Chapter 10 :::The Void:::
Ulquiorra had been submerged in total darkness for only a few minutes. He was preoccupied, trying to decipher the reasoning behind Grimmjow's abduction of Orihime for the purpose …of healing a dead soul reaper? …Ridiculous. Grimmjow was a fool and his continued insubordination would cease to be tolerated from this moment on. He was as good as dead. As for Orihime? …All things considered, she didn't appear to be harmed or in any immediate danger.
Ulquiorra knew he needn't worry. Soon, regardless of where she was or who she was with, she'd be brought back to him…eventually. Aizen had decreed this days ago… Orihime's placement in the fifth tower was pinnacle to the success of the mission and would be carried out whether he was present or not. *sigh* Now, if only he could determine the best method for getting out of this Negacion…
…Then, as if to intentionally interrupt his productive train of thought, a recorded warning from Aizen echoed throughout the empty black space…
"Welcome, fallen Arrancar, to Caja Negacion …or as I've come to call it, the 'Void.' This area of detention was designed to keep undesirables from being among the general populous and further disrupting the order of things. Please bear in mind that this is a punishment. I advise you to take this time to reflect upon the action or behavior which has forced your superior to imprison you here. Now, prepare yourself for a most unpleasant experience as the program will begin momentarily..."
Ulquiorra had heard of such detention areas, but it was unknown as to what degree of damage they could inflict upon Espada, if any at all. It had been said that the Caja Negacion were portable prisons designed to hold a troublesome insubordinate, indefinitely, if necessary. It was also rumored that they were only a step above death itself. In any case, it would take him hours to create a garganta strong enough to break through a dimension of vacuumed space…
A small dulcet tone emitted a soft frequency in the black nothingness surrounding him. It wasn't unpleasant, but Ulquiorra could see how an insecure creature with less resolve would see it as a means to panic. Especially, having just listened to Aizen's intimidating speech. Still, being alone in complete and utter darkness was unnerving in itself…even to a solitary creature, like the 4th Espada. He began to focus his riatsu and concentrate on creating the spatial rift. Perhaps trying a destination other than Hueco Mundo would be a good place to start. A lesser hollow would instinctively seek to return home, therefore, it seemed a logical step to choose a different destination. …Especially, if one wished to avoid setting off some of the programs' offensive directives that Aizen's technology was famous for. As he focused on a rift to Earth, a small globe of light began to appear just off of his left shoulder. He turned around quickly and braced himself for the coming battle. …Only this battle wouldn't be like anything he'd ever experienced before…
The soft light developed into a life-size image which became clearer and more opaque, the closer he got to it. It played in much the same manner as Aizen's recording, only the image was more fluid and much more realistic than a mere disembodied voice. The flickering image peaked his curiosity. He moved towards it, momentarily forgetting his plans of escape. He kept glancing back over his shoulder, where was the source of the projection coming from? …His eyes saw all, yet there was nothing anywhere…only blackness, emptiness, truly a void.
He continued on, closing the distance between himself and the forming images. The graphics became sharper still, the closer in proximity he became. When it seemed as though he could almost touch them, the pictures became crystal clear, it was practically life-like. He could clearly see …a girl…
The beauty before him was all too familiar. It was his Orihime. She was naked and bent down, kneeling over…something. And then the still life image began to move of its own accord. The likeness of Orihime was now on her knees in front of…(another image came into view)…Aizen? Ulquiorra froze as the entire spectacle unfolded before him.
The scene took place in Lord Aizen's chambers. He was standing in front of his chair while smiling down at the girl with anticipation and intense satisfaction. He was casually leaning over her, her head at waist level. He reached his hand behind her head and bent her forward as he pushed his hips slightly towards her. And just as his erection made it's way toward her gaping mouth, her eyes widened, as she turned her head away at the last possible second. Aizen furrowed his brows and paused as Orihime cleared her throat to speak…
"P-Please Lord Aizen, I'm not…I don't want to do this. …It has only been a few days since Ulquiorra passed away…," she said as she intentionally looked away from Aizen and down at the floor.
Aizen quickly gathered himself into his hakama and smiled benevolently at Orihime, like a father to a daughter.
"My dear, you know, I am truly sorry for your loss. My only wish is to welcome you into the fold as one of us. You don't have anyone left to see to your needs. Your friends have abandoned you. Please forgive me, Orihime, but I assumed you needed comfort from me. I would never dream of pushing you into something you don't wish to do."
"…I-I honestly don't even know what I'm doing here…," she said looking around the room, blushing, and trying to cover herself with her hands. She was thoroughly embarrassed and confused.
"Oh, well then, I think I see the problem. …Here you are, my dear, please feel free to cover yourself up." Aizen said continuing to smile kindly while handing her a small white towel.
Aizen sat down in his chair and pressed a concealed button which was attached to it. A small vial of liquid appeared before him out of a small panel on the chair's left side. He collected the tube, swiftly, with one hand while his other reached out for her. She never saw him coming as he suddenly grabbed (a very shocked) Orihime by her hair and forcibly tilted her head back. Her face was now aimed towards the ceiling, exposing her throat.
