Chapter 36
Ulquiorra knocked on Eriko's door. He waited for the girl to answer. When she did, he entered the room and closed the door behind him. "Child."
"Parent," she answered with. It had always been a thing of theirs to do. It always happened when Ulquiorra tucked her into bed.
Lately though, Eriko didn't want to be tucked in. Ulquiorra hadn't done that activity since March. He frowned as he looked at her sitting on her bed. He hadn't spent a lot of one on one time with her. He would have to change that. "If you are willing, I would like to hear about your adventure."
Eriko frowned and grabbed her comb. Ulquiorra knew that there would be no tangles in her hair. She was nervous and uncomfortable.
"Um," she said, putting the comb down and standing up. Eriko then got to her knees and folded herself in half, her forehead almost touching the floor. "I apologize, Dad."
"Stand. There is nothing to apologize for, Eriko." Ulquiorra reached down and pulled the girl up, depositing her back on her bed. "If anyone has to apologize, it's me. I let you down," he said as he sat in her desk chair. "Eriko, when I first met your mother, I wanted nothing to do with her. She wormed her way into my life, and eventually I accepted her into my bubble. I became comfortable with Yuko."
"She said you owed her. What do you owe her? What did you do to her?"
It was one of those times where Ulquiorra wished he had that letter so he could show his daughter what he had done to the woman. "I didn't… I failed to show emotion. I failed to fall for her manipulations. I made her work for my attention. I want to say I trained her to cater to my whims, but I had none. We would sit in silence and do our own thing. I would read. Yuko would play on her phone. At the end of the night, we slept close to each other, but that was as far as our activities went."
"So if that's all that happened, how did I come about?" Eriko said as she picked up that comb again.
"She drugged me," Ulquiorra said, taking the comb from her and running it through her hair. He started at the ends and carefully brushed her thick hair, making sure there were no knots. He sectioned the hair into three equal parts. As he began to braid the hair into a simple plait, the man decided to speak again. "I was a willing participant in your conception after the drug took effect. I did not perform unwillingly. However, I did not realize until after Yuko was gone that I might have held some affection for her. It took me becoming intoxicated to have this dawn on me."
Eriko finished braiding her own hair and secured the end with a band. "Yuko was a bad woman, Dad. I know this now. I thought she was going to take me to that themed cafe. I thought she wanted to be in my life."
"Do you want to tell me what happened?"
She sighed. "Do I have to? I mean, I know you're curious, but you're going to get angry."
"Becoming angry is subjective," he said.
"She's dead anyway."
Ulquiorra tilted his head and looked at his daughter. "What do you mean?"
"Riruka had to make comments about Yuko while Orihime was talking to her. Riruka said that Orihime was probably angry enough to kill Yuko," Eriko replied.
"Eriko, I want to ask you a question."
"You're going to ask me if I meant to kill Yuko, right?"
Ulquiorra nodded silently and waited. Eriko was sometimes as stubborn as he was. Afterall, she was his daughter. After five minutes passed he said, "Please, I want to help you."
Eriko looked at him and then Ulquiorra noticed the fingers on her hands were rubbing together. "Yes, I wanted to hurt her like she hurt me. I didn't know the blast was going to kill her. All I felt was this anger and hatred that I've kept buried from the bullies and the fact she wasn't around," she said quietly.
"Are you okay with that? Were you okay with that?"
Her eyes were filling with tears. "At first, yeah. She was going to do horrible things to me. She cut my hair. The only thing I got to eat was onigiri and water. I'm so sick of it!" Eriko stated in an indignant tone. "She cut my hair. She took pictures of me with only my underwear on. I got scrubbed down with cold water because she couldn't afford hot water. She slapped me-"
"What the fuck did you say?" Ulquiorra said, standing up. He did it so fast the chair tipped over and fell to the floor with a clatter. "Eriko, what did she do to you?"
"She was going to sell me. She was calling up men and was-"
"Stop, you need to… Goddammit!" Ulquiorra yelled. Frustration was coursing through his blood. Anger was seeping into him at alarming levels. He didn't know how much hatred he could hold for a single person. There was no professional he could call up and make an appointment with because to the normal humans, there had been no wrong-doings. "I will be back. Would you like me to tuck you in?"
