Orihime stood completely still in the darkness, her body trembling with uncertainty as she embraced herself tightly. "Ulquiorra! Ulquiorra, where are you?! Why did you put me in here?! Ulquiorra!" She shouted, not even aware that he could no longer hear her cries.

"Ulquiorra! Please! Don't do this without me! You can't win unless I destroy the Hogyoku!" She continued to shout through the dark abyss of the garganta, hoping that her shouts would reach him. She didn't dare to walk through the portal, unsure of where exactly it would let out.

Did it even let out at all? Maybe Ulquiorra had just temporarily placed her in the garganta to protect her from Aizen while he challenged the wicked man. Was he that insane to fight Aizen all on his own?!

The girl took a slight step back as she blinked through the caliginosity, trying her best to see. Not a glimmer of light was coming from anywhere making it impossible to even see her hands in front of her face. She couldn't even tell what she was standing on but it felt as if she was on some sort of platform or another form of level ground. "Ulquiorra! Please! Don't do this!" She continued to yell, finding herself at the brink of tears once again.

As she took another step back, she could feel the ground beneath her slip away, causing her to fall into the black oblivion of the garganta. She let out a scream, flailing her arms frantically as she continued to fall through the never-ending darkness.

She wasn't sure how long she had been falling for. Was it a few moments? A few hours? Either way, it felt like an eternity. All of a sudden, a burst of sunlight gleamed brightly from beneath her as a hole ripped through the shadows, opening up an exit. Orihime found herself purged out of the black pit as she crashed into something below. Sharp pain shot through her entire body as the garganata spit her out of its somber nebula.

"OW! DAMN IT!"

The girl apparently landed on something—or someone—rough. Her backside crushed whoever it was that was beneath her, knocking them completely to the ground and causing a severe amount of pain in her lower back. Either way, she had fallen out of the rabbit hole Ulquiorra had created and sprung into…daylight?

"OW! SERIOUSLY! WHAT THE HELL?!"

A voice began to shout from underneath her as it struggled to push the frazzled girl off of its form. "GET THE HELL OFF ALREADY!"

Orihime, still in a confounded daze from all that had happened in those brisk few seconds, quickly pushed herself off of whoever it was that she had landed on. "Ulquiorra?! Is that you?!" she gasped, hastily staggering to her feet. Much to her bewilderment, it wasn't Ulquiorra that she had landed on but none other than Ichigo Kurosaki.

"I-Ichigo?!" the girl stuttered out as her jaw fell open, "Oh, my goodness! What in the world?!"

"For the last time, what the hell," coughed out a just as confused Ichigo as he groaned loudly. He slowly sat up, rubbing his backside gently. He shook his head before looking up to the perpetrator that had just pummeled him to the ground, only to be shocked by the sight of a particular orange haired female.

"Inoue?! What are you doing here?! What just happened?!" Ichigo spat out as he pushed himself to his feet, dusting off the dirt on his black shinigami robes.

Orihime began to shake softly as she looked up at her friend, mystified tears continuing to fall from the corner of her eyes. She was too shocked to speak. One moment she was in her lover's embrace, sharing a passionate kiss. The next, she was thrown into a room of darkness. And now she was in the presence of her childhood crush, staring at her as if she had something hideous on her face.

"I-I don't know…One minute I was with Ulquiorra, and then he pushed me into some kind of dark portal. I fell down and then I somehow landed here on top of you…" Her voice began to quiver as she wrapped her arms around herself, hoping to cease her trembling by hugging herself.

Ichigo's rugged expression softened immediately at the sight of the frightened girl. He wasn't sure what all was going on but he had a speculation. "You said you were with Ulquiorra before he pushed you into a portal? Wow, what a guy…"

Suddenly, her mind began to focus as the shock of what had just happened began to fade. "Oh no…He pushed me into the garganta," Orihime muttered as she froze completely.

"He did what?" Ichigo asked, still rubbing the back of his head. For such a small girl, she had a powerful impact.

The ginger haired maiden was too flabbergasted to even respond to Ichigo. Everything was beginning to dawn on her as she recalled Ulquiorra's last words to her.

