Warnings: This is officially the unofficial continuation of "All for Love" And if you haven't read that, lots of this will make even less sense than it does already! At this point canon is broken, and I can't think of any spoiler alerts since now the story will completely diverge from canon.
Content warnings – Probably graphic violence, undoubtedly graphic intimacy, in some chapters... Rated "M" For precaution and the freedom to go with the story as needs be!
***Spoiler Alert***
Norma Bates is actually Norman Bates' crazy ass in drag!
AwakenChapter 1: Nelliel Tu Odelshwanck"…but-but… Nel wasn't doing anything wrong… and you two Numeros come and kidnap Nel, stopping our game of eternal tag! But why? Nel didn't bother anybody, Nel tried to stay as far away from Las Noches as she could!"
The little green haired Arrancar girl had deftly avoided a distraught Menoly, all the while continuing to rant in her frantic voice. Ulquiorra watched from the end of the meeting hall as Nelliel leapt deftly over Menoly's attempt at a grab, stepped lightly on her head, and jumped to land on the long table and stab a finger in Menoly's direction.
"But then these two Numeros come grab Nel-Tu and drag her here! Her brothers are going to be so worried about her, please-please-please let Nel go!" The little Arrancar quickly hops back from Loly's attempt to flank- and-seize, and the two exasperated Numeros turn to look at each other before Loly hisses angrily.
"She wasn't this hard to grab the first time! Has she gotten faster?" She's glaring at Nelliel, and it's obvious she's only a few moments away from using deadly force. It was clear from the look on her face that this had been going on for some time.
"You never should have let go of her, I told you not to let her go!" Menoly shoots at Loly, trying not to sound as frustrated as she looked, and failing miserably.
Ulquiorra stands with Orihime just behind him and Zommari to the other side. He blinks slowly as he watches. They had only just entered, to find themselves in the middle of this perplexing scene at the far end of the long table. It's Zommari who's the first to speak.
"They seem to be having some difficulty with your former comrade."
Ulquiorra can't be sure why, but something about it strikes him as oddly amusing. Even though she seems to be unaware, Nelliel still possessed an innate knowledge of her abilities, and was able to use them just enough to make the task of recapturing her extremely difficult, even for Numeros.
Loly and Menoly exchange a conspiratorial glance and then split up, moving around to opposite sides of the table to attempt one of their signature flanking maneuvers. Nel meanwhile, continues her rant about the injustice of her abduction, facing Loly, who made the most recent grab. As the two Numeros get into position then leap, Nelliel ducks and dives; skidding without ceremony down the table as Loly and Menoly collide mid-air, falling into a heap of limbs. Nel slides to a halt to find her gaze looking directly at Ulquiorra and her eyes go wide.
Loly leapt up, her eye twitching as she hissed and felt her rage boiling over. She reaches up her sleeve, and pulls her Zanpakuto from her uniform causing Menoly to groan under her breath.
"That's it! I've had it! Now, Poison, Escolo..." She stops, going pale when she finally sees two Espada at the end of the table. Ulquiorra regards her with a lightly cocked eyebrow and she stills, with her hand on the hilt of her blade. She glances nervously around, nonchalantly putting the blade back into its hidden sheath.
"Loly, please tell me you weren't about to enter Resurrección." Ulquiorra demands softly. It only seems to make the already terrified Loly even more anxious.
"N-no… Of course not! I, uh… …shit!" Loly starts, and upon realizing just how undeniable it was, she finishes with even less grace than she started. Her face is flushed as she lowers her eyes to the ground, Menoly hides her own face in her palm and both Numeros slip from the large table quietly. Ulquiorra can hear a soft giggle behind him, and it warms him in way that was altogether new to him. It brought the slightest curve to his lips and he looked again to Nel, who was staring up at him in a mix of confusion, and wonder. His eyes widen suddenly then in a realization.
"You recognize me don't you, Nelliel." He speaks slowly, watching as the girl raises her upper body on short arms, looking at him, perplexed. Nelliel blinks slowly, and opens her mouth to speak, but she stops as another presence can be felt.
Ulquiorra can feel Tier's spiritual pressure, and as the Tres Espada walks into the room, Nelliel's eyes shoot to her, and though it doesn't seem possible, the girl's eyes widen even more.
