Hello everyone! Sorry that it's been mostly plot and drama, but it's important to get the story taken care of before lots of fun stuff can happen. This is still going to be mostly story, but then next few chapters after that will be more on the side of ulquihime moments. Lots of drama though! The captain general will pass his judgment, but what will happen? What about Tatsuki, will she forgive her friend? And let's not forget our lovely friends the arrancar and Aizen! ;) Keep reading to find out! Please, please please review!
Something takes a part of me
Something lost and never seen
Every time I start to believe
Something's raped and taken from me... from me
Life's gotta always be messing with me (You wanna see the light)
Can't it chill and let me be free? (So do I)
Can't I take away all this pain (You wanna see the light)
I'd tried to every night, all in vain... in vain
(Chorus)
Sometimes I cannot take this place Something takes a part of me Feelin' like a freak on a leash (You wanna see the light)
Sometimes it's my life I can't taste
Sometimes I cannot feel my face
You'll never see me fall from grace
You and I were meant to be
A cheap fuck for me to lay
Something takes a part of me
Feelin' like I have no release (So do I)
How many times have I felt disease? (You wanna see the light)
Nothing in my life is free... is free
(Korn- Freak On a Leash)
Chapter 14: Outsiders
It felt alien walking through Soul Society. Not that it was ever a place she belonged, but being part of the "enemy race" was almost suffocating as they made their lengthy walk to the Captain's meeting room. As they entered the double doors they were greeted by captains lining either side of the empty hall with the Captain General at the head, sitting in all his stature on the only seat; his lieutenant behind him. A shocked silence filled the room as they entered; the only one who seemed excited was the scientist Myuri.
With one swift knock of his staff the room fell silent as the General prepared to address the room. Another spike of nerves shot up Orihime's spine, she was struggling to maintain her facade in the face of so many possibilities of death awaiting her. She straightened her self to try and appear more authoritative as she had been in the human world, but the General's gaze seemed to pierce right through her.
"We are here to discuss a very troublesome matter. According to Hitsuguaya Taicho there have been two of Aizen's Espada living in the human world. But more troubling than that is the case of Inoue Orihime." The room had grown so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. "Explain yourself, girl."
She stepped forward from her group of friends and bowed to show respect, she knew that this man was far stronger than she could even comprehend, and had to actively remember to keep her knees from bending.
"Sir, as you are aware, at the beginning of the winter war I was taken by Aizen as his 'guest.' What you don't know is that before Aizen left Los Noches to go to the human world he tried to change me into an arrancar with the Hougyoku." More hushed gasps and murmurs filled the room, but were quickly dispelled with one look from their leader. "I didn't immediately change, though."
She recounted what she remembered as well as what she was told by various others, leaving out the more...intimate reasons behind the catalyst for her transformation. When she was finished she simply waited, as the General seemed to take his time deliberating. He finally stood up, prepared to announce his judgment; the whole room sat on baited breath.
"It is very disconcerting...That three arrancar have managed to stay undetected for so long. There is absolutely no question that, as members of Aizen's army, there can be no other decision than death."
At this, the whole group behind Orihime exploded with shouts of anger and protest, while the other two arrancar gripped their swords ready for a fight. Before all hell broke loose, Toushiro and Rangiku stepped forward after shooting the group of teens a dangerous look.
"Captain Commander I request that you reconsider your decision. They have not given any indication that they work for Aizen; when I sound them they were fighting the two arrancar that I was going to kill. At the very least, allow division 46 to make a formal decision."
"In case you have forgotten, division 46 was killed by Aizen and is still being reformed. All decisions are final Toushiro Taicho." And with that he turned to leave, their death sentence still ringing in Orihime's ears. Toushiro quickly approached the group before the other captains came to take them away, a plan forming in his mind.
"Look, there is always a repentance period before any death sentence is carried out, in the meantime I will try to make an appeal. Just don't do anything stupid and do as they say. I promise I won't let them kill you." Toushiro had finally become fed up with his superiors and their one-way thinking. He wasn't going to have his friend's blood on his hands when there was still something he could do.
