I want to take a moment to give a special thanks to RG-Guest, darkmachines,"Jaqen H'Gar" (in the case of the latter two, you can expect some GgioSoifon content in the coming chapters), and everyone else for their reviews and feedback on the previous chapter.
Warning: This chapter contains explicit sexual content (Yuri or F/F).
TO FORGE A
BETTER TOMORROW
Chapter XLVI: "Echoes"
The Living Realm, Karakura...
October 2013 (Fall Trimester)...
Orihime was standing in the kitchen, within the two-bedroom apartment she shared with Ulquiorra, as she went about getting dinner started. Business had been slow today at the bakery, so her boss had told the seventeen-year-old she could take off early, which worked out fine for her.
The buxom redhead was currently making dinner. Orihime smiled to herself, adding soy sauce as she mixed the constituent ingredients of a vegetarian stir-fry in the skillet. Pieces of tofu sat amidst red and green peppers and whole-wheat noodles. She smiled to herself as she checked on the status of the food she was preparing- to be eaten later that night with Ulquiorra. Since moving in with her, after sampling her cooking, the Cuatro Espada had been quick to volunteer himself to help with cooking.
Personally, the curvy young woman couldn't understand why her partner always seemed to have issues with her culinary concoctions- especially given that Rangiku-san seemed always seemed to thoroughly enjoy the meals she prepared, when she and Toshiro-kun were staying with her. She smiled to herself, recalling all her memories with the green-eyed Arrancar during the past year and a half.
Orihime idly glanced to the nearby window, as a white dove landed upon the sill. In that moment, the young woman was struck sudden sense of 'recollection'. And in that instant, her mind was abruptly and unceremoniously flooded by a torrent of unfamiliar and alien memories...
Seeing the blue sky above... The golden rays of the sun overhead... The sensation of weightlessness... Flashes of light, moving around her body...
Overcome, she felt her knees buckle beneath her, and crumbled to the floor of the kitchen!
With that, it wasn't long before the front door opened, revealing Ulquiorra Schiffer, as he stepped into the entryway. "Wo- er, Orihime..." He spoke, correcting himself as he called to her.
Receiving no response, he ventured (cautiously) into the apartment, gripping the bag of groceries from Shop Urahara in his hand. "Orihime...?" He called out, speaking the woman's name again.
Locking the door behind him, the Arrancar continued. Clad in his Gigai, the pale dark-haired human-like man turned left- towards the kitchen. Upon arrival, his emerald eyes went wide and the plastic bag in hand dropping to the floor, as he rushed to the fallen figure of his mate.
"Orihime... Orihime!" The Arrancar exclaimed as he knelt down beside her, scooping the young human woman into his arms. Before he could speak further, the kitchen was filled with a blinding light.
Ulquiorra squinted, shielding his eyes averting his gaze as the glow from the white-gold light filled the room. Gradually, the glare receded, and Ulquiorra made out the figure of a man- dressed in matching white slacks and a suit jacket (a gold silk handkerchief in the breast-pocket) and waistcoat, worn over a pale blue (almost white) dress-shirt and a matching gold necktie.
The man smiled, brushing a white-gloved hand through his pale blond hair. "Ulquiorra Schiffer," he began, looking to him. "I've been anticipating this moment for some time"
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
When not busy with school or the dojo, Tatsuki Arisawa had committed a portion of her free time to training her spiritual abilities- either under the tutelage of the 'retired' Shinigami Kisuke Urahara and his motley crew, or under her Quincy boyfriend Uryu Ishida...
To be honest, she'd initially found the contrasting styles to be something of an impediment. However, as time went on, the sporty young woman had begun to find some benefits in exposing herself to the two distinctive- nay, even contradicting- disciplines. At first, the Shinigami methods had seemed so distant and impossible, while the Quincy methods came across as overly-rigid and limiting...
As a life-long practitioner and student of the martial sciences, Tatsuki had come to realize that the art of combat was one fluidity. And as such, she knew that limit oneself to a single discipline or school of thought was a dead-end, an intellectual cul de sac. Only a fool stopped learning.
