Chapter Three
Living with the dwarfs was better than living at Aizen's castle. Ulquiorra had actually been having a good time with them so far. He even got some of them to help him clean, and when he made supper, the Espada watched him, curious to how to make a good meal. Syzael especially was taking notes. They all liked Ulquiorra very much, and even Barragan was slowly getting used to the Prince. As long as the food was good, and the house was clean he wouldn't kick him out.
And with all the new friends that Ulquiorra had made, he missed one person very much so. It was the blue-haired prince, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. He had never met anyone like him. It made him sad to think he wouldn't see him ever again. And what would Grimmjow think- when he found out Ulquiorra wasn't there when he went to see him? Ulquiorra also wondered what Aizen would tell him.
He didn't want to think of Grimmjow's reaction. He wished there was some way to meet him again. He should have said yes to Grimmjow's proposal right then. For if he had done so then this would have never happened at all, and Ulquiorra would probably be with him right now.
He daydreamed about him while he swept the floors. They had just finished supper and were now doing the dishes like a family. Ulquiorra could see Syzael reprimanding Nnoitra for dropping a plate and Nel busy trying not to drop her own share. Absentmindedly, he had begun to sweep over someone's feet and was startled when a loud chuckle reached his ears.
"Daydreaming, Prince Ulquiorra?" Aaroniero asked him.
"Oh I wasn't aware you were standing there, forgive my rudeness," he said, then went back to sweeping.
"You've been doin that a lot lately k-kid. What's on your mind?" Aaroniero asked with a smile.
Ulquiorra's cheeks turned a faint pink. He said, "nothing really." He set the broom against the wall, finished with the task at hand. The seven Espada were done as well and crowded around him eagerly, at having heard the previous conversation.
"Do you miss someone back home?" Nel asked with a cute frown on her face. Her big eyes looked up at him sadly.
"How did you know?" He blushed when he realized what he had just admitted. Well, he did miss Grimmjow didn't he? Even while not knowing him for very long.
"Aha so that's it, Oh, don't think I don't know a lovesick teen when I see one!" Syzael said perkily as he nudged Halibel next to him. She blushed and shoved him right back.
"Don't be so perverse Syazael, of course Ulquiorra would be homesick. I's got nothing to do with a girl, right?" she fought back her blush that showed brightly on her tanned skin.
Nnoitra wheezed with laughter, luckily controlling his sneeze before it happened. He remarked, "ya Pinky," to Syzael who glared at him irritably with red hot cheeks. "Sides, why would little Ulqi miss anyone back home when he's got me righ here."
"Knock it off!" Barragan's large fist collided with Nnoitra's head of hair. Ulquiorra looked at him with a puzzled expression, in which the old man coughed and said, "It's annoying to hear him talk like that about you all the time."
The seven Espada were surprised to see Ulquiorra laugh quietly. This in turn caused all of them to break out in smiles and joyous laughter. Of all the talk they heard of the emotionless prince, it was sure nice to see him smile and have a good time. Ulquiorra was even surprised at himself, even as he started to speak.
"Nnoitra's right though. I don't need anyone back in the castle if I can continue to be a friend to you seven."
Aaroniero chuckled, "well gosh Ulquiorra, I don't think we'd mind if you stayed here forever."
"Really?" They all nodded with excitement, except for Barragan a.k.a Grumpy who was folding his arms with a furrowed expression as usual. But he gave a firm nod when green eyes settled on him. Ulquiorra smiled. He was delighted that his new friends were being so kind. He really would like to stay with them forever, but what of Grimmjow? His smile faded at the thought that Grimmjow and he would never be together, not if he continued to live in hiding.
The Espada noticed the pain in his eyes as he heard this. This discouraged them, but Aaroniero was the first to say something about it. "You really miss that person don't you? You can tell us Ulquiorra, we're your friends." He smiled in encouragement.
Ulquiorra looked at the rest of the Espada who were nodding and smiling up at him. He suddenly felt bad for keeping something from his new friends. What would be the harm in telling them? They would understand. Besides he had heard that telling someone about the problem would help get it off his mind. He said, "it's just a prince I met..."
"A prince!" Nel was the first to exclaim this. Her cheeks were rosy and her big eyes were wide in wonder. When she said this she jumped up and accidentally stepped on Nnoitra's foot. He hissed in pain but was too stuck on what he just heard to care.
"A prince?" Nnoitra huffed with a frown as he folded his arms across his tiny chest. "Guess that means we're outta luck Hal," he said to the blushing tan girl next to him. She was thinking the same thing but wouldn't say so of course, for her respect for Ulquiorra.
