Oddly enough, the past few days in Hueco Mundo were actually one of the most fun times Orihime had ever experienced. Who would have ever guessed that Orihime Inoue would actually be finding herself smiling and laughing in Hueco Mundothe way she did in the human realm?
Besides a few Arrancar servants, Ulquiorra and Orihime were the only two people in Las Noches. Without Aizen and his repulsive minions around, Las Noches didn't seem completely like the awful place Orihime had always deemed it to be. Naturally, it was because of Ulquiorra.
Since there were no authority figures other than Ulquiorra, the Fourth Espada had lightened up quite a bit. Well, as much as he was capable of easing up.
Unlike before, Ulquiorra finally let Orihime explore inside all of the castle walls of Las Noches. If one did not consider the fact that Las Noches was technically located in the land of the dead, then Las Noches could be deemed as one of the most impeccable architects in all of existence.
Gardens. There were actually gardens in Las Noches.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about this before, Ulquiorra? I always thought Hueco Mundo had nothing but desert!" Orihime exclaimed gleefully as she walked hand in hand down the hallway of Las Noches with Ulquiorra.
"I didn't find it relevant to tell you about the garden. After all, it's not like you would have been able to come out here before," the Espada told the girl nonchalantly as he briskly guided her to the courtyard.
Orihime had a light skip to herself as she walked alongside her lover. It was almost as if they were going on a date.
Once Aizen and the rest of the remaining Espada had gone back to Karakura Town, Orihime had begged Ulquiorra to take her back to the human realm just so she could get out of Hueco Mundo for a little. Unfortunately, Ulquiorra was completely against the idea. Aizen's orders for him had been strictly to keep Orihime inside of Las Noches. If he had abandoned those orders, there was no telling what storm could be unleashed. Ulquiorra had previously decided he would in fact rebel against Lord Aizen in order to save Orihime's life. Even so, he needed to play his cards very carefully if he intended to trick Lord Aizen in the end. Going against an order in any form possible could put a damper in Ulquiorra's plans.
He could tell the girl was getting restless by simply being cooped up inside all day long with him. There was no denying it—Ulquiorra was lacking in good conversational skills. Although he loved the woman undyingly, he knew it would only be a matter of time before the girl got bored and annoyed with his lack of entertainment.
He could already tell Orihime had begun to grow anxious due to the fact her friends were defending Karakura Town against Lord Aizen's forces. If she fell under too much stress, it could cause complications with her upcoming pregnancy. He needed to ease her mind as much as possible that was within reason.
Since he was not allowed to take Orihime outside of the castle walls, Ulquiorra had decided to at least let Orihime roam freely around Las Noches (with him as an escort, of course). There weren't many fantastic places in Las Noches, regrettably. However, Ulquiorra had remembered that Lord Aizen strictly had requested the servants to keep up with a garden. Girls liked flowers, didn't they? Surely Orihime would be delighted by the sight of a garden full of them.
As they made their way into the courtyard, Orihime couldn't help but notice that something was definitely off. When they opened the giant, wooden doors that led to the outside corridors, Orihime stared in awe at the sight before her.
Sunlight. There was actual sunlight radiating throughout the area.
"U-Ulquiorra…" Orihime stammered as her eyes widened at the sight. Ulquiorra took a glimpse at the girl's reaction, puzzled by why she was so astonished to see it. He probably had never told her about the various parts of Las Noches that were underneath the giant dome…
"It's an artificial sky, Orihime," Ulquiorra stated calmly as he pulled her gently by her hand, leading her outside. "That's not the real sky you are looking at nor is it the real sun."
Orihime simply stared in awe at the marvelous sight before her. "Th-there's no way this can't be real!" the girl whispered. For an artificial sky, it was strikingly realistic. The azure sky was as blue as the ocean and fluffy white clouds drifted above slowly. The maiden could feel the sun's heat radiating upon her cheeks, warming her flesh softly with its rays. A slight breeze fluttered throughout the area, rustling the girl's orange locks lightly.
"How is this artificial?" Orihime murmured as she released her hand from Ulquiorra's. The courtyard looked like something that belonged in a royal palace. Rows and rows of flowers were neatly potted in elegant, ceramic vases. There were even white, picket fences surrounding other kinds of flowers that were planted in rich soil. Bushes and topiary decorated the courtyard all alongside the walls as a white, marble fountain sat tidily in the center of the courtyard, spouting crystal clear water from the top.
"We are actually inside of a dome right now. Even so, I am not certain as to how everything works. I can only assume that the dome uses an advanced form of technology to produce false sunlight and weather conditions," Ulquiorra explained to the girl as he walked behind her.
This kind of atmosphere was not something Orihime had expected to be lurking deep inside the walls of Las Noches. "I-It's beautiful," the fiery haired female stated as she sauntered over to a rose bush. So many colors contradicted with the bleak walls of Las Noches to the point it was almost unbelievable. Orihime had only seen such elegant gardens in places like Catholic churches or in magazines.
The girl reached out one of her delicate fingers to lightly brush against a rose's petal. The feeling of the fragile flower underneath her fingertips made the scenery feel all the more real.
