A/N: This would have been much earlier, but...FUCK CUSTOMS. America is great but the security here can kiss my ass.
No offense to Americans.
Plus: ...DISAPPOINTMENT. Who else read chapter 501 and was expecting to see our dear Neko-chan like me? (I have been fangirling all week, and that was like a total drop in adrenaline for me...) Anyway, this already late so without further ado...Doomed to Remember, Chapter 7~!
My sweet Orihime,
I have just gotten your last letter about how you got my letter. Did I really compare you to a lone rosebud in this desert wasteland? That is an accurate metaphor. I must have been feeling slightly poetic when I transcribed that.
As for not being able to read my handwriting, I do not know what to tell you. I do not mean to sound conceited, but I have very nice writing, in my opinion. You used to think so as well, when you loved me. I do not remember what I was writing, but you came over without me noticing and watched me move the pen across the paper. After a while, you rested your hand on my shoulder and put your chin on my other shoulder, startling me. I looked over and you gave me a small kiss on the cheek.
"I like your handwriting," you said to me. "It's very elegant."
"Thank you," I remember saying, because I was slightly flustered. No one had ever complimented my handwriting before. "I'm sure yours is nice too."
"It's not," you laughed. "I write very quickly, so my handwriting is very loopy and odd! When you look at it, it appears to have bunches of random lines and trails hanging about, but when you look closer everything's actually all there, just very sloppy."
"That is mysterious," I commented, laying my pen down. "I would think it would be very endearing."
"Endearing? What do you mean?"
"Everything about you fascinates me," I murmured. I reached up and laid one hand on yours, the one on my shoulder. With my other hand I cupped your cheek, and kissed your neck. "Now I can add your handwriting to that list."
After that we didn't do very much talking, but I assure you, it was not an awkward silence.
I think that not being able to read what I've written must be part of the enchantment. After all, you forgot about me…and it was not an accident. Anómino's memory-erasing-power must have tampered with that. I know you don't believe me when I tell you it was Anómino. I know you don't want to believe me. But how about you put it to the test? I believe you humans have a game called "truth or dare." Well, Orihime, I hope you don't like truth, because I dare you to ask Anómino what her power is. Go on, ask her what her zanpakuto's ability is. If she looks hesitant or scared to tell you, I'm right. If she makes up an excuse about why she can't tell you, I'm right. If she tells you something that doesn't seem like the truth, then I'm right. I can almost guarantee she won't want to tell you what her power is. After all, she did have to use it on you, and she doesn't want you to put two and two together.
Please don't call me cruel. I am desperate for you to figure out who I am. If you can find out who I am all on your own, then maybe we can be together again somehow. I am getting your letters; Halibel is delivering them to me. You can stop referring to me and your "secret admirer" as two different people, because we're not. We're the same person. And Orihime, imagine you're looking in my eyes right now, because that's the only way I can know you're not lying, but…do I sound like Tesla to you? Honestly…do I seem like the kind of person who would make a Yule Log? My culinary skills extend as far as omelettes and cereal. I can make lots of breakfast foods…but otherwise, I am a fool in the kitchen. So I stay away.
I have a question for you. You know that Grimmjow is the 6th Espada, right. So you must have figured out that the Espada are ranked in numbers, probably 1-10. In your next letter, can you list the names of all 10 Espada for me? I want to see if you know every one. Every. Single. Espada. Even the 4th one.
That is all.
Amorously,
Ulquiorra Schiffer
Postscript: Did you enjoy your gifts?
Ulquiorra folded up his latest letter with a strange sense of satisfaction fluttering in the pit of his stomach. He realized from Orihime's last letter than Anómino's power was making it impossible for her to read anything he wrote about himself that might trigger her memories. So he had made a game plan for himself. He'd pull it out of her, force her memories to the surface without actually revealing anything about himself. Besides his cooking skills, that is.
A sudden noise jolted him out of his thoughts. He pushed his letter into his pocket and frowned. It sounded like there was someone screaming, far away…
Suddenly his blood ran cold. He recognized that voice. Orihime.
