A/N: I apologize for this shortest chapter in history. I am about to go see All-American Rejects, Boys Like Girls, Parachute, and The Ready Set at a concert that is gonna be mind-blowingly awesome. Asdfghjkl; I AM SO EXCITED! Anyways, I had so much schoolwork over the weekend that I didn't get a chance to write, so here I am now, trying to pound out a chapter. Despite the short length, there isn't really a whole lot I could have done with this part, but it did need to go in there, so …Here it is.

By the way, Moony thinks that the theme song for this fic is "Tell Her" by Jesse McCartney. So if you want to be cool, you can look that up.

Kthnnxbye~

"No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!"

Sound?

"Nuh uh, Ulquiorra-sama - no getting suicidal on us. Get your skinny white butt off the floor!"

I know that voice.

But how can I hear it? I thought I was a Vasto Lorde - deaf.

"I said - get up!"

Reluctantly, Ulquiorra opened his eyes to see the forms of his Fracción standing over him. In his peripheral vision he could see the frame of his bed. He looked around - from the scene, it appeared that he had fallen out of bed. Looking around at himself, he saw that he was once again an Arrancar, dressed in his Espada uniform.

He returned his gaze to his irritated subordinates, confused beyond belief.

"Emiko?" he asked. "Daisuke?"

"Get up," Emiko repeated again.

Ulquiorra sat slowly and then attempted to stand. He didn't notice that the sheets were tangled around his legs and went toppling to the side, onto his bed.

"Pull yourself together," Emiko snapped.

"Forgive me." Ulquiorra was too bewildered to be angry. Had the whole thing with the Onna - Orihime, Murciélago had instructed him - and the fight with Grimmjow been a dream? Was the Caja de Negación a dream too?

The void? Had he made that up, disappearing forever?

"What is going on?" he asked, unwinding the sheet from the fabric of his uniform pants.

They didn't answer, just glared at him. Ulquiorra was starting to get irritated and angry. His first reaction was to always looks for logic in a situation, and there was no logic here.

"Look. I command you to as my Fracción to answer me. What is going on?" he ordered.

"Who's whose Fracción?" Daisuke asked.

"I don't understand your meaning."

"'I don't understand your meaning,'" Daisuke mimicked.

Frustrated, Ulquiorra stood and glowered at his Fracción. "Someone, explain to me!"

Emiko moved so fast he almost didn't see her. She drew her daggers from the hems of her daggers and attacked Ulquiorra with a speed unfitting of her rank. Ulquiorra put up his arm to block her, staggering a little at the speed of her attack. He felt the blade slice through his skin and yanked his arm away, ducking under her next attack and jumping into a handspring over the bed. His fist closed over the scabbard of his blade, and he felt a slight wave of relief wash over him.

But that was nothing compared to the confusion he felt. He wanted to shake them, he wanted to rattle the answer from their skulls, he wanted to make his hands a "T" and call time out. But there was no way he would do that. He didn't get a chance to, anyway – Emiko vaulted over the bed and came at him, attacking him with both of her blades simultaneously. He drew Murciélago at lightning speed and brought the blade up to block his subordinate's weapons, casting a glance at Daisuke to see the man lounging against the wall with a smirk on his face.

"Daisuke?" he called.

Pushing himself from the wall, Daisuke strolled over to the struggling pair. "Don't know who that is," he smirked. "We're just here to stop you from giving up."

"Giving up?"

"Dazzle in lightness, Brillante."

Ulquiorra was suddenly struck be an intense light coming from Emiko's blades. He could not resist – his hands fell from Murciélago's hilt, shooting up to shield his weeping eyes. Water streamed from his tear ducts at the painful light before him, and he jammed his knuckles against his lids in effort to try and make the light dimmer somehow.

"Whoa. Turn that down," came Daisuke's voice, sounding pained. "We don't want to blind him."

"Then what do you want to do?" Ulquiorra demanded, his eyes still closed tightly. "What do you want from me? Where am I? How did I get here? Why are you here? Where is the void? And most importantly, where is the Onna?"

"Ah – most importantly, huh?"

"No. I must amend myself. She is not the most important," Ulquiorra quickly responded. "She is actually the least important. The most important thing is you telling me what is going on here."

"Calm down. You're acting weird. It's freaking me out," Emiko said.

"You're freaking me out!" Ulquiorra lost it. He backed several steps away, attempting to open his eyes. However the light was still much too bright to look at.

"Scary." Emiko commented. "Okay, your turn."

"Fine." Daisuke sounded eager. "We're not killing him, right?"

"Right. We're just sending him to the next stage."

Blind, dazed, Ulquiorra held one hand in front of him while one hand blocked his vision. He was so stunned he barely had any more room to be surprised at just how badly he was being beaten by his subordinates.

"Cloak in darkness, Sombrío."

A loud rustling could be heard, and the brightness diminished significantly. Ulquiorra cracked open his streaming eyes, and saw Daisuke standing triumphantly with huge black wings protruding from his back.

"What…?"

"Come here, Ulquiorra-sama," Daisuke commanded. Ulquiorra was rooted to the floor as Daisuke took steps towards him, shaking his wings. "Come on, it won't hurt, I promise."

"What…?" Ulquiorra was now beyond confused. He looked from one Arrancar to the other, a quizzical expression coming over his face. "What…?"

"Is that all you have to say?" Daisuke mocked him, and then nodded at something behind Ulquiorra's back. Too late, he realized that Emiko was there. The wings gave a huge rustle, and Ulquiorra found himself surrounded by darkness on all sides. He turned frantically around – right into Emiko's embrace.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and aimed the daggers straight at his eyes.

With an inhuman scream, Ulquiorra was lost in the incredible light.

Orihime…help me…

O_o

For some reason I always forget to say this, but guys – don't forget that this is part of a collaboration. Don't forget to read moonlightrurouni's side of the story, and don't forget to review!