I wish I was Home, If I Had One [Khaana Solo]

The conflict up above was a smothering sensation. The pressures of combat and energy signatures that bore down and caused her spine to tingle ever so slightly. The creatures around her had all surged up to the surface in order to meet the shinigami and humans up on the surface.

And yet here she was.

Still down here. Sitting on the edge of a rocky outcrop and staring down into the darkness down below. And feeling a deeper conflict. Once upon a time, she had felt an instinctive draw toward the hole. A curiosity that bubbled up in the back of her mind and through her nerves that had brought her here to the first place. The notion that.... perhaps this was where she belonged. A monster among other monsters.

And yet.

As malevolent as the spiritual energies up above where.

Standing within the dark depths of that hole. She could feel SO much more down below. Every nerve in her body was alert, and she felt locked in place as she felt.... wrong. It was one thing that she'd had to deal with Metatron being nearby, the threat of death and that sense of familiarity by a being that had seemed so utterly alien. It was under duress, but in that moment, she had thought. Was this where she belonged? She had been drawn to this place by instinct, it only stood to reason she' should feel at home.


...Right?

But she didn't. She didn't belong with humans, that sensation had slowly taken over her life. But standing where she was, this wasn't a sensation that she was home. That she belonged here. She wasn't calm. She was surrounded by enemies. She was a hollow, that was the truth of it. But these were not her kin. Even as their massive hukling frames passed by, she did not sense anything but an edge that one felt in the enemy's den. It was the very same sensation she'd experienced in the Forest of the Menos. With all the time she'd spent in this hole, the sensation had been slowly building, creeping up her spine, a tension of paranoia that was slowly making her more and more tense.

And she could tell that the hollows were picking up on the sensation.

Some had simply noticed that she hadn't moved on up with the others, but had ignored her. But now, the smaller creatures were beginning to close in. Intelligent eyes. Some of them from amongst those that operated adjacesnt to Metatron certainly were watchful.

She should have just played along. This wasn't a safe space. Just play along and bide your time.

But she couldn't. Her heart was pounding in her ears.

And all she could think about, was how many of them she could kill before she was taken down.

Violence was the only thing that had ever made sense.

Waiting for her 'Protagonist' had failed her.
Trying to belong had failed her.

"You're Metatron's newest Acoltye. I'm surprised you are not on the surface." A voice hissed from not far from her.

The words meant nothing. The only thing that mattered was how far that voice was. The direction. And how many others were immediately around her.

Kill them.
Kill Them.
KILL THEM.

"It is unwise to ignore someone when they are talking to you."

The rush of disgusting breath over her face drew her eyes up to focus on the pair that were staring her down. A creature something akin to a massive millipede, the pale shock of it's mask mere feet from her own face as it narrowed it's eyes in her direction. The other hollows had begun to take notice, and though they made no physical moves, she could taste the sensation of tension as they watched on.

"What about it?" She managed a retort. Some far semblance of manners bubbled up amidst her more primal urges as she stared back up at the hollow themselves. A slight twinkle in those bright ted eyes as something of a mirthful tone flowed into the beast's words.

"Rather feisty hm? And yet you're down here instead of letting out that energy on those soul reapers. The ground is stained and soiled with the filth of heathens. Why have you decided to follow Metatron? If not to wipe such filth off the face of this world?" The creature ventured, slowly circling her with it's lengthy body, the rapid click of it's many legs irritating as she tried to figure out what it was she felt. The voice of this hollow prickled something inside of her. It wasn't quite the sort of way an arrancar would talk to her. At least Amaranta or Kanako. But it also wasn't quite the way that Metatron had spoken to her. He had been.... neutral. Curious. But he hadn't had any doubt about his position in relation to her.

But this.... thing. It wasn't self preservation. And as she felt it welling up inside of her, it didn't quite feel the same as when she'd been in the forest of the menos. Something else was bothering her. "I'm not really concerned with your thoughts and opinions. And if I'm being honest, you're being awful casual about my personal space." She murmured darkly, her eyes narrowing as she cut a leer at the creature that had been circling her.

