Had she still been human, she would have fallen asleep right there in his arms. He was much more comfortable than she could have imagined. They just sat there together in silence, Ulquiorra figuring out his emotions-as usual, and Orihime contemplating what would happen when she was promoted.

"Orihime." Ulquiorra said. "I don't know anything about emotions, how they feel or any of that. But I promise you, no matter what happens, I will protect you. You are my Orihime." He said the last part with pride.

"Ulquiorra," she smiled, "I wish I could sleep." He was puzzled by what she meant. Why on earth-or in this case, Hueco Mundo-would she wish for something like that? "Because if I could sleep, I would be able to dream about you with me and what our life would be like. I could lay here on your chest as we both fall asleep and maybe get stiff necks from sitting like we are…" she was beginning to ramble. Normal Orihime.

"Hime," he used her nickname, "I get it." He pulled her closer and for once, just once, he smiled at her.

"Ulquiorra! You smiled!" She gasped.

"I know. It's weird for me, too." He said, turning his expression back to normal.

"When I get promoted, don't treat me any differently, Ulquiorra. I mean it."

"It's okay, I promise I won't, Hime."

"Good. Then I think I may be ready to see Aizen-sama with my decision." She stood up and he stood beside her.

"I shall go with you, my Hime." They walked out of the room together and through the vast corridors that lead to the throne room. There, the two waited until Aizen would see them. Orihime was nervous, Ulquiorra noted, but he was glad for that. It meant the only thing that was changing about her was her body and not her mind. She would still be Orihime Inoue, the girl who was once his captive and now his…love. It was still hard to recognize that word for him, but he was starting to like it as long as she was there. He was thinking so much that he almost didn't notice that Aizen had taken his place on the throne.

"Aizen-sama," the two said in unison as they bowed.

"Orhime, Ulquiorra, stand. What is your choice, girl?" He asked. From his voice, she could tell that he was in no mood for messing around. Something hadn't gone right, she guessed.

"I choose to be promoted, my Lord. I will do whatever I can to serve you and I feel this is the best way." Ulquiorra could hear the determination in her voice and he smiled inwardly.

"Excellent," Aizen said as the 3 fell off her neck, "You are no longer number 3. You are now 0, Orihime Inoue. Of all the arrancar and espada I have created, you are the only one who has the potential to be a general," her eyes opened slightly wider as the 0 appeared on her hip. "Do not disappoint me. Oh, and try not to work your new pet too hard," he smirked at Ulquiorra.

"Hai!" She answered him and bowed again with Ulquiorra.

"You are dismissed."

They walked out together, so close their arms brushed against each other. When they left the throne room, she left out a breath that she'd been holding for a while.

"Orihime," she turned to see Hallibel standing there.

"O..oh! Hallibel, I didn't see you there." She said a little uneasy. She had to admit, she was terrified of her.

"Welcome to the ranks," she said simply, "You are one of us now. If you need me, I trust you know where I am staying."

"Yes, I do. Thank you very much Hallibel-san."

"Cut it out with the formalities. We're all the same here, no matter what number you are," she looked at Orihime's hip and her eyes opened just a little further, just not so much that they could tell there was anything wrong. She bowed and left. Orihime watched her walk away until Ulquiorra's voice brought her back to reality.

"Hime…Hime!"

"Right. Sorry." She said, still a little in a daze.

"Same old Orihime. First of all, be more alert. Pay attention to your surroundings. That could mean-"

"Life or death." she said with him. "I know."

"Okay. Then let's spar."

"Eh? Me and you?"

"You need to be prepared to fight anyone, and I mean anyone."

She though about it for a minute and realized that he made perfect sense. She never knew who she might need to fight. Being ready was a very critical thing at the moment.

"Okay, let's do it." She got the sheer look of determination in her eyes, the same one that she had the first time he had ever seen her.

He took her out of the palace into the vast desert. She looked around at all the small hollow animals. She'd never seen anything like them. She picked one up and stroked its head.

"Hime! This is no time to mess around," Ulquiorra said sternly.

"I'm not messing around. I want one of these."

"What do you mean? Why would you want something as weak as that?"

"It's not weak, it's cute!"

"Orihime, put it down." He said even more sternly. "We have work to do. Get one later."

"Fine," she let it slither out of her hands and back into the white sand that covered all of Hueco Mundo.

"We will spar here. It's where I come to train myself. It's far away from the palace so we don't need to worry about damage. Now, release your zanpakuto."

"Hai." She put her hand on her sword. "Shine, Aisupurinsesu! (Ice Princess)" There was a burst of smoke and her wings were visible first, followed by her crown, and finally her whole body. Her eyes shimmered silver and white, the same as ice.

"Good. Now, begin!"

"Okay." She began forming a cero in her hand and she shot at him. The cero was blue and shimmered with white. When the smoke cleared, she couldn't see him anywhere. She tried to locate him when suddenly she was sent flying through the air.

"Never take your eyes off your opponent!" He said when she stood up. "If they are not in front of you, locate them!"

She looked at him and decided to try a new attack. She formed two large ice blades in her hands. They were about as long as her body and at least 10 times as sharp as any zanpakuto. She used sonido to get behind him and hit him with the hilt, sending him flying where she just was. He tried to regain his composure.

She's fast, he thought, really fast. She appeared again about 15 feet away from him.

"Very good. He said, "We might not have needed to do tis after all." A hand was around his neck in an instant and his eyes opened wide.

"Never let your guard down, love," she said with a smirk. "I think this lesson might be over."

"Ulquiorra looked at her surprised. No one had ever been able to lay a hand on him the way she did. This was only her power in Hueco Mundo. The soul reapers wouldn't have a chance.

"Let's go home. I want to lay back and relax for a while." She unreleased her zanpakuto and put it back in her sheath. "We can spar later. Besides," the serious look was out of her eyes as they turned back to normal, "I want a pet."

"Fine. Just get one and be on your way home. I'm going ahead."

"Is something wrong?" She asked. He never left without her. Never. She hadn't been alone once since she was taken there.

"Nothing. I just have some business to take care of. That's all." He turned. "Catch up soon, Hime." He disappeared from sight.

"Orihime," a voice said from behind her. A voice she never expected to hear. Not there. She turned to face her. "Tatsuki."