Cold, emotionless, emerald eyes stared down at the snow fairy from behind the threshold.
"Hi." Mizore looked up at him, from under wet bangs. She must have made her way over to his dorm defenseless against the torrent of rain because she was soaked completely through. Icicles were even beginning to form from the tips of her hair. "Can I…come in…?" The girl seemed to be trying her best to meet his gaze as he studied her, expressionless.
He studied her some more, trying to discern her expression. No use. It wasn't that there was no expression it was more like he couldn't figure this one out. Sighing, he nodded and led her inside, closing the door behind them carelessly before facing the room. He ignored her as he strode over to the window and looked out at the blackness, his eyes taking in the lights of the buildings about the dorms. Then, "What do you want…?"
"I don't know…" was her reply. "I just found myself making my way here…"
The arrancar closed his eyes in mild irritation but kept his expression blank. "I see."
There was a pause as he stared out the window, silently watching as the storm with his back to the snow girl. He could see her reflection from the glass of the window. She stood there awkwardly, unmoving and staring intently at him. She wasn't shivering from her ordeal with mother nature, she was a snow girl after all, but her soaked form made her seem a lot more vulnerable than she already looked. Ulquiorra had to pause for a second to wonder at why he cared.
But he couldn't figure it out.
"Use the bathroom…I'll get a change of clothes." Ulquiorra finally spoke as he turned his eyes over to her. The wet clothes clung to her body like a second skin, revealing a little too much. The girl had her mouth open as if she was about to speak. "Yes?"
"Nothing." Mizore flushed and quickly covered herself with the towel he threw at her, embarrassed. "Pervert…" She muttered, hiding her face behind purple bangs, practically steaming from the blush that crept over her cheeks.
He blinked, slightly bemused. "Use the bathroom." He repeated, not knowing what else to respond with.
She tilted her head staring at him eerily, then nodded. "Okay…" he heard her murmur as she closed the bathroom door behind her, meeting his eyes when she glanced back almost lazily as the door swung shut.
He couldn't help but feel somewhat irritated. Irritated at how this girl could make such light of the situation. Irritated because it just added more to his confusion. His confusion of this world. Coming to his room with no apparent objective, then just standing there and staring at him with that unsettling gaze.
He turned again to stare out the window, gazing outward.
Outside the rain was really starting to pour. The days will get colder from now, he thought offhandedly.
The sound of the cellphone that Urahara had given him began to ring from his bedside table again. There was an air of apprehension as he walked over to it. He stared down at it pensively.
"Yes?"
"Ya ya, how's it going over there, Ulquiorra-kun!"
"We just talked..." There was a note of irritation and impatience in his tone; he checked himself and continued, "Is this threat really serious enough to affect Hueco Mundo?"
"Hmmm…I'm not sure…"
The Espada's eye twitched with annoyance as he sighed.
"But it is a possibility!" Urahara added hastily. "Besides," the shop merchant continued, " It's not like you have any choice even if this war doesn't affect your end. You've still got your sword to worry about which is currently in the hands of Fairy Tale."
"Why are you calling me again?"
"I just got some updates on Fairy Tale a moment ago. Was thinking of sharing it with you."
The fourth strongest Arrancar murmured a confirmation. Then, "Have you been able to track this group's movements? Maybe even weapons? I wasn't able to scout out the enemy because of your mediocre assignments." There was that edge again. His eyes twitched as he sat down on his bed, watching the rain pour from outside. "You even constructed a training ground for them. I wonder if you had this planned out all along."
"Ah c'mon, you're not mad that I made you train those kids are you?"
"To the point."
There was a long pause before Urahara began, this time his tone was serious, "My sources say they have some kind of monster within the heart of their main headquarters. I have a few ideas on what it is but that's not really important to you is it?"
"Not in the least."
"As for their movements...oddly, they haven't been mobilizing at all just as you said earlier. They've been staying low as if they were waiting out a storm or something. It probably has something to do with our end..." Urahara continued, his tone had gone back to its usual carefree ease. But that was quickly shattered with his next words. "It would seem that the Quincy are moving."
