Grimmjow was lucky. He had managed to get around Soul Society unnoticed. So far. Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. He had walked past so many shabbily built houses, he had lost count. He flicked his sapphire eyes onto another shabbily built house as he walked, his hands in his pockets.
Geez, so this is the shithole that everyone goes to after they've been reborn? This place sucks, Grimmjow thought as he kicked at a pebble on the ground. Tch. Still beats Hueco Mundo any day, I guess.
He knew that he had landed on one of the poorer parts of Soul Society, but he had always pictured Soul Society in a much different light. You know, less unhappy faces and a friendlier atmosphere. Guess he was wrong, huh?
The only reason that he was not caught yet by any shinigami was because he had donned the clothes that he had stolen earlier, stuffing his own clothes into his bag. The clothes that he was wearing right now itched like hell, but they served their purpose; it covered his hollow hole and his tattoo. He had even wrapped the piece of cloth around the bottom half of his face to cover his hollow mask. Sure, he looked shady and people were throwing him suspicious looks, but at least this way, no one would know that one of Aizen's Espadas had broken into Soul Society. He did not want to attract attention to himself.
After several more minutes, Grimmjow came to a stop when he saw that the rows of shabbily built houses had ended. He had asked around and one of the residents of Rukongai (the supposed name of this place in Soul Society) said that if he kept heading in this direction, he would eventually reach Seireitei, a place where the shinigami lived. It looked like he was here.
Grimmjow surveyed his surroundings.
He was at the edge of Rukongai and even from here, he could see the stark difference between Rukongai and Seireitei. Even though he had only been to the poorer parts of Soul Society, but the parts he had been to were still where souls first appeared after being reborn. From what he had seen of Rukongai, it was pretty much a shithole compared to Seireitei. No wonder these people wanted to become shinigamis if they had the chance; to escape life in Rukongai. He knew because the people he asked directions from just could not stop yakking about them. The shinigami were obviously looked up to and well respected.
Did Ulquiorra feel the same way these people felt?
The Ulquiorra he knew would have balked at the idea of becoming a shinigami, saying that shinigami were not on the same level as hollows. So did that mean that this new Ulquiorra thought that hollows were the ones that were not on the same level as shinigamis instead...? Grimmjow squared his shoulders. Well, there was no way he was going to find out by just standing here wondering.
Taking a deep breath, Grimmjow walked towards Seireitei. The buildings in that area were brightly lit and well taken care of unlike the ones in Rukongai. And Ulquiorra was in there somewhere. Even the thought was making him shiver in anticipation. He had no idea what he was going to do when he met Ulquiorra again, seeing that Ulquiorra still saw him as an enemy, but he was going to cross that bridge when it came. Right now, all he had to worry about was-
Grimmjow stopped in his tracks, his pupils constricting.
What the fuck was that noise?
It sounded like it was coming from the sky. That can't be right. Grimmjow looked up.
"FUCK!" Grimmjow yelled as he jumped back and fell on his back. And just in time too, because the moment that he jumped back, the walls that had fallen from the sky crashed onto the ground, sending dust flying, forming a barrier between him and Seireitei. Between him and Ulquiorra. The walls stood tall and proud before him, intimidating.
What the hell just happened?
Breathing hard, Grimmjow pushed the fact that he had narrowly escaped death to the back of his mind, got to his feet and walked towards the wall cautiously. He placed a hand on the wall, and then curled it into a fist. As much as he liked the idea of punching his way through the wall, that would definitely attract attention to himself. This wall was put up for a reason, Grimmjow realized with a sinking heart. He could feel his balled up fist slacken at that realization. It was to keep intruders out.
"Damn it!"
He slammed his fist against the wall in frustration. He did not come all the way from Hueco Mundo to risk his life finding Ulquiorra only to be stopped by some freaking wall! And to top it all off, he did not even manage to create a fucking crack in the wall. Even though he had hit it with all of his strength. Blood trickled from his knuckles but Grimmjow did not do anything to staunch the flow. Instead, he studied it carefully and then looked back at the wall to make sure he had not been imagining things. Not even a single crack. What was this thing made of? A growl resounding in his throat, Grimmjow pulled back his fist to hit the wall again-
"What are you doing?"
Grimmjow's eyes widened. Was he discovered?
