~Ulquiorra~
Pain.
Never had I ever experienced pain such as the pain I felt now. Floating, floating in a black world of emptiness. It was as if there was a huge hand pressing down on my chest, suffocating me. But I didn't need to breath; I was a hollow.
Was a hollow.
So what was this feeling? What was I now? Where was I? It felt like paper thin ribbons had been tied around me, cutting into me, constricting my every move, the pressure, increasing, growing stronger. I couldn't see my body in the complete darkness but somehow I knew my battle wounds were no longer there. Instead, it was something else that was hurting. Something underneath the surface…
But what was it?
I felt a thumping in my chest, unsteady and weak, wavering.
A pair of grey eyes. Watery and bloodshot.
A strand of hair. Orange.
The pressure increased.
I drifted.
I fell. Deeper and deeper into the blackness, until I was certain that I would be engulfed by flame. Was this hell? I could barely recollect… my memories were fading.
I had been beaten in battle by Ichigo Kurosaki.
The pressure let up a few notches.
The boy… how interesting. For someone to fight not for themselves, but for another.
So this was death. I felt weak and disgusting.
The pressure on my cheat came back full force, seeming to double in heaviness. Yes, I was sure this was death. A vast expanse of nothingness and pain. In a while, would I not be able to remember a thing about my past life?
A pair of grey eyes.
A name; Orihime Inoue.
The pressure increased.
The memories were blurring around the edges, floating just out of my grip.
And there it was again, the broken thump-thump-thumping of something inside my chest. Getting stronger.
I felt warmth engulf my body, pleasant sweet orangey-golden warmth.
The pressure was fading, my memories reappearing. Every last minute of the final fight seemed to sharpen in my mind.
Kurosaki charging towards me, the determination in his deep brown eyes. Orihime, reaching for me.
The pressure was almost gone now, the darkness replaced by the warmth. My body seemed to relax.
My body. And somehow, here it was. Though I was certain it was gone the moment I saw black.
Thump. Thump.
My …heart?
I could feel tiny grains pressing against my back. Warmth surrounding my upper body. The feeling was not unpleasant.
My nose itched. My eyes opened.
A pair of grey eyes.
"Woman?"
And then I felt the pain.
A soft grey light engulfed me.
~Orihime~
"Orihime, what the hell!"
I bit my lip to stop the tears from leaving my eyes. I was supposed to just leave and heal Uryuu. But I couldn't. After I had fixed his arm I had gone back, digging in the sand until my hands were raw. I couldn't let this happen.
I couldn't.
Ulquiorra could not be gone… I wouldn't accept it. And so I had defied all orders, gone against all of soul society and brought an enemy back to life.
I didn't quite know exactly what had happened. I had used my Santen Kesshun… willed for it to happen, and it had become. I didn't even recall the words I had spoken. All I knew was that I was incredibly tired, and that limb after limb, a body was reappearing, and it was him, it was him.
And I was doubtful and scared and relieved and hopeful and incredibly stupid.
And here he was, his head in my lap, eyes closed, jet black hair hiding half of his face from my view. I reached a trembling hand forward to brush the silky strands away.
"Orihime, what do you think you're doing?"
"Inoue, please,"
"He- he's- the hell?"
I could make out Ichigo and Uryuu's voice from behind me but I wouldn't, I wouldn't look.
I was no longer healing, but Ulquiorra's body was solidifying, growing heavier with the weight of his muscles that seemed to be forming and developing underneath his still pale skin. I watched with wide eyes as the muscles on his bare chest grew more defined and teal lines formed underneath his eyes, slowly making their way to the edge of his chin.
A trickle of sweat dropped down my back as a hole formed on Ulquiorra's sternum. His hollow hole.
I had brought a hollow back to life. The fourth espada.
My breath came in shallow pants, and my grip on the arrancars arms tightened. Did I make the wrong decision?
And then his almost translucent eyelids fluttered and I forgot my doubts.
Green.
It was all I saw for a moment. Swirling green depths.
"Woman?" his voice was still its low baritone, with a slightly hoarse edge, like it hadn't been used in a while.
I let out a sharp breath of air, my eyes still fixed to his. And then he shuddered in my arms, his eyes slowly closing.
My whole body was shaking, exhausted.
I collapsed.
~Ulquiorra~
"I can't believe this, I can't fucking believe this!"
