IGNITE.
In the cruel world of Hollows, only the strong survive, not the tiny and weak. But she's everything but weak.
In the eternal night of Hueco Mundo, the tiniest light can be spotted miles around. What about a raging fire?
"Ignite… Niña Zorra!"
Chapter 1 The fox, The bird and the gorilla.
Hueco Mundo isn't a place for the weak. You tend to get eaten rather quickly if that's the case. It's a dog-eat-dog world, in every senses of the term. Hollows, spirits that lost their hearts due to sentiments like anger, sorrow, despair, inhabit that place. Those hollows are divided into two categories: the 'normal' Hollows and the Menos.
In the dunes of the white desert, a tiny shadow was currently running the dunes. Panting, a very small Adjuchas-class menos was trying to outrun her pursuers.
The Hollow, very tiny by the Adjuchas standards, was mainly covered in what seemed to be white fur with blue tribal marking across the torso. She was on all four, with the white of her fur slowly fading to black at the end of her front and hind legs. A black tipped tail sprouted from her tailbone, and her hollow hole was located on her belly. Her mask was that of a fox, with two triangular ears tipped black and blue whiskers-like markings were on each of her 'cheeks'.
The little Hollow looked worse for wear. Her fur was caked in blood, her tail slightly bent, and numerous cuts were all over her body.
Far behind her, five Gillians were chasing her, led by two Adjuchas. One very bulky, looking like a bear, and one thinner and shorter, looked like a bird of prey of some sorts. The bear-like adjuchas had black leather-like skin, big claws in the place of fingers, was short-legged and had bone-like armor on him. The bird one was covered in black feather and had wings on his back. He had talons big enough to crush a skull. His mask had a large beak and four protuberances like a crown.
The two Hollows had one common goal: catch the fox Hollow and eat it. But she was sneaky, and hard to catch, even with three Gillians. But the moment will come, when eventually she'll get tired. And there, the fest will began.
The tiny fox Adjuchas had a rough life, even by Hollow standards. She vaguely remembered her days as a Gillian. She was sentient enough to lure others Gillians into thinking that she was weaker and then ate them. But soon her strength became too high to go unnoticed, and more and more Gillians tried to eat her. It was hard, and she had to be on guard every second. Her evolution to an Adjuchas came after a particularly bloody day. An entire pack of Gillians had ambushed her. She managed to kill them, but only barely.
Evolving felt… so great. So revitalizing. It was almost as a reborn. She became intelligent again… thought still feral, not completely…human, for the lack of better terms. She was stronger, faster. Her powers had developed slightly. But one detail spoiled the joy. She shrunk considerably.
Being small had advantages, that's for sure. You could escape pursuers easily, you were more slippery and your enemy had the habit to underestimate you. But the problem when you're being underestimated in Hueco Mundo is that you were guarantied to be ganged by flocks of Gillians and Adjuchas who wanted you for their snack.
Live as a tiny adjuchas was lonely, dangerous, and full of stress. But then again, hollows were not know for their socials skills. Heh.
She didn't have occasions to make comrades either. She had to eat. As an Adjuchas, she couldn't allow to not eat. If she didn't, she would regress into a Gillian and never be able to become an Adjuchas ever again.
In the contrary of other Adjuchas, whose period of hunger lasted days, her hunger could last entire month. And when that happened, every Hollow in the vicinity were hunted down and swallowed.
Back to present times, the tiny fox Adjuchas was reaching an area she knew very well: the Duna de Los Ganchos. (Dune of fangs.)
One of the rare area in Hueco Mundo that weren't covered in sand. In fact, it was a hill of jagged rocks, filled with holes, caves and spear-like stones. The perfect spot for one so small and fast. It was a natural trap for bigger Hollows.
The tiny hollow ducked under a arch of stone, and took position between four very sharp stones. The Gillians were coming first. Good. She crouched and patiently waited. Her tail was flailing in anticipation.
And then, it happened.
The lead Gillian ran straight at the rocks, which prevented him from advancing further more. There's one thing you should know, it's that the stones that composed the Duna de Los Ganchos were several time more resilient that the average Hierro. Now, normally, it wouldn't hurt a Gillian too much… except that the two other Gillians ran straight at their colleague, effectively impaling him on the rocks. The three of them couldn't advance, so they did the first thing their instinct told them to do: they charged a Cero.
The tiny Adjuchas smirked under her mask. It was exactly what she wanted. Without wasting time, fired quick Balas at the charging Ceros, causing them to explode in a deafening BOOOM.
The explosion created a plume of smoke and dust.
The adjuchas leaped into the air, swinging her tail in front of the Gillians.
"Cero Escarlata !"
A crimson blade-shaped wave of energy flew at the Gillians, decapitating them. Black blood rained everywhere. Their bodies fell in three loud thump and ceased to move. Their heads landed not too far.
The fox Adjuchas landed without difficulty behind the corpses of the Gillians, eying her two enemies fiercely.
"Well, guess that the gillians were not that useful in the end, neh, Oso?" Chuckled the avian Hollow.
