"How... How is this possible?!" Orihime said in shock.
"Does that really matter? The how's... The why's... I don't think any of that is relevant in the grand scheme of things" The Espada coldly replied.
"It's definetly him..." She thought with an expression of astonishment.
"Though if you want an answer that bad, I can say that it's because of the Demons that caused all this mess"
"Hueco Mundo's... Invasion? The Oni?" She asked insecure.
"Correct. Since you are so keen on looking for answers, would you want to know... Why?"
Instead of replying, she just kept looking at him as if she was in a state of suspended animation.
"*sigh* You are not even processing this very well, are you?"
"Sorry, I just... I can't... I don't know how to react to this!" She exclaimed confused.
"You are strange, woman. Even in your confusion, you still don't show signs of fear, with no need to mention all the things I did back in Hueco Mundo. You are not afraid, although I somehow came back to life after an unquestionable death. I wonder... If you'd cower in fear if you knew that it was I who conquered Hueco Mundo for the Oni"
"You... Did you really do such thing?"
"Yes" He nodded with his emotionless expression.
"Why?"
"Because I was ordered to. Nothing more, nothing less. Actually... That's the same reason I was looking for you"
"Huh?"
"What? You thought I came cause I wanted to see you? Because I needed you? Don't be so arrogant, woman. You're just a human. An antithesis of my very being. A Hollow like me would never care about humans like you"
"But what happened... To that part of you who admitted being interested in humans? What happened to the Espada that was so fixated on knowing what a heart-?"
"Silence!" He looked at her in a menacing way. "I don't know what you're talking about and I don't care either. Now come. Time's up" He grabbed her by the arm and opened a Garganta.
"No! Please! I couldn't even..."
"What, say goodbye? Do you really think everyone will miss you that much? I saw it all. Kurosaki Ichigo doesn't need you anymore. He found comfort in that Arrancar girl, am I wrong? Face it, she took him away from you"
"That's not true! Nel-san would never do that! She's my friend!" She denied angrily.
"Is that so? Maybe this was all just a silly idea of mine..." He said as he pulled one of his eyes out and broke it into pieces.
Orihime saw images of Nelliel and Ichigo in bed. She saw how she hugged him, and how he tenderly touched her hair and face. The vision ended abruptly, with them almost kissing.
"That's... Not true..." She muttered as she became eaten by despair and hopelessness.
"I know why you were crying. You were broken by the one you care for the most. Don't worry. Your sadness will turn into anger, and your anger will turn into hate. That's just how humans are. They love to talk about their heart and that so called love it contains, but even the most beautiful form of love will turn into pure hate under the right conditions"
Suddenly, hearing such words made her an unexpected source of hope and determination.
"You're wrong" She replied calmly.
"Huh?" He was surprised.
"I said you're wrong" She repeated louder.
"Hmph, don't try to trick me woman. You can't tell me that-"
"Yes, I can. You're totally wrong about everything! Only false love can turn into hate. That's why... I could never hate Kurosaki-kun!"
"What point is there in denying it? Just accept that he betrayed you. Why would you keep loving someone like that? That's nonsense!" He seemed pissed at such irrational behaviour.
"It is nonsense, I know... But that's what having a heart is like. We are not made the same, yet we are all broke. We are all sick and in pain, but it's okay, there is no one to blame. We hold on. To hope. To dreams. To love. We hold on to each other to keep living this life. As harsh as it can sometimes be, when we can sort out adversities together, we are reminded of what happiness feels like and it's even more rewarding..."
Ulquiorra stared at her with a shocked yet disgusted expression for a perpetual black second, before he pulled her into the Garganta and took her to Hueco Mundo in a flash.
~~~~X~~~~
"Is this... The Dangai?" Nelliel asked Ichigo as they entered the purple gloomy looking place.
"Yeah. Hey, Yoruichi, do you need help doing that thing to stop the Kouryuu?" He asked her.
"And how would you train then? Sit tight and leave it to me"
"But then how will you help us?"
"I never said that I'd do it myself" She replied with a smirk.
"What do you mean?"
Yoruichi opened a bag. Inside there were mid-length canes of shining light-blue energy.
"It's true that Kisuke might be lazy for physical training, but when it comes to research I have nothing to say"
"Are those made of pure reiatsu?" Uryuu asked impressed.
"Not really. He explained that it's made of metal at its core but that it's charged with great amounts of Reiatsu. Each one of these is meant to give us 2000 hours"
"Why did you bring thirteen then?" Ichigo noticed.
"Fool. You really think that I would risk if one of these failed? We needed at least one more for insurance"
"You're right" He admitted crossing his arms.
"Okay, so first things first, inside those bags are tents and sleeping bags for you all. They are for two people maximum. I have my own, so as long as you don't bother anyone, I don't care who you wanna share them with"
"I'll share a tent with Renji. We've been together since we were kids anyway, so it's not a problem. That way he won't be fighting Ichigo either" Rukia said.
