This also started out as a single chapter. However, it quickly became clear to that it was going to end up being longer than was planned. It was just a matter of expanding upon the existing content and adding a few scenes here and there- mostly building up the characters and settings they inhabit.

A want to express my thanks to taity and RG-Guest for their continued feedback, and also to welcome newcomers Jc1009 and Lhisawesome4ever.

TO FORGE A
BETTER TOMORROW

Chapter XXXI:
"Couples' Holiday, Part 2"

The Living Realm, Karakura...

Orihime and Ulquiorra watched intently as the movie continued. It turned out that after his banishment, Connor had started over, and even gotten married to a woman named Heather.

The two lived happily in the Scottish countryside. And with the benefit of time, it seemed that Connor had successfully put his dark and troubled past behind him as he embraced this new life. However, their peaceful uneventful lives were disturbed one day by the arrival of a most unusual visitor.

The man appeared in a grand fashion, riding upon white horse, clad in exotic clothing: an embroidered burgundy doublet coat and matching breaches, leather riding gloves and boots, flowing mantle adorned with peacock feathers, and a burgundy cavalier's hat with a plume of peacock feathers. He dismounted his steed, a sword was visible at his hip as he introduced himself with a bow and flourish.

"Greetings. I am Juan Sanchez Villa Lobos Ramirez, Chief Metallurgist to King Carlos of Spain."

Physically speaking, the man looked to be in his fifties, with a head of graying hair pulled back into a ponytail, though his eyebrows were full and dark, along with his mustache and the triangular patch on his chin. And, despite his Spanish name, he spoke with a pronounced Scottish accent...

"Something about that actor looks familiar..." Orihime murmured aloud. Though, it wouldn't be until later that she worked out who he was, given her age and upbringing.

Ramirez, as he came to be called, went on to enlighten Connor to the nature of his new existence as an "Immortal", revealing that he himself was Immortal, and that there were others like them- including the man who had tried to kill him years earlier during the battle with the Fraziers.

"He is known as the 'Kurgan', after the name of his people, a race of vicious warriors believed to have originated in Russia, who migrated into Europe. It's said that they would throw children into pits and watch starving dogs fight over them for entertainment."

As the film went on, Orihime perked up again. "You know something," the redhead began, smiling as she turned to Ulquiorra. "I kept thinking that the Kurgan reminded me of someone, but I couldn't quite figure who it was..." She explained, pausing the movie. "And then, it hit me just now."

"And what conclusion did you reach?" He inquired casually.

"Grimmjow, he reminds me of Grimmjow!" She announced triumphantly. "I mean, just think about it." Orihime continued, as if in response to the look Ulquiorra was giving her. "He's big and scary, and has a deep voice, and he's violent and likes fighting." The young woman offered.

He gave a short, dismissive chuckle at this. "Perhaps, to a degree..." The dark-haired Arrancar sharing the couch with her conceded. "The Sexta Espadacertainly never hesitated to go strutting about in search of an excuse to fight." Ulquiorra went on . "Though, Grimmjow was nowhere near as proficient in the art of actually fighting with a sword as the Kurgan is depicted as being."

This time, it was Orihime who laughed. "You know, thinking back to then," she started, as she wiped her eyes. "I'm a bit surprised you and Grimmjow didn't end up fighting sooner." She admitted, before getting to her feat to stretch her arms and back. "But you know something else?"

Orihime turned to face him, looking him in the eyes. "Connor kind of reminds me of you- a romantic hero wielding a sword." She announced with a bright smile.

Ulquiorra actually rolled his eyes. "You seem to be confusing your fairytale archetypes." He countered dismissively, meeting her gaze. "From what I understand, the hero doesn't kidnap the princess and lock her away in a cell. That's the villain's role, I'm afraid." He remarked.

She frowned at his dismissal, but was undeterred. "Maybe so, but you- of all people- should appreciate that I am no ordinary princess." Orihime replied resolutely. "And in our story, you may have started out as the monster..." She continued, surprising him as she climbed into his lap. "But our story doesn't end like all the others do." She went on, blushing at her own boldness.

