Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.

He ran.

Escaped.

Fled.

But, oh, he must get away. Not because he was a coward and was afraid of the multitudes of demon hordes alighting on the country, razing a path of dead bodies in preparation for the arrival of their ruler.

No, it was because there was no army left to fight for.

His survival and sword skills had brought him this far; he even managed to wound a few of their generals and retainers, but all that was for nothing as the others he fought alongside fell one by one. To be truthful, he never liked his country or his own race. He fought because it was the only thing he was good at. And because 'the heart' was always brought into question in times of war and extreme distress.

When he watched, by the corners of his eyes, the soldiers die around him, he would see the pain and agony flit across the face of their closest friends and comrades. He wondered why, for he had never felt anything.

As he spied upon the demons celebrating their emergence for reconnaissance, he saw their giddiness and glee. Even their generals felt something: irritation, distaste, annoyance. He wondered why, for he was a human, but he was not human.

He was not aware he had reached a deeper part of the Dark Forests until he tripped over a large root. As he tilted forwards, he got a clear view of what was in front and quickly, flung out a hand. Green light enveloped his hand and an instant later, Murcielargo formed. Its hilt fitted into his palm as he quickly dug the blade's tip into the earth to steady himself.

He observed his surroundings, noting the unfamiliarity and came to the conclusion that he was lost. The way he had come from was blocked by thick grey trunks and dark bronze leaves, the only illumination coming in thin streams through the canopies. Aside from the rustles caused by wind, there were no animal, human or demon sounds. He wasn't averse to silence, but this silence was unnatural.

It sounded like a dead battlefield, when even the demons would still and the ominous pressure of their King resounded from below.

He knows it; this is the silence that heralds the arrival of a god.

Behind him, the chasm he had nearly fallen into began to metamorphose. The creepers along the rocky outcrop stretched and reached for their opposites while the debris below rose from under to reinforce into a bridge. On the other side, he glimpsed a passing figure riding a large animal.

The trees swayed and in a matter of seconds, their leaves wilted and trunks thinned in malnutrition. A woman – no, a goddess – with luscious tresses rode through the already recovering grove on her animal, a large male belldeer, which stepped its black hooves on the bridge.

In contrast to most humans who would have grovel in worship and cry for help from this holy existence, he did no such thing. The goddess smiled softly down on him with eyes the colour of stars but did not seem surprise nor angered by his lack of action.

"Human, Ulquiorra Schiffer, you flee?" She asked in an echoing, lilting voice.

He – Ranked Commander of the First and Second Battalion, servant and soldier since age nine for the remaining human race, Ulquiorra Schiffer – clenched his hands and dug his thumbnails into the flesh of his leg. Rarely did he feel this…this unknown emotion.

He turned away and began to walk back.

"Wait!" The goddess called.

Ulquiorra continued.

"Commander Schiffer." She addressed insistently. "Wait, please!"

Still, he increased his pace. How dare she steal his name, title and purpose from his mind and being. He had no privacy, and he was fed up with what the gods think they can take without giving back.

"I…I can offer you something."

His brow creased.

"Something you want very much."

Curious, he turned around. "Oh?" he said coldly.

The goddess smiled. Her animal was much closer now, allowing him to inspect both of their grandeurs. She was dressed in a vibrant kimono with images of birds and fish that occasionally dart around the clothing, and large gold hairpins that stuck out from the back of her bundled hair. Her animal had soft, brown pelt peppered with white leopard prints, dark water eyes and horns full of tiny gleaming bells that far outmatched any other. Strings of pearls and silks trailed from the goddess' pins to its majestic horns and he could see two distinct flower-shaped crystals on either side of her head.

"First, have a walk with me." She said, getting off the belldeer gracefully even though the animal was taller than him.

Ulquiorra hesitated. But he wondered again.

"Fine," he accepted upon contemplation.

He was graced with a brighter smile. Her hand gripped onto his rough, pale ones and they began to walk through an opened path in the forest. "Lead the way, Commander," she said cheerfully.

There was a peaceful silence as the trees parted around them and he moved randomly through them. All thoughts about the demons and the blood that washed the fields disappeared from his mind. He allowed some reprieve from his relentless search for the heart, because they were not needed here.

"This is strange. Why are you heading back towards the battlefield?" Her voice interrupted.

Reeling his mind into the open, he found that he had indeed been walking unconsciously in the direction which he supposed was where he came from. This brought to mind several things and he pulled away from the goddess.

"Who are you?" He demanded. "What do you want from me?"

For a moment, she looked surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She cleared up immediately. "My name is Orihime Inoue. I'm the goddess of healing and wonders. You could say I'm a sort of protector and guardian of this forest…Although the original might be a little unhappy that I've..."

"That you've what, woman?" He snapped.

She looked shyly around, twisting her hands in her kimono sleeves. "Well, you asked what I wanted from you…W-well, I was just a little lonely and curious, so I lead you into the forest."

"I ran into this forest myself, and this is the first time I've seen you."

"No! No!" Orihime waved frantically. "I meant, I told the forest to lead you here. That is, the path you were running was under magical influence, and it directed you to where I wanted you to be." She explained, and thought she was not doing a very good job at it, since he appeared confused.

