3 Atonement
The trip was shorter then Renji had remembered. The opening on the other side was definitely in the human world. Renji had so many questions for the ex-espada. But what could he say or do. Orihime had trusted him and brought him back from nothing. What was it about this guy that she trusted. Yeah, he gave a good speech about stopping Aizen but that could be a trick. Renji decided to stay on his guard. He figured that he could at least use this as a way to get back to Ichigo and help him.
Ulquiorra was lost in his own thoughts though, and a swirl of emotion, that he had never conceived before. He had always made it a point to be distant and cold. It was the best way to protect himself by his figuring. 'If you don't let anyone close enough to you, you wont get hurt.' Thats the safe way; he convinced himself. So why had this woman effected him so. He could remember from his earliest memory of her, how she had enveloped his senses and he continually thought of her. He likewise continually dismissed it as simple curiosity. However, since she had so bravely slapped him across the face knowing full well that he might retaliate, he began to admire her strength. There where so many times that he had wished to ask her questions about her human life, her friends, and her emotions; but he never dared. She was so intoxicating to him even then, and yet she was also very alluring. He stood at the opening to the human world, shook off his thoughts and focused on the task at hand.
Defeating Aizen.
The pair appeared in the same park as the first time that he had come to the human world. Ulquiorra looked around and briefly remembered the moment that he first saw her. The girl that would come to consume him. After clearing his thoughts to focus on the task at hand he drew his sword and looked at his new companion.
"Are you ready?" he asked the red haired shinigami by his side.
Renji gave a simple nod and drew his own zampakuto.
"If I where you I would be ready to release your bankai." Ulquiorra stated tonelessly as he raised his spiritual pressure.
As he did this he could feel his hollow mask beginning to form again. Trying not to appear panicked he moved his hand to the base of his neck. It had not returned. He sighed inwardly. He had not fully reverted. Deep down he feared that he would revert back, and hoped beyond hope that it would not happen. The ecstasy that he felt in this new form was beyond compare. He felt that he was a whole new being that could feel and express emotion and desire freely, although he retained his stoic mannerisms.
The two strangers started to move swiftly across the sky in their different forms of a flash step. This form of travel was effortless for Ulquiorra and was always a freeing feeling to him; even in his 'other life', as he began to look at it. Renji struggled vaguely to keep up as the arrancar was much faster then him. Although, Renji did note a slight look of whimsy in the way that the arrancar moved in front of him. What was this? What suddenly made this arrancar so serene. The pair flew along swiftly to the battle ground each deep in thought and slowly raising there reiatsu as they went.
Back in Hueco Mundo Orihime was still deep in sleep recovering her powers and strength. She began to dream. No she was seeing the past in front of her. Her thoughts mingled between Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, Chad and Ulquiorra. Memories of their lives together swirled in an illogical way. She could not make sense of any of it. She tried to concentrate on one person. 'Ichigo, yeah, Ichigo.' A face started to come into focus now. The skin was pale with dark hair. 'That can't be him. Ichigo has orange hair. That can't be him.' The green eyes started to come into focus now with the familiar green streaks against the alabaster cheeks. 'Why am I thinking of him?'
Ulquiorra's face came fully into focus now. It was the 'new' him. No mask, no hollow hole, and a soft look to his features. She looked at him in awe for a moment; then his face began to fade. Sudden panic struck her emotions. 'No, don't go.' she tried to scream out. But, he was gone now. A bright light started to materialize in a small circle. It slowly grew until she realized that she was standing in her cell in Los Noches. She looked around franticly. She turned around toward the door and saw Ulquiorra again, but he had his mask and she knew he had his hole despite his jacket being zipped up in it's usual manner. She looked around and saw a tray of food on the small table in the room. She took a step away from it and turned around toward the window as she had when he brought her food then. She was back in the past now, she was sure of it. Ulquiorra had instructed her to finish her food, and she had refused again. This had gone on for some time between the two of them. Previously, he had threatened to restrain her and force feed her. That time she had eaten a few bites to satisfy him. When he returned and saw the meager attempt he only glared at her and took it away.
This time seemed different. He told her again to eat, to keep up her strength and gave the same threat of force feeding her. She still refused as she was concentrating on Rukia's spiritual pressure fading. She moved to turn away from him as usual, but was suddenly swept up by something. She quickly hit the wall and was restrained by her wrists above her head. Ulquiorra had pinned her to the wall. His lips where inches from her cheek and he breathed rhythmically and slowly next to her ear. The quick movement didn't raise his respiration one bit, it was amazing. She had inhaled deeply in surprise at the sudden movement he made. She inhaled his scent deeply, as she was the one breathing heavily from the shock. He smelled good, to her surprise. He had a fresh spicy scent that had another unusual scent mixed in. She couldn't place that last scent and figured it could be his own natural scent. Although the thought of an arrancar having a scent that they could generate on there own seemed weird to her. It was a delicious smell. It made her hungry in a strange way. She didn't know what it was, and couldn't understand it.
He held her there for a moment without saying a thing. Then he released her wrists and she dropped the few inches to the floor. She rubbed her wrists although they didn't really hurt. He leaned in again by her and softly spoke into her ear.
"Eat your food." he paused for a few seconds and continued "Please." and he stepped back.
"I will return in one hour and you will be finished by then. All of it, understood."
He shut his eyes for a moment and then opened them quickly. He sharply turned on his heel and swept out of the room in his usual grace of stride. She stared after him and wondered what that could be about. He had never touched her before now, at least no more then was absolutely necessary. He came in so close and hesitated to speak. Orihime looked down to her wrists. There was no pain and not a mark on her. Examining her wrists carefully she sat in the chair by the table. The food did smell good and having not eaten in days, save the occasional bite, she was starving. Eating began to seem a good idea and not because of Ulquiorra's odd threat but that she was truly starving now. The swirl of emotion from that night came crashing on her and she was confused as the memory faded away.
As Orihime drifted in the darkness she thought about why that particular memory came to her right now. She began to carefully scrutinize the whole scenario in her mind. She started to rethink that day and the events of that evening. She started to think about the conversation. What was said? They had talked about her eating. What is so important about that? Nothing. I wouldn't eat, so what. Her thoughts turned to the emerald eyed espada, was there something in his mannerisms that I missed. The picture of the dark haired arrancar came to her mind's eye. He stood before her stalwart as ever. This was what she had to remember; find what was different in this moment with him. Slowly she looked at him up and down again. What had she missed in that first 'real' moment with him. That was the first time that he had ever become physical with her. Maybe it was what lead up to that moment. The scene played over in her mind. It suddenly dawned on her. He was effected by her words and her actions. It all had built up to this day for him. He could not take her insubordination any more. That's why he pinned her to the wall. Now that she thought about it. Even with him moving so quickly and catching her off guard; he did not slam her against the wall. Now that she really scrutinized the event he had taken particular care not to hurt her at all. A mild injury would not have upset Aizen if it meant that she would comply. Then his words. The long pause he took before saying anything to her and then the softness of his voice. In fact the sound of tenderness that she now realized was in his voice that night. He had protected her from the very beginning.
The darkness started to swirl around and mix with purples and blues. The outside world was coming into focus now. She could feel the soft hand of Rukia on hers and the warmth of Uryu's body as she was cradled in his lap. She felt so tired, but so happy at the same time. Things where righting themselves now.