Disclaimer: I do not hold ownership over Bleach or Touhou.
Why?
That single thought ran through Ulquiorra's mind, like a question that infinitely sought an answer, but one can never be given. Why had he done it? Why had he stepped in just before the monster that was Kurosaki Ichigo had done the finishing blow to those worthless pieces of trash? They meant nothing to him. They were lower beings who did not deserve to live. Only the strong deserved to live, and the weak deserve to parish.
Yet he had done it. Before the shinigami daiko turned Vastro Lorde had released its fully charged Cero at the woman, he had interfered. He had cut off one of the monster's horns, dispersing the immense energy that had gathered between them.
Standing perfectly straight with only one leg and defying gravity altogether, Ulquiorra watched passively as the hollow's shell fell off of Ichigo's body. With shoulder-length hair as black as the endless night sky, and skin as white as the finest pearls, Ulquiorra was the perfect definition of terrifying beauty. A large, pitch black bat-like wing extended proudly from the right side of his back, its twin having been sliced off by a single swing made by Ichigo's hollow. Dark tuffs of fur adjourned his arms from the elbow down and his legs from the waist down, with claws like finely sharpened knives and feet like talons. Long, bat-like ears grew out from the top of his head, pointing defiantly towards the sky. Black tear lines fell from yellow eyes with slitted pupils and green sclera set in a distinctively handsome face, his closely knitted eyebrows and black upper lip adding to his dashing yet fearsome features. Housed in his thin yet muscular chest is a large, gaping hole, one that cut straight through his body from the front to the back. Black, blood-like lines extended from this hole, reaching the fur on his waist.
If he were human, he would have been dead. But he was no human. His humanity had been lost long ago. Now, he was a creature of hunger, a creature of eternal emptiness that cannot be filled. He was corrupted, a collection of hundreds of lost souls that could not pass on because of their sins.
He was an Arrancar, the strongest among the hollows, one of the few who had achieved the pinnacle of strength among their race. A commander who led the lower hollows on their hunt to satisfy their insatiable hunger for human souls.
"Kurosaki-kun!" The woman, Inoue Orihime, ran toward her fallen friend as he fell, her voice filled with concern mixed with sorrow. Long, orange hair bellowed behind her as she crouched near Ichigo's body, wearing the tattered remains of a dress that was given to her by Ulquiorra at the beginning of her capture. A look of worry plastered her face, overcoming the fear that had entered her heart when Ichigo transformed into that terrifying creature.
Ulquiorra's eyes moved to stare at the woman, that same question again flowing through his mind. Why? That monster of a man was going to kill her, yet she worries for him. Why would she care for the man who turned into a monster and tried to kill her? Was it because of the heart?
As Ulquiorra's left side, which had been sliced off by Ichigo's rampaging hollow, continued to regenerate, a single train of thought overshadowed all the questions that he had.
'…my arm, leg, and body are regenerating, but it's only for show' thought Ulquiorra, 'the organs he blew away will not return. If that strike hadn't ended it just now, I would be the one dead over there.'
Suddenly, howling winds exploded from Ichigo's body. Ulquiorra's eyes flew wide in disbelief as he watched the spirit particles around Ichigo collect, converging into the hole that went through his chest. The force of the process was enough to knock Orihime onto her bottom and shocked the heavily sweating Ishida Uryu.
After a short moment, the winds dissipated, leaving a completely unscathed Ichigo. His hollow shell completely removed, Ichigo was once again the fifteen-year-old that he was. His body was muscular, the result of intense training for a war that threatened to destroy his home. Short bright orange hair framed his mildly attractive face, distinguishing him from the rest of the youths his age. He wore what remains of his bankai, his upper body bare except a lone sleeve hanging on his right arm and his lower body covered by the shredded remains of his shihakusho's pants.
'How?' Ulquiorra thought, 'the wound I gave him should have been fatal!'