"Live as you were to die tomorrow. And learn as if you were to live forever."
It was a good philosophy, spoken by a great individual, and the dark-haired teen had always strived to do her utmost to live by it. Despite being a Third Dan Black Belt in judo, Tatsuki had pushed herself to learn more when at the dojo- aikido, grappling, even kendo.
As for her ability when it came to reiki... She wasn't deluded enough to think she could truly master either styles. Instead, she hoped that gaining insight into the two, that she might be able to achieve- no matter how small- some kind of synthesis of the teachings.
After all, even Bruce Lee- arguably the greatest and coolest martial artist ever- had espoused the need not be bared down. Rather, he had said "be shapeless, formless, like water."
Tatsuki cleared her head as she neared the front door of the Ishida residence. She'd been with Uryu for over a year, and yet she still couldn't help but feel somehow out of place whenever she happened by the formidable household. For one thing, she'd yet to meet her boyfriend's father. It was silly, she reminded herself, especially given the fact that they'd been intimate. Surely, if the elder Ishida disapproved of her relationship with his son, then something would have happened by now?
Though, given Uryu's own less than stellar attitude towards the man, the sporty young woman had almost dreaded the idea of actually meeting him. She'd called him earlier, but he hadn't answered, and only later responded with an unhelpfully vague text saying that he would be home later that afternoon. Tatsuki wasn't sure if she was being bold, stupid, or some combination of the two...
Tatsuki opened the door, thanks to a spare key she'd be discreetly provided with, and quietly let herself inside. Closing the door behind her, she couldn't help but blush as it occurred to her that the part of the house she was most familiar with was Uryu's bedroom!
The sound of someone gently clearing their throat caused her to jump.
"You must be Arisawa-san?"
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
The raven-haired Arrancar looked up in amazement. "W-what's happening...?" He started in confusion, glaring at the intruder in their home. "Who... who the hell are you?!"
Not bothering to comment, the mysterious visitor knelt down on the tiled floor of the kitchen, before the two. "Who? Who I am... is unimportant." He calmly replied after a moment. "What is important, is that I am here now... to help ease the flow." The man continued.
"Ease the flow?" Ulquiorra repeated, while cradling Orihime in his arms. "Just what the hell do you mean by that?!" He demanded of the other man, looking him in the eyes. "You just show up- out of no where!- like some kind of ghost, and expect me to trust you?!"
"Ulquiorra Schiffer... I understand your confusion." The Man in White replied, something unknowable flickering in his pale blue eyes. "But for now, I assure you, I am not your enemy- I am only here to help you." He continued intently. "But right now, I need you to trust me."
"No! Not good enough!" Ulquiorra snapped back, in an uncharacteristic outburst. "Right now, at this moment, I have no idea who you are, or what is you're up to." The Espada countered. "And you... you haven't provided me with anything substantial!"
The Man in White drew back, then nodded. "Yes, you're right." He started. "I know that I'm asking a lot of you, asking you to trust me..." The mysterious visitor continued. "But the truth is, that there is a larger conflict playing out around you- larger than you realize." He paused. "And I... I represent the concerns of an... interested party. You see, my 'function' in all of this, is that of a intermediary."
"I know other things... Such as the fact that you are not what you appear to be." He continued, to the surprise the Arrancar. "I know this young lady is important to you- not just as a man, but as a Hollow- and that she bewitched you, virtually from the start, and you're willing to fight for her."
"After all, what is honor, compared to the love of the one we hold most dear? What good is duty, when weighed against the enormity of their affection?" He continued.
"And, I know that the scope of her abilities have been increasing." The man further revealed to the disguised Espada. "She's becoming stronger, and that her Shun Shun Rikka has been becoming more powerful, even before the events of the Wandenreich invasion... And, I know why."
A moment passed between them, in which neither of them said a word. Then, as they both knelt there on the floor of the kitchen, the unconscious woman in his arms, Ulquiorra nodded.
