Saga of the Princess of the Hollow World
Chapter 1: Meeting Acquisitions
Tanya felt giddier than she had in the past 70 years—at least, she was pretty sure it was 70. Time was hard to keep track of when one was effectively immortal and lived in a dimension without a day-night cycle.
Still, the point stood. She had managed to get permission to 'scout for supplies' from Ichimaru Gin. Being the laxest of the three Shinigami leaders, she had hedged her bets that he would grant it with no questions asked or none that would be serious enough to actually dig at her true purposes. A simple, "Sure Tanya-chan, have fun," was expected and given, with a bit of teasing about how the 'little soldier' needed to 'eat enough to grow big and strong like her papa'. Most of the time, Tanya found herself grumbling about the man's lackadaisical attitude toward what was a complex operation aiming to topple the very order of the universe and fight forces thousands of years in the making with powers rivaling that of mythical gods, in this one case, she was thankful that he wasn't interested enough in whatever she was doing to carefully vet it. Though, that was also likely owed to her own history of working under the regime of Aizen, emulating in this 'life' what she had learned in her second about being a good soldier. And so, she would be able to get away with this one little less-than-reputable act:
She was on Earth, looking to buy some coffee.
Normally, letting an Arrancar go into the material world of the living would be a bad idea. Even the weakest of their number would light up sensors in the Seireitei made to detect major Hollow incursions and draw a response from higher-ranked seated members, at the least. It wasn't out of the question that captain and lieutenant ranks might be called upon. Unlike most Arrancar, however, Tanya was good at suppressing her reiatsu levels, a skill learned through applying old magical techniques to a new system of energy and adapting it over time through trial and error. She had also requisitioned a suppression cloak, a piece of technology that would only further mask her. With just one or the other, her signature could be mistaken for a spiritually-aware human or a weak Hollow. With both, she was effectively invisible.
Despite her timing getting her the perfect window, and her skills and technology giving her the perfect cover from enemy intelligence, there was one thing Tanya had overlooked when she had come to this Japanese town to obtain her precious resource.
"I forgot that I don't have any money," she bemoaned after searching her pockets and then remembering her species' current tribalistic status. True, she could easily steal whatever she wanted. Simply wait until a bag of coffee beans out of sight of cameras is being unwatched, grab them, infuse a slip of reiryoku into the object to make its 'spiritual frequency' match hers - thus able to be hidden under her cloak - and then abscond with her treasure.
However, Tanya was a firm believer in the principles of the market, even if she had been out of touch with most forms of such for close to a century. And while, as a survivor, she certainly believed there were acceptable times to steal, gaining a bit of comfort was not one of them. Even if she really, really wanted the things on the other side of the store's windows.
Right there.
Just within reach.
The glass wouldn't even stop her. As a purely spiritual being, she could choose to pass through some material objects so long as they weren't awash in reishi. Theoretically, of course.
But then again, her mission would be a waste if she-
"Whoa! What are you cosplaying as?" she heard from her left and turned to see a girl with chin-length black hair and grey eyes looking right at her.
'Drat! Spiritually-aware human! What are the chances? I thought they were supposed to be incredibly rare, like mages. Oh, wait, she thinks I'm a cosplayer? Okay, maybe I can use-'
"Is that...a hole in your chest?"
Tanya looked down, recalling one of the more unique features of Arrancar physiology: their Hollow Holes. Hers happened to be in her chest, at the bottom of her sternum, and the tailors always designed her clothes in such a way as to reveal it. Even when she tried to go around them and get shirts and jackets that didn't have that strategic uncovering, someone somehow always got a hold of it later to alter her wardrobe again.
"Wait, oh, I get it. You're another ghost. You just have a hole instead of a chain."
'Roll with it.'
"That is correct, in a manner of speaking," Tanya answered the girl. "The full reason is fairly complicated and would take a long time to explain without leaving room for misunderstandings, but you aren't wrong."
"Guess that explains why no one else is noticing you," the girl said while looking around. There weren't many people going up and down this particular street, but it was far from empty. Indeed, if Tanya had been as visible as any of them, she would have been very noticeable, being a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl with a bone-like crown on her head and strange, white clothing featuring an altered military-style shirt and hakama, and a black, glossy cloak clinched over her shoulders.
