"Orihime, there's something else I have to tell you," the Espada said, taking a step towards the unnerved female. He reached out and wrapped his pale fingers around the girl's delicate hand, pulling her towards him. He then leaned down and pressed his frozen, dark lips against her soft, pink ones. The feeling of his loving kiss upon her lips instantly soothed the girl, allowing her anxious beating heart to slow down to its normal pace.
She had missed his affectionate kisses the most. Orihime closed her hazy eyes as she relaxed into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. Ulquiorra continued to kiss her tenderly until he pulled away to whisper softly in her ear, "I know something that Lord Aizen doesn't. If we play our cards very carefully, there might be a way to save your life."
Orihime was about to say something before he silenced her again with another loving kiss. He would do anything he could to save her life. No matter what the cost.
The Espada pulled away slowly, leaving the girl breathless and begging for more. Orihime looked up at him with her bright, gray eyes, curious as to what he had to tell her.
"Since my absence from you, I have been conducting a lot of research in Szayel's lab. Were you aware that your friends had taken his life?" Ulquiorra began, placing his hands back in his pockets. Orihime nodded slowly as she fidgeted with the hem of her sleeves again. She also knew that her nakama had defeated several other Espada including the grotesque Nnoitra Jiruga and even Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez.
"As I said, I have been conducting a lot of research using his laboratory. I gained access to his records and found an infinite number of experiments concerning you," the pallid male told her. Orihime began to feel a rush of uneasiness travel through her body. How did Szayel conduct experiments on her? She had never been in his laboratory before.
"Before you ask, I will inform you that various cameras have been placed in your room. It didn't take Szayel very long to find out that you and I had been courting each other. Fortunately for us, I'm sure he believed it had to do with Lord Aizen's orders. Either way, I do not believe that anyone other than Szayel has watched the videos that monitor your room," Ulquiorra continued, watching as the girl grew pale in the face.
"T-there's video cameras in my room? Where are they? How come I never noticed?" the young woman panicked, frantically scanning the room with her eyes to find anything that looked remotely suspicious.
"They are too small to be detected by the human eye. Either way, it matters not anymore. I cut off the power source of the cameras in the laboratory. However, I can tell you that he did observe you rather often while he was still alive," the male explained as he ran his fingers through his dark hair.
Orihime's stomach began to churn unpleasantly as she tried to shake the thought from her mind. She never truly despised Szayel Aporro Granz but she never did have the opportunity to get to know him. After all, she wasn't there in Hueco Mundo to socialize and make friends. Even so, the thought of him watching her everyday as she paced around her tiny prison cell unnerved her. He probably watched her change clothes, too. Her cheeks began to flare up slightly as she buried her face in her hands. "How embarrassing!" She whimpered softly.
Ulquiorra sighed lightly as he watched the distressed woman. What did it matter, anyways? The Eighth Espada was soundly defeated and all of her secrets died away with him. "Do not stress yourself out, woman. There is still more to tell you. He indirectly conducted many experiments on you and through that I was able to find out some very valuable information."
Orihime peered out her eyes from in between her fingers, shyly looking at her Arrancar lover. "What's that?"
"Those healing powers of yours—the power to reject an object's existence—might be the key to saving your life from the barbaric infant that will be trapped within your womb. Nothing is for certain yet, but once the baby is in development, you might be able to negate the child's existence to a certain extent," Ulquiorra stated as he watched the girl closely. Orihime's arms dropped down to her sides as a puzzled look formed upon her attractive face.
"You mean I can give myself an abortion with my powers? But doesn't that defeat the purpose of getting me pregnant anyways?" Orihime wrinkled up her nose at the thought. No, Orihime did not like the thought of giving birth to a deranged human/Arrancar hybrid but no matter what species it would be, the baby was still hers. The thought of killing a child that she and Ulquiorra created together just didn't sit right with her.
"Not exactly, Orihime," Ulquiorra said softly, reaching up his hand to move a delicate strand of orange hair from her face. "With your powers, you can reject the child's existence to a certain extent. What I mean is that you might have the ability to erase all forms of Arrancar DNA within the child, producing a simple human baby. Even if you are unable to completely reject the child's beastly DNA entirely, you could probably reduce it to an amount that would still enable you to live."