Every nerve in his body screamed to run to her, consequences be damned. But then he thought – the consequence could be her death.
The next thing he thought was, I have to find Grimmjow.
He was gone before he could think anything else.
"Aaayyyy, Ulquiorra-sama!"
Daisuke's obnoxious greeting make Ulquiorra's eyes roll without him even telling them too. His Fracción just had that kind of effect on him.
"Don't talk to him like that," Emiko chided, "can't you see he's busy."
Ulquiorra was, in fact, busy. Busy running. He didn't want to have a spike in spiritual pressure, and risk Aizen detecting him, so he opted to travel by foot versus Sonido. But now he was regretting that decision.
He could sense Grimmjow's Reatsu. The man was not staying still; he seemed to be running about all over the place like a chicken with its head cut off. Ulquiorra supposed it must have had something to do with the scream he had heard earlier.
That scream; he forced himself to go faster.
"Aayyy, where you going in such a hurry, Ulquiorra-sama?" Daisuke asked.
Ulquiorra waited for Emiko to tell her partner to mind his own business, but he was obviously not having any luck that day, because she stayed in an anticipatory silence.
"I'm going to investigate that scream I heard earlier," he said as calmly as he could.
There was a short silence.
"Who was it?" Emiko asked after a moment.
"I don't know," he lied, not wanting to explain it at that moment.
There was another short silence.
"You're lying," Emiko offered next.
"I am not," he lied again.
"Yes you are, if it was any old person you wouldn't bother," Daisuke informed him. "It must be something you don't want us to know about, otherwise you wouldn't have lied. It's also got to be really important, or else you wouldn't be running so fast. Also, I'm guessing that we're not the only ones who you don't want to know, because if you didn't care you'd be using Sonido."
There was another pause where all they could hear was the pounding of feet on the ground.
"Well, here I was, thinking you were an idiot," Emiko said, sounding slightly stunned.
"You weren't wrong," Ulquiorra said dryly.
They were getting close, just around the corner and –
Grimmjow sprinted past them, cradling Orihime in his arms. Anómino was riding on his back, clutching his shoulders. On her head was a white helmet from which sprouted tentacles that were suctioned to Orihime's scalp.
"Neechan! What's going on?" Emiko shouted.
"We're bringing Inoue-sama to the lab!" Anómino yelled back. As they disappeared around the corner, Ulquiorra could hear Grimmjow's voice float back to them: "Oy! Watch my eardrums, nada!"
"G-gomenasai!"
"The lab?" Daisuke said. The three of them had stopped, breathing heavily. "She didn't mean Szayelaporro-sama's lab, did she?"
"Probably," Ulquiorra said distractedly, his mind racing a mile a minute.
"Do you want us to Sonido there and see what's going on?" Emiko asked.
"Do what you want," Ulquiorra said.
"Hai!"
They flashed away, and Ulquiorra leaned hard against the wall. What had happened? ! What made her scream like that? Why did Anómino have those tentacles on her head? And why on earth was Grimmjow with her? Why were they bringing her to Szayelaporro, of all people?
Ulquiorra let his eyes slide closed. He had never felt more helpless. He couldn't even assist the woman he loved without endangering her life. Instead his colleague, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques of all people, was in charge of getting her medical attention from the resident lunatic.
Was he out of line, feeling like that was just a disaster waiting to happen?
There really was nothing he could do. He opened his eyes and looked around, wishing for something – anything, even Nnoitra would be welcome – to distract him from that jittery feeling in his stomach.
How long does it take?
"Ah…Ulqui-kun!"
Ulquiorra closed his eyes again briefly, gathering his patience. He had said than anything was welcome, but he had forgotten that Ichimaru Gin lived in Las Noches as well.
"Do you want something from me, Ichimaru-sama?" he murmured, so quietly he almost didn't hear it himself. He opened his eyes.
Gin's face was two inches away from his own. Despite that fact that his squinty eyes were shut tightly closed, Ulquiorra had the feeling that the man was studying his face.
He fought back the urge to jump in surprise.
"There's no need to be so formal, Ulqui-kun," Gin pouts, moving back a little and allowing his smile to fade. "Let's see…You should call me Gin-oji, just like your girlfriend. Wait, sorry, your ex-girlfriend.
