Chapter Five:

The Escapist

"Aizen-sama, you called me?" Ulquiorra strode in through the door, coattails wafting behind him.

"Ah, yes, Ulquiorra. I have something to talk with you about."

Ulquiorra blinked. "Yes, Aizen-sama."

"I need you to keep an eye on that girl. If she tries to escape, I want you to give her this-" he held out a necklace.

It was made of pearls, with a silver clasp and two sapphire loops on the sides.

"…A necklace?"

"Yes. It will seal off her sh'chi for her, so that our Seren-chan cannot escape. I do not want to lose her. Watch over her for me?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra took the necklace from his hands and walked away.

The nightmare came again. She was running, running, furiously, relentlessly pursued. She could almost feel his intense green eyes watching her fleeing back. She wanted him gone. She didn't know what would happen if he caught up to her; had to keep going-

And then she stopped. She had to fight. She was tired of running. Her hands balled into fists tightly, and she gritted her teeth, prepared for a fight.

He came leisurely, unhurriedly, as if he did not know his prey was at the bottom, waiting.

Ulquiorra.

He smirked. 'Why are you trying to fight?' He asks.

"I- I-" She stuttered. She didn't know.

There was no point, because she could not win.

Seren woke up again. She cursed quietly. She was sick of this. She really wanted this to be over. Another sleepless night, and she was going to turn into a zombie. She swung her legs over the bed and got up.

What she needed was another walk. Yes. The night air was calling her again.

Oh, and one more thing. She wanted Fuerda.

Ulquiorra walked in through his door. He was glad that was over. Seren had been strange and unpredictable from the moment he had first seen her.

He didn't like mysteries. He liked to know what was happening, without a doubt, to be sure.

There could be no doubt. There had to be a set, straight pattern. No deviations.

No unpredictability.

He walked into his bathroom, knowing she had foolishly left his clothes on the floor. He picked them up to go put them away and then noticed something with a start.

First, they smelled of sweet lavendar.

Second, they were very warm. Probably warmer than they had ever been.

He wondered why.

Seren was walking along the halls, contentedly. She loved the night. It was at least twice as beautiful as the day with its majesty and mystery, that the day did not possess. The night beckoned…

Then it hit her.

Everyone was asleep.

She had Fuerda.

She looked around. She could escape.

Her heart suddenly thudded like a swallow whose cage door had just opened. Did she dare to hope-?

She could go back to her old life, and just live quietly on her own.

The night beckoned.

She pulled out Fuerda in one fluid movement and positioned herself. She could open a portal with sh'chi and escape, far away into the wilds, to the Forest of Menos, wherever she wanted to go. And they would never find her. Never.

"Ich-"

"You shouldn't do that."

Her heart stopped and she dropped her sword in shock. Fuerda clattered to the ground, and slid a meter or two away on the ground.

Seren didn't dare to look up, because she knew who was going to be there.

Ulquiorra.

"Leave me alone." She growled, cursing her hesitance. She had been so close! If she could just grab Fuerda again, if she tried to go straight to sh'chi-

And yet not. Ulquiorra lifted up Fuerda, and considered it for a second. He looked at her.

Seren felt furious. Who were they to trap her? It was the fury of a swallow at her captors.

"Who-" she snarled, "are you? Who are you to think you're better than everyone else? Huh? Because Aizen said so? Give me back my sword. You can't keep me trapped here forever!"

"Hmm." Ulquiorra's lips twitched.

Her hands balled into fists. "You ASS!" She shrieked and then she rushed at him.

She slapped him with all the might she had in her whole body.

SMACK! There was a sharp snap as her hand made contact with his pale face. The walls echoed the sound, reverberated and playing the slap again and again. Then silence prevailed as the sounds died off.

Seren pulled her fist back, shocked, amazed, proud, and ashamed. Was this all she could do? Slap someone? She should have been able to escape; no, she shouldn't have been able to be captured in the first place. She should have been stronger. And yet she knew he had seen it coming. He could have stopped it- and yet, he hadn't. Why?

"Listen," she said. "I may be weaker than you, perhaps your 'trash' but I DO- and I repeat, I DO- have my pride. I am not trash, nor am I inferior."

He turned his face and stared down at her. His intense green eyes simmered with anger. Seren stared back at him, equally intense and furious.

There was an air of sparks and fury around the two, embroiled in their silent battle.

Finally he spoke. "I didn't think you'd be stupid enough where I'd have to do this." He reached into his pocket. Seren tensed, sure he was going to pull out a sword or shoot a cero.

He pulled out a necklace from his pocket. It looked like a double strand of pearls; they were pure white and lustrous, with two black accents that glittered on the strand. It was beautiful, Seren thought.

"Put it on."

Seren looked at Ulquiorra with a suddenly wavering gaze. Then she gritted her teeth.

"No."

"I don't want to force you to do this."

"What is it?"

"A charm that will tie you to this place. If you try to escape Las Noches, it will attack you, and Aizen will know."

"Then why the hell would I put it on?!"

"Because otherwise I have to put it on you for you."

"What made you think I would try to escape?"

"You shouldn't underestimate Aizen."

"Hmm. So I must be pretty important then, huh?"

He blinked. Seren could have sworn she saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Because if I wasn't, you would have killed me just now, right?" She put her hands on her hips. "But since apparently I impressed someone important today, you're just going to put a collar on me so I can play like a nice bird in a cage."

"You understand."

"Perfectly."

"Put it on."

Her eyes flashed in defiance again; but then they softened.

"Fine." She took the necklace, deliberately avoiding touching his fingers, and latched it on her throat.

As soon as it closed, a sharp shock shot through her body. Seren cried and sank to her knees, clutching at her necklace. "What- the- hell?" She panted.

"Now it is activated. You can go now." Ulquiorra tossed her sword to her, and then walked away.

Seren stayed on the ground, glaring at his retreating back.

Ulquiorra walked back to his rooms, alone.

He couldn't stop watching the look on her face, over and over, in his head.

The hatred in her eyes, like that of a caged tiger.

He wasn't scared, of course; only intrigued.

He could see her expression as the necklace shocked her; the width of her tilted lavender eyes, the part of her lips, the gritting of her teeth.

She hated him now.

He didn't know how to feel, but it was like a hole in his chest had started filling in, and then stopped; and that somehow left it larger than before.