"I asked you a question."
Trying still his fast beating heart, Grimmjow breathed evenly to calm his nerves. Was it one of the shinigamis? If it was, and if he had been discovered, he would have no choice but to fight. His fingers were itching to unsheathe Pantera, but he resisted in case he was wrong. Slowly, Grimmjow turned towards the source of the voice, a giant coming into his vision. The gigantic man towered over him and looked positively menacing. Not that that scared Grimmjow. He had fought more powerful opponents. From the feel of this man's reiatsu, Grimmjow could tell that he could easily crush him. At that thought, the Sexta made sure that his reiatsu was still cloaked. The giant did not need to know about the extent of Grimmjow's strength. Looking over the giant, he saw that the giant wore a red hat with gold tassels and he also had a beard. He did not look very friendly.
Grimmjow could not help thinking that the giant reminded him of Yammy. Heck, those two could pass off as brothers.
"Who are you?" was the first thing that came out of Grimmjow's mouth.
The giant raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?"
Grimmjow shook his head.
"I'm Jidanbo Ikkankazu. I'm the guardian of this gate." He regarded Grimmjow suspiciously. "What were you doing just now? No one is allowed to pass through this gate."
Grimmjow cursed under his breath. A gatekeeper. Of all people he had to meet! If he wanted to get through the gate, he would have to get past this idiot. Normally, he would have just challenged the man and defeat him but he could not do that without word of mouth spreading. Plus, he was pretty sure that the racket that they would make from going against each other in battle would attract the shinigamis. Already he could hear the doors of several houses being opened, its occupants looking at the scene before them curiously. Grimmjow seriously contemplated unsheathing Pantera but seeing that it would only create trouble, he did the next best thing; he lied.
"I just came here and I was wandering around when these things-" He gestured at the walls, "- fell out from the sky. I nearly got fucking killed."
Jidanbo leaned back, his face softening. "So you're a new soul here?"
Grimmjow nodded.
The giant sighed. "Look here, kid. I know it's hard adjusting to this place, but you should always keep one thing in mind; you can't go past this gate into Seireitei."
"Why not?" Grimmjow asked curiously.
Jidanbo gave him a funny look. "Shinigami don't interact with people from Rukongai. At least, they rarely do. It's also to keep intruders out. Especially during this war." The look on Jidanbo's face darkened. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave. Go find a place to sleep, kid, and stay away from here."
Ignoring the fact that he had been called a kid several times, Grimmjow muttered, "Thanks" and then left, his hands back in his pockets once more. He looked back at Jidanbo guarding the gate. The giant appeared to be sharpening his axe. Sapphire eyes tore themselves away from the sight and lowered their gaze to the ground. How was he supposed to find Ulquiorra now?
"Ichigo! Do you know where Ulqui-chan is?"
The orange haired shinigami looked up upon hearing his name. He raised an eyebrow at the two very familiar people that stood in front of him. One of them was an attractive, busty woman with golden tresses while the other was a short, white haired boy who looked like he was about eleven years old. "Matsumoto," Ichigo greeted the blonde woman. Then, a sly grin pulling at the edge of his lips, Ichigo turned his gaze on to the white haired boy. "Toushirou," he drawled.
Needless to say, this produced the desired effect. The boy glowered at Ichigo. "It's Captain Hitsugaya!" the boy snapped.
Ichigo chuckled at the boy's reaction. He had always hated it whenever Ichigo addressed him by his first name instead of his title.
"Well, Ichigo?"
"What?"
Matsumoto leaned forward so that the only thing that Ichigo could see was the wonderful view that was her breasts. The orange haired teen had to try very, very hard to not stare at the woman's chest and to keep his gaze focused on her face.
"You know what I'm talking about." Matsumoto pouted. "Where's Ulqui-chan? I want to give him a hug to congratulate him on becoming captain."
"A hug?" Ichigo said incredulously. "You're not serious."
If he recalled correctly, the last meeting Ulquiorra had with Matsumoto Rangiku was not a very pleasant one. For Ulquiorra, at least. Any other man would have been in heaven, but apparently, Ulquiorra was not like other men. Upon hearing the news that the pale man had passed the captain proficiency test, Matsumoto had grabbed the unsuspecting man and planted his face firmly between her breasts in what she called a hug. Needless to say, Ulquiorra did not find it a very enjoyable experience. For one thing, it was embarrassing, and for another, those breasts could kill.
