Author Note: Here's the big important chapter.

I feel that the chapter started out a little mediocre but eventually started kicking off so sorry about that.

A lot to say in the author note at the end of the chapter so beware ;)

Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters belong to Tite Kubo.

Chapter 13: Failure and Success

Past:

The sudden clashing of the spiritual pressures of Ulquiorra and Grimmjow had me stop in the middle of the hallways. My intent to aid Orihime's friend was pushed to the side as I focused solely on the fight.

My heart stopped when Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure suddenly disappeared. I relaxed a second later when I realized that Grimmjow had simply used a caja negación. I panicked again though when I realized that that meant there was no longer anyone beside myself that would protect Orihime. This filled me with dread and I ran back to her room; I couldn't concern myself with her friend when Orihime might be in danger.

Orihime wasn't in her room. I traced her energy and found that she was with Ichigo and Grimmjow. The two were fighting, which made Orihime's close proximity to them concerning. I decided to go protect her there. However, along the way, I sensed Orihime suddenly move from where the fight had been to the fifth tower at a speed that was impossible for her.

I started running that way the moment I sensed Aizen was with her. Thankfully, Aizen didn't stay long. It was then that Ulquiorra returned, putting me a bit at ease.

I continued running as I sensed fights happening around me between my fellow arrancars and the soul reaper captains. I didn't care about them though. There was only one person on my mind and that was Ulquiorra. I could sense him fighting Ichigo in the fifth tower and I was making my way there.

"Lord Aizen doesn't need her anymore. We can finally kill that bitch."

Those murderous words cut through my worried thoughts and made me pause. I just had to look at the speaker to know who the topic of the conversation was. Loly noticed me instantly and paled slightly but didn't back away.

"What? You got a problem?" She yelled, ignoring Menoly's attempts to deter her from provoking me.

I didn't hear her though, the only thing going through my mind were thoughts of Orihime. These two were going to try and kill her and knowing Loly, it was going to be as slow and torturous as possible.

I was filled with a murderous fury so intense it really felt like a fire was burning inside me and yet I didn't explode into a rage, instead I started walking towards them slowly and calmly. This seemed to scare them more than any explosive outburst I normally would have had.

"W-wait. D-don't." Loly had the nerve to plead as I slowly drew my zanpakuto. She could do little else as I used my spiritual pressure to overwhelm her and bring her to her knees.

I made each of my steps slow so she had time to sink into fear and despair. I slowly raised my sword and brought it close to her face, reveling in the fear in her eyes.

"Why should I listen to you?" I had never heard myself sound so cruel and cold. "You would not have shown Orihime any mercy."

I slowly raised my sword up high over my shoulder. Loly was now shaking uncontrollably, completely muted by her fear and my spiritual pressure.

"I owe you no such kindness." With that I swung my sword, decapitating her in one quick movement.

I watched her head roll and her body crumble to the ground before turning my attention to Menoly. She was just as paralyzed and could do nothing but watch the murder of her friend. I felt no sympathy for her though I did recognize that she was just an accomplice; she had never hurt Orihime but had never put a stop to the abuse either. However, I showed some mercy and made her death quick.

I stood there and stared down at their corpses as my fury slowly receded. It was a new experience to be so consumed by anger and hatred that I would ruthlessly murder another being, even if they deserved it; I can't say that I liked it.

I sheathed my zanpakuto and continued on my way this time towards a hole in the dome, where Ulquiorra's fight had moved to, but was once again distracted, this time by a nearby spiritual pressure. I knew instantly whom it belonged to and I normally would have continued on but the faintness of it scared me.

I burst out into the desert area of Las Noches and sped over to where a lone figure was lying. There was another familiar person lying not too far away but that person was dead and I never cared for him in the first place.

I fell to my knees beside the weak, bleeding form of Grimmjow. He noticed me and immediately turned his head away, clearly ashamed that I was seeing him like this. I reached forward and started applying pressure on the gaping wound in his chest.

We both knew that there was really nothing I could do to help but I didn't want to believe that he was beyond saving. He stared at me as I hopelessly attempted to stop the bleeding.

"I'm sorry." I finally said, thinking of the last time we had seen each other. I knew there were tears running down my face but I didn't want to release the pressure to wipe them away. He didn't respond to my apology.

