Alone in the Desert

It had been several weeks since the Takehiko and Tiziana had departed the Seireitei for Hueco Mundo, reporting to the Shikkoku Shūkyōsaiban group situated there. Takehiko stood atop a sand dune, its white colored sand blowing with the wind as he observed the the brilliant moonlit landscape as it beamed over the ruins of Las Noches. Dashing forward, the two began making their way towards the structure, keeping their eyes peeled for rampant hollows.

Takehiko: "Since you know our routine as well as having been briefed on the way here, you know what you have to do, so you can go ahead Tiziana."

Taziana: "Okay. I'll report any findings back to you."

Takehiko: "Alright, you may proceed with the mission."

Tiziana: "Do I have permission to use force, should I encounter hostile forces?"

Takehiko: "You can use force should the situation warrant it, but avoid conflict if and whenever you can, since we want to keep the peaceful relations we've established with a majority of the Quincy stationed here."

Tiziana: "Understood. Tiziana out."

Tiziana walked towards the door before turning back and getting a glance at Takehiko. It was something she always did before heading out on a mission. Always wanting to get a last glance at him before leaving, she very much admired the way he carried himself during missions, always direct, never beating around the bush. Much different from when they are at home, his calm and playful demeanor taking over as his more calmer side took over. Leaving the building, she turned towards the ruins of Les Noches before her and decided to go east. Swiftly gazing around, after recognizing and sensing that she allies were out of visible range, she utilized Sonido to propel herself forward an immense speed. Scanning the landscape and making note of the various hollows that littered the surroundings, she slowed her pursuit as she neared a massive sand dune she hadn't previous encountered before.

The ground rumbled a bit as she approached, the dune shaking slightly in the quake. The the world was silent for a moment. The the ground erupted as 3 massive claws came out from around the smaller woman. A hollow had laid a trap beneath her, and was attempting to drag her under the white sands.

Feeling the ground shake, Tiziana's keen senses took hold of her. With a quick kicking motion, Tiziana kicked herself off the ground before the ground beneath her burst open with a sudden eruption, sand flying everywhere. Several large claws surrounded her from three sides, towering over her. Swiftly unsheathing her blade, she made a ducking motion before rolling backwards, escaping the claws through the gap available to her.

"Large claws... A creature of this proportion doesn't seem common to Hueco Mundo..." she though as quickly gazed around.

A large scorpion shaped hollow emerged from the ground, a large claw with three fingers in the air. It was at least the size of an average building. As it cleared the earth, it's tail lurched forward, intent on spearing the woman in front of it as it shook off the sand, then intent on charging to close the gap.

"So those claws belonged to a massive scorpion hollow, huh... Time to make quick work." the woman stated as she gripped her sword with a single hand, while reaching for another sword. Dashing forward with immense speed to meet the approaching enemy, Tiziana could see the warm, crisp air flow around her being as she neared the creature. The creature thrust its immense tail forward with an incredibly swift motion. At the sang time, Tiziana's tail unfurled into nine others, surrounding her as she twisted her body in an acrobatic fashion. As the scorpions tail brushed past her, she lifted her second sword from its sheath, promptly rending the pointed end of the the tail from the scorpion. Swiftly spinning around even more, she threw her first sword below her as it impaled the scorpion's body. Pulling her nine tails back, she drove them forward, creating nine corresponding, large gaping holes within the scorpions head. Quickly landing on top of it, she retrieved her sword before returning them to their sheath, gazing around her for more potential targets as the scorpion died.

"Surely that small quake could be felt by others around here. This scorpion must have been looking for lesser hollows to feed on and I just happened to be the closest target it had its sights set on. I'll make sure to report this when I finish my mission." she stated before continuing her trek across the various dunes.