As the girl continued to explore the garden with great interest, Ulquiorra followed silently behind her. Ulquiorra had only been to the courtyard a handful of times and it was strictly only for business reasons. Lord Aizen often wandered into the gardens to discuss serious matters with Ulquiorra and the other Espada. Lord Aizen had claimed that the garden's ambiance helped clear his mind and allowed him to think better. Ulquiorra had always wondered why since the vibrant colors of all the flowers were too distracting in his opinion. Perhaps it reminded Lord Aizen of Soul Society in some way…
"Oh wow! Ulquiorra! There are all kinds of flowers here!" Orihime exclaimed as she practically skipped through the rows and rows of endless flowers. "Let's see now… These are tulips! Oh, and these are called carnations! Oh, oh, oh and these are gardenias!" The girl excitedly pointed to every flower surrounding her. Ulquiorra was surprised she could name so many flowers.
"Hmm…I haven't seen this type before," Orihime said curiously as a particular flower caught her eye. The petals were a deep violet and the bud had appeared that it was just beginning to bloom. "I wonder what it is?" The girl sat down next to the purple flower, examining it closely with her silver eyes.
"That's called a lisianthus. I believe it is also known as the Japanese rose," Ulquiorra told her softly as he stood above her.
Orihime quickly darted her eyes to look up at Ulquiorra in confusion, "That's interesting. I can't believe I didn't know that! But…how did you know that? Do you study flowers, Ulquiorra?"
Ulquiorra's green eyes glimpsed down at the girl before falling back on the lavender colored flower. "No, I have never studied flowers."
"Then how did you know the name?" the girl prodded as she continued to look up at him with a puzzled look on her face.
Ulquiorra shrugged lightly before turning on heels, walking towards the fountain which was only a few steps away. There was a white, wooden bench near the fountain that he quietly took a seat in. He crossed his legs and folded his arms over his chest. He had no desire to prance around looking at flowers. Bright, colorful, blooming objects held no interest for the bleak and empty Espada.
"Take your time in the garden. I'm going to rest here for a bit," Ulquiorra stated as he positioned himself in a comfortable stance on the bench. Orihime glanced over at the insipid male as a small smile tugged at her lips. Orihime knew that Ulquiorra had a hard time opening up but she felt a slight sense of assurance in knowing that he felt comfortable enough around her to take a nap in front of her. She wondered inwardly if the sun made him drowsy. After all, he looked like he didn't go outside much… Or perhaps it was just the discoloration of his white skin.
As Ulquiorra rested on the bench, Orihime spent quite some time exploring the gardens and enjoying the feel of the sun upon her skin. She didn't care if it was fake sunlight—it felt great. Orihime closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet aroma of the flowers. For the first time ever, Orihime felt at peace in Hueco Mundo. If she had known just how beautiful the gardens were, she would have probably hated Las Noches a lot less. Who would have thought that a place as dreary as Las Noches would possess such a variety of colors and fragrances?
"Ulquiorra," Orihime said in a chipper tone, "I don't care if we stay in Las Noches forever. In fact, I don't care where I am! Every place is beautiful as long as you're in it!" She turned around to look at her lover only to find that he had completely drifted off into dreamland. He must have been a lot more tired than she figured… Either that or he was extremely relaxed.
Orihime let out a soft sigh as she watched Ulquiorra's sleeping form. He looked so cute and vulnerable in his sleeping state. The healer wondered if she was the only one who had ever seen his sleeping face. The very thought made her a little bit happy as she skipped over alongside him.
She planted a gentle kiss on her lover's forehead before skipping around the gardens again. Even though her friends were currently fighting for her lives, Orihime almost felt at peace where she was. Somewhere in her heart she knew her friends would win and everything would be fine in the end.
At least two days passed since Ulquiorra had first taken her to the gardens. At least, Orihime had assumed two days had passed. Even though it was daylight in the dome, Hueco Mundo was still purged in a never ending world of night.
Without Lord Aizen around, Orihime continuously found herself having fun with Ulquiorra in Las Noches. She enjoyed exploring every nook and cranny of Las Noches since it made her feel as if she was exploring an enchanted castle. The servants paid them no mind as she and Ulquiorra spent their days enjoying each other's company around the castle.
Of course, Las Noches wasn't the only thing Ulquiorra and Orihime were exploring. They certainly spent a great deal of time exploring each other's bodies before bedtime.
Ulquiorra had never expected that human activities such as sex were so appealing until he had met Orihime. Thinking back now, Ulquiorra wondered why he was so hesitant to sleep with her in the first place. Was he really that frightened? The woman was delightful in bed. Then again, everything about her was perfect. Nevertheless, it was still shocking to him that a girl that was once so shy in bed would eventually blossom into the greatest lover anyone could ask for.
Ulquiorra nuzzled his nose into the girl's long, flowing hair as a content sigh escaped from his lips. Orihime snuggled against the Espada's bare chest, enjoying the sound of his gentle breathing. "Lord Aizen shouldn't be surprised if you have triplets at this rate," Ulquiorra told her, attempting to make a joke.
"T-Triplets?" Orihime gasped, jerking her head up. "D-do you really think we'll have triplets? I mean, don't you think that might be a problem?"
"It was only a joke…"
"Oh, I see…"
Orihime rested her head back down on his chest, a small smile on her lips. "Maybe after we have the first one, we can work on having a second one. I'm sure Sora would love to have a little sister!"
