Hello minna! This is my 3rd installment on my Ulgui-Hime fictions. Still working on this one though. Compared to my previous works, Delusions of the Mind and Memoirs of the Heart; this fiction is longer and I improved my style of writing. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach.

Chapter 1 - Broken Reunion

"...And for the past few years, man has been in the century of inventions and progress, in economy, in..." the teacher's words were nothing but 'Blah Blah Blah' to Orihime who was obviously struggling to keep her eyes wide open during the class. Her grey eyes scanned across the classroom and she saw exact evidence of boredom, even for her friends. Ichigo and Chad were clearly sleeping, Rukia's mind drifted off to somewhere, Uryu seemed to be scribbling across his notes and Tatsuki was also sleeping, right infront of the teacher. Orihime sighed and brushed strands of her auburn locks that fell on her face. "Just five more minutes..." she whispered to herself, scolding her sleepy eyes to stay awake. They were already giving up from the fight until...

'RIIINNGG!'

The auburn-haired girl shot up as her classmates immidiately stormed out of the room. Orihime stood up as well and began packing her notebook inside her bag. "Inoue-san." Ichigo tapped her shoulder. "Uh... Kurosaki-kun, what is it?" Orihime replied as she covered the yawn she emitted.

"We'll be going off tomorrow to Soul Society, you know what I mean Inoue-san." Ichigo's cheery atmosphere seemed to have dissolved upon relaying the information to Orihime. "Can I go with you, Kurosaki-kun?" she replied as her eyes shifted to somewhere else to prevent eye contact with the shinigami.

"Are you sure you wanna go?" Ichigo asked and Orihime simply nodded to reply. "Fine. See you tomorrow, Inoue-san." was all he said before slowly leaving the classroom. Now everything was quiet inside, no boring teacher and no noisy classmates, Orihime had all the silence she could get. She clutched her bag tightly and bit her lip to prevent herself from crying. Another life was going to be forever exiled tomorrow, too much for her to handle. She tried to hold back her tears but as his name rolled across her mouth, tears were like soldiers that marched across her cheeks. "Ulquiorra."

It had already been two months since the defeat of Aizen and the Espadas were wiped out of existence, except for the fourth espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer, whom Orihime had desperately resurrected when he was finished off by Ichigo. Upon his return to life, the Captain Yamamoto disproved of the choice Orihime made. The Gotei 13 decided that Ulquiorra is still an arrancar made by Aizen and should be exiled, thus Ulquiorra was detained by the harsh laws of Soul Society. Yes, tomorrow was his farewell and much to Orihime's desire to save him, she could do nothing against Soul Society. Orihime walked home all by herself, reflecting every moment she had with Ulquiorra before. It wasn't because she has a mutual attachment to him or something but she hated the fact that another life would be bidding her farewell. Her mind calls for Ulquiorra, and Ulquiorra alone. When she reached a fork in the road, one leading to her apartment and the other leading to somewhere she was particular with, she shook her head for a while. Taking a deep breath, she had her feet drag herself to Urahara's shop.

"Open you a garganta to Soul Society right now?" the blonde man scratched the back of his head and sheepishly looked at Orihime.

"Urahara-san, I need to see someone... please." Orihime's sweet voice was full of gloom and longing and Urahara is obviously aware who she was referring to.

"Okay Orihime-chan, but I can't let you go there alone, will it be okay if Yoruichi goes with you?"

"It's okay, Urahara-san, thank you."

"Well then, follow me. Yoruichi will be following us in a while." Urahara led Orihime to his underground latch and as soon as Yoruichi came to the picture, the garganta was ready. Orihime took the first step inside before Yoruichi followed her inside the garganta as well. "This is interesting." Urahara grinned at himself before closing the garganta.

"I want to see Ulquiorra Schiffer." Orihime told the person on-charge on the jail cells.

"Ah, the arrancar to be exiled tomorrow, am I correct?" the man asked.

Orihime shrugged off and seemed offended by his question. "Yes."

"Hm... purpose of visit?"

"To talk to him about something before..." she gave a momentary pause before saying; "he is exiled."

"Hm. Very well, follow me." the man took some keys from a rack before heading off. Orihime looked at Yoruichi who was perking up her long violet hair. "You go ahead Orihime, I'll wait for you here." the tanned woman assured her. Orihime gave her a soft smile before following the jail warden.