"Orihime, promise me that you will take care of yourself. Promise me that once Aizen is defeated, you'll live a long, happy life. Promise me that you'll find a new man that is more deserving of your love than I could have ever hoped to be. But also promise to not be angry at me for what I am about to do…"

"No…He didn't…" Orihime whispered under her breath as she held onto herself tighter. Losing all sense of balance, she slowly dropped down to her knees, no longer being able to hold herself up. With a swift movement, Ichigo managed to reach out and catch her in his arms before she hit the ground.

"Woah, woah! Inoue! It's okay! I'm here now. Take a deep breath and we'll figure out what happened," Ichigo said as worry began to fill up his voice. He set the girl gently on the ground as he watched her sulk slowly. She was still wearing a night gown that she had slipped into after she and Ulquiorra had engaged in sexual intercourse. Ichigo found it strange that she was wearing a silk gown at this given time but he figured he would save those kinds of questions for later.

"Just wait here. I'm going to go get Rukia, Chad, and Uryuu. Just don't move, okay?" the panicky shinigami said before he leapt to his feet, running off into another direction.

Orihime stared at the ground for a moment before tilting her head up to take in her surroundings. She looked like she was in a park of some sort. In fact, it felt rather familiar. The blue sky hung above her as white, puffy clouds drifted along in the blue abyss above. She could feel the sun's heat gleaming upon her face as a breeze blew against her exposed skin, tickling it softly to make way for goose bumps. The smell of fresh pine wafted through her nose as she inhaled softly.

She was in Karakura Town. She knew this location very well. She was sitting on the grass in the very same park where she had seen Ulquiorra for the first time during their battle against him and Yammy over a year ago. Even though this place looked identical to the park near her school, it somehow felt different.

"Orihime! Orihime!" cried out a familiar voice. Silver orbs slowly turned to look at where the direction of the voice was coming from as Orihime continued to helplessly sit on the ground.

A short, dark haired female wearing a black shinigami uniform dashed to Orihime's side, kneeling down beside her. "Orihime! You're safe! This is such a miracle! Ichigo had told me he tried to rescue you from Ulquiorra but that you wouldn't come!"

The worried voice of Rukia Kuchiki brought Orihime's attention back to the situation at hand. The sight of her beloved friend caused a sense of overwhelming emotions to flow over the healer. The redhead reached out and latched onto Rukia's arm as a look of vulnerability whirled inside her silver hues. "Rukia! Why am I in Karakura Town? I've got to get back to Hueco Mundo! I have to hurry or else Ulquiorra will die! He's challenging Aizen all on his own! I didn't even get a chance to erase the Hogyoku's existence!"

The violet eyed female had no idea what the redhead was talking about. Orihime appeared to be in a state of panic as her body continuously shivered with anxiety. "I'm not sure what's going on but we need to get you to a safer place. We had to leave Hueco Mundo because Aizen and his army began to raid Karakura Town. A big war is about to break out and you're in no condition to fight," Rukia replied calmly, not wanting to further upset the frantic girl in front of her. Orihime had apparently gone through a lot but it was a miraculous sight to see her still in one piece after being imprisoned in such a horrid place like Las Noches. Rukia couldn't help but wonder why Orihime had not left with Ichigo in the first place during their attempts to rescue her. What would lead her to do such a thing?

Ichigo watched the frail girl slowly fall apart. It was plain to see that Orihime was worried about Ulquiorra. That Espada must have brought her to them on purpose knowing good and well they wouldn't let anything harm her.

So Ulquiorra planned on taking Aizen on by himself? What a cocky bastard…He should have at least asked them for help!

As if reading the vizard's mind, Orihime wept softly before shifting her pleading eyes in Ichigo's direction. "Please, Ichigo. You have to help him. You have to get to Ulquiorra right away before it's too late! You have to help him!"

He looked at her gently, a small sigh escaping his lips. He hated seeing her like this; so worried and frightened. He glanced at Rukia before placing a gentle hand upon Orihime's shaking shoulder. "I'm not sure what to do but I'll go help him. If he's a friend to you then he's a friend to us, too. For now, go with Rukia to the others and we'll find you some place safe to hide."

His hand drifted from her shoulder to her hand, cupping it gently and rubbing the back of her palm in a soothing manner. Orihime was too busy crying and sniffling to even reply to his words. Her throat was growing completely dry and her stomach quenched from her distressed nerves. "I-Ichigo…"

"You must have been through a lot. Please just get somewhere safe. I promise I'll help Ulquiorra. I won't let Aizen live after all the things he's done to you," the teenage boy muttered before releasing his gentle grasp on her hand.

