The Curata Espada walked down the hall in his usual fashion, his steps making him appear to almost glide down the halls of Las Noches, the twisting and turning, completely unending palace. He was just returning from a mission in the World of the Living and was ordered to immediately report to his master, Lord Aizen.
Once he arrived at Aizen's throne room doors, he knocked lightly.
"Enter," the sickeningly-smooth voice of his superior called. Of course no tone could affect Ulquiorra Schiffer. Nothing could affect him.
"Ah, Ulquiorra," Aizen called from his fifty-foot pedestal, that hunk of granite he called a "throne." "I'm happy to see you're back. How did the mission go? Did you retrieve the required information?"
"Yes," Ulquiorra replied in his usual monotone voice. "I believe you will be greatly pleased with what I have gathered." He, as per usual, pulled out his right eyeball and crushed it in his hands, making it explode into teal-green dust that formed a screen. The screen displayed what the Curata saw: more of Yammy's stupidity while fighting the main antagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki, and another strange creature.
That woman.
Aizen sat up in his seat a quarter of an inch-an extremely rare gesture that guarenteed his interest. He stared at the picture quizzically, as if he could not understand the display before him. His eyes narrowed dangerously as the film ended, but he returned to his normal suspicious grin. "And just what was that beautiful creature, Ulquiorra?"
"I have come to the conclusion that her name is Inoue. Orihime Inoue. She is a normal human, but she has some kind of power that is neither Shinigami or Hollow-based. It is something entirely her own. I believe that it is either temporal or spacial regression."
"Hmm…" Aizen mused. "Those are interesting theories. Thank you for your assistance, Ulquiorra. I'll ask that you do one more favor for me."
He bowed uniformly. "Of course, Lord Aizen. Anything you may ask of me."
The blank obedience made Aizen smile. "I wish for that girl. Orihime Inoue. Bring her to me. I want to…test her."
Ulquiorra stayed in a bowing position. "Of course, sir. I'll bring her to you as soon as possible." With that the Curata left the chamber and returned to his quarters.
Settling on his bed, he pondered his plan. How was he going to get that woman away from Ichigo Kurosaki long enough to kidnap her? He had to observe his prey to find out when she was alone on an average day. He decided that next morning he would put his plan into action.
"It will begin…" he mused, "tomorrow…at dawn."
"Girl," the Curata called, snapping his fingers at a lower-ranked Arrancar. She rushed over nervously, intimidated, even sweating a bit from his intense spiritual pressure. It was completely consuming and overwhelming her.
"Y-yes?" she barely mustered out.
"Go and inform Lord Aizen that I have left for the World of the Living," he said in that same monotonous sound.
She nodded quickly. "Of course, sir. I'll go now." She rushed off, relieved from the pressure attacking her from above.
Ulquiorra turned back to his focal point and pointed his finger at the reishi in the air, opening a garganta. He expeditely entered and created his solid, teal path to his destination. He sonidoed down the glass pathway until he got to the end of the portal and into Karakura Town.
When he arrived, it was about six in the morning-time for the normal human children to get to school. He searched the town from high above until he found his target-Miss Inoue. He watched her walk to school happily, seeming to sing as she walked. He slid down to the depths of the city and hid near her.
"Dango, Dango, Dango, Dango~" she sang, "Dango, Big Dango Family~" she seemed giddy as a newspring bird, something that seemed to interest the Fourth Espada extremely. Her smile brought a strange pounding to his body. Her laughter, her singing seemed to bring the slightest bit of color to his face. It was a group of strange sensations he had never felt before, sensations he was a bit afraid of. These feelings seemed to make him weaker around her, something, for the purpose of his mission, he would not allow. He decided to take a larger distance away from the woman, which seemed to help a bit.
He observed her throughout the day. Her school, her banal conversations with meaningless friends, her constant flirtation with Ichigo Kurosaki, completely oblivious. For some reason her advances on the classmate made Ulquiorra's heart pound again, and he was filled with a flash of anger, but only for a moment.
Again, he thought. Unexplained feelings. I'll have to go to the Clinic when I get back to Las Noches.
He watched as the woman left school, as she sauntered home, still singing that damn song. As she entered her apartment, where she apparently lived alone.
Ulquiorra took this as a perfect opportunity and slithered into her chambers, where upon sight of him, she screamed. However, he rushed over to her and covered her mouth before she could make a prolonged shout that would provoke a concerned neighbor to come and check up on the girl.
