Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters belong to Tite Kubo.

Important note: A few days ago. I uploaded a chapter 1 entitled The Scientist and the Robot but then deleted it. To those who didn't see/read that already deleted chapter, please go ahead, scroll down and read. To those who read the previous chapter one, this is the final Chapter 1 and please note that it contains a lot of changes.


Kokoro X Kiseki

Chapter 1: Kiseki (Miracle)


Behind lidded green eyes, inside a raven-haired head, a supercomputer brain uploaded information at the speed of light converted to gigabytes per second. It was like a dam broke, and oceans worth of water gushed out with so much force in so little time.

Information raced their way to the brain's stockroom.

Name:UlquiorraCiferElquelloratheonewhocriesCiferfromacipherthatdeciphersThenameisderivedfro…

Words flew by without being kept in mind.

Applebearcarrotdogeggfrogguitarhenislandjuicekitelionmoonneedleorangepiano…

Actions and movements demonstrated and taught themselves to the brain.

Walkrunjogcrawlcrouchpunchkick….

A flash of white concluded the brain's information upload. An interconnected string of commands bypassed the brain and proceeded immediately to execution.

Open your eyes. Sit up. Stand up. Observe.

With a brain still collecting itself from an onslaught of data, the pale eyelids framed by long eyelashes of the "robot-human" fluttered open to reveal doll-like viridian orbs. Without skipping a beat, his toned upper body curled up to an upright position. Legs swung themselves to the side of the laboratory table which the body was resting on. The soles of feet touched the floor as the knee straightened his legs.

The "robot-human" stood up. His vision focused…. And the first thing he saw were curious stormy grey orbs on the delicate face of a sunset-haired head that was attached to a slim body of curves. The first coherent thought then registered in his fully operating brain.

Woman.

In a similar way the words 'mama' or 'papa' or 'goo-goo-ga-ga' cooed out of a baby's lips, the robot's first thought tumbled out of his lips,

"Woman."

The word was a simple, common noun. But it was enough to break Orihime from the trance she found herself in. Her grey orbs tore themselves to look at the robot's face with wonder. A smile tugged at Orihime's lips as her mind replayed what she had just heard.

Woman.

Orihime felt happiness and pride well up inside her chest, pushing away her initial shock from seeing the hole on her creation's chest that wasn't supposed to be there. Her robot's voice…. Her robot's voice didn't sound robotic at all! The voice sounded fully human. NO. It didn't just sound human. It was a human's voice!

The joy inside Orihime bubbled wildly. It coursed through her veins like some warm fuzzy liquid that'd make a person giddy and do something crazy. Orihime (being Orihime) let out a squeal of excitement, happiness and everything in between, and without a warning, ran towards her robot with arms spread wide and ready for a hug.

At Orihime's sudden movement, the robot tensed and his eyes widened. Why was the woman…That thought paused for a nanosecond as its brain processed what word fits the woman's current action. It wasn't walking. It wasn't jogging. A few more words turned up and then ding! A match turned up after a picosecond of parsing for the right word. Running.

A question then materialized itself.

Why was the woman running towards him with her arms spread wide?

The robot formulated thousands of possible answers to his own questions. He chose to focus on the answer that seemed more logical. The data in his brain told him that running can be used to increase the impact of a tackle. A tackle can be used to pin down a body to the ground. Hence, there is a possibility that the woman is planning to tackle him to the ground.

At this conclusion, another question popped up.

Why would the woman do that?

Another one followed.

Who is the woman?

And then another…

How should he react?

Should he charge head on against the woman? Should he just dodge? Or should he do nothing? Before the robot could choose which course of action to take, something happened that dictated he do none of the above.

The woman's feet had tripped over one another, causing their owner to lose her balance.

Everything suddenly went into slow motion. The woman's silver orbs widened in surprise and alarm. Her outstretched arms flailed in a hopeless attempt to regain balance while her body inevitably fell forward. The woman's eyes closed, accepting her fate. The robot's body moved on the common reflex when something falls.

Catch the falling object.

The robot ran towards the falling woman at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

He caught her.

The laboratory doors slid open.

And in came two humans… One was a sandy blond-haired male. The other was a dark-skinned, violet-haired female.


Kisuke Urahara and Shihoin Yoruichi-Urahara were the most eccentric (and cunning) couple with the most eccentric (and cunning) actions and ploys in the whole city of Atlantis. Yet, they have never seen such an eccentric sight as the one that was revealed when the doors of Urahara's lab opened….. The sight of a certain orange-haired young lady in the arms of a naked pale man.

Apparently sensing their presence, Orihime and the pale man turned to look at Urahara and Yoruichi.

A blush colored Orihime's cheeks. The pale man didn't even bat an eye. A feline grin spread across Yoruichi's face. An unreadable expression took over Urahara's face as one word and two questions kept echoing in his mind: miracle; what happened to the Hogyouku?; what's the meaning of the hole in the pale man's chest?

Silence fell over the room.

One second passed.

Two seconds.

Three.

Then four.

"Questions aside first….Orihime-chan, why don't you and your friend there join me and Yoruichi in a cup of tea…" Urahara's sing-song voice shattered the stillness in the air, "….and a nice change of clothes?"


A while later, the eccentric couple, the lady scientist, and the male android seated themselves around a glass circular table with a nice cup of tea in front of them; all fully clothed of course. Yoruichi and Urahara sat beside each other. Orihime and the robot sat opposite to them. Silence still reigned in the air, which was charged with unasked questions and the tornado of thoughts plaguing the minds of the people inside the room.

