The Heart: Ashes to Ashes

By: M&M's

Summary: As Ulquiorra fades away, he contemplates the true meaning of a heart and thinks about Orihime. Ulquiorra x Orihime, mainly Ulquiorra's POV. Might be a songfic later. Warning! Contains spoilers! Don't read unless you're past Bleach 353 and 354.

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach, I don't.

"Ulquiorra? Was it me who cut off your arm and leg?" the orange-haired human, Ichigo asked. I snorted, "It doesn't matter. Let's finish this."

I slid into an offensive stance, preparing to lunge forward and-

"Wait! If that's the case, then you can cut off my left arm and leg too!" he cried, utterly ignoring me. I heard Orihime gasp behind me. "That wasn't me you were fighting. I was Hollowfied and unaware-That wasn't me. If we're going to end this, it won't be even unless I'm in the same state as you."

"Kurosaki!" the black haired human, Ishida, protested, "Do you hear what you're saying?" I drew my sword, sliding back into my offensive stance, "Very well. If that is your desire, then that is what I'll do." I drew my sword, lunged forward, and my legs nearly gave out from underneath me. I craned my neck to see one of my black wings eroding away into dust.

"I'm that far gone…?" I muttered under my breath, then turning to Ichigo, who had a very stunned look on his face, and said, "Kill me." Ichigo blinked, shaking his head, "No. I…I can't."

I sighed, "I no longer have the strength to walk. If you do not cut me now, this fight between us will forever remain unfinished." Ichigo shook his head again and I resisted the urge to snarl at him. "No! I'm not gonna do it! Is this any way to win!"

I raised my eyebrow at him, muttering, "Frustrating…till the very last." I turned to face Orihime, who was staring mournfully at me. "And here I was, finally taking an interest in all of you." I reached out my hand, offering it to her. She didn't take it, just responded by pulling her arms tighter across her chest.

"Do I frighten you?"

She shook her head slightly, her voice beginning to quake, as if on the verge of tears, "No, you don't." Tears begin to roll down her cheeks, and I look away.

"I see." She walks closer to me, extending her hand, reaching out for mine, but it's too late. My fingers start dissolving, crumbling just like my wing. The rest of me is next. I can feel it.

I close my eyes, unwilling to meet hers, realizing I didn't want to see her crying. I hear Ichigo shout my name. I even hear the Quincy gasp. To take my mind off the pain, I think about the time we first met, in between the Soul Society and the human world.

I whisper your name.

"Orihime…"

The two Soul Reapers guarding you were not a match for me. I didn't even break a sweat defeating them. Meanwhile, you were staring at me, a look of horror and fear contorting your face. Then, raising your hands to the twin hairpins holding back your long, auburn hair, you cry, "Soten Kisshun!"

The name of your healing technique, from what Aizen told me, could heal almost any wound. A huge golden shield expanded around the two men and as I watched, the wounds closed up.

An interesting power…

"Orihime Inoue. I want you to come with me." I stated. You just glared at me, stubbornly backing away. "If you respond with anything but a yes, then your friends will pay the price." To prove my point, I opened up several rifts in space to show her friends, who were fighting for dear life against the other members off the Espada.

The Substitute Shinigami being knocked through a wall by Grimmjow…the redheaded woman being held tight by one of Luppi's tentacles, while the young, white-haired Shinigami captain yelled at him to let her go…You stared at each one, eyes brimming with tears. Finally, you look at me.

"Yes." she nodded, and I took a small silver object out of my pocket. "Wear this; it will cloak your presence against humans and Shinigami. Only the other Espada can see you. You have twelve hours to say goodbye to one person. And only one person. Choose wisely."

I turn and leave just as the first tear rolls down your cheek.

"This is your new home."

I gestured to the cell. Orihime looks around, her face revealing no emotion but despair. She gazes round blankly, taking in the red carpet on the floor, the wooden chair facing the window, and the bookshelf and frowns. "Yeah. Right."

I turn, meeting your anger-filled eyes with my cold gaze. I produce a set of clothing from the folds of my hakama. "Put these on and get rid of those human clothes." I hand them to her, but she takes a step backwards. Defiant girl. "Put them on before I undress you myself."

She turned bright red at this suggestion.

She glared at me, swiping the clothes from my hand. "Leave." she growls, pushing me out and slamming the door in my face before I have the chance to remind her that I'm not the one who was going to be ordered around.

I heard Grimmjow laugh behind me.

"What's the matter, Ulquiorra? Can't handle a little human girl?" the blue-haired cat-demon laughs. He's leaning against the wall, a confident smirk on his face. I snort at him, retorting, "Whatever. At least I was able to handle the Substitute Soul Reaper."

This seemed to strike a nerve.

In less than a second he was in my face, snarling curses at me. I was about to draw my sword when I saw Gin amble on into the room. "Hey, y'all two! Cap'n Aizen wants to see ya's in the meetin' hall right away!" He stopped, blinked (Don't ask me how it's possible to blink with your eyes closed, but somehow the fox-faced Shinigami pulled it off), and asked, "Um, was I interruptin' somethin'?"