"I promise I'll do my best, Orihime," Ichigo mumbled under his breath before dashing off in a flash.

Rukia didn't even have any time to stop the reckless shinigami substitute as he darted away. With a heavy sigh, she turned back to the weeping Orihime before giving her a comforting embrace. "If there's anyone you can depend on, it's Ichigo. Don't cry…I'm sure he can save him," the short woman reassured her as she helped the anguished girl to her feet. "Now, let's get you somewhere safe…"

As Ichigo continued to run off, he realized that he wasn't exactly sure how he was going to get to Ulquiorra in such a short time. Aizen's armies had already begun to invade Karakura Town as Soul Society was already trying to fend them off. Luckily, Soul Society had planned ahead and prepared themselves for Aizen's ambush by creating a false Karakura Town. Urahara Kisuke and the Shinigami Research and Development Institute had replaced the original Karakura Town with a complete duplicate. The real Karakura Town was safely hidden away in Soul Society where Aizen couldn't' reach. At least, the Gotei 13 was going to make sure that he didn't. A huge battle was already underway in the fake Karakura Town—they planned to crush Aizen and his minions once and for all.

If Ulquiorra had planned to fight Aizen, he would have to also make his way to the fake Karakura Town where Aizen was currently battling in. At least, that's what Ichigo had thought.

Out of nowhere, he could no longer sense the presence of Aizen Sousuke. Earlier, he could feel the powerful man's aura radiating throughout the entire facsimile of the city. The overlord's powerful reiatsu was so strong that Ichigo had been able to feel it coursing through his bones.

But now, it was as if his spiritual pressure had completely vanished. How did he not notice it before? He must have been too busy preparing for battle with Rukia, Chad, and Uryuu to even notice that Aizen must have fled the town.

Loud clashes of war resonated throughout the land as the heat of the battle between Aizen's army and the Gotei 13 commenced forth. He had been eager to join them but he and the others had just arrived back from Hueco Mundo after abandoning their mission to rescue Orihime. It wasn't as if they wanted to abort their mission—Orihime had simply refused to go with them of her own will. She and Ulquiorra had plans of defeating Aizen on all their own.

How lame, Ichigo thought to himself. Orihime really should have just trusted us to defeat him…She put so much pressure on herself thinking that they had to do this all on their own

The vizard had quite enough of their bullshit. He was ready to obliterate Aizen out of existence and pull Orihime away from the nightmare she had been cast into. He was relieved that Ulquiorra had freed her from Las Noches. Knowing that Rukia was with her greatly reassured him. Orihime was finally back home. Well, in a copycat version of their home but as close as she could get for the time being.

"Hold on there, buddy! Where do you think you're going?" chuckled out a voice, snapping Ichigo from his thoughts and causing him to stop dead in his tracks.

The hardy male sharply turned his head in the direction of the voice, a scowl forming on his face. "What do you want, Urahara? I'm in a hurry! I've got to get to Aizen before it's too late."

A blonde young man stepped out from behind a tree, a green and white striped hat upon his head. He leaned on his cane as he scratched at his stubby beard, a taunting grin upon his face. "Oh? Well, if you didn't notice, you can't exactly feel him around this area anymore, now can you?"

"What a way to state the obvious. What the hell is going on?" Ichigo scoffed in return, not in any mood to deal with his sarcastic remarks. Kisuke just sighed lightly and shook his head, a small smile forming at the corner of his lips. "While you were gone, Captain Yamamoto tried to seal Aizen in a wall of flames so he wouldn't interfere while the Gotei 13 each split off into their teams to defeat the Arrancar. But the jerk broke free and disappeared somewhere. Do you have any idea where?" Kisuke tapped his chin lightly in thought, awaiting Ichigo's answer.

"What? You think he went back to Hueco Mundo?" the substitute shinigami asked as he quirked a brow in the other male's direction. "I mean, Ulquiorra, his own damn slave, is about to challenge him to a fight. I guess it'd only make sense that they'd do it in private…"

"You know a lot more about what's going on backstage then I thought, Ichigo. Your old man would be proud!" Urahara chuckled as he sauntered over closer to where Ichigo was standing. "But what concerns me is that you're about to go get in the middle of them instead of helping the Gotei 13 defend the pillars supporting this establishment. How can you be so sure Ulquiorra isn't just tricking Orihime? Do you really think the fourth Espada would challenge his own master during the peak of a war that has only just begun?"

