Preamble: This is a story I started dreaming up a while after finishing Bleach. I loved the characters Kubo made, and Ulquiorra has to be my favorite one. It made me incredibly sad when he died right as he was starting to understand human emotion. I wanted to create an AU where Ulquiorra gets treated with the love and companionship he deserves, one where he gets to experience more of what it's like to be alive. I created an OC to help him with this because I feel like I'd have to retcon too many things about Orihime in order to get her to do it. This in turn doesn't mess with canon Bleach pairings such as IchigoxOrihime, and someone with a different personality ends up having Orihime's power. The arrancars would have no interest in her if she doesn't, causing my story to fall flat if I exclude that detail.
Now, with all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this fic!
Content warnings: Language, violence, sexual themes
There were so many ways the people of Karakura town would describe Yamamoto Izayoi. "Normal" was not one of them. Growing up in the same neighborhood as Kurosaki Ichigo and their friends had brought her no shortage of entertainment. Even though she graduated three years ahead of them, they would still come around for old times' sake. Of course, this also meant getting entangled with all the supernatural affairs going on in town. After things started picking up speed, Izayoi realized she had the power to reverse time. At first, this excited her to no end. She could heal any sick animal she saw! If she lost a toe, no worries. Back it goes. Her friends had to stop her from being too impulsive about it. They were always there to keep her head from rolling off her shoulders. Izayoi was bright, but not always in the traditional sense.
One fateful day at the edge of town, Izayoi sat upon a railing to a set of stone stairs, her gaze fixated on the horizon where the sun was to set. Just as the giant star began to kiss the land, the sky opened up before her eyes. A black void obstructed her view, save for the shape of what looked to be a man dressed in all white. Izayoi squinted. There was something off about him...he wasn't human! Rather than being afraid of this unfamiliar creature, she was filled with a beaming curiosity. Before the strange...man had a chance to say anything, Izayoi began running her mouth.
"Ooooo...what are you, stranger? You're not from around here," she said, doe-eyed and sincere. "You look human, but that thing on your head suggests otherwise."
"Listen, woman, I've come to-"
"Wait a minute...is that a piece of a hollow mask? Now I'm REALLY wondering why you look like this." Izayoi cut him off with no hesitation. She found him absolutely fascinating. "You know...you're really pretty." Her face softened even more as she flashed him a sweet smile.
"Wh-" The man was taken aback. He had to pause for a second and recollect his thoughts. No one had ever spoken to him like this before. He shook his head twice and adopted a firmer tone. "You're coming with me."
"Okay." Izayoi simply chirps back. The strange man freezes in his tracks. He almost has to stop himself from letting his jaw drop. No no, I better not question her. She said okay. Let's go, he thought.
"You're a weird one, you know that, woman?" He pointed for Izayoi to climb into the interdimensional portal. She obeyed. His brow furrowed in bafflement. I never thought it would be this easy to lure her in. Perhaps she'll come to our side without resistance. How ridiculous. Are all humans this naive? I didn't even have to give her the 24 hour notice. Lord Aizen might be pleased about this, after all.
While inside the garganta, Izayoi had even more questions for her new friend. "So, what's your name, mister?" she asked.
"Ulquiorra Cifer," says the pale stranger. "Humans like you normally cower in fear when they see creatures like me. Why don't you?"
Izayoi pauses for a moment, but continues trodding forward. "I dunno. Whenever I see something new, I wanna study it instead of run from it. The world is the way it is because everyone is too afraid of everything unfamiliar."
Ulquiorra likes this answer, but doesn't outwardly show it. "Interesting," he whispers. It wasn't long before the two of them reached their destination. The gate reopened and revealed a colossal castle throneroom. Ulquiorra guided Izayoi toward the center of the room, where Lord Aizen and his lackeys stood above everyone else. A couple moments pass, then a chilling voice cuts the silence.
"Oh? Ulquiorra, you brought her ahead of schedule," says Aizen with a pleasantly surprised, but dastardly look.
"Yes, sir. She didn't put up a fight." Replied Ulquiorra.
"Wonderful." Aizen remarked. Izayoi knows this man is up to no good, but decides to hold her tongue. She scanned the room and noticed there were lots of creatures just like Ulquiorra! How delightful! Maybe she can make a bunch of new friends here...
