Chapter Four:

That Aizen Guy and a Cup of Tea

"Aizen-sama, we are here." Ulquiorra announced simply, as he entered Aizen's room. Aizen looked up from his tea and smiled warmly.

"Good morning. How are you? And why are you…?" He looked up and down at her outfit.

"Haha, long story…" Seren looked at her nails sheepishly.

"She didn't want to borrow Mila Rose's clothes. Or Apache's, or Sunsun's." Ulqiorra reported. Seren wanted to glare at him. Damn watch dog. Surely Aizen didn't have to know that?!

"Ah… I can see where you'd have trouble with that." Seren didn't look up, but she knew he was probably smiling. Because he was laughing at her. Well, she didn't need to go around looking like she was going to explode out of her uniform or anything! Or be hanging half way out of her outfit, like Mila Rose. She was fine in a robe and pants.

"So… Aizen-sama… what did you want to see me for?" She looked up.

"Let's continue where we left off yesterday."

"Yes, Aizen-sama." Wow. She didn't want to piss him off, but at this rate, she was going to start sounding like Ulquiorra. That scared her. But she didn't want to be like Blue Hair either. Wasn't there a middle…?

She pulled out Fuerda, surprised that she had actually remembered it. That would have come in handy last night.

She started the ritual, quicker and less shakily than last time. "Umm… should I include Ulquiorra in this?" She asked.

"Yes. I think he would benefit from this," Aizen explained.

"Okay…" Seren extended the circle to engulf the brooding Arrancar. "Here we go. Ichi. Nii. San. Shi. Go. Roku. Sh'chi!" She plunged her sword into the ground, and once again, the atmosphere seemed to slow drastically, as if suddenly caught in a web. The floor started its rippling, as the space around it was released a tiny bit. The colors faded, eventually leaving nothing but black, gray, and white.

Aizen, Ulquiorra, and Seren stood admiring the strange effects of their bubble of time.

"So.. Is there anytime you'd like to return to? Or are we talking about a place?" Seren asked.

Aizen pondered thoughtfully. "Go to about five minutes ago, in this room, please."

Seren nodded. She closed her eyes and instructed Fuerda. The sword itself rippled- just a little- and the scenery changed. Five minutes ago, it had been only Aizen in the room. He was seen having a cup of tea. This again, was black and white, like an old photo. However, Ulquiorra, Aizen, and Seren were all in color and alive.

"Can you… do anything?" Aizen asked.

"What?" Seren asked clumsily.

"Can you do anything to this? Like… change it?"

"Umm…" Shoot. She didn't want to reveal that. If she did, it was all over; the ability to change the past was a fearsome one. She wasn't sure if she wanted such a powerful man as Aizen to know her real secret-

"You can, can't you?" Aizen smiled, but it was a lying smile. She knew that she was busted. Damn. "Please adjust that cup of tea so that it will spill on me, Seren-chan."

Seren looked up frightened. She wasn't supposed to mess with the past. That she had known. Who knew what she could do to the future-

"Seren-chan," the voice sing-songed. "Now, please."

He released just a tiny bit of his reiatsu, but it was enough to prick her. Seren winced. She wished there was someone to help her. Of course not Ulquiorra-

"Seren-chan." The reiatsu flared, and it singed her hands.

"Ah, ah-" She stuttered, rubbing her hands. "Aizen-sama." She walked over to where the old Aizen was. "Fuerda," she muttered. She felt her blade, and took just a tiny bit of material from it. She approached the tea cup, and ever so slightly, touched it. It tilted forward, aimed to spill on Aizen's robe.

"Hmm." Aizen was waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. "That was disappointing."

"Huh?" Seren looked up.

"We should leave now," Aizen said simply.

"Yes, Aizen-sama." Seren released Fuerda, but what worried her was that Aizen was disappointed. That terrified her. Her heart once again started fluttering, but weakly, like a dying bird trying its last to escape its cage.

They reappeared back in the room, and the circle released back into Fuerda. The color flowed back, everything returned to normal, and the heaviness in the air disappeared.

