Ok, so here is number 2 in my rapid 3 spree...which I then have to add a fourth one for another review! I have a little more time today to write (I'm writing these before I go to work since I am dead tired after work) so hopefully this one ends up being longer. We shall see I guess. Also, I got a request for a little more UlquiHime so here goes.
Chapter 10...Surprise!
"Woman, you are staring at me," his nonchalant voice breaks her gaze. She blushes immediately, throwing out an excuse about zoning out. There were times when he wondered about what she could be thinking with an expression like that, but then, remembering how Orihime was, he knew it would be something odd and totally unrelated to whatever she'd been thinking when she'd started the thought. He watches her expression go back to the 'zoning out' face again, and he sighed. Having the woman as a Captain was tiresome. Before she could notice, he quickly swiped her smaller than normal stack of paperwork. As he looked through it he realized it wasn't paperwork at all. It was the survey's she'd sent out the day before. "Woman, where is your work for the day?" he asked. Perhaps when he had been involved in his own work she'd done something silly like make them into airplanes and throw them out the window to carry their tiny passengers away.
"I don't have any today," she said quietly. That was it, the reason for her non focus. She knew it was almost time for the assimilation. And that meant that Grimmjow had been doing good...strangely. There would be no more missions even though they'd just begun. There would be no more 14th, and no more reason for the woman to be in the place Ulquiorra had deemed the safest for her. He inwardly sighed, his stoic expression remaining the same. Ulquiorra should have realized it sooner, when his own stack had been strangely slim. Ulquiorra filled out Orihime's list with all of the new surveys, and handed them back to her. It was almost a full list. Just a few stragglers left. Including Tia and her fraccion. As well as Nnoitra. Brushing it off, he returns to his desk to fill out the last two of his forms. The first was the usual, a request for specific testing subjects from 12th. It was yet again ignored, and he threw it in the trash. The second, was a letter to him specifically, from the Captain-Commander. It implored him to leave the task of protecting Orihime to those in Karakura town, and to assume the responsibility of 5th Captain. That too, he threw away. That must be another reason that the woman was acting strangely. She must have thought he would abandon her to be killed. And while it would be easier for him, it was still an terrible idea to leave the woman to her own devices. She couldn't even properly feed herself.
"Woman, follow me," he told her. She gave him a questioning look, but he simply stared at her till she stood and followed him to the door. He walks around the Soul Society with her beside him, and finally they reach their destination. It was an ice cream place. The woman's eyes lit up. She laughingly told the man behind the counter she wanted 'one of everything' but after a moment settled on a colorful one. Ulquiorra set some money on the counter, and the two left, walking side by side back to 14th. Ulquiorra glances at the woman. How she always made a mess of herself without caring was beyond his thinking. He reached out to wipe some ice cream from her face, then stopped himself. It was a strange thing to do, especially for him. He retracted his hand, and settled for handing her a handkerchief. "Woman your face is a mess." She grinned at him, wiped her face, and handed it back.
"Thank you," she said, going back to her ice cream. Ulquiorra found himself staring at her bright face. And then swiftly berated himself for acting strangely. He needed to stop that.
Lilinette was sitting alone in the mess hall. She was bored, and had nothing better to do. Shuuhei was busy and Stark was sleeping. So she sat her chin on the table and thought. About all of the things that brought them to where they were today. She ran through her head the battle at the fake Karakura town where Stark and her almost died. And then when Orihime came and how she healed them all. It wasn't until after the battle when they all went back to Hueco Mundo that they saw all of the wreckage there and learned what had gone down. That there were some people Orihime hadn't been able to save. There were a few of the lower arrancar that had gone before she'd even been let out of her cell. Then there was Arronierro who's only real body was the two heads. Without the fluid from their casing, she wasn't able to keep them alive. She'd brought them back but they'd died again. And Zommari Leroux, his body had already dissipated by the time Orihime had made it to that battle scene. And finally Szayel. Mayuri's poison had completely obliterated his brain. She'd tried to heal him too, but the poison had stayed in his system and killed him all over again. Mayuri was good. She was glad that Orihime throws away all of his requests. The man was pure evil that was for sure. Lili felt sorry for his Lieutenant. She was practically alone in the world except for him, who (as she understood it) was actually her father. Poor girl. Lili had actually asked around and only the most bizarre of the hybrids (and the few remaining of Szayel's fraccion) have actually volunteered to go to 12th division.
