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CHAPTER 3
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Orihime sat, curled into herself on the far end of the sofa as she stared out the window of her room. She brought her knees up, trying to conserve as much body heat as possible. There was an unpleasant draft blowing relentlessly just outside her walls and it howled at her like a melancholic siren, forcing her to remember where she was each time she heard its call. As if the dark concrete cell wasn't enough of a reminder of her solitary confinement, it was also far from warm. She had to clench her jaw tight just to prevent her teeth from chattering. The woman that took her measurements had left not long after Ulquiorra had taken his leave, and she'd taken Orihime's clothes with her, leaving her with nothing more than a plain white tank and an equally plain pair of underwear to sleep in. She had felt rather isolated ever since as she sat in silence and waited, unable to do more than listen to the sound of her own breathing and toil away the hours with thoughts of her uncertain future devouring every moment that passed.
It was strange how the woman had acted towards her. Her services had seemed to be offered quite begrudgingly, considering she would glare at the girl from time to time in a cantankerous manner. Orihime couldn't help but wonder why they didn't appear too keen on having her present in Las Noches. Was it because she was considered an enemy? She'd been curious to find out, as was her nature, and when the woman had picked up a hair brush from her tray of assorted tools and other such paraphernalia, Orihime had decided to ask.
When she had approached Orihime to begin the task of brushing her hair, it had put her off a little.
Suddenly, Orihime had a good idea as to why the woman probably loathed her. No doubt she felt as though she was going to be treated as a servant. Anyone would be defensive in such a situation.
"Um…I can do it," Orihime had said with a small smile, reaching out to take the brush from her hands.
The woman froze, her lips thinning into a hard line as she glared at her.
"Here, there's no need for you to do all of this work," she'd said before taking the brush. The woman looked around the room hesitantly, as if she expected someone to barge in at any moment and reprimand her. Without saying a word, she'd turned on her heel, picked up her tray and left in a huff. Orihime was baffled and had been alone ever since, pondering over a great many things.
The seamstress hadn't made a noise during the entire encounter, causing Orihime to wonder if the woman could even speak at all or if she was simply forbidden to converse with her. Or, even more wounding to Orihime's pride, she didn't want to talk to her. The thought of a lengthy stay in Hueco Mundo without any verbal, physical or mental stimulation was daunting. She didn't necessarily want to picture herself remaining there for the rest of her days, but being held in a harsh and unforgiving environment against her will with zero company was still a discouraging prospect.
And so she'd sat there and continued to idly mess with her hair, using the brush the woman had left behind before twisting the strands in her fingers until it had settled into a loose braid to ward off the knots for the night, one of the many vices of having such long hair. Time passed and she waited patiently for her meal and for Ulquiorra to return.
He never came.
Neither did her meal.
Neither did more clothes.
Either the servants were deliberately shunning her, or Ulquiorra was purposefully trying to make her uncomfortable.
Orihime sighed and hugged her knees closer to herself while vigorously running her hands over her calves in an attempt to warm her skin. She was hungry and cold and a little lonely, but it seemed those were becoming the least of her problems.
As she'd waited in her room for a sign of life, a strange quiet began to sink into the air. She had paid it little mind at first. After all, sleep was evading her and she knew Las Noches contained a vastly different sphere of experiences than what she was used to in comparison to her safe, warm home. It was an entirely foreign place to her. Even the air felt different. Although unnerving, Orihime was certain she could manage through the night…
But then a quiet moan called out in the far off distance.
At the sound, she had paused and strained her ears to listen for it again, wondering if she was just hearing things. After a few more seconds, it happened again, muffled by the walls surrounding her and preventing her from pinpointing the exact direction it was coming from…but it was there, nonetheless.
Minutes had passed without further incident and when a yawning silence fell over her like a blanket, she thought it had stopped.
Just when she began to relax again, Orihime suddenly flinched as a horrid and mangled screech blasted out into the night from somewhere deep within the belly of Las Noches. She pushed her back further into the arm of the sofa and stared at the window in shock as one by one, other quieter groans slowly joined in, echoing out like a chorus of lost souls arising from the darkness in a mournful eulogy.
There were noises…terrible, horrible noises that were nothing quite like she'd heard before.
Such a sound could only be liken to the wind howling outside her window on a stormy night, but so much worse. Orihime's nails sank into the cushiony fabric beneath her as the frightening sounds came and went like a wave. Sometimes it was as silent as the dead, while other times it would be loud and alarming, as most of the gut wrenching noises poured into her room from the desert outside and crawled past the bars of her window to whisper over her ears.
Orihime felt her heart drop when she looked up, terrified to see a shadow creep its way by her window. She held her breath and prayed it was her eyes playing tricks on her. She was already on edge, but when it suddenly slinked past again, sending a long, dark outline to sweep across her room like a specter, she pushed herself from her seat and took a step back, careful not to take her eyes off the window.
"G…go away!" she shouted forcefully as fear began to sink into the corners of her mind. When she saw her attempt did little to nothing at all, she turned on her heel and ran to the door. She was about to begin pounding on it with her fists when she remembered what her warden had said,
"Your room will remain unlocked…" She paused and took a brief moment to evaluate those words. Ulquiorra had said she could leave, but he had also told her it was dangerous. She looked over her shoulder once again with a sense of paranoia, distraught to see what looked like, quite possibly, several more shadows converging on her room. Orihime shook her head defiantly. She wasn't going to sit idly inside her prison cell and let herself get mauled by some human-hungry hollow lurking outside her window.
