Chapter 32
To be a Magus, was to walk with death.
Energies suffused around him in tendrils of flowing blue light that only he was able to see. Radiant, and tinged with a rustic hue of red and deterioration, and yet unimaginably calming; like the feeling of cool water running down one's skin on a hot day.
Tempered and reforged.
Broken, then mended, the brittleness replaced by a strength born from a mixture of fire and ore.
He couldn't understand it as he was now; couldn't even begin to as the tendrils of light concentrated around the sphere he found clasped within his right palm began to proliferate and engulf the area.
It was something born from a wish, an artifact, an object that could bring about one's desires.
A Wish.
He had always believed that he had had none, but at the moment he had reached out to the Hogyoku, he realized that there was but one.
In the time he had spent in Hueco Mundo, he neither strived for power, or to become a ruler. All that seemed to matter to him was facing off towards a single direction from the hill he had sat upon; the memories and goals he had once had long since faded away, and he, content to leave it as such. Only, once again, he found himself protecting others. Not understanding why, he chose to do so, or why it would bring him both a sense of happiness and emptiness at the same time.
He wanted to be a Hero. An Ally of Justice.
Therefore, he fought for the sake of others, and moved for their benefit.
Yet, he couldn't understand why.
Everything that made him who he was, was clouded away from him through a lack of knowing.
Many Hollows in Hueco Mundo were familiar with this feeling as the moment they Hollowfied, their memories as a Human gradually faded away with evolution and growing power. Generally, that was all it would be, a distant memory, yet for him it was different.
For his memory contained his sense of purpose.
The only concept that was eluding him in Hueco Mundo and causing him to stagnate with neither desire or ambition, and it was then that a wish formed.
A want to know.
And that was all it took for the Hogyoku to act, the tendrils of blue light engulfing the entirety of his vision and forcing him to black out.
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A calm wind was blowing over his face, causing his eyes to twitch beneath his eye-lids, the firmness of the ground beneath him distinctly uncomfortable.
Immediately, his mind became active, realizing that something was wrong and different. His first thoughts turned towards Aizen, but he had made sure that the man wasn't up to anything before he had reached out for the orb in the man's hands.
Yet if that was the case, what exactly had happened?
He forced himself to think, but no matter what he thought, all he could remember was simply grasping the Hogyoku in his hands.
It didn't make sense, but then again, it was better to understand his current situation before anything else.
He attempted to move, but realized that he could not.
Even the mere action of opening his eyes was beyond his control.
His brows furrowed internally.
Based on what he could sense about himself, there was nothing wrong with him. No signs of injury and nothing his natural High-Speed Regeneration couldn't heal. Shockingly though, he discovered that he possessed an abundant supply of spiritual reserves. Far more than he had while residing in Hueco Mundo and this was stunning enough when considering how strong he generally was.
Still, this newfound spiritual reserve within him appeared closed off, as if his current self didn't know how to access it.
The more he attempted to understand his current status, the more confused he became.
It was only when his eyes opened without permission that he realized the abnormality of the situation.
He could see and feel everything like normal, but he couldn't seem to do anything else, almost as if his body was on autopilot.
In his vision appeared a barren forest, the leaves that should have had adorned the trees, oddly lacking despite the ideal temperature of the area. The bark itself appeared blackened, almost a scorched-like colour.
What was going on?
He attempted to move his body to his will, but once again found that he could not.
Instead, a groan escaped his lips before his arms found purchase on the ground and pushed himself up onto his feet.
Everything that was going on appeared like a movie. He could only watch and feel as his body moved by itself and acted on its own. Even his emotions were conflicting.
Scenes manifested in his mind.
A clash of a rain of swords.
An untimely death.
And a wish made on a plea from a woman he understood that he cherished.
It was a memory. Something that had already occurred in the past.
Was that what all this was?
The past?
He couldn't control his body, and could do nothing but watch and listen to how things progressed. If this was the case, then he might as well go along with it for the time being.
His gaze shifted around him until he realized that he wasn't alone in the area. In fact, there was the muzzle of a gun pointed at his head, an orb of blue spiritual energy gathered at the tip.
