Chapter 15

The Trap

"Hitsugaya-taichō," rattled the deep voice of the Captain Commander. "How certain are you that this plan will succeed?"

"The Second Captain's battle made it clear that we should not expect an easy victory against the Espada in a face-to-face confrontation," replied Tōshirō, "but that we may be able to catch him by surprise. With Hachi-san's assistance, I believe that we can gain the advantage. If we are successful, the battle will be won with little damage or injury, and perhaps none at all."

"Hmm," considered Yamamoto. "Be wary of over-confidence, young Captain."

"Always, Yamamoto-taichō," replied Tōshirō with a low bow.

Turning to the kidō warrior present, Yamamoto asked, "And you, Hachi-san. Do you believe that this will succeed?"

"It will depend on whether we can catch him unawares as Suí-Fēng-taichō did," replied the other meekly. "If we are able to do so, then I believe that we are assured of success. If not, then it will depend on the tenth captain's skill. We will do our best either way."

The Captain Commander closed his eyes and remained silent for a time.

"Very well," he said at last. "You may take the warriors required and go."

"Thank you, Yamamoto-taichō," bowed Tōshirō. "We will not fail."

"So too said Suí-Fēng-taichō," retorted Yamamoto.

Tōshirō swallowed uncomfortably. "Yes, sir," was his only reply before he and Hachi turned and left the First Captain's chambers.

"What warriors do you need?" asked Tōshirō as they stepped into the afternoon sun again.

"I have three who are well-trained and will be able to compliment me perfectly," smiled the pink-haired Shinigami. "Together, we should be able to weave the kidō in but a few seconds and to hold it for as long as is necessary."

"Good," nodded Tōshirō. "Fetch them and instruct them to prepare for immediate travel to Karakura town. As soon as we locate the Espada, we will move."

"Perhaps he has indeed decided to return to Hueco Mundo," suggested Hachi, tilting his head slightly in thought. "His reiatsu has not been sensed there since his fight with Suí-Fēng-taichō."

"He indicated both to myself and to the Second Captain that he had no intention of leaving," replied the Tenth Captain. "I'm sure that he is still there; he is simply in hiding for now."

"Hm," nodded Hachi. "Well then..."

A flash-step suddenly brought a ginger-haired woman before them, dropping to one knee respectfully.

"Taichō," exclaimed Rangiku.

"Well, Matsamoto?" asked Tōshirō.

Rangiku lifted her eyes to look at her captain seriously.

"I have found him, Taichō."

Nighttime found Orihime tossing and turning on her soft mattress. She just couldn't seem to get comfortable. It wasn't as though anything was exactly wrong, but she still couldn't convince herself that everything was alright. She tried to calm herself and to tell herself that everything was fine; she was fine; Ulquiorra was fine. He was asleep in the living room, just as she should be asleep in her room. But no matter how many times she told herself this, she found her mind again and again succumbing to the horrible human weakness of the fear of the dark: the fear that because she couldn't see that everything was alright that somehow it wasn't. It didn't matter that it didn't make sense; it didn't matter that she knew otherwise. The dark could drive the calmest and sanest mind into paranoia if allowed to do so, and Orihime would never have called herself the calmest or sanest person she knew.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore. She threw back the covers, rose from her bed, and padded softly into the living room.

"Ulquiorra," she whispered quietly.

"Yes?" came his deep, melodious voice.

Orihime bit her lip. Her eyes were well adjusted to the darkness, and she could see as his face turned to look at her. She swallowed.

"What is it?" he asked, seeing that she didn't speak.

"I..." Orihime bit her lip again. "I just ... can't sense you."

"That is the purpose of this gigai," he replied.

"I know," mumbled Orihime quietly. "But ... I don't like it."

"Nor do I, but we have no choice."

Orihime lowered her eyes, twisting her hands nervously. "I just..." She licked her lips and looked at him nervously. "I don't like it ... that I can't even feel whether you're still here or not."

Ulquiorra looked at her for a moment without speaking. Then, still silently, he rose to a sitting position and extended a hand to her. Orihime blinked and stepped forward to accept it. Gently he drew her to himself, pulling her down to sit beside him, and then, taking her in his arms, laid her next to him. Orihime blushed as he drew the coverlet over the both of them.