With a good shove she managed to heave the door open, pushing it aside as she rushed out of the room and into the hall. Her bare feet drove her forward on the cold floor as she took the nearest corner. As she rounded it, she instantly ran into her warden. Orihime gasped in shock and barely found enough time to put her hands up as she collided against his chest. She was suddenly very aware of how solid the man was when she stumbled back, scarcely able to catch herself from falling as pain shot through her own chest like a knife. She hunched over slightly as her lungs constricted from the impact, trying to regain her breath. She gasped and attempted to take slower, more steadying breaths as she looked up at him with slightly fearful eyes.
"What are you doing out of your room?" he asked steadily; wholly, and frustratingly, unfazed by the incident that had completely knocked the wind out of her.
"I…I can't stay in there," she said, shaking her head to emphasize her words.
"You were shouting at something," he noted, assuming she would explain herself. "Is there a problem?"
Orihime took one last steadying breath before straightening herself. She felt her eyes become watery, but was unsure if the small pebbles of moisture were from the near crippling collision, the nerves she felt around him, or merely the dreadful experience she'd just had in her room that seemed more befitting a bad dream.
"Please, I can't stay in that room. There's strange noises and things lurking outside my window," she explained and, just as suddenly as she said it, realized how blatantly childish her reasoning sounded. The way he looked at her, she felt like a child who refused to sleep in their own bed because of monsters in the closet. "It's true…" she trailed off weakly, unable to meet his eyes as she clutched her hand to her heart insecurely.
Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her. He was waiting for more to be added onto that sentence, that there must certainly be a legitimate and life threatening reason for her behavior. His frown remained unmoved on his face and when she supplied him with no such clarification, he replaced his hands back into his pockets and let his eyes grill her in silence, leaving Orihime to wonder if he even believed her at all.
No doubt there were stray Hollow skulking about the perimeters of Las Noches. Hueco Mundo's desert was just beyond the confines of his tower. Ulquiorra knew, without fail, that having a human soul so close, particularly one as fresh and ripe as hers, had likely drawn in all manner of scavengers. He also knew that none of those scavengers-no matter how close they brave to venture-would dare breach Las Noches' walls, particularly with him anywhere in the vicinity.
The matter was not whether Ulquiorra believed her or not. The matter was he'd overlooked an important part of her cell's security and now he had to listen to her complain about the consequences of his neglect…no matter how trivial and non-threatening those consequences had been.
"Nonsense," he dismissed, and then turned and walked away, completely brushing off her fear without an ounce of pity. "Go back to your room, I don't have time for this."
"No!" she called desperately and Ulquiorra paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked back at her. "This place is terrible," she uttered quietly as she covered her face with her hands and shook her head vigorously, trying to shed herself of her uncertainty and fear. "You kill each other without the slightest hint of remorse or concern and then continue about your lives as normal. You took me from my home, you took my clothes and my freedom. Everyone seems to despise me, though they don't even know me. It's cold and dark and I've never heard such horrible noises in my life. There are Hollows outside my window," she proclaimed defensively and abruptly tore her hands away from her face to stare him down with wide, watering eyes. "You abandoned me in that room alone and told me never to leave or it could be dangerous. What was I supposed to do?" she asked incredulously as she found a certain amount of frustration building up inside her at the thought.
"Don't be ridiculous." Ulquiorra's frown deepened and Orihime took a step back as he advanced on her. Suddenly, she was gravely rethinking her brash behavior. "You act as if you are defenseless. A child would be more capable of fending for itself than you are. You have lost your cool…and against a couple vagrant Hollows weaker than even a gillian, no less."
Orihime gasped, completely affronted.
"You would do well to stop pitying yourself," he suggested levelly, nearly leaving her speechless at his blunt and harsh words.
"I don't pity myself," she said and straightened her back to stand at her full height. Though she was still unable to measure up to him, she looked up at him with a stubborn jut in her chin in an effort to meet him eye to eye. "You tricked me into coming here, but I came nevertheless. I followed you without complaint or fight. I never expected I'd be treated with much dignity here...but I thought…I had hoped you might…" she trailed off, unsure of where she was going with that line of thought. "You left me defenseless in that room. Just how am I supposed to fend for myself?" she countered as her mouth scrunched up into a small, albeit pouty frown that alluded to just how unaccustomed she was to quarreling.
"You were not defenseless, woman," he corrected her once again, half tempted to point out the flower pins still perched in her hair. "And complain all you want. You came to Hueco Mundo of your own accord, regardless of certain…persuasions, on my part."
"You threatened to kill my friends if I didn't follow you!" she cried in answer.
"Tell me," he began slowly, suddenly taking one daunting step forward into her space. Orihime's mouth snapped shut as he stared her down with his unblinking gaze. The abrupt shift in his tone put her on edge. It was sharper than ever, and his stare pierced her in a way that rooted her to the ground. "Would you cut off your own hand if someone told you, simply because they held you in a compromising position?" he asked and in taking another slow step forward, she found him occupying her breathing space.
"I…" Orihime faltered at his words as he gained both verbal and physical ground on her. "That's not…" Her brows furrowed as she grew frustrated with both herself and him. She was upset mostly at herself, angry that she could not refute his logical claim and worse still, angry that she was hard pressed to disagree with him. A faint blush climbed up her neck when she began to wonder just how obvious it had become that she was not overly skilled at the verbal sparring that he seemed to excel at.