The fact that Urahara was so knowledgeable in everything that was going on intrigued Ichigo. He lifted his chin to further inspect the blonde male, a skeptical look forming in his chocolate eyes. "How do you so much about what's going on with Orihime and Ulquiorra?"

Kisuke waved a hand of dismissal in the air as he approached Ichigo with an ever so mocking grin on his face. "Come on, Ichigo. That's not important now, is it?"

Ichigo's fist began to clench as he tore his eyes away from Urahara, his jaw tightening. What if Ulquiorra was in fact tricking Orihime? What if all of this was a part of Aizen's plan? Aizen could have ordered Ulquiorra to gain her trust only to use her against them in the end? On the contrary, what could he have possibly gained from all that? After all, Ulquiorra just returned Orihime back to them without a scratch. Well, perhaps mental scratches but that was beside the point. If Ulquiorra and Aizen were tricking her, then why go through all the trouble and not kill her in the end?

"I don't think Ulquiorra is tricking her. I saw the way he looked at her…Not even an Espada could fake that," Ichigo replied in a grumble, recalling his emergence on Ulquiorra and Orihime's love scene. It was not exactly something he enjoyed recalling but the look upon Ulquiorra's face was unmistakable—he clearly had something for Inoue.

Kisuke appeared amused by Ichigo's words as he shook his head lightly, continuing to grin in the boy's direction. "Okay then. So I take it you want to help Ulquiorra fight Aizen? Do you really think you two can team up and defeat him? What if you can't?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. I promised Orihime that I'd help Ulquiorra. Not only that but I promised myself I'd kill Aizen with my bare hands after all that he did to her," the vizard replied, getting irritated with their idle conversation. "Sorry but I don't have time to talk. I have to figure out a way to get to Hueco Mundo before it's too late."

That was exactly what Kisuke Urahara wanted to hear. He could easily detect the aura of determination surrounding the boy's spirit, giving fuel to his strength. "You should know me by now, Ichigo. I always seem to show up at the best of times, don't I? Come with me. I'll open a gargarnta for you to get to Hueco Mundo pronto."

He needed no more prodding. With a firm nod, the substitute shinigami trailed behind the mysterious man in the hat, realizing it was best to save anymore questions for later.


How strange. He was certain Aizen Sousuke would have showed up within mere minutes of him transporting Orihime back to her friends for safekeeping. After all, nothing ever got past Aizen. Surely the man would have noticed that her reiatsu was nowhere within miles of this place and be furious over his antics. It was just a matter of time until he showed up, demanding answers for Ulquiorra's sudden betrayal.

He would give him answers, all right. Answers that would be written in his master's blood.

Ulquiorra wandered through the halls of Las Noches, awaiting Aizen's arrival. He figured the man was probably busy trying to dispose of the shinigami that raged in a war with him and his minions. As to why Aizen was even fighting in the first place remained a mystery. The man wasn't at his top strength due to the fact Orihime had not restored the Hogyoku to its original state. He knew that was one of the man's many trump cards. Perhaps he was out there on the battlefield to test the strength of Soul Society until it was time to fetch the Hogyoku? Another reason could be that Aizen simply thought that the Gotei 13 wouldn't be worth much of a fight and that there was no need to use the Hogyoku at such an early point in time. Either way, it mattered not to the Fourth Espada.

Sauntering through the hallways, Ulquiorra figured he'd wait for Aizen in the main chamber room. It was a big enough room for the two to fight and not feel cramped. Should it become necessary, Ulquiorra was already planning on devising a way to destroy the roof of the dome so he could release his second form freely without concern. His Segunda Etapa might be the only thing that could enable his victory against the king of Las Noches. Not only did that help his chances but also the fact that Orihime hadn't restored the Hogyoku to its natural, powerful state would also prove to be crucial in Aizen's downfall.