As Ichigo laid face down, Orihime stared at him with moist eyes, her expression shocked beyond belief. Behind his glasses, Uryu was wide-eyed. "The hole…closed up?"
A look of apprehension momentarily appeared on Ulquiorra's face. 'Impossible!' he thought, "High-speed regeneration?!"
"K…Kurosak….-kun?" whispered the woman, her hand reached towards the fallen shinigami daiko, afraid that what was before her was not real.
Ulquiorra watched as suddenly Ichigo shot up, his hands pushing him off the ground as he rose to a sitting position, further shocking Ulquiorra and everyone else.
"…..where?!" he stuttered out. Immediately, his right hand flew to the center of his chest, the place where the large hole had been just a moment ago. "Wasn't there...a hole in my chest!?"
"Kurosaki-kun…"
As Ichigo turned to his side, coming face to face with the woman, his expression shifted to that of a concerned one. "Inoue…you're okay?"
The woman nodded her head, causing a momentary look of relief to appear on Ichigo's face.
Suddenly, Ichigo's eyes flew wide, his head turning to his other side. There, he witness the horrifying sight of Uryu, whose pristine white Quincy uniform was stained crimson red from the blood what bled from where Tensa Zangetsu impaled him.. His face was covered in sweat, and he was breathing heavily. "Ishida!"
The Quincy lifted his head up a bit, his lips spreading into a small smile. "…so you finally…woke up, huh…" he panted out.
Ulquiorra noted that Kurosaki's face was filled with horror as he said "that wound…did I do that?"
Deciding that he had remained silent long enough, Ulquiorra decided to catch the shinigami's attention. "…you're a stubborn one…"
He watched as the shinigami daiko finally turned his head toward him, noting that his eyes went even wider when he finally set them upon the Arrancar's still regenerating body.
"…Ulquiorra!" said Ichigo, his voice hoarse.
'Foolish, to be shocked by the opponent's damaged body" mused Ulquiorra, 'Hesitation of that level would no doubt cost him his life.'
Yet, Ulquiorra did not take advantage of this. Why? What was causing him to do so? As he stood there contemplating this, his breathing slowly grew heavier, the price of the wound finally beginning to take its toll on him. Finally, Ulquiorra knew that he had to end this.
Using sonido, he appeared over the downed form of the Quincy. He proceeded to pull out Tensa Zangesu, the blade belonging to Ichigo, earning a small "Guh!" from the archer.
Ulquiorra flung the black katana towards its owner, its blade becoming stuck to the ground a few inches away from Ichigo's feet.
"Take it, and let's settle this"
Ichigo just stood there, his eyes staring towards his zanpakutou.
"Was I the one…who stabbed Ishida?"
Ulquiorra snorted, forming a Lanza del Relampago in his remaining arm. "Like I care"
"And the one who cut off your left arm and leg…" Ichigo continued "…was that me too?"
Ulquiorra stood there, locked in eye contact with Ichigo. He offered no answer, just curiosity over the orange-haired death god's question.
Expression becoming more resolute, Ichigo continued. "In that case, cut off my left arm and leg."
!
Disbelief again filled Ulquiorra. Why? Why offer your wounded opponent a chance to damage yourself? Why not take advantage of his weakened state to wipe him out completely? What would he gain from allowing himself to be crippled the same way that he is now?
"Kurosaki-kun!" yelled the woman, worry gain entering her expression as the weight of Ichigo's request became apparent.
"Up until now," Ichigo said "I've been fighting you hollowfied and unaware. THAT WAS NOT ME! "
Then it hit him. The reason that the substitute soul reaper offered him a chance to attack him was not out of any rational thinking. It was purely the Ichigo's belief that what he did as a hollow was not him, and now he wished to fight as equals again.
Foolishness.
Such a way of thinking would not win him any battles. The weak deserved to die. Showing any weakness will get one killed. As it stands, the soul reaper had the best opportunity to kill him right now. He knew that he would not last; he can already feel his power slowly slipping away.