"Sora?" Ulquiorra asked, quirking a brow at her statement.
"Yep! I've already decided that our first child is going to be a boy and we're going to name him Sora!" The girl giggled lightly before using her finger tips to draw tiny circles on the exposed skin of Ulquiorra's chest.
With a small groan, Ulquiorra stared up at the ceiling while shaking his head. "Orihime, you do realize you don't get a choice in which gender it turns out to be. Instead of worrying about names or gender you should be focusing on making sure the child turns out to be human."
"I know…" Orihime grumbled, pouting lightly. "It's just that I promised myself that if I ever had a son, I would name it after my brother."
That's right. Ulquiorra had almost completely forgotten that Orihime once had an older brother who passed away. He must have been very precious to her if she had decided to name her child Sora after him. "All right, then. If it's a boy, we'll name him Sora."
Orihime let out a tiny squeak of excitement as she threw her arm around Ulquiorra's neck and hugged him animatedly. "Oh, yay! I know my brother will be so happy knowing that we're naming the little guy after him!"
Ulquiorra nearly choked by the girl's sudden extreme use of affection. "O-okay then…Let me go, onna," he grumbled, trying to pry her off of him. Sometimes she was a little too frivolous for him…
The giggling girl released her tight grip on him as resumed her position snuggling against his chest. "I wish days like this would never end," Orihime told him softly. However, even if the world were to end the following day, Orihime was still grateful to have been able to spend many precious moments with him.
"Yeah, me too," Ulquiorra responded softly as he stared up at the ceiling. It didn't take long for him to start to feel drowsy again despite the fact he had taken a wonderful nap earlier. It was probably due to the fact he and Orihime managed to make it three times in bed before she had lost the energy to do it anymore. Still, he was amazed at how enticing the woman had become in bed. It was getting hard for him to wrap his head around it all.
"Good night, Ulquiorra," Orihime whispered softly before falling into a light slumber. Ulquiorra kissed the top of the girl's head gently before joining her in the world of dreams.
The sleeping Espada didn't remain engulfed in dreams for very long. A sudden burst of reiatsu caught his attention, jolting him awake. Something incredible had just landed in Las Noches and was emanating their spiritual pressure around the entire area. Orihime must have sensed it, too, she also woke up from her slumber with a startling motion.
"Ulquiorra? What's that? I sense some one!" the apricot haired girl cried out, clutching tightly to the bed sheets. A look of apprehension swelled in her eyes as she stared up alarmingly at Ulquiorra.
The Espada shook his head before throwing off the covers as he reached for his pants. "I'm not sure. You stay here and I will go check," he told her quietly as he fastened the belt of his hakama. He then slid into his long, white jacket before making his way to the door. "Do not open the door for anyone. And do not leave! Do you understand? That's an order."
Orihime nodded feebly as she watched Ulquiorra leave. Who would be at Las Noches during this time? Were not Aizen and his minions supposed to be in Karakura Town fighting Ichigo and the others? If one of them suddenly returned then that could only mean one thing…
Panic began to rise in Orihime's chest as she was left alone in Ulquiorra's dark room. "N-no…It can't be…" she whispered under her breath as she continued to clutch on tightly to the bed sheets that were wrapped around her naked body.
It was hard to tell who the powerful reiatsu belonged to. Was it Ichimaru Gin? No, it was stronger than that. Tia Hallibel? No, definitely stronger than that. A dry lump formed in Orihime's throat as thoughts of the worst case scenarios flittered through her mind. Did Aizen and his minions defeat Ichigo and the others? Did her friends actually lose the battle?
The very same thoughts raced through Ulquiorra's mind as he briskly made his way through the hallways. He headed in the direction of the powerful reiatsu, careful as to not make any noise. He tried his best to conceal his own reiatsu, hoping to be able to go unnoticed.
The powerful spiritual pressure was coming from the direction of Lord Aizen's chambers. Was it some sort of intruder trying to steal the Hogyouku? How did they even manage to get in? Ulquiorra wasted no time in arriving at the doors to Lord Aizen's main quarters. The reiatsu was definitely radiating from inside the room but it was no unfamiliar presence. In fact, he knew exactly who the spiritual pressure belonged to the moment he placed his hand on the door knob.
If Ulquiorra had been afraid during any moment of his life, it was definitely that exact moment. As he pushed the door open, he came face to face with the last man on Earth that he wanted to see.
Lord Aizen.
The brown haired male swiftly shifted his gaze to stare at the Espada who just entered into his court. He didn't seem surprised to see Uqluiorra. It was almost as if he was expecting him.
"Oh? Ulquiorra? What are you doing here?" Aizen asked as if it was not an obvious question.
The Espada quickly fell to one knee in a kneeling position, trying to display the upmost of respect towards his superior. "Lord Aizen, I was asleep in my room and I suddenly felt a strong presence. I only came to make sure it wasn't an intruder."
Lord Aizen smirked as he slowly approached his minion, a devilish gleam sparkling in his eye. "Is that so? So where is Orihime? Surely you didn't leave the girl alone. After all, I instructed you to take good care of her." His silky voice bore a taunting tone as he watched the Espada carefully, searching his face for a reaction.
