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Escape from Gravity

El3v3n

All characters belong to Tite Kubo.

The Captain

Xx-Orihime-xX

Resilient eyelids shot open at the sound of the door creaking open. Orihime shifted from where she was crumpled on the divan and craned to see a familiar silhouette in the light of the doorway.

"Why are you still awake? Lord Aizen specifically ordered you to take your rest." Ulquiorra spoke plainly. Orihime looked stunned. It was still impossible to believe he had come back to life so instantly on her behalf. As it had always been, it was difficult to discern the stolid Arrancar's temperament.

"I was monitoring your room in my absence. I know that none of the service trash disturbed you." He continued. Smoothing out her skirt, Orihime kneeled up right as the pale skinned man approached. There was something unquestionably nostalgic about seeing Ulquiorra again. Even with taking into account everything that had happened she had retained an unsettling feeling of how the Espada had faded from existence. He paused a respectable distance away from the sofa appearing unthreatening though his sword was visible from beneath his uniform. With a snap of his fingers a mellow glow filled the room from overhead – she hadn't before known how the lights were turned on.

"You spoke to Lord Aizen?" Orihime dared not forget the honorific from his title.

"He said my reemergence was unexpected, but was more concerned that you were clearly not sleeping as he had directed you." He responded. Her expression blanked. That sort of reaction was preposterous. She supposed only Aizen could be so unimpressed upon seeing a long fallen ally returned from the fate of death.

"Lord Aizen has no reason to be pleased with my resurrection. I was defeated by your human friend, and was therefore unable to protect Las Noches from its invaders as commanded. What further use to him am I?" He explained to her silence. The young woman felt her throat stitch as she stared toward the other who was wholly unmoved despite his melancholy charge. That last claim was words she had heard spoken before though not in perfect order and with a different voice.

It hadn't occurred to her until now how precisely Aizen had woven his subordinates around his fingers. Though it had been only days she had been forced to submit to his command it had been confoundedly devastating to hear him announce to everyone that she was no longer of any importance. She couldn't imagine what effect that recognition would have on a subsidiary such as Ulquiorra, but instead she saw nothing- only a passionless Arrancar who acknowledged his own reality without any unnecessary fuss. An ardent urge swarmed in her belly. If she had been a bolder person she'd have leapt to her feet and shook him for nothing more than to bring shock to those hollow eyes. Perhaps if she was even more audacious she would've told him that he should reassess his value because as it was, Aizen had also been overpowered by the same mere human as he. But her fantasies remained unuttered when Ulquiorra once again moved to speak.

"We Arrancar follow Lord Aizen for reasons as varied as we are ourselves individual. Many serve him out of fear or for great respect for his power but even then no two followers could say they swear their loyalty for the exact same justification. I was born unto nothingness-" He spoke with breath like zephyr and hands lost deeply within the pockets of his hakama. "-And foolishly crawled into a world with visions that were ugly, smells and tastes that were vile, sounds that were irksome, and elements that burned when touched. Such things had never resided in the darkness and as it were I understood that bliss had only existed in nonexistence."

"Ul-quiorra," Orihime breathed his name.

"Lord Aizen seeks to destroy the cornerstone in which all worlds have built their foundation. I had hoped that in swearing fealty to him and his ambitions that everything would once again be reduced to the void I'd never again find in the cycle of death and rebirth. But so it has become, that reality is no longer." Orihime fisted the fabric of her skirt when the expressionless Espada suddenly tilted his head upon his observation. "I have not come into this world from nihility as before, but for a different purpose entirely."

"I-I don't understand," She protested to his pause.

"Orihime Inoue," Ulquiorra spoke her name as if the words were exotic to his tongue. Further earning her shock, the Cuatro Espada fell to kneel before her keeping his gaze toward the ground.

"I exist as a manifestation of your will and therefore pledge to you my allegiance. I will protect and serve you so that you may succeed to drive the conviction of what I have understood to be the true meaning of existence: where happiness and triumph can be found in seeking the intention of the human heart."

Xx-Aizen-xX

"Welcome back, Ulquiorra." The voice of the Lord of Las Noches varnished from where he lounged nonchalantly in his throne. The Espada's eyes were deadened upon him, but the demigod knew that his creation was listening.