"Ichigo please, calm down."
"No, Rukia, this is insane! Of all the people to bring back from the dead!"
"Ichigo, you're forgetting that she brought you back from the dead, too!"
"Yeah, because we're on the same freaking side!"
I cringed inwardly at the voices surrounding me, feeling even more disgusted at the fact that it was Ichigo Kurosaki and some Rukia girl, arguing over my very existence.
More than anything I wanted to get out of the bed and shoot a cero through Kurosaki's head. But I couldn't even open my eyes. Weak. Pathetic.
Where was I?
The voices lowered a few degrees. "Look. What's done is done. Orihime must have some sort of reason for doing this, if she went through all the trouble to resurrect him."
"The bastard locked her up in a room and played mental games with her."
Rukia made a sound of distaste. "I didn't say I knew the reason! But Orihime is our friend and we'd be dead without her. At least respect her decision."
"I'm trying my damn best. But doesn't she realize the danger she's put herself in?"
At this, Rukia sighed. "I hope so."
The pieces began to fit together in my mind. The woman had resurrected me. She'd used her Santen Kesshun technique to bring me back to life. But why…?
I had an idea of how she had performed this task. Although it must have been harder to do because my body was no longer there, she had, in a way, reversed time with those strange abilities of hers and brought me back. But it would have taken so much power to do this. She would be exhausted.
So why?
It made me extremely uncomfortable to have no way of knowing why the woman did what she did. After I had locked her up in a room for days, threatened to force feed her, tried to kill her friends, and was an enemy of soul society, she had brought me back from the dead. It made no sense to me. Again, this woman was a mystery.
And what danger had she put herself in?
Stupid, stupid woman. There was no point in bringing me back if it was going to put her own life at risk.
"What do you think soul society will do to her?" Kurosaki asked.
The Rukia girl did not answer, and the boys question seemed to linger in the air.
I fought to open my eye lids, but it was as if they were glued shut. What was wrong with my body?
Kurosaki spoke again, his voice rising ever so slightly. "Rukia, answer me. What's going to happen to Orihime?"
"You're not gonna like it, Ichigo."
"Just tell me!"
For once I could agree with the boy.
Rukia let out a heavy breath. "Orihime will most likely be pronounced a traitor to soul society for bringing an enemy back she to life. What's more, this enemy is extremely dangerous, and she restored him right back to his arrancar form. He has as much power as he previously had, and has hollow-like abilities. He is a threat to soul society, and for all I know, both of them may be executed."
Death. The thought did not scare me, but for her to die because of me… I would not have it. My chest seemed to ache and once again, I felt extremely uncomfortable.
My eyelids flipped open.
Finally.
I was staring up at a dark ceiling, a brown fan above me making lazy rotations.
I sat up quickly, noticing with distaste the way my arms trembled slightly. I turned to the two shinigami standing by my bedside, who both looked taken aback.
"The woman will not be executed." I stated.
It was quiet in the room. And then the carrot topped boy seemed to explode with anger.
"And who are you to say that? Do you even realize what is going on! Damn it, Ulquiorra you're supposed to be dead! I killed you!"
"I killed you as well."
The boy stomped his foot in frustration, his childish display of anger disgusting me. "Why the hell did Orihime bring you back!"
"I do not know the woman's reasons, but perhaps you could gain some insight if you decided to ask her." I responded honestly. "Now how can I prevent her from being executed?" I directed this question to the small woman at Kurosaki's side, who I assumed was Rukia.
Rukia's large indigo eyes narrowed. "You can't do anything. You are an enemy of soul society. You are on the side of the espada, and as far as we know, your views have not changed. If you were to protest against Orihime's execution, your testimony would do nothing. And since when were you awake? You need time to rest before you start moving around!"
I ignored her question, instead focusing on a familiar phrase. The espada…
"Where is Aizen?" I asked.
"The bastard is gone. Locked in an alternate universe." Kurosaki answered.
So the shinigami had won the war.
"And the hogyoku?"
"Destroyed."
"If I were on the side of soul society, this situation would not be occurring." I stated.
"Well obviously! But you're an espada!"
I fixed the substitue shinigami with a stare, and he swallowed hard, but did not back down. "If I wanted to kill you I would have done so already."