(Ulquiorra instinctively tried to help her, but his ceros were deflected by an invisible barrier that blocked his way. …He took a deep breath and refocused himself. In his mind he knew that this was not reality, he verbally reprimanded himself, "…that is not her, this is not real…" Even so, he was forced by the void to remain an involuntary spectator. The apparitions were so vivid and disturbing to him, and still, they continued…)
…As Orihime opened her mouth to scream, Aizen poured the liquid contents of the vial down her throat. Before she choked on the thick fluid, he held her nose and forcibly sat her upright.
"Now be a good girl, and swallow it for me...yes, that's it."
Tears streamed down her face as she obeyed him. Aizen released his hold on her head. She backed away from him shaking and holding herself tightly, one hand clutching her towel futilely against her naked body and the other clutching her sore neck.
"What did you give-," Orihime stopped mid sentence as she shook violently once, and then fell to the floor unceremoniously. Her towel fell off slightly, exposing her upper body and breasts to Aizen.
He was thoroughly enjoying the view as Gin entered Aizen's chambers. Gin did a quick survey of the room before approaching Aizen. As usual, Gin's hands were behind his back and his face betrayed nothing but the mask of an ever-present smile.
"You rang, Aizen? *tsk, tsk* …Did you wear her out already? You really should learn to have a little more patience with your toys. After all, 'life's a journey, not a destination'…or so I've read…"
"I need you and Szayel to procure me more of this serum, since apparently, the original dose is not optimal for this specimen," he said deepening his frown.
"Or, to translate, she didn't ravage you when you snapped your fingers?…*laugh,* …Go figure. I warned you, this girl would be tricky, given her increased abilities."
"Initially, she was quite willing, but the effects wore off within minutes."
"Oh well, we'll just have to give her more-"
Aizen held up the empty glass tube to Gin.
"…Well, it seems you already have... Tell you what, Aizen? How about I, personally, help you refine the dosage? ...Just this once…"
Ulquiorra watched with revulsion as Gin removed a large silver metallic syringe from his pocket. The Fourth Espada watched, powerlessly, as Gin inelegantly propped the girl up into a sitting position and injected the contents of the needle into her neck. Her head flopped down onto his shoulder when he released her.
Within moments, she came to. Her eyes immediately fixed upon Gin, while her hands grasped him hard by his throat. As he turned towards her, attempting to extricate her fingers, her demeanor began to visibly soften. Her hands slowly fell away. She then placed her palms gently on either side of his face and began kissing him slowly…and then, quite passionately. Her towel fell completely off of the rest of her body, she paid it no mind. As Gin broke the kiss to address Aizen, she moved her hands within his robes, massaging his length until he was hard and ready. She continued to kiss down his neck and move steadily south from there. ...Once her mouth was securely fastened onto his arousal, she slowly began to move her head up and down in a fluid motion.
"Uhhnn….this is amazing, Aizen. Szayel is a Guinness!"
Ulquiorra turned away from the lurid display, his hands were trembling with suppressed fury.
"Well now, it appears the first round's on me," Aizen said laughing while Orihime's doppelganger continued waxing Gin.
…Ulquiorra reflected back on how he had fed on the souls of demons and destroyed his enemies leaving only bloody entrails in his wake, but this was the first time he could ever remember feeling physically ill since becoming a hollow. …And it was only the beginning, for hours on end, he endured the disturbingly twisted images of Orihime being raped, bound, and tortured.
In every vision, she screamed and cried out. In some, she even called for him, "Ulquiorra," to save her. He tried to turn away countless times, but every new direction would yield more images of her being abused in various positions and with a variety of despicable characters.
To his left, Grimmjow was raping her in her living quarters. To his right, Szayel had her barely clothed, strapped to a machine, while he probed her body with all manner of instruments…her hairpins were carelessly tossed on a metal tray table next to her… In yet another, Yammy made her heal his injuries again and again, only to savagely beat her afterwards every single time. …In all of them, she was completely helpless and her free will was forcibly taken from her…
It wasn't long before he became a raw bundle of nerves and couldn't focus on anything, though he knew he had to get out of here. He finally closed his eyes. He needed to calm down and concentrate. …Think, think…was this real? No. He knew better than this. He forced his mind to remember that this was a subjective form of punishment for whichever hollow resided within.
Apparently, the torment was specific to the void's occupant. Ulquiorra wondered what the other hollows before him saw when placed here. What were their fears? What were their reactions when they were subjected to them again and again? Who would have the strength or resolve to fight after reliving their worst nightmares over and over? It was no wonder why none had ever returned from here. They had probably all gone mad.
