I started writing this probably about a year ago. I decided to start posting it here to get more people to read it. It's up on my devART page, as well, but considering that fact that rarely anyone visits it to read this story... xD

Maybe when I see people reading it here I'll start writing in it again? I started on Chapter 21 a couple months ago but haven't had the time or motivation to check on it or write any more in it.

I'll be posting the first 5 or so chapters today, another 5 tomorrow, etc. etc.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

I DO NOT OWN BLEACH. TITE KUBO DOES.


It was just days before the battle. The outcome of the battle would affect not only the World of the Living, but Soul Society and Hueco Mundo as well. Basically, the fate of the universe was perilously hanging by a thread.

Orihime Inoue was racing through the Senkaimon, the dimension between Soul Society and the World of the Living, with numerous thoughts racing through her head. Would she be of any help in the upcoming battle or would she just be in the way? Would there be too many injuries for her to heal? Would someone die protecting her? She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

iI need to stop worrying about it. Worrying never did anyone any good! I must keep my mind from wandering and focus on the present./i

And with that, she ran faster, impatient to get back to the World of the Living. She couldn't wait to see Ichigo's face again. Kurosaki Ichigo. Orihime blushed at just the thought of his name.

iI wonder what he's been doing while I was in Soul Society training… probably training with Urahara-san again, or maybe Yoruichi-san…/i Orihime pondered. Again she shook her head to clear her thoughts and focused on running faster.

She was beginning to wonder how much longer it would take her to reach the end of the Senkaimon, when she suddenly felt a strong source of reiatsu behind her, causing her to stumble to a stop. She turned around in terror as the reiatsu increased tremendously, nearly bringing her to her knees and making it harder to breathe. Orihime had no trouble finding the source of spiritual pressure in the dark tunnel of the Senkaimon. The source was a very strange looking man. He was wearing all white and had an extremely pale complexion. Green tear marks ran from his eyes, which were the same shade of green and conveyed no emotion whatsoever, down his cheeks. The oddest things about this man weren't his emotionless eyes or clothing or pale complexion, it was the hole in his chest, right were his heart should have been, a mask covering half of his head, and the fact that Orihime had never sensed this type of reiatsu before.

iA hollow hole and mask? But how? Not here in the Senkaimon! And why is his face revealed! None of the hollow's I've ever seen or fought ever had even a portion of their masks broken! And his reiatsu! It's definitely not that of a normal hollow's… This doesn't…/i

Orihime's thoughts were cut short when the pale-skinned hollow spoke, "Orihime Inoue, come with me. Any form or resistance is futile. If you refuse, I will just drag you to Aizen-sama with my bare hands." His voice was monotonous and emotionless, just like his green eyes. That emotionless tone made him sound all the more menacing.

iOh no!/i Orihime thought. iI'm trapped! Where is Kurosa…/i

Again her thoughts were cut short, "What's the matter, woman? Can't you speak? Or are you so frightened of me that you cannot make your muscles move?"

"No…" Orihime said, almost inaudibly.

"Then why do you not obey me? You are to come with me, under Aizen-sama's orders," the man motioned with his hands and a garganta appeared behind him.

"I don't want to," Orihime replied, a little louder than before.

iThis can't be happening,/i she thought to herself. iI have to get back to Kurosaki-kun and Sado-kun and Kuchiki-san and Ishida-kun./i

"Aizen-sama does not care if you do or do not want to. You are to come with me to Las Noches. I do not wish to repeat myself again," still the man's voice contained no emotion, keeping its menacing tone.

"Please just let me go back home!" Orihime cried. She was beginning to get used to this man's incredible reiatsu and felt it easier to move and breathe.

iMaybe I should make a run for…/i

The man suddenly motioned with his hands again, interrupting her thoughts once more, and four screen-like projections appeared out of thin air. Orihime gasped as she registered what each of the projections was displaying. In each of the screens, one of her beloved friends was strenuously fighting against a powerful opponent.

"Your friends will all die if you do not come with me," the man stated simply.

Seeing that Orihime Inoue did not reply, and lowered her eyes, which were beginning to fill with tears, the man realized she was going to give in more easily than expected. To make sure she would comply without any resistance, he stated, "Twenty-four hours. No more, no less. Say goodbye to one person. If you do not meet me here within twenty-four hours, all of you friends will die a most terrible death."

Without saying a word, with just a simple nod, Orihime turned around and began running towards the end of the Senkaimon. She stumbled often because the tears filling her eyes made her vision blurry. As she saw the exit come into view she finally realized exactly what was happening. She was being kidnapped and dare not resist, as her friends would die as a result of her attempting to escape. Orihime already knew who she would say goodbye to. She also knew that there were many people she wished to say goodbye to, but only one person she felt she imust/i say goodbye to.