One of his hands came to the small of her back, and the other to her knee, his green eyes now fixed on her as she relaxed in his hold. "Over time, the Princess realized that the Monster had a heart, and so she stopped looking out the window of her tower for a knight to come for her... Because she'd already been saved without realizing it." She trembled slightly as his hand glided up her arm, to her cheek.

Orihime placed a hand over his. "Because, as the Princess got to know him, it turned out the so-called monster who took her away was really the hero she'd been waiting for all along."

His eyes smoldered with emotions that only this woman could bring fourth. "You forgot to mention the final part of the story... perhaps the most significant part." Ulquiorra replied softly, his words laced with affection as he looked into her eyes. "The part at the end, when the Princess realizes how powerful she is, and saves him from the jaws of death itself."

She smiled at the veiled compliment. "Oh, but that wasn't the end of the story." Orihime replied as she looked longingly into eyes. "In fact, that was the start of a new story, their story... And as for the rest, well, it just hasn't been written yet." She finished, as she leaned in to kiss him.

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

The Soul Realm...

Renji's scarlet hair was pulled back into its distinctive foxtail, with his burgundy headband covering his forehead, clad in a simple light blue yukata- held in place with a dark blue hekko sash. His crimson hair fluttered as he took a swing with his arm, striking the ping-pong ball and sending it bouncing across the table with a *click-clack* sound, toward his opponent.

Soifon, who was dressed in a similar light blue yukata, swung her paddle, hitting the small plastic ball and and sending the white orb sailing over the net dividing the hard green table, toward the Lieutenant across from where she stood. The petite woman narrowed her dark eyes in concentration as he sent the ping-pong ball back her way, her hair fluttering as she moved sideways to deflect it back.

Soifon's robe hung loose on her slender frame, though she'd made sure to secure her upper body with a sarashi prior to the match, so as to maintain both comfort and modesty. Presently, as the two Shinigami played their game, Arachne watched from the sidelines, smiling and encouraging them both to have a good match. At the same time, the door at the end of the room opened as Ggio returned.

The feline sidled up next to Arachne, handing her a drink and cracking open one of his own as the two Arrancar watched their partners and cheered. Arachne had suggested the four of them take advantage of their shared time-off, reasoning that it would be a good opportunity for them to 'spread their wings and make new friends'. One of the reasons that Soifon and Renji wound up facing off against one another at the table was because both Arrancar insisted that facing off against their respective lovers would be too much of a distraction for them... And sadly, both Shinigami knew this was true.

In Renji's case, the tattooed male was worried about the prospect of some part of Arachne's generous figure slipping out of her yukata if she moved too vigorously. While in Soifon's case, the lithe woman knew that Ggio could easily loose himself simply in her elegance while watching her. And after being involved in cross-race relationships, both the two Shinigami had become quite familiar in coping with the various (and often insatiable) drives of Hollows.

Finally, after much back-and-forth, Soifon delivered what would be the definitive swing of the game, sending the the ping-pong sailing past Renji and securing victory.

Ggio cheered excitedly for Soifon, while Renji caught his breath. "Good work Captain." He declared graciously, offering the petite woman a smile. "I probably should have known better than to pit myself against the agility and reaction-time of the head of the Stealth Corps."

Soifon grinned proudly at her victory, as Ggio appeared to hand her a bottle, which she wasted little time in uncapping and taking a long drink from.

"Don't worry, stud!" Arachne called out. "You're still the best where it really matters!"

Renji's face flushed dark red at the innuendo, and Soifon looked as if she was suppressing the urge to snicker at the suggestiveness, while Ggio just looked at him sympathetically. "Anyway," the tattooed man resumed, clearing his throat. "As agreed, the next round of drinks is on me."

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Orihime and Ulquiorra watched as the Kurgan killed Ramirez in the past time line. The young woman had invariably bawled her eyes out as Connor was forced to watch as his wife Heather died of old age while he remained unchanged- all to the heartrending tune of Queen's Who Wants to Live Forever.

In the present, the Kurgan- now clad in a ratty black leather jacket and motorcycle chaps, with gloves and boots- took Connor's new girlfriend as a hostage to draw the other man out for a final battle in the abandoned Silver Cup Studio. Everything came down to this one final battle, as the last two Immortals would cross swords one last time to see who would claim "The Prize".

