Just a few notes for this chapter:

Nagajuban is an inner kimono. On the Shinigami uniform, it's the white robe that peaks out a bit from under the black.

Kanzashi are Japanese hair pins.


For the first time since arriving in Soul Society, Orihime could feel pure dread pooling in the bottom of her stomach. She knew that the lead might bring her to Ulquiorra, but the urge to give up and try something else--she wasn't sure at the moment what that something else could be--was very tempting.

She really didn't want to have to see Nnoitra again.

"Maybe we're wrong," she told Szayel.

He looked back at her curiously. "About what?"

"The person that Barragan was talking about. Maybe it's not Nnoitra," she said, biting her lower lip. "Maybe it's someone else, like Grimmjow. Or maybe it's someone who wasn't a former Espada."

"I had considered that," he said. "But I know you felt it, too. There's something about this rumor that has the air of familiarity around it. Besides, I've heard Nnoitra boast one-too-many times how he was going to prove to everyone in Las Noches that he was the best."

She turned to him, intrigued. "The way you talk about him reminds me of how Ulquiorra speaks of Yami. Were you two..." She tried to think of another word other than 'friends,' seeing how Ulquiorra's shadow was quite adamant that no such thing could occur between Arrancar. "Did you get along better with him than the others?"

"I suppose you could say that," he said, with a slight shrug. "I had helped him out on a number of occasions, he helped me out. At one time I had wanted to join forces with him because of our similar goals, but that never happened. Even after that I never held the same disdain for him that Ulquiorra did."

The words themselves didn't reveal anything, but there was an odd tone to his voice that she had heard before, when Ulquiorra's shadow was talking about Ulquiorra's not-friendship with Yami.

"Oh."

"It seems, though," he continued slowly, rolling the words around on his tongue as he glanced at her out the corner of his eye, "that the same could not be said for you. I think I can guess why."

"No, it's nothing like--well, maybe it is kinda like that," she said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I was just thinking how odd it was that both you and Ulquiorra chose to...associate with others who some would consider lower than yourselves."

He smirked in response, but said nothing. Apparently it pleased him to know that she thought he was "higher" than Nnoitra.

They had been traveling for a while now, stopping at two or three--or was it four?--inns on the way. Finally they found themselves in the Twenty-fourth District, but without any idea of where they were supposed to find the former Quinta Espada, they found themselves wandering around aimlessly.

"Are you excited to see him again?" she asked, mostly to ignore the throbbing of her feet.

"I don't believe 'excited' is the right word," he said. "I would say more amused than anything else."

"Oi, Szayel!"

Surprised, they turned around at the sound of the voice, though it certainly wasn't one that was unknown to either of them. At the end of the street they had just passed through was Nnoitra, his trademark wide grin plastered onto his face, pointing his sword at Szayel. He slowly sauntered up to them, soaking in the gasps and pleased chuckles from the spectators on the street, until finally he stood a few feet away.

"It seems that in your time here you've come to appreciate a sense of theatrics," Szayel noted. "But honestly, you know that I'm not one to fight, not in that arena, anyway."

Nnoitra chuckled, lowering the sword to his side. The people around them who had stopped, hoping for a good fight to ensue, grumbled and rolled their eyes, then returned to what they had been doing.

"Yeah, I know," Nnoitra said. "Still, I can't believe you'd walk around here unarmed."

"Unarmed?" Szayel repeated disbelievingly. He put his hands inside the folds of his kimono and pulled out a small dagger. "Hardly."

Nnoitra rolled his eyes.

Eyes, Orihime realized blankly, staring at the spot where there used to be an eyepatch. Not just one eye, but both of them. That's right, his hollow hole had been right there, hadn't it? But he wasn't an Arrancar anymore, so she supposed it made sense that the other eye would be in its proper place.

Speaking of eyes, Nnoitra's seemed to have found their way over to her, his gaze drifting all over her body and resting in one place in particular. It made her feel uncomfortable and, worst of all, dirty, but she refused to flinch. She couldn't deny, though, that it was tempting to scoot a little behind Szayel, just so that he would have to deal with that perceiving stare instead of her.