"Tch... Not like I care" Renji muttered.
"Chad and I don't mind sharing either" Uryuu said, although the two were already finishing a tent.
"I'm staying with Lisa" Hiyori declared as she grabbed one of the tent packs.
"I'll share one with Hachi" Love said carelessly, despite the size of his friend.
"I'll be with Ichigo!" Nel giggled as she grabbed him by the hand and dragged him while running towards a spot she liked, all with a disarmed tent under her arm.
"Hey, what the-?!" He didn't even see her coming.
"Ho? She looks innocent but is quite daring" Yoruichi commented with a smug face.
"Pesche and I will arm our tent next to Nel-sama's" Dondochakka said.
"I'll just stay with Harribel. I was already taking care of her when we came to the Human World anyways..." Grimmjow said pretending not to care, when in fact he was worried about her well-being.
"Interesting... Some very interesting couples have formed, huh?" She said to herself looking at Rukia, Ichigo and Grimmjow. "Well, it would be no fun otherwise"
Everyone made their tents and left their sleeping bags inside while Yoruichi did the artificial Kaikyou Kotei to stop the Kouryuu.
"Hey, Nel. How do you plan to train with those clothes?" Ichigo asked her after finishing preparing the tent, since she was still wearing her Yukata.
"Oh... I hadn't thought about that" She admitted.
"Go ask Yoruichi. She might lend you suitable clothes for training"
"You think so? But to say the truth, I don't really know her that much so..." She was too shy to ask herself.
"No problem. I'll go ask her then. Meanwhile take care of Zangetsu" Ichigo decided.
"Thank you, Ichigo" She smiled with gratitude as she carefully left the blade inside the tent.
Yoruichi had finished doing the Kaikyou Kotei and was waiting for the rest to be ready outside her tent.
"Hey, Yoruichi, would you happen to have a spare uniform or something fit for training you can lend me?"
"Wow Ichigo, I always knew you were a little pervert... But I never thought you were into cross-dressing" She replied with a smirk.
"No! I-It's not for me, alright?!" He got upset easily.
"Hahahahahaha, I'm just kidding! It's for that Arrancar girl, Nel, right?" She deduced correctly.
"Yeah... Hey, how did you know her name?"
"Of course. Inoue-chan told me about her after she returned from Hueco Mundo. She was a little Arrancar girl that accompanied you through your journey or something, right?"
"Yeah, something like that" He agreed as he looked back on his journey.
"Inoue-chan seemed to like her, although I felt a hint of insecurity in her voice when she mentioned that she transformed into a beautiful grown adult to save you"
"Really? I mean, that used to be her normal form. I bet she was gonna regain it sooner or later..."
"Yeah, right..." She said in an ironic tone as she entered the tent. "Here, give her these" She gave Ichigo a piece of black clothing and some yellow silk bands.
"Thanks, now Nel will be able to train"
"It's nothing. Also, that's a gift for you as well"
"Huh, what do you mean?"
"You'll know when you see it"
"Whatever you say..." He replied oblivious to what she meant.
He returned and gave Nel the clothes.
"See, I told you it was no problem. Now get changed so we can start training"
"Thank you so much! I'll do it right away" She said with her melodic voice.
She treated her yukata as delicately as possible, since she really liked it. After that, she gave a look at the clothes they lent her.
It turned out to be Yoruichi's black fighting suit, with the white Homonka at the chest. She thought it was a useful yet pretty suit, although once she wore it, she thought it was a bit... revealing. Even after wearing the yellow bands on her neck and waist, that didn't change the fact that Yoruichi was a pair of cups smaller than her.
"Ready?" Ichigo asked her after a while.
"I think so..."
"Alright then, let's go" He said as he entered the tent to grab his Zanpakuto.
"No, wait!" She tried to prevent him from entering but it was too late.
"Eh?" He became frozen as he looked at the Arrancar.
The suit looked really good on her. It made very good use of her curves as well as the contrast with her slightly toned skin. However, the killing blow was the way the side of her melons came out of the armless top.
"Urgh!" He grabbed his nose in an intent to stop the bleeding. "Damn you, Yoruichi!" He thought as he noticed what she meant back there.
"What's the matter, Ichigo? Ah!" She became worried but lost her balance and tripped on top of him.
With her soft bouncy goods being rubbed on his face, Ichigo lost to his body's reaction and bled uncontrollably.
"No! What's going on? Ichigo!" She got his upper body up and started shaking him, trying to get a reaction.
"W-Wait, Nel! I'm fine!" He said as he tried to stop her.
"Really? But you were bleeding!" She didn't seem to believe him.
"It was nothing, really"
"Well if you say so... But you made me very worried!" She embraced him with little tears in her eyes.