"Alright then," the Arrancar started. "Go on... I'm listening."
"Thank you." The Man in White replied, removing his gloves, before reaching out to Orihime. Without comment, he placed a hand on her forehead. "The reason she fainted, is because she's remembering."
"Remembering..." Ulquiorra repeated. "Remembering what?"
"Memories, of her former self- from another time, another life." He answered cryptically, meeting his gaze as he his hand started to glow faintly. "I doubt that I need to tell you that Orihime Inoue is a very special young lady... And she's only now just beginning to realize her full potential."
"The man you once served, Sosuke Aizen..." He went on. "In his own, limited way, he understood that she was something special... Though, he lacked the wisdom to fully understand the girl's potential." He paused, looking back to the young woman. " You see, the truth is... That for some, Orihime simply is the embodiment of hope. While, for others,she is something to be feared."
Ulquiorra watched- both amazed and confused- as the glow emanating from the man's hand extended outwards to engulf Orihime, becoming an aura of light. "These people that you mentioned, the one you say 'fear' her- tell me, who are they?" Ulquiorra insisted.
The Man in White frowned and shook his head at the question. "Shadows, revenants and specters," he began gravely, not making eye-contact as he went on. "The Darkness and the Agents who serve it have no names, the truth is they are beyond concepts like names or labels."
"What the hell do you mean by 'the Darkness' and its 'Agents'?" Ulquiorra fired back.
He looked up, his pale blue eyes meeting his sharp green ones. "Life, as you know it, has always been defined by struggle, the conflict between two opposing forces- be it light and dark, or hope and despair, or even good and evil- this conflict is the essence of what defines the duality of existence."
"Even now, this conflict has caused irreversible changes... Those who now stand in opposition to you and your colleagues, they have upset natural order- disturbed the balance." He explained. "In particular, they are directly linked, in some way, to the transformation your partner is presently undergoing."
"Transformation...?" Ulquiorra repeated numbly. "What do you even mean?"
"I..." The Man in White started. "I will tell you... at least, what I can."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Soul Society, Division Twelve HQ...
The Octavio Espada was leaning, palms-down, on a table, watching as the Third-Seat Officer from the Eleventh Division finished up with their latest round of weapons-tests.
"What can I say," Ikaku started, lifting up the front of his hood to reveal his face. "So far, everything seems to support your theories about the Ebonite." He continued, setting the kendo-style hood down on the floor. "It really is a natural focus for reiki, just like you theorized."
Szayel regarded the Shinigami for a moment. "And yet," he started. "You don't seem quite as enthused I would have expected." The Arrancar continued, adjusting his glasses. "Tell me, Officer Madarame, do you still have some lingering doubts about this venture?"
"Not about your intentions." He countered, wiping the sweat from his brow. "It's just, I can't help but wonder about the practicality of all this..." Ikaku revealed. "To start, why would a person chose one of these Ebonite weapons over a Zanpakuto- what's the appeal?"
The pink-haired Hollow nodded, straightening himself up. "I see." The bald Shinigami's tone- as he'd postulated the question- was neither accusatory or hostile, simply a question.
"The truth is we've only just begun to scratch the surface when it comes to the potential of the Ebonite weapons." Szayel replied. "I genuinely believe that these weapons could become the basis for a totally new discipline- one based on a combination of an individual's strength, their innate skill with a sword or some other weapon, and of raw spiritual power..." He explained emphatically.
"Just think about it." He went on. "If people had an new option: one not solely reliant upon a person's mastery of Zanjutsu energy manipulation." Szayel continued. "Consider the potential..."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Shinigami Academy, Female Dorms...
Mila Rose smiled to herself... To herself, because her partner was presently unable to see it, given that she had her back to her. Though, it might be more accurate to say that Kyoko's back was against her, as the leonine female was holding the smaller woman's body flush against her own.