"You informed our guest, just as I had asked." It wasn't really a question. Ulquiorra wouldn't have strayed from his command.

"I did." The newly reconstructed Hollow responded without hesitation.

"I would be correct to assume that upon such a revelation: the first thing she asked of you was to return her home, wouldn't I?"

"That is correct," was the man's unambiguous reply. Aizen's dark eyes gleamed with mirth, but only for a passing moment.

"And how did you respond?" He inquired thoughtfully whilst resting the apex of his cheek against two of his fingers.

"I informed her that I would not do so as I lack the strength to defeat you, therefore, the attempt would only put her in harm's way while she is presently in no such danger. To that effect I suggested that she merely obey as it was in her best interests." The Espada explained allowing his eyes to flutter closed.

"Very good, Ulquiorra," Aizen offered accolade. The observed silence between ruler and subject was suddenly interrupted by an impertinent newcomer barreling into the open room.

"What the-" Grimmjow bellowed when his eyes fell upon his deathly pale comrade. "Ulquiorra!" He exclaimed vexed by the appearance of the one who twice outranked him. The fourth elite Arrancar spared the other a rare display of reaction when he immediately scowled.

"Grimmjow," he spoke his name slow and scathingly; clearly remembering that the two had parted on hardly amicable terms. The sixth instantly bristled but both paused to move their gaze to the high throne upon a warning elevation of reiastu flooding the room.

"Grimmjow, how nice of you to join us," the ex-Soul Reaper's tone was nowhere as threatening as was the display of his power. "Ulquiorra has returned to us once more, so if you have a moment, there is something I would like to make explicitly clear to each of you." Seeing that both stood obediently at attention his neutral smile languidly reappeared.

"After all the time I had spent composing and individually grooming each and every member of my elite Espada it has come to my attention that even the last two survivors are no longer fit to fight on my behalf." The defected Captain could barely contain his grin as he flicked his syrupy irises upon the Sexta. Arrant dread flooded his face and he stiffened beneath the dominant man's specific attention. Jaegerjaquez's inability to outwardly conceal his emotions made him arguably the easiest Espada to mislead. At the moment he appeared borderline hysterical upon the fear of having unwittingly become expendable. But his worrisome revelation was false, because truthfully he and the rest of his comrades had all been expendable from the very beginning.

Even prior to his days as the Captain of Squad Five, Aizen had held no ill-conceived notions when considering a subordinate to be anything other than what it was meant to. No underling could be considered precious enough to be exempt of sacrifice if he deemed it necessary- regardless of how much effort had been exhausted to nurture the subject to their maximum potential. And why should he concern himself over how long their trivial life spans were? Even the military savvy Arrancar were mere mortals who eventually would age to complete uselessness or just die. Therefore it was only logical for the eternal being to regard his servants only as instruments and discard them once their blades had been dulled enough to function properly. There wasn't a being in existence that he didn't consider in this way, save one notable exception.

Orihime Inoue: was she finally sleeping? Did she lie dreamlessly- so pretty and silent with guardian blooms in her hair? Aizen felt his smile widen upon finally deviating his attention away from the terrified Espada.

He couldn't help but muse on how unprecedented it all was – humans were little more than specks of dust and yet this human held a power that transcended some of his own abilities. And if it could be any more absurd it was a power she didn't even understand. The clever man wondered how she would react if she knew she had brought Ulquiorra back from annihilation with nothing more than the shard of a damned teapot. Of course it hadn't been quite that simple. She had sat in the Espada's old seat long enough that she'd gathered the faintest presence of his residual reiatsu on her hands and just by merely suggesting the ceramic debris had been something more than what it was had been enough to get the wheels turning in her head.

The girl's ability was beyond rejecting the occurrence of an immediate event. Similar to the Hōgyoku, the original parent of her power, the limits of her abilities were bound to her will and not necessarily the object. Under correct instruction, his namely, he was certain she could master this extraordinary capacity and perhaps even to the level of being able to bring life to things that hadn't before existed. Did she have any idea she could be immortal? This mesmerizing young lady could stand at his side among the heavens for all eternity if he allowed it.