"What will you have me do?" he asked softly and unexpectedly took another intimidating step forward, forcing her to either back down or try and hold her ground as his austere eyes remained strictly locked onto hers. "Do you want me to comfort you? To protect you and coddle you like an invalid?" He leaned down slightly, just enough to get his point across, and Orihime felt something strange stir in the pit of her stomach. "I am not your friend, woman. I will not come running to your aid like you are used to your companions doing." His lifeless voice seemed to shift for a moment to pepper his words with a cruel lilt and Orihime's fists clenched as she quickly found herself experiencing the most unpleasant type of infuriation that she could ever recall feeling in her life. "No one here is going to throw their life away in order to preserve yours. In Hueco Mundo, it is not enough for one to be completely incapable of even the slightest bit of aptitude. You and your friends are nothing more than trash, barely fit to face the harshness of this world. There is nothing here but reality…perhaps you should get used to it."
Orihime wasn't sure if he even saw it coming. She, herself, was hardly aware of what she'd done until it was too late…but when that slap rang out like a scream in the quiet white halls, leaving her hand stinging with the pain of connecting with his pale cheek, she was certain he was going to slaughter her.
With her breathing labored, she watched in a mixture of disbelief and fear as he stood, unmoving, and stared at her. Her chin quivered slightly and her hands shook fearfully as adrenaline and anger continued to course through her veins. She'd never hit another living person in her life. She'd never been mad or offended enough to do something so explosive.
The quiet was deafening and as she stood waiting, completely at his mercy, she stared hard into his eyes - directly into his cryptic, slit pupils that watched her in a manner that left her unable to look away, even if she had wanted to. For the first time, in that tense moment, she realized that as beautiful as those eyes were…they were nothing but cold, unfeeling fixtures. There was no life in them and all that shimmer and shine reflecting back at her was nothing but just that; a reflection. They were just marble, highly glossed over to hide what wasn't there. It was nothing but mirrors. Cold, synthetic mirrors. Something in her chest anguished deeply at this…
It was enough to frighten her, and nearly take her breath away in the same beat.
It frightened her because she'd never felt something so intense. Because she'd never seen anything so unfeeling, so empty. Because it was such a shame.
Because maybe, just maybe, nobody had ever succeeded in stealing the very air she breathed from her lungs with just a glance. Least of all, from the likes of someone as cold and unfeeling as her Arrancar warden.
After several moments of burning silence, he turned and began to walk away. Orihime gasped, suddenly remembering to breathe again. She was hardly able to believe her eyes as she was left standing in his wake. He hadn't even reprimanded her.
"Go back to your room, I will return later," he ordered, completely ignoring her otherwise.
Orihime gave a deep, shaky exhale. He was dismissing her like a child. A part of her wanted to be brave like Kuchiki-san and yell at him, to say something to remind him of how he'd said the exact same thing last time, but he'd never returned. He'd left her in her room, hungry and cold and terrified.
She didn't say anything, though.
Instead, she turned and made her way back into her room, forcing herself to find courage.
With her mind in a tizzy, Orihime could do nothing but pace the room over and over again like a caged animal, glad at least for the rug underfoot to safeguard her bare feet from the frigid floor. She was upset with herself now; upset that she had gotten herself into such a situation, upset that Las Noches was so weird and creepy, and by far, furiously upset at Ulquiorra and his direct jabs at her inadequacy. He hadn't even tried to be subtle about it.
Yet, most unusual of all was the strange squeezing that had seized her chest when she had looked so deeply into his eyes. She had felt the tug of empathy for pitiful creatures many a time in her life, but with Ulquiorra it had been…different, to say the least, and to call him pitiful would have been a stretch at best. It had been a bolt of discovery, quickly followed by a leap from her heart that she could only compare to the zap Ichigo Kurosaki could give it.
And as for the equally odd stirring that had settled in the pit of her stomach when he'd leaned into her space…?
Orihime immediately shook her head and put it behind her, refusing to dwell on it.
As her legs began to grow tired, she gave in and reclaimed her seat on the couch. Pressing into the cushions for warmth, her temper began to simmer down, taking her body temperature along with it. Suppressing a shiver, she sighed and tried to ignore the cold and the hunger pains.
Her prison was turning out to be as horrible as she expected it would be. She felt as if she had no control over anything, least of all her own life. It was alienating and alarming to think everything she'd known and taken for granted in life could be ripped away from her so easily.
She thought back to what happened in the throne room earlier, how people could kill and watch as others did the killing without remorse. Orihime looked at her hands clasped tightly in her lap, suddenly feeling sullen at the thought that she could be disposed of just as easily if she proved useless to them.
She had to survive, she had to make herself functional to them somehow. She had only just arrived and even she could perceive it was the only way one could make it through Las Noches alive, and even then it wasn't guaranteed. Otherwise, if she didn't she may never see her friends again. She'd never go back to school or visit Soul Society or even see her brother's beautiful shrine again.
And Tatsuki…
Orihime abruptly stood from her seat when a voice sounded from the door. She watched as the metal slab slid open to let in a sliver of light from the outer hallway. She blinked and held her hands close as she worried her fingers together restlessly. When she saw Ulquiorra on the other side of the door, Orihime bit her lip and nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She hadn't actually expected him to come back, let alone so soon. After all, he hadn't done so before.
She bit her lip a tad harder as he stepped in and leaned against the wall beside the door, watching her detachedly.
Orihime swallowed under such a concentrated stare and after seconds of complete silence, she opened her mouth to say something. The moment she did, he looked out into the hall and gave a small nod of his head, ordering someone to enter. Orihime was astonished and relieved when she saw a thin male Hollow pushing a trolley into her room. With his head down and his mask covering his entire face, he seemed meek and timid, but Orihime could hardly be bothered to care as the scent of warm food filled the room.
