VI

Why Sand? Why?

Ignoring the patches of weaker skin was harder than I thought. They were everywhere and all that remained from my large collection of cuts, scrapes or bangs. My daily life marched on and I became overly protective of the remainder of my natural protection.

Ulquiorra stopped actively looking for a reason to kill me or at least kick me out. I hoped that was a good sign. The Espada even caught me once drinking his tea and he just shook his head. I made myself scarce afterwards, but soon enough I was bold again. I guessed the tea did it. Where else could his tolerance come from?

A week unfolded itself after all this action and I found myself sneaking into the kitchen. There wasn't much substance to the meals. It did its job for about fifteen minutes and then like clockwork, hunger hop-skipped back.

I won't lie and say that I expected the arm that wrapped it's self around my shoulders. I was more a like half-asleep surprised. I didn't have time to ponder things as everything became a flashing blur. I knew a powerful soindo when I felt it. As quickly as I had swept off my feet, I was dumped head first in the sand. The sand? I was outside now?

I sucked up enough sand to fully coat my whole nasal system. To top it off, my guts were now convinced that they had been ripped out and then shoved back in. A soindo can do that, it was annoying. I rolled over and started breathing back up the sand.

"Why did you do that Ulquiorra?" I wiped my nose and glared. The Espada impassively watched on as I argued with my organs that they belonged inside me.

"You are my fracción, are you not?" Shoving my hands in the sand for leverage, I regained a sitting position and shook the sand out of my ears.

"I wouldn't be cleaning your room if I wasn't, right?" I sneezed sand and juggled with the idea of trying to stand. I was still woozy, better not.

"Then you accept that I am your superior."

"I guess…does it matter?" I gave up on the stay sitting thing, "that still doesn't give the right to just pick me up and dump me in the middle of nowhere," My knee shook but I managed not to make a fool of myself. I double checked, we were in Hueco Mundo's endless desert AKA nowhere.

"It turns out that you are truly going to be my fracción," His hands sat in his pockets and I raised an eyebrow. Did I pass an exam or something? That begged the question: what was I before?

He coolly jammed over my question before I could ask it, "As such, I can not have you make a fool of me because you are not able defend yourself."

"So? What do you care?"

"I care, because Lord Aizen cares. As you should be aware of by now, my fraccións are his fraccións. By the logical order of Hueco Mundo, technically, his fraccións are the Espada," Ulquiorra stared at the sand like yesterday's news, "The Espada refuse to do his daily needs so Lord Aizen dips into my fraccións so he may have staff. Understand?"

I blinked, "This is the reason that I have a large amount of fraccións. Typically, I have two or three under my own personal control."

"I guess that makes sense," I did notice he hadn't bothered much with the others, "But I have a ques-"

"Whatever you have to say is nonsense. Draw your sword," He focused on me, like I had just spontaneously gotten back from vacation and hadn't been standing there the entire time.

I shrugged and my stomach started braiding itself again. I had enough natural talent with sword to fill a tablespoon. That wasn't the real problem, though I obeyed his command.

I stared at the weapon from the guard up. The sword was good for about a foot. The silver blade turned to glass and then faded into nothingness. Through the brown hilt of my zanpakuto, there was a flicker of life. Unconsciously, I reach out and blade solidified an inch more before falling back to the original point.

"I really can't fight," I admitted. Ulquiorra assessed the misfortune that was my sword.

He sighed lightly, "You have half a sword. You can block."

I was doubtful. I was in somewhere in the desert, in the middle of the night, with a half a sword and I was supposed to fight an Espada with it? Did this seem ridiculous? Yes, I happened to think so. He studied the flickering of the sword.

"Hand it over," Ulquiorra's hand came out and I went into shock.

"Eh…What now?" I couldn't have heard him right. Even if it wasn't functional, my sword was part of my soul. When a Vasto Lorde graduates to an Arrancar, half of our soul is sealed in a sword. Did anybody ever wonder why we changed shape with a release? Obviously not. No Arrancar would think of switching swords like switching shirts. There were no trade-outs, exchanges or return-with-a-receipt in the world of zanpakuto.

"I want your zanpatuko, trash," His voice sharpened and there was a crack in his calm demeanor. That scared me.

"Fine-just-like-don't break it," I flipped my grasp on the sword and gave it away. I couldn't believe myself. I could feel Ulquiorra's grasp on the sword. The blade disappeared down to an inch. I shoved my hands in my pockets.

His hand tested the tiny hilt, as he watched the blade. I had small hands, it was my sword. I felt his actions before I saw it. It was like a knife was trying to dig up my my stomach into my throat. Ulquiorra shoved more of his spiritual pressure into the weapon.

It stung like angry bees as my sword rejected the energy. I crumbled back down to the ground. He didn't stop, instead he pushed harder. My mind went on the fritz. I grabbed at my middle, trying to find another source for this pain.

"Please…stop that," I hissed. Too late for that. He wasn't listening. Did he ever? No, came the strangely rational thought, he never listened to anyone.

I jammed my mouth shut as he came onto my sword again. I had a serious moment of regret before the world flashed away from my mind. Oops, maybe I should have planned this one out better.

Thanks to September Sky, Nizuna Fujieda, callmeBaby'08', Rose202, & g0ldf1sh101 for reviewing! Thanks WordsThatCancelEachOtherOut,Toshiko Hitsugaya, & maru101 for the favorite!

I checked my email the day after I posted the last chapter and went "Oh noodles*!" For the first time, I had a flood emails from fanfiction and most of them were reviews. Best to say that sunday was the best day of that week for me. So big thanks from me to everybody who reviewed (throws cookies).

On to the story, yes, that's the reason that Ulquiorra has fraccions, he doesn't use them, Aizen does. Also, I went out on a limb on the swords, but hey, Lilynette and Starrk are the same person, so I figured it's plausible.

I really love the next chapter...no, I'm not going to tell you anything, you'll just have to wait till next weekend :)

Review=happy writer=faster editing=quicker posting...don't we all want that?

Thank you!

-Quin

*Ahem, I did not say "noodles" but this story is rated "T"...you get the idea

Bleach, Ulquiorra and co. do not belong to me but to the awesome Tite Kubo. Sola is my own creation, therefore copyrighted to me (she disproves of this).