The man led her through large doors which emitted powerful spiritual pressures and from what she was seeing, many are detained in that prison. Some were merely hollows, some were human-like in form and she did not know what they were. They approached a huge cell which was enclosed by two huge mahogany doors, unlike the other cells who were simply enclosed by bars. "Well, miss Inoue, here we are. You can privately talk to him and do not worry about your security, his reiatsu is completely sealed. I'll be at the counter if you need any assistance." and with that, the warden walked away. Orihime stood infront oddly huge doors which separated her from what she truly wanted to see. Holding the cold brass handles, she pushed one door open to reveal the man her heart called for in two months of longing.

He sat in one of the beautifully-adorned wooden chair in the middle of a seemingly large room. He was in his second release and his black wings were elegantly folded to his sides and his head bowed down. Orihime slowly closed the door beind her and approached Ulquiorra. No, she was not afraid that he might grab her and choke her to death. She was not afraid of his talon claws, she was not afraid of his horns, his eyes, his wings, and she was not afraid that she might not get out of his cell alive. "Ulquiorra." she called out to him when she was just two feet away from him. Ulquiorra raised his head to have his golden orbs meet her grey ones.

"Woman, why are you here?" he asked coldly.

"Because I need to save you, Ulquiorra."

"You have saved me once, is that not enough damage you inflicted upon me, woman?"

"W-What do you mean?"

"You should have let me rest, woman."

"I'm sorry, but the fact that I... can't let anyone go..."

"I do not require such explanations. I shall be executed tomorrow, not even your powers can reject that."

Ulquiorra stood up and turned his back on Orihime who was clearly starting to cry. Ulquiorra shot his wings open and Orihime was astounded that his wings could be spread as wide as that. The arrancar walked across the room with his long tail billowing behind him, sweeping side to side as he approached a window barricaded by thick steel bars. "However..." Ulquiorra took hold on the window bars and grasped them slightly. "I can reject my death." He bent the bars and snapped them easily like a toothpick breaking. Orihime was a bit shocked as Ulquiorra looked at her. "I-I thought your reiatsu was sealed?" Orihime shakingly asked. "Everyone does. I am not a mere hollow nor a mere arrancar, my intellects are far beyond what you do know." and with his words, Ulquiorra powerfully flapped his wings and left the cell, escaping the clutches of Soul Society through a garganta he opened. "Ulquiorra!" Orihime tried to follow him but he was gone in a matter of five seconds. It was when guards came crashing into the room, Orihime turned around and saw Captain Yamamoto with Captain Ukitake surveying the crime scene. Yamamoto looked at Orihime for a while. "We have to talk."

"And what did he say to you?"

"Uhm... he told me that he'd reject his death."

"Did he tell you where he'd go?"

"No."
"Hm, this is a serious case of jail break. I shall send you back to your home Orihime, we'll take things from here."

"Uhm, Captain Yamamoto, I think he is harmless, please, if you find him; don't hurt him."

"I see your compassion with the arrancar, Orihime, but he is still an instrument of Hueco Mundo against us. I shall have someone inform you if we find him."

"Thank you." Orihime bowed her head and approached Yoruichi who was just waiting for her outside. "So, how did it go?" Yoruichi asked.

"Uh... well, Ulquiorra broke out of jail and I don't know where he is."

"What did you tell him anyway?" Yoruichi raised her eyebrow and seemed to tease Orihime.

"I told him that I wanted to save him from his execution."

"Hm... I see the reason for you to save him would be deep enough." Yoruichi sighed and a garganta opened before the pair. "C'mon Orihime, time to bring you back home." she smiled at Orihime before taking her hand and submerging theirselves into the blackness of the garganta back into the human world. When they reached Orihime's apartment, the auburn-haired girl bowed her head and thanked Yoruichi for accompanying her to Soul Society. "Yoruichi-san, where do you think he headed off to?" Orihime asked.

"I'm pretty sure he'd be around, Orihime. Hueco Mundo is obviously closed off." Yoruichi replied with a smile as she bade Orihime goodbye and went back to Kisuke's shop. When everything was quiet, Orihime looked up to the cool seven o'clock night sky and sighed; "Where are you, Ulquiorra?"