"You never change..." He thought due to her reaction, but gladly smiled as he felt her warmth and sweet scent. "I think I should ask Yoruichi for an undershirt though"
She became red as she remembered how most of her boobs came out from her clothes. "Please..."
Once she thought everybody was ready, Yoruichi clapped her hands to call everyone's attention.
"Okay! Come here, everyone!"
All the people did as they were ordered and reunited around her.
"Time to start moving. Who's good at hand to hand combat?"
"Heh, this woman's funny! You really think there's anything you can teach me?" Grimmjow mocked her.
Yoruichi simply used Shunpo to get close to him faster than he could see and used her knee to throw a devastating hit on his stomach.
"What?!" He thought as he coughed a bit of blood as a result.
"See? You still have a lot to learn" She said with a smirk after putting him in his place. "Anyone else wants to join the team?"
"Hey, Nel. Aren't you quite good at this as well?" Ichigo asked her. "I remember how well you combined both your swordsmanship with your hand to hand combat during your fight with Nnoitra"
"Really?" She chuckled. "But, I'm not sure..."
"Hey, you! Nelliel, was it? I heard strawberry boy. Would you mind having a little spar? I just wanna see what you've got"
"Eh? Well... I guess I could give it a try" She replied unsure.
"Go! I'm sure you'll do great!" He cheered her on.
"Thank you. Okay, I'll go!" She finally decided, motivated by Ichigo's support.
Now she was wearing a white undershirt under the black clothing to both cover her body more and, more importantly, restrain the bounce of her breasts to fight freely.
She walked towards Yoruichi and everyone stood back to give them more space. Grimmjow just watched from the floor, still in pain from the cat woman's attack.
"Since you're so shy, I'll go first. Get ready!" She warned.
"Y-Yeah!" Nel replied a bit nervous, taking a defensive position.
In the next instant, Yoruichi used the same attack she used with Grimmjow to see if she was paying attention. Nelliel wasted no time blocking her knee with her arms crossed and jumping above her to throw a spinning kick for her back.
"Wow, this girl fights!" Yoruichi thought as she blocked her kick in the last possible moment with her arm and even was pushed a few meters back. "Guess I won't have to go easy on you"
"I never expected you to" Nelliel answered, now trusting in her own ability.
They clashed again, this time starting with a kick from the Arrancar that was evaded by Yoruichi by crouching. She wasted no time in countering by shooting Nel down with a leg lock directed at her only supporting leg.
Once on the floor, Nelliel quickly blocked Yoruichi's further advancement with a half-guard. With her back on the floor and her legs twisted around the Shinigami's leg and waist, she went for an arm lock, but it was a distraction to change her position into a leg lock meant to trap Yoruichi's upper body and shorten her blood circulation.
"Nice move, but I won't go down so easily!" She replied as she grabbed Nel's knee before she could definitely close the triangle and escaped her lock.
The Arrancar rolled back to stand up as fast as possible and charged at Yoruichi with several punches.
At first, the woman was dodging them easily, but after seeing her moves, Nel could read her better and create combinations that would give her more trouble. After about twenty relentless punches, each one more effective than the last, Yoruichi was forced to start blocking. However, one of the Arrancar's punches was merely a fake to throw a high kick.
Yoruichi only managed to absorb a bit of the impact with her arm, but received good damage from it anyway, since she was sent flying.
Before falling to the ground, the woman managed to gain control of her body and rolled to reduce the impact.
"My turn" She said with a smile after she noticed she was bleeding a bit.
Yoruichi attacked her with everything she had (without using Shunkou) and even then, the Arrancar managed to evade or block most of her punches.
Everyone was actually surprised to see how amazing was Nelliel's fighting style. Despite being technique based, the way she moved her body and jumped around doing sommersaults to dodge was very unique.
"She's like... A wild animal" Ichigo thought without taking his eyes off her.
The two females were on pair, but Yoruichi decided to show her sparring rival that she still had something to learn.
"Very well... You leave me no choice... I didn't think Ichigo was lying about you... But I never expected you to be this strong!" She admitted while panting and sweating.
"Thank you... You're very strong as well... Yoruichi-san" She replied in the same state.
"However. I promised you'd learn a thing or two, so I'm gonna show you that you can still grow" She replied as she took off her orange shirt to let a surge of electric Reiatsu flow from her body.
"That is...!" Rukia recognized it, although she had never seen it.
"Yeah... This is called Shunkou. It's a hybrid technique that mixes both the fighting techniques of Hakuda and the spell techniques of Kidou. It's quite complex, but given the amount of power you gain, it's totally worth it"
Nelliel looked at it for a moment to get an idea of the threat it posed. After a quick analysis, she decided to continue fighting.
"I'm ready" She told Yoruichi, determined to get stronger.
"Very well" The woman replied, an instant before appearing in front of her with a kick.
She almost couldn't see it, but her body reacted in time and blocked the hit. However, even with her Hierro, she took damage.