"Ulquiorra?" she squeaked nervously.

Ulquiorra gently wrapped his arm around her waist, settling himself as if to go back to sleep. "Now you can feel that I am still here," he said softly.

Orihime blinked. She looked back at him and smiled. Leaning her head against his chest, she sighed and closed her eyes contentedly.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"Matsamoto," sighed Tōshirō wearily. "There is no one in the apartment other than Inoue Orihime."

"Taichō, if you actually look inside yourself, you'll see," replied Rangiku, pointing to the open window in the apartment across the street from the rooftop where they stood. "Orihime is there, but she's in bed with a boy."

Tōshirō blushed slightly. "And you were spying on them?" he demanded.

"It's not a human boy!" exclaimed Rangiku. "Whoever it is has no reiatsu at all!"

"There are some humans with very, very weak reiatsu," suggested Hachi. "Orihime-chan may have ... grown close to such a one."

"You can see for yourself," argued Rangiku. "Whoever it is has no spiritual presence at all. There's no way that a living human would have no reiatsu; all of them have at least enough to show that they're alive, and this boy has none!"

"A reiatsu-suppressing gigai," murmured Tōshirō.

"A perfect hiding-place, if it's true," admitted Hachi. "He could be right in front of our eyes, and yet we wouldn't notice him."

Again, Tōshirō frowned. "Can you be sure that it's the Hollow, Matsamoto? There can be no mistake. This trap would kill any human caught in it, and we can't take that chance."

"He's not human," shrugged Rangiku. "And he's not Shinigami. Whatever he is, he's wearing a gigai that completely conceals his reiatsu, and he's lying in bed with Orihime. I can't imagine anyone else that it could be." Glancing at Hachi, she added with a wink, "After all, Hirako-taichō is still in Soul Society, isn't he?"

"Matsamoto!" snapped Tōshirō.

Rangiku shrugged and crossed her arms, saying nothing more. Hachi waited quietly, and Tōshirō again sighed. Finally, without another word, Tōshirō flash-stepped away. The other two waited only briefly before he returned.

"Alright," he growled. "I'm willing to admit that it is most likely the Arrancar in disguise. The only other possibility is a life-sized doll, and I do not think that Orihime would have something like that."

"Ooh!" exclaimed Rangiku. "I wonder if I could get one of those! Would it be──"

"Matsamoto!" snapped Tōshirō again. Turning then to the kidō warrior, he continued, "The two are in bed together. Both appear to be asleep, so it is the perfect time to capture him. However, it will not be possible to remove Orihime without waking the Espada."

Hachi shook his head. "This spell is too powerful to risk binding Orihime-chan," he said. "We need to catch the Arrancar alone."

"How long could she bear it?" asked Tōshirō.

"Hitsugaya-taichō," exclaimed Hachi, wide-eyed. "It would kill her."

"But not immediately. I'm asking how quickly?"

"Taichō!" gasped Rangiku. "You're not going to risk Orihime's life to capture a Hollow, are you?"

"How long, Hachi-san?" growled Tōshirō impatiently.

Hachi looked uncomfortable but replied, "Orihime-chan is strong, I know." He considered. "Perhaps ... five or six seconds."

"And how long would the Arrancar need to be bound before his reiatsu is such that his hierro will no longer be of use?"

Again, Hachi fidgeted slightly. "At least ... five seconds, Taichō."

Tōshirō gave a single nod. "It will be close, but──"

"Taichō!" exclaimed Rangiku again. "You can't really plan to do this!"

"Hachi-san," continued Tōshirō, still ignoring his lieutenant. "I will wait exactly five seconds before striking down the Hollow. However, if anything goes wrong, you will release the spell before Orihime can be fatally injured. Is that understood?"

"It will be hard to judge," grimaced Hachi. "As I said, Hitsugaya-taichō, she is strong, but..."

"I will trust your estimate," stated Tōshirō. "At five seconds, if Orihime is danger, release the kidō."

"Yes, Taichō," bowed Hachi reluctantly.

"Bring the other three," continued Tōshirō. "Explain to them what they are to do, and be sure that they understand that no sound must be made from the moment we enter the apartment until the Arrancar is bound. We cannot risk waking them. You and they will prepare the binding chains as silently as you are able."