Ulquiorra gritted his teeth. "I said, do you want something from me, Ichimaru-sama?"
"Aw, you won't play along, Ulqui-kun? Well, that's just like usual. Don't worry, I was just sayin' hi. I'll leave you to your brooding," Gin snickered, his smile returned to normal. He gave a friendly little wave. "Ta ta, Ulqui-kun. I hope your princess feels better."
Gin returned his hands to his sleeves and swayed on amiably, though he wasn't fooling anyone. He quickly rounded the corner and was out of sight. Ulquiorra leaned his head against the wall again, but rapid footsteps roused him once more. He looked around to see –
Tesla Lindocruz
-running down the hallway.
The blond man skidded to a stop in front of Ulquiorra and executed a quick bow. "Greetings, Ulquiorra-sama," he panted. "You wouldn't know where Orihime-sama is right now, would you?"
Inside his pockets, Ulquiorra's hands formed into fists.
"Because I think I heard her scream, but then I went to her room and she wasn't there, so now I'm trying to find her," Tesla added. "I'm worried about what happened back –"
Whatever he was about to say was lost to the ages, because Ulquiorra's fist connected with his face so hard his mouth seemed to slide over and a few of his teeth were knocked out. Tesla's one remaining eye rolled up into his head, and he slumped to the ground.
"I only give you what you deserve," he murmured.
He turned away from Tesla's unconscious form to see Emiko and Daisuke shimmer into view before him. Quickly he forgot about Nnoitra's Fracción in favor of what his own had to say.
Emiko and Daisuke fell on one knee, bowing, and then quickly jumped to their feet and saluted him. "Ulquiorra-sama, we have news."
"Well, tell it to me," Ulquiorra said. "What happened?"
"Orihime-sama's mind overloaded. Her memories of Soul Society were triggered, and she remembers being friends with them, even though Aizen said they were enemies. Or something," Emiko said. "All I know is that her returning memories caused her brain to freak out somehow, so Neechan had to put her back down under, and Grimmjow-sama had to take her to Szayelaporro-sama's lab."
Her returning memories caused her brain to freak out somehow?
Ulquiorra remembered the letter in his pocket, his plan to slowly tease the memories out of her. I suppose that's out of the question now. He'd give her this letter, but he wouldn't be writing any more like that in the future.
"Also, while we were there…Aizen was visiting her," Daisuke said nervously. "We told him we were visiting because we were her friends, but…It's probably better if you don't go right now."
Ulquiorra frowned. "How do you know I can't just waltz in while Aizen is in there?" he asked. "As far as you know, I can go see the woman whenever I feel like."
"Nuh-uh," Emiko said, shaking her head; "Grimmy-sama called her your girlfriend in there, and Aizen got 'displeased.' So we know there's something going on between the two of you."
Ulquiorra cursed under his breath. "Well, since your precious 'Grimmy-sama' seems to know everything, why don't you quit bothering me and go gossip with him," he asked, his voice monotonous. "I don't think Aizen will be with her for long. If I walk to the lab, the coast should be clear by the time I get to her."
He turned and began to walk away, pushing his hands back in his pockets. After a moment, he heard the two of them run to catch up.
"I have an errand for you," he begins, but then stops.
Down the hall, he can see a very familiar mane of orange hair. His feet stop in their tracks, his eyes lock on her hair.
But is it her? Her hair is the right color and length, but she's too short; her shoulders aren't broad enough. What's more is her uniform is not correct, and for some reason her hair is decorated by a bone-mask circlet.
The figure turns around and begins to hurry toward them. Ulquiorra does a double take when he realizes that the figure is Anómino. But for some reason, her hair is bright and firey, and her eyes are a warm gray instead of icy blue.
"Neechan!" Emiko calls out, "it hasn't worn off yet?"
Anómino catches up, and then stops right before them. Emiko goes to her and puts an arm around her small body, and Anómino sags against her sister in exhaustion.
