The Other Sibling [Cala/Ari]

It seems Cala made a serious error in two ways they realized the moment their blade sunk into Ari's neck. The first was underestimating their sibling's ability to regenerate and endure pain, a trait Cala themselves was doing their utmost to specialize in beyond their sensory abilities. The second was that such a strike, if endured, left them rather exposed. No doubt if they were more powerful the strike could have blown out Ari's entire neck but, as is, they struggled to even wound her even with her allowing their energies to be near the same. Cala was, admittedly, not the most physically impressive specimen when it came to raw physical strength.

Cala had only just begun to twitch their arm when Arianda grasped ahold of it in far too strong a grip for them to break and, their senses honing in on their sibling, Cala had just enough time to begin to tug and pull on the appendage before Ari winked at them. Her blade singing up in a much more honest display of her speed and power, severing Cala's arm near the shoulder, and making their entire body spasm in a thunderbolt of torturous pain. They would take one backwards step, stagger slightly, and emit a rather bestial mixture of a hiss and roar in pain. The stump of what was once their arm spurting blood heavily for a few moments, Cala's legs nearly giving out as Ari spoke her retort, only for the mass of pale flesh on the end of that stump to begin to slowly, but steadily, heal over. even as Cala finally did drop to their knees.

Unable to help a sneering, hissing snarl like some fierce jungle cat up at Ari, Cala quickly gathered themselves and bowed their head. Their arm not severed clutching at the shoulder that had, moments before, held their blade and Cala panted heavily. The shock of pain had woken up their other half within but they had consciously suppressed them experiencing the sights and sensations before them. It was their first time being wounded to this extent in their long existence and, ironically enough, not by some beast intent on devouring them or a Shinigami intent on purifying them, but by their beloved big sister.

This made Cala lick their lips, their fangs, and hiss out a ragged breathe between their teeth as they came to a conclusion and nodded their head.

"I.... concede, dear sister, though we could continue to fight like this if we wished were this a real confrontation it would be nothing but a lesson in either retreat or futility. You have won."

The scent of blood and battle still hung heavily in the air, Cala's own blood mixing with Ari's below them, and the Arrancar did not have to move their head to keep their gaze fixated on Ari in a labored, though strangely not exhausted, condition. The rest of Cala's Fade swarming to them and pouring the energy they had taken from Ari into the process of their regeneration as Cala slowly extended a hand, palm upraised from their knelt position.

"Could we request our arm back? It would make the healing process much more convenient......"

Cala seemed to grimace for a moment, their head tilting in a way that indicated they were thinking over Arianda's words, and they would reply as Arianda knelt down and proceeded to kiss their cheek.

"We do not wish for our other self to experience pain either and it is a sensation we have largely neglected to confront when we can. We are rather weak for an Arrancar and thus our advantages have always dwelt in sensing those stronger than us and being underestimated by those we could combat. We find there is no greater advantage in combat than to be underestimated, after all."

Cala was able to tell Ari's trajectory did not aim toward their lips with their vision such as it was and they simply accepted it as a natural interaction between siblings, if one that was a bit babying towards them, but given they had just been beaten rather soundly by Ari they simply chalked her affection up to an over-correction after rather brutally amputating their arm. As even Cala felt like apologizing and make up their own rather vicious blow to her up and, as their arm slowly took to the much more simple regenerative process of bridging the severed chunk of their arm Cala was at least able to extend their other arm to join Ari's hand in rubbing her neck where they had struck her. A small nod leaving them as they smiled softly.

"Thank you, dear sister, if not being overpowered and killed without a fight being weak can be an advantage for a bit. It forces one to devise tactics and techniques to compensate......"

Cala went silent as Ari checked them for injuries, an act they almost pointed out to her was unnecessary since she had been the one to deliver every injury they possessed herself. She should know where all of them were. Even if the wound through their arm was now mostly healed close to normal and the arm in question had taken over holding their previously-severed arm to the slowly-forming connective tissue that reattached it to their torso.

"It is quite a boon, though one we hardly understand ourselves. Perhaps one day......."

Cala pursed their lips, pensive, before nodding in respect to Ari.

"We do wish to become stronger, to protect you, to protect Aina and from what our other half says, to protect Saiko as well. Admittedly Saiko and yourself are both very powerful and would be a closer engagement than what we could give you."

Cala would then sheathe Ceniza only when their arm that was slowly regaining feeling could move enough to do so in shaky, twitching motions. Having the stump itself there absolutely making the regeneration much, MUCH less energy and time intensive as they considered something.

"We are also rather focused on improving our Hierro and Pesquisa. To judge those we can sense, to avoid surprise, and endure what would seek to harm us. Though as you have proven being able to recover from whatever is done to oneself is equally viable."