Both of their figures glistened, their flesh slick from the spray of hot water coming the shower-head. The dusky-skinned Arrancar had one hand resting on the curve of the fair-skinned woman's hip, while her other hand cupped one of her medium-sized breasts. Kyoko squirmed, moaning softly in a way that was both cute and erotic, as Mila Rose gently teased the pink nipple into stiff bud.
She could feel the blonde's reactions against her body, especially the telltale movements of her thighs, the way they were rubbing persistently against together in an attempt to create some friction.
Deciding that she had put it off long enough, she suspected that that Kyoko was more than ready for her to take matters to the next step. With that, Mila moved her hand away from the other woman's hip, sliding down her stomach, and slipping between her thighs. Her instincts were proven correct, as she could instantly feel the heat and wetness of his lover's arousal.
She was so wet...
Her fingertips brushed against blonde curls, before she began to tease the glistening lips of her sex, at first just slowly tracing the line her slit. After a few moments of this, Mila slipped a finger inside of her heat, gently stroking the heated flesh within. Eventually, the powerful Arrancar inserted a second digit, drawing out an anguished cry from Kyoko as she arched her back.
Kyoko's head fell against the crux of Mila's neck, in turn prompting the Fraccion to reach up with her free hand and turn her head towards her. The Hollow wasted no time in capturing her partners lips in a heated kiss, at the same as she increased the intensity of her fingering.
And then, to Kyoko's confusion, just as she was on the verge of climaxing, her partner withdrew her fingers from her. The flustered woman turned around to face her.
"M-Mila...?" She spoke, in an almost frenzied tone, her lip trembling slightly.
But the brunet just smiled, giving her a quick kiss. "Don't worry love, we're not done yet." Mila Rose reassured her, before taking her hand in hers. "But, I'd like you touch me, too." She explained, placing her delicate hand between her thighs. "Can you do that?" She asked in a breathy voice.
It took a moment for her to process, but Kyoko managed to nod dumbly. It was all she could manage at the moment, what with the ache between her thighs and now feeling Mila's own arousal.
Drawing her lover to her, holding her in one arm, Mila guided the Shinigami woman's smaller hand, showing her how she wanted to be touched. Once she was satisfied, still holding Kyoko close, her hand once more returning to it's previous position in the juncture between her partner's thighs.
The rhythmic sound of her Arrancar lover softly panting in her ear as she teased her heated core was almost hypnotic, if not for the fact that the woman in question was simultaneously pleasuring her own slick flesh. She wrapped her free arm around Mila's broader frame as she returned the gesture. Kyoko couldn't help but always feel somewhat in awe of the other woman, and at the idea that this powerful creature could hold her so dear to her 'heart'- if that was even the right word.
The dark-skinned females' core felt hot and slick against the lighter-skinned woman's hand, her heated sex clenching down around her slender digits. "Mila, I..." Kyoko started to say, as her bright blue eyes met the Arrancar's sharp brown ones, only to be silenced by a heated kiss.
That was it for Kyoko, as she came around the hand of her lover, followed by the heated sensation of the leonine woman's flesh as she climaxed around her skillful hand as they frantically teased each other to orgasm. With that, the Shinigami fell slack into the arms of the larger Arrancar female. The two sat there for a while, catching their breaths as they savored the mutual afterglow...
"Mila, I..." The golden-haired woman started. "...I love you." She murmured softly, wrapping her arms around her and nuzzling against the dark-skinned woman's ample bosom.
"Kyoko," the chocolate-haired woman began. "I understand." Mila Rose replied, while idly rubbing the woman's small back. "No... I mean, it's the same for me." She amended after a moment.
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
"You must be Arisawa-san."
Tatsuki had turned white as a ghost as soon as she'd heard those words uttered. That simple question, just five words- spoken in a dispassionate clinical tone- had nearly caused the young lady to jump out of her skin. And the sight she'd been met by as she whirled around hadn't helped either!
It was eerie, the resemblance between the man now standing before her and Uryu was uncanny... The same slender angular features, tapered jawline, even the pair of glasses resting upon the narrow bridge of the nose. Except, it was like looking at an image from the future. Lines were visible below the eyes, and the collar-length black hair was silver and grown out into a ponytail.