"The woman is asleep," Ulquiorra replied as he stared at the floor beneath him. "I have done as you instructed. I made sure no harm has come to the woman in your absence and I have successfully completed the mission of impregnating Orihime Inoue. I was planning on conducting laboratory tests once the woman wakes up to insure that your plan has been flawlessly carried out."
Aizen seemed to pay no mind to the male's words as he stood before him. "Ulquiorra, there is no point in kneeling in my presence. You're my most trusted Espada. I think of you more as more of a son then I do a slave," the sovereign whispered softly as he outstretched his hand towards Ulquiorra.
Aizen's words completely threw Ulquiorra off guard. What was he getting at? Ulquiorra's jade eyes gazed at the outstretched hand before him, taking it hesitantly. Once he was eye-level with Aizen, he was able to detect a sort of crazed maliciousness forming in his master's eyes.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here," Aizen stated firmly, as if reading Ulquiorra's mind. "There's been a slight change in plans."
Change in plans? That didn't sound very appealing.
Aizen turned his back on Ulquiorra as he headed towards the center of the room where the Hougyouku lie in a secret pedestal. Aizen's brown eyes flickered with interest as he took the Hogyouku from its safe confinement. "Social Society had a lot more stronger forces than we had anticipated. The Hougyouku still hasn't been completely restored yet but with its power, I think we should be able to defeat them," Aizen said as he never took his eyes away from the glowing orb in his hands.
Ulquiorra was beginning to grow more and more tense with every passing moment. Why did Aizen try to hide the identity of his spiritual pressure? He was most likely trying to make himself known to Ulquiorra and Orihime without stirring up the rest of his minions.
"Ichigo Kurosaki," Aizen continued, his voice growing stern, "Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?"
With eyes wide open, Ulquiorra looked up at Aizen in sheer shock. What? How did he know about that? Ulquiorra thought to himself as countless thoughts raced through his mind. A bead of sweat began to form on his forehead, a feat that rarely happened.
That was odd. Why would Ulquiorra Schiffer, the Espada without emotions, be displaying such signs of discomfort? Aizen scratched his chin lightly, not amused by Ulquiorra's disdainful silence. "Well? Why did you let him escape?" Aizen repeated, raising a brow in question.
How did he know about him not fighting Ichigo Kurosaki? Surely Ichigo was not a blabbermouth and deliberately told Aizen of Ulquiorra's act of compassion. Why would Ichigo even tell someone like Aizen that?
"I was no match for his strength, my Lord," Ulquiorra reflexively told him, averting his eyes away from the other man's piercing gaze. "I was soundly defeated." The Espada fell to his knees once more in a respectful bow. "I greatly apologize for letting you down."
It was a lie and frankly, Aizen wasn't buying it. "Is that so?" the brown eyed male muttered before placing a gentle hand on Ulquiorra's head. His fingers lightly brushed against the Espada's helmet, tracing the edges of it.
"Ulquiorra, if you were defeated, then why are you still alive? You should know how things work around here by now. If you're unable to complete a mission then you must die trying." The voice of Ulquiorra's master was cold as ice. Aizen had never spoken so frigidly like that to the fourth Espada before.
"I'm sorry, my Lord. I was afraid of not being able to complete my mission as the one to impregnate Orihime Inoue," Ulquiorra added, his lower lip trembling. The Espada was indeed frightened beyond belief. Was he scared for his life? No. To him, his life did not matter much. What he was afraid of was what he feared Aizen would plan to do to Orihime in penance for Ulquiorra's sudden betrayal.
Aizen could clearly detect the fretfulness of the Espada before him. Ulquiorra was of too much importance to him; there was no way he was going to dispose of him just yet. The Espada should have realized that there was nothing he could do that Aizen wouldn't eventually be aware of. Did Ulquiorra truly believe that Aizen didn't have eyes everywhere? He was the King of Las Noches, after all. It was foolish of Ulquiorra to believe that he wasn't under constant surveillance. Everything he said—everything he did—was not going to go unnoticed.
"Ulquiorra, has the woman truly clouded your mind so? I thought you were much smarter than that. I believe I was wrong about you. I thought you were loyal and that no worthless human would ever break away your devotion to me. It seems that I was mistaken," said Aizen as he continued to stroke Ulquiorra's head tenderly.
In actuality, he wasn't surprised in the least. He knew Ulquiorra would eventually develop feelings for the woman. Oh, he most certainly knew. It was all a part of his plan, really. There were many things that Aizen knew about Ulquiorra that the Espada wasn't even aware of and he had planned to use that to his advantage all along.
In the beginning, Aizen had known from the start that he was no match for Soul Society in his current state. They had too many special trained forces that would certainly put a damper on his plan to conquer everything. Of course, he had needed any army himself that would counter those forces—the Espada.
Each of the Espada had been handcrafted out of Hollows by Aizen himself. He took useless Hollows and created them into various Arrancar in order to battle against the shinigami. The Espada, however, needed to be special. He couldn't just use any Arrancar—he needed ones with certain aspects. A certain Hollow that would eventually be named Ulquiorra was the perfect candidate for an Arrancar; for an Espada.
Why was that? Ulquiorra had the perfect, tormented past that caused him to become a Hollow. Although the young man had long forgotten his human past, Aizen knew. He knew everything about it.