Eriko nodded and the two of them went through the same song and dance they used to do. Ulquiorra turned off the light and closed the door. He knew what he had promised Orihime, but it would have to be put on hold. When he found his woman he looked at her.
Orihime had heard the commotion from the girl's room. She was only surprised that she had confessed the things that would infuriate her father so quickly. When her eyes found her boyfriend's, she raised her brows in a sympathetic gesture before asking, "She told you, didn't she?"
"Not everything, but I want to find Yuko and I want to take the breath from her lungs," he said.
Orihime nodded once. Under almost any circumstances, Orihime was against taking the life of another human. However, what Yuko had tried to do was so heinous, so inhuman, she could not deny Ulquiorra's right as a father. "I'll call Riruka."
Orihime didn't wait for him to say anything, reaching for her phone and placing the call to the number that was still on her speed-dial list. Ulquiorra was able to hear her side of the conversation only.
"Riruka, it's me. Yes. Is she-? When? Oh. Did anybody-? I see. Thank you. Goodnight."
Orihime ended the call and looked at Ulquiorra. "She died an hour after I left. The coroner determined her cause of death as an accidental poisoning." Orihime's hands came up to her cheeks and she pressed on them as her jaw went slack and she looked off into the space above the bed. She had done it. She had killed another human. She didn't know how to feel about it. All she knew was that she did not regret it.
A huff left Ulquiorra. It figured the whore would deny him the pleasure of ending her life. At least Orihime had done it, though. She probably showed mercy. He would have made her death as slow and as painful as possible. "I know this may seem inappropriate, but thank you, Orihime."
"You're welcome," she replied softly. "I just never thought…" Orihime stopped herself and shook her head. It wouldn't do any good to agonize over it. It had been a pity. It had been unpleasant. She did not enjoy killing Yuko. She listed all these ideas to try to rationalize what she had done.
Oh God. She was a murderer. She covered her face and tried not to panic as the fact settled upon her. She controlled her heavy breathing as well as she could, but it wouldn't stop the guilt or the sadness that crashed over her.
She cried silently. She knew Yuko was horrible. She had hurt Eriko and Ulquiorra, and given the chance, she might do it again. She had needed to be stopped. But at what cost? Her cries grew more intense as she lamented her lost innocence. Yes, she had killed hollows, but Yuko had been a human being, just like her.
Well, not quite. Orihime was a human being with the powers of a god. That's right; Yuko had been previously dead, and Orihime had given her a second chance at life. She tried to rationalize this; perhaps she was just restoring order to the universe by taking the whore's life away again. Orihime had given her multiple chances to prove herself worthy of forgiveness and she came up short each time.
Still… was it within her rights to make the decision to kill Yuko? Orihime could not find an acceptable reason. She was going to have to live with this. She was going to have to learn to carry the burden of another's death.
She finally uncovered her face and looked into Ulquiorra's eyes and it occurred to her that he carried that burden, too. It gave her a small comfort, and she reached her hand to him. "Can you forgive me?" she whispered.
He saw all these emotions spread over her face. Ulquiorra didn't know what she was talking about. Forgive her? What did he possibly need to forgive her for? "Woman, why do you need my forgiveness?"
She held her mouth open to alleviate some of the collapsed feeling in her throat, panting slowly, trying to keep a tentative control on her emotions. When she answered him, her voice rasped, "Because. I used to be good. Now…" Her throat closed again and her eyes swam. She couldn't tell him she was no longer a good person. He must know, anyway.
"Orihime, you've always been good. You will always be good. If you hadn't done that, I would have. You did this for a reason. Eriko… She regrets what she did."
She knew he believed that. It gave her relief to know this. Still, this was something she was going to have to reconcile for herself and it would not be easy or quick.
He was right about one thing, though. Eriko. She had done it for her daughter. She would do it all over again. She knew she would do it again. Did that make her bad?
No. It made her a mother.
She climbed toward her boyfriend and pulled at his shirt, trying to get closer. "I know. I don't think this is supposed to be easy."
"Orihime, I would have done the same thing, perhaps even worse things, to Yuko. I would have done the same thing if someone had taken Kazui," Ulquiorra stated, hugging the woman tightly. "I know he doesn't consider me a father. I cannot fill his father's shoes, but I consider you Eriko's mom. There is no one else."