From the pointed gun appeared a slender and outstretched hand, delicate fingers wrapped around the etched grip. Further up from the hand was a sleeveless arm, neither too large or too long. Yet perhaps the most eye-catching feature of the person before him, was the piercingness of her light-pink-coloured eyes that furrowed after a moment.
"A Hollow?" The woman spoke, traces of surprise found in her monotone voice.
He didn't respond even if he wanted to. All he was currently, was a bystander. As such, the words that left his mouth weren't of his own accord.
"A Hollow?" He echoed back stiffly.
The woman watched him for a moment longer, her long tufts of light-brown hair arranged simply in a bowl-type shape and swept to her side swaying lightly in the breeze. Thereafter, she lowered her gun, the orb of spiritual energy fading away into wisps that dissipated in the air.
Staring at her, she felt somewhat familiar, yet he couldn't wrap his mind around it.
She wore a grey overcoat lined with silver fur at the sleeves and collar; a pair of tight black pants worn around her legs. If anything, the most telling sign that indicted that she herself was a hollow was the horned skull cap over her head, a flame like design traveling up over its pale surface.
She stared at him, flickering doubts flashing across her gaze, but her expression was unnaturally still.
"Who are you?" She ended up asking.
"I don't know," was his body's response.
The woman's lips thinned, but she then shifted her gaze up at the rising moon above, a solemnness exuding off of her.
"Come with me," she said. "If you stay in this area any longer, I guarantee that you'll die. How troublesome."
He scratched at the back of his head, an action he did even in Hueco Mundo. Seeing this, Shirou realized that the action really was ingrained within him.
"If its troublesome for you, you don't have to go out of your way to help me. I can just leave this area if its too dangerous," he said respectfully.
"Alone?" The woman interjected. "The Humans calling themselves Quincy here are weak, but one of them is exceedingly dangerous. More than that, the Shinigami will not wait for you to comprehend your own strength. You will die for certain if I leave you here."
"T-Then I'm in your care," he responded, the woman nodding back wordlessly.
"Grab onto my shoulder," she insisted.
He hesitated for an instant, but seeing the sharp glint that appeared in her eyes, his hesitation vanished.
His hand found itself atop her shoulder before the woman grunted and slung the entirety of his arm around her.
"Hold tight," was her curt response before the wind began whipping across their faces, a buzz like sound echoing out.
Shirou himself wasn't too effected with this kind of movement as he was proficient with his own speed and ability in Hueco Mundo. However, for the current 'him' that appeared to still be a fresh hollow, the experience was exceedingly jarring.
This was why he found it incredibly odd. Despite appearing week and unreliable, Shirou knew that the power his past self wielded was several leagues above that of his present self. It was only because his past self didn't seem to understand how to use this power that was the problem.
"W-Wait wait stop!" He yelled in a panic.
The woman grimaced in displeasure and completely ignored his past-self's protests.
The scenery around was a blur of faded images and distorted sounds, and yet with Shirou's experience in the future, he could still make things out from his past-self's eyes.
Human settlements appeared and disappeared below, traditional buildings of wood and stone appearing like patches of dirt in the dimness of the evening. He had once been to the Human World in the future, and the buildings then were made of concrete and reinforced steel. As such, how long ago did the events he was seeing occur?
He contemplated silently to himself as the woman gradually began to slow down her speed.
She stopped at a clearing a small way off from the base of a mountain. There was a strong air of spiritual energy permeating the area, and he was quick to notice a temple of sorts off in the distance. More than that, numerous other Hollows were present in the area, some wandering while others remained idle.
He frowned internally. Most of the Hollows present were Adjuchas-class and none any lower. Judging from the humanoid appearance of the woman he had met, she was possibly the sole Vasto Lorde in the area.
Observing the Hollows quietly, his frown deepened.
Generally speaking, the stronger the hollow, the less likely it was to remain in the Human World as it was difficult to evolve on the relatively low spiritual aura of Humans. This was a fact that he understood from idle conversations of Hollows that he had once heard in passing. As such, it didn't make much sense to him that so many Adjuchas would remain in the Human World let alone a Vasto Lorde.