The unfamiliar Hollow bowed to Ulquiorra and left, closing the door behind him when the Espada didn't even bother to acknowledge him. Orihime continued to fiddle with her fingers, quite possibly ruining her nails, as he had yet to look away from her. Feeling more and more anxious as the moments ticked by, Orihime could do nothing more than try to start a conversation with him.
"You could have thanked him, at least," she commented quietly and dropped her hands to take a seat on the large settee. Her voice was much more sedated than what it had been earlier.
"Eat," he replied curtly, completely disregarding the serf and her suggestion.
Orihime looked away with a slight frown.
"What if I don't want it?" she asked, just to be testy.
"What if I strap you down and force it down your throat."
Orihime promptly popped back up out of her seat.
"I suppose I'm feeling pretty hungry, after all," she said quickly and reached out to lift the lid off the trolley of food. She was surprised when she looked down to find a wide array of foods spread out on a neatly decorated tray. The silverware was perfectly laid out with a napkin properly folded and tucked beside a small pitcher of water, accented with a delicate paper flower. Orihime looked at the food and then looked at him a little skeptically.
"H-how do I know you didn't poison it?" she blushed slightly, her eyes full of naivety despite her suspicion.
"If I had wanted you dead, I would have seen to it long before now," he answered.
Orihime bowed to his logic without further argument and pulled the tray onto the cushion beside her as she once again took a seat on the couch. Crossing her legs under herself and turning her back on him, she ate in silence. Warm food always had served to cheer her up and the taste wasn't bad at all. It didn't quite meet her standards, but it was well seasoned and cooked properly and overall she was very happy that it wasn't the horrible prison food she had imagined it would be. When she took a bite of something that she found altogether delicious, she smiled delightfully and turned to him, intending to ask about the type of food.
She stopped herself short, a look of befuddlement filling her eyes when she saw he was gone. Her eyebrows narrowed, wondering when and why he had left. She hadn't even heard him leave. When Orihime turned back to her plate, something caught her eye on the trolley. She looked down to see a thick, warm blanket neatly folded on one of the carts shelves. Her face instantly lit up as she snatched it up and wrapped it around herself, glad for the warmth.
With her belly full and her flesh warmed, Orihime pushed the plate of food away and curled up in her corner of the couch to drift off to sleep.
Ichigo never had been one for mornings, but when he violently lurched up from his pillow and rolled onto the floor in a messy heap of blankets and legs, he knew something needed to be done about his sleeping patterns. "Ugh," he groaned irritably. "What a dream…" He reached up to rub the pained bruise on his head, recently acquired from his less than graceful fall. At his touch, he flinched, shocked to actually feel a small bump. Though, he considered it a trivial trauma compared to the strange happenings he could recall from last night.
He'd had the worst dream…
Orihime had been about to kiss him.
Ichigo blushed.
What the hell was he doing dreaming about girls kissing him? Not that he would mind women kissing him, but Orihime? Even more so, definitely not when she was leaning over him, tears softly streaming from her eyes in quiet sadness. What kind of man dreams about stuff like that, anyways?
Even weirder, that pale faced bastard kept popping up into the dream at random times. Just standing and staring at him as Ichigo stood face to face with him…and then Orihime was with him…and she was crying again…and Ichigo had been helpless. Just like back in the park.
He hated feeling helpless.
"So I had a bad dream and fell out of bed…how lame am I?" he grumbled to himself sarcastically and continued to rub his sore temple. "Ow! My head really hurts…" he repeated when he rubbed it a little too hard the wrong way.
"Wait a second," he said, suddenly becoming alert when he noticed the only pain in his body was coming from his recently bruised head. He jerked his hand away, quickly unwrapping the bandages from his palm. "It's healed," he whispered. "Who the hell…?" He pressed the heel of his palm to his forehead, concentrating on sensing the remaining traces of spiritual pressure left by the culprit. "This reiatsu is-"
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his window sliding open, allowing the crisp morning air to blow into his room shortly afterwards.
"Likely Inoue Orihime's," Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya finished the boy's broken sentence. Ichigo's eyes widened, he was already sensing something was off about the situation. It wasn't so unusual to see Shinigami comrades and human friends alike appearing in his room at odd hours of the day, but there was something about the look on Toshiro's face that gave him pause. "Come quickly. We have an emergency," he said gravely.
Dread immediately sank into Ichigo's stomach.
He didn't like this…not one bit.
Ichigo stood outside of apartment 407, staring at the neatly written name of Orihime Inoue on the front panel of her door. There were two spare names added in temporary black marker circled by little stars and hearts and smiley faces; Matsumoto Rangiku and Toshiro Hitsugaya. He rushed into the flat, heading straight for the back bedroom.
He pushed the door back and hurried into the narrow space, hoping his fears wouldn't be confirmed. Ichigo stood in the doorway, greeted by the sight of Madarame Ikkaku, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Rangiku Matsumoto and surprisingly enough, his close friends, both Renji and Rukia. All of them were standing before a large, blank screen that filled the room with white noise, but there was no Inoue.
"Ichigo," Rukia said with a distinctly worried look on her face, her voice betraying her fears even more so.
"Rukia," he replied, shocked to see her there of all places and with no Inoue in sight. Still, just her very presence in the room helped to quell some of his worries. She always did have that effect on him.
"How is the energy interference clearing going?" Hitsugaya asked, addressing his Lieutenant.
"It seems to be complete," she answered.