Orihime's eyes enlarged at the thought of this. Surely it wasn't that easy. All she had to do was get pregnant, summon her Sotten Kisshun powers, and she would be fine? But that still didn't solve all of their problems.
"Ulquiorra, what will Aizen-sama do when he finds out the baby is just an ordinary human?" the girl asked softly, afraid to hear of her child's fate.
The Espada continued to stroke the girl's cheek tenderly, examining her face carefully. He could clearly tell the woman wasn't in the best of health. She looked pale and tired while her face seemed thinner than usual. She probably hadn't eaten properly in days. What had the replacement caretaker done to make her look this sick?
"Hopefully, we'll have devised a plan by the time your child is born. As I've stated before, this is only a speculation. There has only been one Espada that has ever impregnated a human female before. The results were catastrophic but who's to say it will happen again this time? Should we go down this route, we must be well prepared. Lucky for us, your powers should be just enough to save your life." Ulquiorra pulled the frail woman in a gentle embrace as he stroked her hair again, "Just trust that I will not let anything happen to you."
Orihime couldn't help but sigh as she felt a wave of relief flutter over her. Ulquiorra just happened to have that effect on her. Each and every time she was wrapped securely in his arms, she believed everything would be fine. She inwardly wanted to know just which Espada impregnated a human female. None of them seemed to really have any sexual interest in humans. Well, besides Nnoitra…He was just a simple pervert so his interests didn't count.
"So, what should we do?" Orihime whispered softly, not wanting to pull away from his warm, comforting embrace just yet.
Ulquiorra rested his chin atop her head, focusing his eyes on the concrete floor, "That is not my decision, Orihime. It is yours. The risks are high and even with your healing powers there is still a chance of failure."
Orihime let out a heavy sigh, wrapping her arms around her lover's waist even tighter. She could tell that Ulquiorra was being considerate and was only sugar-coating things. It didn't matter if the child inside of her ended up killing her or not—either way, the result would be the same. If the child was indeed mostly human and did not possess the Heaven-shattering powers that Aizen Sousuke had hoped for, Aizen would end up killing her. If she decided to not get pregnant, Lord Aizen would still kill her.
No matter what choice she made, she was certain to die eventually.
A solemn frown tugged at her lips as she buried her face in his chest, not wanting him to look at her with those tantalizing eyes of his. She knew he also knew that there would be no hope for her as long as Lord Aizen was around. Even if she managed to escape to Karakura Town, her life would still be in peril due to the raging war against Soul Society. If she managed to meet up with Kurosaki-kun and the others, that would mean she would be putting their lives in even more jeopardy.
But there was one option that at least had one positive side to it.
If she got pregnant, Ulquiorra would be spared. Even if she died, she knew Lord Aizen wouldn't dispose of Ulquiorra in the process.
He was all that mattered to her. She could die happy knowing that her beloved Ulquiorra would be safe from harm. Even Kurosaki-kun and the others would be fine. After all, they would have to retreat to the Human World due to the fact that there would be no need to rescue a dead princess.
"I want to have a baby with you," Orihime said softly as she forced a tiny smile. She pulled away from her tight embrace, looking up at him with bright eyes. "I'll do my best to negate the baby's evil traits! And then we'll all escape to the Human World once Soul Society defeats Lord Aizen! And then you and I can get married and be a perfect family! Oh, it's going to be so lovely! You'll really like the Human World—I promise!"
The woman wasn't fooling anybody. Ulquiorra could see right through her fake exuberance. Even so, he refused to say anything. If Orihime was able to fight against the tears that so desperately wanted to fall, then he would do the same. Orihime's optimistic words made a tiny smile cross over his lips, "I promise everything will be okay."
He would find some way to make sure of it.
"Before we make love again, I need to show you something," the Espada said in a hushed tone, knowing he would eventually regret those very words.
He was almost there. He could feel it.
Ichigo Kurosaki had no choice but to separate from the others and go on without them. What choice did they have? Karakura Town was in great danger.