The battle between the two men was epic, verging on operatic in scope, as over four hundred and fifty years of conflict finally came to a head... With the larger, stronger and more vicious Kurgan squaring off against Connor, who had (as Ramirez had said) "heart, faith, and steel" on his side.

After the movie came to an end, Ulquiorra then revealed- much to Orihime's surprise- that the film actually had two sequels! Though, they would have to wait for another time, as the two had navigated their way onto the roof of the building, where they had laid out a blanked in order to watch the sky...

As if by an act of providence, their first anniversary happened to coincide with a meteor shower, and they'd agreed that watching it would be the perfect close to their night. And so, Orihime and Ulquiorra were relaxing on the blue and white checkered blanket, eyes cast up toward the stars. For the Arrancar, every day spent with the woman was a chance to learn, a chance to better understand the growing depth of his feelings for her, and just much she meant to him.

And after spending this last year with her, he'd gradually gained an appreciation for what some people might call the 'simple joys' that such a life had to offer. True, when he was first trying to come to grips with the distinctly non-Hollow feelings he harbored towards the human female, the first name he'd put to them was "lust". But now, he realized that it was more than just mere physical attraction- not that that wasn't part of it, as she was quite a lovely creature- but something deeper.

And while he still struggled to put a name to what he felt, the initial undercurrent of urgency had since been tempered with a patience that came with time and experience. And while part of him still stirred at the thought of making love to her, the early frenzied desire had abated... Though not entirely, as he was still a Hollow and possessing of the drives and instincts that came with such an existence. Regardless of this, he'd made the conscious decision no to allow his nature to define him.

After all, he was free to chose now, to forge his own path.

He was now living as a human, and he could afford to take his time and enjoy this new life of his at a more relaxed pace. He was content with this life, just as he was presently content to simple lie back and enjoy her company and as listen to the woman speak. However, when he failed to register her sudden silence, Orihime then began wonder if the Arrancar next to her was truly listening to her or not...

The next thing he knew, Ulquiorra heard the sound of the blanket rustling next to him, then a shadow fell upon him as she appeared above, smiling down at him. He saw something mischievous play across her brown eyes, prompting him to speak up. "Something on your mind?" He asked impassively.

The sunset-haired girl's smile never faltered as she looked at him, and his green eyes widened slightly just as she leaned down to kiss him. After a moment, she pulled away. "Just making sure that you were paying attention, that's all." She replied impishly, just as he moved a hand to her waist and cupped her cheek with the other, pulling her down against him for another kiss...

After spending enough time with the woman, the now-disguised Espada had come to find a number of things about her quite appealing. In particular, her 'humanity' intrigued him: from her gentleness, to her ability to remain strong and resolute even when faced with grave danger. This was something he knew from personal experience, as he'd once been the source of that danger to her. It seemed so alien to him now to consider that there had been a time when he'd looked down her...

Orihime gave a slight yelp of surprise as he effortlessly shifted both their weights in a single role to the side, so that he was now hovering over her. The thick locks of his inky black hair drooped down around his face, partly obscuring his features, though she could still make out his intense green eyes- including the subtle blue coronas encircling the two emerald pools.

Briefly, the young redhead thought to herself that he was in need of a hair cut, but this was quashed by the poignant mix of vulnerability and excitement she felt, 'trapped' beneath him. She noted quietly that he seemed pleased with himself- more so as Orihime's blush returned to her lovely face, as the Espada gave her a rare smile that was totally genuine.

He leaned in, eager to resume the rather pleasurable kiss they'd started, only for her gaze to suddenly veer away, toward the night sky. "Look!" Orihime exclaimed, much to his annoyance. "Quick, make a wish!" She instructed excitedly, in time for a star to sail over them. Ulquiorra followed her line of sight, just as the first star's fellows followed it in short order, lighting up the night.

Reigning his urges back in, he watched the shower of stars pass over them, surprised with himself as he lay on the blanket, above the woman. "What did you wish for?" Ulquiorra asked, looking back to her.

"Take a guess." Orihime countered playfully.

"There's no need." Ulquiorra replied after a moment. "I can't imagine it being all that much different from what I would have wished for in your place." He finished, silencing her with a kiss.