"It should be beginning to," she said quietly. "But I had to use my power for a long time. It may last a little longer than usual. So I won't be visiting Inoue-sama today."
"What is going on here?" Ulquiorra asked, thoroughly confused but expertly controlling it.
"When Anómino uses her power on someone, she takes on a likeness of them," Daisuke explained. "Since she had to work with Orihime-sama, her hair and eyes have changed to look like Orihime-sama."
"Sometimes it can be helpful in a fight," Emiko added, "since the person you're attacking might hesitate when you resemble someone else, or even themselves. But in moments like these, it's kind of inconvenient."
Ulquiorra stood and absorbed this silently.
"So…your errand for us?" Emiko squealed suddenly.
"You sound far too excited. I assure you, it is just an errand."
"But it's the first one you've given us since we became your Fracción!" Daisuke rejoiced.
"Well, I was going to ask you to carry Tesla back to his quarters, but now I suppose I'll have you escort Anómino back to hers," Ulquiorra said, changing his mind on the spot. "After all, if Nnoitra finds him there…it will be an even better punishment."
Emiko and Daisuke seemed to notice Tesla lying on the floor for the first time.
"Wait…what is Nnoitra-sama's Fracción doing here?" Daisuke asked, sounding confused.
"He was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Ulquiorra said by way of explanation. "That man has made me angry recently, and I had to pay him back."
"OOH! I think that's like the karma thing we were talking about recently, right, Neechan, Daisuke?" Emiko mused. "Or like the Titanium Rule thing. Whatever it was called."
"The Golden Rule," Anómino corrected softly.
Emiko mussed her sister's hair. Ulquiorra saw that the roots were beginning to bleach back out. "That's my little sister for you. She's very smart, isn't she, Ulquiorra-sama?"
Anómino blushed and cringed away from Ulquiorra like she was expecting him to shout or hit her.
"He won't hurt you, he's just Ulquiorra-sama. Boring as can be," Emiko chided. "Now, let's go do our errand~! Come on, Neechan, this is so exciting~!"
Emiko dragged her sister away, while Daisuke pranced excitedly next to them. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and shook his head, then started walking towards Szayelaporro's lab.
He almost made it there without incident, but this time, the incident was more welcome than most. Ulquiorra stopped and nodded to Halibel.
"Hello," he said.
Halibel silently extended her hand, and Ulquiorra looked at it. In her palm was a small silver bracelet.
"This is the bracelet that you gave Orihime just before she came here to Hueco Mundo," she told him. "Aizen-sama insinuated that you were not to come here. But if you are wearing this bracelet, he will not know."
Ulquiorra looked at her. "I was under the impression that we had disabled the bracelet once Orihime was here," he asked her, confused.
"I enabled it again, with the help of my Fracción. It should last for about thirty minutes," she said. "It's already been five. Orihime's sedative should keep her under for the same amount of time. We cleared everyone out; only Grimmjow's left in the room. I'll keep watch for you."
Ulquiorra looked at her sideways. "You would do that for me?"
She looked surprised. "Of course I would. We discussed this already."
It gives me hope to see someone like yourself blossom in such a way as you have since the arrival of Inoue Orihime.
Ulquiorra nodded and took the bracelet, slipping it on and shaking his sleeve over it. Then he gave a short bow to the woman, and slipped past her, into Orihime's room.
Grimmjow was sitting by Orihime's bed, but he looked up when Ulquiorra walked in and grinned. But Ulquiorra only had eyes for Orihime. He stood on the other side of her bed and placed a hand on her bed, near her shoulder.
"So what do you think of our little scheme?" Grimmjow grinned,
"Have you lost your mind? He will kill her." Ulquiorra shook his head and moved his hand to her shoulder, rubbing his thumb over her smooth skin as she slept.
"Shut your mouth emo-spada,you'rethe one who wanted to see her so badly," Grimmjow chortled.
"Not at the expense of her life!" Ulquiorra's voice rose a bit at this, and he hastily shut his mouth.
"Didn't you hear me bat bastard? Shut your freaking mouth! Halibel said that she'd give us a half hour. A. Half. Hour. Unless you want to wake her up, keep your voice down damnit," Grimmjow snarled, rising a little from his seat.