Rukia crossed her arms. "What are you saying, Ulquiorra? Are you trying to switch sides? It is not as easy as that. And no one would believe you."
"I am not taking a side."
Ichigo groaned, shaking his head. "Well shit, now he wants to be all neutral! That's not going to stop Yamamoto from slicing your damn head off!"
"The only side I chose is Orihime's."
"God, you're such a creepy bastard! What the hell happened with you and Orihime! I swear if you touched her-"
I felt hot anger rise in me but I quickly pushed it away. Talking to Kurosaki was like reasoning with a toddler. "I did not harm the woman. She brought me back from the dead for unprecedented reasons and all it will be causing her is grief. Surely I… must not take a side against hers." I did not know the proper words to describe what I was feeling, and it only led to frustrating me even more. "Where is she?"
Ichigo glared at me fiercely, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his antics.
"She's sleeping. Bringing you back exhausted her so she's out like a log." Ichigo growled.
"She should be awake soon." Rukia added.
A pair of grey eyes flashed in my mind. This woman…
"Take me to see her." I said, attempting to leave the bed I was in. I swung my legs out, but they were trembling slightly and weaker than normal. I hated being weak- being reduced to this trash.
"What! No way, bastard! You can't just order us to take you to see her! For all we know you'll kill her!" Kurosaki roared, his brown eyes glinting with anger in the dim light.
"The only one here I am inclined to do harm to is you." I said blankly.
The redhead stepped forward but Rukia pushed him back. "Calm down, Ichigo, clearly he is in no position to fight us."
A throaty chuckle sounded form a corner of the room and I paused. "Now now, don't wear yourself out, arrancar. Getting out of that bed too early will only do you harm."
I gritted my teeth, keeping my expression blank. I intensely disliked being confined to this rickety human cot. But I would gain nothing from trying to use my body before I properly could. I resumed my former position on the bed, trying not to let my irritation show. All I was interested in right now was the woman, and asking her why she had resurrected me.
A man stepped out of the shadows, a green striped hat shielding his eyes from view. Stubble lined his chin and his wooden clogs clicked loudly on the floor.
"Urahara." I murmured, remembering him from the first mission to the living world with that buffoon, Yammy.
The blonde man smiled pleasantly, hiding his emotions effectively. "It seems you have been brought back from the dead, cuatro espada."
I nodded curtly.
"Now, we need to figure out what to tell soul society," the man continued. "Orihime has woken."
I straightened up. "I need to see the woman." The words left my mouth before I thought properly about them, and I instantly regretted voicing my intentions as the shopkeeper flipped a fan open to cover half his face, and what I knew to be a growing smile.
"Yes, yes, we all do. I am going to get her from her room. But I need to tell all of you," at this he directed his gaze towards Ichigo, "to not be too harsh on her. She is very tired."
Ichigo's gaze softened. "You know I wouldn't, old man. We're all just very confused!"
Urahara nodded in reply, and then left the room for a moment. It was completely silent in the room, the tension thick.
And then the woman followed Urahara into the room. My eyes were fixed on her, her bright orange hair flowing down her back, grey eyes clouded with worry.
Rukia instantly headed towards her, embracing her tightly. "Orihime, are you okay?" she cried, looking up at her friend with concern. Orihime nodded, and for the first time, I saw her smile. In the weeks she'd been in Hueco Mundo I'd never seen such an expression grace her face. And why would it? Those days were bleak and hopeless for her.
I instantly could not remove my eyes from her face. I wanted her to keep the expression on her face- forever.
She turned toward me, and those stormy grey eyes widened. Her pink lips parted as she let out a breath, as if surprised I was even there. She had resurrected me, after all. "Ulquiorra?" She asked, once again seeming to doubt my existence.
"Yes, woman."
Orihime ran towards me, pausing at the edge of the bed. "I- I brought you back to life!" she breathed, her scent flooding my nose. I took in a deep breath before I could stop myself.
"Indeed."
The woman's hands were dangerously close to mine, and I could feel her body heat radiating out to mine. "You're tired," I remarked, seeing as her skin had lost its rosy glow that even in Hueco Mundo, she'd possessed. It was tinged with grey and there were dark circles under her eyes. "Get some more rest."
"No!" Orihime insisted. "I'm fine! In fact, I've slept for so long!" her hand went to the back of her neck in an embarrassed fashion.