"Then please connect us."
The screen flickered in and out for a moment, filling the air with static before the image of the Captain of the thirteenth division, Ukitake Jushiro, shimmered to life.
"Captain Ukitake?" Hitsugaya questioned, shocked to see the man. "Where is the Head Commander?" He clearly had not been expecting this change.
"I asked to switch places with him," the fellow Captain replied in a serious voice.
"For what reason?" Hitsugaya asked, matching his tone.
"Because, I was the last person to see Orihime Inoue before she entered the senkaimon on her trip to the living world," he replied, stunning many of the room's occupants. "Judging by your reactions, I take it she never arrived…" His voice trailed off, guilt prevalent in the depths of his eyes.
"What's going on here?" Ichigo interrupted, eager to get to the bottom of whatever the mess was. Just exactly what was happening with Inoue? "Where did Inoue disappear to?" he asked a little harshly, his frustration growing. "What happened to her? Don't you all know anything about what's going on?"
"I can tell you our side of the story," he answered, closing his eyes as he recalled the incident. "The two guards who escorted her through the senkaimon returned here alive. According to their testimony, it is believed that Orihime Inoue was captured or has possibly already been…killed by the Arrancar."
Ichigo felt his stomach lurch. "Killed?"
"Captain Ukitake!" Rukia gasped, shocked that such a deduction had been reached so quickly. "Aren't you jumping to conclusions?"
Ukitake glanced down, troubled to have to break such news. "I know, I didn't want to say it, either…" he sighed. "I'm merely saying that there's the possibility of that. According to their testimony, Orihime was attacked by the same Arrancar that attacked them, after which, she disappeared with him-"
"Stop," Ichigo growled quietly and clenched his fist tightly, the same fist he knew Inoue had healed. "That's bullshit!" He suddenly erupted, unable to hold his tongue and listen to such crap a second longer. "You don't have a shred of proof, but you're still willing to sit here and claim she's dead? Stop talking out your ass and look at this!" he announced, thrusting up his arm for all to see, not realizing he was making the situation much, much worse for the girl by trying to stand up for her. "My arm was seriously injured from battle yesterday!" he informed.
Ukitake's eyes widened dramatically at his words, staring at the boy as he continued on with his defense.
"This is a wound that no one else could heal! When I woke up this morning, there wasn't even a scar left on my arm!" Ukitake remained silent as Ichigo refused to relent, even as a disturbing and sober look began overtaking the older man's eyes. "There's still some of Inoue's reiatsu left on my arm!" he shouted loudly. "Knowing this, can you still say that Inoue's dead?!" he added intensely, daring him to continue spilling the lies from his mouth about the girl being dead.
Ukitake looked away, unable to say a word to the boy that had just unwittingly sealed her fate.
"I see…" a deep, authoritative voice called forth, coming from somewhere off screen. "That is a shame."
Ichigo froze.
Ukitake glanced over his shoulder as the Captain Commander himself stepped forward, coming into view on the large screen.
"Head Commander…sir," he heard Rukia mumble from behind him.
"A shame?" Ichigo hissed, incensed. "Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Without hesitation, the scarred old man answered. His voice was sure and unwavering. "If what you're saying is true, then it would certainly mean that Orihime Inoue is alive…however, at the same time, it would also mean that she has betrayed us." Ichigo frowned, putting great effort into holding his tongue to allow the old man to explain himself. "Were she kidnapped, she would not have had the opportunity to see you before she disappeared," he continued calmly. "She went with that Arrancar to Hueco Mundo of her own free-"
"You shut your mouth!" Ichigo roared, his bellow of anger was abruptly cut off as a hand gripped his shoulder tightly.
"Stop." Renji leveled him with a sharp stare. "Continuing to talk will only get you into more trouble," he warned, trying to calm the young man down a degree. "We understand what you are saying, Commander Yamamoto." He stepped forward from behind the strawberry blonde youth. "Then I, Abarai Renji, as Vice Captain of the sixth Division and member of Captain Hitsugaya's forces, in response to this treason, will head to Hueco Mundo to bring Inoue Orihime to her senses!" he announced firmly.
"Renji…" Ichigo breathed, hardly able to believe the man would stick his neck out so far for the girl.
Renji looked back, giving his friend a confident smirk of assurance.
"Unacceptable," the hardened voice of the Commander answered, immediately bursting the bubble, and hopes, of both men. Their shock was easily readable on their young, handsome faces.
"What?" Ichigo said, his ire resurfacing at such a cold denial. "You can't just-" He was swiftly cut off at that moment as a single Shinigami messenger entered the view of the screen discreetly. They watched in silence as the man approached Commander Yamamoto from his right, bowing to him before reaching up to hold out a small, folded piece of paper for the older man to take. Soon after, the man exited the screen just as quickly as he entered, leaving them in tense silence as the Commander quietly read through the information.
"It seems our suspicions have been confirmed," he announced to the group.
"…sir?" Rukia hesitantly asked, fearful that they had just been delivered the news of Orihime's death.
"I have just received a report from Captain Soifon," he began, "Last night, I personally dispatched a division of the Onmitsukido, a specialized task force specifically designed for stealth operations, into the living world. During their mission, they were able to track down the group of Arrancar that attacked the previous day. And with them…was Orihime Inoue herself!" he announced firmly, sending a shockwave throughout the room.
"What?" Renji gasped.
"Inoue…" Rukia breathed, at once relieved and worried for the girl.
"I told you she was alive!" Ichigo yelled, ready and willing to defend his friend's honor. "There's no way she'd betray us for those scumbags!"