Grimmjow glared at him. "No. I'm through with him, anyway." The Panther King stalked angrily out of the room, Gin and I close behind.

"Dinnertime."

I unlock the door to your cell, stepping aside to let in the Arrancar with the food cart through. You glare at me. "I'm not hungry." you state defiantly. You go back to staring out the window. "Chad's not dead."

I stare at you and snort coldly, "Whatever. Just eat. It's your duty to stay alive until Aizen orders me otherwise. So until then, you will live." Now you glare at me and say, "Chad is not dead."

"Do you expect me to comfort you? Your friends are all going to die eventually, anyway." I say, inwardly wincing about how cold I sounded. Your eyes widen and before I believe that you can register your own actions, stride up and smack me across the face.

It stings a bit.

Your eyes widen even further and you seem as if you are about to apologize, but stop yourself. I step out of your cell, closing and locking the door behind me. "You have one hour. You best eat it or I will be back to force it down your throat."

I hear you whimper and then burst into tears.

It's been over an hour. I can still hear you crying, even in my quarters. Something aches and it's not my face.

I know I deserve it.

I have a feeling you haven't eaten a single thing.

No, I know you haven't eaten a single thing.

Great, now my cheek burns.

Sighs in annoyance.

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate Grimmjow?

Oh, I haven't?

Okay. He's loud, short-tempered, impulsive, sarcastic as hell, disrespectful, crude, cusses like a sailor, and I honestly have no idea why Aizen-sama keeps him in the Espada. Needless to say, I hate Grimmjow.

He kidnapped you from your cell, no doubt intending to go fight and kill the orange-haired Substitute Shinigami. Typical. After interrogating the two Arrancar, Loly and Menoly, I had tracked you and the demon-cat to the roof of Las Noches. Ichigo, the Substitute Shinigami, is sitting up, waiting patiently as you heal his wounds. The child Arrancar is screaming at me to 'Leave Itsygo alone' and Grimmjow notices me.

"You stole my prey, you bastard!"

I look at him and say, "Why are you going out of your way to heal an enemy? I've already defeated him."

"You. Stole. My. Prey."

I raise my eyebrow. "Aizen-sama has placed the Inoue girl under my care. She's coming with me." I beckon towards you, but Grimmjow lunges forward firing a Cero. I slap it away and use Sonido, firing a Cero of my own at the were-cat. He turns abruptly, fires a Cero. The Cero collided, exploding in on each other. I was sent tumbling backwards through the sky, slamming into a pillar in an explosion of dirt and rubble.

I feel a rough hand haul me up by my neck to my feet and heard Grimmjow mutter two shocking words, "Caja Negacion."

I feel something expanding into my Hollow Hole.

Everything's fading, and I hear Grimmjow growl, "This wasn't your fight. Stay outta my business."

Damn that werecat.

I finally broke out of my prison.

The first thing I felt was your presence. I look at you. Your expression's shocked (Mine would probably have been too, had I seen someone appear out of thin air.) "Are you afraid? Aizen has no more use for you. There's no one who can protect you. You'll die alone in Hueco Mundo."

"No." you say. You stand defiantly, gaze not wavering from my face. "I have faith that Kurosaki-kun and the others. I'm not afraid. I wanted to protect them, and I didn't know why the followed me here at first. I understand now though. They want to protect me too. Their hearts are telling them too."

This is confusing, so I ask, "What is a heart? You humans are always quick to speak of such things." I place my hand on your chest. "As though you carry your hearts in the very palms of your hands. But this eye of mine perceives all. There is nothing it overlooks. If this eye can't see a thing, then it doesn't exist! That is the assumption under which I've always fought. What is this 'heart'? If I tear open that chest of yours, will I see it there? If I crack open your skull, will I see it then?"

I slide my hand gently up on your chest, "Where can I find it?" Just then Ichigo rushes into the room, screaming, "Get away from her!"

This was the beginning of the end.

My tail holds Ichigo suspended by the neck as I hear you scream his name and then my own, begging me to please leave him alone, spare his life. It's too late for him. I fire my Cero Oscuras point-blank through his chest. I look down to see you staring up at us, your face…it was…

Dreadful? No…Terrible…again, no…It was so stricken with pain and grief…That I realized-

There's no way to describe it…

I'll never forget that look…

My time is almost up…

"Orihime…"

I see you crying for me…

Tears roll down your pale, white cheeks…

I'm feel a pang of regret as I think of those last words I said to you, before Ichigo and I started fighting. I sounded so cold, so mean. You never deserved it. I think I'm beginning to understand what a heart is now.

This thing in my hand…is the heart…?

"…I'm sorry."

I allow myself a small grin just as everything goes black.

The End.

My first UlquiHime! Yayz! I realized after I wrote this that all of my Bleach-based fanfiction have been either angsty or romances or a combination of both. So hopefully, I can do a comedy next!

Hakama-a type of Japanese outfit.

Caja Negacion-a special type of Cero only the Espada can use. Traps an enemy in another dimension. Grimmjow uses this on Ulquiorra before he fights Ichigo.

Crystal, Bye-bye!