Starrk who was for once, not sleeping, said, "Congratulations." He ended this with a yawn before drawling out, "now why don't we all have a slumber party to celebrate..."
Syzael swooned with a large smile. "That is simply adorable!"
"Adorable? He's a prince himself!" Barragan frowned with his ever trademark furrowed brow.
Aaroniero meanwhile was smiling joyously. "A prince huh? What's his name?"
Ulquiorra was shocked that they hadn't thought it strange. Although in that time it was fairly common for one man to love another. "Grimmjow JeagerJaques," he answered with a tiny smile.
"Oh! Did Grimmjow ask you to marry him Ulqi?" Nel innocently asked. Ulquiorra blushed at that very true statement while the other Espada scolded her for asking such an outright question. Ulquiorra didn't mind. They told him that Nel was actually a lot younger then any of them, so he understood her childish behavior.
"Actually..."
"So he did!" Syzael just about cheered.
"Well good for you Ulquiorra!"
He frowned solemnly. "You are forgetting one thing though. I won't be able to see him ever again."
It suddenly dawned on the seven little Espada and they looked at one another with sadness etched on their faces. Aaroniero set a hand on Ulquiorra's knee (the only place he could reach) and smiled when the boy looked at him. "Look on the bright side will ya. I don't know the future but I have a feeling this prince won't give you up so easily."
Nel smiled and exclaimed, "yeah Ulqi! And maybe he'll come save you!"
"Pah- that prince isn't here n-" Nnoitra was cut off by Harribels, Starks, and Barragan's fists threatening to hit him all at the same time. He gulped and swallowed his tongue (no, not literally.) But he huffed and mumbled, "well he better come soon or else."
Ulquiorra smiled at all of them. He was indeed lucky to meet such a wonderful group of people. And although he did in fact miss Grimmjow very much, he would make do where he was.
...
That same night, the moon shone down over the King's castle. Aizen smiled down at the box that rested in his hands. He ha received Yammy's report and Ulquiorra's heart and all was well again within his castle walls. So, just like any other night, Aizen strolled down to his chambers and awakened the magic mirror.
"Oh! Aizen tachio, your face is the one thing I was hopin ta see. You know I was beginnin' ter think ya forgot about me," the man in the mirror, Gin said with a fox grin.
"Now Gin, you know I am a busy man," he said as he settled down into his chair. Immediately he began to admire his image in the mirror.
The fox man grinned. "If I had my feet, you would only be busy with me between the sheets."
Of course Aizen was no longer paying attention to the lovesick man in the mirror. He was to entranced by his own mesmerizing beauty. "Mirror mirror on the wall, am I Aizen, now the fairest one of all?" he asked it with a victorious smile.
Gin said with a sigh, "To me, you will always be fairer than anyone, equivalent to a god. Any other fools attempt at beauty should be considered fraud. But I don' make the rules, I simply follow suit. Little Prince Ulquiorra, is fairer than thee, riper than a fruit, the heir to the throne. It has been only sixteen years and beauty has taken it's tole, my my how he's grown." He frowned when Aizen's smile disappeared.
Aizen looked at him and replied, "Ulquiorra is dead. My dear huntsman made sure of that." He gestured to the box with a golden clasp that sat on the pedestal near his throne. "The boy's heart lies here in this box. Now you tell me who is more beautiful; me, or that corpse?"
"Oh but the boy lives. While yer attempt to be the fairest of all is quite shocking, it gives me chills mah lord. For over seven jeweled hills, n beyon' the seventh fall, with the seven dwarfs dwells Snow White, fairest one of all. (1) Now don be so angry my Lord-"
"Then what of this heart? That should be proof enough..."
"Well ya were tricked, my darlin' dearest. Yammy the huntsman could never kill little Ulquiorra. So he ran in fear deep into the forest."
Aizen was, for lack of a better word, pissed. Gin took note of this and instantly regretted delaying such news to the gorgeous man. The king stood and opened the box. "And this heart, I presume... is not human at all?"
"Tis the heart of a pig, my lovely doll."
"So I have been tricked." He flung the box across the room and ran a hand through his hair. Not surprisingly to Gin, he began laughing maniacally. "Those dwarfs are foolish to go against me. Of course, it wouldn't be any fun if they hadn't. I've always been prepared for a little mutiny in my kingdom. Aah well... seems I'll have to take things into my own hands."
As he left, Gin sighed once again. He was contemplating doing the same thing himself, but for a different matter. And this made him grin even wider and laugh something similar to a hyena. "S'pose I'll never really leave this ol' mirror o' mine. S'pose Aizen doesn' even notice I mean it when I tell him a trashy pick up line..."
