SOUL SOCIETY ARCHIVES

File: Arrancar Conflict, Post-Report...

Following his attempted coup, Soul Society tried Sosuke Aizen and found him guilty of treason and mass crimes against sentient life. He was sentenced to perpetual internment in deepest level of the Eternal Prison.

Weakened by war and internal strife, the Ruling Council deemed that further conflict with the Arrancar to be detrimental to Soul Society. First-hand accounts and investigations later revealed preexisting divisions within the ranks of Las Noches, with some openly turning against it. When Aizen's forces attacked Soul Society HQ, the Fourth Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer was fighting Ichigo Kurosaki inside Las Noches.

While Kurosaki ultimately killed him in battle, it was later learned that Orihime Inoue had used her powers of "Negation" to restore Schiffer. While not fully understood, this is supported by first hand accounts and data provided by Kisuke Urahara.

Studies of Inoue's power of "Negation" remain ongoing...

THESE
PEACEFUL DAYS

Chapter I:
"Las Palabras de Amor"

Orihime was just begun her second semester of college. She opted to continue working part-time at the Bakery while she took classes in the evening. This was a better arrangement (especially financially), as she and Ulquiorra had decided to move into a larger apartment. Luckily, their new home was still within walking distance of campus grounds and where she worked.

The two of them were, in her mind, in a good point in their lives. As a couple, they had the room they needed to go about their daily lives without feeling crowded. And then there was the matter of the new bed they'd purchased shortly after moving in. Orihime blushed, recalling how they'd "made use" of it shortly after the assembly of the bed was finished. She smiled, thinking back on how their relationship had developed over the last few years.

They'd been together for almost three years now. Though, true to his word, Ulquiorra had never made her feel pressured about the speed of their relationship. A year passed, the two of them becoming more comfortable with each other, before they had consummated the relationship. The sensation of their sweat-slicked bodies moving against each other, the throaty cries of pleasure- it was enough to make her head spin thinking about it!

There was some pain at first, but once she'd managed to relax a bit, the pain was gradually replaced by what she instinctively knew was pleasure. He was the first man she'd ever been intimate with, the first person to touch her ways that she had previously only dreamed of. It was there, in bed, that she'd witnessed his usually brusk demeanor melt away. In it's place, came a whirlwind of emotions from the usual cold Arrancar. Joined with him, she sensed affection, desire, and a good deal of lust!

She recalled how everything had gone white as they reached the apex of pleasure. She'd dug her nails into his back as she frantically clung onto him, crying out his name and raking crimson lines across his flesh as she climaxed. At the same moment, Ulquiorra had buried himself deep inside her as he reached the height of pleasure- experiencing a flood of sensations that only the woman's body could elicit. Orihime recalled the faint sounds that had escaped his lips as he murmured her name, still inside her as he held her supple form against his slender frame, soft curves melding with hard.

While everyone else occupied themselves in trying to make sense of it, Orihime had felt nothing but happiness when she'd learned that two of her closest friends, Ishida-kun and Tatsuki-chan, had ended up together. As far as she was concerned, it was the perfect arrangement: Ishida had the ideal calm and composed demeanor to counter Tatsuki's often fiery temper. The Quincy seemed to be the only person who could bring out the softer side of the dark-haired tomboy- unguarded moments where the young woman's usual bravado would suddenly falter and her face would suddenly turn pink.

And when Renji had finally revealed his relationship with Arachne to everyone, Orihime remembered feeling genuinely happy for both of them. She could tell, from personal experience, that the red-haired Lieutenant's feelings for the sultry female Arrancar were genuine. Still, it had come as something of a shock to his subordinates when they learned that Kuchiki-sama's second in command gotten into a relationship with an Arrancar of all things. When he had started to voice doubts, Orihime had taken him aside, holding his hands and smiled, saying that things would work out in the end.

And as for Kurosaki-kun and Rukia-san, she knew that the orange-haired teen was head-over-heels for the petite lady Soul Reaper. In fact, she wouldn't be all that surprised if he actually proposed to her in the near future. She could see that Kurosaki-kun was as committedto Rukia-san as she and Ulquiorra were to each other. Over time, as he feelings for Ulquiorra had blossomed, she'd finally been able to put aside her longstanding feelings- more of a crush, when she thought back on it- and wished both of them happiness in their life together.

So much had changed (both for her and for everyone else) over the last three years: the sudden arrival of the Shinigami, her abduction and imprisonment in Las Noches, getting to know Ulquiorra even as her friends were mounting a rescue, the eventual war... And the near-tragic conclusion of what had become her own personal journey. Near-tragic, in that she'd almost lost Ulquiorra...

Orihime had saved him, brought him back from the very brink of death itself, with powers that she couldn't even fully comprehend at the time. Some deep instinctive desire within her had driven her to tap into something powerful that had, until then, been dormant within her. What everyone had initially believed to be healing powers was in reality "Negation"- the power to defy the will of the universe and make the impossible possible. It was the power of Negation that brought him back- to her. She'd saved him, but in his own way, he'd helped to save her- by allowing her to move on and finally be with someone she cared for and who would return her feelings.

Speaking of making the impossible possible... A peace treaty between the Shinigami and the Arrancar had brought an end to the longstanding conflicts between them. It wasn't perfect, but it was more than anyone could have hoped for, given how things had once been. That Ulquiorra was here on the mortal realm, with her, and that Nell, a former Espada, now wore the colors of Soul Society proved beyond any doubts that things were at last changing for the better.

...o.o.o...

If there was any one single factor that could thought of as having changed the course of Ulquiorra's existence, then it was, without a doubt, Orihime Inoue.