"Magic?" He questioned darkly. "The things that could not be reflected in my eyes do not exist."

His eyes were the rare brilliance of beautiful and wild jewels. A deeply reflective emerald that brought out the paleness of his skin, even though as a warrior, he should not be, nor should he be so slight and lithely-shaped. When she had sensed his humanly presence, then as she watched him run her designated path, she had thought he was the most perfect creature. One that could rival the gods.

But this image was fractured when she read his thoughts. He was an emotionless man incapable of feeling, who sought to find it during this period of strife and desperation. However, by no means did she sense that he was a psychopath. He did not have the slightest murderous intent, even though he was intrinsically human.

Then alas, that image was broken even more when he said those words. She had hidden her surprise when he did not revere her presence, but now she could no longer hide her shock. He was a man of no belief. Now she could see his eyes were reflective because they were empty; his body had little armour because he held little worth to his life; and he had fled the battlefield because he was faithless of the war's outcome and of his own personal quest's.

"But you have seen with your own eyes, not few steps from you, the death of the trees and their quick regrowth by my hand!" She exclaimed. "Is that not evidence that magic exists?"

"You have said it yourself. 'By my hand' indicates that it was caused by what ability and power you wield. It is similar to how humans have certain unique abilities, not unlike my own Solita Vista." He reached to pluck out his left eye –

"–I know about your ability!" she interrupted quickly to spare herself a gory image.

Orihime was quite amazed at his intelligence and skill at wordplay. Most humans had little to no education, not just in this era particularly but also since long, long ago, before she was even a goddess.

"Anyway, you haven't answered my question." He looked confused and she clarified. "You were heading back towards the battlefield. Why was that?"

Ulquiorra still had no answer to that.

"Is it because you desire the sight of death? Because you wish to feel what others feel when they see those closest to them incapacitated." She prodded gently. "Or do you only wish to compare yourself with the other bloodthirsty humans? I wonder which human is this 'demon king' you paint of in your mind? Is he a true king? Or perhaps a person of your past?"

Ulquiorra blanched.

She continued, unaware. "Why do you compare yourself to this metaphoric 'demon king'? You portray him as a murderous, unholy spawn, but still capable of feeling. Albeit those of the negative like anger and annoyance." She turned to him for a response. Upon seeing his bowed head and shaking form, she rushed back. "Commander…What's wrong?!"

Coldly seething, the pale man slowly lifted his head. His eyes danced with green fire that forced the goddess a step back.

"I'm sorry I d-didn't mean to o-offend y-you…I didn't think your past would b –"

"Be silent," he hissed.

He took a step towards the terrified woman. Perhaps she had misjudged him earlier, but he was now showing the most powerful and purposeful murderous intent she had ever experienced. She silently willed herself to shut up because if he did decide to attack her…

"You are a goddess, and yet you are innocent of all that happens beyond your precious forest!" He all but spat out. "This is why I despise the gods. You and him are alike; you take what you want from the humans without giving back, you offer no help beyond what satisfies your curiosity and 'loneliness'. Not once have you gone out to look at the world. At the war!"

It was true Orihime had never gone out to see the world. The original guardian of the forest had told her stories about the endless selfish human wars, of the savage nature of the humans and how they never – or hardly – change their childish ways. "So?" she defended, crying out. "You humans war with yourselves all the time! Why should I care about this particular one? You dug your own grave with your savage nature and childish ways, why should I invest my magic in helping you!?"

Orihime turned away, angry and crying. She'd thought he was different, but apparently they were all the same. Before she could run to her belldeer, Ulquiorra caught onto her slender wrist painfully.

"I am not done," he growled as he shoved her against a boulder.

He waited for her to stop whimpering, a hand clamped over her lips.

"You are sorely mistaken on this demon king," he began. "He is a real entity. An evil, powerful, fallen god. Outside this forest, the kingdoms are pitted against his demon hordes, but they are losing severely. Many human forces have been lost and the demon king has been sensed to be quickly emerging from below. All the demons know his arrival to be imminent, and have taken to killing all humans, paving a red carpet for him.

"I will not apologize to what I have said because it is true. He has taken many lives yet give back nothing save the blood of innocents. And you, you have brought me into your forest and probed my private mind just to satisfy your own desires." He accused pointedly. "I speak only of truth."

"…God of demons?" Orihime choked out finally, intentionally avoiding his accusing gaze. A sudden realization dawned on her. "S-Sousuke?!"

The pale warrior nodded, already leaning back.

"B-but Sousuke… he has been cast off into the underworld!" she tried to argue. "After t-that rebellion, umm…how many years ago –?"

"That rebellion is a great fictional tale," Ulquiorra spat.

"But it's true! There was an epic battle and we won!"

"If it is, it is so far gone that any everlasting memory is scrawled like scratch marks on ancient texts." He looked at the suddenly indignant face of the woman. "The handwriting is truly awful; I've seen them. My master spent his lifetime searching for a weapon to stall the horde, but all he could translate was a bunch of long-titled names."