The Espada strode into his master's maid headquarters, emerald orbs scanning the area for any signs of Aizen or anyone else. Just as he expected, no one was there, not even Gin Ichimaru. He silently wondered how the battle against Soul Society was going and if the odds were favoring in either of the side's direction at that moment. Naturally, Aizen's army held the advantage. The Gotei 13 were weak creatures but now that Ulquiorra was no longer a warrior on Aizen's team, the odds could have been adjusted. Should he have chosen to not rebel against Aizen, the victory would have undoubtedly still remained in Aizen's hands.

"Well, well, well. Out of everything that's been happening lately, this is what I least expected."

As if right on cue, Aizen's chilling voice reverberated throughout the room. The male's powerful reiatsu began to ooze throughout his chamber, filling everything with his dominant presence.

The stoic Espada turned around to face the brunette, his dark lips pressing together to form a neutral line upon his emotionless face. "I'm surprised you didn't expect it, Lord Aizen. After all, my betrayal should have been obvious to you from the beginning," the impassive young man replied, green eyes staring directly at Aizen's grinning form.

"Well, I guess I can't stay I didn't completely not expect it. I know you and Orihime have been plotting against for me awhile but to think you actually were foolish enough to carry out those plots is what baffles me. Come on, Ulquiorra. No one knows my true strength better than my closest Espada," Aizen let out a soft sigh, placing false pretenses that he was actually offended by Ulquiorra's endeavors. "But honestly, I'm more hurt than anything. I cannot believe you let some dimwitted temptress get in the way of our bond, Ulquiorra. I thought you had pledged your undying loyalty to me." His coat tails swayed behind him slightly as he paced around the room, rubbing the back of his neck dejectedly.

Unsure of how to respond, Ulquiorra continued to fasten his eyes upon the male as one of his hands crept to the hilt of his sword, Murcielago, which rested neatly at his hip's side. As Aizen noticed his minion's motion, a broad grin began to curl at his lips as his eyes flickered with glints of amusement.

"I guess it's come to this then. It saddens me greatly, Ulquiorra," Aizen replied as he dramatically placed a hand over his own heart, emphasizing his false emotions in a noticeable manner. "I tried to be nice. I tried to give you and Orihime the opportunity to fight alongside me. Orihime could have given birth to a beautiful child and we could have all lived together happily ever after. But now you go and do this. It breaks my heart knowing that I have to kill you and then go back and steal the girl back from the dead fingers of her friends. I still need her to complete the restoration of the Hogyoku, after all. You honestly didn't believe I'd just let you waltz out of here with her, did you, Ulquiorra?"

"I didn't waltz out of here with her. I sent her back to Ichigo Kurosaki. If you want to get her back, you'll have to go through him. But before that, you'll have to go through me," the temperate Espada responded back with a threatening tone, his eyes narrowing tempestuously at the male's direction.

The threatening look upon the boy's face left no ounce of concern in Aizen. "Ulquiorra, if I didn't know any better, I would have actually thought you cared about the girl. I thought I had sealed away your heart and ability to feel, just as I sealed away your memories," the brunette replied as he elegantly approached Ulquiorra with slow steps. If he had wanted to, he could have smashed that aggressive look right off the Espada's face but where would be the fun in that? No, he wanted to toy with the boy a bit more.

"You never sealed away my heart. I did that on my own. Orihime was the one to remind me that it's okay to love," Ulquiorra answered, his hand remaining tightly gripped around the hilt of his katana. If Aizen made any sudden movements, he would not hesitate to strike.

Aizen brought up a hand to scratch his chin as he lifted his face to further examine his traitor. "But is it really okay for someone like you to love, Ulquiorra? If I remember correctly, you had a pretty terrible life as a human. A lot of lives were lost because of you. Do you really think Orihime could love a monster like you if she knew the truth?"

"None of that would matter to her," Ulquiorra snapped, unable to stifle the rage growing within him. "Orihime saw me for what I am now. I am done with your mind games and I am done letting you control me. Just make this easier on yourself and fight me now. I just might decide to spare your life if you promise to never go near Orihime Inoue ever again."

Watching the growing agitation in the Espada was becoming more and more enjoyable to the sovereign. He couldn't help but let a slight chuckle escape at the boy's petty attempt at a threat. "Oh, this is too priceless. It's amazing how much you've changed since you first came here as a Hollow, begging for me to erase your memories and end your torment."