She panted only a little; she was still recovering from yesterday.

"Aizen-sama. Your robe," was all Ulquiorra said.

Seren turned around as Aizen looked down. Indeed, there was a brown tea stain on his shoulder.

Aizen smiled at Seren. "Never mind. That was very interesting. Thank you, Seren-chan. We will meet again soon." And with that she was dismissed, and Ulquiorra was leading her out the door.

Seren stumbled after Ulquiorra. Once again, she was almost tripping on herself. Although the pants fit him, they were a little long for her. She almost killed herself tripping over the hem.

"Hey! Wait up!" Oops. She looked down to watch the telltale lurch of her body and the tug of her feet and the pants. As if in slow motion, she watched her feet slip out from under her…

And he was there. His sure arms caught her under her stomach, just before she fell headfirst into the tile. Her hands gripped his elbow to hold on, and it threw her hair up into the air- a distinct scent of lavendar- and she was stopped.

Seren froze for a second. Then she started and stumbled back from Ulquiorra. "Oh, I'm sorry, clumsy me, these pants are too long, haha…" She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. Only to realize he was already walking again. Although a little slower, she noted.

Hmm. That was weird. It made her heart flutter, and she didn't like it. It wasn't fear or hate which she could trust. It was something else.

It took all she had not to punch herself in the stomach right there for that thought. Of course it was repulsion. Or fear. She'd been about to trip. Of course her heart would beat faster. Yes. That was it.

Definitely.

Eventually, she got pissed. This castle was too large, and of course Aizen had to be so damn far from where she was supposed to be. And the pants had to keep almost tripping her. And she knew that Ulquiorra was probably pissed because he had to wait for her, when he could just sonido away and be at his rooms in a second.

"All right, Ulquiorra, please carry me."

He turned around. "What?"

"You know… do your sonido thing…" Seren felt a blush creeping in her cheeks. Again, she found herself in an awkward moment.

Ulquiorra blinked. His monotone green eyed glared didn't even flicker. "I thought you didn't like that."

"I don't. But it has to be better than almost killing myself." Seren said. Fair enough reason, she thought. That was it. She wanted to live!

She braced herself for the usual rough flip, but instead, Ulquiorra lifted her up gentler this time. Good. No lurching = no vomiting, Seren equated. Good job.

Then he accelerated into a flawless sonido, and the walls once again blended into one white blur, doorways and window flashing past, the only evidence that she wasn't just staying in the same spot. Then they turned down some stairs.

Seren gasped a little as her stomach suddenly lost contact with gravity. She felt like her heart and organs had just rushed into her throat. She searched for a hold, and found one. She clutched at Ulquiorra's jacket tightly as the long stairway finally ended.

However, she didn't let go until they reached his room.

Ulquiorra set Seren on the ground. He then proceeded to open his door without a word.

Seren then realized that she had been literally grabbing onto Ulquiorra for most of the time.

Well, that would make for some awkward conversations, wouldn't it?

She was going to punch herself in the stomach or knock some sense in her head as soon as she was alone.

If she made it.

"Here." Ulquiorra opened the door and walked through the doorway, Seren close behind.

"Yeah," was all she said as she grabbed her borrowed nightgown and rushed to go change in the bathroom.

She came out a minute later. "All right, let's go!" She cheerily announced.

Her cheeriness fell flat. Ulquiorra didn't even blink.

Well, guess awkwardness prevailed this time. At least she had tried.

He picked her up again, and this time, Seren grasped her hands together to keep them from doing anything strange or awkward.

Speeding up, and a minute later, they were at Halibel's door.

"Yeah thanks for the… um… ride.. Yeah." Seren quickly shut the door and ran into her room. Even what she had just said sounded so unbelievably perverted she wanted to kill herself.

"ARGH!" She screamed, and threw her pillow at the wall, before she started banging her head against it furiously.

"Who's making all that noise! I'm sleeping!" Yelped Sunsun.

"Seren-chan's back," Mila Rose called simply from the other room.