"…My apologies."
They fell into silence as Orihime stirred a little in her sleep. Ulquiorra shifted his hand to the back of her neck, stroking the spot behind her ear.
"Are you sure that it's safe to do this? Will they not sense my reatsu?" he murmured, his eyes focused on her sleeping face. She looks so tranquil…and peaceful. I could almost forget everything that happened right now.
Almost.
"How many times do I have to tell you, no? You're wearing that bracelet thingy that she wore when you kidnapped her from the Human world, remember? Jeez, and you tell me thatIdon't have a brain?"
Oh, right.
"Silence, Grimmjow, you are making too much noise."
"Oh. My. Kami. Why, I oughta…" Grimmjow let the sentence trail off and shook his head in disbelief.
Orihime's eyebrows furrowed, and her lip pushed out in a dreamy pout. I wonder what she's dreaming about? Probably a never-ending wasabi fountain or something…
"Hurry it up, we don't have much time left. From Halibel's stalling, and from the time left on that bracelet," Grimmjow told him.
Ulquiorra sighed and sat down on her bed, gingerly as not to wake her. His pale fingers combed through her fiery tresses, sliding up over her head until he could smooth out her furrowed brows with his thumb. He stroked her head softly, and she seemed to lean herself into his hand, like a kitten.
"Hello, Onna," he said, feeling slightly awkward. Grimmjow looked away and coughed. "How are you? I have heard that you gave everyone quite a scare. Are you alright?" He paused, and let a tiny smile grace his lips, a hiccup of a chuckle escape his throat. "Heh. Silly me. That's what you'd say, wouldn't you, Onna? Call me silly for worrying about you." Grimmjow caught his eye, and Ulquiorra instantly let his smile drop, not wanting Grimmjow to catch him. He changed tracks. "What happened, Onna? Why did you scream so?"
"Halibel thinks that her memories are coming back." Grimmjow said quietly. Ulquiorra looked up, his hand still running gently over her head. "Because she just lost her memory of you, and not of Berry-boy and the rest of her human friends."
"Meaning her memories of the incident are intact?" Ulquiorra confirmed, his eyebrows creasing beneath his mask.
"Yeah," Grimmjow said. His expression was hard, lined. "But apparently, the memory wipe effects things related to whatever got erased too. So you know how you threatened her friends? That's why she hasn't remembered everything accurately. The memory wipe had to 'rewire' the memories so that you wouldn't be in them, but still make sense to her. Or something like that."
"What?" Ulquiorra said, disbelieving.
"I'll fill you in on the details later, shouldn't you be doing something before, oh I don't know,we run out of time and get our asses caught?"
"...fine. I will wait for an answer. But you owe it to me, Grimmjow."
"Nii-san…?"
The voice that slipped from Orihime's lips was soft, tired, confused. Her eyebrows wrinkled again, and Grimmjow swore.
"Kuso! Hurry it up, will you? She's waking up,and we've only got five minutes."
Ulquiorra swallowed hard, not wanting to take his eyes from her beautiful face.
"It appears that I've run out of time, Orihime. There are so many things that I wish that I could tell you. So many things that I want to share. I'll settle on this for now, Onna."
Ulquiorra bent down and pressed his mismatched lips to the shell of her ear, kissing her softly as he stroked her cheek. "I will always fight for you." he whispered in her ear, quickly before she woke. "I will fight for you to be by my side. To watch the sunrise together, like how we did before. Wake up. Please, wake up Inoue Orihime. I don't know what I will do without you…"
His voice wavered and trailed off. Embarrassed, he sat up quickly and cleared his throat. He ran his hand over her face one last time, and then forced himself to stand and follow Grimmjow from the room, tearing his eyes unwillingly from her own fluttering lids as she started to wake.
Grimmjow lead the way silently toward Ulquiorra's room. They reached the door, and Grimmjow stood aside.
"You did not need to escort me," Ulquiorra said, his voice a little thick. He pushed the door open and went through. Grimmjow caught it before it could shut in his face and followed his pale friend inside. "I can walk here myself."