Aizen had remembered that day vividly—the day Ulquiorra was born from a Hollow into an Arrancar. He had been a powerful Hollow; perhaps even a Vastro Lorde. Aizen had found Ulquiorra laying in Hueco Mundo with parts of his mask partially destroyed. Aizen had taken a great interest in Ulquiorra's form since, unlike all the other Hollows, his body was completely white. Since most Hollows were black, Aizen found it rather peculiar.
When he had taken Ulquiorra's crumbling form back to Las Noches, Aizen noticed the beast had seemed inwardly tormented about something. "What is wrong, dear friend?" Aizen had asked the Hollow. The beast simply responded with, "I still have all my memories of my life as a human. Not even in death am I allowed to melt away into peace and forget the crimes I have committed."
It was a strange occurrence indeed. Very few Hollows ever regained their human memories. Why would this one? If he wanted the beast to be loyal to him, he needed to find a way to demolish the creature's former memories. Ties to human feelings would only lead to weakness.
"Tell me, my friend. What troubles you so about your human past?" Aizen had asked the Hollow.
Although he was a Hollow, the male seemed to have certain humanistic traits about him. His body appeared to be that of a human and a bit of a human face could be seen underneath the remnants of his cracked mask. Bright green eyes gleamed underneath the shards of his mask as he spoke softly, "I lost my family. I killed hundreds. Even my lover died by my own hands… All I wish is to forget those horrid memories. I wish to not feel the horrible pain that my memories bring me," he told him softly, continuing to weep.
Aizen had never seen a Hollow like this. No Hollow or Arrancar had ever displayed such humanistic traits—it was rather unsettling. The beast was clearly haunted by guilt and suffering. With traits like that, he would deem useless to Aizen in no time. However, Aizen had been able to detect a certain strong power emanating from the monster's form. Perhaps if he was able to dwindle away the creature's memories, he could be a very powerful Espada.
"Dear friend, today is your day of salvation for I am a powerful God. Should you choose to devote yourself to me and lend me your strength, I will ease your suffering and erase your memories," Aizen told the creature as he grinned broadly. The Hollow just nimbly looked up at the powerful man in front of him, a flicker of hope gleaming in his eyes.
All of a sudden, a burst of spiritual pressure exuded from the beast's weak form. Aizen felt the spiritual pressure overwhelm his body, causing him to cringe from the pain of being swallowed up by the pressure. What in the world was this? No Hollow had ever had reiatsu like this!
The beast seemed to be unaware of the powerful bursts that were bouncing off of him. If it had been anyone other than Aizen that was surrounded by this pressure, they would have surely been crushed. Aizen stood his ground, grinning at the Hollow despite the immense pain coursing through his body.
"I will do anything you desire, my Lord. If you can erase my pain, I will follow you to the ends of the Earth and devote every fiber of my being to you," the Hollow whispered quietly, locking his gaze upon Aizen.
The spiritual pressure began to die down, allowing Aizen to once again regain his balance. The beast did not appear to be in control of his vast power. As Aizen regained his composure, he ran his fingers through his hair as he continued to grin at the monster.
"Before I do so I need to make sure you are indeed loyal to me. If you solemnly swear to oblige to any order I give to you, then grant me my first request. Gouge out your own eyeball and give it to me," Aizen stated firmly. He outstretched his hand, awaiting the beast's reaction to his uncanny request.
Without hesitating, the monster reached up a long claw and gouged out his own eyeball—just as Aizen requested. It was a gruesome display but it intrigued Aizen greatly. The beast didn't even pause for a moment as he gladly did as he was told. He handed Lord Aizen his amputated eyeball, not even showing an ounce of pain.
The beast before him would do anything to relieve himself of his torment. Aizen stared at the eye in his hand, the devilish smirk never faltering. What a brave creature he was. "With this eyeball I shall grant you a power that no other Arrancar will be blessed with. This will allow you to show me everything you see and feel in a vivid display. Your power will be known as Solita Vista, or the "all-eyes world". By granting you this power, I can also erase all of your memories and pain. By using the power of the Hougyouku, I will bestow upon you various other powers of greatness which you will use in order to do my bidding. Are you sure you are capable of doing the tasks I will present you with in the future?"
The Hollow nodded, his face unwavering. He had ceased his sobbing by now as he bowed to his new daimyo. "I was once a samurai in my previous life. I solemnly swear to you that I will follow every order you give to me. Should I fail, I ask of you to completely erase my existence."
That was the precise answer Aizen was looking for. He knew that the Hollow was aware of the great power that emanated from Aizen's form. All of the Hollow and Arrancars feared and respected Lord Aizen due to his extraordinary strength and reiatsu. "Tell me, dear friend. What is thy name?" he said with a smile, placing his hand upon the beast's head.
"In my former life, I was named Raikuro," the Hollow answered him quietly.
"Very well, Raikuro. I now bestow upon you the gift of becoming an Arrancar. Your soul is now set free from the perils of your human feeling and memories," Aizen told the man steadfastly. By using the power of the Hogyoku, the beast was swiftly engulfed in a veil of bright light. His body began to alter and change shape as he slowly found himself slowly forgetting more and more about himself and about his suffering.