She kissed his cheek, drinking in the comfort he offered her, allowing his words to cushion her ache. "She is mine. I have to protect her. I have to," Orihime murmured. She wanted to talk about Ulquiorra's statement about Kazui not seeing him as a father, but she didn't have the brain power to switch gears to that topic at the moment.
Ulquiorra held Orihime for a moment longer. "I'll talk to Eriko some more tomorrow. I kind of flew off the handle about what she was telling me. Please, do not regret what you did. It doesn't make you a bad person. What you did for Eriko… My admiration for you has grown. You are the woman I knew in Las Noches."
"Thank you," Orihime whispered. "Do you want to go to bed now? Are you going to work tomorrow?"
He nodded. "I think it's best if I do not miss any more work this week. I might have Eriko stay home again. It depends on her mental status. Why do you ask?"
"I just think we all need rest. I know I have to prioritize Three and the pregnancy, but I worry about you, too. As for tomorrow, I'll stay home another day, but maybe Eriko would like to come with me to the cafe if she is still not ready for school on Wednesday. She can make sure I rest enough."
It was easy enough for Ulquiorra to scoop the woman up into his arms and carry her upstairs. He didn't say anything as he did this. He was thinking. This entire debacle would have a lasting mark on both his girlfriend and his daughter. As he turned to close the bedroom door, he sighed and then just stood there.
"What is it?" Orihime asked, looking up at his face.
"There is no Soul Society therapist is there? What happened could traumatize both of you. I am worried that you or Eriko will not cope with the events that happened."
Orihime thought about it and finally shook her head. "I know of no one who could be considered a therapist. I have met several shinigami who were excellent listeners and gave good advice. Vice-Captain Matsumoto was very helpful to me when I was just a bit older than Eriko. As for me, I think I'll get through this alright. I'll just need you to remind me from time to time why I did it."
He sat on the bed and then leaned over to kiss Orihime. "Woman, our children are why you did it. I still would like you to speak to someone about it. Taking a life changes you. As a hollow, I could kill and not be bothered. It's very different as a human. I've thought about ending people's lives, I found these thoughts disturbing. It was mainly Yuko, but still..."
She nodded. "I'll talk to Isshin tomorrow. I know I can trust him. He is not always the best listener, but maybe he'll know someone I can talk to. I used to talk to Ishida or…" she didn't want to bring up her late husband, but he had been a very good listener when they were getting along. "Anyway, I don't think I want to talk to him about anything personal, maybe ever again."
This was understandable. Ishida was a huge asshole as far as Ulquiorra was concerned. "Perhaps Yoruichi could provide insight? I need someone Eriko can trust," he said. With a frown he stood up and started removing his clothes so that he could put on some sleeping attire. "Do you want to change clothes? Do you need anything?"
"I can make it to the restroom and back, but if you wouldn't mind pulling a sleepshirt out of the dresser I would appreciate it. There is a water bottle on my side of the bed, I think," she answered.
"I will make sure that you have everything you need," Ulquiorra said. "Even fresh water."
"I know. I know I can count on you," she smiled at him as she spoke, and for a moment she didn't remember what happened the day before. She stood and left the room to prepare for bed and when she returned to the room she was still smiling. She was lucky, she thought. Damn lucky.
Ulquiorra was already sitting in bed, setting alarms so that he could wake up at an appropriate hour. He had laid the appropriate clothing out on Orihime's side of the bed and retrieved another bottle of water for her. "I've decided to stay home tomorrow. I've already notified my boss. I also told them Eriko has the flu and will not be returning this week. The school will probably go into some kind of disinfecting cleaning mode."
That made Orihime huff a chuckle. "Well, I can't say I'm disappointed; I want all the time you can spend with us. And you're right; Eri probably needs to talk to you again. I heard the emotions coming out of her room. She'll want to know you're alright. She worries about you."
Eriko was tossing and turning in her bed. Nightmares from those days spent with Yuko were plaguing her. She had said nothing to her dad. Last night they were just bad. Tonight they were worse. She whimpered, kicking the blanket off of her bed. Why had she been so stupid and gone with the woman? Why was Eriko choking the life out of Yuko?
No! That hadn't happened. She had killed Yuko but she didn't mean to do it!