"None of my concern."
There was a pause, before, "I'm not so sure about that." the merchant's voice sounded strained, as if he was hiding something. "But I'll fill you in once you've retrieved your sword."
"Tell me where this group is and I'll be able to right away."
Urahara chuckled. "No can do on that one, Ulquiorra-kun. I have my reasons for not telling you. Anyway just relax and enjoy an ordinary school life at the Academy for Youkai! It doesn't seem Fairy Tale will be making any moves any time soon. See ya~!"
"Wait..." Ulquiorra ordered, wanting to push the subject about the Quincy. But the irritating man had already hung up. He had to wonder if Urahara was getting back at him for hanging up on him earlier. The man can be petty.
The Espada stared thoughtfully down at the phone.
The other side had something hidden in their base. For a second he thought that it could be his sword with it's spirit manifested. But the way Urahara Kisuke had put it, it sounded more like something else. The fact that Fairy Tale was laying low didn't make him happy. It meant that he would have to wait longer and he didn't feel like staying in this world.
Then there was the Quincy and how they could potentially become a threat. Or so Urahara had implied. He didn't know much about them except that they were weak enough to almost be eradicated by the Shinigami.
Ulquiorra shook his head. It didn't matter. Either way he would find out about everything. It was only a matter of time it seemed before he and this little rag tag team would set out to invade the enemy's base. The sound of the shower being turned off drew his attention. He crossed over to his backpack, taking out fresh clothes that Urahara had bought for him.
"I'm done." Mizore called from inside. The door opened a couple of inches and she stuck her hand out. "Can you give me some clothes?"
He complied.
"Are these…yours?" She sounded flustered.
"Yes." He didn't understand her reason for asking such a stupid question. "What?"
"N-Nothing." She took the clothes from him and closed the door once again.
He stood there for a minute, staring at the door, wondering.
"Why are you here?" he questioned again. Maybe she had remembered what her initial purpose of coming to his place had been after some thought.
"I think…" The ice girl trailed off from behind the closed door. "I just want to find out who you are."
"What?" He stared at the bathroom door.
The door opened and Mizore walked into him. Startled she stepped back, looking up as she met his eyes. She studied him, her eyes with their myriad of icy colors that swirled about seemed to dance alight as they scrutinized him. Emerald eyes stared down at the Icy gaze.
"Lifeless…" the snow fairy murmured. "Those eyes…"
He didn't reply, only stared down at her, almost condescendingly, his expression blank.
"I think I was going to ask you about that move you did…" Mizore continued after some thought. "I haven't seen any monsters that could shoot beams of light like that."
"They can't." The Espada replied, flatly.
"Oh." Mizore's eyes widened for a second before her gaze became half-lidded. "So…what are you?"
He didn't answer at once. He couldn't very well tell her the truth. It would only make things more complicated.
Ulquiorra studied her for a moment more, then replied, "Reinforcements."
There was a hint of curiosity behind that expression she wore. He could tell. "Not telling, huh?" she made her way past him now to the window. He watched as she touched the glass with her fingertips. An icy mist started spreading across the window pane. "Are we having more training tomorrow…?" She turned to look at him.
He inclined his head in a stiff nod.
"The same kind as today?"
"No. I'll work on each of you." He studied her for her expression as he continued, "You all are too dependent on each other."
"What's wrong with that?" The snow fairy defended.
He closed his eyes in slight contempt. "That is why right now you are weak."
"Meaning we can become strong in the future?"
"The immediate future I would hope." He quipped back.
She laughed. "Was that humor?"
He shook his head, his expression blank. "That's my objective."
Making his way over to the closet, he took out a sleeping bag and laid it out. "The storm is supposed stop by morning. Sleep." He stared out at the storm that was still going. The howling of the wind could be heard very clearly as it swirled outside. Raindrops hit the window in an uneven staccato.