With every step Aizen took towards him, Ulquiorra began to further prepare himself for battle. I musn't let my guard down. He's only trying to provoke me. As long as I remain calm, I might be able to do enough damage to him to give the others a better chance at annihilating him.

"Too bad you don't remember. Your memories, that is. I was hoping there would be some way I could convince you to completely give up on your false dreams of you and Orihime Inoue defeating me but I can see by the look on your face that you're not going to budge. I don't plan on killing you right here, though. No, you're far too valuable for that. I don't think you realize just how much I need you, Ulquiorra," Aizen said as his cocky grin began to melt away and fade into a stern look. All traces of mock were replaced by asperity.

"I'll be honest with you, Ulquiorra. The other Espada aren't doing too well in battle. I've already lost a few of my precious comrades to the Gotei 13 and I have a feeling it's going to be a tough battle. But I must admit that I lied. Everything that has occurred has happened for a reason. Did you really think putting you in charge or Orihime Inoue wasn't intended? Did you really think I didn't intend for you to fall in love with Orihime? Did you really think I didn't want you to fall in love with our little princess?" Aizen folded both of his arms in front of his chest as he watched Ulquiorra closely. "It was all a part of a plan. I wanted you to be touched and influenced by the girl. I wanted you to fall in love with Orihime. I wanted her to melt your frozen heart and let you finally feel again."

Aizen's words completely caught Ulquiorra off guard as the Espada's eyes began to slowly widen to saucers. Did he hear him correctly? Aizen wanted Ulquiorra to fall in love with Orihime?

"Allow me to explain," the male said as he sauntered over to his throne-like chair, reclining in it for a moment while he stared up at the ceiling. If he was going to going to give Ulquiorra a long speech, he figured he might as well do it from the comforts of his favorite chair. "I'll start off by saying you are a being capable of incredible power. I knew that from the moment I saw you. You were powerful because of your feelings. You possessed such a traumatizing life as a human that it fueled the dark powers of your Hollowfication. Naturally, a being as strong as yourself would have made a great pawn in my armed forces. Even so, I was worried I wouldn't have been able to contain you; to control you. By sealing away your memories and making you into an emotionless Espada, I assumed I could keep you at bay until the time came."

Ulquiorra's hand remained neatly placed on his sword as he continued to listen to the man's words. What was Aizen getting at? Was this another trick?

"I've had your memories sealed for quite some time. I was hoping to release them during this time so you'd be at your full strength. According to my speculations, if you unleashed all your power without anything holding you back, you could probably wipe out all of Soul Society with the snap of your fingers. Even so, I still didn't think it was enough. I needed something to help you slowly break your shell as well as find a way to keep you permanently bound to me in both mind and spirit. When Orihime first arrived in Hueco Mundo, I didn't think much of it. But then I realized that perhaps I could use her for more than just the restoration of the Hogyoku. I thought if maybe she slowly started to melt your frozen heart, you would get a taste of your true strength back," Aizen continued as his eyes lingered on the ceiling for another moment before slowly casting back towards Ulquiorra. He could tell he had his full attention since Ulquiorra hadn't moved once from his spot.

"I had Gin and Szayel even help me come up with ways to help you and Orihime be drawn to each other. I even had Nnoitra sneak into the girl's room so you would come rescue her; thus, helping her feel an attachment for you," Aizen slightly chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't you see? Everything was placed perfectly in order. Everything was planned so that you two would fall in love. That's when I had the idea of bringing an heir into the equation. After all, it was a perfect scenario. If you had a reason to value something more than your own existence, which in this case would be Orihime and a child, then you would feel the need to protect them. I was hoping that by valuing them you would not disobey me out of fear that I would kill your beloved and your unborn child. I guess there were a few set-backs…I had a feeling you would betray me but I just didn't think you were that stupid. If you had just listened to me, you could have had Orihime for all of eternity. We could have struck down Soul Society and rebuilt a new kingdom for ourselves. But I guess not even I, a mighty God, could have flawless plans. I should have suspected that Orihime would have rather given up her own life and the life then join forces with me. That was my plan's only drawback…"

Everything was beginning to make sense now. Aizen was truly a cunning man. He had placed all the pieces on the chessboard and watched the game unfold, organizing events from the sidelines. It was too late now, though. He and Orihime had made up their minds—they were done being chess pieces. Orihime believed whole heartedly in the power that her friends possessed. If even Aizen Sousuke was skeptical about his settled victory without the help of Ulquiorra, then maybe the two had made the right decision in not siding with him.