"Tier… Tier… Harribel!" Nel exclaims softly, blinking a few times then turning her eyes back to Ulquiorra. She opens her mouth to speak, but again she seems to fail.
Tier's eyes soften as she sees Nelliel, suddenly angry for what Nnoitra had done to her so long ago. There had been a point when Tier looked up to Nelliel, and respected her calm, rational mind, and her capacity for honor. To see Nelliel like this, her mask cracked, her memories in fragments, she could only give a final thanks that Ulquiorra had destroyed that despicable male.
"Nelliel, it is good to finally see you again, I am glad that Hueco Mundo did not reclaim you." Tier speaks with a slight nod, her arms folded beneath her bust as she regards the diminutive ex-Espada.
"Good, we are all here then. Everyone, come with me." Ulquiorra looks at them only a moment longer, before he turns to walk out of the chamber. Orihime doesn't even hesitate, turning on her heel to follow at his command with Zommari following shortly after. Loly and Menoly exchange glances then move up behind Nelliel. Tier nods once to Nelliel, and she too turns and moves from the room, leaving the little Arrancar to look back at Loly and Menoly before she hops off the table and pads quickly after Ulquiorra, seemingly eased by the sight of Tier.
The troupe travels in silence, leaving the towers, and stepping out onto the dome over Las Noches, travelling some ways from the tower before Ulquiorra stops and turns to face them. They watch him expectantly, and he simply glances at Orihime, giving her a slight nod.
The violet tinged gold of Sōten Kisshun leaps into being, encasing Nelliel vertically. Slowly Orihime begins to think of Nnoitra, to think of what damage he must have done to the girl, and little flecks of white begin to coalesce on the cracked mask Nelliel wears. They all watch, as Nel's face lights in amazement and she opens her mouth in a soft "Oh!" of surprise.
A sudden, dense wave of spiritual pressure washes over the group, causing Loly and Menoly to recoil from it immediately. Orihime too finds she has to lift one arm to shield from the powerful wave of energy. Pinkish smoke begins to roil from around the edges of Nelliel's mask, soon the healing shell is completely opaque with the smoke and the shell begins to crack. Orihime's eyes widen in surprise as she realizes the pressure within is growing too great to be contained and only a moment later the shell shatters and explodes in a flash of white light and a billow of that pink smoke washing out in every direction.
Ulquiorra can already feel her, her renewed form, cloaked in the smokescreen. He stands and waits as it begins to clear away, revealing the once small, stout Arrancar girl. Nelliel had reverted fully to her original form, curvaceously well endowed: She was as tall as Harribel, her long green hair flowing sensually to the curve of her backside, coming out from beneath her now complete hollow mask, even her uniform had been restored, with her Zanpakuto sheathed at her side. She looked around slowly, to the six others that were gathered there. She felt like she was just waking from a dream, a dream that was fast fading from her memory. She grasped at it desperately as she tried to make sense of what was happening.
Her Fracción had been used as bait, to lure her into a trap, and… something had happened. She had been damaged somehow. It had been Nnoitra, and Szayel. She could remember that now, then, things started to get hazy. She had felt small, and oddly free of worry. She hadn't been able to remember how or why she had gotten there, but her Fracción had been right with her, though she didn't realize it until just now. They had been in the desert and they had travelled far from Las Noches.
How long had she wandered in the desert for? How long had she been gone from Las Noches? She looks at the assembled Espada; there were only three of them. She recognized Ulquiorra and Tier, but the third she did not remember. Where were the others? Just what was going on here?
The questions flooded her mind, and everyone else seemed to be content as she tried to piece it all together, finally Nelliel looks across them all and speaks softly.
"Ulquiorra… what is happening? Where are all of the Espada, Lord Aizen?" She hesitates, continuing to look over the small group. She could sense no spiritual pressure more powerful than the ones assembled here. It meant that all of the powerful Espada, Lord Aizen, and his Shinigami captains had left Hueco Mundo… but how long ago?
"Nelliel, we have brought you back from that exile imposed on you by Nnoitra, and repaired the damage he had done to you." Ulquiorra watches her closely, as the others remain silent. Nelliel looks at him, then over to the woman she doesn't recognize. This woman is not a hollow, and it dawns on her then that for whatever reason, there is a human in their midst, and she was the one responsible for restoring Nelliel.