The idea was thrilling to him at the very least. Unlike his other lackluster subjects he could finally invest his time in a subordinate that was finally worthy of his efforts and not just in power but in the fact that she could belong to him forever. Every moment spent teaching her to become valuable would be worthwhile. There would be no limit to what she could achieve with him at her side as the only binding to a being's potential was time which would be amaranthine to the deities they would soon be.

Aizen rarely allowed himself to indulge in fantasizing of such unnecessary plots but the appeal of making Orihime his most loyal subject was something he just couldn't rid from his head. Just imagining snatching away the most beautiful creature ever granted to the Living World and making her completely his own left him feeling atypically compulsive in the most exciting of ways. Not to mention how glorious it would be to anger those who cared about her, especially the Substitute Soul Reaper. The whole proposed endeavor roused him so that he wasn't sure what he anticipated more: finally achieving this girl's worship or the look on the Soul King's face upon calmly informing him that he'd soon be sitting in Aizen's seat no longer.

As gratifying as his thoughts were he still hadn't figured out how he'd convince this little princess that his views on the world were the ones worth heeding. The noble were not so easily manipulated, which is why he rarely bothered with them. Those that were weak and wicked were choice candidates for such endeavors and Orihime fit into neither of those categories. One may argue on behalf of the first. It was certainly within the Captain's power to break her fragile body and willful spirit if he sought to, but broken beings didn't grow or retain the innate desire to learn so utilizing such means of coercion wouldn't do. Releasing an imperceptible sigh, Aizen's eyes clouded over with thought as he summoned forth the image of the beauty to the front of his mind.

Attaining a creature's submission by their own volition required appealing to its innermost selfish desires; even ones that could be unrealized. Orihime was inherently selfless to the point that it irritated him. This characteristic was where her naiveté showed the most. It was ridiculous that a being of such fantastic power would so readily offer herself up as a martyr for the sake of protecting garbage or friends as she referred to them. He had already promised her not to harm them, but even allowing time for her to recognize his sincerity he knew that wouldn't quite be sufficient to erase all of her doubts. No, what did this enigmatic girl desire above all other wants or needs?

The Arrancar were far simpler creatures. Shifting his gaze to Ulquiorra he held his even expression upon the Espada who stood completely at ease as he awaited Aizen's further instruction with a patience that would remain until death returned to claim him for a second time. For him, Aizen fulfilled possibly the most fundamental need of them all – a purpose. The stoic Arrancar truly feared nothing and would welcome his demise if Aizen wished it upon him. His emotionless gaze always looked upon his master with necessity as his only meaning for existence revolved around that which he revered. Grimmjow, however, was a completely different story.

The lower seated Espada was not near the picturesque of calm as was his comrade, and he couldn't help but sweat and grit his teeth upon once again falling beneath the more powerful man's attention. Unlike Ulquiorra whose loyalty required no maintenance, the Pantera could only be controlled by fear, which was honestly something Aizen enjoyed amusing himself with more often than not. The Sexta was like a wild animal – a force of nature that plundered and destroyed out of compulsion. What he didn't realize was that in doing so he was yearning for a power greater than him to bring order to his chaos, which is why he bent so easily under even the slightest form of intimidation from his creator.

Orihime Inoue. The syllables of her name played like an enchanting melody across his mind. Perhaps she'd respond better if he made the Ryoka boy her own. A sinful smile overtook his face at the thought. How amusing would that be? The great Ichigo Kurosaki reduced to nothing more than love slave at the hand of the man whom he supposedly defeated. In a perfect world perhaps that would work, but alas the girl was too compassionate to accept even that, regardless of how badly she desired the one who failed to return her affections. Why she bothered pining after the clueless boy was beyond him. Even by human standards it was apparent that she outclassed him in nearly every avenue. Human needs and emotions were below a being like Aizen, and in time that was something he'd teach to her as well.

So, Orihime, he pondered humorously to himself. Where are your puppet strings? Assuredly they're ones not so easily identified or plucked but you can be certain – I will find them.

