Ah, the cryptic dance of life! It is a strange and wondrous thing, wouldn't you agree?
Our lives are full of twists and turns, peppering the future with uncertainties. Some of these uncertainties are exciting, while others are petrifying. Most people will do anything in their power to avoid any form of unpredictability. But, as much as we would like to think otherwise, these efforts are a complete waste of time. The truth is that we will all face unexpected obstacles in life whether we like it or not. Such is the way of the universe we all have the pleasure of inhabiting.
By far, one of the strangest parts of this waltz of life is the question of free will. The human race has questioned its existence for millennia. Do we genuinely hold the reins of our own lives? Or are we nothing but marionettes, moved by an unseen hand that guides our every step?
Coincidence or destiny, the eternal quandary. In truth, we will never know the answer.
Staring down at his cup of green tea, Kisuke Urahara contemplates the validity of fate. It is an interesting notion, one that he is far too familiar with. The older he gets, the more he believes in its power. Everything that has happened in the past few days has only reiterated his views on this matter.
Consider the odds: amidst a world teeming with billions of souls, it was Itzel who stumbled upon the newly revived Ulquiorra. Since they have an abstruse spiritual connection, it doesn't seem like a coincidence.
Where will this lead them next, Kisuke wonders.
Perhaps it is time to reflect on recent events, starting from the day Ulquiorra ended up here.
It was a rainy night.
Kisuke had long abandoned any hope of falling asleep hours prior. His pitiful excuse for a futon resembled a lumpy relic, making it impossible to relax. And to make matters worse, Yoruichi had been snoring noisily throughout the night, as usual.
Letting out a sigh, he tried to decide whether it was worth waking her up to tell her to turn on her side.
As if the angels sitting in the heavens heard his silent pleas, she rolled over with a grunt. Much to his delight, the new position put an end to the sound of her snores.
Thinking he had lucked out, Kisuke smiled to himself and flipped over onto his side, tugging the blankets up to his nose with a triumphant hum.
But alas, the cruel hand of fate was not finished with him yet. Just as the sweet embrace of sleep beckoned him with open arms, Yoruichi gasped and kicked off their covers. She sat up with a jolt, letting out a disgruntled sigh and muttering expletives under her breath.
Exposed to the frigid air, poor old Kisuke frowned and turned back around to look at her. "Good grief."
"Kisuke," she started, standing up and nabbing her clothes from off the floor. "You might want to get up."
"Eh? What for?"
Yoruichi scoffed as she pulled her pants up and over her hips. "You seriously don't feel that? Someone is about to pay a surprise visit to your shop."
Rubbing his tired eyes, Kisuke sat up in bed and tried to shake the sleep from his head. "At this hour? Are you sure you're not just imagining things, my sweet?" he asked, not willing to leave the oh-so-comfortable embrace of the futon.
"Quite sure," Yoruichi said flatly, arms crossed over her chest. "Come on, get up. Don't make me dump cold water on you."
"Okay, okay! I'm getting up!" he said, scrambling out of bed to search for his clothing. "I really don't need a repeat of that incident, thank you very much."
"You deserved it!!" she hissed at him from across the room, sliding open the shoji and stepping out into the hallway. "Now hurry up and get dressed."
Quickly slipping his robes on, Kisuke followed her to the main floor of the shop, shuddering as the wintry air seeped through his bones. Before he could complain about how cold he felt, he finally sensed the familiar spiritual pressure that was approaching the shop. "Huh. That's random! Isn't that. . .?"
"Mhm. How long has it been since we last saw her?" Yoruichi asked, glancing over at him as they made their way to the entrance. "Five, six years? Hard to remember."
"Oh, it's been a hot minute. She hates asking for help, which means this must be an emergency," Kisuke said as he unlocked and opened the door.
Standing at the front of Urahara Shoten was no other than a shivering Itzel Okino. It was a sad sight, really. The black cloak wrapped around her body was drenched, making her look like a drowned rat.
Yes, that was a cruel thought, but she did not look very pretty in that state.
However, what baffled Kisuke most wasn't her disheveled appearance, but the limp body thrown over her shoulder. The white hakama pants along with the zanpakuto hanging on the side of the person's waist immediately gave them away as an Arrancar. He knew Itzel had a strange inclination to pick up strays, but this seemed extreme, even by her standards. Despite the kindness in her heart, her deep-seated distaste for the Arrancar species should have deterred her from doing such a thing.
"What in the world…?" Kisuke's voice wavered as he struggled to comprehend the scene unfolding before him. He watched as Yoruichi intervened, rushing to take the unconscious figure from Itzel.
"He's hurt," Itzel said, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "This is all my fault. I didn't know what to do."
Confused, Kisuke peered at the person Yoruichi was now carrying. "Who—"
Time seemed to stand still as he recognized the former Cuatro Espada.