We both jumped when we sensed a sudden violent surge in Ichigo's spiritual pressure. My thoughts instantly went back to Ulquiorra and I became worried about how he was doing against the suddenly more powerful Ichigo.

"Go." My gaze snapped back to Grimmjow's. "Go to him." He insisted. I shook my head and applied even more pressure. He grabbed one of my arms and glared at me.

"Go." He said again, leaving no room for argument.

The tears fell harder as I slowly released him and rose to my feet. Knowing this was the last time I would see him, I paused to stare down at him. He simply scoffed at the mournful look I gave him. I forced myself to sonido away to where Ulquiorra was fighting.

The sight that met me at the top of the dome will forever haunt my nightmares. I was too late…the fight was already over and Ulquiorra wasn't the victor.

He stood some distance away from Ichigo, Orihime and their quincy friend, slowly turning to dust before my eyes. It felt like my heart was being brutally crushed as I stood there completely frozen, staring with wide, horrified eyes.

Ulquiorra noticed me and stared back with what I could only call regret and warmth in his eyes. Slowly, as if it took a great effort, he raised a hand and reached out for me. The movement caused him to fade even faster, which spurred me forward.

I ran to him with my own hand reaching out but his hand crumbled to dust the moment we touched. There was nothing I could do but watch as he faded away. The last thing he ever said was my name, which, in a cruel twist of fate, was the only time he ever said it.

I fell to my knees, crying and screaming, as the wind carried him away. I didn't stop even when Orihime hugged me tightly. I didn't want to be comforted but I couldn't find the strength to push her away. I just wanted to die…no, I wanted to turn to dust and follow him just like always. I knew it was never going to happen and that tore me up almost as much as my guilt did.

It was my fault. I wasn't there to protect him when he really needed me to be. I wasn't there to die for him. It should have been me instead of him and nothing Orihime said convinced me to think otherwise.

Present (Third POV):

Ulquiorra had no trouble fighting Ichigo but no matter how badly he was beaten the boy refused to release his sword. This prompted Ulquiorra to release his second resurrección. It wasn't long before he killed the human turned soul reaper, before the very eyes of Orihime. This made him think of Akira for some reason and he was surprised to feel slight guilt about his actions.

Any guilt was forgotten when Ichigo, who was supposed to be dead, rose up and attacked him this time as a hollow with immense power. Ulquiorra quickly found himself overwhelmed. Even his lanza del relámpago was no match for Ichigo's new power. He simply caught and crushed it with his bare hand, which gave him the perfect opportunity to strike Ulquiorra.

Ichigo's sword easily slashed through Uquiorra's hierro from shoulder to hip. Ulquiorra fell to the ground just as the smoke from his failed attack faded. Ichigo stared down at him then took a step towards him but a spiritual pressure infused kick to the head sent him flying away.

Orihime and Uryu gasped in surprise and shock at the sudden arrival of Akira. Ulquiorra moved his head slightly to glance at her in interest. The bystanders only had a few seconds to take in the hollow mask that took an almost tiara like appearance across her forehead and the hollow hole between her breasts before she entered her resurrección form.

Orihime and Uryu couldn't see from where they were but Ulquiorra couldn't help but stare at the tattooed "4" on her left shoulder.

"Connect, Salvador."

Akira was encased in a bright light. The light faded to reveal her once more. She now had long, glorious white angel wings and her hollow mask expanded to cover her head and chest much like a suit of armor. Her bone helmet was incomplete though and left her face visible. Unlike her chest, her legs were only covered by the skirt of what appeared to be a long white dress. Her feet were mainly bare with only a thin layer of bone protecting them.

She threw her arms out to the sides, summoning two swords made of golden spiritual pressure. She gripped them tightly and charged at Ichigo, hoping to attack him before he was on guard once more. Her attack had no real effect though. Ichigo took it head on and retaliated with one of his own. Akira barely managed to dodge the swipe of his sword. He followed the swipe with another one that managed to cut into her deeply even with her armor.

She retreated further from him and took into the air. Even with her injury, Akira managed to get behind him. She attempted to stab him but he caught her sword. She swung her other sword towards the side of his occupied arm but he used his own sword to block it. She attempted to move away but he refused to release his hold on her sword so she let it go and flew away.

He crushed the sword and followed her. He appeared behind her quicker than she could react due to her injury and grabbed one of her wings. He threw her down with all his might.