Orihime's mind was reeling with what to do, fight and maybe make it out alive, or trust her friend. As it was, the odds of actually complying seemed to be better for their survival in the long run. The problem was going to be convincing Ulquiorra and Grimmjow to go along with it...Especially the latter.
"That's the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard! I'm not fucking going to no death cell, I'm busting out of here, Hime let's go!" He grabbed her wrist and began to tug, to no avail, as she remained rooted to her spot. She gave him a look of warning and he backed off, a look of panic in his eyes, though his face showed only frustration. Ulquiorra simply waited to hear what she wanted to do, he had made a vow to himself to follow her anywhere, even if it meant his death, he would gladly go if she so desired it.
"I trust Toushiro-kun, if he says he has a plan then I believe him. We will cooperate for now, and I don't want to hear any complaints from any of you!" She cut off Ichigo and Ishida's protests before they could be voiced, knowing full well what they were going to say. Rukia had been right before, they had a bigger picture to focus on and they couldn't have another civil war break out. She couldn't say that she wasn't scared, she was terrified in fact, but like her time in Los Noches she had to remain strong and have faith in her friends.
After relinquishing their swords, Byakuya, Toushiro and Kenpachi escorted the three arrancar to their cell to await their fate. As the cell door closed and the kido was put in place to seal their reiatsu, Orihime became overwhelmed with the enormity of what had happened. She went over to one of the small chairs and sat down, staring a hole into the ground.
The two boys were unsure of what to do, they knew better than to try and disturb her when she was like this. Several hours passed in silence as the three retreated into their own thoughts. When Orihime finally began to stir, her eyes were red and she looked as if she had just experienced a hundred years worth of misery.
"Hime, you look like shit-." A sharp smack rang through the cell as Ulquiorra delivered a strong smack to the back of Grimmjow's head. "What the fuck was that for?! I wasn't even done talking yet you fucking asshole!"
"Do not insult the Onna and I will not strike you." He returned his hand to his pocket and waited for the bluenette to continue.
"Fuck, what I was going to say was that we should think of an escape plan in case your buddy falls through on his plan. I don't particularly feel like dying and I sure as hell don't want to see you dead." He was quieted, though, when she looked into his eyes and croaked out a sentence from her dry lips.
"Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, I'm sorry that things became this way. You both deserve better than this." Her eyes lit with fresh tears, she hadn't cried so much since she transformed; it made her feel silly but she was so tired that she didn't give it much thought. Grimmjow's eyes softened and he pulled her into a tight hug; she buried her face in his broad chest and began to cry in full earnest, heaving sobs and letting out all of her pent up emotions about Tatsuki and their fate into his bare chest.
Ulquiorra stood and watched the interaction, taking note of how Grimmjow held her tightly to his body and, though she was crying, she seemed to be feeling better. Had it been back in the time of Los Noches he would have scoffed at her weakness, but now it only served to cause his chest to tighten. He wanted to comfort her and hold her, to be a being that she needed when she felt weak.
"Hey Hime, pull yourself together, I swear that nothing will happen to you, and I hate to say it but I know emo freak feels the same way. We'll figure something out." Her sobs began to ease and she sniffed as she wiped her eyes, ashamed that she had let her emotions get the best of her. Right on cue, Toushiro entered the prison along with Rangiku, and approached the bars.
"I have news, things are not quite as they seem. This is a very sensitive situation and your full cooperation is needed to pull this off properly." The three prisoners responded with a variety of reactions from perky to skeptical to nothing. He took the pause as leave to continue with his explanation.
"After we escorted you here the General summoned us back to the meeting hall. The captains were still there deep in discussion. Nobody, especially your friends in the human world, can know about this, otherwise it won't be convincing."
"Just spit it out, what are we supposed to do?" Grimmjow was tired of the small man beating around the bush and wanted to know if they were still on death row or not. Toushiro gave an annoyed grunt before continuing.