Ulquiorra swivelled his eerie, green orbs towards the side, seemingly able to stare her down from that position.

"Speaking of which, whose forest is this?"

Her face brightened up and she stuttered uncomfortably, "E-Eh? Umm, why?"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "I am curious as to why he would leave an airheaded girl to guard his domain." He opened them lazily and fingered the furry part of a colourful leaf. "One that opens directly to the human realm no less."

"A-Airheaded! – G-Girl!" The goddess stood and crossed her arms, looking truly like a princess throwing one of her temper tantrums.

"Just answer the question, woman."

The goddess fidgeted for a moment, hesitating to respond. Finally, she spoke: "It was Urahara Kisuke, the Great Mischief God."

"Mischief God indeed," Ulquiorra muttered. "He was the fool who wreaked the first havoc that caused the rebellion, is he not?"

Orihime sweatdropped. "Umm, yeah. But his sealing method worked…" she paused. "At least it did, until now."

"Where is Urahara now?"

"Gone."

"Gone where?"

"I'm not sure. He just, left."

"Why?"

"How should I know?"

"How was he when you saw him last?"

"Umm, I don't know…?"

The pale man closed his eyes in exasperation. He would've sighed if his warrior pride allowed it. "This is ridiculous. How can you not know anything? Woman…why are you here? Why did he take you in?"

"He didn't say." Orihime answered, feeling slightly like a fool herself for not questioning Urahara when she had practically grown up with him. "Actually, I'm a really young goddess. Before I was, Urahara took me away from my birthplace and from my brother, who was quickly becoming a sick god. He was no longer being prayed to so Urahara decided to help him out.

"I thought at first he did so out of kindness, but then he started talking to me things I have never told anyone before… I never wanted to believe he wanted me as part of his 'great plan'. He taught me to look at life as a big, fun game, and because he had the–" She had tried to block those memories, and she didn't want to say aloud the thing that had caused so much misery. The great, beautiful, mysterious orb that had brought destruction wherever it landed, whether internally or externally. "Because of this...what he had, he always said: 'we are the masters of the world'."

"So…he planned all this then?" Even the heartless warrior was troubled by the tale.

The goddess did not reply, looking dazed. "Tell, me. When you studied with your master, have you read of the Hougyoku?"

He answered in the negative.

"It is a crystal orb of significant power. Legend says once Urahara and Sousuke had shared in its power, but of course, the rebellion happened because Sousuke stole a part of it and began experimenting on sick gods and humans alike. Even my brother…" She choked on her story, tears already streaming from her pretty eyes.

I need to comfort her. These tears, they do not suit her, Ulquiorra thought. When he realized his train of thought, he was shocked. What is this feeling? The sadness she is permeating, is it influencing me?

Luckily, the woman got her act together before he could make an uncharacteristic, decisive act.

"I suspect Urahara brought me to see if I could recover the missing portion of the Hougyoku. But it never worked. My powers were pretty weak at that time; I think it had to do with my lack of emotions. The Mischief God hid his emotions well and taught me the same, afterall." She stared into emerald eyes, and both shared a silent understanding. "After the rebellion, for awhile, he lingered in this forest. Then, he upped and waved me off as a legal goddess before leaving."

"..."

Orihime continued her stare at the poker-faced man. His face and heart was more confusing to read than ever (She tried really hard to stop reading the human's mind though). What is he thinking? Say something!

When he brought up his head, she realized she had spoken out loud her last thought. "I see," he simply answered.

"Well? What do we do, Commander?" She asked impatiently.

The pale man looked her up and down. "It seems you have some kind of effect on me…"

She blushed. "Umm okay… So, you have found what you were looking for?"

"…When you were sad, I felt more an overwhelming sorrow. And you have caused me to feel anger and annoyance all in a day. We also seem to have something in common, but it would be a great honour to learn more from you, Goddess Orihime." He bowed to the waist.

"And I, the same." she smiled. It was just my name, but somehow because it was the first time he had said it, and because he was so sincere, it sounded intimate. She shooed her thoughts furiously. Names do have power, perhaps it is why I feel like this?

"However, I clearly do not belong here. And I would prefer it if you could send me back to the human realm." He paused, eyes inviting. "If you could, perhaps you would like to return with me?"

A long silence stretched out.

Orihime seemed to have lost her bearings. First, he flustered her. Now, he's asking her to risk her life out there, a foreign place where the only stories she heard about were terrifying. And doing it all with a stranger that has an invisible sign saying, 'don't judge a mushroom by its colour!'.

Ulquiorra walked back the direction he believed they had come from. "Are you afraid, woman?" He asked.

Oh yes, she was shocked that he had the guts to ask a goddess of to go out there. But before Urahara and his games, she remembered now, she had already longed to see it. She put her foot down and followed.

Apparently, Ulquiorra had walked in the right direction. His lips tugged upwards slightly as the goddess answered. "No. I was never."

A/N: My second fic yet! Not the best attempt, but I've been trying to get this out before the holiday's over. I'm thinking of a sequel, but still not sure...

Reviews greatly appreciated! (Criticism is always best) ;)