Hello everyone, sorry this has taken…well, months. Let's just say, college is kicking my ass. Anyways, I hope to update more often, and absolutely love getting the little email notifications that someone has commented on my story I hope to get out the next chapter within a couple weeks this time!

Chapter 11

Ulquiorra

The plan had been set into motion, and his mind was racing even faster than his sonido because of it. Orihime was warm and soft in his arms, but he couldn't let himself focus on that right now. His mind was muddled enough without thinking about his feelings for her. She was looking at him with some confusion, he assumed because of his lack of talking over the last hour. They were far enough away from the large white building for now, but no distance seemed far enough to Ulquiorra. She interrupted his whirling thoughts with a hesitiant, "W….what are we doing?" She looked like she was trying to ask the question casually, so as not to upset him. Ulquiorra didn't miss the troubled look in her grey eyes. He hoped she trusted him enough for this, but it didn't matter in the end. He was not going to let Aizen just dispose of her like he was willing to do with Ulquiorra.

"We are leaving." Ulquiorra calmly responded, a little hesitant in how he replied. She replied with a soft 'oh'. He reasoned that if he acted calm and stoic as usual, it would keep her calm. He would be like a strong pillar that she would be able to rely on, he thought. A whisper rudely interrupted his thoughts. 'Trash'. Murcielago hadn't spoken in awhile, so Ulquiorra was a little shocked that Murcielago was still willing to speak to him. He carefully responded in his mind to Murcielago, hoping to soothe the sword. "Murcielago, you have returned." Calm and stoic, he reminded himself. Emotionless is best.

"You are nothing but a FOOL!" Murcielago yelled with as much malice as possible, "When…WHEN did we become HER protector? She is only an assignment. COWARD, GO FACE YOUR DUTY TO AIZEN AND RETURN!" The yelling hurt Ulquiorra's head a little bit, but it was the fact that Murcielago had yelled that frightened him. His counterpart, his sword, had been everything to him since his birth, and it still meant just as much to him. It held a different part of his interest than Orihime. He quickly turned his thoughts back to pacifying his sword.

"I apologize, but I cannot return. My assignment did not have anything to do with killing the woman. The path you have suggested only leaves the ending of death for her." Ulquiorra picked his words carefully, hoping Murcielago would come out of his rage.

"You are no longer my owner." Murcielago whispered. Shock ran through Ulquiorra as he felt the familiar pressure on his hip begin to dissolve. He quickly set Orihime down and looked at where his sword should be. He fell to his knees, searching for dust among sand.

Orihime

Everything had been doing well, Orihime had thought, until Ulquiorra suddenly stopped running. He had fallen to his knees, and was now just sitting on the sand, looking lost. Something was missing, she thought. Looking closely, she noticed he was missing his sword. Eyes widened as she wondered what had happened, but then looked at the pile of dust he held in his hands.

He was too proud to ask, but she knew he wanted her to try and resurrect his weapon. She calmly walked over, called out her powers, and hoped. It was to no avail. The pile of dust glowed, exciting both of them for a small minute, and then dissolved even further into dust in the wind. Looking closely at Ulquiorra, she saw him lose the light in his eyes. They appeared like the same dead looking eyes she had seen when she first met him, and a little bit of fear ran through her. She trusted him, but worried for his sanity. Zanpakutos were like part of the soul for Shinigami, she knew, so she imagined that it was at least similar for Arrancars. A tear slid down her cheek, and she rested her hand on Ulquiorra's shoulder. She heard a whisper 'tozase' slip from Ulquiorra's mouth, then he stood. His eyes still looked dead to her as he picked her up and continued onwards.

She noticed he held her a little less tightly as they continued. Orihime panicked on the inside; she hoped it was not her fault his sword had disappeared. It probably was though, she thought dejectedly, she always did seem to screw things up. Wanting to stop thinking so negatively, she looked around. Excitement bubbled inside of her as she saw a bright orange dot in the distance, running with some other dots. Happiness overwhelmed her and she cried out, "My friends!" The dots turned towards her and began growing larger. Ulquiorra set her back on her feet as he stopped. She waved excitedly towards them, and then turned to talk to Ulquiorra, but instead saw his back. He was walking away from her, and she ran to stop him. "Wait!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hand. It felt even colder than before, and suddenly her excitement over seeing her friends was overshadowed by worry for Ulquiorra. "You aren't staying?" He looked down at the ground. "Why not? Please, PLEASE stay with me Ulquiorra!" Tears were streaming down her face, and a thought flickered in her brain. She relied on Ulquiorra, trusted him. Maybe….maybe even loved him. No matter what, she wasn't willing to let him go.

Gently, he pulled out of her grasp. Pausing, he turned to look her in the eyes. "I am no longer able to protect you. An Espada without…his sword…is a cat without its claws. I must go face my punishment for disobeying from Lord Aizen." He turned to walk away again, but hesitated and turned back to whisper something in a language Orihime didn't understand. Disbelief ran through her; her silly teenager mind had convinced her that he was staying forever. Shock collapsed her knees and she fell to the gritty sand of Hueco Mundo. She didn't even notice her friends surrounding and embracing her.

"Why…why did you leave me?" She whispered to the white dot, now in the distance.

Ichigo

Joy and relief had flooded his mind when he had seen Orihime in the distance, waving and smiling. However, relief had quickly faded as he saw the person in white next to her. Upping his speed, he resolved himself to killing whoever was next to her.

By the time he reached her, however, she was crumpled on the ground, crying and looking in the distance. Orihime had suffered too much, he thought. From what he could figure out, most of he and Orihime's pain came from the white figure fading into the distance. Anger enveloped him, and he drew his sword. With the cry of 'BANKAI!' he ran off after Ulquiorra.