"I told ya. Kuma." responded the bear Hollow "That little bitch is the most slippery Adjuchas in that part of Hueco Mundo, Kuma. She is far smarter than three mere Gillians, Kuma."
The tiny fox adjuchas growled at them.
"Oso, Serpentario. You've been pain in my side for quite some times." Her voice, though slightly distorted sounded clearly feminine. She stayed still as the two bigger Adjuchas began to circle her.
"Hoooo, the little foxy is showing her fangs? That's so cute, I might want to eat her for my snack." Mocked the avian.
"With you, we'll not have to worry about regressing for quite some time, kuma." Said the bear "Who knows? May might even evolve, since you're quite powerful, kuma."
The fox Adjuchas snorted at that. As if her strength was enough for them to evolve. Those two had been after her since her evolution into a Adjuchas. It seems that it was time for the confrontation.
Individually, she was stronger than them, but only by a tiny margin. It will be difficult.
"Now… Be a good little bitch and stay still while we fest!" Howled the avian, leaping at her, his talons outstretched.
"As if! Bala !" A red ball of energy nailed the avian Adjuchas in the head; just as the bear Adjuchas roared and swung his clawed paw at his prey. The fox ducked, and swiped his hind legs with her tail. The bear dropper flat on his back, and quickly protected his mask with his paws as his tiny opponent jumped on him and began to furiously claw at him. Blood flowed rapidly from his wounds, and the furious fox Adjuchas began to bite one of his paws and tore off a good chunk of flesh from him.
Oso howled in anger and pain, and swatted the fox Adjuchas away. She landed on all four, just in time to dodge a Cero fired by Serpentario, who was on the air, his wings flapping. The avian Hollow kept firing from his airborne position, giving enough time to his bear-like companion to recover and charge their prey.
His superior physical strength was however matched by the fox's speed and agility. Oso then began unleash a rain of Bala on his prey, forcing to use more energy to dodge his attacks.
"Why struggling, bitch? You're downed, there's no way an Adjuchas can survive on it's own, you simply lack the advantage of number!" Taunted Oso.
The fox Adjuchas ducked under a paw. She was beginning to feel exhausted, her regeneration was becoming slower as she used more and more energy to fight. And unfortunately, it has been weeks since the last time she ate. She was weakened since the start of the fight, and it was beginning to bother her.
She clumsily dodged another paw strike and a Cero, before charging her own attack.
"Cero Escarlata!"
A murderous blade of energy flew toward the bear Hollow, ejecting smoke around him in an explosion. The tiny Adjuchas prepared herself to jump at the avian Hollow, but failed notice the shadow emerging from the smoke.
"That HURT, you Bitch!" Howled Oso, swinging his paw. "KUMAAAA!"
The tiny Hollow couldn't dodge in time, and was brutally hit by the massive Hollow. She rocketed toward a rock, which shattered on impact.
"Stay still this time, bitch! It's dinner time" laughed Serpentario, who was diving toward his prey. Their tactic finally paid!
Meanwhile, the tiny Adjuchas growled at her foes. Kiddy gloves were off.
"Bifurcación." She muttered. Her body began to glow.
"It's too late to try anything!" Serpentario said, reaching her and sinking his talons in her body a sickening crunch.
Or so he thought.
Mere seconds later, what he was thinking to be his prey glowed once more… Before exploding in a torrent of blue flames.
"AAAAAAARRG !" Wailed the avian Hollow, squirming in pain, as he lied onto ground, his feathers charred and his wings useless. The bear wasn't moving, too stunned with what had happened. Never in their endless chasing of the tiny Adjuchas such things had happened.
"Did you honestly thought that I never prepared myself for that kind of eventuality?" Asked a voice behind him. He turned… Only to get clawed to the face a energy imbedded fox's paw.
"Cero Garras!" Four claw-shaped blade of energy outstretched from the fox Adjuchas' normal claws, digging into the flesh of the more massive Adjuchas.
"AAAArg!" Oso took the attack at point blank. The pain was overwhelming. Blinded for a second, he couldn't see that his prey had her jaws wide open just an inch from his mask.
craaack !
Oso howled, both in pain and anger, a good portion of his mask was missing. "You little SHIT! Do you know what you have done, kuma? You ripped a piece of my mask, kuma! I won't ever be able to evolve, kuma!"
"I am fully award of what happen when one do that, for that I am doing it on purpose, shit-for-brain." The fox Adjuchas sneered, munching distastefully on the piece of mask she just ripped off. "I am tired of you two chasing my ass. I'm getting rid of you today." She declared, gulping the piece of mask, black blood dripping from her jaws. The bear's flesh gave her the little of energy she needed for what was coming.
"Fuck this! I'm gonna eat you limb by limb and make a peel with your corpse!" Screamed the enraged and injured bear Hollow, charging at the fox.
"Idiot…" she said flatly. A paw connected with her…but only for to burst into flames much like with Serpentario moments earlier. Oso howled once again in pain, his entire left arm left and replaced by a charred stump. The fox Adjuchas suddenly appeared behind him and swung her tail at him.