"Is this truly the power of a Shinigami?!" She thought after seeing and feeling the results of the woman's attack.
Despite the damage, she stood her ground at first, getting ready for another attack. However, her body forced her to fall to her knees moments after.
"Oh, sorry. It seems that was too much for your body to take after recently going back to your adult form" Yoruichi apologized, since Urahara explained her that she couldn't force herself too much.
"No, it's okay. I have to get in shape, that's all. I'm glad I could fight you, Yoruichi-san"
"But were you able to feel the power of Shunkou?"
"Yes, it is very impressive! To say the truth, I never thought a Shinigami could be so strong without using a Zanpakuto"
"Well, that should give you an idea of how powerful this technique is. After all, it is true that it takes a long time for a warrior to learn it, and it requires even more dedication to master it" She clarified. "However... Given your strength and ability, I bet you could master Shunkou by the end of this training"
"Really?!" Nel was filled with hope.
"Of course. You're really strong, Nel. Keep training like that and you'll be kicking some Demon ass!" She cheered her up.
"But, Yoruichi-san. Is it possible for her since, well... She's an Arrancar?" Renji ignorantly asked.
"Fool" Hiyori replied condescending. "Although Vizards are essentially Shinigami, they can use Hollow powers. It's obvious that it is the same way for Arrancar"
"That does make sense..." Uryuu muttered pensive.
"I asked Kisuke, and he said that it was possible. He did tell me that you had to be careful overdoing yourself though" Yoruichi clarified.
"Yes, I have that in mind" Nel agreed.
"Then I guess I'm gonna need your help, Hachi" She looked at the big elegantly dressed pink haired man that was in the group.
"Of course. I'm assuming that you want me to teach her Kidou" He deduced.
"Yes, but there's no need to go so deep into it. I just need her to understand how Kidou works, as well as how to control and use it"
"Understood. I'm going to do my best to teach you the basics of the art of Kidou" He directed a friendly look at Nelliel.
"Thank you..." She was surprised that he had such a warm personality, since his size made him a bit intimidating.
"Aside from that, you and the other Arrancar will be training with me every day. That way you'll sharpen your hand to hand combat skills. You will also spar between yourselves to work on your Hollow abilities" She directed her look at Grimmjow, who was now standing up and giving her a death glare that made her rejoice even more.
"Okay" Nel nodded.
Grimmjow did not reply, although he had clear that he would have to train if he wanted to get revenge on Yoruichi.
"Now, continuing on the rest of you... Rukia!"
"Y-Yes!" She wasn't expecting to be called so soon.
"You will also be training with Hachi to improve your Kidou. After that, you can spar with any of the other Shinigami or Vizards to improve your general combat skills, and more importantly, the use of your Zanpakuto"
"Yes, ma'am!" The girl replied formally and even bowed.
"How cute..." She chuckled. "You three!" She pointed at Uryuu, Chad and Renji.
"Yes?" The three said in unison.
"Just like with Urahara. Go find a place where you can train freely and destroy stuff every day without bothering anyone and improve your own special abilities. I'm sorry that we don't have other Quincies in the group, but I'm pretty sure you'll figure a way to get stronger on your own. Needless to say, if you want to get better at Hakuda, you're always free to participate in my special training" She offered.
"Thanks for the offer, even though I doubt I'll take it" Uryuu replied.
"I'll think about it" Chad said.
"Nah, I'll just stick with these guys. I'm sure we'll get pretty strong by ourselves" Renji added.
"Do as you wish. The shorter the group, the better. Continuing, what are your abilities?" She looked at Pesche and Dondochakka obliviously.
"I can spit a lot of green slippery liquid!" The blonde one said proudly.
"My face is pretty hard, I guess..." His brother scratched the back of his head as he modestly replied.
"They could train with me, Yoruichi-san. After all, they are my Fracción" Nel said.
Grimmjow became astonished as he heard those words. "Fracción?! Did I hear correctly...?" He thought as he looked at Nelliel in shock.
"No, Nel-sama! We would only drag you down..." Dondochakka denied.
"I think he's right. If you want to get really strong, the best is that you focus on your own training" Pesche agreed with his brother.
"Thank you, guys..." She gave a hug to both her brothers in sign of appreciation.
"Um... Then you could join those three" Yoruichi decided to send them with the miscellaneous trio of the Quincy, Fullbring and Shinigami.
"Woohoo! The gang is back together!" Pesche said gladly as he remembered the time they spent in Hueco Mundo fighting Aizen's army.
"Y-Yeah..." Uryuu replied, although inside he felt that it was a drag training with such clowns.
"You better take it seriously this time!" Renji warned them.
"Oh, c'mon guys! I know we used to fool around a lot, but we proved to be useful in battle at the very end, right?" Pesche asked proudly, looking for approval.
"Not really... Szayelaporro saw through your attack" Uryuu reminded him.