Byakuya had sent a message to his sister, Rukia, to inform her of the current situation. Apparently Lord Aizen and the remainder of his strongest minions had headed for Karakura Town in hopes to destroy it. All of the captains and lieutenants had quickly dashed to the human realm in order to protect that precious city. Even so, with Aizen Sousuke's strength, they would need all the help they could get…
"Ichigo, this is foolish! There's no way you can save her on your own! Look—I'm just as upset about this as you are but this is what Orihime would want. She would want you to defend her hometown instead of fighting useless Arrancar just to get to her!" Rukia had shouted at him when Ichigo decided to not help them fight alongside the captains.
It wasn't that he didn't care about what happened to Karakura Town. Of course he cared. Everyone he loved was in danger and he knew he needed to do something. But what about Orihime? She was also very dear to him. If he just abandoned all attempts to rescue her then what kind of friend would he be? He couldn't just leave her there to rot when they had already spent so much time and effort to get this far.
"I know but think about it, Rukia! I can only feel the presence of one other Espada here. I'm sure I can defeat him no problem. All I have to do is fight him, grab Orihime, and I'll be on my way back to Karakura Town to fight alongside you guys," Ichigo had said in defense.
After a few moments of arguing, Rukia had decided to let Ichigo go off on his own. She didn't like it, though. After all, this battle would decide the fate of everything. If Aizen and his minions won, Karakura Town and all of its inhabitants would be destroyed. Not to mention what would happen to the whole world…
But that Ichigo sure was a stubborn guy. He would never leave a friend behind. With a heavy sigh, Rukia had watched the carrot top boy run off into the distance to rescue his captive princess.
Ichigo Kurosaki didn't have a doubt in his mind that he would rescue Orihime Inoue. When he had first recklessly jumped into the portal to Hueco Mundo, he knew that he would find a way to reach her no matter what. After he had her safe and sound, he would return to Karakura Town and give Aizen a taste of his own medicine…
"Hold on Orihime, I'm coming," Ichigo mumbled to himself as he dashed through the endless halls of Las Noches.
"Where are we going, Ulquiorra?" Orihime piped out, curiosity filling up her inquiring, silver eyes.
Ulquiorra scooped up the delicate woman in his muscular arms, holding her close to him bridal-style. Orihime's cheeks blushed lightly as he cradled her in his arms securely yet carefully. There was no denying it—Orihime had to be the most attractive female alive. He loved the way her cheeks flared up every time they touched. She had remained sweet and childlike even after Ulquiorra had stolen her innocence. That was yet another thing he loved about the woman.
"It's a secret. Hold on tight," he told her impassively as he dashed out of her room with god-like speed. The intense velocity caused Orihime's head to spin as they practically flew through the halls of Las Noches. She shut her eyes tightly as she buried her faced into Ulquiorra's manly chest, clutching on tightly to the back of his neck in fear that he might drop her. His swift pace was even faster than any roller coaster she had been on. The capabilities of an Espada were never to be underestimated, apparently…
In almost a flash, they had arrived at their destination. When they had come to a standstill, Orihime was unable to tell. She felt nauseas and dizzy from the impact of his speed to the point where she knew she couldn't stand up straight just yet. "Ah, ah, Ulquiorra, don't put me down just yet…" the girl mumbled, slurring out her words.
Ulquiorra stifled a chuckle at the girl's reaction. He had almost completely forgotten that she was just a mere human and was unable to handle his Arrancar strength and momentum. "Forgive me, Orihime. Perhaps that was a little much for you?"
With a nod, Orihime groaned for a moment. When she finally felt her blood circulating normally, she managed to open her hazy eyes. She was a bit startled as to what was before her.
Nothingless. Miles and miles of pure nothingness.
The night sky surrounding them was darker than usual. The young woman could see soft, white sand underneath their feet. The familiar crescent moon hung over head but it everything else felt empty and cold.
"Where are we, Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked softly as she clutched onto his white cloak tighter. The thought of being alone in such an empty void caused her to feel a bit uneasy. The atmosphere surrounding this place seemed darker and more forlorn than her prison cell.
"We are outside of Las Noches. Had we been inside of Las Noches, I would have not been able to show you something," the bleak Espada told her as he set the meager, young woman down to steady herself.