His expression remained unreadable, as he stood there- his white dress shirt, black tie, matching dark gray waistcoat and slacks- the entire ensemble was immaculately pressed and starched. The only thing missing (in Tatsuki's mind) was a white lab-coat and a stethoscope.
"I am Doctor Ryuken Ishida." The elder Ishida began. "My son will be arriving shortly." He went on, his tone never wavering as he looked at his pocket watch. "In the meantime, if you would accompany me to the parlor, I would like speak with you." The man finished, tucking the timepiece back into the small pocket of his waistcoat, before gesturing for her to follow him.
She nodded dumbly and fell in-step behind him. The 'invitation', if one could even call it that, had been far from warm or welcoming. And yet, it could hardly be considered as rude either.
It wasn't long before they arrived in in the aforementioned room. Her 'host' wasted little time in moving to occupy a rather sturdy and ornate-looking armchair. Wordlessly, Tatsuki noted the line of his gaze, to a second chair, situated across from it. She moved, unprompted, and took her seat.
Unsurprisingly, she noted how- like the rest of the house- the room she now found herself in- reflected the same western-influence in its layout and its construction.
"To begin," Ryuken at last spoke. "I would first make it clear that you are not unwelcome here." The silver-haired man announced evenly. "Despite the gulf that exists between my son and myself, I make it a point to remain abreast of any significant events in his life."
"Let me be frank, Miss Arisawa," he continued. "I know that you are... important to my son." Ryuken revealed, causing Tatsuki to blush. "Please do not confuse my intent. You are important to my son, and I have no desire to deprive him of you." The bespectacled man explained. "I harbor no allusions when it comes to Uryu- I do not expect him to forgive me. This, I have accepted."
"I will say no more of this matter, it is for him to tell you the details, in his own time." Ryuken paused, adjusting his glasses. "And to you, I would ask that you be patient with my son, that you might be able to become the support that I cannot be for him." He continued. "We live in dangerous and uncertain times, and more than ever, my son needs the support of his friends and loved ones."
With that, he rose to his feet. "Soon, my son will return... He will not wish to speak with me, nor to see you in my presence." He explained as the girl as he got to her feat. "I shall of you take my leave now." Ryuken went on in a calm, detached tone. "No doubt, m son will be expecting you- likely in his room- and so, I will not delay you any longer. Good day, Miss Arisawa."
With that, Tatsuki watched- dumbfounded- as the Ishida patriarch departed.
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
"I will tell you... at least, what I can."
The mysterious visitor, dressed in white, took a breath. "As I had mentioned, she is growing stronger- she is becoming something more." He began. "This is partly a result of the growing conflict unfolding around the two of you... And, like all of us, Orihime Inoue has her part to play."
"Her part to play?" Ulquiorra repeated. "In what, this 'conflict' you mentioned?" He asked, receiving a nod from the other man. "You can't just involve her, that's not for you to decide!"
"It wasn't my decision." The man countered. "Nor, hers, or yours." He continued. "Fate chose her- it chose her long, long ago- and she must play the part she is destined for."
Ulquiorra's piercing green eyes narrowed at the assertion. "How... How can you speak so goddamned casually about things like 'fate' and 'destiny'?" He demanded. "You know nothing!"
"I am merely stating fact." The man replied seriously. "For nearly two years, a series of events have been playing out- from her meeting with you, the discovery of her unique abilities, to the battle against Aizen's forces, and then against the Wandenreich." He recounted. "All of it, part of a larger picture."
"But to what end?" Ulquiorra replied. "Hasn't she been through enough...?"
The man in white shook his head. "I'm sorry, but neither of you have the luxury of choosing whether or not to involve yourselves." He continued. "Even now, the Agents of the Darkness are setting their plans in motion- and I am afraid she will be pulled in, regardless."
