Chapter 16: A Reason to Change

[Wilfora]

Time: Unbeknownst

Place: Hueco Mundo - Turning Grounds

Another commotion drew Stray’s attention, and she raised an eyebrow at what took place next.

One of the Gillian that had managed to worm its way into the charades was now, as Stray found it, batting its hands in the air as a hollow danced before it. When one hand raised, the hollow dancing began to stretch, as if string was attached to it, pulling it the way the puppet master wanted. Soon enough the Gillian had the dancer in two pieces, and one of the pieces, the little Gillian bit down into.

It finished its small snack and looked up slowly, as its eyes met with the top of the rocks. Stray was sure the creatures eyes were on her. She saw what was behind the string player, and grinned down at it. It smiled, as if happy it was accepted by the one watching.

Stray’s grin only got bigger as the hollow behind it sliced the head off, letting it roll on the desert floor. Then it tore a hunk of the body away, chewing it thoughtfully before swallowing. This new creature’s body glowed a bit. Then it scowled, as nothing further took place and the glow settled back inside. It began to shake violently, angered in more than one way.

A few hollows of Gillian and Adjuchas had begun to crawl into the area. They stared as the hollow shook, unsure of what to make out of this. Was it charging power? Or was it dying? They didn’t know, but sure hoped for the second to be true, as they rammed right at the unknowing creature.

The creature’s arms hung down at its sides, dangling and moving slightly as the wind did. The adjuchas and Gillian came at it, some charging cero and bala, while others bore claws ready to slash things to ever-living-bits.

The single adjucha’s head snapped up, its eyes wide and wild. The other hollows tried to stop, fear like none other coursing through them, but none of them could. They were drawn forcefully to the hollow, whose bladed arms dipped into the ground a moment before surging forward at the reeled in prey. Its arms sliced and slashed across the bodies before it, and when it was done, he ate his fill of those bodies as well.

Once more he shimmered and glowed. The adjucha was happy, feeling the tingles of change there. Again though, nothing happened. The glow vanished within and feeling of change was gone. As if every time, he imagined it, only to wake up and find the truth of still being the same thing. It made him crazy beyond belief.

Before him, the world changed to glass, and everything about him was encased. But the adjucha didn’t see the glass, but instead its refection. The mirror image wavered then changed before him. It was as he dreamed!

He was glowing, shimmering, and he could just feel the change happening. And he saw it before him. The change happened and everything was perfect. He devoured more hollows growing in power. It went on like this for the adjucha for quite some time.

In Stray’s vision though, she watched as the adjucha was encased in glass, as it continued to watch the images that were flashed before it. Stray gave up on it, looking for the source of this new power that emerged without her looking.

Stray’s eyes grew wide at where she found it. It blended in with the walls of the cavern. It was only visible to Stray because of the shadow it cast. It moved frequently, trying to keep the hollow in imprisonment so this new hollow could eat it.

Suddenly the glass cracked. The adjuchas that wasn’t trapped dropped the camouflage and scurried towards the glass, encasing the cracked area with new glass. Then many other places began to spider web. The hollow scurried trying to heal these new breaks before others could appear. No such thing occurred. Other cracks and indents appeared all over at different intervals.

The hollow was in the process of healing some of the cracks shut when the whole thing of glass shattered completely. The inner adjucha’s hand darted out and grabbed the neck of the other, pulling it close. The glass making hollow was shaking hard; it didn’t want to die.

Unfortunately for it, that’s not what the other hollow needed. Low raspy words escaped the now freed adjucha. “Thanks… for showing me the lies… what I didn’t want to become…” Its grip of the hollow’s neck tightened, and brought it closer to his mouth. “Again… Thanks…” The adjucha’s bladed hand sliced off the top of the head, letting the internal things drop to the floor. Only the eyes interested him.

Stray took her eyes off the mortifying scene as the adjucha glowed brighter than ever and she was sure the change took place as reiatsu soared near him.