Chapter Three

AN: Okay, ya'll, I apologize profusely for the incredible lateness in this chapter. My life likes to give me things I have to do, including a pile of homework that rivals Mt. Saint Helens. I'll try harder to find time to type this all up, but I really can't promise anything concrete. I can guarantee the story's run will continue on to completion, though.

I would also like to warn you all about a program called AntiVirus 2010. It is a rouge spyware program, and will seriously fuck up your computer if it gets in. The software can be downloaded through piggybacking on a Trojan virus associated with video downloads, even something as simple as loading a video on YouTube. Once in your computer, it will spam you with pop ups and even the occasional virus if you have a really bad case, and will prevent you from visiting some websites or logging in to ANYTHING. As I am writing this addition to the note, I have tried (and failed) roughly three times to log into so that I could post the chapter, but no joy. I know that this isn't just isolated with , because I am having similar problems with all of the websites I frequent. The only one I can actually log into is facebook, and even that is insanely slow and glitchy even on my brand new computer. So, my advice to all of you is to be careful and try to be vigilant when searching the web, and if the "zlob" Trojan gets in that you check to see if this program got in, and if it did that you seek help immediately. Thank you for reading, now please enjoy the chapter.

"Ah, Ulquiorra-kun, you're back so soon? That was fast, even for you," remarked Aizen upon noticing Ulquiorra's abrupt, uninvited entrance into his throne room.

"Indeed, Aizen-sama. My mission was quite easy, especially considering that the soul in question was only a few short miles from the site of my emergence into the human realm. Upon further investigation, it was evident that his reiatsu was at high levels, but when some others appeared and spoke to the creature, it became clear that he had already allied with Seretei, and at the very end of the discussion all of the bird-people left the area and opened a Senkaimon, presumably to return to Seretei, and I immediately returned here to inform you of my discovery," replied Ulquiorra, refraining to use his special eye ability.

"Hm, what a pity. I had hopes that I could have used them in some way, and if not I'm sure that Szayzel would have had fun with it. Ah, well, I suppose it doesn't really matter all that much. You may go, Ulquiorra." Making sure to bow before he left, Ulquiorra hurried out of Aizen's sight and began to walk towards his own quarters in Las Noches. Deciding on a leisurely pace, he pondered over the report he had given to Aizen. He had not lied, of course, for he could never lie to Aizen-sama, but he didn't tell the whole truth either. Ulquiorra had failed to mention the subject of the conversation the laguz – for some reason his mind screamed at him to refer to the bird-people as laguz – had been conducting was on the Hokugyo, nor that the one who had introduced himself as Tibarn seemed to know him and referred to him as Soren.

If all that wasn't hard enough for him to deal with, Ulquiorra found himself grappling with an entirely new emotion: guilt! He hadn't a clue WHY he felt the foreign emotion, but he suspected that it had something to do with the five laguz he had met only a short time ago. Ulquiorra wasn't so idiotic to think that it had come from lying to Aizen, because he felt absolutely no shame (which in itself was a very disturbing fact) over the lie whatsoever. Could it possibly have been the fact he had reported on the laguz at all?

Shaking his head at the absurdity of that thought, Ulquiorra continued down the long, twisted path of assorted corridors and hallways back to his room. Unfortunately, though, it seemed as though Grimmjow had not yet forgotten the small incident earlier that day.

"Oi, Ulquiorra! What the hell was up with bumping into me earlier, huh? Be more damn careful!" exclaimed Grimmjow within his seething cesspool of indignation. Ulquiorra turned slightly so that he was looking at Grimmjow out of the corner of his eye.

"I am not so sure that you require an answer, Grimmjow," he responded.

"Oh you can be sure damn sure that I'll get an answer you little kiss ass!" roared Grimmjow.

"Let it go. Or do you wish I humiliate you by defeating you here and now?"

"That's not the point, you little bastard! Every day you act superior to us all, just because you're Aizen's little bitch! Well, too bad for you I'm not gonna take that crap anymore! Apologize now before I kick your ass!!"

"Shut. UP. Like you are any better with all your bitching and moaning; constantly complaining about every little thing that you don't like? Why don't you leave before I show you why I'm the Cuarta and you are just the Sexta. Goddess above, you're worse than Naesala!" While Ulquiorra had started the short conversation in his normal tone of indifference, but by the end he found himself yelling at Grimmjow. Then, Ulquiorra realized what he said and froze. Just who was Naesala? And how exactly did he compare to Grimmjow? It seemed that Grimmjow had also picked up on his name drop.

"Who the hell is Naesala? One of your looser kiss ass friends?" asked Grimmjow, both confusion and anger (mostly anger) tinting his voice. Ulquiorra was silent for a moment, trying to come up with an answer for himself as well. Finally he responded with:

"I have no idea. I believe I should go now. I- I need to think." Ulquiorra pushed past Grimmjow, leaving him standing there with scowl on his face and a name on his brain.

"Strange, wasn't it? It is not like him to show such emotion." Upon hearing the voice behind him, Grimmjow nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise.

"Szayzel, you pink haired idiot! How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me?" Grimmjow turned to face the man in question. "Any idea what the hell was up with that?"

Szayzel sighed, "Unfortunately, no. It could have been stress, I suppose, but we would have seen more signs of changing behavior. For all I know, he could have developed Multiple Personality Disorder, though I highly doubt it, considering the fact that M.P.D. has never had a recorded post-mortem case and those with M.P.D. are normally cured upon death. No, I think something far more significant is happening here. I suppose we'll all just have to wait and see."

"Think we should report this? I'd love to see how much it would kill him to be taken off active duty."

"No; he may very well kill you for it, even if he isn't unstable and that was all just a product of you pissing him off," chuckled the pink-haired Octava Espada.

"Well, damn."

Hope you all liked that, even if it was just a bit of character development. Ulquiorra's old personality of Soren is beginning to show. Don't worry, it won't be too long before some of the action begins . Later for now! Oh, make sure to review too.