Why weren't they in Hueco Mundo?
No matter how much he wanted to ask, he wasn't the one in control of himself at the moment. This was an event in history that had already passed. He would have to find his own answers in a different manner.
The woman dropped him from off her shoulder, the experience of touching ground again sending waves of relief in his past-self's mind.
"It'll be safe here," the woman said before falling silent. "Neither the Qunicy or the Shinigami have found this place yet."
She simply stood there after speaking, staring at the distant Hollows with a flickering gaze before walking in their direction.
Tentatively, he followed after her, gaining himself a subtle glance from the woman, but nothing more. She was the one who had brought him here, and therefore it was only natural that he hoped to understand his current situation through her. In this sense, his thoughts corresponded exactly with his past-self.
Watching her walk ahead, it was with uncertainty that he realized that traces of fear could be seen on the Hollows ahead before they quickly retreated. What was once a small gathering of hollows parted instantly like the Red-Sea.
Not a flicker of emotion surfaced on the woman's face, but he was close enough to notice the balling of her hands. For some reason or another, the Hollows were avoiding her like a plague.
Nonetheless, he didn't question this and just quietly followed.
The woman walked passed the Hollows silently before entering a forest path that led up to the peak of the mountain. It was made of what appeared to be worn cobblestone. A path probably made by humans to be honest.
While walking ahead, the woman spoke and suddenly broke the silence of his steps echoing her own.
"Why are you following me?" She asked without turning around. "I've already said that this area should be safe."
"Well," he said softly, trying to decide if he should be honest or not.
He wanted to say that it was because she looked lonely, but he ended up saying something else when he felt the fierceness of the pressure she was giving off.
"I'm in your debt," he said, continuing to follow her. "Based on your words and actions, you saved my life. Besides, I don't even know a thing or two about this place and any dangers out there. My memories are just turning up blank."
Silence. The woman only continued walking, the gentle tap of her feet on the stone sounding rhythmic due to her pacing.
"You'll die if you stay near me," she said without emotion, the tone dull.
He immediately stiffened at that response, his feet stopping beneath him as he began inspecting himself for damage. His arms and legs were fine. They weren't covered in Hollow-Bone armour, and generally speaking he didn't seem to have any on his person. If not for the Hollow Hole he had around his chest, the woman who had saved him might have had mistaken him for a human.
Scrutinizing himself further, he didn't notice that the woman he was following had stopped and was staring at him silently. She was still expressionless and it made her look unapproachable, but her body was beginning to tremble.
Ignorant of this, he continued to search himself for any damages, moving and flailing his arms like a dead-chicken in an attempt to see his blind spots. Shirou himself felt his mouth twitch while observing the actions of his past-self. All his past self needed to do was utilize his spiritual energy to assess the entirety of his body. More than that, another means appeared in his memory.
Structural Grasping, a magic he was able to use even in the future.
And yet, not only did his past-self not seem to do any of the above, instead he seemed to seriously be considering whether or not he should check the image of his back uisng the lake in the distance. Shirou knew what his past-self was thinking because his past-self's thoughts and emotions naturally flowed into him.
Therefore, he was left at a loss.
Yet it was in this stupor that he heard a melodious laugh, like the chiming of bells.
It was beautiful. A pleasant sound not losing out to anything he had ever heard of.
His body stiffened, his gaze moving towards the woman laughing in front of him. Her shoulders were bobbing up and down, a hand over her mouth attempting to suppress her outburst, yet failing when his befuddled expression landed on her.
She laughed louder, tinges of red making its way to her cheek before her expression suddenly returned neutral, a ball of spiritual energy whizzing by his head.
"Die," she muttered, her gun extended outward.
"W-Wait what are you doing!?" He yelled in a panic, shifting backwards and raising his hands up in defeat.
"You saw," was all she said before muttering to herself.
She had never been so embarrassed in her life.
A faint blush was making its way onto her cheeks, and the fact that she could feel it only seemed to infuriate her more.
"Wait no stop!" He yelled out when another ball of blue spiritual energy appeared at the muzzle of her gun. "It's not my fault. You're the one who said I'd die if I was near you, so I at least had to check if something was wrong with me."