Really.
By the time Matsumoto was done with him, Ulquiorra was in desperate need for CPR. After that day, Ulquiorra kept his distance from the over enthusiastic woman. And women with large breasts in general.
Seeing the look on Ichigo's face, Matsumoto laughed. "Aww don't worry! I won't suffocate him this time! I'll be gentle!"
"You nearly killed him!"
Sweatdrop. "I can't help it; he just looks so kawaii in his lil' uniform!" Matsumoto even had the grace to look ashamed. That did not last for too long though because she suddenly clapped her hands together and exclaimed, "Oh, Zaraki is looking for Ulqui-chan too to congratulate him! Isn't that nice of him?"
Ichigo and Hitsugaya both exchanged sympathetic looks, feeling sorry for Ulquiorra. Matsumoto did not notice this, of course.
Zaraki Kenpachi was another individual that Ichigo knew Ulquiorra would not be too happy to meet. Ever since Ulquiorra had passed the captain proficiency test, Kenpachi had taken to suddenly jump out of nowhere to attack Ulquiorra when he least expected it. Now, this would not have been a problem if Kenpachi had not thought that the best times to attack Ulquiorra were while the pale man was asleep or when Ulquiorra had just come out of the shower.
"I'm not sure where he is, actually," Ichigo replied.
"Of course you don't. You're an idiot," Hitsugaya grumbled, still unhappy that Ichigo refused to call him by his title.
"Shut up."
Ichigo gripped his cup of juice, his fingernails scratching lightly across the surface. Now that Matsumoto had mentioned it, Ulquiorra was nowhere to be found. He had not seen Schiffer for nearly an hour now, and this was Ulquiorra's party. Ichigo bit his bottom lip. Could he still be outside? The only reason Ichigo had snuck out of his house to come to this party was to make sure that Ulquiorra's meeting with Grimmjow had not affected him at all.
The orange haired teen stood up. "I'll go look for him."
"Alright!" Rangiku said before plopping herself down onto the seat that was previously occupied by Ichigo, much to Hitsugaya's displeasure. He did not like being with Matsumoto when she wanted to drink. "Bring him back here if you find him. Ulqui-chan is missing his own party."
"Sure," Ichigo said absentmindedly.
Now, where was Ulquiorra? Ichigo pushed his way through the crowd. Ulquiorra had said that he wanted to get some fresh air. Surely he could not still be outside? There was not much to do in Soul Society and this was his party, after all. Surely he was not so antisocial as to purposely ditch the party? Ichigo was proven wrong, however, when he got outside the building because the first thing he saw was Ulquiorra.
"Captain."
No answer.
Ichigo tilted his head. Strange. Ulquiorra did not seem to have noticed his presence. He had his back turned on Ichigo and when the young Vaizard got closer, he saw that Ulquiorra seemed to be in deep thought.
Ulquiorra was looking up at the star scattered sky, the wind blowing lightly against his hair and uniform. The moonlight shone upon him, giving his pale skin a slight glow. At that moment, Ichigo did not see the new captain of the 5th division, but the former Cuarta Espada. He did not see a man clad in the usual black shinigami uniform, but a man clad in the pure white Espada uniform. A ghost of what Ulquiorra had been in the past. It was the look in Ulquiorra's eyes. So full of longing and sadness. He could almost picture the tear tracks that used to be present on Ulquiorra Schiffer's face, markings that only made him look like a being that was forever destined to remain in sadness. Guilt stabbed at Ichigo's heart at the thought.
Ichigo pulled his zanpaktou out of pale flesh, horrified at what he had done. Large emerald eyes stared up at him in shock. Blood spurted out of the wound and crimson leaked out of the side of the Cuarta's mouth, dripping down his chin. And to top it off, the arrancar was actually disintegrating. He was turning into ashes before Ichigo's eyes and all the young Vaizard could do was stare.
There was nothing he could do.
"You fight like a hollow now. Cold blooded," Ulquiorra said, a faintest hint of a smile on his black and white lips. Even as he said it, Ichigo's mask shattered and fell to the ground, and his eyes lost the mad look that was present in them moments ago. Ulquiorra then closed his eyes, accepting defeat.