"But, what of Lord Aizen and his captains? Where are the rest of the Espada?" Nelliel looks at him intensely, her stance is relaxed but her eyes are blazing with the desire for an answer. He meets her gaze solidly, the cool unfeeling glare that she remembered clearly. The most powerful of the Espada, had always been, Stark, Barragan, herself, and Ulquiorra. Unlike numbers five through ten, they had never muscled for rank, or been replaced by another. That was, until Nnoitra had wounded Nelliel, and the former Quinto Espada, Tier Harribel had jumped into that spot. She wondered how that had happened, without Ulquiorra moving from his spot at Cuatro, and knew it was a question she would have to ask eventually.
"Lord Aizen was captured by the soul reapers. His Shinigami companions were slain in the world of the living, as were all the Espada that you do not see here." Ulquiorra says simply, hands tucked in his pockets, looking, as always stoic and unconcerned. She realized then, that something had changed about him. There was a time she had known his spiritual pressure well, the essence of his being, and now there was definitely something different about it.
"That can't be, you mean to tell me they were all defeated by the soul reapers? Why weren't you defeated as well?" Nelliel watches their faces intently. There is something strange about all of them she realizes.
"That is exactly what I mean to tell you. Even now Aizen is presumably being held accountable for his actions against the Sereitei. Tier was the only one of us that went with Aizen to complete his mission, Zommari, Nnoitra, and I remained here." The cold green of his eyes watch her with absolute attention, unwavering as he watches her absorb the information. He can only smirk when she begins to speak.
"Then… you betrayed Aizen." Nelliel realizes, with some measure of amazement. Ulquiorra had always been Aizen's most loyal when she had been Tres Espada. If Aizen had gone to combat, and Ulquiorra had not been involved, it could only have meant he'd turned his back on Aizen at some point.
"That is not true. I would have, had he called for me in the final battle, but he did not. As it is, I have decided that we hollows are better off without a righteous Shinigami holding our collective leashes." He watches her, looking bored and still managing to appear interested. She shoots her eyes to Tier then, washing over her replacement slowly.
"And what of you Tier, you were the one that took my place… how come you did not die with the other Espada fighting Aizen's war?" She asks sternly, her words demanding an answer, and Tier actually seemed to flinch a little.
"I would have died, if Aizen had his way. It was his blade that struck me down in the end. I barely managed to make it back here alive, only to find our own Ulquiorra hatching some sort of plot, for the betterment of Hueco Mundo." She shrugs slowly and watches the green haired Espada closely. Even now Nelliel's power could be felt, her position had been justified no doubt.
Nelliel nods slowly, as if this information was only slightly surprising. She turns her eyes back to Ulquiorra, watching him intently a moment before she looks to Orihime.
"And a human woman with us, I don't know what's been happening, or how long you've been here, but I can tell by the way you stand that you've been here long enough to grow comfortable around hollows." Nelliel speaks softly, contemplative as her mind works to piece things together. Things in Hueco Mundo had remained unchanged for a long time, it must have taken some special catalyst to make things unfold the way they were. And she knew she was looking at that catalyst.
"Orihime Inoue, I'm so happy to meet you!" The human woman promptly extends her hand and a vibrant smile to Nelliel, who looks slightly taken aback by it. Slowly Nelliel takes, and shakes the girls hand awkwardly. She doesn't really understand the gesture, but numbly goes with Orihime's guidance, skipping over the introduction almost without thought.
"Then, you do not serve Aizen here. None of you do anymore…" Again, Nelliel speaks softly, the entirety of it difficult to grasp at first. Ulquiorra was their leader now. She could see it in the way they deferred to him, with the exception of Tier, who stood to one side, the others all remained behind Ulquiorra respectfully. They were trying to do something. They were trying to give momentum to a change that she already felt would alter the very nature of their world. And she could see such a change happening with these personalities behind it, though she couldn't imagine why Nnoitra would…
The thought stops dead in her mind, her eyes narrow and she speaks in a low, grave tone.
"And what of Nnoitra, what is his role here now?"