The woman's mouth twitched.
"You think I'm a fool? Why didn't you just use your spiritual energy to check?"
Naturally, after the woman asked that question, his past-self merely stared back blankly.
The woman sighed, before placing down her gun and resuming her walking.
"Uh, can I follow?" He called out weakly, unsure of what he should do.
The woman didn't respond for a moment before her voice echoed out behind her.
"Do what you want."
He debated with himself, but with no answers and destinations in mind, his feet eventually carried him forward to follow once more.
Walking up the stone pathway, the dimness of the moon spilled down from the forest canopy above, wildlife scurrying within the underbrush. Without the moon's light, it was entirely pitch black in the surroundings, but it wasn't hard to maintain sight of the woman's form ahead.
Eventually, they reached an open plateau facing out from the mountain side, and further back was an open cave covered by layers of hemp held together by what seemed to be string.
The woman pulled aside the hemp, and left an opening for him to follow in.
Inside the cave was a small lit fire for light, which was odd since spiritual energy itself had a bright enough glow to illuminate the room. However, the answer was given to him almost immediately when he was caught staring at the flame.
"Spiritual energy may attract the Quincy and Shinigami," the woman said, removing her overcoat and hanging it up on the side wall. Her skin was quite pale and she only wore simple bindings around her chest that prevented her ample bosom from getting in the way.
The room was sparsely decorated, thin ledges and bound furs large enough to act as chairs and bedding spread throughout the chamber. The woman though rested at neither, finding a spot near a wall instead and sitting down, her back leaning against the hard rock and a leg pulled up against her chest.
She didn't say another word, simply staring at him in an odd manner.
He grew distinctly uncomfortable, but fortunately her gaze shifted away as a sound blared out in the night.
The call of the Hollows.
A deep guttural roar that came from deep within.
It echoed out outside, travelling throughout the mountains.
When the roars began, he had already been staring at the woman and watched the way her body shuddered, a longing in her eyes that he couldn't explain.
Still, something was bothering him. The woman had just informed him about not using spiritual energy to prevent detection from the Quincy and Shinigami, but wouldn't this howling be far worse than releasing spiritual energy?
The answer though lied in the fact that a Hollow's howl didn't use spiritual energy unless done purposely to frighten the enemy. Furthermore, even if it was heard by a Quincy or Shinigami, they wouldn't be able to pinpoint the location with so many Hollows howling.
The woman didn't bother explaining this to Shirou however and just continued sitting there, her arms hugging one of her legs to her chest as she stared absently at the gun in her hand.
"Say, Lady," Shirou called out uneasily, not sure what to call her. "Can you help me understand my current situation now?"
She turned her gaze back to look at him, the pale pink of her eyes glowing like pearls beneath water.
"My name is not, 'Lady,'" she said bluntly, causing a cold sweat to appear over his brows.
There was a certain intensity to her at the moment that Shirou couldn't ignore, almost like an animal staring down its prey.
"Then what should I call you?" He asked calmly.
A silence resounded soon after before the woman spoke again.
"I'll tell you after you tell me what I should call you?"
He closed his mouth, trying to recall a name, but finding nothing. Shirou, staring from the eyes of his past-self was already stunned at this moment. He could care less about what his past-self wanted to call himself and was more focused on the individual before him. For in the time he had taken to scrutinize the woman who saved him, he finally realized why she seemed so familiar.
"Call me what you want," were the words his past-self ended up deciding on.
The woman nodded without much protest.
She then pointed at him, gun in her hand.
"Starrk," she called him without explanation.
She then motioned to herself.
"My name is Coyotte, Coyote Gingerbuck," she said with a slight pause, her eyes staring at him intently. "You'll be in my care for the time being."
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Coyote Gingerbuck left soon after she introduced herself, opting to leave when a sharp tension took over her expression.
"I'll be back," she had said simply, leaving his past-self alone in the chamber with the crackling flame.
Wisps of moonlight entered the room from the opening Coyote had left behind, but his past-self wasn't too compelled to close the hemp entrance when a refreshing mountain breeze aired out the chamber.