Once more, he attempted to muster his strength and energy through his fingertips and open a rift. Once the first stream of power had emanated from his fingers, all previous images faded away. At first, Ulquiorra assumed he'd found a breakthrough. And then a new apparition appeared directly in his line of sight. He tried to tune it out, however, this new mirage was the worst one yet…
It was subtle at first…a mere apparition of his beautiful angel appeared before him sleeping on a large rectangular cushion, a distinct smile played around her lips. She looked so peaceful, and it was such a contrast to the other horrific images. Abandoning his current efforts to escape, Ulquiorra watched her, entranced. For what appeared to be moonlight, poured over her and illuminated the small room she was in. As Ulquiorra approached, the image of the room focused itself into sharper detail. The layout of the room in the vision had a small twin bed near a window with a closet directly across. Orihime was naked, wrapped up in a thin grey quilted bedspread. Ulquiorra, instinctively, knew this room wasn't hers…just like he also knew, this room was not in Hueco Mundo…
A fuzzy image of a hand wrapped around her waist from behind her, the owner of it was obscured from his view. She purred softly while laying on her side as this hand stroked her body, from her breasts to her stomach. Slowly, the hand pulled back the sheet and then pulled her down and onto her back. Ulquiorra could clearly see a large blurry figure of a man mount her while she moaned softly all the while. The figure continued to caress her body while simultaneously entering her. The figure began increasing his rhythm and pace as she began breathing heavily. She was clearly enjoying every moment with this man. Her eyes remained open as her hands grasped the man's back in excited desperation. Her moaning became more audible…
Ulquiorra recognized the pitch of her voice and knew she was close to orgasm. He desperately needed to know the idenity of this man, the distorted images of him were maddening. Moreover, the vision of Orihime remained ever clear and vivid …too vivid. Ulquiorra found himself becoming more anxious and angered by the display in front of him. For all he could see of the man, it could very well be him! …But this was a form of punishment, so he knew that could never be. He continued to watch Orihime's body contort in pleasure as she came, her eyes remaining open and wide. He made a note of this, as her eyes never remained open when she was climaxing with him…
"…Ooooh, Ichigo…"
Ulquiorra used sonido to approach the room to strangle the figure and was stopped, once more, by an invisible barrier which blocked his way. He slammed his fists into the barrier. Immediately, the entire image became crystal clear. Ichigo Kurosaki was the man continuing to thrust himself deeply into Orihime as she shook convulsively beneath him. He clasped her hands in his and continued to move steadily within her. She peered lovingly into his eyes and whispered,
"Ichigo, my love, come with me"
"I'm so close, Orihime, …!…"
Ulquiorra watched, morosely, as Ichigo collapsed into Orihime, smiling while embracing her tenderly…just the way, Ulquiorra assumed, she'd always wanted. Ichigo then kissed her passionately as he rolled around with her playfully in the sheets on his bed. He watched as Ichigo mischievously nibbled and licked her lips, stroked her hair, and nuzzled himself into her neck. She, in turn, laughed and bounced around with him for what seemed like forever…they looked like the ideal couple, perfect, and newly in love.
What remained of Ulquiorra's will sank into the pit of his stomach. His blackened nails sunk deep into his palms as he waited for this unbridled display of love-making to end…
The need to look away was great, but not as great as the need to watch her face and see how blissful she looked. She was positively glowing, she was so damn happy …with her Ichigo. Intense pain and hatred cut Ulquiorra deeply, he had never seen her look so completely delighted and content before. …She had never had these reactions when she was with him. He had never even heard her laugh.
Oh, how he hated this cursed place! He hated the perfect love he knew Ichigo and Orihime were destined to share. And too soon, his hollowed body would turn to dust, and he'd lose her forever. …And so, for that, he hated her too. He hated her for making him fall so deeply for her, developing feelings he'd never had before, and now wished he'd never known. Yes, in this moment; he truly hated that woman, her Ichigo, their love, and all of the other petty weaknesses humans had…
Ulquiorra closed his eyes against the intertwined images of the two lovers. Anger motivated him to shut himself off from everything that surrounded him and focus solely on leaving this personal hell. Within moments of regaining his hardened resolve, he managed to open up a small garganta and walked determinedly through it...
He appeared in Aizen's vast and empty throne room. Much more time had passed in the void than he had realized….Aizen and the rest of the Espada had already gone on ahead to do battle with the remaining Captains of the 13 Court Guard Squad on Earth. As Gin once foretold, Ulquiorra had been entrusted to protect Las Noches in Aizen's absence.
Looking around the room at the top of the fifth tower, he saw…her. Here she was waiting for him, as he knew she would be.
He was still shaken from his harrowing experience in the void. Images of her naked body entangled with that Shinigami, were still burned into his mind. The Fourth Espada could barely suppress his wrath.
He walked towards her purposefully, his eyes never leaving her, as he watched her every move. …All thoughts of her, now toxic…her sycophantic behavior, her sad eyes, and her anxious expression…only enraged him further.
Still, as always, he approached her calmly…
"Lord Aizen no longer needs you. There's no one left to protect you. You're finished.
You will die here on your own, with no one here to hold on to…
…Are you afraid?"
…
continue to Chapter 11