Akira crashed to the ground and remained immobile in the crater. Ichigo flew down till he was right above her and charged up a cero. Not having enough strength to move, all she could do was stare up at the growing mass of energy. She closed her eyes in defeat just as he released it.

There was a massive explosion of red energy that blinded Orihime, Uryu and Ulquiorra. They looked back when the light faded and saw Ichigo holding Akira up by a busted wing. Orihime screamed in horror; Akira's legs were completely blown away. Her whole lower half was gone, where there was no armor, and even one of her wings was missing.

Ichigo tossed her into the side of one of the pillars, creating another crater, then slowly made his way towards her. Another cero was quickly forming. Orihime stood up and started running towards them, crying out for Ichigo to stop but he didn't hear her.

Ulquiorra was suddenly behind him, slashing through one of his horns. The cero exploded in Ichigo's face, cracking his mask. Ichigo fell forward several feet away from his target. Ulquiorra watched him with tense eyes, waiting to see if he would rise again. Ichigo did rise again but this time he was back to normal. Orihime ran to check on him while Ulquiorra made his way to Akira's side after resealing his sword.

Akira's resurrección had crumbled away at that point, allowing some of her innards to spill out further. She was choking on blood but was watching him with relieved eyes. She smiled as he approached. He kneeled next to her, confused and inwardly upset by her actions. Her blood quickly soaked into his pants but he didn't pay that any mind.

"Why did you interfere?"

"I couldn't let you die." She said, confusing him even more.

"Why?"

Her hand reached to the side and grabbed hold of his. He tensed at the flash of warmth that came with the touch but let her bring his hand to her chest. She placed it right over her heart. He could feel it beating faintly beneath his hand.

"Because this beats for you...you give my life meaning."

Normally, he would not have understood such a statement but Akira's explanation of the heart before helped him understand. He felt right then that he finally knew what she meant by the heart. This didn't make her words any less shocking to him though.

Her grip on his hand slackened and her eyes started closing. That smile never left her face though. A new feeling suddenly filled him...panic, he vaguely recalled.

"Woman!" He found himself calling out to Orihime. She left Ichigo's side and started running their way but Ichigo suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

"What are you doing? You can't go near him." Orihime suddenly whirled around, directing an uncharacteristic look of anger his way.

"I'm going to try and save my friend…who you just tried to kill."

Ichigo flinched horribly at her words and took several steps back in shock. Even Orihime seemed surprised by her own words as her angry expression quickly fell.

She continued past him without another word though despite her guilt. She quickly joined Ulquiorra at Akira's side and brought her shun shun rikka out. Both watched worriedly as Akira slowly healed beneath the orange shield. Akira's eyes opened once she was healed.

She looked around with a startled, uncomprehending look, for she hadn't actually expected to survive her encounter with Ichigo's hollow form despite what she had promised Kisuke before.

"Akira!" Orihime cried happily, hugging Akira in her relief.

Still in the process of remembering what had happened and where she was, Akira didn't return the hug but allowed Orihime to help her up. Akira looked Ulquiorra's way once she noticed him standing beside her. The whole situation finally registered in Akira's mind the moment their eyes met and she found herself sobbing into Ulquiorra's chest.

He was alive…she had succeeded. Her relief and joy were so strong that she couldn't stop crying even if she wanted to. She noticed how rigid Ulquiorra was but couldn't bring herself to release her grip on his shirt just yet.

Ulquiorra stared down at the girl, startled and unsure how to respond. He noticed Orihime staring at him while wrapping her arms around the air in front of her in exaggerated movements as if she were hugging someone. Understanding what she was telling him, he slowly brought his own arms around Akira's waist and back. He applied very little pressure but Akira still tensed and looked up at him in wonder.

She stared at him for several seconds then buried her face back into his chest, crying even harder but this time with a bittersweet smile. They stayed in this position for a bit till Akira's sobs subsided. Once they did, she slowly raised her head to look back into his eyes.

She silently studied his face, noting the subtle signs of forming affection that reminded her so much of her own Ulquiorra. A sudden desire to do something she never got to do in her own timeline overtook her and she found herself leaning forward.

"I'm sorry." She said to him just before pressing her lips against his.

Ulquiorra's eyes went wide at the sensations and feelings the simple action caused in him. It was a strange experience but not unpleasant to him; it brought about the warmth in his chest he had come to associate with thoughts of Akira and her presence.