"You mentioned that Orihime is 'remembering'," the Cuatro Espada recalled. "Just what exactly do you mean by that- what exactly is it that she's remembering?"
"I can't get into the specifics... But it's as I said before, she is a very special young lady." He replied, brushing a hand against her hair. "Tell me, haven't you ever wondered about the nature of her incredible abilities?" The man asked him. "Think about it... the power to change the world around her, to reject- even, rewrite- fate itself?" He continued. "What sort of being could do that?"
Ulquiorra felt a slight chill run through him. "Wait... No, it can't be..."
"She possesses a unique ability, a power that- given time- could very well come to rival that of the Transcending Orb itself." Aizen had said him, back in Las Noches...
"An incredible power resides within you." The restored Nelliel-Tu insisted. "The power to alter the laws of time and space itself... and you're only using but a fraction of it's true potential... It's proof of what a strong person you are, and that you're destined to be part of something wondrous."
"Negation is the power to reject fate." Orihime had remarked, after restoring Kukaku Shiba's arm in the Soul Realm. "The power to change it, for the better... Yes, for the better."
"You seemed troubled... You're right to be afraid." The man interjected, snapping the Arrancar out of his inner-musings. "The truth is, it would frighten anyone- even me." He admitted to him. "But, please, try to keep in mind that the metamorphosis she is undergoing is perfectly natural." He offered.
"The only... unforeseen developments in all of this, were those caused by the Agents upon the process... They- they've triggered the first stages earlier than had been anticipated." The Man in White remarked cryptically to the dark-haired Arrancar. "It should have happened more gradually..."
The Arrancar looked back to him, annoyed. "No, there's something- something important- in all of this that you're not telling me... What are you holding from me- from both of us?!"
"I'm sorry, I really am." He answered wearily. "But I'm afraid I'm bound by... certain restrictions." The mysterious man went on. "There are rules in place, rules that are meant to ensure the continuing safety of the larger picture, and... I must abide by them."
Something snapped in Ulquiorra's already frayed nerves. "I don't care who you are, and I'm sure as hell not interested in playing games with you!" He snapped. "Just take a look around you- you're not talking about abstract concepts here, we're talking about real people- goddammit!- people's lives are at stake!"
"You think that I don't know that?!" The man countered angrily, his calm veneer vanishing as he fixed the Arrancar with an icy glare. "I can assure you, Mr. Schiffer, that I am not indifferent to the suffering of others..." He continued, before composing himself somewhat. "Right now, there are forces at work- forces far more terrifying that you could ever possibly imagine..."
"I'm talking about the eternal struggle, the fundamental conflict older than time itself- the embodiment of the clash between light and dark." He continued. "And I must consider the implications of that, at all times." He went on, shaking his head, before meeting his gaze once more. "I'm... sorry. I can't imagine what I'm telling you is much help. Right now, she's going to have a lot to deal with... And as her latent memories begin to return to her... I can only offer you this- look after her."
The two of them looked down, as Orihime started to stir in Ulquiorra's arms. "Are you..." she began, dazedly, as she looked up at the other man. "Are you an Angel?"
He smiled. "Yes, to some." The man replied, watching her drift back to sleep, while the glow from his energy continued to surround hmself. "Ulquiorra," he resumed. "I- I may return, depending upon how things play out. "Until then, I'm afraid, I can only wish you both luck."
With that, he proceeded to vanish in a flash of light!
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Ikaku Madarame took a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Well, when you put it like that..." The Shinigami began. "Perhaps there really is something to all this..."
Szayel smiled, nodding. "That's good to hear." The Octavio replied. "It's important that I have you on-board with this venture." The pink-haired Espada admitted. "To be blunt, the truth is, that as a scientist, my word alone wouldn't carry sufficient weight in matters of combat."
"Not at all." The bald-headed swordsman replied. "After all, as long as we're both being honest here... The truth, I haven't been exactly crazy about certain trends- chiefly, the growing decline of in the rate of people participating in traditional weapons-based disciplines."