Instead, his past-self simply sat down on one of the matted ledges and began to relax, waiting until Coyote returned.
It was at this point that Shirou managed to take a look at the appearance of his past-self through some sort of ceremonial mirror left slanted against a wall and left forgotten. Traces of dust were apparent on the surface, and the wooden frame had signs of deterioration, chips splintered at the grain of the wood.
Nonetheless, his past-self was looking at that mirror, allowing him to understand just how different he had used to appear before his time in Hueco Mundo.
Hollows had called him the Vasto of White due to the paleness of his appearance, a pasty white sort of substance covering the outer layers of his skin. It hadn't been as hard as Hollow-Bone armour, but it did offer a substantial amount of protection when reinforced by his spiritual or magical energy. Besides that, the clothes he wore around his waist were quite plain and had faded white with time in Hueco Mundo. They were rags at best; he no longer able to tell just what sort of clothing it used to be, but it was probably an upper garment that had become too tattered to wear as he wore no upper garments at all.
This only made the paleness of the substance that covered his skin to be more pronounced with his bare chest. His face was also left partially masked, the upper part of his face above his mouth left covered. Almost his entire person was a pale white aside from his red hair, bronze-coloured eyes, and a few tribal markings running down his arms.
In comparison, his past-self was without the pale-white substance and mask covering his skin. Instead, the tribal markings were more prominent and resembled a circuit like pattern over his body. He was wearing a tattered long-sleeve shirt that was blue at the sleeves and white at the center. There was a tear partway through the chest that made the garment look more like a vest than a shirt. Then again, it was also what exposed the Hollow hole on his past-self's person. It was located in the same place, the centermost region of his torso.
An empty black-hole that was unmistakable.
The only reason Coyote might have had questioned if he was a hollow was solely because when she had first seen him from a distance, he appeared to be a human.
The face was relatively the same aside from the healthy flush on his past-self's complexion. Strong bronze-coloured eyes tinged with gold, short red hair, and what looked like an unguarded expression. It was hard to tell as this was the first time Shirou had been able to see the entirety of his face.
If one was comparing which of the two made Shirou appear more intimidating, it would be his future self, but as for which was stronger, the answer wasn't hard to understand.
It was the untapped potential of his past-self.
Hollows and Shinigami were both Souls, the strength of their person decided by their spiritual energies. As such, the stronger the Soul, the stronger the spiritual energy.
Stuck watching the history of his past-self like a bystander, he still had the capability to understand his own body at the moment. The strength of his Soul was exceedingly strong. There seemed to be something about his past-self that was different than his present, and it came in the form of a domain of power attached to the Soul that was stored within him, vying for release.
Pondering to himself, Shirou's thoughts eventually led back to Coyote Gingerbuck; the person herself entering the room silently, a package slung over her shoulder which she then dropped onto the floor.
She felt familiar, even sharing a similar name to both Starrk and Lilynette and bearing resemblance to both in some manner. Yet, she clearly wasn't them. Even the spiritual energy she gave off was different, making it difficult to conclude anything.
In the end, he would just have to hold his questions to himself.
"What's that?" His past-self asked curiously.
Coyote glanced at him before turning away and rummaging through the bag. She brought out an assortment of meat and fruit with some other miscellaneous objects that didn't seem to be of much use. In fact, she even took out another mirror which she simply left by a wall.
"Offerings," was all that Coyote said before slumping down by the far wall.
She was staring at him all the while, as if she hadn't expected him to still be around.
This made his past-self feel uncomfortable since he couldn't understand Coyote's intentions.
"Here," her voice came from out of the blue.
He watched as she tossed him a glowing orb of some kind, brimming with a faint light.
He caught it without much difficulty, but didn't know why she had given it to him or what he should do with it. Therefore, he simply stared at her in befuddlement.
She ignored him, and taking out another glowing orb and placing it by her mouth.
Gradually, the orb began to distort before shifting into a thin stream that Coyote inhaled.
She stared back at him calmly, somehow conveying her desire for him to mimic her actions. He did so with a bit of hesitation, but found that the stream of energy that he inhaled gave him a burst of vigour.