"You three are to escape from this prison and travel to Hueco Mundo to join Aizen's army. You will have surveillance chips that will allow us to prepare for whatever Aizen may be planning." A dual 'WHAT?' erupted from Orihime and Grimmjow and Ulquiorra furrowed his brow, this had danger written all over it.
"How are we supposed to pull that off? Aizen isn't stupid you know. He'll know something is wrong when we randomly show up on his doorstep." Orihime didn't like this plan one bit; it had far too many holes for her liking.
"That is why your friends cannot know about the plan no matter what. If they come for you, you must fight them. As of now, we are your enemies, no questions asked. It's the only way to prove your 'loyalty' to Aizen." Orihime was struck with a sick sense of familiarity to this plan; they had basically copied Ulquiorra's abduction methods from the last time.
"Che, looks like we don't have much of a choice in the matter. What if that idiot figures out that this is your 'plan' you mentioned earlier? Then it wouldn't work." He folded his arms across his chest, waiting for the short man to answer.
"I provided him with a fake plan, he has no idea about this, it is completely different." This seemed to satisfy Grimmjow as a wide smile split across his face.
"Bust out of jail and go back to Hueco Mundo where I can kill things again? Alright then I'm game, how about you two?" Orihime stood for a minute in thought, glancing at Ulquiorra to see if he would give her any indication of opinion. He simply stood there, giving her nothing, so she released a sigh and made up her mind.
"Ok I will play along, where are the chips?" Toushiro handed them three flesh colored patches, which when applied to the skin, absorbed seamlessly as if it was never there.
"You need to go now while the door is open, here are your swords... And please try not to fatally wound anyone." The trio nodded their heads as the short man undid the kido spell placed on their cell and retreated to the door where they paused. "I'm sorry this had to happen, I hope that you will forgive me one day Orihime." And with that he disappeared.
o0o
Ichigo and the gang were taken to squad 11's barracks while they waited for the gate to be reopened. Some were silently contemplating rescue plans, others were quietly preparing for the worst. It wasn't long before Ichigo gave a loud sigh and began pacing the small room; short of a full on break and run, he had no idea how to save his friends.
Toushiro had told him that he was going to appeal to the General one more time the next day, but that seemed like a hopeless endeavor. He didn't have much time to pace around before he was shaken from his thoughts by a loud bang coming from the prison cells.
The group ran outside to see what had happened and were met with a myriad of Shinigami running around frantically to their posts. On the horizon they saw the group of arrancar shoot from the building with incredible speed towards the hilltop where the Senkaimon was open. Assuming that they intended to go back to the human world, the group of teens, and Yoruichi, sprinted in the same direction. Orihime engulfed the three of them in her shield; preventing any airborne attacks while Tsubaki took out anyone brave enough to approach with a sword. The few captains that came made a good effort at trying to stop them, but it was obvious that they weren't fighting at full potential. It didn't take them long to injure them convincingly enough and proceed onwards.
They reached the gate and dashed through without a second thought, but they weren't expecting the large group that followed closely behind them. Halfway through the passage the small group stopped; Orihime had been afraid that they would misinterpret their actions as a mad dash to the human world and it seemed that she was right. She had been dreading this moment since the second she had agreed to Toushiro's plan, he was the last person she wanted to hurt but it was unavoidable now.
"Why did you guys stop? We need to get to Urahara's and figure out a plan to hide you." Ichigo was taken aback when they had stopped so suddenly and was growing more agitated by the second. Didn't she understand that the whole of Soul Society would be on their asses if they didn't hurry? The only answer he received, however, was Tsubaki flying right at his face.
"What the fuck are you doing? You could have taken my head off!" Why the hell is she attacking me? I would have expected this from Grimmjow or Ulquiorra but Orihime...
Please don't do this to us...or to me.
"Ichigo, we're not going to the human world. We are arrancar, and don't belong there or in Soul Society. They made it perfectly clear how they felt about my kind, I am going home, to Los Noches...and to Aizen-sama." A heavy silence followed her explanation and Ichigo simply stared in disbelief. His stomach had sunk to the floor and he wanted to grab her and shake her until she had come to her senses.