Taking a deep breath, Ichigo willed himself to face the former Espada. Ulquiorra did not even notice him when Ichigo stood beside the pale man. The man was too lost in his own thoughts to notice his surroundings. Ichigo was not that talented with anything to do with reiatsu, but even he could tell from the feel of Ulquiorra's reiatsu that Ulquiorra was distressed.
Despite his predicament, Ulquiorra did not seem too concerned about his well-being. Instead, emerald orbs seemed to be searching frantically for something. Or someone. When Ulquiorra finally found what he was looking for, a wave of calmness took over him, though the sadness in those eyes was still apparent. Brown eyes followed the spot that Ulquiorra's gaze was directed at and found that it was fixed on the dying Sexta Espada.
Grimmjow was bleeding from numerous wounds all over his body and the life in his eyes was dull. It was a miracle that the man was even able to stand.
From the moment sapphire and emerald met, Ichigo could tell that these two had a connection. No, a special bond.
The look on Grimmjow's face was one that Ichigo would never forget. The horror on the teal haired arrancar's face as he watched Ulquiorra slowly disintegrate into nothing but ashes was an image that remained imprinted in his mind till this very day.
An ice cold blade struck his heart when he saw Grimmjow scramble up desperately, his movements weak, to catch hold of the ashes. Of the only remaining evidence of Ulquiorra's existence. But the ashes simply slid out of his fingers.
Ichigo had never seen a man look so broken.
"Captain Ulquiorra," Ichigo tried once more.
This time the pale man heard him. Ulquiorra started upon hearing his name. He turned his gaze from the star scattered sky to rest it on Ichigo's face.
"Kurosaki," Ulquiorra intoned.
Grimmjow stared at the palms of his hands where Ulquiorra's ashes had touched seconds ago, tears forming in sapphire eyes, his body shaking. No longer the proud Sexta Espada that Ichigo knew. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques was now a broken man.
And Ichigo? He was a murderer.
His face was stoic and his voice betrayed none of the feelings that were plaguing him. The man before him was the cause of the many sleepless nights that Ichigo had to go through due to guilt. The man before him had lost everything that he was because of Ichigo. He had lost his identity, his memories. He was forever pushed aside here in Soul Society for a past that he did not, could not remember. His life, his existence in Soul Society was nothing but a lie. It was hard for Ichigo to face the man without being reminded of the way those emerald eyes looked at him when he had plunged his zanpaktou through that man's chest over a year ago.
"You fight like a hollow now. Cold blooded."
Ichigo pulled on a fake smile. "What are you doing out here? It's fucking cold out. Come on in. Everyone is waiting for you." He gestured at the entrance to the building.
Ulquiorra regarded him for a moment or two but did not answer. Instead, he returned his gaze to the night sky. "Kurosaki. I have a question for you."
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever felt like you've made a horrible mistake in the past?"
Sapphire eyes burned with fury. "You killed him."
You're nothing but a murderer.
The orange haired teen stiffened. "What do you mean?"
Ulquiorra hesitated. "I'm not a part of Soul Society."
Wait. What?
"I don't understand. Of course you are a part of Soul Society! You're a resident here, aren't you?"
"Technically, yes, I'm a part of Soul Society." The pale man let out a breath that he had been holding in. "I have been accepted into Soul Society the moment I was reborn here. But…" He fingered the railing, deep in thought. "But I'm not accepted by the people of Soul Society."
Ichigo sighed in relief. So that was it. For a heart stopping second there he thought that Ulquiorra had remembered he was the one that had ended his life as an arrancar. He stayed silent though. Ichigo realised that this was one of those rare moments where Ulquiorra would open up to him, if only a little. Moments like this were far and between.
"I feel like… I may have committed some sort of crime in my past life to cause this to happen," Ulquiorra continued. "I'm a captain and have worked hard to achieve this. I have done all of my missions perfectly and without question. I have pledged my undying loyalty to Soul Society. I am looked up to and have been praised for my work. But…"
"But?"