"So mean!" Dondochakka started crying.
"It's the truth, goddammit!" Renji cursed.
"Then this time we'll train as hard as we can so things are different" Pesche concluded with a serious voice that was hardly ever heard.
The group was silenced as they looked at him, astonished for a moment.
"D-Don't look at me like that! It makes me nervous!" He posed and moved his hands in sign of disapproval.
Everyone felt calmer when he returned to his usual self.
"Well... That leaves us with Ichigo and the rest of the Vizards" Yoruichi said to conclude.
"Don't bother mentioning it. It's clear that we have to help this idiot control his Hollow powers again" Hiyori deduced.
"Did you try wearing your mask, Ichigo?" Love asked him.
"Yeah. I sparred a bit with Grimmjow after my powers returned. It felt... Okay, I guess. I didn't feel anything out of place" He replied as he recalled his most recent fight while Love nodded.
"How long did you transform?" Lisa questioned.
"I'm not really sure, but it wasn't so long. I wore off the mask on my own, though"
"It was for about a minute" Nelliel reminded him.
"That means you're not as pathetic as I thought you'd be if you got back your Reiatsu" Hiyori crossed her arms.
"Yeah, keep talking. That big mouth of yours is gonna cost you sooner or later" Ichigo told her pissed.
"Oh, so you wanna fight? Come at me, I give no fucks when destroying brats like you!" She yelled as she got her Zanpakuto out.
"Who are you calling a brat? Last time I checked, you were as short as a midget!"
"THAT'S IT, YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!" She jumped at him and used Shikai.
An orange cubic barrier formed around her and stopped her in mid-air.
"This is turning into a bad joke..." Hachigen said as he shook his head.
"Anyway, we are ready. It's difficult to tell the time here, so Kisuke gave me a timer to count each day here. You'll wake up at 6 O'clock every morning and finish your training at 8 PM. You're free to continue training afterwards, but I don't want that to cause you lesions or an excess of fatigue. Meals last for an hour, so breakfast, lunch and dinner are at 9 AM, 3 PM and 9 PM respectively. You have the rest of the day off" Yoruichi ordered.
Everyone gave a sign of understanding.
"Oh and Ichigo" She called him individually. "Once you're done with the Hollow mask training, I want you to start learning Kidou with Hachi"
"Really? Kidou? Me?" He never saw himself learning such thing. "Like, doesn't that take years to master?"
"Don't act like you haven't learned other complex techniques in short spans of time before. Believe me, you have what it takes, but you have to give it your all"
"If you say so... Alright, I'll do my best"
"I have no doubt" She proudly smiled.
Although she was very demanding about training, she was really proud of Ichigo. It was undeniable that he was a prodigy, even if he didn't notice it, but what Yoruichi appreciated about him the most was the effort he put in the things he did.
"Let's go, Nel!" He told the Arrancar, who stood by to wait for him while he was talking.
"Yes!" She happily replied.
Nel wrapped herself around Ichigo's arm and was humming happily as they walked towards their tent.
"Hey!" A voice called.
"Who is it?" She asked Ichigo.
Ichigo tilted his head towards the voice.
"Grimmjow..." He replied, wondering about what he wanted.
They stood still and waited for him.
"What's the matter?" Ichigo asked him.
"I need to talk. With BOTHof you. But first, follow me..." He said as he started walking.
Nel gave Ichigo a strange look as if asking "What does he want?" to what Ichigo raised his shoulders in reply and started following him.
The Espada entered his tent and waited for them. Inside, Harribel was still recovering, silently sleeping in her bag.
"Alright, what's going on?" Ichigo asked, even more curious than before, as he sat alongside Nel.
"You!" Grimmjow called Nel's attention. "I remember you... You were an Espada!" He was one of the first Arrancar in Aizen's army, so he could remember, despite him being numbered 12 at that time.
"*sigh* I am Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. And yes, I used to be the third Espada"
"Tercera... Then I guess you must be the one that old sack of bones mentioned a long time ago..."
"Old sack of bones... Who's that?" Ichigo asked.
"You must be referring to Barragan, the 2nd Espada" Nel intuited.
Ichigo assumed that this Barragan was already dead.
"Correct. I remember hearing him talk about a third Espada that disappeared without a trace. I can't say I really cared much about that, as I was focused on getting stronger myself... But I did think that it was an unusual event. I knew that the Espada I joined had gone through some changes before, but I never heard of an Espada simply disappearing, which was even weirder given the fact that it was a 3rd"
"It must have been me. That idiot of Nnoitra betrayed me. He destroyed the mask of my two Fracción just because I didn't agree to needlessly kill him after a battle. As a result, I got angry and faced him. He used some kind of trick, got the best of me and I got my skull broken. I imagine that he and whoever was his partner in crime threw me and my Fracciones outside of Las Noches, but neither Pesche nor Dondochakka have really told me about it" She bitterly replied, until Ichigo pat her head to comfort her, to which she smiled.