She sat up with a small scream which she cut off by placing her hands over her mouth. Then she waited. The girl knew her father was an incredibly light sleeper.
Orihime came into the girl's room. She had been up already. She couldn't sleep; every time she closed her eyes she was plagued with the memory of Belladonna spiraling her arm or images of things in Hueco Mundo that she could not recall upon waking. After she opened the door, she knocked on the frame to announce her arrival with a soft, "Eriko? Are you having a bad dream?"
"I'm sorry. I was trying to be quiet. I didn't mean to be loud," the girl said. She reached over and turned on her desk lamp. "I was having a dream… a nightmare."
"That makes sense," Orihime said as she took a seat at the foot of Eriko's bed. "I was having them too. I have them… Anyway, it's normal to have nightmares right after something like this happens. Do you want to talk about it?"
Eriko shook her head, whipping her braid back and forth. "I made Dad mad with what I told him. I don't want to make anyone else mad."
Orihime smiled at the girl. "Scoot over," she said, pulling back the blankets and climbing into Eriko's small bed with her. "He was not mad at you. We talked about it. He's sorry about his reaction. It was just very shocking for him to hear about what that woman did to his little girl. He was angry at Yuko, not you," she explained, patting Eriko's shoulder.
"I keep dreaming about ways I killed Yuko. I just woke up from one where I was strangling her," Eriko mumbled. "I didn't mean to do it. I just... I wanted to hurt her."
"I know you didn't, honey," Orihime said in a soft, relaxed voice, still moving her palm up and down the girl's upper arm. "Your instincts saved you. It's natural for anyone to lash out when their safety is threatened. It's how you survive. If you hadn't done that, who knows what would have happened."
Eriko sighed. "She told me what she was going to do. She told me what was going to happen. Yuko was evil. I just wished you would have left her dead."
"She…" Orihime thought of Ulquiorra. She wasn't sure whether it was right to tell Eriko about Yuko's fate.
"What?"
"It's up to you."
The girl didn't understand. What was up to her? "I know you did something to Yuko after I left. Riruka said you get really mad when people mess with your loved ones. What did you do? Did you bring her back from the dead to kill her?"
Orihime shook her head. "I spoke with her. I gave her a chance to explain. Her answers weren't good." The woman sighed and dropped her shoulder. "I say it's up to you because I think you're old enough to decide whether or not you want to know what happened."
There was a nod. Eriko wanted to know. She wanted Yuko to pay for what she did to her. "I've never really had nightmares before. I don't like them. I think if I knew what happened to Yuko, I could sleep easier."
Another nod. "She's dead, Eriko. I think... I think I poisoned her. Or I made her experience the effects of poison. She died two hours after we left."
Oh. The girl's chest tightened and her breath hitched. A sob left Eriko and she started crying, turning her body towards Orihime. This woman must have loved her although Eriko wasn't her child. "Thank—thank you."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry it had to happen. I couldn't leave the possibility open for her to try that again."
"It's okay," Eriko sniffled. "I understand. Thank you… for everything. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. It's our job to protect you. It's a privilege to be the woman who looks out for you, Eriko. I don't regret what I had to do. I only regret not finding you sooner." Orihime held her chin high and kept her voice steady. She wanted Eriko to believe that she had no doubts.
Eriko hugged Orihime. "You're my mom," she said quietly.
Orihime was speechless at first. Her arms came around the girl as her chin began to wobble a bit, and then the strong, sure facade she had crafted began to crumble. Ulquiorra's daughter called Orihime her mom. The woman's eyes stung and her chest felt heavy as the profound weight of the girl's designation was bestowed upon her. "Thank you," Orihime whispered through tears of her own, kissing the girl's hair.
The next day Isshin was busy, but he said he would make time to see Orihime as soon as they could come to the clinic. This made Ulquiorra worry. He hovered over Orihime, not really letting her do anything. He just wanted to make sure that his lover and their child were okay.
When they arrived, Isshin checked Orihime's vitals and talked to her about how she was feeling. She told him that she had been feeling better since the day before. Then he asked.
"What happened yesterday?"
Orihime closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I, uh, I used a lot of spiritual pressure yesterday."
"How much?"