"Ssh…" he said, still keeping a hand to his mouth. When he thought she could stay silent, he backed away slowly. "Lord Aizen requests your presence in Hueco Mundo. Either you will accompany me and be unharmed along with your friends, or I will have to force you and harm your companions. Choose now, woman."
She looked at him, extremely frightened. Her voice cracked and shook as she spoke. "If I'm gonna have to go either way, I'll voluntarily go. If my friends'll stay safe, I'll go."
He nodded, pleased with her quick response. "I'll be back here tomorrow to collect you. Midnight. You'll have twenty-four hours in which you'll be invisible to everyone except me and you can walk through normally solid objects. During this time you may not speak to anyone, nor try to gain someone's attention. You may say goodbye to one person, as long as they don't notice you. Take heed, girl. Disobeying me will lead to harsh consequences that not only hurt you. Do as you will. I will see you tomorrow." With that he created another garganta and returned to Las Noches to report his progress.
"Nice work, Ulquiorra," Lord Aizen said. "I am highly pleased with the quality of your work. So she will be here tomorrow?"
He nodded swiftly. "Yes sir, the girl will arrive tomorrow night."
"Excellent." Aizen smiled, silently plotting something.
"Argh," a voice called from behind. Ulquiorra automatically recognized the drawl as Grimmjow Jagerjaques', the Sexta (A/N: sexy! =D) Espada. "I can't stand this!"
"Just what is the issue, Grimmjow?" Aizen asked calmly from his throne, still smiling.
"Ch-" the Espada started, turning his head away from the throne. "He shoulda just killed the two from the very beginning. No point in keepin' them alive, anyway. What good can this girl do us?"
"Aw," said Nnoitra Gilga, the Quinto Espada, called, throwing a hand down as if mocking a cat. "Don't be such a sourpuss, Grimmjow. This girl, did you see her? She could be fun…a nice new toy," he purred, silently imagining the perverse things he thought he could do to the woman.
Grimmjow scowled. "Ah, hell, ya idiot. Will you just shut your trap before I-"
Ulquiorra silently cringed a bit. "Will you both be quiet; these are Lord Aizen's orders. They will be followed as he orders them. No response is required from the two of you." He could feel the intense stares from his fellow Espada boring into his back, but he soundly ignored them. He looked back to his master. "May I go now, sir?"
Aizen reverted his attention to the Curata. "Of course, Ulquiorra. When you return I expect to see Miss Inoue accompanying you."
"Of course."
***********************************MIDNIGHT**********************************
Ulquiorra exited the garganta, making a beeline for Inoue's home. When he arrived she was sitting somberly on the floor, awaiting his arrival. His entrance stirred her from her daze and forced her to look at him and stand up.
"Are you ready to go now, woman?"
She nodded her head somberly.
Ulquiorra ignored the rude response and scooped the human into his arms, noticing another strange pounding at her close vicinity.
Orihime blushed ferverently. "AAh…w-what are you doing?"
"You cannot make a reishi path in a garganta, stupid human," he said bluntly. "If you expect to survive to the other side, I will have to carry you."
She shifted uncomfortably in his grasp. "Uh…okay."
He opened a garganta and quickly transported them to Las Noches. Once inside the palace walls he set her down. "We are going to see Lord Aizen now, girl."
She looked startled. "Captain Aizen? Already?"
"Yes."
"Well," she stuttered. "O-okay…."
He started walking in the direction of the throne room and she quickly followed right behind him like a puppy. To an outsider the outrageous sight would be quite comical. In this context, however, it was very awkward.
Ulquiorra didn't even have to knock this time: the doors to the throne room were opened upon his arrival of the corridor. He and Orihime entered the gigantic room where they were met with an audience of all Espada, Director General Tosen, Gin Ichimaru, and Lord Aizen.
"Orihime Inoue," Aizen drawled. "So nice to see you again. I haven't met eyes with you since the Seireitei."
She started. "Y-yes, sir."
He settled in his normal pose, leaning in his chair with his right hand supporting his face. "So…I'm told you have some strange sort of…ability." He motioned to one of the side mini-thrones where the Espada sat. "Grimmjow, if you would please, step forward to Miss Inoue."