"I'm thinking the same. You were some kind of urban legend among the current Espada. But I don't care about any of that, to be honest"
"Why did you want to know that then?" She asked him confused.
"Because now I have an idea of how strong you truly are. I saw you fight that woman and you definitely have what it takes. C'mon, fight me!"
She closed her eyes disappointed. "*sigh* How can you all look at me the same way?" She told him as she thought about Nnoitra. "All you care is about fighting, destroying and killing... I hate fighting in general, but I despise fighting for no reason at all" She replied angrily.
"Sorry, but I wanna be king. The king of Hueco Mundo. For that, I need to fight strong Arrancar like you to get even stronger and claim my position"
"Then become king, I couldn't care less. From now on, I decided that I would stay by Ichigo's side. Once we defeat the Oni, I'll only go back to Hueco Mundo if he wishes to do so. If you want to be stronger then train by yourself, but don't drag those of us that wish for peaceful lives" She clarified.
"Tch... I hate your kind" He spat. "You are literally the worst. You have all the power to accomplish even the greatest ambitions, yet you seek for stupid things like peace or company..." The last part made him remember Starrk.
Ichigo was about to interfere, but Nelliel spoke before he had the chance.
"Think whatever you want. I'm not fighting you, Grimmjow. Not over some stupid reason like that. I don't mind training with you, if you wish to get stronger that bad. But, if you're looking for a fight to the death... All you're gonna get is a no from me" She declared.
Ichigo had never seen her so serious outside of battle, but a part of him was glad that she could stand up for herself.
"Anything else you want, Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked him, a tad pissed for the way he treated Nel.
"Yeah. This is the most important thing actually"
"It better be"
"How the hell did you beat Ulquiorra?"
He had flashbacks of the battle he had against the 4th Espada. The way he was completely overwhelmed by his power, to such extreme that he was almost killed, if it wasn't for the fact that his inner Hollow took over and won the battle.
"Why do you wanna know?" He asked back, reluctant to give a clear answer.
"Or better yet... Who killed Ulquiorra?" He rephrased his question to get the answer he wanted.
Nelliel stayed silent and looked at Ichigo's uncomfortable expression. She wanted to know more about that battle as well, but she knew that it was a sensitive topic for him.
"What do you mean?"
"C'mon, Ichigo. We Hollows might not be as instructed as you are about our rivals, but we know perfectly well what happens when a Shinigami kills a Hollow"
"Yeah? Good for you. Would you mind telling me why that matters?"
"Only if you spit out what the hell happened over the roof of Las Noches!"
Ichigo looked at him astonished.
"What? You thought I didn't notice that there was a hole at the top of the palace? You thought I didn't feel the crushing spiritual pressure of Ulquiorra when that giant wave of black and green Reiatsu came out from that hole?! Just what the fuck happened up there?!"
Ichigo couldn't understand why Grimmjow was so desperate to know that information, but he knew that he would not give up.
"Um... Ichigo. I would also like to know more details about that battle... If it's not a bother" She insecurely asked with her nightmare in mind.
"*sigh* Fine. You're right. I couldn't have possibly killed him. Ulquiorra was tremendously strong, and in his Resurrección, he was already beating the shit out of me without any effort...
But you know how I am. I never give up, do I? And that seemed to piss him off even more. In an intent to make me drown in despair, he showed me his Resurrección: Segunda Etapa"
"What...? What did you just say?!" Grimmjow was in shock.
"Exactly that. There is a level above Resurrección"
"That would explain the way I saw him in my dream. I just assumed it was him because of his face and sad aura, but if there is a form that surpasses the normal Resurrección, it is possible that I saw his transformation" She theorized in her head.
"That bastard! I always knew he was hiding something... But if he had a power like that, it's possible- No. It's clear that he was the strongest Espada in the army" He said full of frustration.
"Anyways... The problem starts now. I have no words to describe the power he attained in that form. I had never faced an enemy that was so superior to me, and even now, the mere thought of facing him again is suffocating.
After a while toying with me, he blasted a Cero through the same spot he had his Hollow hole. I lost consciousness after that.
The next thing I remember is hearing Inoue's voice. She was crying. Only by hearing her voice I knew that she was devastated. I couldn't do anything, until I heard her screaming as she asked me to save her.
I don't know what happened to my body, but it got up and not only did it fight Ulquiorra. It completely destroyed him.
When I regained consciousness, as well as control of my body, he was already damaged beyond regeneration. He disintegrated before I even had the chance to finish the battle.
After beating Aizen, in the first stage of my loss of Reiatsu... I saw what happened in a dream, but wasn't able to understand it completely.
When I asked Uryuu and Inoue about it though, it was all clear to me. I had become... a Vasto Lorde" He finished bitterly.