Ichigo's resolve hardened. "If we're gonna finish this, it won't be even unless I'm in the same state as you are now."
Yet the man continues. Was it out of sheer arrogance that he made such a request? Did he truly believe that he could defeat him without a leg and an arm?
Or was it the heart?
The heart. Something that he still could not grasp. The way that it causes a person to do irrational things perplexed him. How it could push one to do the impossible just to achieve a certain goal they believed in still eludes him.
"Kurosaki!" yelled a frantic Uryu "Do you know what you're saying? Kurosaki!"
Ulquiorra let out a breath; it was slowly getting even harder to breath for him. "Very well, if that is your desire then that is what I'll do."
Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted from his remaining wing. Glancing behind him, Ulquiorra watches as his wing gradually disintegrated, slowly turning into fine disappointed, Ulquiorra glanced at his disappearing form with clinical detachment, an unnoticeable pang of regret coursing through him for a brief moment."Tch…it's this bad?"
He had already accepted his fate, He has already lost to Ichigo. He knew that his internal organs cannot be regenerated. It was only a matter of time until his demise.
He no longer had any meaning.
"Kill me."
Surprise filled Ichigo's face. Slowly, he clenched his teeth together, his eyes becoming hidden by his bangs.
"Quickly…" Ulquiorra spoke, reiatsu leaving his body at a rapid pace. "… I no longer have the strength to walk. If you do not cut me down now, then this fight will remain forever unsettled."
"…no"
Caught off guard by Ichigo's answer, Ulquiorra could only say one thing. "…what?"
"I said I'm not gonna do it." Ichigo ground out.
Ulquiorra just stared. Again, this human's actions bewildered him. Why didn't he want to kill him, the person who kidnapped his friend and led comrades to their deaths?
"is this…IS THIS ANY WAY TO WIN!?" yelled Ichigo, his voice filled with sorrow. His eyes, now visible, conveyed the feeling of angry regret, furious at himself for doing something he believed to be completely wrong.
Once more, Ulquiorra's eyes flew wide, finally understanding the shinigami daiko's actions.
It was not out of arrogance. It was not out of stupidity. It was out of compassion. It was because Ichigo's heart believed he had wronged him due to his actions as a hollow. It was because he was blaming himself for the suffering that he is going through right now.
The heart again.
Ulquiorra lowered his head, his eyes trailing toward the ground.
"tch…frustrating to the very last."
Then, he lifted his head, his usually stoic expression shifting into one of sadness, regret, and slight bemusement.
"And here I was…finally starting to take an interest in all of you."
The woman's eyes softened, her expression changed into one of sincere sorrow.
Ulquiorra's form continued to dissolve. Slowly, he raised his remaining arm, hands reaching towards his former captive.
"…do I frighten you…girl?"
Orihime's eyes glistened, no longer being able to contain her feelings.
"No, you don't."
She lifted her right arm, reaching for the hand of her captor as he perished.
Finally, he began to understand. Finally, he started to know why.
"I see"
Their hands never connected.
His remains were swept away by the winds of Hueco Mundo.
Quietly…
What is it?
If I tear open your chest, will I see it inside?
If I shatter your skull, will I see it there?
You damn humans speak so easily of it
Almost as if….
…
…
…
I see…
This is…yes
This thing in my hand…..
Is the heart?
Konpaku Youmou let out a sigh as she sat on the veranda of Hakugyokurou, a cup of steaming tea in her hands.
She had a young appearance, her height qualifying as "short" when compared to others around her. Pristine silver hair enshrouded her head, forming a bob cut that is tied by an off-centered black ribbon. She wore a green dress with short white sleeves, with white ghost insignias along the edge of her skirt and on her breast pocket and a black ribbon on the center of her collar. Beautiful blue eyes adjourned her youthful face, which is currently expressing her fatigue. Her two blades, Roukanken and Hakurouken, lay to her left while a pot of green tea sits to her right.