The kiss ended before he could truly react to it. Akira had that same sad, bittersweet smile on her face. She ducked her head and gave a faint humorless chuckle.

"So that's what it would have been like." She whispered quietly to herself.

She forced herself to pull away from him but surprisingly he didn't let her. He held her a moment longer and stared down at her with deep, thoughtful eyes. He finally released her but she was slow to move away, too absorbed in observing the changes in him and wondering what he was thinking.

She turned to Ichigo once she managed to put some distance between her and Ulquiorra. She nearly laughed at the confused, shocked look on his face but decided to focus on what was important.

"You're friends are still fighting. Go help them."

Ichigo paused a second to see if Ulquiorra was going to stop him but sped off when he made no move to do so. Honestly, Ulquiorra was too busy contemplating his feelings towards Akira to really care.

"You should go too, Orihime. I'll explain things later." Orihime nodded and gave a smile before leaving with Uryu. Akira glanced at Ulquiorra before slowly making her way towards the hole in the dome.

"What do you plan to do now, woman?" Ulquiorra asked, seeing that Akira was about to leave. Akira paused before responding, aware that her response might put her against Ulquiorra.

"I'm going to go help Ichigo defeat Aizen. Please don't stop me." She looked at him with pleading but determined eyes. He didn't respond right away, as he needed to think about whether he should stop her or not.

It was true that Aizen had given him a purpose but this girl was offering her very heart to him…no, not offering…according to her, he already had it. She had almost died for his sake and not because of duty but because she cared about him and didn't want him to die.

There were no ulterior motives, deceit or manipulation in her actions towards him that he could see. She seemed to understand him on such a deep level and accepted all the flaws of his personality that the other espada constantly made a fuss about.

He knew next to nothing about her but felt the desire to rectify that; for the first time he wanted to learn about another on a personal level. The whole situation was almost incomprehensible to him but he knew that he didn't want to let her go so if she was going to fight Aizen then he would be there by her side; she gives his life more meaning than Aizen ever did.

"I will not stop you." He finally told her. She relaxed and smiled his way. "I'll assist you." Her mouth fell open in shock at his claim.

"But Aizen-"

"I no longer serve Aizen." He stated confidently without a doubt in his mind.

He didn't tell her that she was what mattered most to him but the warmth and respect in his eyes told her that. She blushed brightly, beyond moved by what he was willing to do for her.

A sudden flare of spiritual pressure outside of Las Noches interrupted the silence that followed his meaningful statement. Akira stared in the direction of the source with wide eyes. She suddenly shot off towards it. Ulquiorra followed after her, confused by her reaction.

They stopped on the edge of the dome and looked down at the hollow that stood right outside the walls. Ulquiorra didn't recognize the hollow but Akira did…it was herself.

Author Note: We finally see this timeline's version of Akira in the next chapter...it will be brief though.

I decided to go third point of view in the present section so we could see what Ulquiorra was thinking when he claimed he no longer served Aizen and his overall reactions towards Akira.

I struggled to find a good place to stop so the chapter ended up really long.

Ulquiorra has figured out just how attached he is towards Akira and has accepted it whereas before it scared/confused him.

I wanted to have the final battle between Ichigo and Ulquiorra happen in both the past and present section of the chapter so that's why the past section is so long.

Akira's resurrección form looks a lot like a suit of armor but with wings for that was her overall appearance before becoming an arrancar, minus the wings and dress though. I thought the angel wings worked cause her main goal is always to protect her loved ones like a guardian angel and also I thought it would go well with Ulquiorra's bat wings and overall demon look.

Just so you know. Grimmjow died there in Akira's timeline.

Akira is the cuatro espada in her timeline while Ulquiorra is the primera espada...I always felt that he was of a higher rank than he claimed, especially if Aizen didn't know about his second form then his rank didn't really fit him.

Having Akira's zanpakuto being called salvador, which means savior, was a nod towards her goal of saving Ulquiorra but also to make her words towards Kisuke in chapter one ironic-"I'm no savior."

Please forgive me if the fights Akira sense in the past section seemed too short. It's hard to have her move towards to fights while not actually arriving to witness them. Let's just assume that Las Noches is so huge that it takes her that long to get to the fights from where she was shall we? Please

"I owe you no such kindness." came from a similar quote from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, in case anyone was curious.

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