"Good evening, Las Noches… My Las Noches…"
With a quick spin, I dived from my gravity-defying perch. My black wings flapped open, revealing my white robe, as I began to descend in the throne room. Just before hitting the floor, my wings flapped a second time, firing me in a ninety degree angle down the corridor.
Soaring through the abandoned palace always seemed to clear my head.
While I could never match someone like Szayel in terms of engineering, specifically with his traps, I did put several years worth of work into repairing and restoring Las Noches to its former glory—No… Its beauty now is far more than it was before. Parts of it needed more work than others but despite the lack of help, the castle was restored fairly quickly… Making it even more elegant… Now that took time…
The one flaw in its design would have to be the large, double door entrance I created. It made it so obvious that intruders constantly plagued the halls of my home… well, they use to… Most have wised up but every now and then someone wants a meal they can't have.
My flight came to a sudden halt and slowly I rose into the shadows of the ceiling. There were also those that thought they could hide from me…
After several moments, a Vasto Lorde and two Adjuchas on either side could be seen walking cautiously down the hallway. The two had to have been the other's minions but neither seemed to keen about being there. The Vasto Lorde was different though, he wore a face of foolish determination.
"You sure this is a good idea, boss?" One of them whined before receiving a slap on the head. They continued to march on in silence after that with a slightly quicker pace.
And finally, the prey reached where I hung above. My wings silently parted.
Suddenly, I swooped down, landing in front of the group. Both of the Adjuchas shrieked in fear at the sight of me but the Vasto Lorde seemed only shocked by my entrance. My javelin materialized between the minions, stretching through the holes in their chests. The two winced as the glowing green spear extended on both sides, connecting with the walls and trapping them.
Their leader began to clap as I just stared at him.
"Ulquiorra, it's about time I found you," He grinned wickedly, ignoring his servants' pleas for help. They were already dead to him.
"No," I stated coldly with a stare that seemed to unnerve him.
"You haven't even heard my request yet," The Vasto Lorde's plan seemed to be failing him. Did he actually think he could just walk up and convince me?
"I apologize," My grip tightened on the javelin, "I failed to give you a clear answer. I sometimes forget that trash need things spelled out for them."
With a flick of my wrist, the green weapon spun faster than the two it sliced could see. As they disintegrated, the third took off in a mad sprint as if it would save him. I floated slowly up while watching him run with his tail thrashing about. Raising my spear, I took aim.
One must practice lest their skills diminish…
The trash screamed in pain as the javelin sank through his tail's flesh. The pinned Vasto Lorde turned in horror as he heard my footsteps closing in on him. I was in no hurry though.
Immediately, he grasped the green spear to pull it out but despite his best efforts, it wouldn't budge. His cries of fear started to annoy me.
My hand wrapped around his—my nails digging into his skin—and I pushed the javelin so that it pointed to his face. With my free hand, I grabbed his mane and impaled his mouth on the spear.
As he began to disappear, I leaned in to see his eyes. The Vasto Lorde was half scared, half regretful; scared of me and regretful that he hadn't heeded the warnings. No matter how many times I tried… how many I killed… No one seemed to get the message…
Las Noches was mine.
And I would only allow one other…
I clenched my fist, shattering the javelin at the thought. All because of you, I haven't slept in so long. When I do, I dream of drowning in the ocean, longing for the shore where I can let my head down…
My hole began to widen and the white robes started to vanish as I welcomed True Despair. The walls on either side shattered as I whipped my tail around violently. I closed my eyes and took a rather long and deep breath just before running my clawed fingers through my hair. I needed to calm myself.
I lunged forward, wings outstretched. I flew faster than normal… and faster still… Flying upside down, along the ceiling, I let my right hand's talons rake the stone as I soared through Las Noches. The gash along the ceiling was clean and as deep as the sorrow that dug it. I'll just fix it later.
At some point during this flight I reached a chamber that was dome shaped with absolutely nothing on its walls and ceiling. It would work for a distraction I reasoned. Using my hands, I begin scratching an elegant but depressing design along the walls—it sort of resembled flames but not quite… I continued this design up the walls until I reached the center of the ceiling. It needed something else.