"No, you haven't," Ichigo remarked. "I'm surprised you're up already, since it took a lot of energy for you to bring him back."
I didn't spare the orange headed boy a glance, instead choosing not to speak. It was no point talking to a worthless piece of trash like him.
Orihime, on the other hand was inching slowly closer to me, her hands gripping the side of the bed I was sitting on nervously. Her long hair brushed my lap as she leaned closer to my face. My eyes strayed to her lower lip, which was caught between her teeth as she stared openly at me. My heart thud unevenly in my chest, confusing me. I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that was not unpleasant, but very unfamiliar. She was close enough that I could count the very faint freckles on the bridge of her nose, see every long pale orange eyelash framing her wide grey eyes.
Ichigo cleared his throat.
"Woman, what are you doing?" I asked stiffly, feeling oddly compelled to close the distance between us.
A flushed tint spread across Orihime's face. She exhaled, stepping back quickly, and her breath washed over my face, sweet and warm. "Oh! S-sorry, I just can't believe you're actually here… I mean, I actually- I did it."
Her lips spread into a warm smile, and my breathing seemed to speed up. I frowned slightly at this reaction, still feeling uncomfortably confused.
"Yes, woman, you did. But why?" The question I'd been wanting to ask since I regained consciousness slipped out of my lips.
"Yeah, Orihime, why? He's the enemy!" Kurosaki cried from the other side of the room. Orihime turned towards him.
"I-I know, but…" she trailed off, her eyebrows furrowing. "I just- I couldn't not do it."
Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, gritting his teeth. "What do you mean, Orihime? What good is bringing him back supposed to do?"
Orihime's eyes welled with tears. "I don't know. I just felt… he deserved another chance."
"Another chance at what?" Rukia asked, stepping towards Orihime.
"Life," the tears slipped down Orihime's cheeks and she sunk to the ground, burying her face in her hands. Rukia rushed forwards, hugging her friend again.
"Woman, cease your crying. It does not help the situation." I stated.
Ichigo growled. "Shut up, Ulquiorra, you fucking owe her!"
My head snapped towards the boy, and I opened my mouth, intent to set him straight, when Rukia spoke up. "No, he's right. Orihime, calm down, you did nothing wrong."
Orihime quieted down and she looked up from the floor, her eyes meeting mine. "Ulquiorra, I- I just don't think you're a bad person. You're not like the rest of them; I couldn't just watch you die! You're my friend!"
My eyes widened momentarily. Friend? She thought of me as a friend?
"Woman… all I did was mistreat you." I said honestly. It was the truth.
"But you were under orders from Aizen! And you were just understanding…" she trailed off, her eyes pleading with mine.
The heart.
Urahara cleared his throat, and when I turned to him I saw that he still had his stupid fan covering his mouth. "Let's all sit down and have some tea." He suggested.
I got out of the bed, noting that my legs seemed stronger than before. They must have just needed rest before I used them again. The five of us walked out of the room, Orihime trailing behind.
"Where exactly are we?" I asked, looking around me. We seemed to be in somebody's home.
"This is my house!" Orihime exclaimed, her eyes bright.
How could the woman be so happy after breaking down and crying? Her mere existence was the most complex mystery to me. We entered a room with a small wooden table in the center.
"Shall I make the tea?" Orihime asked, looking around.
Urahara got up, shaking his head. "No, I will. You just sit down and rest."
~Orihime~
I sat down at Urahara's request, and Ichigo, Rukia and Ulquiorra followed suit.
My eyes trailed to Ulquiorra again. I could not believe he was actually here. I had actually managed to bring him back to life! Despite the situation, I couldn't help but feel the hope blossoming in my heart. Maybe he would have another chance to live. Maybe he would be a good person.
I studied his face intently. He looked exactly the same as I remembered from Hueco Mundo. Intense, piercing green eyes, yet completely blank and aloof stare. He sat stiffly in the chair, as if he would rather be anywhere but where he was now.
"I still don't get it." Ichigo muttered, leaning across the table towards me. "Why did you bring him back? Really?"
I cast my gaze to the table before me, my stomach turning. "I told you already, Kurosaki-kun. I couldn't let a good person die."
Ichigo ran a hand through his hair in frustration as I looked up, meeting his eyes. "But he's not a good person! He locked you up, Orihime! How can you forget what he did?"