"Without Orihime, you cannot use the Hogyoku. Without the Hogyoku, you are no match for the Gotei 13 and even Ichigo Kurosaki. Without me, you are no match for Soul Society in its entirety. We refuse to comply with you, Aizen. What will you do now that your plans have fallen out of order? I almost feel sorry that you put so much planning into something that was put to a halt by a stubborn girl and an empty Espada," Ulquiorra said in response as he straightened himself up. He watched closely as Aizen stood up from his comfortable spot in his seat.

For a moment, the man didn't reply. He simply stared at Ulquiorra with no ounce of emotion upon his handsome features. Several seconds later he broke into a toothy grin as he let out a few chuckles. "Oh, Ulquiorra! You're so funny! Even now, you still think my plan isn't going to work. Just because you and your princess refuse to work alongside me doesn't mean I still can't control you."

In a flash, Aizen appeared right in front of Ulquiorra, menacing eyes staring down the pale skinned boy. The male's lips were inches away from Ulquiorra's ear as his hands gripped tightly onto the other's sword, disabling him from unsheathing his sword.

"I'm sad it had to come to this. I'm going to unseal your memories from the pits of your mind. By doing so, you'll become a frantic monster incapable of suppressing his power. I'll send you back to Karakura Town where you will annihilate everything—the Gotei 13, the human race, and even my Arrancar minions. Only two things will be spared from your rampage—Orihime and myself."

Ulquiorra quickly snatched his sword out of Aizen's grasp as he leapt back, preparing himself for battle. Within seconds his sword was freed from his sheath as he charged at Aizen, unable to bear anymore of his senseless words.

"I will not let you lay a hand on me! I will not let you touch my memories!" The Espada cried out as he pointed a finger in the other man's direction, gathering energy. His Cero began to charge through his fingers before a bright green blast fired from them like a rapid bullet. The neon green beam blasted in Aizen's direction but the male dodged it easily by stepping slowly out of the way.

Aizen paid no mind to the Espada's attacks as he simply walked slowly towards Ulquiorra's direction, a grin upon his face. "While you are out frantically destroying everything in sight, Orihime and I will flee to the Soul Society. After all, I still want that heir. Don't worry, I'll keep her safe in my chambers. If she isn't already pregnant with her child, I'll embed her with my own seed if I have to. Tell me, Ulquiorra, does she scream a lot in bed?"

Angered by Aizen's words, Ulquiorra began to rapidly fire more cero beams at Aizen's direction. The man elegantly dodged them all by simply striding to the side. Switching to another technique, Ulquiorra gathered energy into the palm of his hand to release a Bala at Aizen. The beam was bright red and was similar to his Cero but this time, Aizen didn't even bother to dodge it. He simply held up his hand and allowed the blast to ricochet off his hand and clash into the ceiling above.

"I won't kill Orihime. No, it'll be much more fun seeing my offspring claw its way out of her stomach, wreaking havoc upon her body. It'll be a painful death, I assume, but it must be done. If it makes you feel any better, I'll re-seal your memories right before the child is born. That way, you can be freed from your animalistic state so you can watch her die. I have a feeling that you'll be drained of energy by the time that happens," Aizen teased as he watched Ulquiorra charge at him with his sword pointed at his direction.

Aizen caught the blade easily between his two fingers, blocking the attack with effortlessness. Ulquiorra gritted his teeth before pointing his finger at Aizen's abdomen, firing another powerful Cero at a close range.

This time, the attack didn't miss. It hit him directly in his stomach, causing the man to stagger back. A small hole was ripped in his white cloak but other than that, the impact of the Cero didn't seem to do any damage at all.

Aizen simply glared daggers at Ulquiorra, not bother to retaliate fighting. After all, what good would it be to damage the meat? He needed Ulquiorra to be fresh and ripe for him to unseal his memories. After all, Ulquiorra had a planet to destroy.

"Enough with the foolishness, Ulquiorra. You know you can't beat me. It's useless to try," the sovereign said with a tiny sigh as he brushed off some dust from his shoulder. "Just hold still and it will all be over soon."