"Unfortunately, that is exactly what she has done." The hardened voice of the Commander stopped him from further celebrations.
"Done what?" Ichigo protested, demanding an answer.
"Orihime Inoue was seen in direct contact with Arrancar from Aizen Sosuke's army, openly defending them from attack by Shinigami."
"You're lying!" Ichigo exploded, unable to contain the rage inside him a moment longer. Renji immediately reached out, locking his arms under Ichigo's shoulders in an effort to hold him back.
"Ichigo!" Renji shouted, trying to calm him down. "Ichigo! You've got to stop, you're only making it worse for Inoue!"
Clenching her fists tightly, Rukia's brow furrowed as she averted her eyes with anger and fear clouding their lavender depths.
"With the betrayal of Orihime Inoue confirmed and having determined that the Arrancar forces are already prepared for battle, I must recall both fifth seat Ayasegawa and third seat Madarame, as well as Lieutenant Kuchiki and Lieutenant Abarai, to return at once and focus on the protection of Soul Society."
"But…does that mean you're telling us to…forget about Inoue?" Rukia asked, unwilling to just abandon her friend in such a clear time of need.
"We're not leaving her," Ichigo said, stepping forward to stand beside the small woman before diverting his attention back onto the bearded man. "We're going to get her back. Everyone here knows she'd never betray us."
"Ichigo Kurosaki," Commander Yamamoto called, his voice was calm, yet firm and demanding. "Until further action is taken, you are to remain in the living world. Any violation of this order will result in extreme punishment."
"You can't just expect me to-"
"You can and you will," he said definitively. "We cannot have the actions of one lone wolf rushing off into battle jeopardizing the delicate balance of power playing out between our worlds. If the girl is what they desire, and negotiating a momentary treaty to pacify the enemy without dispute is all action that is necessary to quell the tension between our warring nations, then we will move forward with this option readily," he finished.
"Treaty?!" Ichigo roared. "You mean leave her out there to die like a sacrificial lamb, that's what it is!" he bellowed with a deep, intense fury burning inside of him.
"Naturally, it means that you cannot weigh the life of one person…against the fate of the world."
Rukia's troubled eyes narrowed. Every fiber of her being was telling her not to disobey her commanding officer, but every ounce of her heart screamed at her in defense of her friend. She simply could not, would not, leave Inoue. "I'm sorry, sir. But…I cannot obey that order," she said, eyeing the older man defiantly.
"As I suspected," Yamamoto said slowly, clearly anticipating such a response. "Then it is good that I made preparations for such an occurrence," he finished just as a gateway opened up behind them, spilling forth light into the room from the dimensional opening.
"So that's the way it is," Renji said, furrowing his brows as the senkaimon opened up to reveal two captain level Shinigami, Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki, waiting on the precipice of the world penetration gate.
"Go back now, all of you," Kenpachi droned sedately.
"Do not resist. We are under orders to use force if necessary," Byakuya ordered quietly.
"Captain Hitsugaya, as well as Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, you are to stay behind and remain in the living world to watch over the actions of Ichigo Kurosaki. He is expressly forbidden from entering neither Soul Society nor Hueco Mundo. If you see such inclination that he is preparing otherwise, the use of force may be used to subdue him."
The steady voice of the Captain Commander rang out like a funeral bell, announcing the death of a loved one.
He was separating them, all of them, and leaving Inoue to die.
Both Rukia and Renji stood, staring at the two Captains that had come to fetch them like disobedient children. He'd sent Byakuya on purpose. He'd known neither Rukia nor Renji could deny him, their eyes said it all. Leaving both Ikkaku and Yumichika in an equally similar situation, as well.
They'd lost before the fight had even begun.
"I understand…" Ichigo said quietly, luring their attention away from the men. Rukia looked back, her face the picture of distress and guilt. She stepped forward, reaching for him until she stopped herself, then dropped her hand and averted her eyes. "I'm not going to ask for Soul Society's help, I don't need it," he declared with a bitter calmness. "But I will get to Hueco Mundo, one way or another," he informed, leveling the Commander with a determined glare. "Inoue's our friend. I'll save her myself."
"Ichigo," Rukia breathed, unable to take her eyes off the young man who'd had the guts to say what no one else could.
A long silence swept over the room, engulfing the occupants in a quiet storm.
"Unacceptable," Yamamoto affirmed once more.
Ichigo's eyes widened despite himself. He'd seen such a response coming, but knowing that had failed to cushion the hurt.
"Your strength will be important in the upcoming war," Yamamoto said. "I will not allow you to act on your own or die like a dog. You will wait until you receive orders…that is all." And with that, the image of the Commander flickered several times and died out. Not moments later, the screen itself vanished from the room.
Rukia stared at Ichigo's back, wanting in some way to comfort him, but she couldn't. Not this time. There wasn't going to be any punching him in the arm or drop kicking him to the floor to distract him from his adversities. She was helpless.
He looked so alone…
"Ichigo…" she said quietly when she felt a hand tugging on her shoulder, pulling her into the senkaimon. "…I'm sorry," she professed meaningfully, praying that he knew how much she meant it, how much she wanted to stay and fight by his side. She hated seeing him standing there like that, unable to help.
The gateway closed shut behind her, cutting off her last view of the strawberry blonde boy in the room.
He stood, unspeaking in the suddenly silent room as both Hitsugaya and Rangiku turned to leave. The blonde woman paused in the doorway, turning back and reaching out as if to say something to the lone youth, only to have her Captain gently touch her shoulder, stopping her. She looked back questioningly at the short Captain as he shook his head, wordlessly telling her it was best not to say anything. She gave the boy one last glance before turning and shutting the door behind her, leaving him in solitude.