"The chains should make contact with his skin to be most effective at draining his reiatsu," said Hachi. "Is he covered?"

"They're under a blanket," nodded Rangiku.

"That should be removed, if possible."

"Also, he's in a gigai; will that matter?"

"No," Hachi shook his head. "The binding of the gigai with the soul will enable perfect transfer of the draining power of the kidō chains. Cloth, however, will weaken the effect."

"Very well," nodded Tōshirō. "Matsamoto, as soon as the kidō is ready, you will remove the blanket covering them, such that the chains will make contact with his skin as soon as they fall. There must be no delay, however. The chains must fall the instant the blanket is removed. If there is even the slightest delay, he may escape."

"Taichō," mused Rangiku hesitantly, "suppose..."

"What is it, Matsamoto?" growled the little captain impatiently.

"Well, I know that more exposed skin is preferred, but ... exactly how much skin? What if they're not dressed under that?"

Tōshirō again blushed slightly. "We can hope that that is not the case." Turning back to the pink-haired kidō warrior, he concluded, "Explain to your assistants, and meet us inside.

With that, he and Matsamoto flash-stepped off of the neighboring roof together.

The night was warm and quiet. No one who was not in the room would guess the tension that filled the small space of this human dwelling as six Shinigami warriors prepared to ambush a Hollow more powerful than any being currently in the Land of the Living. The four kidō warriors positioned themselves around the sleeping couple, a few paces back. The small Shinigami captain held his drawn Zanpakutō at the ready, preparing for any surprises. The red-haired lieutenant stood nearby, ready to do whatever was required.

In the midst of this small group lay the sleeping couple, wholly oblivious to the danger around them. Lying together in the middle of Orihime's living room floor, their soft breathing made up the only sound in the quiet night. Orihime lay almost on her back, leaning partway into the male's chest. Ulquiorra (as they assumed) lay on his side, one arm apparently wrapped around Orihime's waist under the blanket. Neither stirred as the silent kidō spell gradually took form in the air above them.

Soon enough, a barely glowing mesh of powerful chains hung suspended a few feet above the sleeping couple. Hachi nodded to Tōshirō. The young captain took a breath, gripping the hilt of his Zanpakutō in preparation. He then turned to nod to Rangiku. Just before he did so, the lieutenant reached forward and snatched the blanket away, inadvertently moving too soon.

Instantly, the Arrancar was awake.

"Now!" screamed Tōshirō, knowing that it was already too late. Due to Matsamoto's timing error, he knew that the Espada could sonido away before the chains hit.

The quick eyes of the little captain followed the even quicker eyes of the Arrancar as he recognized his danger. Rather than leave, however, he used the tiniest fraction of a second that their ineptitude had allowed him to throw his body over Orihime, blocking the falling chains from making contact with her.

Immediately, Orihime awoke also and gave a squeal of terror. Ulquiorra pressed his forearms to the floor on either side of her, struggling to hold off the powerful chains. His entire back, however, was exposed to the strong suppression forces, such that his reiatsu was instantly reduced enough that he couldn't break them. To Tōshirō's relief, the Espada was only bare from the waist up, and Orihime was also dressed, though only in a thin nightgown. It wasn't much, but at least it was something. The bare back of the Arrancar, however, provided more than enough skin for the kidō to do as was needed.

"Orihime!" exclaimed Rangiku, seeing her little friend in trouble. "Taichō, she'll be crushed!"

It was true. Struggle as he might, Ulquiorra was being forced into the ground by the powerful, crushing forces of the kidō spell. Only, it wasn't simply ground beneath him: it was the woman he was trying to protect. Tōshirō knew that he was supposed to kill the Hollow quickly, but, in this position, there was no safe way to do so. With him bound to the ground, the only way to do it would be to drive his Zanpakutō into him through the chains, but, with him lying on top of Orihime, she would likely be slain also.

"What's happening?!" screamed Orihime, gasping beneath the weight. "Stop! What's going on?" She looked around, seeing the Shinigami, but none answered her.

"Let her go!" came the strained voice of the Espada. "Take me; let her go."