How was it that none of his attacks seemed to even make a dent on the other man? It was time for him to stop fooling around and start throwing at Aizen everything he had. If attacks like Cero and Bala were not enough then he would simply have to step up his game.

It was time to unleash his first Resurrección form and begin to fight Aizen gathering every ounce of his strength. Within seconds, a giant burst of energy emitted from the Espada's sword, Mucielago. Droplets of green and black energy in the shape of rain began to surround Ulquiorra as his body began to undergo a strange metamorphosis.

Aizen simply watched with interest as his minion alleviated his first Resurreccion form. Ulquiorra's black, cropped hair began to elongate and flow freely as the helmet atop of his head morphed into two horns jutting out of a crest upon his cranium. Two massive black wings emerged from his back as his traditional white uniform evolved into priest-like robes. Malachite eyes fixated upon Aizen before his bat-like wings extended forth, enabling him to take flight and charge at his former master, claws outstretched and ready for the slicing.

"Don't you realize it's pointless, Ulquiorra? You could never hope to defeat me as you are. If you really want to have a fighting chance, let me free your memories. Stop letting your frozen heart act as force field of your true power. Liberate your emotions and unleash your hatred on all of the human race and Soul Society!" Aizen chortled as he dodged Ulquiorra's assaults.

The Espada paid no heed to the man's words as he continued to strike at Aizen with all that he had. He slashed his sword at Aizen, his blade dying for a taste of his enemy's blood. Not once did the sword come even close to coming in contact with Aizen's throat. Although Ulquiorra's released form enabled him to move swiftly and precisely, it was still no match for Aizen's god-like speed and evasive antics.

No matter how many powerful blasts of Cero Ulquiorra shot at Aizen, he dodged every one of them. The walls of Las Noches; however, had been completely blown through in many parts. The ceiling above the two began to crumble and creak with every relentless attack from the Cuarto Espada. It didn't take long for the roof over Aizen's chambers to completely cave in, nearly crashing the two males underneath its heavy weight.

Ulquiorra easily avoided the collapse of Las Noches's building as he fled outside. He used his recently emerged wings to fly gracefully towards the ground a few feet away from the collapsed building. The moonlit canopy of Hueco Mundo hovered above the Espada as he inaudibly plotted his next attack. For a moment, he couldn't detect Aizen's presence and silently wondered if the man had been unable to escape the ruthless collapse of the dome. Those thoughts quickly withered away as Aizen emerged from the debris, an angry look upon his muscular face.

"You just destroyed my chambers! Do you have any idea how much time this will cost me to rebuild Las Noches to its previous state?!" the brunette shouted, his fist balling into a tight clench.

Ulquiorra could see that the damaged building clearly hit a nerve. Perhaps if he could find ways to distract Aizen and make him lose his composure, he could find a way to weaken him. All he needed to do was reach his second released form and strike Aizen with every ounce of his strength. There was no point in wasting his energy on minor attacks anymore. If he was going to fight him, he was going to do it right.

Suddenly, Aizen disappeared from his vision and reappeared directly behind, giving a rough kick to the Espada's temple. The impact of the kick was so powerful that it sent Ulquiorra crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

"I'm tired of your games, Ulquiorra. You're going to surrender to me! My will is going to be done!" the king of Las Noches shouted as stared down at his winged creation. Ulquiorra quickly regained his composure and stood up, once again locking eyes with the male in front of him.

"Do your worst, Aizen-sama. I will never give into you," he replied sharply, gripping on tightly to his Zanpakuto that was still clutched in his hand.


Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry for the delay in updating…

Okay, so I know I said I'd try to have this fanfic finished in a chapter or so but I just feel that my chapters are getting kind of long and drawn-out so I figured I'd divide up the final battle into two parts so it'd be easier to read. With that being said, I plan on having Part 2 out as quickly as I can! At the rate things are going, Part 2 should be the finale but with an extra bonus chapter—an Epilogue that you won't wanna miss!

As always, I thank you for sticking with me. This fanfic has been going on for a looooooong time! I hope I didn't end up losing all my readers by taking so long to update…I'd really appreciate it if you reviewed to let me know how I'm doing. I also apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes since even though I proofread five times before I upload it, I always tend to miss a few things. Any critique is welcome, as well! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you'll stick with me til the very end!