XIX

Truth Tends to Lie

"So…uh…what's up?" I started the conversation with Ulquiorra. A quick excuse that my other cousin was in town and I was quickly freed to find gigia-ed Espada in the very back of the busy coffee shop. I shoved myself into the chair opposite him and tried very hard to pretend this was normal.

"'What's up'? How human of you," Ulquiorra shot back. Clearly, nothing is 'up'. How could it be possible for something to be 'up'? There is nothing in the air that could possibly be so. Why talk with such stupid, illogical phrases?" He hadn't changed.

"Fine. Why are you here?"

"To see if you survived or not."

I sat back in the chair, "That should be obvious. Would you mind explaining to me what happened that night?"

"You died," a ghost of a smile appeared, "and yet, you lived."

"Okay. I discovered that, but how?"

"First tell me, what are Urahara and the shinigami doing in terms of defense." The world became clear all of a sudden.

"Ohhh…. I get it now! You saved me so I could spill the beans on them? Was this in Aizen's big plan too?" I demanded a bit harshly, if he was going to skip pleasantries so was I.

"No, Lord Aizen thinks you are dead," He said dismissively.

"Lie."

"Truth."

"Lie."

"Think of this way: If Lord Aizen knew you were alive, do you think that he would risk you telling about his plan? Think about it, trash. You would be dead, completely and utterly."

I frowned; he had a point. "Fine. Maybe you are right but, I'm not saying anything until I know what happened to me."

"You died as an Arrancar," he swirled the tea bag in the glass.

"I got that."

"Your sword hangs with the others now." Couldn't he just get to the point?

"I know that and I also think that you know why I'm still here. Tell me or else I won't tell you anything," I couldn't tell him anything. I knew zilch.

"I could kill you again instead."

"You won't, we both know that. Stop stalling Ulquiorra, it's not in your character."

His eyes narrowed, "You know nothing about me."

"True, but I know nothing about myself either," I wondered what others thought of this strange conversation.

"I slit your throat and severed your Chain of Fate. You collapsed and bled to death on the floor," Ulquiorra gave up that utterly useless, yet disturbing, data.

"Yeah, I figured that one out on my own."

"After you died, I waited for your body to dissipate, the true proof of death. Instead, your hollow fragment fell off and your hollow hole sealed. A new Chain of Fate was created and it was attached itself to the World of the Living. I simply dropped your body in a logical location," Ulquiorra slipped his tea and I blinked.

"You what?"

Ulquiorra sighed and talked in English, "You died and was reborn as a human. I dumped you in the World of the Living."

"Oh," I guessed it was some secret post-death scientist test or something. Nope, I did it on my own.

Ulquiorra drank more of his tea, "I am surprised that Szyeal didn't think of that result. His reports practically said that you were a human 'wearing an Arrancar shell'. I suppose not everybody can be right all the time."

"I was a shell?" My brain was slowly starting to overload. 'Error! Error!' signs mentally popped up everywhere.

He placed his tea down with a click, jerking me back into reality, "It does not matter. Now, what about the shinigami defenses?"

"I know nothing. Just that the orange haired guy is getting really powerful," I knew that little comment on its own wasn't enough to send the entire Espada after Ichigo.

"Ichigo Kurosaki? Correct?"

"Yeah." Hold it a second, why did this feel wrong?

"How powerful do you think he will become?"

"I don't know, I don't see him that much," I grumbled. I tried to keep away from any shinigami. I wasn't just going to ruin this life.

"Become an ally of his, a trusted friend, get into his life," The Espada ordered and took another drink. I frowned at this turn of events. I wasn't going back to take orders.

"And why would I do that, Ulquiorra?" I looked at him straight in the eyes. Respect, I may have had, but trust was never in the picture.

"Lord Aizen is interested in him. You must seek out his strengths and weaknesses. He may yet become the key to this Winter War. If this is true, then it is necessary for our success."

Well, that pushes this conversation over the edge.