"But it's still the same." Ulquiorra's expression was unreadable, but the frustration he was experiencing managed to creep into his voice. "I was not accepted when I first came to Soul Society. I'm still not accepted as one of the captains of the 13 Protection Squads. No matter how hard I work, it's not enough. It may just be me, but I feel that a lot of things have been kept hidden from me." His eyes hardened. "For a past that I don't remember."
Silence.
How was Ichigo supposed to answer that? All of his words were too true, but he could not let him know that. Ichigo gulped and then laughed awkwardly. "Eh, don't be silly. Of course you've been accepted by the people here. You're just being paranoid. Now let's get back-"
"You know that that is not the case, Kurosaki. You know that what I have said is true."
If the guilt that Ichigo had been experiencing before was not evident, it showed clearly on his face now. He had no idea how difficult it was for Ulquiorra to live that way, and it made him feel worse knowing that it was partly his fault.
Grimmjow grabbed the front of Ichigo's uniform, the life going out of his eyes. Blood dripped down from a gash on his forehead and fell into his eyes, but he managed to maintain his glare on Kurosaki. The stench of blood was overwhelming. "Bastard," he spat. "You'll pay for killing him."
Ichigo touched Ulquiorra's shoulder. "Things will get better." No answer. His voice grew stronger when he saw that Ulquiorra did not cut his head off. "You'll see. It'll take some time but eventually people will see the contributions and sacrifices you've made for Soul Society. And when they do, they'll accept you for who you-"
As he spoke, Ulquiorra's eyes travelled down to the hand that Ichigo had laid on his shoulder, and kept his gaze there.
"Kurosaki," Ulquiorra said, stopping Ichigo mid-sentence.
"Yeah?"
"Do not touch me."
"Oh, right. Sorry."
He had totally forgotten that even though Ulquiorra voiced out his thoughts to him sometimes, he obviously did not want to be close to the orange haired teen. And then there was the fact that maybe Ulquiorra was still a little angry that Ichigo had prevented him from killing Grimmjow. The offending hand was removed before Ulquiorra decided to chop it off.
"Good."
Ulquiorra loosened his grip on the railing, his eyes back on the star strewn sky above him. He knew that Kurosaki was just trying to help, but he was still a little angry that the boy had ruined his previous mission.
He sighed, running his hand through raven locks. These were not even half of his worries. The name that was connected to his past was bugging him more than ever.
Whoever this Grimmjow was, whether Ulquiorra was important to him – Ulquiorra assumed that this "Grimmjow" must be a man because unusual as that name was, he could not imagine it belonging to a woman – or not, this man was most certainly important to Ulquiorra. The raven haired shinigami let go of the railing. Whoever that man was, he was in the past. And even... Even if Ulquiorra were to meet this man again...
Ulquiorra let go of the railing. "Let's go back in, Kurosaki."
The possibility of him even knowing that that man was his Grimmjow was slim.
"Sure."
The possibility of him remembering anything from his hazy past? Even more so.
Grimmjow sat down heavily onto the ground, leaning his back against a tree. He let his head fall back against the tree trunk, closing his eyes as he did so. Well, today was productive, he thought sarcastically. After his run in with Jidanbo, Grimmjow had circled around the damned walls and found practically no openings. Trying to fly over the wall was no use either because something about that wall prevented him from walking in midair. Grimmjow cursed under his breath.
He had not even been in Soul Society for a whole day yet and he was already annoyed with it.
First, he could not destroy the wall. Then, he found out that there was a gatekeeper. Next, he found out that he could not walk in midair to go over the wall. Finally, there were simply no openings.
Of all the bloody luck.
And he was so close too. But he was not going to give up. Because within those walls was where Ulquiorra lived. And hell, even if it meant risking his life, he was going to go through with it. The only problem right now was what to do once he found Ulquiorra. There was no guarantee that Ulquiorra would listen to him. Ulquiorra would need a better reason than "because I'm Grimmjow Jeagerjaques" to listen to him. There was also no guarantee that there would be anyone to save him again. Not that he wanted to be saved. He was no fucking damsel in distress. The Sexta Espada did not fucking need to depend on anyone.
But God knows that he would not dare lift a finger against Ulquiorra. Even if it was to attack in defence.
Grimmjow let his head fall between his knees. He was so screwed. He had no idea how to get into Seireitei. He did not know what to do if he found Ulquiorra. And damn it, this fucking cloth was suffocating him.
