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Insanity and Other Friends

"Tea, tea, tea" I chanted. Sprinting down another hall, I dropped the whole "stealth" concept. I had to be getting close in this insane maze. In my mind, the computer screen below was yelling at me to mention how panickingly close the shinigami was. Thinking wasn't needed to figure out who the other "Arrancar" was either.

Finally, I reached the store, familiar shelves and merchandise groaned in welcome. I panted as I searched for my final destination. No time for pleasantries, I shoved the entire box of tea under my arm. If there wasn't a month's supply of tea in there, I was just going to be mad.

The dingle of the tiny bell on the front door froze me in my tracks.

I dropped down, hopefully, maybe, I could exit the premises without causing too much distress and confusion. Some part of me highly doubted this, but hey, there was always a chance. Right?

"Hey Arrancar, come on out, there's no reason to hide," the causal voice scared me practically an inch out of my socks, "I really don't want to kill you."

Keeping the box in my hands, I rose a tiny bit from behind the shelf. The shinigami hadn't changed since our last delightful meeting. The only minor difference was the screaming zanpakuto in his hand. It howled that it wanted nothing more than to sink itself into my living flesh. Lovely, I was really looking forward to that one.

"Come on, I'm…" 'an Arrancar' stuck in my throat like gum, "…your enemy. Don't tell me you don't want to kill me. That would just be a very stupid and annoying lie."

The door clicked, he shrugged, "Nah, that's not case. Today you see, you've been snooping in my basement. Did I give you enough time to get the good part of that folder?"

I mulled over bolting for the door, my gut hop scotching, "Maybe you are in shinigami crazy-land or something, but I have no clue about that mumbo-jumbo. Comprende?"

"I am here for tea and that's it," My voice hiked up an octave and a half in one sentence, "Don't make me call back up."

"Stay, there is not fun in you just leaving. We could drink some of that stolen tea and I'll explain a couple things. I even brought donuts." Being a tad distracted, I hadn't noticed the crumpled paper bag in his other hand. He went out for donuts in 4 in the morning?

"I'll pass, thanks for the offer?" I started for the door; he did that frown that could only spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E. He did know that we were enemies? … right?

Uraraha moved right in front of my face and lifted the bag. It smelled tasty, no, more than that, it was cliché delicious. My stomach and tongue ordered me to bite open that bag for the guaranteed goodness inside. My brain knew better.

"It's still a no," I couldn't help the wavering in my tone, it was almost too tempting

"I have both iced and powered, you can't find both kinds done correct these days. It's extremely rare. Stay and let us enjoy the fruits of my labor," His voice was honest enough. I gulped the bucketful of drool back down my throat.

A shinigami was tempting an Arrancar to stick around over a sweet and the best part was that I was buying it. Yes, I admit it. Can you even imagine how Lord Aizen's stuff tasted at for this to be possible?

Don't do anything stupid, I remembered that phrase at the last moment before 'sure' came out.

"Yeah…Thanks for the thought, but, no. I really have to go," I sidestepped the man and went for the door again.

Barely, I dodged the sword. Something from Ulquiorra's learn-it-or-don't method finally proved itself. Juggling the box of all-important tea, my sword yawned into the open. I had no chance of winning against someone like him. I wasn't looking for a victory at this point, maybe just a "survive" type win.

"Do we have to go this way?" He looked at my blade as his sword retreated to his side, "I can assure you, it doesn't have too." The shopkeeper really wanted to keep me from leaving his shop. Some part of me didn't think he did it so I would buy out all his knee highs. Interrogation must be on the way.

My confused face tipped him off. Of all the people to ask, why ask me, a mere fracción about Lord Aizen's plans? I knew enough to fill a sentence: "Lord Aizen wanted to defeat the Soul Society." He really never bothered to explain the who, what, where or when.

"You do know what I am talking about?"

"No idea," I said and it hit me like a stone. It was about that. With this in mind, I realized he might try to get more out of me then just a friendly conversation. I didn't like needles.