"Cero Escarlata!"
A crimson blade of energy cut his hind legs clean, making him fall on his back.
"Well, seem like you down for." Stated the fox. "How do you like Bifurcación? It's a move I imagined to trap Gillians and idiots Adjuchas such as you. I create a copy made of my reiatsu and when I overcharge them, it makes them into walking bombs, perfect for you who simply charge head down."
Oso grunted "Urg…what about the flames? Where the hell do they come from?"
The fox sighed "Since you're gonna die, I don't see harm telling you. My special abilities are fire-based. Those flames are made of ignited Reiatsu that use the atmosphere's corposants to consume itself and create flames that are several thousand degree Celsius. Due to the nature of the Reiatsu I can use it to annihilate…" Her injuries suddenly caught fire…before disappearing. "Or heal." She stated. "Pure Reiatsu flames, that can destroy everything and heal everything, that's my power." She explained. "Now be quiet. Food doesn't talk." And with that, she clasped her jaws around Oso's throat, earning an pitiful struggle from the bear Hollow. Growling, the fox Adjuchas tore of a chunk of flesh, killing the bear Hollow in a gurgle.
"And now, for Serpentario…" she turned to where the avian Hollow was lying…only to discover that another bird-like Adjuchas was there, eating the corpse of Serpentario. That Adjuchas had long wings with feathers that actually looked more like blades and a slender built. His mask looked like an eagle's head with a beak shaped as if it had razor-sharp teeth. His body was covered in crimson colored feathers, whose turned to amethyst on his wings. His talons looked even more powerful than Serpentario's. Speaking of the annoying avian Hollow, he was currently being eaten by the newly arrived Adjuchas.
The fox was instantly on guard. Whoever that Adjuchas was, it could take advantage of her weakened state.
The crimson-feathered bird finished eating the corpse of Serpentario, and then turned it's head in the fox's direction.
"You should eat the bear, right know." It said, with a voice that was obviously feminine. "You need it more than me."
The fox Adjuchas was utterly confused. The bird of prey wasn't attacking her; she just talked to her as if it was a normal conversation.
"Who are you?" She growled, not really trusting her interlocutor, who seemed amused by her behavior.
"Isn't it polite to introduce yourself first?" She asked, clear amusement in her voice.
The tiny Adjuchas stayed silent for a moment. "… Nobody ever asked my name before." She said, her voice sounding more like that of a child.
The bird Hollow, stayed where she was and waited patiently. A brusque moment and the fox could become aggressive again.
" My name… is Naru. Naru Bellarosa." Said the tiny fox Hollow.
The bird Hollow smiled under her mask. "Greetings Naru. I am Rapaz Arremolina. Just call me Rapaz." The bird then pointed at the corpse of Oso. "My friend is coming here with the bodies of the Gillians you killed. They're yours. I ate the annoying charred one because his screams were really fucking annoying."
Naru eyed the bird Hollow suspiciously, but eventually resumed eating Oso. "Whatever, birdy." she said, much to the ire of the bigger Adjuchas. "I am NOT a damn bird! I am an Archaeopteryx! Why does everybody make that mistake!?" She wailed, stomping the floor with her talon.
Naru sweat-dropped at that sight.
"Don't pay attention to her. She's like that most of the time." Said a gruff voice. Naru turned to discover a HUGE gorilla Hollow that was carrying one of the dead Gillians. He looked like a giant version of a silverback that was half as high as a Gillian, with a mask that looked like he was constantly frowning, and his hollow hole was on his left pectoral. A bone-like armor covered his pectorals and abdominals. His intimidating appearance put Naru on edge.
"No need to be afraid little one." He reassured, in his gruff voice. "My name is Juan Qurtjack." He added, dropping the Gillian's body on the ground. "You should eat it too. It will help you to appease your hunger."
Naru was really lost. During her live as a Hollow, she had learnt to not trust anybody but herself. Eat or be eaten. Fight to survive.
And yet there they were, two Adjuchas that were willing to help her. That was… surrealistic, to say the least.
"Not to sound too rude. But… Why being so…civic, with me."
"Why not?" Said Rapaz, with mischief in her voice. "Life in Hueco Mundo is boring and monkey-head here is as entertaining as a door's handle." She ignored the annoyed grunt from said monkey –head. "Beside, we Adjuchas don't last long in solo. And we kinda miss a volunteer to play the role of the baby sister." She added, winking.
What a strange Hollow. But, then again, the idea of travelling companions was… appealing, strangely enough. Oh the hell with that.
"Well… Why not." Sighed the fox Adjuchas. "I'd love to try that…little family of yours. You look funny. And you're right, life alone is boring as hell." She said, smirking.
Rapaz and Juan exchanged a grin.
"Well welcome. Pequeña Hermana."
Moves list.
Cero Escarlatas. A scarlet Cero shaped like a blade, fired by a swipe of a tail.
Cero Garras. A Cero imbedded claw strike.
Bifurcación. A copy made of Reiatsu. Good for baits, diversions, and bombs if over-charged.
Pequeña Hermana means 'little sister.'