"So, what were you looking at?"
Seeing no harm in explaining, Tanya gestured to the shop's window, where her desires were displayed.
"I was hoping to get some coffee, but I realized I lack currency, and stealing is...distasteful."
"Can ghosts drink coffee?"
"Sure, so long as it's infused with the right energy."
"Well, it's nice of you to not steal, I guess, even though I'm pretty sure the police can't exactly arrest a ghost for shoplifting."
"It's the principle of the matter. I'd rather not be one of the many factors making life that much harder for the proprietors and workers of this place, who I can only imagine have worked hard to run this lovely little shop."
'Besides, I need to set a good example for the rest of my kind. If we're ever going to pull ourselves out of our scattered barbarism and into civilization, then we have to start acting the part. It's already hard enough to rehabilitate them from their ingrained violent ways without constantly falling back to the 'might make right' mentality, and while stealing something inexpensive may seem minor when held against murder and cannibalism, it's still somewhere on that spectrum. If I'm to lead by example, what does it say about me if I decide to steal from someone just because they can't stop me, whether or not I can be seen? It makes me a hypocrite.'
"Hm, well, I can take or leave coffee, but my sister's pretty good at making it. If you want a cup, we could ask her."
Tanya was rather surprised by the proposition, and it must have shown on her face because the human girl allowed herself a small grin at her expression. There was even a hint of warmth in her heart that came with the seemingly sincere offer.
"Ah, I wouldn't want to impose."
"Nah, you wouldn't be. Yuzu's always bugging me about bringing more friends around to hang out but with my dad... Well, you won't be a bother. If anything, she'll be excited to see you. Well, not see you, but she'll know someone's there."
"Your sister can sense spirits?"
"Kinda. Not like me and Nii-san, but she definitely feels it when one's around."
'Three siblings who can all sense spiritual energy to some extent? One is rare, and two is nearly unheard of, but three? That sort of coincidence only happens for a reason. This bears investigating. I wouldn't normally do this, but if someone asks why I showed up empty-handed, I can at least offer what I learned as intelligence. It'd even explain why I wasn't able to procure the 'supplies' I sought. Yes, showing up with a bag of beans might have required some explanation, but I'd already thought of that. Coffee appears to give humans energy, so acquiring some for personal performance enhancement would have been sound, if awkward to phrase.
'Besides, she offered. It'd be rude to not accept now.'
"I think that'd be lovely, actually. Ah, I haven't caught your name."
"Kurosaki Karin," the girl answered as she stepped around to lead the way. "And you?"
"Tanya Louisenbairn."
When they arrived, Tanya noted that to the side of the Kurosaki household was a clinic, or at least it was advertised as such. The sign caught Tanya's interest for a moment, but she refocused on following her newly made acquaintance into the front door of the home portion of the house.
"I'm home," Karin announced, loud enough to be heard throughout before removing her shoes and putting on some slippers. Tanya decided to remove her own boots as well, even though she was certain she couldn't track any dirt in by accident. It was the gesture of respect that mattered, after all.
"Welcome home!" another girl answered from further inside. "Dad just went to get some things from the store, and Ichi-nii's not home yet."
"All right. By the way, I brought a friend."
The two walked into the kitchen, and Tanya saw who she supposed was Karin's sister. Their faces were extremely similar, but the other girl had short, blonde hair with one side held back by a strawberry hairclip. Tanya didn't see any uneven dyeing or dark roots, which likely meant the hair color was natural, despite the rest of her looking very Japanese.
'European descent? I didn't see any hint of it on Karin. They look about the same age. Half-sisters? Or perhaps each just favors one parent?'
"Oh, a friend? Anyone I know?"
"I don't think so." Karin pointed a thumb in Tanya's direction. "Ghost, you know."
"Ah, hello there, Ghost-san," she greeted in Tanya's general direction with a polite bow.
"Hello, I am Tanya Louisenbairn."
"Oh, I think I almost heard something!" she exclaimed in surprise.
"This is my sister, Yuzu. Yuzu, this is Tanya Louisenbairn."
"Oh, that sounds foreign. Spanish? German?"