Almost unconsciously, I scratched a heart into it.
All because of you, I believe in angels. Not the kind with wings. No, not the kind with halos. The kind that bring you home when home becomes a strange place…
"Home… has become a strange place…" I spoke softly before finishing the art.
With my hands on my head, I floated down, weakened… confused… longing… As soon as my feet touched the ground, I feel to a knee. Could it be from… from my…
"Heart?" A familiar voice mocked.
Recognizing it immediately, I looked up from where I was kneeling, "Aizen-sama!"
"Ulquiorra Cifer," He stood over me with that look of his, "Does it not plague you? Does it bring you anything but pain? Is it not your bane?"
I could only stare as he pointed to my art. He was not only alive but here now, giving me advice… trying to help… trying to rip out my…
"Had I realized that it would come to this," Aizen turned around with his eyes closed. My eyes widened a little at the thought of what he was about to suggest. He continued, looking over his shoulder, "I wouldn't have agreed upon your request. I thought it was odd, the way you had taken an interest in her, the way you begged me to let you kidnap her…"
My tail whipped and slammed into the ground.
Aizen turned back and knelt down to face me. He looked at me as if I was his pitiful child that he was trying to educate. He still thought he was stronger than me… Several years can change a lot of things…
"Ulquiorra…" He put his right hand into the huge hole in my chest, "This is where the heart goes…"
What is this feeling? Fear? Am I scared that he's right? My eyes unconsciously looked down at his arm and then back to his eyes—those horrible eyes of compassion and deceit… I could feel my arms trembling…
"So you will believe me when I say, 'a heart doesn't suit you.'" Aizen grinned.
I lowered my head slightly and ceased not only trembling but even breathing.
"Then why do I want it?" I spoke just before my tail wrapped around his wrist in my chest; my hand grasped his neck. He tried to breathe in vain as I gave him the closest thing I had to smile. His neck tightened as he tried to scream at the pain of his arm being ripped off. I flung it to one side of the room as I flew to the opposite wall, slamming him in it with one hand while the other generated a Lanza del Relámpago.
"Wait! Ulquiorra!" Aizen yelled as my grip loosened. Good, now I know for sure that this is the real him. I stabbed the lance into his right shoulder, pinning him to the wall before jumping back.
Before he could even try to pull it out I began to unleash a small barrage of Lanza del Relámpagos. When I finished there was one in each should and thigh, two in the stomach, and a seventh that carved a hole through his heart. The once powerful shinigami spat up blood, helplessly staring at me as his life began to drain away. I could already sense his reiatsu dropping. Walking away, I decided to just leave him.
"Ulquiorra…" I stopped, coincidentally below the heart I scratched. "There is much more to the human heart than you think… There's more than comfort and joy and… and love…"
Upon hearing this, I changed my mind and turned to face him. Aizen seemed to have believed that he hit home as I started to walk towards him with an unmoving stare… to finish this.
He continued, "There's anger and fear… and there's hate… Hate that'll carve out another hole right next to that one…"
I only continued my stare as I walked.
"Is that what you want? Or do you actually believe you can learn all about the good of the heart? You can't have good with the bad!" He managed to yell.
My pace and stare didn't altered.
"No one will give you a heart! And even if they did, it would just slide right out of that hole!"
Once again, nothing changed.
"Tell me, Espada! Where is your heart!"
I stopped just a few feet from him, my cold stare still piercing.
I spoke, "What? You can't see it?"
My tail wrapped around his throat and began to squeeze. As he gasped for air, I pulled him off the wall—through all seven lances—and hung him above me in the air so I could watch the life leave his eyes for good. The Lanza del Relámpagos dissipated after I chunked the lifeless corpse across the chamber.
I watched closely as Aizen's body disintegrated and soon after, walked out, pleased with the result. The same had now happened to the castle's previous ruler as had happened to all the Arrancar he left behind. I let none live…
After all, I have to make sure there's no trash in my Las Noches for when she returns.
Song quoted is "The Good Left Undone" as made famous by Rise Against
Obviously, all rights to their respected owners lest someone get pissed ;P