Again, he struggled to lift himself off of her, but succeeded only in allowing her room to breathe for a moment before being thrust down upon her again.

"It's you we want," replied Hitsugaya. "If you will agree to stay, then we will let her go."

The Espada's body began to tremble, though whether it was from fighting the kidō or from emotion the Shinigami could not tell. Hachi looked to Tōshirō questioningly, but the little captain was calm now. The Espada was trapped. He could not leave. Orihime was in danger of being suffocated by the weight, perhaps, but that would take some time. He could afford to wait until the Arrancar made his decision.

"I ... I accept," gritted the Hollow at last. "Let her go!"

"Ulquiorra!" exclaimed Orihime, still gasping. "What's happening? I don't want to leave you!"

Tōshirō motioned to Hachi again, and he nodded to his fellow kidō warriors. Together, the four of them carefully released a small amount of the pressure of the spell. Ulquiorra again rose off of Orihime with a struggle, still held down by the weight of the chains and able only to lift himself an inch or two above the human below him. Immediately, Matsamoto caught hold of Orihime by the shoulders and drug her out from under him. No sooner was this accomplished than the spell was returned to full force and more, and Ulquiorra was slammed to the floor, unable to move, as the chains continued to eat away at his ever-decreasing reiatsu.

"No!" screamed Orihime, struggling against Rangiku's firm grip. "What are you doing to him?! Stop!"

As soon as Orihime was safe, the Espada had ceased his struggles. He lay still, looking Hitsugaya-taichō in the eye. Tōshirō had expected to see rage or perhaps fear from the other, but there was nothing in the Hollow's expression. He was calm. He did not move or speak. He did not resist. Tōshirō found himself hesitating a moment, surprised at this, before setting his jaw firmly. Silently, he lifted his Zanpakutō. The Espada's eyes merely drifted shut with a quiet sigh of resignation.

"No!" shrieked Orihime, finally breaking free from Rangiku's grasp. "Stop!" Rushing forward, Orihime threw her own body over Ulquiorra's, effectively halting the descending blade. Her chest to his back, her arms spread along his, and her legs over his also, she looked into Tōshirō's face with pleading, ignoring the glowing mesh of kidō chains now beneath her.

"Stop!" she cried again as tears streamed down her face. "Leave him alone. Don't hurt him!"

As soon as she fell over him, the Arrancar's eyes shot open and fear touched his expression.

"Orihime," he pleaded quietly. "You must get off of me. These chains will kill you."

"No! I won't let them do this! I won't let this happen!"

"Orihime, please!"

Ulquiorra's voice was not alone in pleading with her. Tōshirō gave a single, sharp word of disapproval, and Matsumoto attempted coaxing, telling her that she was only endangering herself, and even Hachi spoke to her, being careful not to lose his own concentration. Orihime, however, wouldn't listen. She gripped Ulquiorra's wrists through the chains, shut her eyes, and shook her head.

"No," she whispered. "I won't let them hurt you."

There was nothing she could do, however. The chains quickly ate away her own strength. Again, Ulquiorra struggled as he sensed her reiatsu fading. He fought against the bindings, but it was useless. As Orihime's grip loosened in weakness, Tōshirō again motioned to his lieutenant, and Rangiku quickly took hold of her and lifted her from the body of the Espada.

"Orihime," Matsamoto soothed as the girl continued to cry, too weak to resist now, "it'll all be over soon. Hush. There now, don't watch."

At those words, Tōshirō saw a flash of anger flicker through the eyes of the Espada, but the latter still did not speak. Ulquiorra lay still, waiting, knowing that it was useless to struggle. As Tōshirō again lifted his Zanpakutō, however, he suddenly felt Orihime's reiatsu spike.

"Tsubaki, Koten Zanshun! I reject!"

The little fairy sprang suddenly to life and attacked with a ferocity that none there had ever seen. All of the force of Orihime's emotional strength ─ power and determination far beyond anything she had ever before felt ─ was poured into this single defensive attack. There was greater resolve in that strike than any that Tsubaki had had behind him before then. The four kidō warriors were physically thrown back, interrupting the main strength of the spell. Even Hitsugaya-taichō was startled at the power of the attack, having to step back to avoid the glowing blade.

