Author Note: Here's the epilogue. With this the story comes to 49 pages.
I kind of lost my passion for this story so the epilogue might not have turned out as well as it could have but I felt it wouldn't be right to stop without putting up the last chapter.
Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters belong to Tite Kubo.
Chapter 16: Epilogue
I've always preferred the human world to Hueco Mundo so I was happy to be back there. Ulquiorra didn't really share my feelings.
He didn't admit it aloud but I could tell that he felt a little lost and unsure about what comes next and not at all used to wearing a gigai. For so long he had been at Aizen's beck and call and now his future was almost completely up to him; he could do anything as long as it didn't endanger anyone. I planned to help him adjust to this newfound freedom as soon as possible but there was one thing that needed to be addressed first.
I had promised Orihime that I would explain everything later and later had come and I was certain Ulquiorra wanted to know as well.
I told them about my timeline and my traveling to theirs. I had no choice but to let Kisuke listen in, as he stubbornly refused to leave us alone. I figured Ichigo also had the right to know since he played a big part in the reason for my traveling to this timeline. I kept most of the details about my history with Ulquiorra to myself as I felt only Ulquiorra should be the one to hear them.
The reactions to my tale varied. Orihime didn't doubt me for a second and was swept up in the tragedy and drama of it, Ichigo was horrified to the point where he felt sick when he heard he had nearly brutally killed Ulquiorra like in my timeline and Kisuke had his doubts though it was clear that the possiblities of how such a device could be made were running through his mind.
The one person whose reaction mattered the most to me was completely silent. It seemed that Ulquiorra didn't know what to make of it. He didn't even look at me; he was too busy staring at the wall opposite him while he thought it all over.
"That's quite the tale." Kisuke spoke up suddenly with a familiar glint in his eyes. "Do you have any way of proving your tale?" He asked, intrigued despite the apparent ludicrousness of it all.
"None that would satisfy you." I turned towards Ulquiorra. "But Ulquiorra has seen proof." That got Ulquiorra to look at me. "That hollow I absorbed before my fight with Aizen…was me."
Ah, now there's the shock and curiosity I expected.
"That was your timeline's version of me. Honestly, I hadn't expected to run into her once I saw that Aizen hadn't recruited her. She must have sensed my arrival somehow and decided to seek me out."
"You absorbed your alternate self?" Kisuke asked, interest gone and replaced by grim disapproval.
"It was what she wanted." I replied softly, remembering her desperate plea. The disapproval left Kisuke's face and the sharp interest from before returned full force.
"Can you still sense her? Do you hold some of her memories? Or has her consciousness merged with yours? Has it affected your spiritual pressure in any way?" He asked rapidly, really showing the side of him that led to the creation of the Research and Development Institute.
"I'm not going to tell you anything." I replied, knowing that I would be caught in a whirlwind of endless questions and possible tests if I did.
I glared when he opened his mouth to question me further, prompting him to shut it. I turned my attention back on Ulquiorra, who had remained silent throughout Kisuke's questions. He stared silently at me for a bit while I waited for some response, whether it be some kind of acceptance or rejection. Finally, he spoke.
"Your origins are of no importance…you are here now." I smiled in response, relieved at his acceptance and at the subtle warmth behind his last line.
"Yes, I am…and I intend to stay."
Kisuke's monitoring of Ulquiorra and me was much more lax than it was supposed to be after that day. When I asked Kisuke about it he simply said it was because he trusted me. The following days passed peacefully. Ulquiorra was slowly adjusting to the human world but he still often fell back on things that were familiar…unfortunately, being at the beck and call of someone else was one of them; he would more often than not wait around until I suggested he do something or waited to be spoken to.
I understood this need for familiarity but it still hurt to see. I hated seeing him reduce himself to such a state and it hurt to know that he was basically putting me in the same position Aizen was once in. I wanted to talk to him about it but had a hard time bringing it up; I was forced to just wait for the opportune moment to discuss it. Fortunately, such a moment arose.
I sat on the roof of the Urahara Shop and stared down at the commotion down below. Renji and Rukia had arrived earlier to visit and had spent the whole day with Ichigo and his friends but now that it was night, it was time for them to return. The goodbye wasn't going smoothly though as Ichigo and Renji were now caught up in some argument. It was clearly just some friendly banter though so there was nothing to worry about. It was rather amusing to watch though.
Simply sitting there, I was struck by just how peaceful everything was now. It was then that Ulquiorra joined me on the roof. He stood behind me, waiting for some kind of acknowledgement. I leaned back onto my hands and tossed my head back to give him an upside-down smile.
"What are you doing up here, woman?" He asked, falling back on his familiar means of addressing me.
"I'm simply enjoying the peace."
I leaned forward to stare down at the others once more. It seemed the argument had be settled or at least stopped by Rukia hitting both idiots over the head.
"I had spent all my time mourning in my timeline that I never really got to appreciate the peace that followed Aizen's defeat." I continued, getting a little lost in my memories of that time. I smiled his way once I returned to the present.
