Paradise Lost
Rating: T
Date Published/Updated/Started: EDIT: 14th November 2010 / EDIT: 16th November
Pairings: Sakura X Ulquiorra
Synopsis:Only the brave of heart struggled to remain sane in Hueco Mundo, the world of Hollows, despair and reigning King Aizen Sousuke. Join Sakura in her descent into a world bereft of light, where she struggles to find a Paradise Lost.
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'Paradise was unendurable, otherwise the first man would have adapted to it; this world is no less so, since here we regret paradise or anticipate another one. What to do? Where to go? Do nothing and go nowhere, easy enough.'
-E. M. Cioran
~The Trouble with Being Born
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"CERO!"
'Move, move, move, MOVE!"
'I..I can't. I'm paralysed by fear… Will I die …again?'
And in that split-second of facing death… something broke with-in her. Like a dam being broken, the energy flowed out and encompassed her, shielding her from the blast; she saw the silhouette of her best friend in front of her, smiling.
'Naruto…'
'Move Sakura-chan!' He called out 'You'll get hurt by that teme over there if you don't! Come-on!'
He held a hand out to her and she grasped it, revelling in its familiar warmth and solidity; wait… solidity? How could he be real? After all, she had seen him…
She had seen him die. Was that even possible? She had never told him…that she had loved him.
She had always seen Naruto as a pillar of strength, someone who would always be there. He was here, in front of her protecting her even in the afterlife; but this wasn't heaven, how could he be here?
This hell hole filled with monsters was no heaven. It was a place for those who hadn't been given another chance; those who were condemned. Heaven? Heaven was for those who had fought for good and died for the better. Hers was a shameful death. Hers was a Paradise lost.
'Sakura-chan…' She heard him called her name, and she knew he had heard her thoughts. 'I'm sorry...'
What? He was leaving? He had come to her aid only to leave again. She knew she was being selfish; she had to let go of the past. Accept it and move on.
'Naruto… let's go.'
He pulled her up and smiled. 'Good for you Sakura-chan! But my time here… is ending. Keep in touch okay?' He leaned forward in order to give a small kiss on her cheek (mask?) and stood tall and strong. 'Ja matte ne!'
And like his namesake, he disappeared in a vortex of wind 'Naruto…' She stood there watching his fading visage for a few seconds until the hollow, who had gone into shock until then struck.
'Dodge!'
Hearing her Inner's voice Sakura complied and evaded his attack; she retaliated with a punch of her own, sending him skidding back.
"EAT THIS!" She cried out and punched it full–on. Its mask, which had remained intact until then, shattered into a thousand pieces. The hollow roared for the last time and fell, disintegrating like ash.
Sakura panted and looked at the place where the hollow had disappeared, she looked at her hands and then back at the place where the hollow had fallen. 'Did I do this?'
She was knocked out of her thoughts by a dozen shrill cries, originating from the enraged hollows that gained on her from a distance. 'More of them? Kami, when does it end?
But I'll run no longer. I'll fight to the end! And this time, this time I can die an honourable death.
What waited for her at the boundaries of endless white?
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Ulquiorra Schiffer was not an easily impressed hollow.
So when he saw something that made his eyes widen (in a rare show of emotion), and narrow back into his usual cat-like emerald slits was impressive. Most impressive indeed.
He watched the pink-haired hollow rightfully named 'Sakura' by Aizen-sama, gracefully thread in between the small army of hollows and deliver punch after punch, each completely shattering the hollows masks and sending them into a world of oblivion.
After all, what waited for a hollow beyond the veil?
'Interesting. Even she is a hollow only hours old she can already deal reiatsu charged punched that can kill a hollow with one hit. It seems as though she is doing this unconsciously, without any thought.
Maybe it's a force of habit? That would indicate training from her former life… intriguing. Most hollows don't remember their former lives. She's moving like someone's warning her of incoming attacks.
Impossible. A hollow only a few hours contacting its Zanpakuto spirit? She is not even a Vasto Lorde… She could be even more powerful than Yammy in his Resureccion if she were to be turned into an Arrancar. Interesting…
Aizen-sama has to see this. But first, I must fetch the woman.'
And then he strolled casually over to where to Sakura was fighting against the horde of hollows. Even though he looked calm on the outside (his ever-present impassive exterior) on the inside, he was a maelstrom of confused thoughts and emotions.
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'Fuck, shit, crap, hell-' Inner Sakura's angry rants and long line of obscenities were cut short by a rather vicious right hook from a toad-faced hollow ('waaah…too close!') that managed to graze her left cheek.
'Avoid, analyse, and retaliate.' Sakura thought fiercely and punched the hollow to her left-the one that had almost hurt her, damn it that hurt heck- and took out another one that was trying to get her from the back.
'Tch, what the hell are these things? They look like creatures from Yami itself! Maybe that's what this is...hell.'
"ROAWWWWR!"
