Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't ask.
...
2
Awakenings
Ulquiorra's head hurt fiercely. Paralyzed, he lay there with his eyes closed. His whole body felt cold. He wasn't sure, but he thought there was something hard under him. Was this some new stage of death? If it was, he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to take it, even as patient as he was. Vaguely, he wondered if the dead could go insane.
An icy pain jabbed into him, worse than surrounding coldness. Involuntarily, he tried to gasp for breath, but failed. The coldness spread and his muscles twitched. He felt delirious as he weaved in and out of consciousness. Nothing was real or clear for what must have been eternity.
Wake up, he wanted to beg. Let this end.
...
"Isn't that one of the Espada?" Matsumoto wondered in astonishment, observing as the eyes closed.
Slowly, Hitsugaya bent down, keeping watch for any telltale movement. He choked back the feeling of recognition, deciding the comparison too distant. Instead, he examined the spot where the light had entered. Blank. Yet, the creature still wore half of a horned helmet.
"Yes, I believe it was one of the Espada," the captain answered. He pulled his sword from its sheath and held it over the creature's chest.
"You're going to kill it?" Matsumoto asked.
"Of course I am," he snapped. Still, when it came time to swing down the sword, he hesitated.
"Captain?"
Pulling Hyorinmaru away, Hitsugaya picked up his soul pager instead. Running a hand through his hair, he contacted Seretei.
"Yes, I've found the source of the abnormal spiritual energy….It appears to be a regenerated Arrancar. Do you want me to kill it?...I'm not sure...Understood." He hung up the phone and glanced toward the limp creature, then back to his lieutenant. "They want us to wait until someone can come to examine it."
Matsumoto gave her captain an odd look. Something was off. She watched as he looked down at the Arrancar and studied it carefully, like he was looking for something.
She'd have to keep an eye on this.
...
"Interesting," a member of the research division commented. "This Arrancar is missing its Hollow hole. Even more interesting, I believe this is the fourth Espada. He's supposed to be gone." The member ran his hand along the half-helmet on the Espada's head. Several cracks lined it. "Hm…I believe my captain will want to see this."
Just then, the Arrancar twitched. Everyone moved into the defensive, waiting for an attack that never came. After a moment, Hitsugaya nudged it with his sword. Its eyelids fluttered, but refused to open.
"I'll call for official transportation," the Shinigami from the research division decided. "Wouldn't want that thing breaking loose on our way to Soul Society."
...
Ulquiorra kept struggling against the darkness and cold. Finally, something new greeted him. It was warm and solid. Then, the warmness went away and something put pressure on his arm. This put everything into sharp focus, jolting his senses awake. On reflex, his green-blue eyes flew open and his muscles struggled against whatever was trying to hold him down. It was an animalistic reaction, he knew, but did not care.
Spinning around and backing away, he observed the shocked faces of Shinigami all staring straight at him. He forced his face into an emotionless mask. His heightened senses picked up everything, including one of the Shinigami whispering, "His reiatsu…it's low for an Espada."
Not taking his eyes off of any of them, he continued to back away. There was a forest directly behind him. He might be able to escape.
"Where do you think you're going?" a low voice asked from behind, accompanied by a cold blade at his neck. It made Ulquiorra painfully aware that the Shinigami had managed to swipe his own sword from him while he was unconscious.
Turning his head slowly, Ulquiorra calmly replied, "That is none of your business."
Hitsugaya pressed the blade closer to the Arrancar's neck. "What's your name?"
Ulquiorra stayed silent. The sword pushed farther. "There is no reason for you to know."
"Is there a reason for you not to tell me?"
"None."
"Then say it."
Silence. Making a rash decision, Ulquiorra rotated to face the young captain. For a second, shock registered in him. His eyes looked just like…
More memories pounded into his skull.
Hitsugaya noticed how the Espada twitched, his hand balling into a fist. In response, he pushed the blade even closer, letting a trickle of blood drip down Ulquiorra's neck.
In the background, the Shinigami's breaths were all held. The thick tension in the air was signal enough to stay still and not interfere. This was obviously a very delicate situation.
Eyes locked, the two stayed absolutely still. While Ulquiorra was fighting a mental battle, Hitsugaya was fighting one himself.
Do not kill him, Hyorinmaru whispered to him. You will regret it later.
The tenth squad captain slid his blade away from Ulquiorra's neck and gently tapped the skeletal helmet. A few pieces of bone crumbled away. The Arrancar tried to remain calm while this was happening.
"You were supposed to be dead, last time I checked," Hitsugaya growled.
"Technically, both of us are dead," Ulquiorra retorted in monotone.
The sword went back to Ulquiorra's throat. "Can you explain how you regenerated from nothing?"
"Not if I do not know, either."
As their staring contest continued, a member of the Shinigami in the back pulled out a soul pager and contacted Rukia who would, no doubt, be with Ichigo.
"What are you doing?" Matsumoto whispered.
"Getting a second opinion," the other woman muttered.
...
Ichigo cursed to himself as he bounded across town in Shinigami uniform. They whole family plus Rukia were just about to sit down for dinner when an "urgent" call forced Ichigo to go out of town. The reason for it was what frustrated him. Some group of kooky Shinigami over there were claiming that "the fourth Espada" had somehow come back to life. Ichigo had seen Ulquiorra die with his own eyes. In fact, he'd killed him with his own hands, even if he wasn't in complete control at that moment.
The scene played for him again. It was even worse every time he had to watch Orihime try to reach out for the fading creature only for him to ripped away by the wind. And after making such a big, dramatic scene about dying, he had the nerve to show up again? That was, if this really was Ulquiorra and not some copy cat.
Finally, he spotted the scene. Restraining a growl, he gave one last mighty leap and thudded down onto the earth. The action gathered the attention of everyone present. Including Hitsugaya and Ulquiorra, although they refused to break their current engagement.
"So, what's the big commotion about?" the substitute Shinigami asked harshly.
Hitsugaya finally let his eyes stray to the interruption, not looking happy about it. Ichigo failed to be concerned about the murderous glare the captain was giving him, because he was preoccupied with the other figure. With a controlled, dramatic pace, Ulquiorra turned his head to fully face Ichigo. The carrot-top's eyes widened considerably.
"Ulquiorra?" he barely gasped out.
The Arrancar only locked eyes with Ichigo for a second before promptly disappearing using an unexpected sonido. Hitsugaya looked livid.
"Kurosaki," he growled. "Why are you here?"
The stunned Ichigo quickly regained his composure. "Well, duh. 'Cause someone called me here. I would have been ten times happier just sitting at home."
The captain's eyes then shifted their glare toward the group, each looking paralyzed and trying to seem as innocent as possible. His eyes narrowed at them all in warning before turning back to Ichigo.
"Go home, Kurosaki. You're not needed here."
"Not until I get some answers," Ichigo protested. "How the h- did Ulquiorra get here?"
"That is a mystery to everyone. We know next to nothing besides the fact that he is missing his Hollow hole."
Ichigo looked surprised and then his eyes went even wider. "Oh, crap." He disappeared into the sky without warning.
Hitsugaya growled. "That idiot."