As the beast began to take more of a humanoid shape, Aizen crushed the beast's eyeball in the palm of hand, shattering it completely into a wave of sparkling dust. The particles of dust surrounded the area before dissipating completely. Aizen closed his deep chocolate eyes for a moment as he inhaled softly. Vivid images flowed through Aizen's mind as if he was watching something on a television set. He saw clear visions of a young samurai warrior and the terrible dark clouds that surrounded the boy's path. It must have been direct visions of Raikuro's past.
The brown eyed male could see everything in his mind that Raikuro had once experienced. All of his pain, all of his suffering was clearly justified. It didn't matter anymore, though. The moment the dust would fade away, so would the creature's memories. He would no longer remember the crimes he committed or the pain he had once felt as a human.
As the dust faded away, the surrounding veil of light did so as well. When the light was completely faded, a naked figure sat where the beast had once lay.
The beast had taken the form of a teenage male with skin as pale as the moon and hair as black as the night sky. The eye that he had willingly given up to Aizen had been completely regenerated and was securely inside his socket once more. His eyes were deep, shimmering emeralds bearing nothing but emptiness. Two teal tear marks appeared to be painted underneath his eyes as a gaping black hole lay in the center of his chest.
"My son, you have been reborn as an Arrancar. You now possess immense powers that we shall use to crush my enemies. Your human memories are completely shattered as well as your heart. Your body and soul now exist for me and nothing but me. Tell me, my son, what your name is," said the sovereign as he stared at his new creation.
"I have no name," the boy told him softly as he bowed politely to his new master. "I exist for you and only you."
Aizen grinned in pleasure as he watched spectacle before him. He could still sense the massive spiritual pressure radiating off the boy's body but for some reason it seemed to have faded slightly since his transformation into an Arrancar. This puzzled Aizen greatly. Surely the Hollow he had just resurrected into an Arrancar was bound to be the strongest Espada! What happened to the prevailing power that had once emanated from the creature?
"His emotions must have been the cause of his great amount of power. Now that I have sealed his memories, he isn't able to unleash his full potential. However, I will leave him be for now. I am not in need of his intense abilities yet. I can save it for later by continuing to seal his memories using the ability of the Hogyoku. Once I am ready to use his full power, I will release the seal. Only tortured emotions and despair can lead him to completely release his hidden power," the brown haired man thought to himself as he inspected the boy closely.
The boy had apparently forgotten his name. That worked out just fine, of course. Aizen would just give him another that would further signify the bond between them.
"Raikuro, was it?" Aizen said aloud to himself as he tapped his chin lightly with his index finger. "R-A-I-K-U-R-O…U-R-U-K-I-O-R-A. Ulquiorra. Yes, it's perfect," the older man said with a snap of his finger.
"Your new name is Ulquiorra Schiffer. You will address me as "my Lord" or "Lord Aizen". Either will do just fine. Are you ready to dedicate your existence to my every desire?" Aizen asked with a callous smirk. This young Arrancar was going to prove to be Aizen's hidden trump card. The boy existed for him and had no ties to his human existence any longer. In exchange for salvation, the boy was to give Aizen his entire existence.
He was his most precious toy.
Aizen smiled to himself as he recalled the memories of his first meeting with Ulquiorra. My, how things have changed since then! He would have never expected things to turn out the way they did. Even so, he wouldn't have had it any other way. Yes, it was true Ulquiorra had just betrayed him. He let Ichigo Kurosaki slip through his fingers and he had even plotted against Lord Aizen alongside Orihime Inoue.
But he was foolish. Oh, so, foolish.
Ulquiorra was completely unaware of just how tied he was to Aizen Sousuke. No amount of betrayal could sever the strings that Aizen had so tightly wrapped around him. He was his toy—his pawn for his ultimate goals. All the pieces were falling perfectly into place and Aizen was determined to keep it that way.
"Tell me, Ulquiorra. Why do you think I placed Orihime Inoue in your care?" Aizen questioned the Espada, eyeing him carefully. "Do you think it's because I really thought you were incapable of feeling anything towards her? Or maybe it's because I knew you would be capable of being swooned by her innocent charm."
Ulquiorra remained perfectly still, trying his best not to show a sliver of anxiety. He was failing miserably at concealing his emotions for the first time in his life. Why? Was it because he was just now aware that everything he and Orihime had plotted out was going to burn to ashes? Was it because he had just realized how foolish he was to go against Lord Aizen?
"I'm sorry, my Lord," Ulquiorra whispered before biting his lower lip. Although Aizen was tenderly stroking his head, it almost felt like he was waiting for the opportune moment to plunge his nail into the Espada's skull.
"No, no, my son. You are doing just perfect," Aizen cooed out softly before ceasing the gentle movement of his hands.
Astonished by his master's words, Ulquiorra quickly looked up at Aizen in confusion. "My Lord?"
"Everything is falling into place. Now, go retrieve Orihime Inoue. I need her assistance," Aizen commanded, looking back at the Hogyoku in the palm of his hand.
Ulquiorra wasn't sure what Aizen was getting at. Shouldn't he be angry at Ulquiorra for betraying him? Aizen had found out that Ulquiorra and Orihime were plotting to overthrow him and escape with their lives!