"Pet-sama," Nnoitra said, his grin growing wider as he took a step towards her. "A present, Szayel? You really shouldn't have."

"I didn't," Szayel said, his eyes narrowing slightly. She had hoped maybe he would step in between her and Nnoitra, but instead he looked to her expectantly. "Well, if you want to ask, you'd better do it now."

"R-right." Orihime gripped the front of her kimono out of habit and said, "Nnoitra-san, do you know where Ulquiorra is?"

He stared at her for a moment, blinking, then let out a roaring laugh. "I knew it. He wanted to deny it, but I knew from the way he looked when he walked out of that room that something was up."

"Um...," she said hesitantly, then glanced at Szayel, hoping that maybe he would know what the former Quinta Espada was talking about. He shrugged in response, so she looked back at Nnoitra. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you're talking about."

Nnoitra nodded knowingly, which for some reason unnerved her. "He's got you 'trained' damn well if you're all the way out here searching for him." He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Lucky bastard."

"What's that supposed to--"

"Do you know where Ulquiorra is or not, Nnoitra?" Szayel asked, his eyebrow twitching.

"Nah, no idea. Last time I saw him was when he was putting Pet-sama in her place."

"What about the other Espada?" Szayel asked.

"Well," Nnoitra started, his eyes half-lidden, "now that's something I can help ya with. Follow me."

He started padding off in the direction she and Szayel had been heading before they had been stopped. They followed a couple of paces behind him.

"I wonder who it is?" Orihime whispered to Szayel, leaning over so that Nnoitra wouldn't hear her.

Szayel shook his head, but there was the hint of a smirk on his face. "Does it really matter, as long as they know Ulquiorra's whereabouts?"

"I suppose not," she agreed.

When they got to the end of the street they turned left, stopping in front of the nicest building the district had to offer. Light music could be heard pouring out from the entrance.

Nnoitra looked back at them, smirking. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Why did that worry her, she wondered, as she watched him disappear into the building. After a minuted he returned with a woman with cocoa skin, blonde hair, and the most beautiful aqua eyes.

"Halibel-san," Orihime said in awe, taking in the other woman's appearance.

Her kimono was beautiful, intricate designs of fish, sharks, and other ocean life woven into the fabric in silver and gold threads. Underneath that was layer upon layer of nagajuban, each one a different shade of blue or green. Her hair was pulled up and twisted into itself, held up by at least three kanzashi, and her lips was colored a deep shade of red, though no other makeup tainted her face.

"Tia," Szayel said evenly, nodding his head in her direction. "What a surprise to see you here."

"I could say the same about you," she said, her eyes narrowed as she focused on him. She folded her arms across her chest. "What are you doing here, and with the woman Aizen had brought to Las Noches?"

"We're sorry to have bothered you, Halibel-san," Orihime said softly, somehow more intimidated by the beautiful women standing before them than Nnoitra. "We just wanted to know if you knew where Ulquiorra is?"

Halibel shook her head. Well, at least she didn't drag the moment out longer than necessary. Orihime still felt her frown deepen and her shoulders sag a bit, but at least her disappointment was not as heavy as before.

Or maybe she was just getting used to all these former Espada saying they didn't know.

"What about the other Espada?" Szayel asked.

Halibel considered him for a moment, then slowly shook her head again. "If that's all you have to ask, I'll lead you to the edge of this district." She turned to Nnoitra. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Wait inside."

"Fine," Nnoitra said, a hint of irritation lacing his voice.

Orihime found herself envying the grace Halibel had. Even in her simpler kimono she found herself speed walking to keep up with the other women. How was she able to walk with all those layers on? When they reached the end of the district, she turned to Orihime, the seriousness melting away, if only slightly.

"I do not know where Ulquiorra is, but I do know the whereabouts of another. It will be dangerous and take a long time to get there, but if you have come this far, I'm certain you won't be deterred."

"Who is it?"