Grimmjow looked hesitant but walked to the floor. Ulquiorra was a bit confused at Grimmjow's presence; he had been demoted from the Espada just the other day. "Oi, what is it?" he said in his usual, disrespectful manner.
"Orihime," Aizen said, looking back to her. "I've seen your uncanny ability to heal-I was wondering if you could heal Grimmjow's arm."
"What?!" the new Sexta, (A/N: NOT so sexy) Luppi Atenor, yelled. "Why would you even attempt that, Lord Aizen? That's crazy! Director General Tosen sheared it into ashes! She's no god! She can't heal something that doesn't exist!"
As he rambled on, Orihime walked to Grimmjow with no expression-it seemed her spirit had already been broken. She stared at his arm for a moment with those dead eyes and murmured "Soten Kisshun." Yellow beams of light shot from her hair clips-two snowflakes-and surrounded Grimmjow's nonexistent appendage. They spread to form an oval barrier around his arm that created brilliant flashes of light. "Now I," she said somberly, as if the mundane statement would send her to the guillotine, "I…reject."
The forcefield was automatically strengthened and everyone but Luppi (who was still rambling) watched in amazement as bits and pieces apparated from nowhere and reformed Grimmjow's lost arm. Once she was done she politely bowed and stepped back to her original position.
Grimmjow looked stunned at his fresh arm. He flexed his fingers in disbeleif before making an important decision. "Hey, girl," he said. Orihime turned back around. He motioned to his back. "Come heal one more thing." He threw a thumb to the giant scar on his back where his Sexta Espada tattoo was ripped off, leaving barely any flesh in its wake.
She returned to the blue-haired Arrancar and repeated the same mantra, created the same barrier. The flesh again came from nowhere and reformed his label.
"Just what do you think you're doing, Grimmjow," Luppi said, obviously annoyed that her so-called "parlor trick" actually worked.
The blueberry (A/N: Sorry, just had to add that!) said nothing but whipped his head around, revealing that crazed, sadistic smile he held when he had an idea.
"Grimmjow…."
Before Ulquiorra could blink (which he rarely did) Grimmjow sonidoed to Luppi and stabbed him completely through with his bare hand.
Luppi spit out blood. "Grimmjow-" he croaked. "You bastard!"
Grimmjow cackled. "Your days are done! Goodbye-" he started up a Cero, "Mr... Ex-Number-Six!" He fired the red beam quickly, leaving nothing of the Ex Espada but ashes.
Ulquiorra was a bit surprised that Luppi didn't have the brain to react in time but then again-neither did Grimmjow. The new Sexta had just been lucky enough to have the upper hand.
With that Aizen ended the meeting and instructed Ulquiorra to be Orihime's caretaker. His first objective: show her to her room.
"Yes, sir." Ulquiorra began to leave the throne room, Orihime quickly in his stead, and headed for the closest empty bedroom he knew of. He opened the door for the girl and gave her a moment to observe her new enviornment.
He began his explanation. "This is Las Noches, within the Hollow's world of Hueco Mundo. You will stay in this room unless you are ordered otherwise. I will bring you meals periodically, and you will eat every bite. Lord Aizen requests that you also be given entertainment, so I," he gestured to a pile in the corner of the room, "have brought pencils, paper, and a few books from your world. If you tire of them, you will not get new things. This is all you will receive. Also, be wary," he added, just as a rule of his own, "if a tall man with an eyepatch and a gruesome smile comes in here, feel free to scream for me or run out of the room. He is a dangerous character that you must not go near." He had no idea why he added that order, he just had an instinctual twinge in his gut when he pondered the Quinto entering this room. "That will be all." He exited the room swiftly but was stopped by a hand on his jacket. He turned to face Orihime. "What is it, woman?"
She looked into his eyes and they grew wide from fear. "I just wanted to say…thank you, Ulquiorra-sama. Although it may not be within your duties, please be kind to me while I am here."
This made him grow a bit angry. "Kind?" he scoffed. "I don't know the meaning of the word." He left the room, slamming the door.
Kind, he thought angirly, what kind of girl would ask for that? Especially when she's being imprisoned? It's as if this hasn't affected her in the slightest!
But why does this girl make me feel? I've never felt before! These strange sensations are new to me, and I hate them! "Hate," another new emotion! I have often expressed distrust and indifference, but never "hate!"
Is this within her powers? Does she have some strange disease?
What is this girl doing to me?