It's body suddenly halted and slowly swiveled it's head in her direction. And she could see the broil of its own irritation in its body language as those countless legs curled up and seemed to flare, pointed tips writhing as if in anticipation.
"You think you're better than us? Oh we're quite used to the arrancar acting so high and mighty around us. Do you think you're one of them? Funny I don't see a blade on you. Or a mask. I don't even see a hollow hole on that .....pretty little body of yours. Are you even a Hollow?" A slow, hissing spit from it's throat as it rose up to loom over her.

Ah. That's what she was feeling. Looking up as the creature attempted to cow her with it's mass, she could feel it spreading throughout her body. A slow, creeping sensation like cracks creeping along the surface of glass. Cutting thin lines into her nerves and her patience as the Hollow spoke up again. This time she wasn't even paying attention to the words it was saying.

Darkness spilled along her foothold on the side of the chasm, mixing almost perfectly with the shadow that the creature cast themselves. A darkness that chewed into the raw earth and stone beneath her for material. Just before the bright glint of sleek pale spines erupted from the shadow itself. She could feel the tension around her snap as the Hollows all turned her way. As her Angelic Spears burst from that dark shadowy ground and pierced up into the monster's frame from below. A strangled gasp bubbling up from the creature's throat as one of those slim blades jutted up and pierced clean through his throat.

She reached out, her hand hovering just above the weapon that was jutting out from under it's jaw, causing a sudden brilliant glow to flare along the lengths of those spears. Searing the creatures flesh within it's own carapace as she gave the creature a hateful stare.

"I'm nothing like you." She muttered, a calm falling over her as brilliant blades of energy erupted from the lengths of those spears. Fully piercing through the creature's carapace from the inside. The one in it's throat spreading to cleave clean through it's skull and mask. All as those spears dragged it's ruptured body back into the black shadow beneath them. As energy began to boil around her. So many creatures weaker than her. As strong as her. STRONGER than her. All of it was suddenly agitated and crackling around her as the creatures began to turn towards her.

The shadow slowly began to glow as the hollow dragged into it's depths was broken down. AFter all, it was dead, it's corpse was just as suitable a material as any. She was going to die. There was no other thought in her head as those countless beasts were riled up. There was no way she could get out of this. Amaranta wasn't here to use a garganta to pull her out. Kanako wasn't here to serve as a distraction.

Nobody was here.
She was alone.


She raised her hand, and reached out over the glowing swell of black ink beneath her, her spiritual pressure plummeting as she poured her own energy into the mix as well. Her eyes glowing a fierce blue as she spoke.


"Mimoljótnyj Nebesa." (Transient Heaven)

The bright glow beneath her feet twisted as claws tore from the swell of energy beneath her, and her Seraphim erupted from the eroded ground. Numerous snouts and massive sets of teeth burst from the ground beneath her. Her Seraph were typically something that used much of her energy, but not so much as to weaken herself. Was there a point in holding back at a time like this? She had poured everything she had into it. As well as the corpse of the Hollow she'd slain. They weren't quite as large as what she usually summoned. But they made up for it in numbers and potenxy. Six of the beasts screamed from their molten womb as they surged outward in a sudden violent surge. The nearest hollows instantly were caught off guard as the single threat suddenly became seven. Jaws lunged and bit into the nearest ones.

They weren't going to die. These creatures weren't just fodder. And even as her Seraphim pounced upon foes left unprepared, several of them were promptly countered. Blades, claws, and teeth punched into their frames almost as quickly as they lad latched onto their targets. But they didn't even register the pain. Massive jaws twisted, their necks bending at odd angles as they pried flesh from their victims, and the screams of those nearby hollows flooded the darkened space as they tore flesh from their bodies. Flesh that was promptly swallowed, and bled new energy into those frames

A thick ape-like hollow suddenly found a second Seraphim latchong onto it from behind, jaws sinking into it's spine from behind as the one that the creature has already been about to pummel turned and chomped clean through the hollow's fist. The beast screaming out as its body spasmed and suddenly went still!

Other hollows were having varied success. And one of them turned its attention straight towards Khaana, a long tail arching behind it before lancing towards her frame. That pointed length rammed clean through the center of her skull. A clean puncture into her forehead and out the back in an attempt at a finishing move. It was still a shock through Khaana's body. In her weakened state, if the creature hadn't mistaken her for a human and gone for her stomach, that might have been the end.