"Grimmjow. He lives on the very edge of the Fifty-third District, near the Fifty-fourth." She glanced at Szayel. "I didn't want to tell you with Nnoitra present. It seems those two have...unfinished business, but I would rather not be the reason that they finish it."

Orihime bowed. "I understand. Thank you, Halibel-san."


"I'm starting to think we may never find Ulquiorra," Orihime said, though to herself or to Szayel she wasn't entirely sure. "What if he isn't in Soul Society at all?" She looked at him, worried. "I heard that not all souls come here. That some go to..." She couldn't bring herself to finish.

"If someone like me or Nnoitra was able to make it to Soul Society," he said, "then I have no doubt that Ulquiorra made it, too."

Halibel hadn't been kidding when she said that it would be a long journey. The days blurred into one another, and soon Orihime couldn't remember how long it had been since she arrived. It felt like ages ago.

They were nearing the end of Fifty-third District, where Grimmjow was supposed to be, and the sun was already starting to set. If they didn't find him soon, they would have to rest for the night in one of the inns, not that it would have been any better than sleeping outside. The town looked as though it were starting to fall apart, but by some miraculous force hadn't. Yet.

"What the hell do you two think you're going here?"

They turned to face the former Sexta Espada, who stood no less than three feet away, at the edge of the small forest separating the two districts. His arms were folded across his chest, his eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

Szayel chuckled in response. "It's nice to see you again too, Grimmjow."

"Especially you," Grimmjow said, staring at Orihime intently. "I thought that Shinigami friend of yours came to save you already. Did you still get yourself killed anyway?"

"No, no, nothing like that," she said quickly. She took a step forward, her brows furrowed. "Look, Grimmjow, I just want to ask you a couple of questions, and then we'll leave you alone."

He eyed Szayel suspicious.

"What she says is correct, Grimmjow," the former Octava Espada said. "Now that I know your whereabouts, I have nothing further that I require from you."

"You're planning something again, aren't you?" Grimmjow demanded, his fists clenching. "Dam you, Szayel, we're not your damn guinea pigs!"

"You know, if you would let her"--Szayel's gaze shifted to Orihime before returning back to Grimmjow--"ask her questions, the sooner we could part ways."

Grimmjow groaned. "Then ask."

"Do you know where Ulquiorra is?"

"No, that's what I've been trying to find out myself." He ran his fingers through his hair, shooting a glance deeper into the forest. "But that damn Yami, he refuses to tell me where he is."

Orihime's eyes widened. "You mean, Yami knows where he is?"

"He has to! He was the only Espada I ever saw Ulquiorra talk to willingly," Grimmjow reasoned. "Whenever I ask, though, he says he has no idea, but I know that's a lie."

Szayel cleared his throat. "Did it ever occur to you that perhaps Yami truly does not know Ulquiorra's whereabouts?"

Guessing from the look on Grimmjow's face, such a thought had never crossed his mind.

"I knew I was wasting my time with that idiot," he grumbled, shoving his hands into his sleeves. He brushed past them. "I could have made it to First District by now if I hadn't stayed in this hell hole."

Orihime reached out for him, confused. "Grimmjo--"

"Let him go," Szayel said, pushing her hand back down to her side as he watched Grimmjow disappear from view. "We have to find Yami before the sun sets."

"But didn't Grimmjow say--"

He started walking in the direction Grimmjow had been staring a few minutes earlier. "He was right. If anyone would know where Ulquiorra is, it would be Yami. However, even Yami is not that big of a fool to let Grimmjow know Ulquiorra's location."

"I see," she said, trailing after him. "And what if he really doesn't know?"

"...Then maybe your earlier assumption was correct after all," he said ominously.

It didn't take them long to reach Yami, who was leaning against one of the thicker tress in the forest, a small dog resting next to him. The dog noticed them approaching first, its loud, shrill bark filling the air.

"Shut up, you stupid mutt!" Yami shouted. The dog quieted immediately. "Grimmjow, I told you, I..." He trailed off as they approached him.