Once the immediate danger was removed, the tiny, golden blade-shield turned and slashed through the now-weakened kidō chains as if they were paper. In the blink of an eye, the chains were dashed to pieces which in turn dissipated into the air. Ulquiorra slowly drug himself to a sitting position, turning to look at her in surprise.

Stumbling forward again, her own strength not yet returned, Orihime threw herself into Ulquiorra's waiting arms. She gripped him tightly, crying again, and resting her head on his shoulder now. For his part, Ulquiorra drew her close, holding her in his protective embrace and whispering soft words of comfort to her. Even so, his eyes remained sharp, looking around at the Shinigami still watching them. They all knew that his strength was far drained and would take time to return. Even unbound, it was clear that he could not escape them at this time.

Hitsugaya straightened himself, looking at the couple with a frown. Turning to the other Shinigami, he said simply, "Prepare another binding kidō." To Matsamoto, he said quietly, "Be ready to draw Inoue away from him again."

Ulquiorra's muscles tensed. Tōshirō suspected that he would have fled immediately, had he the strength. As things stood, Tōshirō knew that the Hollow's reiatsu would be quickly returning to him, and he might soon be able to leave himself, but only if he shoved Orihime off of himself. With the way that they were gripping each other, Tōshirō suspected that he would want to take the girl with him, which would mean that he would have to wait even longer.

"Hitsugaya-kun, why?" demanded Orihime, turning to look at the little Shinigami captain. "Why do you want to kill Ulquiorra? He's not evil now."

"He is the Fourth Espada," replied Tōshirō firmly. "He is a threat to all living things."

"No, he isn't!" argued Orihime. "Not anymore! He's kind now; he's not going to hurt anyone."

"He has warped your mind, Orihime," snapped Tōshirō. "Don't you see that you are defending an Arrancar?"

"I don't care! I ... I love him!"

The eyes of all of the Shinigami snapped open at that.

"Orihime..." murmured Matsamoto.

"Rangiku-san," pleaded Orihime. "I know that you think that Ulquiorra is controlling me, but he's not! He wants to stay with me, and I want to be with him. Please! You have to believe me. I want him to stay!"

"This Arrancar fought for Aizen, Orihime-chan," said Hachi.

"But Aizen's gone now," protested Orihime. "He's not fighting for him anymore."

"Orihime," sighed Tōshirō.

"Please, you have to believe me, Tōshirō-kun! Kurosaki-kun, Ishida-kun, and Sado-kun will all tell you. He's not bad now. And ... and I want him to stay."

Orihime's tear-filled eyes moved from one Shinigami to the other, silently pleading with each of them to believe her. Matsamoto clearly did so, and she turned her own large eyes to her captain almost imploringly. Hachi hesitated, lowering his own gaze to the floor, but Tōshirō merely glowered at all of them.

"Even if what you say is true," he growled, "it does not change our orders. No matter what his intentions or purpose in being here may be, he is still a Hollow. He has no right to be in the Land of the Living. His soul must be purged."

"No!" exclaimed Orihime. "You can't kill him! I won't let you!"

"He is not alive, Inoue Orihime," argued Tōshirō. "He is already dead. He belongs with the dead, not with the living."

"But ... he belongs with me," replied Orihime, struggling to keep her voice firm. "And I belong with him!"

"Orihime-chan, you can still see him," smiled Rangiku encouragingly, seeming to reach a happy conclusion in her own mind. "Remember that he'll just be going to Soul Society now where he'll be whole again. And when you come to visit us there, you can find him! Who knows? Maybe he'll even become a Shinigami taichō himself in time! Won't you be proud of him then?"

"I don't want to see him as a Shinigami!" cried Orihime. "I want him here with me now! I don't want him to go to Soul Society!"

"That isn't your choice," stated Tōshirō. "His soul must be purged. A Hollow cannot remain on this plane of existence. It is the duty of the Shinigami to send him to the next world."

"It's not right!" exclaimed Orihime. "What you're doing isn't right! He's kind now; he's a good person. You can't just kill him!"

"Orihime-chan, he's not going to die," soothed Rangiku, laying a comforting hand on her friend's head. "His soul will go to Soul Society where it belongs. This isn't a goodbye."