The beautiful vibrant red-haired girl had changed everything. From the very moment that he'd first encountered her in that park, everything was irrevocably changed. For all his cold rebukes, she'd gotten into him, had subtly changed him in ways he couldn't understand at the time. He'd never been the sentimental type, but the young woman had touched something in him- a hidden reservoir of emotion that, until that day, would have repulsed him.

Such was the "power" of the young woman. She made him feel and experience things he'd never known before, but more than that, she made him want to! Before then, concepts like want and desire were utterly alien to him. He existed to serve Aizen, he was a weapon, a sword that his lordship could wield in battle against the Shinigami. And yet, for some reason, he had been chosen to watch over the woman during her captivity in Las Noches...

Even after all this time, he still couldn't help but wonder why Aizen had chosen him to carry out such a seemingly menial task. He was on the verge of open war with Soul Society, and yet he had chosen to sideline one of his top warriors. As one of only four Vasto Lorde, surely Ulquiorra would have better served by taking part in the battle against the forces of the Inner Court Guard. While Aizen had been supremely arrogant in his certainty, he was no fool. The ex-Shinigami had devoted centuries to this plan- gathering allies, building his army, studying and perfecting the powers of the Hyoguko...

For Ulquiorra, there were only two possible explanations for his exclusion. The first, that he viewed the bulk of the Shinigami forces to be of no threat. Or, that Aizen had left Ulquiorra in Hueco Mundo to serve as a safeguard against Ichigo Kurosaki- arguably the one factor he couldn't account for. The substitute Soul Reaper embodied chaos, a creature of instinct and emotion. And as a "Hybrid", he was just dangerous enough to threaten his plans.

Regardless, the battle had not played out as Aizen had foreseen- the Shinigami had withstood his assault against Soul Society, only to regroup and counterattack. He had merged with the Orb to transform himself into a Demigod, only to be defeated by Kurosaki. In the end, it was all a mute point. As far as Ulquiorra was concerned, remaining in Hueco Mundo had allowed for a chain of events that kept himself and Orihime close to one another- both in proximity and feelings.

The Arrancar allowed himself a small smirk as he made his way down the street. Ulquiorra paused, running a pale hand through the strands of his collar length head of jet black hair.

It had been a busy day for the staff of Shop Urahara. The revelation of Aizen's sabotage of his research had resulted in Urahara being exonerated in the eyes of Soul Society. No longer treated as a Pariah, he was free to re-establish links with Soul Society, as well as establish new connections with a number of the more open-minded denizens of Hueco Mundo. At present, his array of skills had proven invaluable in establishing both diplomatic and trade lines between the two realms.

His ongoing research into the biology of the Hollows had hinted at numerous similarities between their kind and both the Humans and Shinigami. Urahara had maintained that the Arrancar were not simply more powerful Hollows, but the next step in their evolution- ultimately culminating in what he believed would be a race that could mutually coexist alongside the others races.

Though at the moment, it was little more than a provocative theory in most circles. He was sure that the topic would continue to be debated for some time, but at the moment, Ulquiorra's interests were rooted firmly in the present... Namely, himself and Orihime.

...o.o.o...

The rice cooker sputtered gently on the counter top as Orihime quietly diced up and set aside the various ingredients for the night's dinner- curry and rice.

Since they'd gotten together, they'd had to discuss a number of issues- among them, was the fact that Ulquiorra didn't share her 'eccentric' tastes when it came to food. Still, he'd been a good sport as she stumbled through the process of learning to cook to others tastes. She smiled, thinking about how Tessei-san and Rangiku still swore up and down that her cooking was delicious!

Orihime slid the contents into the hot skillet on the stove top, and set about stirring it while adding the necessary seasoning and spices to it. Between her classes and working at the bakery, it wasn't always easy to still find time to spend with Ulquiorra. Still, she was happy with how things had worked out for both of them, and she certainly didn't have any regrets. As she continued, she couldn't help but blush at how "cozy" the two of them become over time.

She heard the door open, though knew instantly that it was Ulquiorra. The redhead continued with her cooking as she listened to Ulquiorra- the sound of him removing his shoes and putting away his things before entering the living room. Without looking away, Orihime could hear the gentle sound of his footsteps, as he drew closer to her location.

The orange-haired woman turned to greet him. "Welcome home Ulquiorra," Orihime began warmly, smiling at him. "Dinner will be ready soon, so-" She went silent as he leaned in to kiss her on the mouth, his slender pale lips capturing her soft pink ones. After a moment, he withdrew, a familiar little smirk playing across his gorgeous features.

She was blushing, but managed a reply. "Well, something good must have happened to put you in such an affectionate mood, Ulquiorra." Orihime countered with a smile as she resumed her work.

Ulquiorra just quietly shook his head, leaning against the counter with the palms of his hands as he took in the sight of the woman. "No, nothing in particular..." He began evenly. "I was just thinking, on my way home today... About how amazing you are."

(- End of Chapter 01 -)

I wasn't sure how to end this chapter, so the last scene might feel a little abrupt. I have some ideas for future chapters already worked out, it's just a matter of writing them now. While not a direct sequel, this can be viewed as a continuation of my last story, The Human Condition. As for the chapter title? Well, it's Spanish, and it translates to "Words of Love." I took the title from the name of a Queen song from 1982.

And of course, I can't forget to mention those who helped to inspire me in the first place. I'd like to start by thanking my fellow writer, the amazingly talented LovelyMasoka. Go take a look at her work and leave some nice feedback, I personally recommend her story Surprises. Also, I want to give a shout out the super talented artist Rusky-Boz. She's done a lot of amazing UlquiHime pictures that were a big inspiration to me, especially all the lovely artwork she's done depicting the two of them married and raising a family.

Anyway, I promise that there's still plenty more to go in this story. Please feel free to let me know what you guys thought about this, your feedback is always important to me, it let's me know how I'm doing.

-Bojack727