As she cleared one particularly high dune, Tiziana would see a rather large valley below, however unlike the vales she had passed during her trek, this one was occupied, with numerous hollows brawling with each other below. She had stumbled onto a pile of hollows attempting to form into a Gillian. Least they were attempting to form into one. After she had cleared the dune, they had sensed her reiatsu, and had stopped their fight. Hundreds of masks faced the woman, and each and every one desired her. They desired her power, her energy. The pile broke up as hollow after hollow started charging up the hill, all intent to consume the woman in front of them, to evolve as hollows were want to do. The first came up, head down as it attempted to gore her like a bull with the horns on top of it's head, though many were behind it, nearly four hundred in all.

Well... This is quite the number of hollows... I guess it can't be helped." Tiziana stated as she equally stared down the hollows glaring at her like a Thanksgiving meal. "Kill her and we'll most certainly evolve!" yelled a rather large, Bear-like hollow proclaimed. Suddenly, the mass of hollows began rushing in the woman's direction. "Bring it!" Tiziana yelled as she jumped towards the group of hollows, appearing swiftly within the center of the group without use of Sonido. Swinging towards the nearest hollow, he sword was met with the claws of another hollow. Seeing sparks glide off her body, the hollow was surprised as the top section of his body slid off. "Im..possible..." he stated as another hollow stepped over and took his place to get a piece of the kitsune cake. Flipping her sword around into a reverse grip, Tiziana turned to the right, slicing down numerous hollows in the process as more approached. Manifesting flames on her blade, she twirled her body around like an ice skater as the flames spread around the vicinity, engulfing hollows all around her. Unlike normal flames, these flames would work to absorb the life force of those around her, siphoning it away at a tremendous rate as the flames incinerated their bodies afterwards. "Time to make quick work of you fodder..." Tiziana nonchalantly stated as the flames around her begin to move towards her blade, accumulating within it as it glowed bright.

The hollows pressed on, heedless of the blade, less than one in thirty of them even intelligent enough to realize the woman in front of them was dangerous. At this point she was in the body of the hollows, surrounded on all sides by the beasts. While each wasn't very dangerous, these numbers were a threat to most. They used their numbers to attempt to swamp Tiziana, attacking her from all sides without pause. In this deluge of bodies thrown at her from all directions, Tiziana would notice something. The hollows seemed to be getting slightly stronger, slightly faster. Constantly increasing in power as their attack wore on. Almost as if something was forcing them to increase to more ruinous heights. Even as they strengthened, they individually weren't a match for the shinigami, but combined, even she had to be wary.

Finding herself suddenly swarmed by the hollows, Tiziana drastically increased the heat instilled within the blade as he surrounding herself with her nine tails, fire filling the air. "And to think I'll possibly have to make an effort to slay you all... How delightful.." she stated, swinging her sword as the heat that emanated from it began vaporizing those immediately surrounding her, leaving nothing but black cinders behind. "They seem to be getting stronger by the second, which is unprecedented..." she thought as she let down her tails, smacking away hollows that began to close in with increased speed. As she did so, Hollows began throwing themselves at her, grabbing her tails with their various hands so she couldn't use them as blunt weapons. Forcing one tail up, she threw an pesky hollow into others as she whipped her tails around at immense speed, taking to the sky afterwards with a well timed jump. Looking down, Tiziana noticed several glowing orbs on the outskirts of the hollow gathering, each a different color. "Adjuchas..." She though to herself as they blasted towards her. Blocking several with her central tail, two other ceros prematurely detonated, smoking filling the air. Landing a good distances away, Tiziana could see just how quickly the enemy was getting stronger as she brushed off the attack. "Maximizing the damage of the cero by detonating it before it hit me was pretty smart..." she thought. Dashing forward, as she drew her second blade, she began sling down hollows by the bunch as they rushed at her, leaving nothing but sand in her wake as she did so with elegance in her step, dancing in the wind.

The hollows empowered at a brisk pace, even as their numbers rapidly declined, throwing themselves at the shinigami at a manic pace. But their numbers, while great, were not infinite. As the fodder of the normal hollows decreased as they perished, the stronger and more intelligent ones decided to beat a hast retreat, leaving their lesser kin to their fates.