Nel and Grimmjow were in shock as they heard Ichigo's confession.
"Is that...? Is that true?!" Grimmjow couldn't believe it.
"Every word. If you believe me or not it's up to you" He sighed in the end.
Nel thought about the meaning of her nightmare for a moment, but stopped to show Ichigo that she believed him.
"I believe you, Ichigo!" Nelliel said determined as she put her hands in his shoulders in sign of trust.
"Heh, thanks, Nel" He smiled, happy to have someone to support him unconditionally.
"I mean, I don't think you're lying. It's just that such thing is simply unbeliavable. However... If that is what truly happened, it does explain what was troubling me" Grimmjow confessed.
"So there was a reason you wanted to know..." Ichigo muttered. "Grimmjow, what the fuck is going on?!" He grabbed the Arrancar by the jacket and shook him violently.
"Ichigo...!" Nel was scared by his sudden reaction.
"Hey, calm down! I'm telling you!" Even Grimmjow was intimidated by Ichigo in that state.
"Then spit it out!"
"Geez! I needed to know that because, well... I had to make sure that there was a possibility that what I saw was real..."
"But what did you see, Grimmjow? Does Ulquiorra have anything to do with our current situation?" Ichigo was getting more and more upset since the Espada kept going in circles and didn't give a real answer.
"He does... Cause" He stopped for a moment and looked at him straight in the eye. "I don't know how... I don't understand how in the world it could happen but... That bastard of Ulquiorra... Is back from the dead"
~~~~X~~~~
Orihime arrived in what seemed like the throne room in Las Noches, although it was very damaged and had a giant hole that allowed her to see the desert under the palace.
What surprised her the most is that what used to be covered in light was now shrouded in darkness, just like it was outside the palace. What was even more shocking, was the absence of Hollows in Las Noches. Despite the privileged view point the destroyed throne room gave her, she couldn't see a single Hollow in the distance.
"How did you-?!" She muttered in shock.
"So... Are you feeling afraid right now? Are you losing hope once and for all?"
For a moment, she had lost her cool, but she suddenly remembered something that gave peace to her soul.
"No. In fact, my reason is the same as the first time I came here"
Ulquiorra's eyes became amazed by that answer.
"I know my friends will come to save me. I even know Kurosaki-kun will do everything he can to rescue me. Despite my weakness, despite my uselessness, despite it all... I know he'll come to my aid"
"Why?! Why are you so persistent, woman?" He lost his cool for a second but recovered in a moment.
"Because I have a heart. And that heart is a part of all of my friends" She replied with an angelic smile as she touched her chest.
Ulquiorra approached her furiously, raising his Reiatsu to monstrous levels as the very palace within Las Noches trembled because of his power.
Orihime's body wanted to run away for survival instinct, but she had other plans. She decided to stand her ground no matter what. She wanted to prove Ulquiorra that she was not weak, that she was not afraid and that she would never give up on the thought that Ichigo was there for her.
She was ready to get her chest torn apart, her head smashed or her very soul erased, but she would not give up.
Just as Ulquiorra was standing in front of her, she braced herself to meet her end.
"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun... Looks like I won't be able to see you again after all..."
She saw her life flash before her eyes. Every moment she spent with Ichigo, ever since they were kids, passed through her mind at a slow yet very fast pace. She didn't know how to explain it, but she didn't care. All she cared for at the moment was the happiness that filled her as these golden memories filled her mind, heart and soul, all at once.
"Thanks everyone for these moments. Thank God, for this wonderful life. Thank you, Kurosaki-kun... For the chance you gave me to experience all of this by your side and everyone else's. I wish only for your happiness, so..."
She looked up for one last time at the wholes in the roof of Las Noches, to see the ancient skies.
"...Please, Nel-san. Promise me that you'll love Ichigo with all your heart and you'll do everything you can to keep him happy" She thought and a single tear crashed into the ground. "I love you, Kurosaki-kun..."
Ulquiorra's hand moved towards her. She didn't know if it was an illusion created by her mind in her last moments, but his hand moved incredibly slow. She thought that this was her imagination, but in fact, Ulquiorra didn't move at his violent speed, neither he attacked her in any way.
Instead, the Espada took her hand in a gentle way she thought impossible.
"You proved the power of this heart. As a reward, I apologize for the things I did and said before..." He said as he looked down in shame.
"What?" She couldn't believe it. "Is he... Apologizing? Is he really apologizing?!" She thought as she witnessed an event she thought completely impossible.
"Everything I did was a test. A façade I put up because I wanted to see the power of your heart. I wanted to confirm that it was something worth risking my new life for"
"What do you mean?"
"Woman... No. Inoue Orihime. You've showed me what a heart is, as well as its unfathomable power. Now... I want you to teach me... How... How can I use this?" He asked with a sorrowful yet hopeful look as he put his white hand against hers. "I would never forget... That in this hand... There is a heart"
She could barely understand the fact that the Espada had become legitimately interested in the human heart, so she limited herself to look at him astonished.