Everything about him was just as he remembered — from his raven black hair to the white Hierro that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Seeing him cradled in Yoruichi's arms was bizarre, to say the least. This was a man who once held a menacing aura that had sent shivers down the spines of countless foes. But, at that moment, he was more akin to a wounded fawn. It was a complete contrast to the fearsome reputation that had preceded him.
"Wasn't he an Espada?" Yoruichi asked, tilting her head to get a better look at him. "This is the one that we saw at the park a few years ago, right?"
"Indeed, it is. This is Ulquiorra Cifer in the flesh and blood," Kisuke said with a wry smile. "Definitely can't forget that face."
It was then that he stopped to recognize how astronomical the odds had to be for Ulquiorra to end up here. Itzel being the lucky person to run into him was just the cherry on top. One could say the stars were aligned for this meeting to happen.
Maybe that was a little too novelettish for Kisuke's taste, but it was a twist of fate that he could not help but marvel at.
"Please. . . Please, you have to help him," Itzel said, oblivious to Kisuke's gleefulness. "I don't care what he is or what he's done, he doesn't deserve to die because of how stupid I am!"
Kisuke and Yoruichi swapped glances, their silent exchange conveying their unspoken agreement.
With a resolute nod, Yoruichi carried Ulquiorra back into the shop with her. "I'll try to clean him up a little," she said, laying the wounded Arrancar down on the floor.
Sighing, Kisuke ushered Itzel inside the shop with him. All hope of getting any shuteye that night was gone, but at least he had something exciting to think about.
"I was on the way home from work when I felt him," she said with a sniff, closing the door behind them. "What do you think an Arrancar is doing in the World of the Living? I haven't seen one since. . . Well, you know."
Kisuke opened his mouth to respond, but Yoruichi's voice interjected before he could utter a word.
"You know, he's not that heavy. Feels like he only weighs twenty kilograms or something," she said as she emerged from the kitchen with a wet rag. "Considering his size, that's not normal. His reiatsu must be pretty weak; any lower than this and he'd probably be dead."
Tsking, Kisuke crouched by the Arrancar's body and brought a hand up to his neck, feeling for any signs of life. While his pale skin was cold to the touch, life was still pumping through his veins. "Well, at least he has a steady pulse. . . What happened to him?"
"I. . . I had been tailing him. It was scary, but he was acting so suspicious that I couldn't help myself," Itzel admitted, shuffling in place. "I didn't notice that a Hollow was prowling around until it lunged at us. I feel so damn dumb."
"Ah, so a Hollow attacked him? That explains it," Yoruichi said as she knelt to clean the dried blood caked on his face. "But, still. . . This is the same guy that nearly killed Ichigo in Hueco Mundo, right? That was only three years ago. How the hell is he so weak now, Kisuke?"
"If my memory serves me right, he did kill Ichigo. Twice, actually." Kisuke stood up with some effort, wincing as he glanced at Ulquiorra. "But I'm more surprised by the fact that he's alive again. Hey, maybe his middle name is Lazarus!"
"What!?" Itzel gasped, clearly not appreciative of Kisuke's genius quip. She stepped closer, bending over to get a close look at the Arrancar's face. "You're telling me this guy is supposed to be dead?"
Kisuke waved his hand dismissively, hoping to smooth over her ruffled feathers. While this was, in fact, a pretty big deal, he didn't want to freak her out. "Yes, but don't worry so much about it. What's important is that I know how to treat him."
"I see," she said, backing away from Ulquiorra as though he was a viper ready to bite at any moment. "Are you sure?"
Kisuke met her gaze, a knowing smile playing on his lips. He recognized the subtle change in Itzel's demeanor, the way her eyes betrayed a hint of recognition. "Of course, I'm sure," he chuckled. "You'd be surprised by what I know."
"Should you do that, though?" Yoruichi asked as she set the bloodied rag aside and stood up.
"Hm?" Kisuke hummed, looking back at her. "Why wouldn't I?"
"This isn't just anybody, Kisuke," she said, placing her hand on her hip as she gestured at Ulquiorra with her chin. "Remember who we're dealing with here."
Itzel removed her sodden cloak and let it plop down on the floor, her eyes never once straying from the Arrancar. "What do you mean? Are you guys afraid of him or something?"
Before Kisuke could explain, he noticed a wound on her shoulder that had been hidden until then. The frayed fabric of her shirt was ripped and bloody, revealing a nasty-looking laceration right above her collarbone. "Uh-oh. Looks like you took a hit too."
She pulled her hair aside and peered down at the crimson stain spreading across her shirt. "Oh, this? It's not that bad," she said with a slight wave of her hand. "Just a cut."