"A lot. I used my shield to travel several kilometers at high speed. I brought someone back to life from the dead. And then I attacked someone. Intensely." She explained what had happened as carefully as she could without giving away any details. She hoped he might be satisfied.
Her hopes were in vain. "Orihime-chan, are you in some kind of trouble?" her father-in-law's voice was quiet and confidential in tone.
She sighed. "No, not anymore. Not about the thing with yesterday." She looked out the window. "It had to do with Eriko's mother. She took her to her place and didn't return her to Ulquiorra at the designated time. I went looking for her, and I found her with some bad people. Erioko's alright, but I made sure this would be the last time."
Isshin released a heavy breath through his nose. "Hime-chan…"
"I know," she answered solemnly.
"You had to do it?"
A nod.
A heavy hand fell onto her shoulder. "We do what we must to protect our children. You did well."
"Thank you," came the whispered reply.
A few moments of silence followed as Isshin put his instruments away and sat in front of Orihime again. "I need you to see Kisuke. I'm not the best at measuring spiritual pressure, but I can feel that yours is not at your best levels. It's probably not good for the baby. You up to driving, Cifer-san?"
He nodded, deciding on staying silent while Orihime answered questions. Ulquiorra felt responsible for what was happening to her. He allowed Eriko to go with that bitch and now his family was suffering for it. "I will do anything for Orihime," he stated.
"I know you will," Isshin said with a nod. "Let's not waste any time. I don't think your levels are critical, but I would say you are not in a good place, spiritually," the doctor added, heading toward the door without waiting for the couple to follow.
"Well, you heard him," Orihime said, smiling at Ulquiorra. She knew he felt unhappy. She didn't want him to blame himself, and she could tell that he was. "Let's get this taken care of and then we can focus on our daughter, okay?"
"Do you need assistance?" Ulquiorra asked as he came over to her side. He couldn't help but worry. Ever since he had impregnated her, he worried. "Eriko seems fine. She wanted to bounce off to school with Kazui, but I told her it would be better to stay at home and not rush back into things. I heard her scream last night. You weren't in bed."
Orhime allowed him to help her stand and blushed when he brought up her absence in the bedroom. "I'm sorry. I heard her and decided to sleep with her last night. She needed it."
"You need rest. Eriko knows how to ask for assistance. She's twelve years old," Ulquiorra said to her. He offered her his arm as they left the room and the clinic. "Is she okay, or is she just putting on a front to appease me?"
"I think she's recovering quickly, but she was deeply disturbed by what she did. She was dreaming about killing Yuko last night."
A frown crossed his face. It was disturbing to hear about his daughter killing someone. She didn't seem affected by it though. Then again… he was unaffected by deaths when he had ended lives as an Espada. Ulquiorra shook his head. "I should have never let her leave with Yuko. This is my fault. I caused this to happen."
Orhime wrapped her arms around the one he had offered her. "You did what you thought was right at the time. All parents make decisions they wish they hadn't. I've made more mistakes than I can count; and some of them were pretty bad. But you're a really, really good dad, Ulquiorra. Trust me." She leaned into his arm to emphasize how much she leaned on him, as if she represented the entire family. "We would fall apart without you."
Ulquiorra gave the woman a glance before he opened the car door for her. "I wouldn't be here in the world of the living if it wasn't for you, Orihime. I would still be in Hueco Mundo." He gave her a kiss before letting her get into the car. "I really wish we didn't have to see Urahara. I wish having spiritual pressure was a normal thing and there were doctors for it."
Orihime laughed at that as he got into the driver's seat. "Right? That would be much more convenient. But I have some questions for Urahara anyway," she said, her voice getting low.
"Such as?" he asked giving her a curious look. "Are we going over there today unannounced or did you want to call him?"
She smiled. "Are you kidding? That old weirdo loves surprises. Besides, I don't want him to go chasing a hypothesis down a rabbithole before I get there. I'd rather steer his ideas in the right direction before he gets stuck on some crazy notion. I need to talk to him about what I did to Yuko. I need him to tell me what it was."
With a sigh, Ulquiorra started driving and he was headed in the direction of Urahara's shoten.
"Ah! Hime-chan! Cifer-san!" the ex-shinigami beamed.
"This isn't a social call, Urahara," Ulquiorra muttered.