Orihime couldn't help but stare with marvel at her creation. With clothes on and the hole on his chest hidden, her robot truly looked human… While walking towards the living room a while ago, Orihime kept pinching herself to assure herself that everything wasn't just a dream. Sure, she had been confident in her ability to accomplish she wanted to do. She had believed in a miracle to happen. She hadn't expected a result as successful as the one sitting beside her.

True, her robot hadn't spoken since he said "woman." But the way he caught her from falling a while ago, calmly complied with Urahara's request and accepted the clothes that were given to him, and how he quietly observed what was happening around him told Orihime that her robot was smarter than any machine ever made in Atlantis.

No.. He isn't a robot, Orihime corrected her thoughts, He's more human than machine. At that conclusion, Orihime found herself wanting to ask a lot of questions about her creation. Does he have a name? If not, can she choose a name for him? How does he feel? Can he eat? Is there anything he can remember before waking up? What else can he do? Does he know anything or is his mind a blank slate?

Orihime wasn't the only one with questions of course. Urahara had lots of them in his mind, but he had answers to almost all of them. The same was true with Yoruichi. The robot, on the other hand, had no answers to his own questions. He just hadn't said anything because his brain told him to continue observing. And so far, the data from his observations told him that the woman most probably hold most of the answers to his questions (for she was the one there when he woke); the blond male is with great knowledge and is not to be trifled with (the male's eyes shone with wisdom and skill); the dark-skinned female is cunning and witty (the female's smile said it all); and, he can start asking once the blond male opens a chance to do so.

Kisuke Urahara, once again, was the one who broke the silence and dragged everyone else back to reality and away from the confines of their minds. With a whip of his fan, he asked,

"Well, Orihime-chan, what's the name of your pale friend there?"

Instead of Orihime, a deep voice spoke in answer, "Ulquiorra Cifer."

Three pairs of eyes turned to the owner of the voice….

The robot, Ulquiorra Cifer, ignored the looks being thrown at him. It was time for his questions.

"I have answered your question. It's time for my own. Who are all of you?" spoke Ulquiorra, his voice monotone but commanding.

The blond man with the fan flashed a mysterious smile and answered, "Kisuke Urahara, a humble owner of a small albeit successful business company."

"I like that attitude, Ulquiorra Cifer!" declared the violet-haired female, "The name's Shihoin Yoruichi- Urahara."

"Nice to meet you Ulquiorra-kun!" it was the woman's turn, "I'm Orihime Inoue…. And I…."

Orihime paused. Should she tell Ulquiorra that she was the scientist who created him? But what if he thinks he's human and that he's only got some case of memory loss? What should she do? Orihime didn't have to think harder. Urahara had decided for her.

"Orihime-chan there was the one who created you Ulquiorra," Urahara filled in.

Ulquiorra merely blinked and responded, "Elaborate."

And so Orihime found herself explaining everything from the reason why she made Ulquiorra (the part about dreaming of Chappy robots was left unmentioned) up to all the things she had done the past two months to three eager pair of ears.


Night came fast, much to Urahara's dismay. There was only enough time for Orihime to recount what she had been doing the past few months and for Urahara to know that the hole on Ulquiorra's chest was where the Hogyouku had been. There wasn't enough time for them to discuss the implications of Ulquiorra's existence. All the weariness from all the work Orihime did finally showed. The father in Urahara couldn't keep the girl from resting any longer.

Time was against him this day. Urahara concluded that with a sigh hidden behind his fan as he stood on the doorway of his house and watched Orihime and Ulquiorra fly home in the orange-haired girl's car. This sigh didn't go unnoticed by the woman standing beside him.

"You didn't expect her to pull it off, did you Kisuke?" queried Yoruichi.

"That's right my dear. What that girl did…." Urahara closed his fan, "…is nothing short of a miracle."

A shadow then fell over Urahara's face as he continued "And that, Yoruichi…. Is a problem."

Yoruichi frowned, "Why?"

Urahara's lips curled up into a grim smile, "Do you remember the history behind the technological success of Atlantis?"


Somewhere in Atlantis' tall towers and dome-shaped white-washed buildings, the same question was asked by a handsome man with slicked back brown hair sitting on a chair as he watched the city lights from the balcony of Las Noches Corp.

"Gin, Kaname, do you remember the history behind the technological success of Atlantis?"

Gin Ichimaru, a silver-haired man with lidded eyes and a sly smile that was always etched on his lips replied, "I dunno. Tousen?"

Kaname Tousen, a dark-skinned blind man, answered, "Magic and not science is behind Atlantean technology, my Lord."

The brown-haired man, Aizen Sosuke, smirked and answered, "That's right Kaname. And do you know the story behind that history?"

Kaname fell silent. The smirk on Aizen's face widened as he recited words that have long been forgotten by most Atlanteans,

"Ignore this message if you dare,

To the advanced people of Atlantis, beware!

Technology has sealed your fate

Magic has caused your God's hate.

And hence from loneliness, a miracle will bloom

A miracle that shall be Atlantis's doom.

Atlanteans shall fight and divide

Their actions, in God's eyes, null and denied

After which, three earthquakes will rattle the lands

And bring Atlantis to the ocean's raging hands"

"My, my, that's quite a dark poem Aizen," Gin chimed, "Why tell us that now?"

Aizen chuckled and responded, "Because… the miracle has bloomed."


A/N: First and foremost, thank you very much for taking the time to read this chapter! I hope it was worth your time! It's been a long time since I first wrote KokoroXKiseki... So I'm so sorry if the writing style's off from the Prologue. Plus... I'm so sorry if the characters are OOC... If you have any suggestions on how to make the characters in character, please feel free to say them :)

I'll try to update as fast as I can.

Once again, thank you very much for your time!