Happy Thanksgiving, Canadians! I pulled turkey duty as usual :) I should never have cooked that turkey so well three years ago, I've been on turkey duty ever since!

Chapter 26

Once more, they gathered in the large hall. Vellena rather thought there were more people present than was strictly necessary for a debriefing. She concluded there was more to it than that.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Ulquiorra arrived, leading the orange-haired girl, the healer he had shown them all. Vellena felt a touch of puzzlement. This was why they went to the real world? A mere distraction so that this little slip of a girl could be brought here? They had healers already. What was one more?

Aizen was sitting in his throne, smiling benevolently down. As the girl approach, he spoke. "Welcome to our fortress of Las Noches, Inoue Orihime. You are Orihime, correct?"

"Yes…" the girl's voice was tiny. She was clearly terrified. As well she might be, surrounded by powerful enemies, in another world entirely.

"Sorry to be so forward, Orihime, but would you show us your power?" Aizen smiled. The room was filled with his reiatsu. Vellena was surprised the girl remained standing. The Death Knight even felt a frisson of trepidation at the sheer power radiating from the leader of the arrancar.

The girl agreed, and Vellena froze as she was ordered to heal Grimmjow's arm. Luppi predictably blew up, throwing a fit. His unhappiness with having been used as nothing more than a distraction was understandable, she felt, but upon witnessing the miraculous regeneration of Grimmjow's arm, she realized why Aizen wanted this girl.

That was more than simply healing. That was something else entirely.

Luppi was screaming threats at her, trying to intimidate her into stopping her regeneration of Grimmjow's arm. Grimmjow's gaze was fixed on the girl intently. He did not even blink until his arm was once more whole. Luppi went dead silent. Grimmjow raised his hand, looking at his once more whole arm, speechless.

Luppi began to sputter, demanding an explanation. Which Aizen gave them. As he explained the true nature of the girl's power, Vellena realized how much more than simple healing this was. A power like that… a power like that could unmake Arthas. She drew in a shaky breathe.

"Hey girl," Grimmjow said casually, "fix up one more spot." He gestured to the scar on his back. The red-head obediently turned to his injury, her strange, event-erasing shield flashing into existence. Through the orange shield, Vellena could make out Grimmjow's symbol of rank reforming, the skin unharmed and whole.

She had a very good idea of what was coming next. For once, she did not stifle her bloodthirsty smile. Out of the corner of her eyes, she observed Aizen. No reaction. She knew the ex-shinigami knew what was coming, and she had the notion that… he approved.

Luppi apparently had an inkling of what was to come. "What are you doing, Grimmjow?" The effeminate Espada's voice was low and dangerous, but Vellena could hear the fear he was trying to hide.

"Yeah?" The look on Grimmjow's face was the most bloodthirsty she'd ever seen on him. His intense blue eyes practically glowed. The girl took a few frightened steps back as Grimmjow turned to Luppi.

The blue-haired arrancar struck with all the speed and power she knew he was capable off. Luppi didn't have a chance. Before anyone could blink, Grimmjow's left hand… his restored hand… was through Luppi's chest and out through the back of his uniform. Blood sprayed. The current Sexta sputtered, eyes wide in shock and fear. He attempted to spit out an insult.

"That's how it goes," Grimmjow mocked. "Seeya, former Mister Sexta!" The angry sound of a cero echoed through the throne room. When the smoke cleared, all that remained of Luppi was his lower half.

Grimmjow had regained his Espada rank, and it didn't really look like anyone was going to protest. Not even Tōsen. As Grimmjow screamed his triumph, laughing like a maniac, Vellena cast her gaze up to Aizen once more. He met her eyes and smiled, a slight, knowing smile. She dropped her gaze, turning it instead to the terrified girl, who stared at Grimmjow as though afraid he might do to her what he'd just done to Luppi.

"Don't be afraid." The girl had back-stepped fairly close to Vellena. At the night-elf's quiet words, she turned huge, fearful grey eyes up at her.

"Ehhh…?" said the girl. Vellena tilted her head down at the girl.

"He won't hurt you, not after what you did for him. Grimmjow is a lot of things, but he has a sense of honor." She said. It was true. It was one of the things that consistently strengthened her respect for him; he might be rude, violent and pushy, but he had honor.

The girl turned back to watch Grimmjow, still fearful but somewhat less tense than before Vellena spoke. The Death Knight nodded to herself, and turned away from the room, silent and stately, making her way back to Grimmjow's room.

A tingle of reiatsu around a corner halted her progress on the way to the room. She stopped in the hall, waiting silently for the other to show themselves. A lanky figure came from around the corner, smiling venomously, huge axe slung over spindly shoulders. Nnoitra.