"Something like that..." Tanya muttered. A lot of Hueco Mundo was strangely...Latine, though it had a fair bit of Japanese and Teutonic... She didn't want to call them references, but she wasn't sure what exactly caused the odd cultural echoes that showed up in the violent afterlife realm.
"She was wanting to try some coffee. Can you make some for us? Soccer practice has me feeling pretty drained today, too."
"Sure. I'd love to. Just a few minutes, Tanya-san. Feel free to wait at the table in the dining room."
"Right over here," Karin indicated before leading Tanya to the next room over where they sat on some zabuton placed next to the table.
'Ah, nostalgic!'
"So, where are you from?"
'Should I be honest here? Well, it's not like telling her will hurt anything. I could give her all the information I have, and there's nothing she could do with it unless some random Shinigami suddenly takes an interest in her, which I doubt. Lord Kaname said that they hardly ever interfere in the affairs of the living unless they do something to specifically upset the balance. Still, I shouldn't overwhelm her. Just the basics then.'
"I'm from a dimension called Hueco Mundo. It's the place where monstrous spirits dwell, born from the souls who lose their humanity after death, cursed to never fill the hole in their being, even as they eat other souls and each other."
"...That sounded like the most evil eye chuunibyo thing I've ever heard, and I'm 11. I've heard a lot."
Tanya couldn't help but bark out a laugh at that.
"Doesn't it? Like it's straight out of a shounen manga. But no, that's really what most of the place is like. Luckily, some of us are intelligent and have regained human form and reasoning. I was actually doubly lucky and was born like this. Well, as a baby, not this size."
"Figured. Wait, ghosts can have kids?"
"We're not so much ghosts as we are on a different part of a cycle of reincarnation." Tanya thought about whether or not she should explain Shinigami, but that might lead to having to explain their dynamic. While she was sure she could be persuasive once the facts were laid out, she'd still have to be arguing in favor of tearing down the old system to put a new and better one in its place, and she didn't know yet if the Kurosakis would be receptive to the idea of such change. As she mulled that idea, she caught sight of an oversized picture on the wall of a woman with strawberry-blonde hair and brown eyes, looking for all of the world like an adult version of Yuzu. Karin took notice and looked at the picture as well.
"Oh, that's our mom. After she died, Dad got kinda...eccentric. It's kinda sweet, even if he can be overbearing about it."
"Ah, I see. Sorry for your loss."
"It's fine. We were little when it happened."
Tanya also took note of several family pictures in more reasonable frames resting atop shelves and drawers, letting her see what the other members of the family looked like. The father was black-haired, square-jawed, and well-built, looking every bit like a strong, Japanese man. Their mother had a lovely figure, and while her eyes were Asiatic, her hair and lips were certainly more European in appearance. Then there was the brother, red-headed and resembling both parents a surprisingly equal amount. If she didn't have proof of his ancestry right there for comparison, Tanya might have thought he had taken to bleaching his hair to get that shade.
Next to all these pictures, however, was something else that caught her eye for a different reason, and once she saw it, she started noticing its presence in some of those photos. It was a pendant on a chain, placed upon a frame and set amongst the photos. It appeared the be a necklace charm, with five spokes, a circle halfway between the ends and the center, and a star etched into it where each point ended at the beginning of each spoke. Most might think it a simple shape, but Tanya recognized it from her studies.
'A Qunicy cross? But hadn't those been nearly wiped out so that only... No, wait, now this all makes sense! Each of these kids is spiritually sensitive, likely because they're Quincies, or at least the child of one Quincy and a more normal human. Their mother must have been a survivor. Or, well, a descendant of the survivors. It happened quite a while ago, after all. Assuming the father is unaware, she would have had three children, each with some potential to wield Quincy powers, though Yuzu might have needed more training to catch up to Karin's level. But since she died when they were little, she never got the chance to pass on whatever teachings and traditions they had.
'Might be for the better, if that thing about them destroying souls is real, but then again, she may have only been practicing in self-defense, likely in the case of a Shinigami attack as well as Hollows. Wouldn't be surprising if one of them got her. They nearly killed off the whole race once before rather than try to find out why their powers work like that and perhaps find an alternative. Then again, that risks the monopoly on the reincarnation cycle. Like an army of squishier Being X's, they have to lord over it and deny that anyone could do a better job. And kill you if you disagree before sticking your soul in the slums.