"A cut? That looks deep!" Yoruichi huffed, grabbing Itzel's wrist. "Don't be stupid. Come on, let me help you clean it up."
Thankfully, Itzel gave in to Yoruichi's insistence, though not without rolling her eyes. "Fine," she relented, her gaze lingering on the still form of Ulquiorra.
In that fleeting moment, she squinted her eyes. It looked as if she was seeking answers hidden within his unconscious visage. But, before anything interesting could happen, Yoruichi lugged her down the hallway.
As the two women headed to the washroom, Kisuke knelt back down by Ulquiorra's side and stared at his still form.
How many more Arrancar are going to return from the dead in the span of a few months? he wondered. What a cruel fate. . . So much for resting in peace.
In a way, Kisuke knew this was partially his fault. Had he never invented the Hogyoku, these poor souls wouldn't have been forced to live such a miserable existence. To be used as disposable pawns in a game they never wanted to take part in. . . It was not a fate suited for anybody, be they Hollow or otherwise.
To preserve their own lives, the Arrancar had no choice but to follow Aizen's decrees. He manipulated them and used their sense of obligation to get them to do his bidding.
Hence, Kisuke couldn't bring himself to judge Ulquiorra too roughly for his sins. In the end, he, along with most of the other Espada, perished in the name of someone who did not give a damn about any of them. Such a depressing price to pay for one man's power trip. . .
Sighing, Kisuke decided to stop woolgathering and concentrate on the present. Ulquiorra was hurt and needed his assistance. It was as straightforward as that. Compassion was the only motive behind his decision.
Well, maybe a hint of curiosity remained, but that was a matter for another time.
That was four days ago now, but the memory is still fresh in Kisuke's mind, replaying like a vivid scene from a carefully crafted story.
As if on cue, the bell above the door rings, heralding Itzel's arrival. Yoruichi, now in her cat form, follows close behind, their voices blending into an animated conversation about who knows what.
"—Still can't eat spicy things to this day," Itzel's voice carries through the room, punctuated by Yoruichi's lively laughter.
"Well, at least you didn't throw up," Yoruichi chaffs.
As soon as the pair disappears from sight, Kisuke returns to his cup of now lukewarm tea.
He is going to have to tell Itzel the truth before she finds out on her own, which could be any second now. She is very intuitive and he can tell she already knows a lot more than she is letting on.
Granted, this is just based on a hunch. . . But it's one that has yet to be proved wrong.
A mischievous glint sparkles in Kisuke's eyes as Itzel strolls back into the room and sits at the counter, facing him. Just as he's about to say something, she beats him to the punch, her voice tinged with worry and curiosity. "How's Ulquiorra doing? Fill me in on what's going on."
"Hmm?" Kisuke feigns innocence, his lips curving into a half-smile as he takes a sip of his tea. "Oh! Well, I managed to have a little chat with him. Seems he's recovering, albeit with a nagging headache."
"That's good to hear. I'm glad he's doing okay," Itzel replies with a faint smile.
Setting his cup down with a clink, Kisuke props his elbow on the countertop and rests his palm against his cheek. "Speaking of Ulquiorra, it seems he won't be returning to Hueco Mundo anytime soon."
With that, the sweet smile on her face fades away. "Why not? If it's just a little headache, he should be good to go. I'm sure he would like to go back home."
"He has some business to attend to in the World of the Living first. Hueco Mundo may have survived Aizen's downfall, but it's far from stable."
Itzel's gaze drops, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on the countertop as the name of her former captain hangs heavy in the air.
"Is Ulquiorra trying to do something to help?" she asks after a brief pause, giving Kisuke a wary look. "Is that why he's here?"
"Yep, and I'm helping him," Kisuke confirms with a nod. He watches as suspicion flickers in Itzel's eyes and quickly reassures her, "Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm not gonna run crazy experiments on him or anything like that, okay?"
"Good. He doesn't need to be stressed out any more than he already is," she says with a sigh.
Kisuke leans back in his seat, twirling his fan lazily between his fingers. "He needs to regain his strength. I would say he's only at about 1% of his original power right now."
"1%!? How is he even alive?"
"Sheer willpower, I guess. The resilience of the soul can be a phenomenal thing."
"Hm." A bittersweet smile graces Itzel's lips. "I believe it. . . They say we don't die until we stop trying to live."
"Very true! Believe me, I've seen it with my own eyes," Kisuke says, lifting his cup and taking another sip from it.
A contemplative silence settles over them, the weight of their conversation hanging in the air. Itzel breaks the quietude, her curiosity rekindling. "So, why exactly did he come to the World of the Living in the first place? He must have come here for a reason, and it's obvious that it wasn't to ask you for help."
"My, how perceptive!" Kisuke exclaims with a laugh. "It's true, he didn't come to see me."
