought that it could break never even registered Caballero's mind. After all, a Shinigami's Zanpakuto did not break... or did it? Lack of knowledge about the very people they were trying to emulate aside, Caballero turned away, wanting to just sit and recover. Their Reiatsu body would recover in given time, like it had done so before in the past. As a Hollow would, they crawled back into the shadows of the alleyways in Karakura town, hoping to get at least some rest in a place they would not be so exposed.

All the while, the Hollow thought back on the large monster they had just killed. This was the second time Caballero had ended up consuming a Hollow, if only by pure instinct, and only now was their conscious mind catching up to this fact. Alongside their hunger, although infinitely smaller for the time being, the tiny being would also be able to hear the cries of anguish of the Hollow soul they had consumed. It would be fine, it would be fine. Just their enemies, trying to spook a Shinigami! Just how crafty could these Hollows be?

Thus, with the human authorities already under way to evaluate the damage and help those who had been injured, the little being retired themselves, happy to have been able to help, and to have made a new friend.

OOC: Total consumption for the thread is x1 Class 7 Hollow!

[Koshka Volkov]

Counted 100 paragraphs even, so that'll be 500 TP to both participants!

Caballero gains an additional 50 TP for consumption, n' naturally any non-consumption TP used for CTP is halved due to being a JT~!