Grimmjow pulled at the cloth that he had wrapped around the bottom half of his face and let it fall to the ground. It was fucking hard to breathe through that thing. Plus, it was pretty hot. He grabbed the cloth and wiped his neck where beads of perspiration had formed.
He was in a pretty secluded area where there were a few trees around. Moonlight streamed through the branches, illuminating the area slightly. He was quite a way off, but still near Seireitei, but he was not worried about being found even though the cloth was off, exposing his hollow mask. It was pretty empty here and Grimmjow was sure that he was safe here.
It was quite late though. Maybe it was better to return to Las Noches for now. He could always come back here tomorrow. There was not much that he could do now and also, if he was gone for too long, Aizen might suspect something. He may not give a damn what Aizen did to him for betraying the brown haired shinigami, but he was not stupid either. Dying right now meant that he would not be able to meet Ulquiorra.
He sighed.
Well, he had better go back now.
The teal haired man began to slice open a Garganta when it hit him.
Gargantas could be used to go anywhere, right?
So that meant he could probably get into Seireitei using a Garganta. It would be easy, especially since he now knew where Seireitei was.
He grinned. Maybe his situation was not so hopeless after all.
The party was finally over. Finally. After so many excruciating hours of having to tolerate drunken shinigamis and their strange and, at times, embarrassing antics. Everyone was retiring to their respective homes now. Some stayed for awhile to congratulate Ulquiorra on his new position. Schiffer had shook hands and been congratulated by so many people that he had lost count. Most of them had done it out of courtesy. Not many had done it out of sincerity. Not that this surprised Ulquiorra. He had expected it. They may have thrown this celebration, but many were still wary of him.
"Congrats, Schiffer," Ikkaku grinned, holding Ulquiorra's hand in a tight grip as they shook hands. "Maybe next time we can have ourselves a little battle."
Little battle meaning "let's fight till one of us dies".
"Perhaps," Ulquiorra mused. "Thank you, Madarame."
Ikkaku Madarame was one of the few individuals that actually acted normally around Ulquiorra. While Ulquiorra did not like Ikkaku's violent tendencies which were comparable to that of Zaraki Kenpachi's, it was certainly a nice change. And at least, unlike Zaraki, Ikkaku did not ambush him for a battle when he had just walked out of the shower.
"See you around then, Schiffer," Ikkaku said. He motioned at his best friend, who stood next to him. "Come on, Yumichika. Let's go."
Yumichika did not move. He remained rooted to the spot, his eyes large and staring at Ulquiorra.
"Oi, Yumichika-"
"Pretty lady!" Yumichika cried, glomping Ulquiorra, nearly knocking him over. "Don't leave me again!" he sobbed into Ulquiorra's pale neck, referring to the time Ulquiorra had gone out for some fresh air.
Oh, good God.
Ulquiorra screwed his eyes shut, wrinkling his nose. The stench of alcohol on the man was overwhelming. He tried pushing the man away, but that only made Yumichika wail and hug him even tighter, his arms wrapped around Ulquiorra's small waist in a vice grip. Wonderful. This was why he hated drunken people.
"Yumichika," Ulquiorra said steadily, "Let me go."
"No!"
He hugged Ulquiorra even tighter.
Ulquiorra sighed. He placed his hands on Ayasegawa's shoulders firmly and peeled the crazy man off of him, pushing him into Ikkaku's arms. "Take care of him, Madarame. He's going to have a really bad hangover tomorrow," Ulquiorra said crisply before turning on his heel to leave the building.
He ignored the desperate cries of "pretty lady" that followed him. Ulquiorra could feel his eye twitch. He knew that he looked more feminine than most men, but that did not mean that Ayasegawa could call him a woman. Drunk or not. Once Ulquiorra was outside, he was met with the orange haired shinigami. Ichigo Kurosaki was leaning against a pillar, his arms crossed across his chest.
Emerald flicked over to warm brown ones. "Not going home, Kurosaki?"
"I am. I just wanted to talk to you for awhile."
"Oh?" Ulquiorra turned fully so that he was facing Ichigo. "About what? We talked plenty just now."