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Soifon relaxed, letting out a sigh as she made herself comfortable on the cushion she was seated on, in the corner of the inn's dining hall. She was seated at a low rectangular table, about 3'x6', situated atop a layer of tatami mats. The petite woman was presently waiting the arrival of the other three members of the dinner party quartet she had found herself a part of...

Somehow, their discreet getaway had morphed into a shared holiday. Thankfully, however, the sudden addition of Renji and Arachne wasn't the intrusion she initially feared it to be. As a rule, Soifon valued her privacy, even more so when it came to her romantic life. And she knew from first-hand experience that some of her colleagues were not the most tactful or discreet people.

So the fact that things were working out as they were was probably due in no small part due to the fact that the other couple had come to the place for the same reasons as herself and Ggio...

The petite woman reflected on her life as a Shinigami, of her position as a Captain of one of the Elite Court Guards, and her relationship with Ggio. Speaking of which, Soifon observed how well her lover was getting along with Lieutenant Abarai. Previously, she'd never given much thought to being friends with the other Officers. And yet, here was this Arrancar, one of the creatures her kind had been fighting and trying to cleanse for thousands of years, smiling and happily getting along with one of them.

Though, could this really be considered a surprising development? After all, the Lieutenant shared his bed with an Arrancar. So, it was hardly a stretch of of the imagination that he would have little trouble socializing with them. Still, she noted that since Renji had gotten involved with Arachne, that the man had undergone a subtle but clear change in his demeanor- he was far more confident and upbeat, and this improvement hadn't gone unnoticed by those around him.

Soifon had reflected upon the nature of the similar changes she had observed within herself during the last year, and concluded Ggio's presence was a major factor in this. She was certainly happier, and had found it easier to remain in the presence of others when she would have previously walked away from or rejected outright as a matter of principle. And she realized that the change in her was a positive one.

"Sorry to leave you alone, Soifon." Ggio commented as he sat down next to her.

She blushed at the remark. "Oh please," the woman replied indignantly. "It'll take more than just a few minutes apart for me start missing you." Soifon admonished the grinning Arrancar.

"Aw, don't be like that, Soifon." Ggio protested. "I always miss you when we're apart." He practically purred at her, making her blush as he nuzzled up to her.

Across the table from them- Arachne, her arm coiled around Renji's muscular frame- grinned toothily at the cat-like Arrancar's antics. "How adorable." She commented. "You two make such a cute couple... Well, not as cute as Renji and me, but still very cute." The crimson-eyed woman remarked.

Renji smiled boyishly at Arachne's comment, as the female Arrancar picked up a freshly-opened bear bottle and filled both their glasses with the amber liquid. Ggio made himself similarly comfortable next to Soifon as he handed her cup of sake. "Here you go", he spoke as he poured himself a cup.

One of the hostesses, a woman dressed in the blue kimono of the inn and holding a notepad, appeared and took their orders, then gave a short bow to them before departing.

Soifon downed the contents of the cup, helping to ease her nerves a bit. "Let me refill your cup." Ggio offered, having watched the woman beside effortlessly drink the entire contents. Just as he leaned in, her eyes toward cup, he moved in close to steal a kiss on her cheek!

Soifon had half a mind to smack the tiger for his impertinence, but her ire was swiftly damped by the sound of Arachne's amused laughter, while Renji tried to use his beer glass to hide his face. She glared at the Fraccion, but Ggio just gave her the disarming boyish smile he was so good at.

Moments later, the tension was finally broken by the clatter of the tray approaching them, it wheeling effortlessly across the floor. All four of the people seated at the table turned to the server as she arrived at their table. "Here's the plate of yakitori you guys ordered." She announced as she set the platter of chicken and mixed-vegetable skewers down in the center. "Your meals will be ready soon."

As the woman turned to leave, Arachne wasted no time in grabbing one of the skewers, which she then set upon hungrily, gripping the skewer in one hand as her sharper teeth made short work of the sizzling pieces of meat and vegetables impaled on the thin metal 'spear'. Renji noted silently, while eating from his own skewer, that a lot of the Arrancar- or at least the few that he spent any time with- all seemed to have slightly more pronounced canines (as well as the teeth directly ahead and after them).