"As I am now, I am no match for Ichigo Kurosaki. The rest of the Espada are fighting the Gotei 13 at this very given moment. We've already lost a few Espada but their efforts weren't wasted. The others have seriously injured some of the captains and even killed many Shinigami. I left them to continue fighting as I returned to Las Noches. The longer they hold them off, the longer I will have to retrieve the Hogyoku," Aizen continued before Ulquiorra had a chance to say anything.
"You retreated back to Las Noches to retrieve the Hogyoku? But I thought it needed to be restored before you could use it," Ulquiorra answered quietly, not taking his eyes of Aizen. This is not good, Ulquiorra repeated in his mind. He knew exactly what Aizen was getting at.
"Naturally," Aizen replied, glancing back at Ulquiorra to meet his gaze, "but with our princess's powers, we should be able to restore it with ease."
That meant that Aizen still needed her which meant she would continue to be spared. "What about the child, my Lord?" Ulquiorra interrupted, his thoughts becoming crowded.
Confused by his sudden question, Aizen stared at him with a slightly annoyed look upon his face, "What about the child?"
Ulquiorra's throat was beginning to grow dry as he clenched his fist tightly, "When you first ordered me to retrieve Orihime Inoue, you informed me that you only needed her for her powers so she could restore the Hogyoku. Later, you ordered me to impregnate her so my DNA would be mixed with hers, creating an enormously powerful heir. After she restores the Hogyoku's powers, will you still need her to bear your heir?"
Ulquiorra wasn't fooling anyone. Aizen knew the ebony haired boy was only trying to see if he planned on prolonging her life. "The heir is becoming more of a gamble than a certain victory. The child could always perish during childbirth or not even possess any Arrancar-like powers. It is a gamble, indeed," the older man answered, tapping his chin lightly. He could see the look of concern clearly upon Ulquiorra's face.
Ulquiorra looked completely different than he did the moment Aizen had morphed him into an Arrancar. When he was first born anew, there was only emptiness in his eyes. During the entirety of his service to Aizen, Ulquiorra had rarely shown any amounts of emotion. He only spoke when spoken to and he never dared to ask any questions. His calculations were always precise and he was always very intuitive and resourceful.
Now, he seemed to be more humanlike. He was practically begging with his eyes for Aizen to just release Orihime and not harm her. His body was slightly quivering and his breathing was getting shorter. Never in his life had Aizen see Ulquiorra appearing so pathetic.
"The princess really has changed you, Ulquiorra. But don't get me wrong—that's not a bad thing. Ultimately, you gaining a heart will lead us to completely conquer everything and destroy all of Soul Society. The Hogyoku alone can only get us so far. I knew from the very moment that I met you that you were capable of something great. Not only are you the only Espada with a Segunda Etapa but you are also the Primera Espada in reality," Aizen explained as his lips curled back into a snarling grin.
"Primera…Espada?" Ulquiorra repeated, staring at Aizen in disbelief. Everything was happening so fast to the point where he didn't even know what to think anymore.
"Yes. You have the capability to be one of the strongest beings in existence. You just have to let go of yourself. I know all about you betraying me, Ulquiorra. You don't have to deny it. In fact, you are even forgiven of your sins against me. I put Orihime Inoue in your care because I knew she would touch your life. I knew she would touch your life just as Lisanthia did," Aizen said as he knelt down beside Ulquiorra, becoming eye level with bewildered Espada.
"Lisanthia? Who is that?" Ulquiorra asked, completely and utterly confused by Aizen's words. What on Earth was the man talking about? And why wasn't he angry with Ulquiorra? What did he mean by all the pieces were coming together? For once, he had completely misunderstood his master's initial plan. All this time he thought he had Aizen Sousuke figured out. In the end, it turns out that every single move or action Ulquiorra made, it only seemed to help Aizen more.
"You will know all in good time, my son. All I can tell you is that I cannot and will not lose as long as I have you. In return, I know that you will not abandon me. You can't abandon me. I am your god. I want you to listen very closely to what I'm going to tell you. Do you understand me, Ulquiorra? Any false move and I will slaughter the woman and your unborn child without hesitation."
Ulquiorra froze. He stared at Aizen long and hard before nodding. From now on he had to play his cards very carefully. He had a plan but for now he needed to set all thoughts aside and comply with whatever Aizen's requests were. He couldn't afford another mishap. He was a complete and utter fool for actually believing he could outsmart Aizen Sousuke and now he was going to pay for it.
"Yes, my Lord," Ulquiorra told his master quietly as he listened to him intently.
"For the time being, I am going to keep Orihime Inoue alive. Go against me again and that will completely change. The truth of the matter is that I need you—the both of you. I can either use you to my advantage now or I can do it later. Either way, the girl's life depends completely on you and your actions. Do you understand me?"
The pale Espada simply nodded in response, not daring to interrupt the other man.
"Right now, I need Orihime to restore the Hogyoku. Ichigo Kurosaki is the only one that stands in between me and my goals. Once I get him out of the way, I can progress with my future plans. For the time being, I want Orihime Inoue to continue trying to give birth to an Arrancar offspring. If she uses her powers at all to negate the child's negative DNA, I will kill her instantly without remorse—I want you to tell her that," Aizen continued as he stared intently at his slave.