"Yeah, I know, but..." Ichigo scratched the back of his neck. "Look, I know you're still pissed off at me about what happened the other day at Karakura Town, and I understand that." Ulquiorra was about to reply but Ichigo continued, "But I'm not going to apologize. I stand by my opinion that what I had done was right. And there's nothing you can say to change my mind about it. I don't think that we should kill every arrancar that we come across."
"I see." Ulquiorra regarded him for a moment. Ichigo Kurosaki was still young and he was rather stubborn when it came to standing by his own opinions. The boy was intelligent and he usually made the right decisions. But this was by far the stupidest thing he had ever heard. "While your opinion is valid, Kurosaki, bear in mind that by letting the enemy live, it only means that you are giving him the chance to kill more of our people."
"But-"
"We are at war, Kurosaki. We do not have time for your romantic ideals. Not every enemy we meet will miraculously turn over a new leaf. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm rather busy right now."
A lie, of course. The boy looked like he wanted to argue some more on the matter and Ulquiorra just could not be bothered at the moment. He could see that Ichigo did not want to back down, and neither did he. This discussion would have led nowhere.
As Ulquiorra walked away, he felt someone tug on the sleeve of his uniform.
"What?" He threw an irritated look over his shoulder at Ichigo.
Ichigo winced at his tone.
"Just promise me something."
"I believe that you're not in a position to demand such things to me," Ulquiorra said stiffly.
"Promise me that if you meet that arrancar again, you won't kill him."
"What?"
Ulquiorra stared at Ichigo incredulously. Did the boy realise what he was asking of him? At first he thought that Ichigo was pulling his leg, but when he saw the sincerity in those brown eyes, all thoughts that this was some sort of joke was pushed out of his mind.
He narrowed his eyes at Ichigo suspiciously. "What is it with you and that arrancar, Kurosaki? What is so special about that arrancar that you don't want him to get hurt? Because I have seen you battle other arrancars without hesitation. What makes this one any different?" Ulquiorra wanted to know. When Ichigo did not answer, Ulquiorra scowled and pulled his sleeve out of Ichigo's grasp. Of course the boy would not answer him. Everything was kept a secret from him. Even Kurosaki, who seemed to try his best to be on good terms with Ulquiorra had his own fair share of secrets. "I'm afraid that I cannot promise such a thing. It is my duty to serve Soul Society and Soul Society only. I will not do anything that may endanger it." He let out a shuddering breath. "Go home, Kurosaki."
"B-"
"Go home," Ulquiorra said more firmly. "It is late and you have school. Go back to your family."
Ichigo stood stock still for a few seconds, wondering what he should do next. When he saw that there was no talking to Ulquiorra about this, he sighed and backed away. He cracked a half hearted smile. "I'll see you around then."
Ulquiorra stayed silent and watched the boy walk away till he was out of sight. Once the boy had disappeared, swallowed by the shadows of the night, Ulquiorra continued on his way. He did not want to go back to his room just yet. The raven haired man took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air. He liked taking walks at night before turning in. It relaxed him somehow.
The walls surrounding Seireitei drew close until he could see Jidanbo Ikkankazu. He did not make to enter Seireitei, however. Instead he took a left, taking the path that he always took every night.
"Have a nice walk, Captain," Jidanbo said gruffly.
Ulquiorra waved at him, indicating that he had heard him and continued on his way.
Ulquiorra liked walking in Rukongai. Sure, it was full of criminals and the buildings were shabby at best, but he still liked it. It reminded him of a time when he was still accepted by society. As short a period of time as it was, it remained in his memory. It was not something that he would forget so easily. Life in Rukongai was not easy, but certainly memorable. It was, after all, the place where he had been reborn. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not realize that his surroundings had changed from the housing area of Rukongai to greenery. Not that it mattered. Ulquiorra was so used to taking the same path every night that he knew the way by heart.
His hands in his pockets, Ulquiorra came to a stop next to a tree. Taking a hand out of his pocket, he ran his fingers over the tree trunk. He found that this was his favourite place to think as it was quite peaceful. It was a bit a way off Seireitei, but it was still quite near. People rarely came here. The people of Rukongai were usually too busy trying to think of ways to get their next meal.
Ulquiorra dropped his hand and walked further in.
The place looked exactly the same it always did. The trees were still tall and proud. The grass was soft beneath his feet. There was a stranger sitting under a tree at his usual spot.