As the sand kicked up by the conflict settled, there were only two living beings left in the valley, the shinigami with her twin swords drawn, and upon the opposing hill, a blue haired woman in a sleeveless dress who was just watching while singing a soft dirge to herself. The presence of horns of white marking her as an arrancar to all that viewed upon her.

Swinging her blade ever so softly, the blood was flung from it as Tiziana stretched her arms and twisted her back. "Nothing like a little warm-up..." she stated, having felt slightly uncomfortable from the attacks the hollows previously dealt, she sighed as she eyed a blue haired woman. "Are you commanding these hollow?" Tiziana asked the woman.

Elsewhere, having heard an explosion, Takihiko raised his head. "Tiziana..." he stated, as he rushed out of the room, heading in the direction of the sound.

"Am I commanding these hollows?" the blue haired woman said in a soothing voice. "Not commanding them, I don't command things. Usually. The part where they got stronger the longer that fight went on. That was me. I do that by existing, and existing isn't a crime now is it?" she continued while pouting a bit.

"Though I want to say that you are the one at fault here, little Shinigami, at least I think you are one, you move like one... I'm not really sure what you are to be honest. But yes, you are the one who interrupted their evolution, and are wondering why you were attacked. All these little soul reapers, quincy, and others. They flounce into our home uninvited and wonder why we want to kill them." she then paused for a second. "So what now my little foxy friend, are you going to kill me next? Though I'd like to think you'd have trouble with that. Even if you didn't, my master would be cross, and you wouldn't like master when he's cross. Makes me seem like one of those hollows you just killed." she finished while waiting for a response.

Facing her with a nearly blank expression, Tiziana suddenly chuckled at the woman's words. "I move like one you say?. It's not wise to judge a book by it's cover." she with a minor pause. "While I'd rather not waste time on a Menos, Hollow or any other creature of the various races within Hueco Mundo, I do have a mission to carry out. Considering the role you played in the attack just now, I suggest you step aside and allow me to complete my mission, or else you and your "boss" won't like me when I'm angry..." Tiziana replied with a readied attitude, not impressed by the woman's last second remark.

The woman let out a small cackle as her life was threatened. "That's the fun part, I didn't do anything. Things just get a bit more lively around me. See for yourself." she finished as something unknown to Huenco Mundo occured. Grass started to sprout through the sand around her, growing by some unheard of means. Trees followed, and within a minute, the dusty dead valley became a thriving jungle, all from nothing. All from her merely exerting her pressure upon the environment.

"Still suspicious of me, you foxy lady?" she followed up her display with that simple statement. "You really shouldn't judge all Arrancar by what that whelp Aizen did. Some of us have existed for much, much longer than the Court Squads would have you believe. Some of us are connected to this world far deeper than just living here, and not all of us attack foreigners on sight. I'm more of a lover than a fighter anyways." the woman finished with a slightly flirty tone.

As the plant life began to expand from the Arrancar outwards, it began to grow much slower as it neared her,crawling to a stop a few inches before her. "Grass... in Hueco Mundo. That's quite unheard of...." Tiziana said to herself as her eyes left the plant-life and went back to the woman. "Wouldn't you be suspicious if you meant someone who displayed something you've never encountered before?." she stated with a quick pause. "I have a mission to continue, so if you want anything from me, say so, otherwise you're wasting my time, if I'm being honest...." Tiziana stated, her patience thinning just slightly as she wanted answers from the woman.

"I mean, I wouldn't talk to you if I didn't want something, no one ever does anything without something. Little bit about still being curious as to what you are, little bit curious about what you're doing." The blue haired woman said almost matter of factually. "Curious about a lot of other things too, but those aren't important right now. Though I suppose since now I'm actually asking you things, I should introduce myself. I am Alvira Galas, Left Hand of the White Prophet of the Sands. It's a pleasure to meet you, mind if I have your name?"