"It's so…empty," Orihime said, stating the obvious. "Just being here makes me feel so melancholy…What do you have to show me?" She managed to straighten herself up, the nausea from her previous "thrill ride" slowly dissipating away.
"I wanted to show you myself. I think it's time you saw the real me," Ulquiorra answered calmly as he slowly slid off his white jacket. The whiteness of his bare chest reflected in the moonlight, causing him to look rather sensual and seductive.
Orihime couldn't help but blush as a small giggle formed in the back of her throat, "Silly, Ulquiorra! I've already seen you naked."
The Espada rolled his eyes at the girl's naivety. She really could be a child at times...
"That's not what I meant, onna," the dark haired male said, stressing the emphasis of the word 'onna'. Orihime just smiled cheerfully in response, rocking back and forth on her toes. "Well, then what is it?"
Ulquiorra stood up straight as he ran his fingers through his thick, ebony hair, "Before I show you, I need for you to summon your Shun Shun Rikka and perform your Santen Kesshun," Ulquiorra commanded firmly, his emerald eyes fixating upon the red haired woman.
Orihime blinked in confusion a few times, puzzled by his odd request. "You mean you want me to put up my shield? Why?" The cold wind blew softly chilling the exposed flesh on her face as it rustled her hair.
"As I said before, I am going to show you my true self. Not even Lord Aizen has seen my final Resurrection Form. I needed to bring you here outside of Las Noches since the overbearing presence of my reiatsu could cause the entire building to collapse," Ulquiorra replied with a serious tone. He knew for a fact he would regret his decision in showing the woman who he truly was.
By showing her his Resurrection form, he was putting everything on the line. The woman would probably find him repulsive and frightening in his beast-like form. She might even run away in fear…
Even so, Orihime deserved to know what she was dealing with should her unborn child obtain any amount of his monstrous DNA. If she decided that she would rather become impregnated by Starrk Coyote and produce a child from his DNA, then that would be her choice. Orihime had every right to make her final decision based on every single detail.
Orihime gulped nervously as she watched her lover bask in the moonlight. "Your…Resurrection form?" The girl found herself repeating back to him. She couldn't help but take an uneasy step back away from him. This was certainly a major leap in their relationship! She had never really seen an Espada's release form but she knew they were powerful and deadly.
"It may be hard to grasp at first but no matter what, I want you toknow that I will not hurt you," Ulquiorra said, breaking the girl's thought process. Although his body changed every time he morphed into his Resurrection Form, he was still the same on the inside. He only hoped Orihime would realize that, too.
Orihime watched Ulquiorra closely as she could see him slowly begin to change. Heeding to his command, she instantly set up her golden shield. "S-Santen Kesshun!" She cried out asher shield of light surrounded her. She could see her lover begin to morph into something far more lethal than she had ever imagined.
At first, it seemed that only his hair, mask, and clothes changed shape. His facial features stayed the same as his green eyes never faltered from her view. His clothes seemed to extend their shape, flowing into an almost dress-like form. His short, cropped hair began to whip in the breeze as it elongated as well, reaching a little past his shoulders now. His usual bone-like structured helmet began to dwindle away, taking the shape of an odd-looking crown that had two sharp horns jutting out from it. The only things that changed upon his facial features were his jade tear marks that appeared to be growing thicker.
The one aspect of Ulquiorra's new form that caused Orihime to quiver in shock was two enormous black wings protruding from his back. Orihime's hands flew up to cover her mouth as she watched her lover in awe. He wasn't as frightening as she would have thought he looked like. In fact, he seemed more elegant and graceful than before.
Orihime took a small step towards him, her eyes never leaving his form. Her golden shield moved along with her with every step she took. Before she could step closer, Ulquiorra raised up his hand to stop her.
"I can see no fear in you, woman. However, this is not the true extent of my power. This is only my first release. I still have one more transformation left," the Espada told her calmly. "I advise you to step back as far as you can and keep your shield up to its maximum power." His green eyes gazed at the woman longingly. This might be the last time the woman looked at him with gentle and kind eyes. He knew she was attracted to his elegant form but she would cower in fear the moment she set her eyes upon his second release.