Keeping my voice as level as possible, I asked a couple causal questions, "'Our'? You mean as in 'us'? As in 'we'? You mean as in 'Las Noches'?"

He remained quiet, undisturbed.

"Huh? What about that? If you hadn't noticed, I moved out of there. If you can't see, I happen to be human. And most importantly, if you missed the memo, let me re-inform you, I am no longer your fraccion, nor am I associated with you."

"Think," Ulquiorra replied, "The shinigami will find you and to whom will you come crying back to for protection? Do not burn your bridges. This information is needed, if not for the Espada's success, then, for the Espada's survival. Let me remind you, you owe your breathing life to these people."

He spun the tea bag, "…the ones who aid those in need, typically in turn, look fondly on past errors."

To back on the side with a powerful figure like Aizen and to be his good graces…I could feel his mind games. I could feel the cage. The bars. My freedom, slipping straight though my fingers. Shaking my head, I shoved out of the chair.

"Oh no you don't! No. No. No!" I shook a finger at him; "You aren't doing this. You can't. I won't let you. You're a liar, Ulquiorra Schiffer, and you just manipulate and manipulate and manipulate until there is nothing left."

My words were scaring myself. I had never gone this far in any argument. I talked back, yes, but never this seriously. Even my sarcasm didn't dip into this realm.

I tried to cool down; I couldn't make a scene, "Look. I don't need you anymore. Please, just leave and don't come back." Something was coming in my eyes, it was getting harder to see.

He watched me carefully as I pointed to the door, "I've done something. I've made something for myself. A life. And guess what? I am happy. I will defend that," I could see the tiny eruption of shock in his eyes.

"You won't destroy this. I've even made friends. Do you know what friends do? I've learned that don't kill each other at a whim of a mad man. Now leave."

The Espada sipped from the cup. I knew him. He was just blocking out my words, "I need more information than that, and you owe me for your life."

"I owe a dead, soulless person nothing." I hissed. Bingo, that got him. He sharply set down the cup.

"Don't make this mistake here, Sola. We can still fix this," He was barely keeping his composure.

"LEAVE!" I finally screamed. Everybody in the coffee shop looked at our little piece of paradise.

The Espada stood and glared straight down into my eyes. My anger shriveled and died.

"Remember all that I have done for you. Remember what price you will pay. Remember the price that I must pay. And remember this, this most, Sola Kiri, the human. If my eyes see you again, I will kill you and that time," he picked up the cup of tea and lifted it to my eyesight, "there will be nothing left."

The teacup shattered, its contents gushing onto the floor. The Espada went to the door and glanced back.

I couldn't even help myself, I screamed at the top of my lungs, "I hate you! I hate you Ulquiorra! I hope you die in some hole!"

The door jingled shut.

I shook and stumbled back into the chair. I didn't make it to seat, instead crashing to the ground. The tea carefully painted my face as my tears joined it a second later.

Stupid Espada.

Thanks to Aralorn, Nizuna Fujieda & Rose202 for reviewing this chapter. It really means alot. Plus, thanks again to Rose202 for betaing this.

Wow, I am really at a loss for words at this chapter. Plus, I already lost my entire author's note once already by closing the window. So...where was I? Ah yes, I pulled a Tite Kubo on this one and the big inspiration for this chapter was a song called "Infra 5" by Max Richter. Dramatic, sad, and quite beautiful, if you read this and listen to that, you may hear some similarities, especially 3:30-4:20 during the song and the end of this chapter.

Sadly, this ends the relationship between Sola and Ulquiorra. It's hurts for me to see it just explode, but how else could it have ended? Really?

Also, I seem to be obsessed with tea in this chapter. There is a reason! Can you figure out why? (hint: think bigger than this chapter, what could it symbolize?)

I probably just gave it away...

See you next week, only two more weeks left.

-Quin

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 decide to not to bother arguing anymore and is now taking human legal actions).

We are so close to my review goal! Only four reviews away. Do you think that you could help out? Because no matter how cliche it sounds, there is no me without you, my reader.