"It was obvious. He looked pretty mad when I told him where he was."
"Can't blame him. It's a complicated situation," Kisuke starts, his eyes meeting Itzel's concerned gaze. "You see, Ulquiorra was given a task to regain his strength: he was supposed to kill a specific soul reaper."
She leans closer over the counter, her voice laced with worry. "Don't tell me you're going to help him murder someone."
"No, absolutely not!" Kisuke assures, waving his fan around. "Actually, I made him promise to not kill said Soul Reaper."
"He was considering it?"
"Of course he was. I hate to generalize, but Arrancar like Ulquiorrra aren't known for their compassion. If they have to do something, they'll follow through, regardless of their own desires. You should know this by now."
Itzel falls silent, her fingers slightly trembling as she toys with a small button on her shirt. After a while, she asks, "And who was this Soul Reaper he was supposed to kill?"
Kisuke hesitates for a moment, realizing the weight of his words and the impact they may have on her emotions. Taking a deep breath, he speaks with utmost sincerity. "Well, that's the thing… It was you."
Her face almost instantly twists into a scowl. "What are you talking about? He didn't even know who I was! If he had orders to kill me, he would have recognized me, at least!" she argues, shaking her head vehemently. "If this is some sort of joke, it's not funny."
Kisuke raises his hand, stopping her from saying anything else. "No, I'm serious! He may not have known your exact identity, but he was aware of his task to eliminate his counterpart," he explains, gesturing with his fan for emphasis. "And because of the spiritual connection you share—"
"Spiritual connection!?" she repeats with a half-mocking tone. "Are you drunk?"
"What?" Kisuke gasps in disbelief, feigning shock as he dramatically places his hand against his forehead. "Oh my! Do you think I'm some sort of drunkard?"
"That would be a fair assumption," Yoruichi says as she pads in from the kitchen and hops onto the counter beside Itzel. "Trust me, I've witnessed you stumbling around after downing cheap sake and revealing all your secrets," she teases.
"Yeah, and who drinks with me?" he shoots back, pointing the handle of his fan at her accusingly. "That's right: you do!"
Scoffing, Yoruichi curls her tail around her legs, tucking it underneath her body as she settles down. "Hey, you're the one who begs me to join you."
Itzel crosses her arms over her chest, clearing her throat to regain their attention. "As endearing as this is, can we please get back to the point? Did Ulquiorra really come here to kill me?"
"Technically, yes. But it's really not that simple," Kisuke says, batting Yoruichi's paw away when she reaches to swat at his hat. "You and Ulquiorra share a unique connection. You are what we call 'counterparts.'"
A sigh of exasperation escapes Itzel as she rubs her temples. "Counterparts? What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that your souls are intertwined in a profound way," Kisuke explains, trying to simplify the concept. "Ulquiorra was led to believe that eliminating his counterpart would aid in regaining his strength. Don't worry though! Now he understands that it's not a viable option."
"So, the only reason he spared my life is because it wouldn't help him become strong!? That's messed up!" Itzel argues, her frustration evident as she clenches her fists in her lap. "What's wrong with him!? And you, why are you so nonchalant about all of this?"
Kisuke dismissively waves his hand around. "There is nothing to be upset about! What are you getting so worked up for?"
"Ah, the emotional intelligence of men never ceases to amaze," Yoruichi mutters under her breath, jumping off the counter with a soft thud.
Undeterred by his beloved's snide comment, Kisuke continues his explanation, "Anyway, it's nothing personal. He thought it was necessary, that's all."
Itzel abruptly rises from her seat, striding towards the exit. "I'm going on a walk," she declares with a huff. Zipping up her coat, she glances over her shoulder at Kisuke and Yoruichi with a blank stare. "You can finish telling me about this later."
Watching as she steps outside, Kisuke sighs to himself. "This is going to be way more challenging than I thought. But hey, at least she didn't deny their spiritual connection!"
"You just revealed that someone she spent the last few days worrying about had plans to kill her. She pushed aside her fears about Arrancars for that guy's sake, and now you're surprised that she's upset?" Yoruichi asks, staring up at him from the floor. "What is she supposed to do, give him a hug?"
"Well. . . maybe."
"You can be so clueless sometimes!" she chastises, rubbing her face with a paw. "Just let me talk to her instead. You clearly lack the finesse to communicate with tender-hearted women like her. Haven't you learned anything from when you upset Orihime?"
Kisuke furrows a brow. "Eh? When did I upset Orihime?"
"See? You didn't even realize it!" Yoruichi shouts, hopping up onto the counter again. "I'll have to teach you how to be a proper gentleman."
Pouting, he flips up the brim of his hat and sinks further into his chair. "Can you at least do it without being in your cat form?"
Yoruichi turns away from him and starts grooming herself. "Nope."
"Hey!"
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