Orihime did as she was told and took several steps back. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she kept her Santen Kesshun securely placed in front of her. For a moment, Orihime could have sworn she felt the temperature surrounding her drop by twenty degrees. The wind began to blow a bit more furiously, whipping her hair around her face carelessly.
After heaving a small, inaudible sigh, Ulquiorra closed his eyes. Powerful reiatsu whirled around him as blasts of energy sprouted from his body. The Espada was trying his hardest to hold back out of fear that a burst of his spiritual pressure would hit the woman directly, causing significant damage. He only hoped that her shield would be strong enough to protect her…
Moments later, another transformation began to take place in the Espada. Ulquiorra's clothes were instantly ripped off of him as his body began to completely change his shape. He grew immensely taller as his bare legs began to grow a thick, black fur around them. His usual pastel arms began to stretch and change into a darker color as long claws began to form upon his hands. His hair grew a few more inches longer as his wings stretched out freely. A devilish tail whipped around his backside as two white horns replaced where his previous head crest had been. His usual Hollow hole had increased in size as black colored blood oozed from its center.
Ulquiorra's jade eyes molded into a malicious golden color as he continued to stare at the unnerved woman before him. He could see the horror that flashed upon the girl's face. There was no denying it—the beastlike creature before her was dreadfully terrifying. He appeared nothing like how he did before. The only word that Orihime could think to describe her lover was Satanic. He looked as if he was a demon that had just crawled out of the pits of Hell.
Orihime couldn't stop herself from shaking. Her knees felt weak as her head began to spin. His heavy spiritual pressure was causing her to feel faint to the point where she couldn't move.
Ulquiorra couldn't help but heave another small sigh. The woman would never think of him the same way again. He truly was a monster and nothing would change that reality. All of the trust that Orihime had once placed in him had been crushed within moments. The Espada stared longingly at the woman before outstretching his hand towards her, his eyes softening gretly. "Are you afraid, Onna?" He asked quietly even though he knew that there was no point in asking such an obvious question. It was plain to see that she was greatly frightened. But still…
Orihime watched as the demonic creature before her reached his claw-like hand towards her. The healer stared at him for a moment, not sure of how to respond. This was her lover's true self. There was no denying that his appearance sent shivers down her spine.
And yet, something about him drew her towards him. Orihime found herself removing the shield that had been protecting her. His powerful reiatsu still made her feel rather dizzy but she was able to ignore it for the most part. Although nothing about the man before her was familiar, Orihime knew that this was still her Ulquiorra.
The closer she got, the clearer she could see. Even though his eyes were now as golden as the sun, she could still detect softness within them. Without thinking for another moment, the girl smiled softly, nearly radiating the atmosphere around them.
"No, Ulquiorra," Orihime whispered unsubstantially as her long hair blew hastily in the wind, "I'm not scared."
Before Ulquiorra had time to react, the girl reached out and wrapped her tender fingers around his outstretched claw, holding his hand tightly. It was true—no matter how he looked on the outside, he was still the same Ulquiorra on the inside. The orange haired maiden then flew her arms around his chest, embracing him forcefully.
Astonished by her sudden movement, Ulquiorra stood there nimbly, unsure of how to respond. Was she really not afraid of him? How could this be? He was so certain she would have screamed in terror and ran away from the very sight of him!
No. This was Orihime Inoue he was referring to. She was a truly kind person that could see right through anyone's appearance. He should have known she would have loved him regardless of what form he was in.
The Espada returned the embrace to his lover, wrapping her securely in his arms. "Orihime, I am sorry," he whispered daintily, tenderly running his hands through her hair while being cautious of his sharp nails.
"I love you, Ulquiorra. I really don't care how you look. You will always be handsome to me," the girl replied, giggling lightly. It was true, though. Even though he reminded her of Lucifer himself, he had a certain attractiveness about him.
Orihime pulled away from the embrace to get another good look at him. Something about him did seem a tad bit familiar to her. She wondered if she had dreamed about him in this form before or maybe saw something similar to this form in a movie or something.
And then it hit her. The book.
Somewhere in the back of her memory, she could recall seeing Ulquiorra's demonic like stature within the fairy tale book that Ulquiorra had once brought her.