'Oh shit here comes the big one!' It looked like all of the hollows had merged together to form one, big, twelve foot high son-of-a-bitch that was covered in a big black (and tattered) cloak.
Sakura observed that it had a quite long nose. And fangs. Not to mention weird, glowy red eyes. What the fuck was wrong with this world?
'Merge together and try to attack me, will you? Well I'll show you violent! Cowardly bastards couldn't even take me on alone so they just had to merge!'
'A Menos Grande!' Inner Sakura cowered in her head.
'Hell, we can take it on!' The monstrosity started gathering up its reiatsu for one single blast.
"CERO!"
'Shit! This blast is like ten times more powerful than the one that came from the first hollow we fought!'
Run, hide, strategize, and try to find a way to escape.
All on her mind was devoted to avoiding the so called 'Cero' but her body could find it in itself to move. Her body knew instinctively that even if she tried to move she would be incinerated.
Her shinobi skills would come in pretty handy right about now! 'Come on, come on, COME ON!" Sakura managed to break of the Menos Grandes oppressive reiatsu and tried to form one of those big-shooty chakra-like attacks of her own.
'Focus, breathe. Gather your energy, like preparing chakra for a jutsu; condense that energy onto the tip of your index finger. To help, just visualise one of Naruto's Rasengans... but finger sized.'
Sakura did as her Inner said, and found to her pleasure that it was working! The fact that the ugly monster ('Menos Grande.' Her Inner corrected)was roaring its displeasure at her escape and attempting to gather another one of those 'Ceros' but failing dismally, also helped in furthering her determination.
Now, the hard bit (seeing as gathering reiatsu for a Cero was easy enough for her), should she throw it or shoot it? Ha! Of course! It would be easier to shoot it! With a thrilled shout of "CERO!" a bright cerulean light shot out of her index finger and the Menos Grande was blasted into nothingness.
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Ulquiorra watched the woman blast the Menos Grande with a Cero of her own. Her growth rate was astounding; from trading reiatsu-charged punches with hollows to blasting Ceros and breaking free of the Menos Grandes class reiatsu, the woman was sure to be a formidable Arrancar.
The mastery of her reiatsu was incredible. She was able to conjure up a Cero only moments after viewing one viewing one being made. Of course, it wasn't to say that she might have been receiving some Inner guidance.
Yet she was still only a Gillian class hollow. That fact was evident, proven y her still semi0human shape of which Ulquiorra himself could discern.
Not many Gillian class hollows resembled a human in any way, shape or form. Only when they evolved into Adjuchas did their appearance begin to resemble their inner selves.
But this Haruno Sakura was not just any hollow.
He walked forward to meet her exhausted form, half sprawled out and head resting on the warm sand. She was panting heavily, reiatsu gathering and pulling punches having drained her somewhat.
"Greetings." Ulquiorra's words were spoken simply, and in a soft tone. It wouldn't do to inflame her temper once more and be viewed as a threat. He needed to earn her trust.
The strange-human-like trying to communicate with her was creature was oddly familiar, Sakura mused.
The impassive look on his face, that pale skin, that emotionless voice, but what really caught her eyes was the fathomless depths of those emerald green eyes- eyes a lot like hers. With a mounting sense of surrealism, she compared her eyes to his.
Their color matched perfectly, but hers were full of spark, and vitality, something that his lacked, as she could see by the dull emerald shine they possessed. They didn't sparkle like hers did.
"My name is Ulquiorra Schiffer. I would like you to come with me to Las Noches, a place where you will safe from this trashthat attacked you earlier. There, you will find answers.
But I am not asking you to come with me; it is an order from my master. Your mysterious power intrigues him and he wants to find out more about you, so he sent me to observe you. Now come woman, my time is short."
"Listen up you uppity bastard! My name is Haruno Sakura! Not woman!"
'Wait…Ulquiorra Schiffer? Las Noches? Master? Orders? Uwaaa...'
And with that, Haruno Sakura, former bad-ass kunoichi of Konohagakure, member of Team Kakashi and apprentice of Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin and the Godaime, fainted from reiatsu exhaustion, shock and a whole lot of stress.
'Aizen-sama will not be pleased. I believe he wanted to be one of the first to speak to this… Haruno Sakura.'
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"Fate spoke cruelly of her, and cackled up in its domain. Haruno Sakura's future was going to be a long and perilous road, not only for her but also for Ulquiorra Schiffer.
Their paths were intertwined; none could survive without the other.
It was decided, and with a grim smile fate cut the strings that bound them together.
The stage was set, their lines were written. Now all it took was for it all to play out.
Unless blasted Time interfered again.
But Time waited for no-one...
No-one but itself."
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Hello my lovelies! I've had some difficulty posting because of laptop and internet problems.
Forgive me?
As promised, a revised and re-edited chapter and a new summary and title! TADAAA! I hope you like it, as I felt that the other title was too long and clichéd, so I felt like a change!
A re-post, a new title and summary in one day!
Oh my!
Have fun, it took me aaages to complete this! (Well, not really. Just one day.)