Ichigo remained unmoving and alone in the room of the one girl who had risked so much to help him. He'd been left alone…they'd all left him alone. Inoue never would have done that. She'd always been there to help everyone, always smiling for them and offering kind words. She'd offer her soul up to the devil himself if she knew it would save her beloved friends from misery.
He knew she hadn't betrayed them.
He knew she deserved more than a dismissal and abandonment.
And he was the one that was going to bring her back safely.
… or else he'd die trying.
Orihime yawned and stretched as she shook the sleep from her bones. Pushing herself up on her elbow, she brushed a strand of hair from her face and glanced out the window. She had expected bright morning sunshine to greet her pleasantly. However, the darkness outside threw her off, nearly causing her to roll over and drift back to sleep. It was so unusual seeing a starless black sky in the morning rather than bright, inviting sunlight. She sighed. She sure was going to miss that sunlight…
The girl perked up immediately when she smelt something warm and appealing. It didn't take her long to find the trolley of food parked right at the end of her sofa, sitting there, tempting her with that delicious smell. Food always made Orihime happy, no matter the circumstances. Throwing the blanket from her body, she crawled forward and reached out to pull the tray closer.
"Get dressed, you have an appointment with Lord Aizen in fifteen minutes," a voice stated from behind her.
Orihime screeched at the top of her lungs and jumped right out of her skin as she spun around, locking eyes with her pale warden. "Ulquiorra." She exhaled in both relief and alarm and placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart frantically hammering against her ribs from the scare. "You frightened me," she confessed, certain that getting scared half to death was not a healthy way to start the morning.
"Clearly," he stated dryly and took a step forward to deposit a small pile of clothes in his hand onto the arm of the settee. "Your clothes have been washed, I will return in ten minutes. I expect you to be ready," he advised as he returned his hand to his pocket and began strolling towards the exit.
"Thank you for the blanket last night," Orihime quickly called out, hoping to catch him before he reached the door. He didn't stop or acknowledge her as he continued on, leaving her in silence. With another exasperated sigh, Orihime directed her attention back to the food waiting for her on the trolley. Breakfast would have to wait. Instead, she hurried as she grabbed her clothes and headed for the lavatory connected at the far end of her room, hidden in the corner. Pulling out her braid and washing her face, she prepared for the day. As she stepped out and straightened her blouse, Orihime snuck in a quick bite of fruit and waited for his return…
After Ulquiorra had retrieved her, she followed quietly behind him along the way. Orihime tried to take the opportunity to familiarize herself with the layout of the place. She knew it might take her a while to get the hang of it, but if she could get a general direction of where things were located, it may become useful to her at some later point in time.
However, any thoughts she had harbored of memorizing the labyrinth that was Las Noches were dashed upon the discovery that it was simply too large to accomplish such a task in even a remotely reasonable amount of time. Ulquiorra led her down halls and halls…and more halls. The journey seemed to be endless.
When he finally stopped before an open doorway in one of the long, narrow corridors, Orihime stood on her toes and peaked over his shoulder, curious as to what he was looking at.
She bristled when she caught sight of Aizen standing on a wide balcony at the far end of a large room, staring out into the vast desert of Hueco Mundo. "I'm glad to see you came," he said as he turned to face her. "Orihime." He smiled at her then and urged her to come inside.
Cautiously stepping out from behind Ulquiorra, Orihime moved forward, passing two young women standing guard within the room. "Sorry to have called you here so suddenly," he said casually as he navigated around a uniquely carved chair seated near the edge of the grand balcony. "There's something I want to show you." Placing a hand on the back of the chair, Aizen diverted his gaze to address the pair of female Arrancar behind her. "Loly, Menoly…please leave," he ordered dismissively.
"B-but!" they both protested, carelessly ignoring the simple order. "For us to leave Lord Aizen in the company of someone like her-!"
Aizen smiled.
Orihime immediately felt the energy in the room shift like a switch.
Apparently back talk wasn't permitted.
"P-please, excuse us!" They both bowed swiftly, falling to one knee and lowering their heads in hopes of gaining his forgiveness. Just as quickly as they had kneeled, they stood back up and stormed from the room, leaving hatred and contempt in their wake. "Who the hell does she think she is?" the spiteful brunette spat, passing a stony Ulquiorra on their way out.
Orihime shivered as she watched the pair leave. She'd never felt such animosity directed towards her person in all her life. Not by anyone in the living world or Soul Society, not even by Luppi.
"Now," Aizen drew her attention back to him with ease, as if he hadn't just forced those two women into submission with little more than a glance. "Would you look at this, Orihime?" he asked pleasantly, giving her a small smile as his hand waved gracefully over an invisible spot on the floor. Orihime watched as a light gust of air pushed out from the tiles and swirled the dust outward into a circle naught but a few inches in diameter. Slowly, a slender column arose from the tiling and with a light touch of his finger, the pillar slid apart, spreading out in a wave of multiple flat disks.
Orihime nearly jerked back when she saw what it revealed, what lay hidden within that pillar. She stood, staring in abject disbelief and shock at the small, glowing orb before her.
The Hogyoku.
It was such a strange feeling. The aura it gave off was equally magnificent and frightening.