She's met by the still vibrant and welcoming smile on Orihime's lips, which only lessens slightly as she speaks.
"Master Ulquiorra had been forced to combat Nnoitra several days ago, and he was killed as a result." Orihime chirps this information, as if it's the most normal topic to be speaking of, and in all fairness… in Hueco Mundo, it was. Nelliel appears genuinely surprised by this, drinking it in slowly as she relaxes visibly. She was relieved. That bastard had been responsible for hurting, her, and more importantly he had…"
"Dondochakka, Pesche, oh no, I have to go make sure they're okay!" Nelliel's eyes widen and she moves, using her sonido and disappearing into the night of Hueco Mundo without another word. The group is left staring after her for a few moments before Loly mutters and breaks the silence.
"Well that was rude!" It's a comment that's immediately followed by a grunt when Menoly again delivers an elbow to her partner's side. Menoly grabs Loly as she starts to protest, deftly clamping one hand over the slender Arrancar's mouth, muffling her indignant cries as she turns her eyes up to Ulquiorra.
"If you have no further need for us…" She speaks softly, and with Ulquiorra's almost imperceptible nod she drags the struggling Loly back towards the tower. Menoly manages to keep her silent until they are just about to enter the tower, where a small commotion and a few enraged cries can be heard from Loly.
"They are a curious pair. It's a wonder that you trust them to do anything Ulquiorra." Zommari speaks up finally, watching the exchange with his cool, neutral expression. He had begun to think in great detail about what Ulquiorra had said. He had an idea and it was something that they could all seem to sense in a way. Only Tier, Ulquiorra, and Orihime had a glimpse of what he was planning, and only Ulquiorra himself really knew. But Zommari knew, they all knew that whatever he was planning… was something they needed to be a part of. True inspiration was a quality that Hueco Mundo was nearly devoid of.
"I believe that together, they may prove quite useful." Ulquiorra replies, with an almost thoughtful air. He turns to look out into the night, sensing Nelliel's retreating spiritual pressure. The air itself seems to have taken on a different flavor. Even as his rational mind dismisses the notion as entirely unverifiable, he can't help but feel it in the fiber of his being.
"This plan of yours Ulquiorra, tell me, what is our first step?" Tier speaks slowly, standing beside Ulquiorra, as Zommari and Orihime stand slightly back, listening.
"This is… and always has been an unspoken war for the souls of the living, a war that is now intensely organized on one side. Our first step is two pronged… First we must develop a technique similar to the Konsō, and develop a means to force a hollow to contain its hollow form like we have." He watches the dark of the desert thoughtfully, the green of his eyes scanning their world slowly. Szayel had been their most analytical researcher, but he was truly a madman, and it was good that he had been slain. They would need a proficient and capable analyst in their quest and the sooner he could locate one the better. He continues before Tier can speak.
"We need to locate a hollow with a keenly developed sense of reasoning, and spiritual pressure, and we need to begin to gather hollows here to experiment on." He lets the words roll from him with their usual chill and for a moment Tier looks at him darkly. Then her gaze softens some and she nods mutely. She doesn't turn to look over her shoulder when she speaks.
"Zommari…" She says it simply. It's a command, and though his eyes narrow slightly at it, he nods briefly then disappears with his dangerously fast sonido. They remaining three stand there silently a while, each lost in their own thoughts before one of them speaks.
"Do you remember what it was like Ulquiorra?" Tier ventures slowly, staring with him into the desert night. She didn't specify, but he knew what she was talking about: when they had first become Arrancar. He didn't respond immediately, remembering that time, the horrifying moments that passed between the state he had been in, and the one he was in now. It had been like someone driving a wedge into his soul, forcefully dividing his hollow being from the bare soul beneath. It had erected a door between the two and the Zanpakuto was the key. He had long since forgotten who he was when he lived, but he knew he would never forget that agonizing transformation. Slowly he glances at her and nods minutely.
"I remember."
Tier too, looks distant as she recalls her own experience. It had been something that none of them have ever spoken of openly before. In truth it had been humiliating, painful, and more than a little unsettling. She had been forced to stare back into her soul and see where it came from, only to realize there had been nothing left. She was a hollow, not in name, or form… but in truth. There had been nothing left of who she was by the time her bare soul had been split free from her hollow form, nothing but the pure instincts of her being. How many souls had she devoured to fill that void?