He'd begin winding his grasp around her with a solid foundation: trust. Once again settling his chestnut-colored hues upon the last two Espada he smiled engagingly. It was rather convenient the one the girl already trusted had fallen into the palm of his hand. And it was amusing to have the other for what would create an entertaining competition.

"Ulquiorra," he greeted, "it is imperative that for the duration of our campaign that Orihime Inoue not only be shielded from harm, but also from anything that would unnecessarily upset her. Her being in good spirits is integral to my plans. This is something I've deemed to be important, are you able to fulfill this task?"

"Yes, Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra responded with a respectful bow of his head.

"Grimmjow," Aizen spoke a little more sharply - effectively earning the other's terrified gaze. "You are to assist in this endeavor also. It is likely to require the both of your efforts, at least, for now." He emphasized.

"Yes, Lord Aizen."

Xx-Orihime-xX

Orihime wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep, but when she finally pried open her eyes it was to a sight she hadn't expected. Her blurry orbs filled of a vision she had only seen once before in a dream. In fact, she pondered on whether she was dreaming because a clear and rose-colored sky wouldn't ever be found in Hueco Mundo. Sucking in a breath, she let her eyes close as if it would allow her to remain in this beautiful place for just a little while longer.

"Orihime," a voice called softly to her, "have you awakened?" Begrudgingly cracking open her ashen hues she noticed the presence of a few shadows obscuring her view of the sky. In her squinted focus she spied the petals of several lavender blooms hanging over her eyes that were a bit strange. The petite flowers radiated with a gentle glow and released an almost inconspicuous hum against their quiet surroundings. Sitting up from where she lay, the princess by name-sake took in the environment encompassing her with wonder. She had no memory of it but somehow she had been transported from her dreary room in Las Noches to wake up in an endless field of wild flowers. Reaching out to one of the blossoms she jumped when it dissolved upon being touched.

"That is a normal occurrence." The voice returned, this time commanding her attention. Ulquiorra stood amongst the never ending blooms. His white clad form appeared slim against the horizon that differed from the rest of the sky with a stunning blend of red and burnt orange.

"Though everything in this realm is made of reishi those flowers are of very high concentration. Resting amongst them should have increased your energy. Do you feel rejuvenated?" The Arrancar inquired after his explanation. She merely blinked under his stare. Come to think of it she did feel rather alert and her quickened breaths drew in air that seemed much cleaner than the heavy smog of Hueco Mundo.

"Where are we?" She asked while smoothing her rumpled clothing upon standing.

"I do not know for certain if it has a name, but Lord Aizen refers to it as 'The Royal Realm.' It is here that the Soul King and his Royal Subjects reside. We traveled here as you slept. I carried you so as not to disturb your rest."

Orihime couldn't help but feel flabbergasted upon the Espada's gesture. He may have been civil toward her at times in the past but she wouldn't have ever expected him to go out of his way to appeal to her comfort. Before she could inquire on their new location any further a sharp elevation of reiatsu commanded the attention of both.

"Grimmjow," Ulquiorra began to explain, "that was the signal that he has completed his task. Come, we are to join him immediately." In a blur of speed he approached and lifted her into his arms just as the words sunk into her understanding.

"W-wait!" Orihime protested. "What's going on? Where are we going? Can't I walk there?" But the Arrancar did not pause and instead used his sonído to zip them across the foreign lands. The passenger felt her stomach drop and squeezed her eyes shut in order to fend off the dizzy feeling.

"We are going to a temporary residence. I realize you are able to walk but the distance is great and you move too slowly." His voice sounded distorted at their great velocity. Soon Ulquiorra came to a stop and Orihime was once again able to open her eyes and stand thankfully on her own feet.

Before them was an enormous and beautiful estate that, much like the Seireitei, was of traditional Japanese style. Rows of sakura trees, full in their pink blooms, clustered around the short bridge to the great building's entrance. A quiet stream trickled beneath them as they crossed.

"Is this the palace where the Soul King lives?" Orihime breathed in wonder.

"No," Ulquiorra responded. "As I said before, this is the place Grimmjow has obtained for us to temporarily reside while we are here." When they entered the massive dwelling, the gravity of its obvious lack of inhabitants came crashing down upon her.