"Hey. Pay attention." Aizen's firm voice snaps her head back towards him.
"Yes?" Izayoi musters a sheepish response.
"Yamamoto Izayoi. You were brought here today because you have an incredibly rare power. It seems to be a regenerative healing force the likes of which nobody's ever seen. I want to see it in action." Aizen commands. "Grimmjow, come out."
A taller, scrappier looking arrancar emerged from the shadows. His expression clearly displayed contempt and hurt. Upon closer observation, Izayoi could tell his arm was missing. She heard a scoff coming from behind her.
"Tch! You really think this girl can bring his arm back?!" An androgynous-looking arrancar with the number 6 etched on their front began to speak up. "If it's just healing, it won't come back! Tosen blasted it off! If she can't do it, kill her!"
"Now, please, show us." Aizen said.
Izayoi swallowed. Without another sound, she shuffled forward and got into position. "Soten Kisshun!" Her star-shaped hair clips began to glow. Two parts flew out and formed a glowing aura around Grimmjow's missing arm. To everyone's shock, the arm slowly started piecing itself back together. Every pair of eyes in the room widened significantly. Aizen was the first to break out into a grin.
"Excellent. So, this power is not merely regenerative. This woman has the ability to reject the very notions of space and time themselves." Aizen remarked. "We can make good use of her."
Izayoi felt apprehensive at Aizen's tone and implications. She managed to choke back a whimper forming in her throat in time to continue with her duties.
"How's that?" she asked Grimmjow, keeping a poker face. Grimmjow rotated his shoulder that had the reattached arm on it. He felt his bicep a couple of times to make sure it was real.
"A bit better. But, I have something else that needs fixing." Grimmjow turned around and pointed to a large amount of scar tissue on his back. Izayoi exercised her power one more time on the requested location. The scar tissue peeled itself back and revealed a large number 6 tattoo, the same one the androgynous-looking arrancar had. Upon regaining his number, Grimmjow bared his teeth in a haughty grin.
"Thanks, new girl." He said before bounding toward the smaller arrancar. Without any warning, Grimmjow plunged his newly regained arm into his target's stomach. This immobilized him. Grimmjow began charging a cero with his hand already through him.
"See ya later, former number 6." Grimmjow grinned as he fired his cero and completely disintegrated his prey. Izayoi was unnerved by this and took a couple steps closer to Ulquiorra. He noticed, but didn't do anything in response.
"Now, shall we see you to your chambers? Ulquiorra will be keeping watch over you to make sure everything is in order." Aizen said coolly. Izayoi's stress level decreased once she learned who would be her caretaker.
"This way," said Ulquiorra, leading her down a seemingly endless hallway.
"Okay." Izayoi followed, her eyes often wandering any which way. That other arrancar was pretty, too. These are some cool looking creatures. I hope none of them try to kill me. Izayoi's inner monologue began rambling again. Nah, if I'm as useful as Aizen says I am, they might think twice.
"We're here." Ulquiorra stopped her in front of a door. He turned the knob and escorted her into a gargantuan room with bars on the window. Not like she could even reach said window. "Everything you need will be provided for you. Do you have any questions?"
Izayoi scratched her chin for a second, then decided on a question. "Yeah," she says, "How often are you gonna be stopping by here?"
"Since Lord Aizen has me watching you, I have to bring you your meals at least. So, I'm here every day." Ulquiorra answered. Izayoi gave that sickly-sweet smile again.
"Good. Well, I won't make you stay too long tonight! You probably need rest, too." She said.
"Not quite. Arrancars don't necessarily need to sleep. We can if we choose to, to store power. But that's about it."
"Ohhh...I see. That's really cool! When you come back here tomorrow, can I get to know a bit more about you?" Izayoi beamed. Ulquiorra paused for a bit, still unsure how to handle her warm demeanor.
"...Sure," he musters. This makes her smile even wider. The slightest foreign sensation wriggled about in his chest. Ulquiorra chose to ignore it for the time being. "Good night." He turned to leave.
"Good night," Izayoi responds softly. Her new friend locked the door behind him, and she laid down in bed soon after. She wasn't sure what the hell just happened today, but Ulquiorra didn't seem evil to her. He gave off an air of mystery and stoicism that suggested there could be more to him. Her optimistic mind led her to drift off to sleep with that thought remaining.