But instead. She fixed the creature with a glare as she reached up and clamped her hand onto the tail that was piercing her skull.

"Letát."

The Seraph's bodies glowed in response to the word, their bodies contorting as they bulged, swelling slightly along their spines and chests before brilliang pale wings wreathed in blood burst from their bodies. Razor-sharp fans of bladelike feathers tore through the hollows they had been latched onto, and the hollow that had assaulted her shrieked out as those unfurling wings cleaved through it's chest and lower body, shearing it into several pieces as it's tail went limp, sheared from the rest of it's spine. She was panting at this point, shakily reaching up as she clasped a hand onto the length of sharp appendage that had pierced her head. Her eyes glowing as her lips peeled back and a snarl crept across her face. Sharp teeth filling her mouth as she twisted the enamel in her teeth into points. Points that she sank into that massive lump of flesh infront of her. The taste of hollow twisted in her mouth. It didn't even burn as it might have some human. She'd eaten hollow before, and with that fresh lump of fuel gliding into her stomach, she felt her energy starting to flare back up once again.

She could feel it. What few Hollows her Seraphim managed to tear apart were already being consumed. But several others were prying the angels off of themselves to turn their attention to Khaana. One of them peeled open it's maw as bright light flooded it's throat. Rapidly charging a Cero.

She needed to push herself into her higher form. If these things started firing on her when she was like this she was going to be reduced to ash. Even though she'd resigned herself to death. Even with a fresh hole in her body. Even knowing there was nowhere for her to run. The shock of that threat still shook her down to her very core, and her spiritual pressure flared in response to the impending blast. Stronger. She needed to be Stronger..



Why?
Did it matter?
Even if she won? What was going to happen? More of them would pour in. And kill her and eat her.
What about when Metatron came back to her like this?
And even if she escaped. Where would she go?
Who would want her?
Who cared about her?
Who even knew who she really was?
Who knew anything but the lie she'd been living for so many years?

She was staring down the barrel of that Cero as those questions raced through her perforated head.

The harsh scream of the Cero billowing towards her bid her body to move before her mind could catch up. A hand was raised as that surge of brilliant yellow light devoured the space between them. In that instant, she might have pushed herself into her true form. But she was weak. She was barely aided by the energy she'd gotten from that chunk of hollow flesh. And so her subconscious mind reached deeper. To that feeling in the forest. That feeling she had only barely scratched the surface of. That feeling of completion in the very core of her soul.

Wings burst from her back and her hips as her raised hand flexed. The air infront of her suddenly dense with that powerful field. Mashing her own spiritual pressure into a concentrated pocket, solidifying it into a solid surface only for that Cero to crash into it and be split in two. That explosive burst of pressure inside of her cowing the Cero as it was shunted to either side behind her, tearing a hole clean through one of the struggling hollows, as the other end slammed into one of her Seraphim and burned through that hard outter carapace.

That field narrowed, compressing into a narrow line. Screaming as it was flattened into a slim streak horizontal across her field of view. And then it expanded forwards. That explosive force was something she so very often employed in her True Form. Creating a barrier and then shunting it outward with enough force to level buildings. But this time, it was concentrated into that thin lateral line, and so that explosive force rather than pushing, cut clean through the hollow that had fired the cero.

Them. And several hollows that had been behind them as a smooth, perfect line had been rent through the objects in her path.

A shocked look spread across it's face.

Before a clawed hand CLAMPED onto it's skull from behind. And a smaller, just as firm hand latched onto it's face from the front. Khaana and her Seraph both grabbing ont the creature, a scream ripping from it's throat as its mask was peeled off of it's face and the back of its head was pried open. It watched as Khaana brought a mix of skin, meat, and mask to her mouth to chomp down, but was spared the sight by the maw which chomped onto it's head from behind. She and her Seraphs gorging themselves on the flesh of their enemies. The nearest Seraphim spreading their wings in a dome around her. Even as more hollows turned their attention to the commotion.

All whilst Khaana's spiritual pressure swelled back up inside of her. As darkness spilled into her sclera and light burned in her eyes. What flesh she could wolf down burning in her very core, pumping her full of energy as her spiritual pressure flared. Those Seraphs that hadn't managed to eat anything were already being torn apart. And those that had were still screeching out around her.