But then, he supposed, that when you evolved in a place like Huecco Mundo, having sharper teeth for biting was simply an unfortunate necessity for surviving there. The red-haired Shinigami had noted that Ggio's own teeth were much the same, though not as pronounced as Arachne's. But then, she was also a larger and more powerful Arrancar... Just how powerful, he wasn't sure.

Just as she'd promised, it wasn't long before the server rolled her tray up to their table...

Renji was the first to receive his food, a full-sized bowl of beef and rice gyūdon set down before him, This was followed by Arachne's plate of Teriyaki beef, served with a bowl of udon noodles. After that, Soifon received her kinpira gobo burdock noddles and stir-fried rice and miso soup. And then, Ggio's poached mackerel nizakana in a bowl sweet soy-sauce.

The four of them began digging into their food. "Hey Ggio," Renji started casually, as he picked up a piece of beef and rice with his chopsticks. "Just out of curiosity..." He paused to chew and swallow it, before resuming. "Why were you so eager to order the mackerel?"

"Huh?" The feline Arrancar replied dumbly, before registering. "Oh! Even though I initially came to the Soul Realm as part of Aizen's forces, it was instantly clear to me that there was just so much more here than in my world." He explained as he took a bight of fish.

"He's right." Arachne chimed in, taking a swig from her glass. "Huecco Mundo... Heh, it really is the perfect name- a 'Hollow World', filled with Hollow People." She remarked somberly, setting her glass back down on the table. "For us, it's like a dream, to have come from that empty land, to this land- full of abundance- that your kind calls home." The Arrancar finished, picking up some udon.

Renji looked at her for a moment. "Arachne...?"

"But that was the past." Ggio interjected, his tone hopeful. "I came from a life where I knew only the endless darkness of an unchanging moon and the unreal light of a false sun... No horizons, no sunrises or sunsets, where the sky above me had boundaries." He continued. "But here, it's different, there's so much to know experience... Including the woman that captivated me."

Soifon felt her resolve weaken. "Oh Ggio..." She murmured, shaking her head. "When you put it like that, you make it all sound so... so romantic." She replied, trying to reign her emotions in. "But the first time we met, was in battle, as enemies no less!" The woman reminded. "Frankly, you're damned lucky, considering all the times I could have just killed you- during and after the war!"

"But you didn't." He replied, taking her hand in both of his. "I like to think that it's because I'm so endearing... and how good looking I am." Ggio added the last part with smile, kissing the woman on the knuckles and causing her cheeks to once more flush scarlet.

"You're such a tease!" Soifon replied. "You're gonna regret this later tonight."

Ggio grinned at the 'threat'. "Promises, promises." He countered coyly.

Arachne's smile had returned as the couple across from them bantered adorably back and forth, while she plucked a piece of the seasoned beef from her plate and put in her mouth. "That's Interesting," she began after swallowing. "The first time we met was when I encountered Renji in Huecco Mundo, and he'd just skillfully evaded my attack." The female Arrancar explained. "After the dust cleared, and I'd got a proper look at him... Well, right away, I wanted to get to know him better."

Renji just smiled and shook his head. "I've always loved the fact that you've never been shy when it comes to what you want. In fact, I find it very attractive." He remarked coolly. "We've been together for a while now, long enough for me to see the many varying shades of the person you are."

He then paused. "And you can be surprisingly sentimental at times." Renji continued with a smile, as the Arrancar's eyes widened as he spoke. "To think that you, of people, would be the sort to be brought to tears the first time you watched the sun rising." The Shinigami revealed slyly, still smiling, just as Arachne's face flushed a similar shade to her deep crimson eyes.

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Rangiku was sitting in a small cafe, as she looked at Orihime's cellphone, flipping through a series of pictures of the young woman's pair of Zebra finches. "W-wait..." She paused suddenly. "Those are your Shun Shun Rikka fairies." She commented, stopping on an image of the fairies happily interacting with 'Ulqui-kun' and 'Hime-chan', except for a bored-looking Tsubaki.