Now Cala would halt for a moment, tilting their head, as they gently took Ari's hand and began to walk back towards her house. Broaching another topic that had been on their mind for some time, admittedly, in the background.

"There is one thing we are afraid of, dear sister, in that we have had no inkling at all of what our Resereccion may entail. We fear this will limit our development for quite some time and, what is worse, no amount of power we have gained thus far as made things seem any clearer..... we are.... perplexed."

Cala stayed silent for a long moment as Ari spoke, simply grimacing and holding their thoughts, mostly out of respect for their older sister but also simply due to the fact that Ari seemed to have misunderstood what it was Cala was afraid of. Not that the advice Ari offered was not good advice, it was, as not fearing one's future was a crucial part to growth but.... well.... it simply talked past what it was Cala was actually trying to talk about. Even so Cala accepted the advice Ari offered gratefully, not one to turn their nose up at a gift offered by someone that cared for them, and paused once they reached Ari's house.

As Ari ushered them inside Cala sat beside them and allowed themselves to relax. At least they did so for a moment, but as Ari began to speak on regeneration, pain, and in very broad strokes about avoiding and diminishing pain Cala's head tilted gently. Their lips would purse gently, their sightless mask gazing straight ahead for a moment as they listened, before they would turn their head and lay an ashen hand on Ari's thigh above her knee. Giving a small nod as they responded.

"Arianda.... dear sister..... I do hope you are not in pain. I.... We.... are here for you if we can help you in any way."

Nodding slowly, but firmly, Cala would pat Ari's thigh and withdraw their hand. Now lacing their hands in their lap they would sigh and shake their head.

"But.... about earlier.... We.... I was not clear enough I fear. We are not afraid of what our Reserreccion may be, at least not yet. Instead we are more afraid of the fact we have no inkling of how to achieve it. Are we simply too weak? Are we missing something? Have we not done.... enough? It is all very perplexing and worrying if we never achieve it. Most beings, it seems, are capable of evolving themselves under stress or escalating their abilities in response to dangerous situations. If we were.... unable to achieve this does that mean something is wrong with us?"

There was the smallest grimace from Cala, a small show of emotion, as they turned their head away again to stare sightlessly at the wall.

Cala accepted the pat to the head passively, continuing to blindly stare ahead, their focus solely on Arianda's words as she gave her advice on what currently worried the Arrancar. Her words made sense, as they seemed to come from her own experiences, reflecting reality in a way Cala had not considered. They would give a small nod as worry crept into their chest, like the slow spread of frost over a field, as they pondered even more. They really did not have time to formulate their thoughts before Ari stood, stretched, and then poked Cala upon the nose. Causing the Arrancar to wiggle their ashen nose gently in response. Giving an affirming nod Cala would murmur their thanks to Ari before noticeably shrinking their Pesquisa down to just the room they were in, avoiding the bathroom.

Though they did not see traditionally Cala was not at all about to even extend their 'sight' to where Ari was showering out of respect for her. Once this was done Cala would nod.

"That sounds wonderful dear sister, thank you."

Once Ari was out of the room Cala would draw their knees up to their chest and lay their forearms across their knees, their chin atop their forearms, and think. Their worry only growing in intensity as they began to try and parse what Ari's advice could mean. Their sightless mask staring at the door the sister they loved has vanished through, and a small frown would grace their lips. Their thoughts swirling in a dark stormcloud as they murmured sorrowful thoughts of how to intensify their sense of Loss, or to intensify it on the world, enough to create a situation to bring about their Ressurreccion. The only two ideas coming to mind leaving a sour, ashen taste in their mouth.

The first, and arguably less painful, was to commit slaughter on a wide scale. To grow their power enough to where they could eradicate enough souls, drown the world in enough Loss, to possibly unlock something within themselves. They despised this idea, as even though they did not possess the acute empathy of their other half, they at least logically understood that they were trying to be something other than a monster. Thus acting like one for the sake of power was.... counter-productive.

The second idea made Cala's heart lurch, their lips twisting into a snarl, as the thought that they.... may have to experience the Loss themselves cause Cala to reflexively grip their knees with their claws. Shoulders now hunched defensively Cala would exhale heavily and almost growl. The thought of losing Ari, losing Aina, losing Saiko, and to be "rewarded" with.... what? Power? Even to their more neutral, muted emotions the idea was acid upon their tongue. Vile and despicable enough that Cala dismissed it after a moment and let out a shuddering sight, wanting very much for Ari to return now so they could distract themselves from these thoughts. Their heart aching softly for their sister again.