No time.
This wasn't the Menos Forest. She didn't have time to hide away and eat. To regain her energy. Even now, having chowed down on some of the dead, her Seraphim were just being overrun. The closest one had it's arms held around her protectively as a big beast of a serpent slammed into it from the side. Teeth gnashing towards Khaana as she felt that rush bubbling up inside of her.
She was gonna die.
She was GOING to die.
There was no escaping this. The instant she'd decided to start lashing out, it didn't matter what she did. She was being SWARMED. She was going to
DROWN in all of these hollows!

She sank her clawed fingers into the Seraphim that was wrapped around her. Her breath catching in her throat as she grit her teeth.

I DON'T CARE! I WANT TO LIVE!

The thought burned through her mind.
The How and the Why were cast away.
It didn't matter.
Even if she had nothing to live for.
Even if she had no BODY to live for.
It didn't matter if she knew HOW she was going to survive.
She wanted to LIVE.

That black shadow spilled out from her palms and over the Seraphim that was immediately in front of her. It had eaten maybe half of a hollow, as well as the head of the one that tried to Cero her. It was barely anything. But it was enough.
It threw its head back and screeched as it's flesh tore open and spilled out onto Khaana's frame. Seething and sinking into her frame. The core of this fake Angel peeling out of it's chest and congealing into a little sphere, one that Khaana brought to her mouth as some of it's sheer mass was pulled onto her body and molded into a hard armor.

Rúxnuvšij Nébo _{(Collapsing Sky)}

Cannibalizing the energy of her Seraph as well as the hollows it had eaten, her own spiritual pressure bubbled up inside of her as she thrust her hand into the husk of her Seraph's body. That black ink breaking down it's body into a slimmer, more useable form. A Spear. It's blade ripping into the jaws of the Serpent that even now as lunging to bite her. Severing the lower section of it's mouth from the rest of its head as it's upper jaw and face crashed into her, slamming her into the inside of that hole. Cracks slithering along the outside of that carapace, even as her Seraph were torn apart.

She still couldn't push it back. All of her desperation boiled up to the surface as she hacked away at the thing. Driving it's head away from her as two of her Seraph, prying themselves from the other hollows crowding around them launched themselves at the snake. Cutting into it's spine with their wings as more Hollows surged in around her.

She fought desparately. Cannibalizing two more of her Seraph in desperation, the ones that remained barely would give much energy, even tearing into the bodies of the hollows, making so many of them had made them too weak. And even wreathed in a fusion of herself with one of those angels, so many claws and teeth scraped and bit at the carapace that protected her core.

They were too strong. They were too Many.

But she kept fighting.

Right up until her struggle drew the attention of a Kaiju.

One of those Titanic Hollows had been coiled around the bottleneck of the hole's entrance, at least of this particular segment of it. Roused from it's nap, the creature turned toward Khaana and the other smaller hollows with not even a speck of care. They were ALL insects to it.

A howl sounded as a Cero that was bigger than most of the hollows blared to life. Aimed at all of them. And once again Panic welled up inside of her. Her Seraphim Field compressed into a hard barrier infront of her. Just as that ....... Natural Disaster went off. Had she not been using that barrier. And had the shreds of her remaining Seraph hadn't thrown themselves around her. Would she have ever woken up?




Waking up was a generous thing to call it. At first she thought she was still underground. But the cracks in the carapace covering her face were interlaced with daylight seeping through. She was outside. In the sun. Almost the entire left side of her body was gone, smoldering, reduced to mush. And the rest of her was riddled with fragments of her own carapace and feathers that had been shunted into her own body by the explosion. A slow, croaking hiss escaped her throat as she rolled onto her side.

Massive as the hole was, she had been near one of the edges when everything had started. She'd been blown clean through several hundred feet of earth and straight into the ruins of one of those buildings. Even now, she could feel the battles going on in the distance.

She slowly rolled over and onto what was left of her belly. One of her arms was still functioning. That and a tattered wing pressed into the rubble and the dirt to pry herself from the debris. Her breath coming in heavy, focused pants. Her flesh slowly shifting, trying to thin out what was left of her gigai so that she could have one or two more functioning limbs.

Just enough to get up.

Enough not to die here.