The sun was just rising in the east as Orihime stepped out of the Senkaimon. She breathed the fresh Karukura Town air and watched the beautiful sunrise.

iFor the last time…/i she realized. iWhat a sad thought. No more walks in the part with Tatsuki-chan or school with Ichigo-kun and the others. /i

She could go on listing things all day long, but decided against doing so, as it would pull her down deeper into depression. Instead, she spend all day doing the things she wanted to do one last time before heading to Kurosaki Ichigo's house as the sun was beginning to set. It was dark by the time she reached his house and had climbed through his window.

She watched Kurosaki-kun sleeping peacefully for a few minutes before beginning to talk to him, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. She held one of his hands in hers and felt and unbearable pain in her heart.

"So this is goodbye then, Kurosaki-kun. There was so much I wanted to do… so much I wanted to see…" tears were starting to collect in Orihime's eyes. "I wish I had five lives so I could eat five lifetimes worth of food, and have five lifetimes of happiness… and fall in love with the same person five times…"

She could no longer hold her tears back and let them flow freely. Several of them fell off her cheeks onto Ichigo's sleeping face. Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned down to him, as if to kiss him. But right before her lips touched his, she pulled back and smiled melancholically.

"Even now I can't do it," she sighed. "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun… and goodbye."

With those last words, she squeezed his hand one more time and then left the same way she came, silently through the window, glancing back only once to catch one last glimpse of her beloved Kurosaki-san.

Orihime slowly made her way to meet the green-eyed man. She took her time to looked around and take everything in one last time.

Goodbye, Karukura Town… Goodbye, everyone… Goodbye Kurosaki-kun…

The man, who's name was Ulquiorra Cifer, waited emotionlessly for the woman to return.

iHumans really are pathetic creatures, aren't they? Finding comfort in saying goodbye and…/i

This time it was Ulquiorra's thoughts that were cut short. Orihime appeared and walked closer to him.

"Are you afraid?" he questioned her resolve.

"No," Orihime's voice rang true and clear.

"You humans really are foolish beings. Pretending to understand one another and sharing each other's feelings."

When the woman didn't reply, Ulquiorra opened the garganta once more and motioned for her to follow him.

"Do not try to run. Do not try to escape," Ulquiorra's voice still did not register any emotion at all, sounding just as threatening as the day before.

It did not take long at all before they reached Las Noches in Hueco Mundo. Neither of the two had much time to think about anything too intensely while in the garganta. Neither said a word to the other. Ulquiorra walked steadily, emotionlessly, like always, while Orihime had her eyes focused on the ground holding back tears.

Orihime didn't even notice the enormous size of the palace Las Noches as they walked through the hallways for what seemed like hours, as she was too caught up in her thoughts. Eventually, Ulquiorra opened a door and went inside. Orihime hesitated, then followed.

The room was very plain. White walls, white carpet, white bed. Everything was white, just like Ulquiorra's clothing, the walls of Hueco Mundo, even the sand outside was a shade of white. Ulquiorra pretended not to see Orihime notice the dark Hueco Mundo sky with the Hueco Mundo moon through a small, square-shaped window high up on the far wall.

"This is to be your room," Ulquiorra stated matter-of-factly. "I will be back with your meal later today."

The only sign that Orihime gave him that she heard him was a slight nod and a quiet "Hai." Ulquiorra was beginning to become agitated at this woman's poor manners. Before she could irritate him further, he turned around and headed towards the door.

"What is your name?" Orihime asked, without looking his way and barely audible.

Ulquiorra was surprised she had asked him such a simple question.

"Ulquiorra Cifer."

He received no sign from Orihime that she had heard him, so he briskly made his way out of her room.

iWhat an odd woman,/i Ulquiorra thought. His thoughts began evaluating her actions and decided none of them added up to normal human behavior.

iStop thinking about her!/i He commanded himself. Why should he care if she was abnormal or not? He was to bring her here, which he did. He was to take care of her and bring her meals, which he was doing. So why was he beginning to become intrigued by this woman, and over such a short time period, which slightly alarmed him.

While he tried to clear his mind of the woman, his face stayed emotionless as usual, not revealing a single sign that his mind was in turmoil.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he did not notice he had a strange feeling inside of him, right where his heart should have been. But as quickly as it began, his mind and unnoticed feeling calmed down when he reached Aizen-sama's throne room to report to him that he had successfully kidnapped the woman and brought her to Las Noches. Ulquiorra did not hesitate an instant at the enormous door. Instead, he knocked once, crisply, and then entered quietly, with the same emotionless face and eyes as always...


Review please! :)
And thank you for reading.