"It's her spiritual pressure that we're here about," Isshin said as he came in a moment later.
"Among other things," Orihime added.
The blond pulled a fan out of his sleeve and snapped it open. "Hmmm, yes, I see. You've almost depleted your spiritual pressure, Orihime. That could have disastrous consequences."
Orihime pursed her lips in an expression of chagrin and nodded. "I know, it was a matter of life and death, though," she said.
"You almost killed yourself," Ulquiorra stated and looked at his woman. A huff of displeasure went through him. "Why isn't she recovering?"
Urahara flapped the fan several times. "Cifer-san, Orihime-chan has an immense amount of spiritual pressure. She's also growing a human, running a business, and raising a family."
"Well, we could sit around wondering and doing nothing, or we can sit around wondering and replenish me? Is that something you can do, Urahara-san? I wouldn't insist, but I'm worried about the baby. There is only so much I can eat."
The man shook his head. "There's nothing I can do. Sleep and eating are the only way to replenish it unless you went directly to the Soul Society and absorbed the reishi," Urahara said. "Why did you allow yourself to become so low?"
"I was…" Orihime looked at Ulquiorra, unsure how much to tell Urahara. "I used a new power. I also used the old ones. I had a good reason. But, this new power; I would like to demonstrate it for you if I can, but I don't know if it would be safe."
"She killed Eriko's mother. Eriko had killed Yuko first. Orihime brought her back to life because no child should have that on their conscience. Yuko was being a bitch and so unappreciative of what Orihime did for her, that Orihime lashed out." Ulquiorra was tired of tiptoeing around people about this situation.
"No! That's not why I did it!" Orihime was horrified by Ulquiorra's characterization of her actions. "I did it because I knew if I let her live, she would come after Eriko again. She would come after you again," she said, sounding somewhat frantic as she looked at her boyfriend. "She had no remorse. All she cared about was money and getting her way. She would sell Eriko to a pimp and then come after you for more money! I couldn't let her have the opportunity. She had to be… Deactivated." It was a strange word choice, but perhaps morbidly accurate.
Urahara's gaze flicked between the couple. "Whatever the reason, you used too much of your power. You said that you have a new power Orihime?"
She nodded. "It's not directly related to my Shun Shun Rikka, that I know. Um, maybe you have, like, an apple or something you wouldn't mind parting with? After I have a glass of milk or something," she qualified her proposed experiment. She didn't want to lose more spiritual pressure without replenishing it.
Tessai was there a few moments later with the drink Orihime requested and the piece of fruit. "Do you feel comfortable showing us up here or do you want to go to the bunker?"
"Let's go to the bunker."
Orihime guzzled her glass of milk and set the glass down before grabbing the apple and allowing the males to go down the ladder first. "I think it would be best if Ulquiorra could come out of his gigai and bring me down; I don't want to fall off a ladder in my condition," she suggested.
Ulquiorra sighed and looked at Orihime. "You could have told me this idea before coming here," he said. He descended the ladder before Urahara touched his chest with the end of his cane. In a few seconds he was bone white and felt the snap of his wings. "Are you ready?" he called up to Orihime.
"Yes," she called down, her eyes locked on his form. It was so strange, she thought, how immediately accepting and full of admiration she was of this form. She found it quite beautiful. "I'm ready."
The former Espada nodded and took flight, grabbing onto the ladder at the last possible moment and folding his wings in as he climbed the thing. He stared at Orihime for a moment. "You are still not afraid of me?"
She shook her head with a small but bright smile. "Why would I be afraid? It's you. Plus, you look like a dark angel like this."
Ulquiorra made sure Orihime was secure in his arms and gave her small smile. "Does that mean you still find me attractive like this?" he joked.
"Well, yeah," she mumbled, a bit embarrassed to have the other men possibly hear her.
He could have chuckled at her answer, but instead, Ulquiorra kissed Orihime. Then he jumped through the hole in the floor, letting them fall for half a second before he opened his wings.
Oh, they were going to have to do something like this again, sometime. It made her heart race in the best way. She held him tightly until they touched down and when her feet were on the ground she still did not let go for a couple of seconds, whispering to him, "That was exhilarating."
"In the best way possible," Ulquiorra murmured back to her. He kissed her temple before letting her go and giving the men that were watching a hard stare. "What?"