"What is this?" He ended up asking.
"Spiritual Energy," Coyote said while taking out another one which she passed over before taking another for herself. "The Humans down the mountain offer offerings to me thinking me to be some sort of Mountain God or something at the temple they built. Sometimes they offer up animals, and even animals have Souls."
Even after Coyote's explanation, his past-self still appeared confused.
"You don't seem to know anything do you," she stated with a sigh as she shook her head.
He apologized.
"We are Hollows. Souls born from regret, rage, or lingering feelings, but that doesn't really matter. We can't change who we are," she explained, her arms crossing together after she finished another four orbs. "What matters is what we have to do to survive, and that means consuming spiritual energy and fighting those who condemn us for it."
"You see, we Hollows are hunted whether we like it or not. The majority of us consume Humans for a lack of better options, or even each other. In my case, I was fortunate to be able to sustain myself with the weekly offerings of the mountain people in this area. As for others, they generally do what they can to survive and grow stronger."
Saying that, she fell silent.
"Then what about the Hollows we saw earlier?" He asked.
Coyote stared back blankly, but she still answered.
"We're hunted by Shinigami and Quincy. Are numbers have been reduced to only a few. Those of us that are left are the strongest of our kind. As for myself, the Shinigami consider me the strongest in their ranking system, calling me a Vasto Lorde. It's only natural that those weaker flock to the protection of those stronger."
But they fear you.
Shirou knew the words his past-self had wanted to say, but held himself back from saying.
It didn't matter though for the silence that followed was telling enough.
Coyote's expression remained cold, a hand placing her gun to the side before turning her back to him.
She didn't speak for the rest of the night.
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Weeks passed followed by months, and it was with a sudden understanding that Shirou knew that Hueco Mundo currently didn't exist.
After all, Coyote had spoken of Hollows hiding in remote areas in the world away form the eyes of the Shinigami and Quincy. If Hueco Mundo existed at this time, then the actions by the hollows wouldn't have had been necessary. Hueco Mundo was a separate dimension that would offer the best protection against the Shinigami and Quincy. It was also a place that was full of spiritual energy, making it possible for more Vasto Lorde class Hollows to manifest as the meager spiritual energy from Humans was far from enough. There was a reason why Adjuchas-class Hollows and Vasto Lordes didn't actively hunt in the Human World in the future. Cannibalism at this point was also taboo. The number of Hollows was already small enough, they couldn't risk losing the entire population. At the moment, Coyote was believed to be the only Vasto Lorde Class Hollow by the Shinigami, her power used as the basis for the highest level of a Hollow's strength.
Shirou didn't know how long he had spent watching the actions of his past-self, but by this point he had become accustomed to it. He emptied his mind and allowed himself to immerse in the memories of his past, closing off any prior knowledge he knew to assimilate himself better.
Today, Coyote had taken him to the actual temple where the Humans gave their offerings in exchange for blessings. In other words, they gave their offerings to Coyote, and she made sure to help the Humans when possible.
He was offering to help carry the large quantity of offerings despite knowing that Coyote could do it herself. However, he had gotten stifled after staying up in the mountains for so long.
At the moment, the two were stopped at the temple's gates, invisible to Human eyes and watching a family offer up their prayers for blessings.
The family was close, the parents and siblings huddled together under a blanket due to the cold winds of the mountain.
Coyote was staring at them, seemingly lost in thought as to how others could share such strong bonds.
"Their a family," he said after a moment had passed and she still hadn't moved.
"Family?" She echoed. As a Hollow, the terminologies she had used once as a Human had faded long ago.
"A group of people that live together and support each other," he explained to the best of his ability. "Generally, they're related by blood, but it doesn't have to be that way," he said, an image of smiling man appearing in his mind. "Kind of like the way we are right now."
"Family," Coyote muttered to herself, before subtly glancing his way and pursing her lips.
The two fell into a calm silence; only the rattle of the necklace around Coyote's neck echoing out. It wasn't actually a necklace but a thinned lower maw of some kind of animal. Instead of the teeth protruding out, they faced downwards resembling a necklace.