'Still, this is a good find. Quincies would naturally hate Shinigami if they learned about what they did, and these don't seem to have a bias against Hollows. Even if they did, I'm sure they can be turned around on Arrancar. It's basically the same as becoming human again, just more complex, and a lot more rewarding.'
"Here you go!" Yuzu cheerfully announced as she walked in with a platter with three steaming cups, a sugar bowl, and a glass of milk. "Wasn't sure how you like it, so I didn't add anything to yours, Tanya-san."
"Luckily, I prefer mine black," Tanya said as she picked up the unaltered cup of steamy goodness and took a deep whiff, almost crying as the aroma filled her nose and lungs.
"She said thanks, she likes it black," Karin passed to her sister, who was staring at the cup in mild wonder. Tanya's smile deepened when she realized that to her, the cup must have looked like it was floating in the air.
"Itadakimasu!" Tanya declared once she was sure her cup was at a safe temperature. While she was sure her Hierro wouldn't let something like scalding coffee actually hurt her, she wanted this sip to be as perfect as possible. The sisters repeated after her, Karin then Yuzu, and she took her first sip of coffee in over 70 years.
Bliss filled her being. Happiness and joy. An absolute flood of Arrancar dopamine and serotonin. It was possibly one of the best cups of coffee she had ever had, and not just because it had been so long. Truly, Yuzu was a talented girl, and anyone would be happy to taste whatever she made.
So total was Tanya's euphoria that she didn't notice when Yuzu gasped, nearly fumbled her own mug, and then frantically waved for her sister and then towards Tanya.
"I- I can see her! She's visible now!"
"Huh, you can?" Karin looked over, and Tanya looked between the two with a bit of confusion. Not enough to spoil her enjoyment, of course. She continued taking slow, deep sips.
"Can you hear me, too?"
"Oh my goodness, I can!" the blonde exclaimed. "Wow, I never got to talk to a ghost before! Karin, why didn't you tell me she was a cute girl around our age? I thought she was a grown-up for a moment."
"It didn't come up?" her sister said with a shrug.
"Ah, well, I'm not actually your age. I'm over 70 years old now. Arrancar just age slower." She took another deep draught and sighed contentedly. "If my father's to be believed, he's over a million years old, as in, he claims to predate modern humanity. Not sure if he's being honest or not, but he is old. At the very least, he poked around during the Bronze Age."
"Oh, that's actually pretty cool!" Yuzu remarked. "And, I think you're getting clearer, every time you take a sip. I think...my coffee made you visible to me." The girl then looked at the mug in front of her in quiet contemplation. "Ah! That's it! I must have put my heart into making you a good cup of coffee, and now through our bond I can see and hear you as clearly as any person."
"...Sure, makes sense."
Tanya hated to admit that it didn't not make sense. Not with the new logic of afterlife physics applied to it. Things tended to seem a lot more wooly when it came to magic or magic-like things in this world than her last. It had gone from a science that they didn't know the source behind nor the reasoning for the effects, and now she was in a system where the sources were a lot clearer, but the science was muffled and sometimes inconsistent, but effects had clear reasons. So, a girl with minor spiritual sensitivity made a cup of coffee for a spirit, put her metaphorical heart and soul into it, and now she could see the spirit that drank it? Sure. Made sense, if you skipped a step or two in the middle.
Then again, Yuzu could have just passed some threshold. But maybe Tanya drinking her coffee caused that? Made as much sense as anything. Tanya saw an Arrancar grow back all his limbs without losing any body mass a few months ago. Where did the mass for his regenerated limbs come from? Szayel was still cutting him apart to try and find that answer.
'Ooh, no thinking about him. Just enjoy coffee.' Tanya took a sip of the ambrosius liquid. 'Much better.'
"Well, it was nice meeting you and everything," Karin said as she and her twin escorted Tanya outside. Their gifts of coffee and a bag of beans pricked a bit at Tanya's heart since she almost certainly needed to report her findings, but she'd do her best to present them in the best and most useful light, as potential allies in the someday-to-come war against the Seireitei. Or, at worst, non-threatening neutrals.
