Ashes
by Her Pretty Smile
A/N: Imagine my surprise when I checked up on this fic and found out that it escalated from 2 reviews to 10 reviews! O.O I was like, what? I even rubbed my eyes, thinking that I'd seen wrong! And all this because I just posted chapter three. Wow.
So I apologize if the chapters seem really short, but it kind of works that way, you know?
Now, without further ado, I present to you chapter four. :)
Ashes: Chapter IV
THE DAYS PASSED BY like a blur for Orihime. Sometimes it seemed like it was just yesterday when she was laughing and smiling with Tatsuki, talking animatedly with Rukia, enjoying Uryuu and Chad's company, attending school normally, and admiring Ichigo from afar.
Sometimes it also seemed like it was just yesterday when she merely just stared emptily at the moon, her body gaunt and pale from lack of sleep and appetite.
But now, she noticed that the colour was slowly coming back to her skin, and that the bags under her eyes were starting to disappear. Her weight had increased considerably, making her not look skeleton-thin anymore.
However, her eyes hadn't changed.
They were still full of sadness and loneliness.
She had no friends here. She was in enemy territory. No one cared one bit about making friends with her.
She was treated well, but being cooped up in her room all day for two and a half months was enough to make her want to scream.
So when Ulquiorra paid her one of his daily two-time or three-time visits, she said to him meekly, "U—Ulquiorra-san...?"
His empty green eyes looked at her. "What is it, woman?"
"A—Ano..." She swallowed, unconsciously threading her fingers together in apprehension and nervousness. "Can... you tell me some things about... about yourself?"
He raised an eyebrow in response. "And why should I tell you something about myself, woman?"
"I..." She clenched her fists as if trying to find her bravery. "I... just want to know you, Ulquiorra-san."
He placed his hands inside his pockets lazily with a clear hint of skepticism in his eyes as he stared at her. "...I do not see any harm in telling you..." he said after a long moment. "Woman, what number do you think I am?"
She blinked. "Ah... E—Etto... Number 2?"
"That is wrong." Slowly, he pulled down the zipper of his shirt and revealed the bare left side of his chest. "I am the fourth Espada."
A gasp escaped her lips. "F—Four...? But... But I thought—"
"You thought wrong." He zipped his shirt back up and rested his gaze on her. "There are three Espada who are far stronger than I am."
She bit her lip. "I—I see..."
He put his hands back inside his pockets. "I do not know what you hope to gain from... trying to know me, but it is futile, woman. Like I said, I am not like you."
"But you were human once," she said softly, still not looking at him.
He looked at her. "What?"
"You were human once," she repeated quietly, lifting her head to meet his eyes. "Weren't you?"
He was not affected by this. "Yes. But I cannot remember that life I had. I can only make out a single memory..." He paused. "...which is a dark place with ashes in the air."
There was interest and curiosity in her eyes. "Ashes...?"
He tensed slightly. What was he doing? Why was he saying things he deemed classified to someone who was of no importance to him?
"...I shall take my leave." He turned his back towards her and started to walk out of the room.
"Ah, w—wait!" she called out.
He stopped, turning his head towards her. "What is it?"
A small smile graced her features. "Thank you... for sharing a part of yourself to me."
He stared at her for a moment with slightly narrowed eyes. "Hmph. Ridiculous."
Without another word, he left the room, closed the door behind him, and started to walk off.
"Humans..." he muttered, stopping momentarily in his tracks. "They are far too complex to be understood."
tbc
