Triangles

5: To Trust a Hollow

-Kita’s P.O.V.

            “Gah!”

            Within seconds, my face ground against the rough sand, the stupid gritty particles filling my mouth and getting in my eyes as they seared in pain. I scrambled to get up, though it wasn’t exactly easy. The sand beneath me shifted and moved, and without a solid ground I was finding it hard to get back up. Though as soon as the damned Garra de la Pantera was shot, I let myself fall back to the soft-ish sand and curled up as tightly as I could. My tail instinctively fell tucked against my legs. The missiles just barely missed me, their impact with the earth causing clouds of sand to shoot up.

            I slowly rolled back onto my feet, finally standing again. “Well hell! Y’haven’t acted ‘is tough in awhile!”

            “Gran Rey Cero!”

            Ah, hell. I had completely forgotten that we were quite the way away from Las Noches, so he was technically allowed to use that damnable cero of his. I looked around frantically, trying to figure out what to do. Dodging wasn’t an option; I had tried that in the past.

            Didn’t end too well.

            I finally took a deep breath and stood my ground. “Cola de Zorro!” I snarled, my tail fluffing out more than you would imagine. It grew vastly in size, and with one quick swooshing motion it was in front of me. My fox-tail wall was the only defense I could think of in such short notice. The cero finally collided with my shielding tail and the pain was almost unbearable as it tore away at the strands of fur, thinning them and eventually tearing them from my tail itself. I growled out as the pain increased, but it suddenly ceased. I blinked, letting my nearly fur-less tail fall back down and return to normal size. I glanced myself over, confirming that the cero never touched my actual body. I was safe and standing.

            “Huh. You made it through for once.”

            “I… hah! I can’t wait t’ tell Aya! She said I’d ne’er be able t’ do it! But I did!” I spoke and cheered between pants, eventually collapsing on the cold sand as I breathed quickly and heavily. Exhausted, I rested on the sand on my back, staring up at the sky.

            “Can we take a break, sir?”

            “Tch. Fine.” He mirrored my actions, leaving his Resurrección and taking a seat beside me.

            “Oi, wha’ a blessin’. Thanks.”

            “So what’s your story, runt?”

            “…My story? Hah. Funny joke. I don’ really have a story. Mana and Aya, do, though. Kinda interestin’.”

            “I don’t care about them. What about you?”