"So please... Give me just one moment, in the life of the one who is something better, more than anything I will ever be.
Please... Give me just one second, just to touch what I'll never own.
Let me get those feelings, of love that I will never share!
Show me your compassion... In the dark of this world..." He confessed his most inner wishes with an expression of weakness Inoue was sure...
No one had ever seen. Not one Hollow, not one soul... Had ever been able to see Ulquiorra's weakness with its own eyes.
"I would give it all... For one taste of it. Everything.
I would give it all... To become more like you. To be just a bit more... Human.
After spending time with you, I found out that this world in which I can only recognize everything I see or touch... This whole world's a lie.
So believe me, I would try... And try... And try, cause...
I would give it all to become you"
Orihime's eyes filled with tears as she realised Ulquiorra's true feelings and embraced him.
"I always knew... I always knew you could change" She whispered in his ear with her sweet voice.
"What... Are you doing?" He asked as he felt her warm embrace. He didn't know how to describe the feeling that gave him. He didn't know if he was supposed to feel happy or sad and Orihime's tears didn't help at that either. However, something gave him the idea that it wasn't something negative, at the very least.
"This, is a hug. It is meant to share strong positive feelings, or to show how much you care about someone. Would you mind... Telling me your full name...?" She asked curiously.
"My full... Name? I'm Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra Cifer" He answered a bit confused.
"I see... It's a nice name, Cifer-kun" She smiled at him.
"Cifer... Kun...?" He was even more confused. "What is the importance of knowing my name?" He thought.
"Sorry... It's just that I've always called Kurosaki-kun by his surname. I thought I could do the same with you. You don't... You don't like it?" She asked innocently.
"No... It's not that. It's just... No one has ever called me that before..."
"Now that I call you that, you should do the same as well. Make your pick, Orihime or Inoue. I don't really mind, as long as you call me by my name"
"Inoue..." He pronounced it tenderly.
She giggled after hearing it come from his mouth.
"What is it? Did I say it wrong?" He inquired.
"No. It's just that I never imagined you saying it. It sounded beautiful"
"Is that so?" He looked at her with curiosity. "What is the importance of using names?"
"It is a sign of closeness. Friends do it all the time for that reason. It's more... Personal"
"Will that make me more human? Will that draw me closer to understanding and using this... Heart?" He asked desparately.
"It is a first step" She replied with a smile. "Don't worry, Cifer-kun. I will teach you everything you need to know about the human heart. I promise I'll help you be..."
Ulquiorra widened his eyes as she made her vow.
"...The best you can be" Her smile seemed to be a sun, shining in the face of the Arrancar.
~~~~X~~~~
Woah! That was a long chapter wasn't it? However, I bet you are glad to finally get some answers, or at least an idea, but in the end, I'm sure you enjoyed it.
Now for real, next update is gonna be after the release of another story's chapter, but I'll be back after that for sure!
Reviews:
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Great chapter! Okay! No worries. I understand your decision. But I digress. To my review!
I enjoyed this a TON! You updated quite quickly! I wasn't expecting one so soon! Lol. But yea.Looks like Orihime has encountered a resurrected Ulquiorra! But, whose side is he really on? The Demons'? Or his own? After all, Neliel did have that "vision" of sorts. What could this all mean?
And the others will be training in the Dangai huh? Sweetness. Looking forward to what power-ups everyone will gain! Will Neliel also be able to fully get herself healed? Also, what about her new Resurrección mentioned in CFYOW and shown in Bleach Brave Souls? Will you possibly be using that? It'd be cool to see Grimmjow's as well!Till next update! I hope it comes soon!
Reply: You sure like to digress, don't you? No worries man, I'm glad to see your support.
About Ulquiorra, I can tell that in this chapter he does show his true colors, but beware, for you'll find that things are more complicated than they seem.
About the CFYOW versions, I won't be using them for a very simple reason. Those forms are not Resurrección, they are described as a power above it, given by the Hogyoku. I decided that the Hogyoku's return would only be to help Ichigo, nothing more, so those forms won't make an appearance in this fic. On the other hand, I will be giving them new forms based on Resurrección (That implies powers connected to the Espada's aspects of death and stuff like that) so worry not, there's a lot of stuff coming in the future.
Vhaerun54: Haven't read or looked for new fanfic for several months. Found this beastly fic and am surprised that I'm 3 chapters in and it has so few reviews for as good as it is! Look forward to what you have in store as this is getting good.
Reply: Thanks man, I wonder about the same. It would be great to see what more people think, but just for the amount of follows I can see that many are enjoying it, and that's good enough. In a way, I'm Evhron from the future so, you're in for a surprise!
See you all in the next chapter. Evhron out.
PD: It came soon!