That word, obtain, surely Ulquiorra wasn't suggesting that Grimmjow had gone out and negotiated rent or purchased a place for them to live. No, most likely the topaz-haired terror had found a house to his liking and simply just killed its inhabitants. As if her thoughts had summoned his appearance she stiffened when the Arrancar came sauntering toward them from one hallways. Pausing before her he stood tall and puffed out his muscular torso that was bared beneath his opened half-jacket.

"Hey," He addressed her with a toothy grin. "Come on, I've already found your room." He gestured with the curl of his hand upon turning around. While she and Ulquiorra followed his lead silently, Orihime couldn't help but feel absolutely morbid as Grimmjow walked with a bounce in his step. The unpredictable man seemed grossly pleased with himself. How many lives had he destroyed to prepare for their arrival? She prayed to the silent Gods that there hadn't have been many, but in a place of this size that reality seemed unlikely. Sliding back a room's partition Grimmjow waltzed into the enormous bedroom.

"Pretty nice, eh?" The Sexta inquired with his arms opened wide. "I'm pretty sure this belonged to the lady of the manor." Orihime cast her eyes briefly around the room taking note of the absurdly large bed that was so immaculately dressed in white that it was as if it had never been touched. The suite appeared to also contain a private bathroom that was separated by an additional fusuma just beyond a small decorative pool afloat with pink-flowered lily pads. Looking back to Grimmjow, she swallowed uncomfortably as he stared toward her with approval seeking eyes. Regardless of the man's newfound charm she couldn't find it in her to placate his disturbing gladness.

"Hey, look at this." He spoke up when he garnered no response from either of the room's occupants. Approaching yet another sliding partition he opened it to reveal a closet space within. Tiers upon tiers of multi-colored garments hung on the interior and Grimmjow was quick to pluck a honey-colored and silken kimono at his nearest reach.

"Look at all these clothes! Girls enjoy stuff like this, right?" Looking to the garment and then back to Orihime he paused to raise a scrutinizing brow. "Well, maybe there's something else a little bit stretchier there's no way this thing is fitting over your tits." He commented turning toward the clothing in his hand with a disapproving glare. Horror spread across Orihime's visage as the Arrancar reentered the closet. With her mind's eye she pictured the woman who had once owned all these beautiful things. Faceless and nameless she imagined her to be petite, perhaps as much as Rukia, but none of that mattered now as her life had been savagely ended by this teal haired monster. When Grimmjow exited the closet with several more hangers in hand, his eyes widened on the redhead who defied her loveliness with floods of hot tears trailing her cheeks.

"What the fuck? You're not supposed to be doing that! What's wrong?" He bellowed, which only further elicited her sobs.

"You imbecile." Ulquiorra sighed. "Females of the World of the Living are sensitive to the perception of their size. You just insulted her by insinuating she was too large to fit into that clothing."

"What?" Grimmjow roared with his jaw hanging open. "I didn't say she was fat! She's like the tiniest thing I've ever seen, you just got big boobs, alright? It's a good thing, I promise." He protested.

"Why did you do this?" Orihime managed to choke. "Why did you have to kill them?" Taking a savage wipe at her tears, the curvaceous woman momentarily ceased her crying upon catching a glimpse of the Espadas' equally blank stares.

"Orihime," Ulquiorra still sounded strange using her name, "whom are you speaking of? Who was killed?" Turning her watery eyes to the floor, she hid them beneath her orange locks and wrapped her arms around her middle.

"The people who lived here." She responded in an almost whisper.

"Eh?" Grimmjow demanded loudly. "I didn't kill anyone. Either your senses are off or you really are dense." Returning her gaze to them confoundedly, Ulquiorra slowly inclined his head.

"Based on what little presence of reiatsu is left in this place, I'd estimate it's been over a hundred years since a person has set foot inside this building before today." Reaching to lightly touch the garments held in Grimmjow's hand he again nodded. "These have never been worn." The Sixth Espada released a throaty grumble and chucked the clothing to the floor.