The family before them eventually finished their prayers and left.
Coyote stood still though even after he moved to collect the offerings. It was only when he appeared in front of her carrying an entire sack full that she was able to snap herself out of her daze.
"Thanks," she said simply when she noticed him carrying everything.
"No problems."
No words were spoken after; he left to his own thoughts and Coyote's to hers.
The two eventually returned to the cave by the plateau. Coyote's expression was the same as it had always been but lined with some other sort of emotion that she seemed to have had been mulling over during the course of the journey.
He didn't pry. If he ever angered her, he was certain that he would die without a doubt. His past-self was still ignorant of his strength and wasn't exactly the best in comprehending his spiritual energy when Coyote attempted to explain it to him.
Opening the hemp entrance and entering, he set down the bag of offerings and sorted through them, dividing it equally as Coyote had insisted for him to do.
At times he really couldn't understand Coyote. She was clearly stronger than him, but the way she treated him was always being considerate. Emotionless as she made her face to be, there were even times in the past few weeks that he was certain that he saw her smiling in content with this simple lifestyle of returning home to him waiting for her. In fact, he couldn't imagine the expression she would make if she returned home one day and he was suddenly gone to see an empty room.
"Starrk," Coyote suddenly called out to him.
He raised a brow, his trail of thought broken.
"Yes?" He inquired.
He looked towards her, but found that her expression was somewhat off. Instead of the general calm it had been at the eve of the morning, it was now stiff.
"No, its nothing," she eventually said, returning to her side of the room where she then sat down and turned her back towards him.
He didn't say anything in response and just absently sat himself beside her, his back leaning against her own without her reacting too much.
It had been something that had happened spontaneously in the first few weeks. She had asked him to rest near her as if she was worried that he was just some figment of her imagination. He complied as the request wasn't that hard to fulfill, but from that moment on, when he saw the inexplicable happiness on Coyote's face at the verification of his presence, he felt that his simple action was worth it.
The two sat there, passing the time by watching the movement of the clouds until the stars themselves began appearing one by one. It was a peaceful life, but it was a content one with Coyote doing her best to train him.
Yet, all things eventually come to an end.
On the same night, a crushing spiritual pressure soon suffused the area, causing Coyote's eyes to narrow in seriousness as a cold sweat dripped form her brow. Shinigami and Quincy were always out on the lookout for Hollows, killing them without mercy. She had just been fortunate that her current location hadn't been found in so long, yet it was clear that the location was no longer safe. From the pressure alone, she was certain that whoever was releasing it wasn't just one individual, but a group of them.
The pressure was so overbearing that the trees outside began to buckle and groan, the calls of the night wildlife sounding out throughout the entire mountain.
Coyote was confident in handling what Shinigami's deemed as Captains, even two or three at once, but some Captains were far stronger than others. Moreover, numbers were always a focal point of a fight.
Based on the sheer spiritual pressure on the area, the number of combatants was far from just small.
She stood up grimly from her rested position, knowing exactly that she had to fight to allow herself and the others to escape, or perhaps she could somehow defeat them all. Either way, she had to act, but she faltered when another stood up with her.
"You can't expect me to just stay here or run while you go out there," his past-self said determinedly.
Coyote pursed her lips, the emotions on her face finally evident; the worry and panic unable to be hidden, forced by the situation.
"Earlier today, you said 'Family," she spoke softly, as if she was still unsure of the word. "That we can be considered 'Family.'"
She turned towards him, her seriousness catching him off guard as she moved herself closer and pressed her forehead against his own, her eyes downcast.
In the tense silence, he heard her swallow, and noticed the tremble in her voice.
"I don't want to lose 'Family,'" she said bitterly. "I-I don't want to be alone anymore."
She pulled away from him, leaving him stunned when he saw how destitute her eyes appeared; the unfathomable loneliness within those pale pink orbs, not something that he had ever seen before.
"That's why I must go," she continued while he stood in a daze, her expression shifting into resolve as she moved towards the entrance.
"Please stay here," she called out to him, her spiritual energy rising to almost completely match the spiritual pressure of those approaching.
"I'll be back shortly."