"Do not give her false hope," came the calm voice of the Espada.

"Eh?" asked Rangiku curiously. "You know that that's what will happen. How is it false hope?"

"A Hollow who is slain by a Shinigami's Zanpakutō is sent to the Soul Society," replied Ulquiorra quietly, "or to Hell."

The Shinigami looked at him in surprise.

"As I said," repeated Ulquiorra. "Do not give her false hope. You yourself cannot know where my soul will be sent when you purge it."

"You should know," growled Hitsugaya. "And if you are a soul bound for Hell, then all the more reason for us to send you on your way. You have no right to exist in this world."

"No!" exclaimed Orihime. "You can't! He's not like that anymore. He's not evil. Please!"

"Orihime," soothed Rangiku, "whatever he did as a Hollow doesn't matter. The Zanpakutō can──"

"──can purge all sins committed after death," interrupted Ulquiorra. "All of my actions as a Hollow, as an Arrancar, and as an Espada, will be meaningless. It is only my actions before my death that will matter."

The Shinigami again looked at him silently.

"Is there something that you'd like to tell her about that?" asked Hitsugaya. "Something, perhaps, that she doesn't know about you?"

"You misunderstand me," answered Ulquiorra. "The truth is simple: I myself do not know where I will be sent. Some Hollows retain the memories of their past life after their Hollow transformation, but most do not. I am one who does not. I have no memory of my life as a human, therefore I have no way of knowing whether I will go to Soul Society or to Hell when my soul is purged. I will say it again: do not give her false hope. It is possible that she and I will meet in Soul Society at some time, but it is also possible that, when you slay me, she and I will never see each other again."

Orihime tightened her grip on him, pressing her face into his chest as she struggled to hold back her tears. "I won't let you go!" she whispered. "I want to stay with you forever!"

"Well, there goes my strongest argument," pouted Rangiku with a shrug. "Still, there's a chance, you know."

"It's true that there is no guarantee," sighed Hitsugaya. "But this still changes nothing. You are a Hollow; your soul must be purged. You cannot remain in the Land of the Living."

"No," came Orihime's soft voice. "I won't let you take him!"

"You cannot stop the decree of the Gotei 13, Inoue Orihime. You can fight against us, but you would be spitting into the wind. In the end, you yourself may be hurt."

"I'd rather you killed me!" she cried vehemently. "Take my soul, if you have to take someone. Leave him!"

"Orihime," whispered Ulquiorra reprovingly.

"I can't lose you again," whimpered Orihime, gripping him tightly. "I can't. Not again."

Ulquiorra stroked her hair gently, looking down at her in silence as the four kidō warriors around the room shifted uncomfortably. Hachi looked to Tōshirō for instruction, but the latter did not acknowledge him. Rangiku too looked at her captain, saying nothing. Tōshirō waited for a short time, considering, and then opened his mouth.

"Shinigami Taichō," came Ulquiorra's voice, before the other could speak.

"Eh?" asked Hitsugaya.

"How old are you?"

"What?!" exclaimed Tōshirō, clearly offended at the question.

Ulquiorra lifted his calm, powerful gaze to meet the icy blue eyes of the little Shinigami before him.

"How old are you?" he repeated.

"What difference?" retorted the other, speaking through his teeth.

"I would guess that you are under a century," continued Ulquiorra. "But I would guess that you are, by far, the youngest Shinigami present. Would I be incorrect?"

"What is your point?" demanded the other.

"Inoue Orihime is human. She has, most likely, fifty or sixty more years to live in this world. Allow me to remain with her for that time. I will not cause trouble for Soul Society. I will not harm the humans here in the Land of the Living, neither those alive nor dead. I will remain by her side only. If you will grant this, then I promise you this likewise: at the end of Orihime's life, when a Shinigami comes to perform the Konsō on her soul, I will allow him to purge mine also. I do not ask that you disregard your orders; I do not ask to be spared; I ask only that you grant me a temporary reprieve. What difference is half a century to the Shinigami? It will come and pass as nothing."

"Ulquiorra," breathed Orihime quietly.