Lili sighs again. She wished Shuuhei wasn't busy. Then they could practice her swordsmanship. He was trying to help her get to be a better fighter so she wouldn't be as useless. And Stark promised to help her with her cero too. Before, at Hueco Mundo she didn't need to train. Because Stark just needed her. But now here, Captains don't do battle very often at all. So they needed her to be a good fighter just in case they had to send her on a mission. She was honestly excited to be trained for once.
Meanwhile in Karakura
Ichigo sat down with his family. While hollow sitings were still pretty bad around here, things had actually been quiet otherwise. He was doing good in school again, which was good considering he was almost done with his junior year. Then he just had to do his senior year and he was done with school. To do what? Be a full time Soul Reaper? Work full time at Usanagi's? More schooling would be pointless with his Soul Reaper duties. So he needed to stick around here.
"Ichigo! I asked you if the food was good!" Yuzu exclaims. She'd been getting more vocal since she'd become a middle schooler. Ichigo smiled at his sisters. Karin was even growing her hair out now. They were both getting more mature. And both could see both ghosts and hollows now. He worried about that. More than he should. He knew he could protect them, especially with his new gift from the Soul Society.
Speaking of which, the Soul Pager in his pocket made a loud beeping noise. One...two...three. It was a hollow's coordinates. He excused himself from the table, and bolted up to his room. He grabs Kon, takes the Soul Pill and escapes from his body. He gave Kon the usual instructions, and leaps out the window. It wasn't a particularly strong hollow. But it was still his duty to take care of it. "You know...at first we were really worried about you nee-san. Always running out all of the time. But then dad explained things to us. So then we were worried you'd get hurt. So what we don't understand now, is why you haven't said anything to us about what it is you just did," Ichigo turns around in horror. Standing there were both of his sisters and his father. His father was in soul form. And somehow, he never noticed til now, that there was this terrible little bracelet on Karin's wrist. One just like Uryu used to have.
"You know, if you were home more often nee-san, instead of running off to Soul Society all the time, we could have talked about this. Before you had to find out like this. But we don't want you to do it all alone anymore. We can help nee-san. We're special too," Yuzu added. Shaking his head, he glances at Yuzu too... not sweet Yuzu.
"H-how are they..." Ichigo asks his dad, yet being unable to finish his sentence. His father just shakes his head.
"If you had been home more often, I could have told you too, but it never felt like the right time. Yes, both of your sisters are Quincies. But so are you. Deep down inside of you, you are part Quincy. It was a gift your mother gave you. Unfortunately, you took more towards my side than your sisters. But that was partly to do with Rukia-san bringing that out in you. Your sisters have the shinigami side to them too. And I have to say, it seems to be a great combination. For some reason, their Quincy arrows act like a konso more than a purifier. That's how soul society doesn't know more Quincy exist. Because they are both. I've had my old friend Ishida training them. He doesn't much like training mine and Masaki's daughters, but he knows that's what she wanted. After all, she did have three Quincy bracelets for me to give to you guys. Since you are all still living, we thought you'd all be Quincies like her. But you had to be the unpredictable one Ichigo. Still, I'm sure even with the way things turned out that she'd want you to have it." Isshin said, tossing the bracelet to Ichigo. Ichigo was having a hard time taking all of it in. He collapsed to the ground, staring at his baby sisters. It appeared he wouldn't be able to protect them forever. Because they both wanted to throw themselves into danger like he always did. Guess it was a family trait.
Ok! So I really wanted to hurry up and put the Kurosaki sisters in on this since Karin is part of one of my pairings I have yet to put up...bet you all know which pairing that is. Anyways, yea I wasn't sure I was going to make them Quincies until I started to put them in it. But it just makes sense. Why else would (Spoiler Alert) Karin have been working for Urahara after Ichigo lost his powers. And I wanted Yuzu to be a Quincy too, because it just didn't seem fair that she'd be the only normal one in the family. So I hope you enjoyed that chapter! I managed to fit in both things that Belit. Lihara had mentioned in her latest review that being what happened to the other arrancar, except for Yammy, I left him out on purpose by the way haven't decided for sure where he is, and then also she wanted some more UlquiHime fluff. So there goes!
: Thank you again for reviewing! And I'm glad you are enjoying my story. So I hope that I gave you a little more fluff with them, and that I answered some of your questions. I can't wait til I reveal my plot. I'm so anxious to do it but I want it to really be developed when I do...and I like the suspense. Anyways, thanks again, I'll be updating again tomorrow I think. If I have time. If not then probably Tuesday (at the latest) I have to take my cat to the vet Monday and the vet always has like a 6 hour wait to get in.