"As you can see," Szayel said, amused, "we're not Grimmjow." He leaned closer. "So why don't you tell us where Ulquiorra is?"

Yami scoffed, looking at Szayel disdainfully. "Even if I knew, why would I tell you?"

"Please, Yami-san," Orihime added, almost pleading. "I know you don't want to see him get hurt. That's why you didn't tell Grimmjow where he is, right?" She sighed. "I just want to see him again. That's all."

The sky was already starting to fade into early twilight. The dog started whimpering, and Yami grumbled, shaking his head in dismay.

"He's in the next district, about thirty minutes away from here in a small shack." He frowned, then muttered, "He's not the same as I remember, though."

Orihime felt like her heart was soaring; she could barely contain her happiness. Finally, after all the traveling, after all the disappointment, she would get to see him again. How often had she dreamed of this day since she had arrived in Soul Society?

"Thank you so much, Yami-san," she said, turning on her heel. Szayel followed closely behind her, a smirk on his face.


"I'm so nervous," she said, placing a hand over her chest, her whole body shaking. "I don't know what to say to him when we get there."

"'Hello' might be a good start."

Orihime laughed lightly. Some of the tension in her body dissipated. "I was being serious."

"So was I," Szayel said.

The forest had thinned considerably since they had left Fifty-third District. The moon was still at the edge of the horizon, but it did little to help light their path. More than once she nearly tripped over a rock or tree root, not that it slowed her down by much.

She was so close, so very close. The thought alone gave her the added strength to keep moving forward.

"I think I see it," she said, pointing to a small building ahead of them. "Ulquiorra's house."

The shack couldn't have been more than a fourth the size of Szayel's home, but she could tell that it was taken care of. The wood was faded, but somehow it added a certain charm to the place. There were no windows that she could see, but as they got closer she noticed a little bit of light peaking out from under the door.

He was right behind the door, she realized. All she had to do was knock, and he would answer. She rapped on the door once. A beat passed before she heard the knob twist, and the door opened.

She covered her mouth, hoping to muffle her slight gasp.

He seemed so different without his mask, so...human. His skin was still as unnaturally pale as ever, but there were no green tear marks running down his cheeks. A part of her missed them; they were as much a part of him as anything else, though without them his eyes seemed to stand out even more than before.

"Ul...quiorra," she said slowly, reaching her hand out to him.

He looked at her curiously. "Yes, that's me. And you are?"

Orihime's hand stopped before it could touch him, her mouth suddenly dry. "What do you mean? You know who I am."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, shaking his head. "But if we've ever met, I do not recall."

Why didn't he remember her?

"She's the woman Aizen had you bring back to Las Noches," Szayel said, the confusion evident on his face.

"Oh!" Ulquiorra said, his eyes wide. For a moment, she thought maybe that had triggered his memory, but instead, "You're a man?"

Szayel forced a grin onto his face. "Yes."

"I'm sorry. It's just with the pink hair, I had assumed that..." He didn't finish, clearing his throat. "Anyway, it's getting late. I don't have a lot to offer, but if you two need a place to stay for the night you're more than welcome here."

And then he smiled at them.

Ulquiorra...smiled. Not a smirk, not a grin, but a truly genuine, happy smile. She had never seen him smile. Ever. The closest thing she had ever seen to one was the first time they had met, and even that was debatable.

"So, are you two newlyweds or...?" Ulquiorra asked politely, glancing between her and Szayel as he stepped away from the doorframe.

Orihime couldn't take it any more. The highs, the lows--it was all too much for her to take. She turned on her heel and ran, not knowing where she was heading. She could hear Ulquiorra and Szayel call after her, but she ignored them, letting her body take her wherever it pleased.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she stopped, her breath coming out in heavy pants. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she fell to the ground. She could feel her eyes water, but she didn't stop the tears from spilling out, trailing down her face.

A few minutes later she heard footsteps coming towards her, but she didn't move. She knew who it was.

"It's not him, Szayel," she said, her voice strangely empty. Releasing a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes. "It's not...him..."