He was in no mood for games—Ulquiorra should have felt lucky for Aizen not to immediately kill Orihime after overhearing their plans. As to how Aizen had learned of their futile plan to save the child, the sovereign planned on keeping that a secret. He couldn't have Ulquiorra knowing where all of his hidden cameras were. He knew that Ulquiorra probably thought he had disassembled all the cameras in Aizen's absence but the King of Las Noches had been prepared for that to happen.
"As I said before, having an heir is completely optional. Yes, it would be ideal. I would be unstoppable by any force now and even in many years to come. However, there is still a chance it may not be successful. I know what you're thinking—at this rate, it is a lose-lose situation for Orihime Inoue. If she complies and has a child, she dies. If she goes against my wishes, she dies. Well I will let you in on a little secret: with the power of the restored Hogyoku, I can make it so that Orihime survives during child birth. With my help, she can live. I will spare her life and insure that she is granted a long life under the protection of the remaining Espada," the malicious male continued, watching Ulquiorra as the Espada's eyes widened.
Ulquiorra wasn't sure if he should believe him. After all, Aizen was a master of mind tricks. There was no doubt that Aizen did in fact have the power to save Orihime from the inevitable death of the birthing of the demonic child. But…would he actually keep his promise?
"I can see you don't trust me. But what other choice do you have?" Aizen sighed, shaking his head lightly, "I am giving you an option on how to save Orihime Inoue's life. Whether you choose to comply with this option is entirely up to you, Ulquiorra. So all Orihime has to do right now is restore the Hogyoku to its original state. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? If she does so then she will be guaranteed a long life. I will also grant her permission to take care of the child and be a proper mother for it. She can also help prepare the child for my future plans. You can think of her as the Queen of Las Noches, if you will."
The Queen of Las Noches? Orihime would most likely be completely against that. However, if it would save her life it might be worth it…
"Orihime will play her part so in return I expect you to play yours. You see, you have the potential to become the strongest being in the world. As I said before, all you have to do is release your emotions. Have you ever wondered why you're so nihilistic? It's because I used the Hogyoku to seal away your memories and your emotions to the best of my ability. By sealing away your heart, you have kept your powers under control and have been a very important asset to me, Ulquiorra," Aizen explained.
"However, the time has come to unleash your power. Once I defeat Ichigo Kurosaki, I can finally raid Soul Society and complete my ultimate goal of overthrowing the King of Soul Society. It won't be easy but after I defeat Ichigo Kurosaki, things should get a lot simpler. However, if I have you by my side, there is no chance of failure." Aizen stood up once again before turning on his heels and walking away from Ulquiorra and heading towards the door.
"You want me to unleash all my strength and power to help you overthrow the King of Soul Society," Ulquiorra reiterated as if it were more of a statement then a question.
Aizen simply nodded before closing the door that Ulquiorra had opened when he first entered into Aizen's chambers. With the door shut, the two of them were completely purged into darkness since Aizen had left no lights on in his chambers.
"Precisely, my son. Once I re-activate your memories, you are good to go. You will be purged into despair once again and will unleash all your fury. However, if you or Orihime refuse my orders, there is another way I can make you unleash your emotions," Aizen whispered as he walked up behind Ulquiorra in a sneaky manner.
"By killing Orihime Inoue," Ulquiorra answered, knowing good and well what Aizen was referring to.
This was the one thing he was afraid of. Ulquiorra's own life did not matter much to him but the thought of losing Orihime was the worst possible thing imaginable. As for his human memories, he didn't care too much about getting them back. He had forgotten them for a reason and unlocking his heart to the truth would only make him go into despair. If revealing the truth about his past was enough for him to fall into internal chaos, it must have been pretty detrimental. However, he didn't care. If it meant saving Orihime Inoue from turmoil, he would make any sacrifice necessary.
"The choice is yours, Ulquiorra. What will you do?"
Ulquiorra could hear Aizen's sinister chuckle through the darkness. The next thing he knew, Aizen's spiritual pressure completely vanished into thin air. Aizen must have opened a garganta to leave Ulquiorra alone with his thoughts for the time being.
The Espada silently cursed himself for being such a fool. Why did he and Orihime actually believe they could outwit him? Aizen was right—everything for him was falling into place. He was playing a difficult game of chess and all of his pawns were set exactly where he needed them to be. There was nothing else to do but for he and Orihime to comply with Aizen's demands.
Ulquiorra clenched his fist tightly, gritting his teeth. Just how far would he and Orihime be pushed until they finally broke?
Author's Note: Long chapter is loooooooooong! I just want to apologize for not updating in forever. I'm pretty sure I lost a good bit of my readers as I remained on this hiatus but for those of you who continue to stick with me….THANK YOU SO MUCH! We're almost finished! Just one more official chapter and this fic is over! Except…be on the lookout for an epilogue, too! The epilogue will probably be rather long so I can't decide if I just want to add it onto this fic or make it an entirely different fic….That might confuse people so I'll most likely attach it onto this fic!
I really hope you guys are still enjoying this fic! Please leave a review to let me know how I'm doing! I'm sorry if it seems a little confusing now… I hope I'm not making any characters too OOC! Sorry if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes... Also, if you notice any obvious plot holes, let me know of that, too! It's been awhile since I reread everything so I'm hoping it's not too inconsistent… THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! We're almost at the end! And I solemnly swear that I will not give up on this fic and I will make sure it gets completed! THANK YOU FOR BEING SO WONDERFUL!