"This mission is retarded. Aizen is probably out there kicking the crap out of the so called 'guards' in this place and I'm stuck searching for a god-damned vacation house. I'm better than this - where the hell is the action?" He snarled.

"You weren't instructed to find just any residence, this is the exact location he directed you to take us to, correct?" Ulquiorra inquired listlessly.

"Yeah, it's the exact one! So, chill the fuck out, batboy!" The other replied heatedly but not before giving the higher ranked Espada an angry shove. Ulquiorra merely stared back at him.

"Restrain yourself, Grimmjow. I will not deal with your insolence in this situation."

"Whatever." The Arrancar dismissed. Tossing his irritated gaze upon Orihime he huffed. Watching the two argue had calmed her depressed episode but she still didn't feel completely comfortable under his feral gaze.

"Are you happy now? No one's dead, alright?" He asked somewhat calmer. Gifting him a quick nod, he responded with a sigh.

"Good. At least I'm not bored for nothin'. What now, Ulquiorra?" With all eyes upon him Ulquiorra crossed the room and approached a low sitting vanity. Opening one of the drawers he pulled out a stack of what appeared to be clothing and re-approached the odd pair.

"Lord Aizen has instructed that you change into these clothes. You must do so immediately because I can sense his approaching presence at this very moment." Accepting the parcel from the taller man she looked curiously down to the black and white fabric in her hands.

"This is a Soul Reaper uniform." She spoke absently. Shuffling the garments she noticed one additional piece that was white, long sleeved and checked with black diamonds and circles at its bottom hem.

"This is a Captain's haori!" Orihime exclaimed and turned her questioning gaze upon the others. "Why would I wear this?"

"Just put it on and be as swift as you can. We'll be waiting outside the room." Ulquiorra explained and the two filed into the hallway, shutting the fusuma behind them.

After a considerable amount of fumbling and a few failed tries of tying her obi knot, Orihime entered the hallway where Ulquiorra stood calmly and Grimmjow leaned against one of the walls in waiting. Immediately approaching her, the darker haired man took a long, sheathed katana and attached it to the white sash beneath her jacket despite the girl's blush at his assistance.

"This way." He ordered simply, and Orihime obeyed as the two walked in front of her through the winding hallways. The sword felt surprisingly light at her waist. Certainly this wasn't a real Zanpakutō; to whom would it belong to? Nervously reaching to pull at her hair, she praised herself for pinning it up when she got dressed as it would keep her from looking fidgety in front of whoever they were going to meet.

If the two Espada had any idea what was going on they sure weren't sharing much in conversation. Both were completely silent as they marched toward the home's exit. When Ulquiorra's hand touched the gliding door, she immediately sensed the presence of the true Captain among them. Though Aizen's impressive reiatsu was concealed it was impossible not to notice its distinct prominence.

Stepping outside behind her two escorts Orihime noticed at once that the atmosphere's color had changed to a meeting of olive green and navy that split the sky in half. Before them stood what appeared to be two strangers but on closer inspection the faux officer's eyes widened upon the one she recognized. Also dressed in a Soul Reaper's black kimono Aizen had once again adopted the appearance he had dawned as a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. His woodsy colored locks were tousled wildly around his face which was also shielded by a pair of square and black rimmed glasses.

"Ah, here she is." The disguised Aizen spoke airily to the strange male who stood beside him. "I see you've already settled in, Captain Inoue." He spoke to her. Even in the darkening evening she caught a glint behind his windowed lids that seemed to whisper words into her ear though he didn't speak them.

Play along, Orihime... or else.

THANK YOU to those who reviewed last time: ThePandaHat, nypsy, rootali, Syria, Sakura Waldorf, QueenBlade, LadyDream3512, Anon, Sariniste, and ssapientia! I really appreciate the support…reviews/feedback are the reason I post on this site, otherwise these little stories would just live as fantasies in my head!

So this chapter was really…muse-y. But hopefully you still appreciated though there wasn't direct Orihime/Aizen interaction which is what I'm sure you're all here for. I'm really taking the time to set this up but if you think it's moving too slow and you have some advice on what here isn't important/things you don't care to see or what not…please let me know!

Thanks to you all again (and to those who fav'd and C2'd)

~Kochou-hime