"Do you really think we could… teach that to others?" She asks hesitantly then. Had she known what the procedure was like, she likely never would have consented to it, despite the power it granted. But that was an empty thought and she knew it. She wouldn't have had a choice. She would have needed to protect those she cared for from others that might have said yes to the procedure.
"I think, that it will be considerably less traumatic, if the hollow is… fresh." He says it softly, knowing that what they had gone through had likely been the result of centuries of consuming souls, becoming lost to that feral hunger only to be reborn after gaining dominance over the sea of souls they had consumed. But Ulquiorra had stopped eating, a long time before. His power had grown through his own introspective solitude. He had not been able to talk, or to eat, as other hollows did when he finally crawled from the Forest of Menos. And his power had reached a level that he was fairly certain, was unmatched here. No one knew of his second release state. No one was aware that he'd managed to transcend the fake transformation that Aizen had created. He was able to become a true, high hollow with his bare soul and hollow form seamlessly merged into one. It was a power he knew none of the others possessed, and it had given him an insight into the transformation that none of the others had.
Orihime listens quietly as they speak. She had never considered the transformation before. What it must have been like to break down the walls between Shinigami and Hollow. The two beings were far more alike than either was willing to admit. In the end, they were all souls endlessly recycled in the same system.
It made her heart ache as she listened, realizing that they all carried a pain that she could probably never understand. She knew, in a moment of absolute clarity that she felt for them. Not just Ulquiorra and Tier… but for all the hollows. The pain they endured, that her brother had endured… simply because they could not let go of those they loved. She has to fight back tears as a sudden, shocking wave of empathy and sympathy assails her.
"I think we can actually do this." Tier whispers, marveling. She was getting a glimpse at what Ulquiorra had been thinking, and she realized it all seemed so painfully obvious. The thought of it brings a smile beneath her mask and she realizes that the answers have been around them the whole time.
"I am not a teacher Tier. You must use your spiritual pressure to crush them, to force the hollow into cowering, and allow their bare soul time to breath. You must teach them to make a door for themselves." He turns to look at her, his eyes looking deep into the matching green of her gaze. She frowns, her eyebrows knitting up distinctively as she looks like she about to protest, then she speaks in soft defeat.
"I'm the most logical candidate aren't I?" her words are almost glum, the responsibility of it seeming grand even to the Tres Espada. He doesn't respond, as she knows it's true. Slowly she nods again, sighing deeply.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just go back to killing each other mindlessly?" Tier ventures hopefully, in no way serious.
"We can still kill each other, if you'd like." He speaks with that chill, and it brings another smile to Tier's lips. A part of her longed to see him release the power she knew he'd been hiding, and a part of her was terrified he would. She knows what she has to do and the takes a deep breath to calm herself before she moves off into the night, heading toward the Forest of Menos to find a suitable apprentice.
Ulquiorra watches her going before he slowly turns to face the brilliant smile of Orihime. He finds himself regularly unprepared for the strength of her emotions. Her joy is entirely too contagious, and her raw emotion have wrought a change in him. Thanks to her, he is seeing without his eyes now. He's looking past the obvious into his instinct, into what his 'heart' tells him. He knows that his died a long time ago, but he also knows this woman has planted the seed for a new one in him. He beckons her closer, and she approaches without hesitation. He slides one arm around her, curling his hand naturally in her hair and presses his lips to hers. This time, he does so, closing his eyes and focusing entirely on the sensation of her.
Orihime moves up to him, she feels content as one arm moves up and that familiar hold in the rich mass of her hair tugs at her scalp. Slowly her lips press to his, and a soft sound escapes her lips. Her lips parted just enough for his tongue to slip inside bringing a soft whimper of surprise from her. She feels a heat inside her, one that had been simmering since the day before. She longed to lure him back to his bed, though now he had much on his mind. He had spent nearly the entire day previously out in Hueco Mundo, undoubtedly trying to further his goals. She hadn't questioned him, knowing that if he felt she needed to know, he would have told her. Their kiss lingers for some time, lips mated intimately as their tongues casually explore.