"I'm curious, Cifer," Urahara said. "Do you have-"
"Would you like to keep breathing?"
"Right. Orihime? If you please, would you show us this power?"
"Do you have what?" she whispered to Ulquiorra.
Ulquiorra's green eyes rolled. He turned away from the men and towards Orihime. "He wants to know if I have genitalia," he answered.
Her brows rose in question as her eyes flashed down to his crotch.
Again his eyes rolled. "Later I will explain, unless you'd like me to murder Urahara."
A snort and a nod later and she looked toward the others. "Um, I suggest everyone take cover behind some type of spiritual barrier; I don't know how precise this is."
"Tessai! If you please?"
The man spoke some words and did some complicated hand movements and a wall separated the men from the woman. Except Ulquiorra. He stood right next to her.
She looked at him with pinched brows. "I really think it would be safer if you joined them."
"I'm not leaving your side. What if something happens to you?" Ulquiorra gave her a stern look. "I can defend myself."
"No, I don't think you could against this, not that I'd ever attack you, I just don't really know how it works yet," she said. "I don't want to hurt you."
Ulquiorra shook his head. "Please demonstrate these powers. I wish to see them."
Orihime knew him. He was not going to let this go. "Please at least stand a bit to the side, just so I can focus."
He moved about five paces behind her, folding his arms over his chest. Ulquiorra didn't let his eyes leave Orihime's form.
"Anytime you feel comfortable, Hime-chan!" Urahara spoke.
She nodded, walking forward about six or seven steps and setting the apple on the ground, then she walked back to where she had stood and imagined Yuko. She remembered those awful sentiments that soulless woman spewed just a day ago. Her spiritual pressure spiked, taking on an angry, bristling aura. Her hand seemed to rise on its own. She looked over her shoulder at Ulquiorra and nodded slightly, saying, "You're safe," before turning back to the apple.
Ulquiorra's eyes went wide as he looked at Orihime, moving into a position where he could defend himself if he needed to do so. There was a dark shimmery substance coming from her eyes. At first he thought it was makeup, but there was no way that mascara stained tears looked like vines. It was a dark purple and when she moved her head slightly it would flash green. "Orihime?" One of the vines moved towards him and Ulquiorra stopped breathing for a moment.
Orihime pointed her finger at the apple and uttered the same phrase she had used before she touched Yuko's forehead. Her voice echoed supernaturally as she incanted, "Belladonna, I reject," and the dark, iridescent tendrils that had writhed down her arms and explored the space around her, including the one that checked out Ulquiorra, focused into a twisted mass of tiny sprouts and shot out at the defenseless piece of fruit. What was surprising was, despite the speed and apparent force of the attack, the apple was unmoved and its surface unmarred. It wasn't until Orihime dropped her hand a moment later and the phenomenon seemed to disappear that any change began to become apparent in the apple, its skin wrinkling as juice bubbled through rotting tears.
Orihime took a deep breath and carefully lowered her body down to the floor on her knees. "That's it," she said in a shaky voice once she caught her breath. "It's done," she looked at Ulquiorra and then the other men. Her eyes were back to normal.
The green-eyed creature approached Orihime in a cautious manner. He felt everything. That wasn't Orihime's spiritual pressure, though. As soon as he reached the redhead, he picked her up and carried her over to the men. Tessai and Urahara were engaged in an intense conversation. "She can poison things," Ulquiorra said after he set her down on a flat rock.
Isshin's brow knotted in concern. "You don't poison things with your Shun Shun Rikka," he stated. It was neither an accusation nor a question. He was stumped, obviously.
"Orihime, could you send an attack out that you would normally do? Tessai has a rock about the size of the apple." Urahara said as he counted off ten paces and then set the rock down before coming behind the barrier again.
"You mean, like just have Tsubaki cut it?"
Urahara nodded.
"Tsubaki," Orhihime beckoned, not even bothering to move from her spot. The golden light streaked over to the rock and cut through it effortlessly before returning to the clip in her hair. "It's not the same," she said, as if that clarification was necessary.
Ulquiorra glared at the blond and then turned his attention back to Orihime. "What are you trying to prove?" he asked Urahara.
"I have a theory."
a/n: thanks for reading!