"And thank you for the gifts. I will have to find a way to repay you somehow."
"Oh, don't feel obligated," Yuzu tried to wave her off.
"No, no, I insist. While I don't have much directly useful for humans at the moment, I have many resources at my disposal, and something should come in handy for you, or be worth exchanging for something else of use."
"Thanks, but like Yuzu said, don't feel pressured."
"Oh, Ichi-nii's home."
For a second, Tanya wondered why Yuzu counted, then realized she meant her brother, Ichi-something, who was walking down the sidewalk.
'A lot bigger than those photos. Didn't Karin say he's 15? What do they feed kids here to get them that big? Definitely takes after his father's physique, just has to fill out.'
The boy paused in his steps upon seeing her, but continued on walking up. Tanya could sense his reiatsu, and he was a veritable waterfall of power. Not only that, but there were fading hints of energy that let her know he hadn't just been out and about. Some Hollows out there had ceased existing if she was right.
'I'm hoping the soul destruction thing is just a result of certain techniques and not inherent to their energy. If we can work around that, then there's no reason they can't help out. Or just live a peaceful life. Though it seems the brother has at least discovered he has power and how to use it.'
"Girls, who's this?"
"This is Tanya," Karin introduced her. "She wanted to have some coffee. Loves the stuff."
"I made her visible!"
"We don't know how far that extends, but yes, both your sisters can see me now," Tanya explained.
"Wait, your... You have a hole in your chest."
Tanya gasped as though scandalized. "My word! Do you just go around pointing out every girl's holes or their lack of chest?"
"Huh, what, no, I didn't- That's not what I-"
The Arrancar chuckled. "Hahaha, you should see your face!"
'Ah, good to use my for to have a little fun now and again. What's the point of being an adorable little girl if I can't use it to my advantage once in a while?'
"She got you good, Ichigo," Karin said while Yuzu looked like she was fighting the laughing fit she wanted to have.
"Anyway, I'd love to stay and introduce myself, but I've already been gone a while, and I'd rather not have my people worry. Thank you both again. I'll try to visit again in the future." She then gave her friendliest smile to the brother, Ichi-whatever. She was pretty sure 'strawberry' was just a nickname, so it was better to stick to the side of caution and not presume she could call him such. "Let's try to get to know each other better in the future, Onii-san. I'm sure we could do a lot for one another."
With that, Tanya activated her descorrer, ripping open a Garganta to the void between worlds before stepping inside and waving goodbye as it closed. She then followed her instincts forward to her home, cloak flapping behind her in the strange reishi winds that swirled in the near-emptiness.
'Today was a good day. And mildly productive despite technically being an off day. I've made connections and possibly got an in with an experienced fighter. I'll have to act quickly if I want to actually get him on my side, of course. Can't let good talent go to waste because he went off fighting some Hollow he couldn't handle. Plus, probably better if we make sure he's not obliterating all the souls they've eaten. If that is the case, then it's better if...pretty much anyone else does it until an alternative is found. And if there isn't one...
'Well, I could use more allies for when I finally get back at Being X.'
Ichigo was greatly confused about Tanya, the strange ghost that was hanging out with his sisters when he got home. She looked like a little girl, but something about the way she held herself and spoke... He didn't know what it was, but it reminded him of when Rukia would get serious, only more, somehow. And that smile she flashed him. It was like seeing a tiger or lion ready to pounce, and the beast knows you can't escape. Along with her almost-promise to meet again, he felt like he was being toyed with. Or about to be, in any case. Then there was the fact that she didn't have a chain, but instead a hole, like a Hollow. Yet she was still human in shape. Karin only gave him some basics, saying she was something called an Arrancar. Yuzu had been a bit more scattered about it, telling him more about Tanya's likes and dislikes that she had gleaned from their conversations. And apparently, that strange crown wasn't just for show. She was a princess wherever she was from. Or at least, before some coup that overthrew her father, though she was firm in her belief that their new system was actually better than the old one.
It was all so weird. He was sure Rukia could explain it, but she had some things to do before she got back, so he could really only mull over his questions until then. Right now, he was wondering if there was a way to test if whatever happened with Yuzu let her see more ghosts than just the one.
"And what was with that portal thing?" he wondered aloud.