Tōshirō was quiet, considering. It was clear from the creases in his forehead that he didn't like this suggestion. However, he didn't like his other options either. In truth, he knew that he didn't have the ultimate right to make this decision. Unless...

"If I refuse," he said slowly, "then what will you do?"

Ulquiorra looked back at him with a calm, expressionless countenance. His voice was again a perfect monotone as he replied, "Then I will fight for my life ... for the sake of Inoue Orihime."

Orihime turned her head also to look Hitsugaya-taichō in the eye. "And I will fight at his side," she said firmly. "I won't let you take him."

Matsamoto gave a sigh of romantic contentment, watching the two young people in each other's arms, vowing to protect each other until the end. This, however, served only to annoy Tōshirō even further.

"That decision is not mine to make," he said at last. "Yamamoto-Taichō and the Gotei 13 would have to make that decision, and I would not suggest that you hold any hope on that count."

"Tōshirō-kun," pleaded Orihime, turning to face him. "Would you take me to them? Would you let me speak with them?"

"No," replied Tōshirō firmly. "Yamamoto-Taichō would not approve of you coming to him unbidden, and you, as a human, would have no say in the decisions of the Gotei 13 regardless." He sighed. Looking again at Ulquiorra, he asked, "Have you the strength to fight us now if we refuse to leave?"

"I would fight for Inoue Orihime, even if I had no strength."

"Our orders are to capture you and to send you to the next world," stated Tōshirō firmly. "Whether that is to Soul Society or to Hell is irrelevant; I cannot disobey my orders."

"Taichō──" began Matsamoto.

"But," Tōshirō cut her off suddenly, "if, through our own carelessness in under-estimating the will of Inoue-san in her desire to defend you, it happened that you were to escape and that we were not able to find you, then we would have no choice but to report back to Soul Society and request new orders."

Ulquiorra eyed him silently.

"We would, of course, report all that you have said and requested to the Commander General, and he would then decide what would be done. But remember," continued Tōshirō, frowning darkly now, "if the orders remain unchanged, then it will likely be a stronger captain who is sent the next time: one less willing to talk."

"I understand." Ulquiorra gave a single nod.

"Tōshirō-kun," breathed Orihime, beaming at him through half-dried tears. "You're letting him go?"

In response, Tōshirō merely smirked. "Of course not," he replied. "I must follow my orders, as I stated." Turning again to Hachi, he said firmly, "Prepare another binding kidō."

Rangiku gasped, but it was not at her captain's words. Tōshirō merely rolled his eyes and frowned at his subordinate's surprise as the human and the Hollow before them suddenly vanished. After all, what had she expected?

"Attempt to locate them," Hitsugaya ordered in a bored voice, turning to leave the room. "Report back to me here in one hour."

The four kidō warriors bowed and left quickly. Rangiku alone followed her captain out onto the balcony. Standing there in the night air, Tōshirō crossed his arms silently, looking up at the stars.

"Taichō," smiled Matsamoto. "You can be romantic."

"You're not exempt from the order, Matsamoto," growled the little Shinigami. "Go and try to find the Arrancar. Remember: if we return in failure, it may not go well for us."

"Taichō! You may be the sweetest man I know!" Matsamoto gave him a beautiful smile before disappearing herself, moving quickly before he could yell at her in frustration.

Left alone, Tōshirō closed his eyes and sighed wearily. He knew that he ought to obey his orders; he knew that what he had been instructed to do was right. And yet, somehow, he felt that a delay of half a century would not be too much to ask. After all, the Espada had not tried to escape when he was given the chance: he had chosen to protect Orihime, even at the expense of his own life. If his actions were not deceiving (and Tōshirō couldn't see how they could be in this case), then he was speaking the truth. He wanted to stay with Inoue Orihime, and that was all. It seemed very likely that that was, in fact, his only reason for being here. And if that was the case, then a simple delay in the purging of his soul could be allowed perhaps.

Tōshirō could only hope that the rest of the Gotei 13 might agree.

A/N: I know that a lot of people have written about Ulquiorra's pre-Hollow life; I also know that some Hollows retain their memories from pre-death. However, not all do, and I think it clear, if you pay attention to Ulquiorra's conversations, that the Cuatro Espada does not remember his. It is clear that he has no memory of what it was like to actually be a human.