It had been one of those days. She had woken up early to make breakfast for her mistress, underestimated her appetite, and ended up having to make a whole entire new batch. She then went on to perform her gardening duty, only to find that over the night an entire army of weeds had invaded the gardens. After a few agonizing hours of weeding, she still had to care for the trees and flowers, trimming here and there to maintain their perfect appearance. Lunchtime came, along with the discovery that their food stores are dwindling AGAIN. So the trip to resupply had to be made, involving her flying to various villages and visiting their shops. Of course, some of the items she needed just HAD to be sold out, thus causing her to go on a scavenger hunt across many stores and establishments. In the end, she was exhausted when she returned. She still had to cook dinner, so she neither had the time nor energy left for her usual training session.
Glad for the break, she sat there watching the night sky, the moon a shining beacon amongst tiny specks of stars across the heavens as the various ghosts of the Netherworld whizzing by its form. Her ghost half was close by, laying on the floor behind her as if to emphasize her tiredness.
After enjoying her brief respite, Youmou began to rise from her sitting position. She had to prepare herself for bed and wake up early tomorrow to perform her duties.
Then, she notices something. Looking up, she saw the ghosts of the Netherworld, which previously had been flying lazily in random patterns in the sky, had stopped their movements. Now, they were all slowly heading in one direction, going towards the numerous sakura trees of the Netherworld.
Looking behind her, Youmou saw that her ghost half too began to behave oddly. It seemed torn between following the rest of the ghosts and staying with her, making motions that gave the impression that it was fidgeting. Curious and a bit alarmed at the ghosts' behavior, Youmou grabbed her blades, attached them to her waist, and prepared to investigate.
Outside of Hakugyokurou, Youmou followed the ghosts towards a section of the small forest of sakura trees. She tensed, becoming wary of what she might find as she followed the ghosts deeper into the groves.
Eventually, she happened upon a clearing amongst the trees. This normally would not surprise her. She takes care of the trees herself, and knew the groves like the back of her hand. What's unique about this clearing is that it is covered entirely with pure white Azaleas, emitting a slight ethereal glow as they sway with the slight breeze of the Netherworld. When she moved closer to the field, what Youmou found left her astonished.
There, sprawled in the bed of white flowers with a katana next to him as ghosts circled curiously above his form, was a man.
A man with hair as black as the night sky and skin as white as the finest pearls.
Author's Notes:
Greetings to my fellow readers. You may have been wondering: Why Ulquiorra in Touhou? In all honesty, this idea had been stuck in my head for quite a while now. One of the first fics that I ever read in this site was No Time for Slacking, which had Komachi going into the Bleach universe and back to Gensokyo. Though it was arguably better than some of the other fics that I have read, it simply was too short and lacking for me. I had loved Ulquiorra as a character, and I wanted to see him with the girls of Touhou. I had wanted to immediately put this idea up on the board, but I was conflicted as to what I planned to do with Ulquiorra. Also, I have little confidence in my writing ability, and believed that what I put up would be total piece of shit that everyone will laugh at. Now, after waiting for what seemed like years, not even a single new Bleach/Touhou fic was ever written. In the end, desire to express my idea overcame my doubts, and thus this story was born.
As for this chapter, I know it's mostly just a rerun of the last few moments of Ulquiorra's life, but I feel that it would right to just immediately send Ulquiorra straight to the Gensokyo. In addition, I had been torn between sending him to Reimu or the Netherworld. In the end, the Netherworld won out because it made more sense. Ulquiorra is a hollow, a spirit tainted with sin that could not pass on to heaven to hell, and the Netherworld is home to ghosts that did not go to either hell or heaven. It just fitted better that way.
Anyways, please review my story so that I may make it less painful to read and more enjoyable for everyone. Also, my flame shield is always on.