*Left Hand, White Prophet of the Sands... Sounds like an organization of sorts...* the Kitsune pondered within the confines of her mind. "I'm Tiziana Domínguez. Nice to meet you I suppose. With such a title, you seem to be of high ranking here in Hueco Mundo" Tiziana stated as she moves all of her tails individually. "Why exactly do you seek to know so much about me?" she asked.

"Because I don't understand you. When you're as old as I am, you tend to reach a point where nothing is new anymore. I haven't felt a reiatsu quite like yours. It's new, and new is always exciting." she espoused to Tiziana. "Plus you're kinda cute which is always a bonus." She finished with a wink.

"I guess it's only natural for us as beings to seek to understand one another" Tiziana replied. Upon hearing the woman speak of her reiatsu, Tiziana's simply smiled. "Yeah, my reiatsu is something I just have to deal with. No matter how much I suppress it, it always feel like its everywhere.. I do appreciate the complement though." she responded as she wrapped herself within her tails. "So I assume there's a Right Hand of the Prophet of the Sands as well?" she asked, intrigued by such an odd title.

Alvira looked a bit annoyed by the reference to the right hand. "Yes, my sister... She's such a bore though, I'm clearly the fun sister of the two. Always sitting in her room with her books from the human world..." She said in response. "Surprised you didn't you ask about Gabriel though, people usually do whenever I mention a prophet. My sister and I work directly for him, the boss I spoke of. I am out here spreading his message after all." Alvira finished with a shrug.

"I didn't know Arrancar actively traveled to the human world as some shinigami do." Tiziana stated with a smile, as she could see why they would want to do such things. "Tell me more about this boss of yours, Gabriel" Tiziana asked, intrigued by the woman's words.

"I mean, I don't... But well, a lot of people know how to make Garganta now," Alvira says as she absentmindedly fiddles with several tiny ones through a simple flick of her finger. "But Gabriel, boss, leader, prophet, technically my father. Great man, let me tell you. He is the leader and founder of the Padres de las Arenas Blancas, an organization dedicated to the worship of the hollow god, as well as the preservation of the hollow race. Found my sister and I when we weren't nothing but Adjuchas, more years ago than I care to admit. Also probably the most powerful hollow ever born, though there are always those who would challenge that claim. Anything in particular you'd like to know?"

With the words the woman spoke, Tiziana's facial expression changed slightly. "Did you say Hollow God?" she asked, trying to take in exact what the hollow before her was saying. "To think that such things exist like that in Hueco Mundo is quite outstanding." she added further. "Do you mind telling me more about Padres de las Arenas Blancas?" Tiziana inquired.

"Well, we're an organization Gabriel put together quite some time ago, though we're based well away from little Los Noches, long before Aizen-boy came around. Barragan was annoying even before he became an Arrancar. But we take in all hollows who wish for protection, stopping others from preying on them. We help them evolve to the next stages of their lives. Then usually they decide to stay with us. We worship the Hollow God, the progenitor of all hollows. Our maker. Gabriel just happens to be his prophet, and has shown us no shortage of miracles proving that he is the Hollow
God's Prophet." Alvira responded with a smile.

"So its a sanctuary of sorts." Tiziana replied. "Why would you worship the Hollow God? Why do you consider him your maker?" Tiziana added, asking the woman before her. "Is this Hollow God sealed away like the Shinigami's Soul King?" she further asked, seeking to learn more about this 'higher being' Alvira speaks of before fusing her numerous tails back into a single one.

"He merely sleeps, he is the first and greatest of us, stronger than the rest combined. He separated Huenco Mundo from the other spiritual realms, cutting it off from the Dangai, a protection that kept us safe from the Shinigami for so long. They call us unnatural, seek our destruction. He protected us until they finally found a way to come here. Now we worship him in the hopes that when he wakes, he shall protect all hollows from the monsters than hunt them." Alvira responded, with her arms outspread. The Hollow God was one of the many things she was passionate about.