"'Don't worry, I forgive you,' the beautiful princess told the transformed dark prince. 'I love you very much as you are! I know you'd never hurt me. If it means to rescue you from a horrible fate, I will gladly sacrifice myself.' With a tender kiss, the princess gladly obliged to the dark prince's request.
Orihime nearly gasped when the words from the book played over in her mind accurately and precisely. Yes! The dark prince in the book looked exactly the way Ulquiorra did in his Resurrection form! The identical likeness was undeniable! Was all of this a coincidence? Or did the book have some sort of secret omen lying within it? Either way, Orihime swore to herself that she'd reread the book the moment she went back into her prison cell. She wondered if Ulquiorra had known about that peculiar book and what all was in it…
Ulquiorra neatly tucked one of his talons underneath the girl's chin, urging her to look into his amber eyes. He could tell she was distracted by something. "Orihime, are you sure you are all right? Are you sure my form does not disgust you?"
After being pulled from her thoughts, Orihime quickly shook her head while smiling reassuringly at the Espada. "No! Not at all! In fact, I actually think you look rather handsome in this form! In a devilish, sexy kind of way," the girl replied with a tint of pink blush forming upon her cheeks.
It was true. Ulquiorra was indeed enchanting in this form. His long hair whipped in the wind as his wings twitched lightly from the girl's comment. Orihime found herself being drawn towards his haunting yet alluring essence. The girl stood up on her tippy toes, trying to draw her face towards his. Ulquiorra ducked his head down lightly before pressing his dark lips upon hers. Orihime trembled lightly from his touch, finding herself intoxicated by his kiss. She craved more of him as she intensified the kiss while wrapping her arms around his stiff neck.
Almost instantaneously, Ulquiorra swept his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Without hesitation, he slid his tongue into the girl's moist cavern. Orihime couldn't help but utter a tender moan as she felt his tongue glide across hers slowly and seductively. She could tell he was trying to be as gentle as possible as to not frighten her with any sudden movements.
With a tiny smirk, Ulquiorra withdrew from the kiss while gazing passionately into Orihime's silver orbs. It never took much for Ulquiorra to feel heated whenever he was with Orihime. Even with the gentlest of kisses, his whole body began to yearn and ache for the girl—especially in his animalistic form.
"Orihime, although this may not be the proper time, I have a request for you," the Espada told the girl calmly as he pried the girl's arms from around his neck. Orihime simply peered at him curiously, a perplexed look upon her face, "Sure thing, Ulquiorra."
"Forgive my indecent request but would you make love to me while I am in this form? I assure you that I have no intentions of harming you during intercourse. Believe it or not, I am highly capable of controlling myself in situations such as these," the dark haired male said as he held the girl's hand tenderly, careful as to not scratch her with his claws.
Orihime found herself blushing brightly at his request. Even so, she was quite surprised he didn't simply demand her to sleep with him. Perhaps he was starting to think of her as more than just his woman but as his counterpart. She couldn't help but smile at his politeness—this was something she would have a hard time getting used to since he always just ordered her around.
"Of course, Ulquiorra. I'd be delighted to," the girl said tentatively as she shyly looked down to the ground, "I'd do anything for you."
She knew that by making love this time, there was no turning back. He would finally fill her up with his seed and allow her to finally have a child growing inside of her. Anything after that was all up in the air. Even so, she wasn't afraid. This was what Orihime had wanted. She would do anything for Ulquiorra—even if it meant sacrificing herself in the end.
Just like the princess in the story.
Author's Note: O HAI GUYS ^_^;;; Once again, I am SUPER sorry for the delay! I had intended to update a lot sooner but some more things came up with school and what-not….but I finally updated :D What do you guys think? Ulquiorra is pretty shmexy in his Resureccion form, no? ^_~ I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Once again, I am NOT discontinuing this fic. I've gotten lots of messages asking why I decided to quit this story but there is NO way I am quitting! It may take me a little while to update but I am working as fast as I can while doing lots of other projects. We're almost to the ending and I hope you guys will see it to the end with me! ^_^ Also…there will be a splash of lemon in the next chapter so look forward to it :D