I clenched my fists under the table, my fingernails digging into the soft skin of my palms. There would have been a time when anything Ichigo said I would have been happy to hear, but that time was gone. My short time in Hueco Mundo had changed me. It had made me see the good in people who were made from of evil.
"He is a good person in my eyes." I said levelly. My voice was steadier than I felt, and I swallowed hard to keep my tears at bay.
"Woman, I am not." Ulquiorra's low voice sounded from above me. I looked up to see that he had gotten up from his chair. His striking green eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the kitchen, and I realized with a start that this man I had saved was the furthest thing from human. The arrancar leaned closer to me, his silky black hair framing his face. "I do not deserve what you did. You have put yourself in danger for a pointless reason."
I felt tears beginning to gather in my eyes again. Didn't anyone understand? "Don't say that Ulquiorra! You are capable of being a great person!"
Ulquiorra's hands were suddenly on the back of my chair, so he was leaning completely in front of me and blocking everyone else from my view. His face was mere inches from mine, and I was suddenly thankful I was sitting down, because my knees felt like jelly. I was completely taken in, transfixed by those piercing, swirling emerald depths that held so many secrets. I wanted to hear them all. I wanted to learn him.
"What if I don't want to be a good person?" Ulquiorra whispered, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly.
I took in a deep breath. I could do this. I was done sitting for someone to come and save me. I needed to fight for what mattered to me. "I want you to be a good person."
Before I could blink, Ulquiorra was back in his chair, staring blankly into space. His voice was even more detached than usual when he finally replied. "Woman, you do not understand. Regardless of what you or I want, soul society will not allow this to happen. You will not succeed in this ridiculous endeavor. The both of us will be captured or thrown into jail at soul society's call. You have made a mistake."
Before I could stop myself, I rose from my chair. "No, Ulquiorra. You're wrong! You told me last time, in Hueco Mundo that my friends would not succeed, yet they did. We have to fight for what we believe in and I believe in you!"
Ulquiorra was silent. The whole table was silent, and I sat back down, blushing heavily. Had I really just said all that? What was wrong with me? Stupid! I forced a small smile on my face, suddenly feeling completely exhausted. This was all too much. In my heart, I knew I hadn't made a mistake, but the things everyone was saying were begining to make me doubt myself. However this time, I had to stay strong. "Sorry… guess I got carried away." I murmured in apology.
Rukia bit her lip, then reached her hands across the table to touch mine. I leaned into the familiar friendly movement, my muscles relaxing slightly. "I- I respect your decision Orihime. I'm willing to help you try to reason with soul society."
I let out a breath of relived air. "Oh, Rukia! Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me." Even having one friend back me up made a world of difference. When I turned to face Ichigo, however, he was staring at the table with a blank expression. I was so used to seeing him full of emotion, or at least scowling, that this surprised me. In fact, it made my heart heavy. I used to love Ichigo. And now… I felt as if that part of me was missing.
"Kurosaki-kun… you don't have to help me if you don't want to." I said quietly. I would not force him.
Suddenly, the substitute shinigami locked eyes with me, his chocolate brown orbs blazing with determination. "I'm helping you, Orihime. I'll do all I can."
I squeezed Rukia's hand in excitement, and couldn't stop the bright smile from spreading across my face. "Thank you!" I exclaimed.
Urahara arrived with the tea at that moment, setting five cups on the table with a clink. "So, I guess we've all made up our minds?" he asked, a hint of playfulness in his tone.
I glanced around the table. "We have, Urahara-san!"
The man flipped his fan up to cover the lower part of his face. I scrunched my nose in confusion; I never knew why he did that.
"So let's get started."
Whoaa guys, long time no see O_O
It's been a while! And I'm sorry; I was super busy with school, and then volunteering during summer but guess who's finally free? :D
… Did anyone miss me? *crickets chirping*
Well here I am, with this UlquiHime story. Please tell me and review on what you think about this chapter, because I'm not sure if it's very good! Idk, it's been a month or three so I'm a bit nervous about uploading this . :/ Hopefully I did okay! I had an urge to write ulquihime. 3 Cuz everyone loves a good tortured love story, lol.
And now, I have a very very important question related to this story (if you guys even read these poor authors notes) : IchiRuki or IchiGrimm? ;) Juuust wonderinggg. I love you allllll! Free chocolate!