"Why? Don't do this to us Inoue, we're nakama!" He was panting with emotion, pleading with any higher power to convince her to stay.
"We've been friends for so long yet you still call me so formally!" Sadness flashed in her eyes for a second before they hardened once more. "If you try to follow me, or come to Hueco Mundo, I will kill you without hesitation. We are no longer nakama, Kurosaki Ichigo." She opened a garganta to emphasize her point and ignored the shouts and protests that echoed behind her as she and the other two stepped through and were swallowed by the darkness.
o0o
"I see, so that's what happened." Urahara sat quietly as Ishida recounted what happened just a few hours before. He would have to wait until he could talk to Yoruichi in private to find out what was really happening, though he had a pretty good hunch, and it made him sick. How could Soul Society have become so desperate that they would use people in such a cruel way? He supposed in the eyes of the General it would be two birds with one stone, if the three of them were killed all the better, and if not he still got the information he needed.
"We need to go to Hueco Mundo, she doesn't know what she's doing. We need to talk some sense into her! I'll drag her back myself if I have to." Ichigo had finally snapped out of his stupor and was enraged that nobody seemed to be as upset as him, the only exception being Ishida. Ishida had no intention of rushing in like a fool though, and after hearing Orihime's words he knew she wasn't going to change her mind.
He would never admit it, he was far too shy, but he had grown to have feelings for his red headed friend over the years. He saw her strength and determination but also knew how it felt to be underestimated by their friends. Seeing her disappear had been far more painful than the last time he had heard she was gone, at least that time she hadn't gone willingly.
"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun but I can't do that." Urahara's face didn't waver as Ichigo slammed him up against the wall, rage and anguish filling his features.
"What the hell are you talking about?! You have always helped us!"
"Do you really want to rush in there to save someone who doesn't want to be saved? At this point she probably would kill you if she saw you and then you would have died a pointless death when you could have protected others." Urahara's face was dead serious as he addressed the distressed teenager. Ichigo couldn't ignore the truth in his words, though, and closed his eyes in frustration and pain, it couldn't end this way, it just couldn't...
o0o
Sand whipped their faces as they landed on the familiar white dessert. The crumbling ruins of Las Noches stood as a stark reminder of the past as it sat on the horizon. Orihime took a deep breath to calm her; saying those things to her friends was incredibly hard for her. She looked towards the crumbling structure, when she had stayed there with Nell the place was completely abandoned but now it was filled with the reiatsu of arrancar.
"Man, I forgot how much that gigai limited my power, being back here feels so much better." Grimmjow took a deep breath in, absorbing the large amounts of reishi that made up the barren world. "Man am I hungry."
"We don't have time to waste on your stomach. We should continue moving towards Los Noches, it may seem close but it is still quite a distance away." Ulquiorra outstretched a hand to Orihime who had completely zoned out in her head. "Come Onna, we must go now."
She snapped out of her daze and looked at his out stretched hand, eyes growing wide at the gesture. She slowly placed her hand in his, noticing that it fit perfectly in his palm. His skin was smooth and surprisingly soft yet firm from the muscles it covered. Her cheeks grew a rosy pink as his fingers, nails as black as the infinite night, wrapped around her hand. Ulquiorra didn't miss the hue that lit her cheeks in the most beautiful shade of pink as he turned to lead her towards their destination.
They flew through the air, soaring over the many barren trees and smaller hollows that dotted the surface, until they reached the massive wall that stood so high that they couldn't see the top. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra paused for a moment, assessing the wall for the secret door that, as Espada, only they knew the location of. Ulquiorra ran his hand over the smooth surface until he stopped it at a very specific spot. With a quick jolt of reiatsu, a rectangle flashed green under his hand and then a doorway appeared, revealing a dark hallway. As Orihime set foot back inside the place she thought she would never have to go to again she felt a change inside her. Though she had already come to terms with it, this was the final nail in the coffin of her human life.