"Slowly but surely," Ikaku continued. "I've watched, as the newer students have turned away from the traditional techniques- discarding what had once been pillars of the martial arts for hundreds of years- in favor of Zanjutsu-based techniques." The Third-Seat of the Eleventh remarked.
"As a member of the Armed Combat Division," Szayel started. "I can only begin to image just how much that shift must have troubled you." The pink-haired Arrancar commented.
Ikaku nodded. "I'm far from blind the public perception of the Eleventh- that we're all just a bunch of crazed, blood-thirsty hooligans, with no regard for the well-being of others." He revealed with a smirk. "And while that might be true for some of our members, it's a gross oversimplification..."
"You may identify as a scientist, but as an Arrancar, surely you understand that even the much talked about violence isn't just simply violence for violence's sake- right?" Ikaku asked.
"What do you mean?" Szayel asked, curious.
"You mentioned previously, that anyone can inflict violence upon another," The Shinigami recounted for the Arrancar. "Rather, the skill comes in doing it well- in the artistry." Ikaku's smile broadened as he continued on. "Why crudely beat an enemy to death, when you can strike down your foe?"
Szayel smiled dangerously, something glinting in his eyes. "Yes, I must admit... that there is an certain appeal in violence- when done correctly." He admitted, adjusting his glasses. "Still, the compulsion for violence must be controlled..." He added. "In the end, what differentiates as from savages is the choice, that we all make the conscious decision: 'I. Will. Not. Kill. Today'."
"An interesting notion." Ikaku offered. "In the end, I'll be happy knowing we might finally have a few more people- with real, practical, hands-on weapons training- in Soul Society." He added. "That's more than enough to satisfy me, for now." He commented with a smile.
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Ulquiorra was gazing down warmly at Orihime, the disguised Arrancar quietly watching the redheaded woman as she slept peacefully within the 'cradle' formed by his arms.
Just then, he heard a series of clicks and metallic noises coming from the front door, followed by the sound of the door opening. The next thing he knew, he saw Tatsuki was standing at the other end of the kitchen, concern visible in her features as she rushed forward to join them. As all this was happening, Ulquiorra found himself once again at a loss at to how to make sense of things...
"Oh- oh my god... Hime?!" She exclaimed frantically. "I- is she alright?"
"Yes, I think so..." Ulquiorra replied after a moment. "W- wait... How did you get inside?" He asked the dark-haired girl. "...I remember locking the door when I first arrived."
She gave a funny look, before reaching into her pocket and holding up a key. "Hello, I have a spare key for this place- you know, in case of emergencies- remember?" Tatsuki chided. "And, I'll remind you, that this was something that both Orihime and you agreed to."
Ulquiorra exhaled. "Of course... you're right." He conceded, much to the surprise of the young woman kneeling before them. "I've... had a lot to deal with, today." He went on. "But that doesn't explain what you're doing here... or, why you're timing's a little too convenient to be a coincidence."
Tatsuki nodded. "Funny that you should ask," she started, taking a breath. "The truth is... I happened to be in the area, when this guy- dressed in a white suit, with blonde hair- suddenly appeared." The sporty girl revealed. "And when I say he 'appeared', I mean he appeared- from out of nowhere, in a-"
"Blinding flash of white light?" Ulquiorra finished drolly.
"Huh? Wait, how'd you know I was gonna say that?" Tatsuki asked.
"Let's just say," the gigai-clad Hollow started. "You're not the first person he's paid a visit to today."
"I had this weird feeling he knew me, even though I'd never seen him before." Tatsuki confessed, folding her legs as she sat down. "Anyway, he said something about 'paying Orihime a visit' before he vanished- again- in a flash of white light." She explained. "So, what exactly happened to you two?"
"...A lot." He replied after a moment. "It's a long story..." Ulquiorra added, somewhat wearily.
"I can imagine." Tatsuki replied with a smirk. "Though, luckily for you, I have plenty of time."
He shook his head, before sighing. "If I must, then so be it..."
(- End of Chapter XLVI... -)