"I'm glad you're here to enjoy it with me." He didn't say anything but I hadn't expected him to.
"What do you think we should do now that we're free from Aizen?" I asked after several silence filled minutes.
"What do you want to do?" He responded without taking any time to really think about my question. I frowned; he was just planning on following.
"We're equals now." I said, sounding harsher than I meant to due to my upset. I continued nonetheless while staring straight into his startled eyes.
"I'm not a replacement for Aizen. I don't want you following me simply because you have sworn yourself to me but rather because you want to stay with me." There was that lost, confused look again. I softened my voice.
"I know this is new to you but you don't have to be under the control of another person anymore; you are free to decide your own future. You need to decide what you want. Whether your future involves me or not is up to you…I'll respect your decision."
I knew he wouldn't have an answer for me right then so I stood up to leave him alone to really contemplate my words. His arm shot out and grabbed me though, bringing me to a halt. He stared at me, just as startled; it seemed that his stopping me had been an unplanned response.
"I…" He started, voice weak and unsteady.
He lasped into silence for a moment without releasing his hold. I could see that many thoughts were churning through his mind and there were even some flashes of emotion in his eyes. I probably could have pulled myself from his grip if I wanted to but I didn't; I wanted to witness his struggle and offer some silent support. The flashes of emotions eventually faded as he schooled his features once more.
"I want to understand." He finally finished, voice steady and sure but still rather soft. "These feelings…I want to understand them."
"Which feelings?" I asked tentatively, unsure whether he would continue to speak so openly.
"The ones I feel when you are around." I had an idea what feelings he was experiencing but I felt it should be up to him to figure them out or I should at least let him try to for a while.
"I guess I'll have to stay with you to help you understand them." I replied with a cheery, almost playful smile. He remained quiet for a moment then his lips quirked up slightly, his version of a smile.
"Indeed."
Ulquiorra slowly changed after that day. He really took my words to heart and did his best to force himself from his subordinate set of mind. He was more open with me too. He actually responded whenever I asked him how he was and what he was feeling. He didn't always know how to describe his feelings but I did my best to guide him through it. This continued on for a while when one day I came across something I never expected to see again.
I wanted to go for a walk and Ulquiorra was going to go with me but Kisuke suddenly asked him to stay. Apparently, he had made another bracelet like the one I wore for Ulquiorra so he wouldn't attract any hollows with his spiritual pressure. Ulquiorra silently begged me with his eyes not to leave him alone with the man but I didn't want to be around Kisuke either so I left with a mischievous wink.
I found myself walking down one of the busy streets that were lined with stores. I looked around with no real destination in mind. I froze when I spotted something familiar in a storefront window.
"No way." I whispered, disbelief coating my words.
It was my violin, just as I first saw it all those many years ago. There was no way I could mistake it for another. It was in the exact condition it had been when I first found it in my timeline, as if untouched by time. Thankfully, the money I had saved up from helping around the Urahara shop was enough to let me buy it.
I hugged the violin case to my chest as I practically skipped to a bench in the park. I pulled the violin out and checked it over, gently adjusting the strings. An intense desire to play my precious treasure once more took over and I quickly brought the bow to the strings. I was quickly swept up in the music, not noticing for a second the interested passerbys. I played for a while then lowered the bow with a content sigh.
"Woman." I looked up at the tense word.
Ulquiorra was walking towards me with a tight frown. I grinned when I saw the look on his face; apparently he was holding a bit of a grudge for my leaving him with Kisuke. His displeasure slowly washed away the closer he got though. Now he was staring curiously at the instrument in my lap.
A sudden idea struck me and I gently placed the violin beside me before shooting up. I dragged Ulquiorra over to the bench and had him sit down. I ignored his questioning look and picked my violin back up. I walked some distance away and faced Ulquiorra.
I took a deep breath then begun to play the song I had composed but never got to play for my Ulquiorra. I put all my love and happiness into it. It had been so long since I had really last played but it all came back naturally. I held the final note a little longer and simply basked in the moment before lowering the bow. I looked at Ulquiorra to see his reaction.
"Incredible." His words were little more than a breathless gasp but the admiration and awe behind them were clearly heard. I gave him a huge, beaming grin in response, glowing with pride and slight embarrassment.
I carefully put my violin back in its case and grabbed Ulquiorra's hand. He tensed for a second then slowly closed his hand around mine. I smiled at him before walking off hand in hand with him.
It was during this blissful moment that I found myself thinking about what I left behind in my original timeline, specifically my Orihime. I no longer regretted leaving her…I knew that if she saw me now, she'd be happy for me.
I did it, Orihime…I got my happy ending.
Author Note: Hope Ulquiorra still acting like a follower and subordinate doesn't seem too strange or OOC. It's what is familiar to him and he needs time to adjust to the new situation he's in with Akira.
I don't remember if I mentioned this before or not but if I had the chose an actual song that is like the one Akira composed it would be Lindsey Stirling's Beyond the Veil.
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Thank you for sticking with me till the end.