"You're asking me to sleepover here?"
"I'm ordering you to." It was long passed curfew and the doors to the dorms were probably locked.
He hit the lights and laid down on his makeshift mattress. "You're awfully forceful when it comes to advances." Mizore murmured as she rolled over on the bed to stare down at him. Her eyes glittered like twin orbs of moonlight as they gazed down at him. Something made him feel uncomfortable. The way she stared at him. But he didn't know what...
He blinked again. "What?"
"Never mind." She lay on her back again, looking up at the ceiling. "It's nothing."
Strange...He turned on his side away from her and closed his eyes. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but feel eyes staring into the back of his head.
...
Ulquiorra woke the next morning to the sound of thunder. He stared out at the howling storm from where he lay as he contemplated. Slowly he made his way to the kitchen part of his dorm suite. Seeing as eating souls wasn't an option here, he had to rely on mortal sustenance. He glanced behind him to see the still slumbering form of the snow girl. He sighed, irritated again for some unknown reason and began to cook.
"Good Morning..." He looked up to see Mizore lazily stretch as she sat up. It had been about half an hour since he'd woken up.
He shoved a tray of food into her lap. "Eat."
She tilted her head but didn't say anything, only looked at him with those eyes. Turning, he gazed out through the window. The storm had surpassed his predictions. It continued to pour, torrents of water falling from the sky. His mind went over the events of last night. The training...a distant memory. Urahara's phone call or rather phone calls. That bothered him a bit.
Even though he had expressed some disinterest in the thing that Fairy Tale was hiding in their headquarters he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Something made him think that it was going to tie with the reason why the group was trying to use his sword. Then there was the lack of movement from the enemy even though it seemed that they were at the advantage having driven back the forces of the Academy and others to the point where they needed to call Outside help.
It was too peaceful. Too calm. Like a prelude to a furious storm.
He didn't like it. Not one bit.
The ice girl's entrance didn't seem to make any sense. Coming all the way over to his place without any real tangible motives. Who are you? Her question was strange as if she knew he wasn't one of them. He closed his eyes, clearing his thoughts.
He glanced over at his school bag in contemplation.
"You're thinking of ditching class, aren't you?" He looked up to meet the ice girl's eyes. She walked over to her clothes that had been hung up to dry. "Hmm. Still wet..." she looked over her shoulder at him. "Can I come with you?"
"Do what you want." He closed his eyes, dismissively.
Several minutes later, he descended into the training grounds. He stood there in the middle of the underground place, surveying the area.
"I'm still wondering..." Mizore came to his side. "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to fight Fairy Tale."
"Oh, so you're a hero." the snow fairy commented, dryly. "Didn't take you for one."
"That's because I'm not." He stared in front of him.
There was an awkward silence. Then, "Hey, Mizore. You're skipping class, too?" Tsukune called over as he and the rest of the gang ran over to them.
"Mizore! Where were you?" Yuki asked. "We were worried!"
"Wait, whose clothes are these?" Kurumu asked. "It couldn't be..."
"My clothes got wet from the storm so Ulquiorra-kun lent me his." Mizore quickly answered. "That's all."
"Really?" the succubus smirked.
"Looks like everyone was thinking the same thing." Mizore remarked, changing the subject. She turned to Ulquiorra. "Why don't we start our training?"
"Training? Here?" Moka asked, confused. "I thought we were going to train at your place, Mizore. Remember? We were going to take a bus over to your family's ski resort today."
"Oh! I completely forgot about that! Are we going now?"
"Yeah, the bus is ready."
"What's going on?" Ulquiorra asked.
"We're going to Mizore's home today!" Tsukune replied. "Her mom invited us to stay for a week. Seeing as it will give us time to train, the headmaster allowed it."
"Your home..." He said to Mizore.
"Yes!" Her eyes were sparkling. "It's in the human world, in the mountains. We'll be going to the land of snow fairies, home of the yuki-onna."