"Yeah, they seem to have a natural affinity when it comes to animals." Orihime replied, while sitting across from the table from the gorgeous strawberry-blonde. "Sort of like how children and animals can naturally see spirits, while only some people can see them after they reach a certain age." The redhead reasoned with a smile. "The fairies say they can 'understand' Ulqui-kun and Hime-chan..." She paused momentarily. "I kind of wish I could understand them too... But maybe that's part of the charm."

"The charm?" Rangiku inquired, as she stirred her drink.

"Oh, you know, the fact that I don't really know what they're actually thinking." The younger woman replied, still smiling. "It might not be as much fun if I could just walk up to the cage and talk to them- like I would with people." Orihime continued thoughtfully. "Maybe what you don't know is part what makes the experience of pet ownership special? It gives you something to wonder about."

"I hadn't really considered that." The older woman answered. "On one hand, the fact that I'm able to understand Haineko is crucial to using my Zanpakuto." Rangiku offered. "But I could see how having that kind of rapport with everything might diminish how we experience life, I suppose."

"Still," the buxom Lieutenant went on, casually taking a sip of her latte. "There's times when I wish I knew what Toshiro was thinking." Rangiku added, not really registering the significance of what she'd inferred to the woman she was presently sharing drinks with.

Orihime smiled inwardly as she took a drink from her raspberry frappe. "Rangiku-san." The sunset-haired girl began gently. "Are you and Toshiro-kun... together?"

The woman's stormy blue eyes went wide. "Crap!" She cursed aloud, visibly blushing as she finally processed the slip-up she'd just made in front of the teen girl looking intently at her. "Oh, well, now I've really gone and done it... The Captain's not going to happy about this." She lamented.

Her eyes went straight to her drink, once again stirring it.

However, Orihime just smiled. "Rangiku-san..." She started. "Please. I'm not going to go spreading the details of your personal life around." The girl offered reassuringly. "Honestly, I think it's sweet that the two of you are happy together... And after everything you two have been through, don't you think you and Toshiro have earned that happiness, regardless of what anyone might think?"

There was a moment of silence, before she looked back up from the cup. "Yes." The Shinigami replied in a resolute tone. "I'm done grieving what I've lost... I want to enjoy what I have." Rangiku continued, giving a small smile as she went on. "Toshiro has always been there for me, no matter what happened, supporting me and helping me to keep going... The one constant in my life."

"Still..." the redhead started. "I already had my suspicions that there might be something between you and Toshiro-kun, and I doubt that I'm the only one." Orihime reasoned. "And at some point, the people around you are going to start reaching the same conclusion." She paused. "But even if they didn't, I can't imagine that you two plan on keeping this a secret forever."

Rangiku shook her head at this. "Personally, I'd like to think I'd be okay with people knowing... I mean, it's not like we're doing anything we should be ashamed of." She replied. "But, for the moment at least, Toshiro would rather keep it under wraps... And I understand. He doesn't want our privates lives to end up potentially complicating our professional lives as Captain and Lieutenant of the Tenth."

"Though, in spite of his age, Toshiro-kun is still a guy." Orihime pointed out. "And I can't imagine it's easy for him to stay quiet and not react to all the attention you must get from other men."

The other woman blushed in a sudden moment of realization. Even though the two of them were in a romantic relationship, Rangiku had never really given much thought to the idea that her Captain could harbor jealous or possessive feelings in regard to herself. As she thought about, the more the prospect excited her, to think that he could get so worked over her!

"Speak for yourself, Hime." Rangiku countered, shifting the focus away. "Considering that Ulquiorra is a Hollow, wouldn't he view the guys around you as 'competition'?"

Orihime shook her head. "We have an... understanding." She began. "And it's not as if he has to prove himself to anyone, since he's the only guy that I'm interested in- and he knows that." The curvy redhead continued, blushing faintly. "Plus, he's been around both Ishida-san and Chad-san plenty of times, and he doesn't seem to consider them as competition... for what it's worth."

"Well, that's good, I suppose." Rangiku replied.

"On a lighter note," Orihime began, taking a drink of her frappe. "I'm in total agreement with you when it comes to what guys are trying to say and what they're actually saying."

"Half the time, they hardly say anything at all." Rangiku replied. "And yet... They end up in a tiff when we don't know what they want, as if they expect us to be able to read their minds."

(- End of Chapter XXXI... -)