Ulquiorra stopped in his tracks, staring hard at the figure under the tree. Now, usually he would not have batted an eyelid at the sight. But this particular person had blue hair.
Ulquiorra stared down at the teal haired arrancar, his eyes narrowed. Even though he had made a small cut, drawing a few droplets of blood to show how easy it was for him to inflict damage upon the arrancar despite his hierro, the man just kept on staring up at him, his sapphire eyes wide. How did the arrancar know his name? Ulquiorra wanted to know. He had only been a lieutenant for a few months, a captain for barely a day. Were there spies in Soul Society? Or did word of mouth spread quickly?
It was quite dark so he was unable to make out the arrancar's face, but he could tell that the arrancar had some sort of mask at the side of his face and hair the most curious shade of blue. And there were tears in those sapphire eyes.
He narrowed his eyes. Surely that arrancar did not dare to come here, of all places, where there were enemies everywhere. Enemies that could easily kill him. But then he saw the man opening some sort of portal and that was all Ulquiorra needed to confirm that the man was the arrancar that he had met before. So quickly that the blue haired arrancar did not notice, Ulquiorra shunpoed in front of the arrancar, bent down and grabbed the front of the man's shirt, making him look up.
There was no mistaking it. It was indeed the arrancar that he had met before. He could recognize those sapphire eyes anywhere.
"What are you doing here, arrancar?" Ulquiorra growled. "Speak."
The arrancar was shocked, to say the least. "Ulquiorra. Let me go."
"Don't give me any of that, arrancar. Answer me."
"Ulquiorra-" The teal haired arrancar reached up and grabbed Ulquiorra's wrist, trying to loosen Ulquiorra's grip. The pale shinigami gasped at the contact, and before he knew it, a scene that he had never seen before flashed through his mind.
Ulquiorra walked into the room, carrying a tray of food. "Here you are." He set the tray in front of the teal haired arrancar, who was lying in bed. That done, Ulquiorra sat down on the edge of the bed. "You should eat more to keep your strength up," he commented.
The teal haired arrancar made no reply to that. Instead, he smiled upon seeing Ulquiorra. He raised himself shakily into a sitting position, wincing slightly. His injuries had not fully healed yet. "Thanks, Ulqui."
Ulquiorra frowned at the nickname. "I thought I told you not to call me that."
"I can't help it. You're just so cute, Ulqui." The man grinned.
Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. "Shut up." He looked at the bandages that were wrapped around the arrancar's body. "You really are careless, getting injured again like that." The man may be smiling right now, but Ulquiorra could see that his latest injuries from a battle was taking its toll on him. The man had lost a bit of weight, but Ulquiorra was trying to fix that. Even if he had to spoon feed him to get him to eat.
"Come on, Ulqui. This is like the good old days when you used to come and visit me after I had that battle with that shinigami."
"I think I would rather see you uninjured. I wish you'd be a little more concerned about your well being. At least I won't be so worried all the time."
"Aww, you're worried about me?" the man teased, earning him a light smack from Ulquiorra. "Seriously though." The man reached out and held Ulquiorra's hand which he had placed in his lap. "You're cute. And I'm glad to have you."
"Is that the only reason why you're glad to have me?"
"Well, there's that." The man pulled Schiffer towards him, making him cry out. He cupped Ulquiorra's cheek with his free hand, rubbing his cheek with the pad of his thumb. "And then there's the fact that I love you. I can't ask for better."
A most adorable blush spread across Ulquiorra's cheeks. "Now you are talking nonsense, Sexta," he replied haughtily. "I-"
"Shh..." The man placed a finger on Ulquiorra's black and white lips, smiling, effectively silencing the younger. He let the finger trail down Ulquiorra's lips until it reached under the pale man's chin. Tilting Ulquiorra's head up slightly, the teal haired man leaned down to place a chaste kiss on Ulquiorra's lips, making the younger flutter his eyes close as he pulled Ulquiorra closer towards the Sexta.
Ulquiorra blinked. What had just happened?
DIOR CRYSTAL: This is by far the longest hiatus I have been on and it has affected my writing skills. I'm so rusty now. And I think it shows. Blame college for taking up so much of my time. And yes, I changed Ulqui's death a bit. I hope this chapter is okay. Reviews are appreciated.