When he does finally break the kiss, he's looking down to her with a slightly glazed look and an undeniable heat in those normally cool eyes.
"Am I still insufferable, Master?" Orihime teases softly. Her smile has faded to a tiny, pleased smirk, almost a mirror of his own.
"Yes you are, incredibly so." He growls, sounding irritated. The sound brings another brilliant smile to her lips and she giggles. She slips her arms around him, nestling her cheek against his chest before she whispers, "Good."
He moves with her suddenly, and though she's gotten more used to travelling via sonido, she's still disorientated as the first step carries him to the door of the tower, and only a couple steps more leave them standing in the meeting hall. As he releases his hold on her, she clings a moment to steady her balance and then steps back, looking around slowly.
"You really mean to change everything don't you, Ulquiorra?" Orihime speaks slowly, letting one hand slip down to slide across the edge of the table. The smooth feel of the nondescript stone is oddly soothing. She realizes that after being close to him she feels very tactile, touching the surface just for the sensation of it.
"I think now, it's unavoidable. But if it is not monitored it will likely go awry. We hollows have never benefited as a whole, and I think… it may be time." He states it quietly. She realizes that he's not trying to lead a revolution, that it had never been his intention to do so. He had simply witnessed an opportunity, one that needed a representative, and he had chosen to back it. She had shown him a sliver of what it meant to believe in something, with all your being, and it had apparently struck a chord deep in him.
"I will do anything in my power to help you, to help your world." She nods firmly and smiles to him slowly. It's a pledge and he knows it, coming from her lips he has no doubt that she would pursue it to her last breath. He reaches for her, cupping her cheek and turning her face to his, making her look into those green eyes.
"Our world Orihime, I expect you to do everything in your power to help our world." He watches her. That cold gaze of his takes in every detail as she looks up in surprise. Hearing him her face softens and she offers a gorgeously soft smile.
"Yes, of course. This is my home now, and I wouldn't have it any other way." It's an admission, pure and simple. Her mind was completely made up, and she had pushed any thoughts of being anywhere else out of her head. She was truly remarkable for being able to embrace it so completely, and he had to marvel at her. He knew he needed her then, her smiles, and that adoration in her eyes. He needed her endearing naiveté and her inability to look on the dark side of anything. She would provide a counterpoint, as he knew he was heartless and ruthless. It would be her council, her influence that would truly make this change possible.
In the end, maybe all Hueco Mundo needed, was a dose of humanity.
||/\/\/W\/\/\||
First and foremost, I'd like to give a solemn thanks to those of you that showed your support for the original story. I have taken some notes, and had some thoughts and I think I like where I need to this to go. The only thing I'm finding myself struggling with now is a real threat for them to face, as no one poses a credible threat. (Except maybe that crazy soul reaper in the Menos Forest… which trust me, I've been thinking about! But even he would just be a distraction, I can't see any of the Espada having a real problem with him.) Feel free to PM me or review if you have thoughts, suggestions, or just comments.
And now some personalized thanks:
Koriander-hime – Thank you! The relationship may seem odd, but it's something of an alternate lifestyle and if you're in it… it just seems natural ;)
Shikurai17 – I appreciate that, and character development is always tricky, especially on pre-made characters. I strive not to go far OOC, but obviously as the plot changes drastically from the original, that's probably unavoidable.
– Simple, and to the point, thank you!
Nephandi – Well sir, damnably fine writing, dare I say your review outshines my story! It's interesting the points you bring up, as it's often the finer things in the story that make them so involving. You have actually touched on an idea or two, I've been entertaining, the points I have developed, I plan on working with, and I may even have a shocking twist involved at some point! But, naturally that remains to be seen. Ah hah… nice reference, truly one of the best villains ever conceived.
Parable-sama – It's going somewhere at least, so far, it seems like a relatively probable outcome for certain events. But naturally it's contrived as any story is. It shall continue, and thank you for your support!
Nypsy – "love-making" you say. I have been toying with this idea in my head, and I'm not entirely sure Ulquiorra would understand the concept… but I AM sure that Orihime would try and teach him… so I'm going to try and work my way through that. As for Nel, well she and her Fracción are a difficult, but necessary branch of the story.