"I wanted to keep you company," Grimmjow admitted. He let the door shut and went over to the bed, grabbing Ulquiorra's pillow and lying on his side, hugging the pillow to his stomach as he looked up at Ulquiorra, who turned the desk chair around and sat in it.
"You did not need to," Ulquiorra restated.
"No one needs to be alone at a time like this," Grimmjow said. Ulquiorra stared at him.
"Are you feeling okay? Do you have a fever?"
"Like you would care if I did," Grimmjow scoffed.
"Well, you're lying on my bed, after all. I don't want to be sick," Ulquiorra said.
"'Course you don't, fucker," Grimmjow sniggered.
They sat in silence for a moment, then Ulquiorra raised his eyes to Grimmjow again. Their gazes met.
"Thank you," he murmured.
Grimmjow was quiet for a moment longer, then he scowled. "You don't need to get sentimental on me. You know I'm not into this sappy shit."
The silence stretched on, but it was comfortable. It wasn't forced or awkward.
"You heard that Kurosaki's here, right?" Grimmjow asked after a moment.
"Of course," Ulquiorra said. "I expect that Aizen will be calling a meeting any time now." He cut his eyes at Grimmjow. "You're not thinking about doing anything rash, are you?"
"Why?" Grimmjow sneered. "Worried?"
"I don't know what would give you that idea."
Grimmjow hugged the pillow tighter and rolled onto his back, staring intently at the ceiling. "I don't think so. I mean, I need more information before I go. I'm pretty pissed at the berryhead, but I have other priorities." He glanced at Ulquiorra, who nodded once, then returned his gaze to the ceiling. "But you never know what happens. It all depends on what the little fucker does. You know?"
"Yes."
They both sat quietly, each lost in their own thought.
"You really love her, don't you," Grimmjow commented finally.
Ulquiorra cut his eyes at Grimmjow, but didn't say anything. He didn't think Grimmjow was asking because he didn't know the answer.
"I mean, your relationship isn't just making out all over the place," Grimmjow said. "There's emotion involved. You know, like she's the one you'd want to settle down with, if we all survive this crazy war."
Ulquiorra remained silent, but his mind was racing.
"You know, like if we were human, you'd move into her apartment, you'd pray with her, you'd make her breakfast in bed, maybe you'd even have a kid or two," Grimmjow said. "You sure got dealt a fucked up hand, Ulquiorra. It could have been beautiful between you two."
"Are you trying to make me want things I can never have," Ulquiorra snapped. "Don't you know that being with her for the rest of my life is exactly what I want?"
"But in a way, you're lucky," Grimmjow said, ignoring him. "You really found the right person. Someone who you'd pick up their dirty underwear off the floor. Someone who you'd sit on your knees on the floor for an hour to talk to a dead person for. Someone you'd wake up early to cook for. Someone who you'd screw not just for fun, but because you really wanted to start something. You followin' me?"
Ulquiorra bit his tongue and looked away, trying not to imagine it, because it made his heart hurt.
"I mean, I probably won't ever get a chance like that," Grimmjow added.
"Don't say that," Ulquiorra finally said. "You listen to me, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques," he started in his flat voice, "When we get done with this war against the Shinigami that's what's going to happen. Me and Inoue are going to live together and she's going to remember everything, and even if she doesn't it's okay because we'll make lots of new memories. And you are going to live with the woman you loved, and still do, you just don't know it, and we are going to have the greatest life ever and Aizen Sôsuke will be dead and he won't care."
Grimmjow looked thoughtful.
"Is that an offer, Ulquiorra Schiffer?" he asked.
"It's a promise," Ulquiorra said firmly.
Grimmjow rolled to the very edge of the bed and put out one hand. "Shake on it?"
Ulquiorra put out his hand, and the two men clasped hands and shook once.
"Deal?" Grimmjow asked.
"Deal."
So...let me know what you think. Also, I don't know if I mentioned this, but I started a GrimmNel entitled "Before You Faded" so check it out. Thank you very much...Also hit up moonlightrurouni's side, Cursed to Forget, because I keep forgetting to remind you guys... lol