...
"Are you sure it is fine for me to use your beds?" Ulquiorra asked once again as he looked at the dwarfs all standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"Of course it is," Aaroneiro answered, smiling as usual.
"Yeah we don't mind! I'm happy as long as you're happy," Syzael called.
Nnoitra scoffed and sneezed, "yer always happy." He wiped his hand on Starks back with a frown.
"It's better then being not happy at all..." Stark commented to him as he caught his thin wrist.
Ulquiorra made to turn but looked back again. "You are... certain?"
"Yes yes!" Nel said for them."And you can use my stuffed bear if you get lonely Ulqi. His name is Mr. Frumple but I always call him-"
"He doesn't care about your stupid toys Nel! Ulquiorra you can use my blanket," Nnoitra grinned.
"As if he'd even touch your things..." Halibel said with a scoff.
"Well he wouldn't touch you either!"
The tan girl blushed bright red and pulled her collar up higher.
"Just go sleep Ulquiorra. We'll be fine." The boy nodded and disappeared inside the room with the shut of the wooden door.
Barragan who had been holding his tongue the entire time just now lashed out at Aaroniero. "Why'd you tell him that? Now where will we sleep, the floor?"
"Well... that's not so bad."
"I call the couch!" But before little Nel could get there, three other Espada all jumped for it at once. They argued for it until Barragan knocked some sense in them to be quiet. Starrk laid down on top of the table and began to snooze off, ignoring the rest of the Espada. While Barragan settled onto the couch, the others sulked off to other parts of the room. Aaroniero climbed up onto a that hung in the air against the wall, and in the one below him lay the pink haired Espada with a dreamy smile on his face. Harribel had created a makeshift bed underneath the table, while Nnoitra perched on the long windowsill. And after clumsily running into the table, falling off a shelf and bruising her big toe, Nel decided just to sleep in the middle of the room on the floor. Most of the Espada were wide awake and thinking about the sudden change in their lives.
Aaroniero was quiet as he listened to loud snores that could only belong to one Coyote Starrk. He said quietly to the remaining conscious Espada, "We can't hide Ulquiorra from Aizen. As much as I want to, we just can't."
"I know that," came a gruff reply. "Why dya think I objected to this nonsense in the first place?"
Harribel spoke up, "Either way his future would be the same. If we hadn't taken him in he just would have been killed sooner. At least this way we know he's safe... for now."
"Poor Ulquiorra! I can't imagine the reason Lord Aizen has for wanting to kill his darling son!" Syzael's over dramatization shocked Nel. Because she was only a child, certain situations didn't seem as serious to her. But now that the group was talking about it like this, she knew this wasn't all fun and games.
"Aaroniero... is Ulqi gonna be alright?"
Aaroniero didn't want to lie to Nel, but he couldn't tell the truth either. "As-as long as he's with us he will," he assured her with a shaky voice. He really was noticing how annoying the stuttering was getting!
"There's no way we can object to Aizen!"
"Barragan be quiet you'll wake the kid!"
"Ey jus don't worry about it Nel," Nnoitra said. Despite how mean he was to her usually, he didn't like it when she got all sad. "I'll make sure nothin happens to him."
"We'll all make sure of that." Aaroniero's words seemed to reassure Nel a little and she smiled and nodded her head.
Barragan grumbled and glowered at the ceiling. "I'm not promisin' nothin-"
Starrk opened one eye and began speaking which startled everyone at first. It seems he had been awake for the whole conversation. "Barragan, don't you think it's wise to help Ulquiorra relentless? After all we don't know what Lord Aizen is planning. We rarely get an explanation for why he does the things he does, and yet we still carry out his orders. Maybe it's time to do something... unexpected..."
"Oh, like live for the moment!"
"Don't think that's what he means Syzael..." Harribel said.
"Let me finish what I'm sayen before you go shootin your trap!" the old man grumbled. "I was gunna say, I'm not promising I'll help him... but nobody's gonna die on my watch."
Nel gasped and smiled, same with Syzael. "So we all agree then? Good now if you don't mind I'd like to get some sleep..."
Aaroniero chuckled. "Good night everybody."
A/N: And we progress further into the story... hehe. I'm actually going to extend the time period in which Aizen attempts to kill Ulqiorra, which happens probably a day after Snow White goes to live with the dwarfs. Well, from what the movie shows us anyways.
1. This is an altercation of the line that the mirror uses in the movie. I do not claim to own this line at all, nor the storyline in general.