He leaned on his sword, "You don't know what I am talking about? Did he even mention it?"

"Nope," My nerves screamed and tightened. The feeling of being trapped was getting comfy and it was making me panicky. Could my sonido outrun his shunpo?

"Did you read that report?"

I didn't get to formulate a reply. The shinigami lunged forward and crashed straight into me. There wasn't no chance I could avoid him. I was currently busy, mentally battling myself to not think about the topic of the day.

Dragging struggling me behind him, we skidded across the shop. The door gave a huff of another jingle. Being around the Espada everyday wasn't necessary to know what his spiritual pressure was like. It was sorta like the knife's edge of peaceful before chaos. No, that would be a complement. Fine then, think of a block of ice that doesn't melt, that's Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure.

Anyways, Schiffer's energy eased itself into the shop. I grinned up at shopkeeper with his sword on my collarbone. Somebody was in for trouble now. I held tight to the tea, did he come for the tea or me? Just the tea, I suspected.

The Arrancar padded down the hall and apathetically watched the unfolding scene, "I thought I ordered you not to do idiotic things, fracción. Do any of my words get into your pea -sized brain of yours?"

"You should have seen this one coming," I smirked without slitting my own throat. Why was he here? Didn't he know the Soul Society was unloading several Captain classed shinigami into this world on a let's-make-Arrancar-BBQ mission?

"We met again Espada, it's an honor," The shopkeeper jutted in just as we started another one of our daily spats. They had met before? It shouldn't surprise me, Ulquiorra was here as many times as he wasn't with random missions. He probably did know the shinigami well.

"Just give me the girl, there is no reason for this to go beyond that," The Espada's hands slipped into pockets, "Don't try to run away. Don't try to use her as a shield. I'll just impale the idiot along with you."

He just wanted the tea, typical Ulquiorra. I frowned, I was really a worthless hostage.

"Why doesn't she know about a certain issue? I have an idea what Aizen wants, care to enlighten me?" My cool head on all this new information shattered. I wasn't half human. I couldn't be. I was a fracción of Lord Aizen's army. He wouldn't keep someone as weak as a human in the ranks. Right?

"No."

I didn't even feel human. I would feel different..I guess?

Ulquiorra pointed at the very confused me, "This is Sola Kiri, numbered 81 in the ranks of Lord Aizen's army. Currently, she is a fracción under my digression and lives in the world of Hueco Mundo."

"I sent her on a simple mission, which she has, apparently, failed to accomplish," I cursed my ability to understand Schiffer. Never once did the Espada mention that I was an Arrancar. One things about him was his way not to answer any question.

"Ah, that's not fair, but I would hate to ruin your little game," the sword released its self and I stumbled forward in astonishment. Really? An Arrancar and a Soul Reaper were going to have an idyllic conversation and not break fight just because they could? I hated to wonder what the "little game" was either.

I glanced back, the shopkeeper watched carefully as we exited his shop, "Be careful, Sola Kiri, and enjoy that tea."

The bell called out as Ulquiorra passed under it. I followed and felt a set of papers dig a hole in my sash. Be careful.

How in the world was I supposed to "be careful" if I didn't even know what was going on?

Thanks to Nizuna Fujieda (glad it made your day!), Rose202 & Anonymous

Note: on a fangirl moment, I changed Ulquiorra's last name, "Cifer" to the more correct "Schiffer"

Ah yes, a bell is rung, donuts are used as bait, Ulquiorra makes threats and Sola gets manipulated and confused. I love these chapters! Hopefully, it only gets better, in my opinion is does. I could be called prejudice. :) I have such trouble writing Urahara, he's the hardest Bleach character that I have written so far. Ulquiorra is one of the easiest and Aizen being a close runner up. Everybody's different, I guess.

If I keep talking I will spoil something so I am just going to be quiet,

Thanks for reading!

-Quin

Reviews make my day beyond any belief, I seriously break records...so review?

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).