"Where are you going?" the Quinto asked. His voice was filled with false friendliness.

"Back to my quarters." She replied. She wasn't in the mood for Nnoitra's games. She hoped he would get to his point and let her go on her way.

"Your quarters? Or Grimmjow's." Nnoitra's grin widened.

Vellena didn't dignify his question with an answer. To her, it was a non-issue. She and Grimmjow had been sharing the rooms for nearly a month. Both of them preferred it that way.

"Did you think," Nnoitra began, in a mocking tone, "that his regaining his rank would save you?" His grip shifted on his enormous axe.

Vellena suddenly understood what this was about. As a fallen Espada, Grimmjow was beneath notice. A rivalry was only worth it when there was something to lose, and something to gain. While a número, Grimmjow was no challenge, no contest. He had his power back, though, so their rivalry was once more an issue. She was merely a game piece to Nnoitra, perhaps one that he personally disliked, but far more useful as a means to antagonize Grimmjow. If he could antagonize her, or harm her in the process, well… so much the better, in Nnoitra's mind. In this, he was as transparent as a pane of glass.

"I have never needed saving." She stated.

"I disagree." Noitra bared his teeth. She could see the tension in his knuckles as they tightened on the haft of his weapon. "I think you need saving. Very badly." He vanished.

As she whirled, parrying aside his weapon with her swords, she reflected that it was fortunate that she had expected this the moment she realized it was Nnoitra who was around the corner. Otherwise, this might have been a surprise. And then she might very well have needed help.

"You're faster than before. But that is not going to be enough," Nnoitra hissed, leered at her.

"Nnoitra. You prove nothing." She stated calmly, dead gaze expressionless. "This is pointless."

"Oh, I don't think so, bitch. I don't think so at all. I'm going to enjoy violating your defeated body. If you ask nicely, I might even kill you first." He pressed down on his axe just a little harder. There was the grinding sound of blades sliding against blades.

Oh yeah, Nnoitra was out for blood tonight. Of all the time for her to be without her armour… but then again, maybe that had factored into his decision to pick now as the appropriate time to test her patience.

"You'll have to win first, fool." She retorted, the edge of her weapons icing. Nnoitra's teeth caught the light, a mad light in his eye. It was time to play.

Unarmoured and still recovering from the last fight, Vellena knew she would have to be decisive. She couldn't afford to hold back. Nnoitra wouldn't, she was certain. Her blades alone would have no effect on him. No need to hoard runes.

They moved at the same time. He pulled back, readying another strike, and she took advantage of his momentary withdrawal by pushing her fists into his chest, swords still crossed. The move was not calculated to wound him, but to ensure that he developed frost fever from the icy touch of her knuckles. As he swung back down at her, she used sonido to retreat.

She had to duck instantly, narrowly avoiding the vicious blade of his axe as it flew straight past where her neck had been. She noted that he had flung it out, holding on to the long chain at the end. Then she used sonido again to launch herself at him while his blade was at its apex, before he yanked that chain back.

She felt the resistance of her blade meeting flesh, and knew that she'd hit. Again, she tried for the disease, knowing that the wound would be superficial. And then she felt the impact against her left shoulder blade. She continued to sonido past him, breath knocked from her. Facing him again, she noted something thick and black blocking the shine of one of the crescent hooks that curved back towards the haft. Her blood. He carried a red gash in his side.

"Stupid bitch. These illnesses of yours are just an annoyance." He snapped. "You can't stop me with a fever and a headache."

"They're a means to an end, nothing more," she stated, before flying towards him yet again. This time she anticipated the launch of his blade – she was counting on it actually. She jumped, using the blade as a springboard, and flew over Nnoitra's head, twisting in midair. Red light flashed momentarily as she forced the diseases in his blood to suddenly erupt, boiling painfully. Blood spurted from his mouth and from the cut she'd given him. She heard him curse.

She landed on her feet, not waiting for his axe to return before she attacked again. With a ripping sound, she appeared right next to him, grabbing his collar and pulling his head towards her viciously. Her left hand came up full of the howling fury of the gales of Storm Peaks, blasting right in his face.

Quick and decisive. It was the only viable choice. His axe clanged to the ground. Nnoitra was silent for once; but then again, he didn't have a choice. He was frozen pretty hard. She could still feel his reiatsu, enough to know he was still alive. But he wasn't going anywhere for a few minutes.

A fast death coil on herself healed the damage he'd done to her back instantly. She turned to him. "Do not test my patience again. I will not warn you twice." She said, then walked away. She could feel his reiatsu spike in anger, but she paid it no mind. The rest of her journey back to the quarters she shared with Grimmjow was uneventful.