Aizen smirked at her reaction. "It seems you know," he stated curiously. "This is the Hogyoku." He seemed to be genuinely pleased and spoke of it as if introducing her to an old friend. "It's weakened quite a bit due to the repeated and instantaneous awakenings," he said a bit dejectedly before continuing his explanation. "But it's clearly moving forward to complete a full awakening. Turning Hollows into Arrancars, the creation of the throne…neither is possible without the Hogyoku."
Orihime listened quietly, completely lost as to why he was sharing so much information with her. Nonetheless, she took it. She'd need it if she wanted to stand a chance of surviving this place. Though, not only survive it, but to help bring it and its master down.
"The fact that I'm showing you this, telling you secrets and confiding in you…consider it a privilege. Think of it as proof of my trust in you," he said, as if he had read her mind. It was unnerving and even more so when he began taking steps closer and closer to her. "Your powers are 'rejecting any phenomenon', denying the very fact that the occurrence ever happened and extinguishing the phenomenon." When Aizen came to a stop before her and his dark eyes looked into her own while offering the girl a silky smile, she felt her stomach churn. She wondered how someone so handsome could have ever become so wicked and dastardly. "It's an incredible power."
Orihime tried to stand her ground, refusing to back down from the intimidating aura that radiated from him in subtle but dangerous waves. She held her breath and felt her own pulse in her chest as he gently reached forward to tuck a soft strand of hair behind her ear with his well manicured fingers. "I need your powers, Orihime," he implored softly, a little too softly. She felt nervous and shaky and if she didn't remind herself to breathe soon she feared she'd pass out.
She flinched when he brought his hand down and caressed her cheek with the back of his knuckle, staring into her eyes as if he were casting a magical spell over her.
Orihime thought it was more like a curse.
"You'll use that power for me," he said, tucking his knuckle under her chin and lifting it to force her to meet his eyes. "Won't you?" When she didn't immediately answer, his fingers gave her chin a squeeze, daring her to deny him.
Orihime was quickly jolted back to her senses and she gave him a slight nod. "Yes," she answered warily, unable to hide the anxiety in her voice.
His smile widened. "I must say, I'm happy to hear you say that, Orihime." Aizen released her chin. When he straightened up and stepped away from her, Orihime regained just enough room to breathe once more. "Ulquiorra, would you come here, please?" he asked congenially as he turned and strode back to his chair, resting his elbow on its back as he stared out into the desert.
When Ulquiorra entered and came to stand beside Orihime, there was a brief moment of silence that hung in the air before Aizen spoke again. "I trust you have taken good care of our dear guest during her short stay here?" he asked.
"Yes, My Lord," Ulquiorra answered quietly as he stared into the back of his master.
"And if I asked Orihime the same question," he alluded slyly while peeking at the man over his shoulder. There was a clear and very dangerous gleam present in his eye. "She would give me the same answer?"
"I can only speak for myself, Lord Aizen."
"Very well," he said and directed his gaze back to the sands that lay outside the walls of Las Noches. "Orihime, has Ulquiorra been kind to you?"
Orihime parted her lips in surprise, unsure how to answer such an abrupt inquiry. Especially with the man in question standing right beside her.
Still, she'd hesitated, and it was obvious.
"Well?" Aizen urged and in receiving no answer, he continued. "If you are too afraid of him to speak, don't be. Ulquiorra is my finest soldier, and for a Hollow he is generally well tempered…but if he has somehow wronged you-" His tone darkened a little and Orihime panicked.
"No!" she blurted out, interrupting the man. "He…he's been very kind to me," she said and, after all, it was a partial truth at least. He had taken care of her.
Even from where she stood, Orihime could feel the tyrant smiling at her behavior. "Oh? I'm very relieved to hear such news, Orihime. I was becoming quite worried." He sighed briefly, seeming to pause for a moment to enjoy the fresh breeze that blew in from the desert. "Ulquiorra can be very…direct at times. However, he is still one of the best men in my army. I beg of you to forgive him any trespasses."
Orihime bit her lip and stole a glance of him from the corner of her eye, standing beside her like a statue. He hadn't even flinched at the ominous feeling Aizen had given off. He could've sent Ulquiorra to the gallows to have his head chopped off at the slightest whim and be none the poorer for it, and still Ulquiorra didn't seem to cower and worship Aizen like the rest of them did. It left Orihime to wonder at the power dynamics of Las Noches. Why would Ulquiorra follow Aizen if not for blind fear like most seemed to? A thirst for power? A righteous believer in the "cause"? Battle-hungry? She wasn't sure…he was simply too hard to read. Yet, one thing was certain, he answered to Aizen unfailingly and did as was bid of him without question.
"I have asked him to treat you with great care. You will be kind to him as well, yes?" Aizen asked over his shoulder again. It shook Orihime from her thoughts like an earthquake when she realized he'd been staring at her the entire time she'd been staring at Ulquiorra…and he'd been smiling about it the whole time, too, as if he found it amusing.
"Yes," Orihime quickly nodded and looked away. She was a little embarrassed, but hopeful that Ulquiorra hadn't noticed her none too subtle gawking the way that Aizen had.
"Good." She heard a small chuckle from him. "Now, I hate to dismiss you so suddenly, especially after calling you here on such short notice, but I do have very pressing matters to attend," he intoned ruefully as he shifted his weight from his arm and stepped forward to take a seat in the white chair he'd been leaning on. Sensing another presence enter the room after his words, Orihime glanced further down the wide opening leading to the balcony. She could just make out the edges of a silhouette there, her eyes catching sight of the back of a lone figure waiting quietly around the corner; a figure with pale, silvery hair that shimmered with lavender as the wind tussled its strands. "I must thank you for keeping me company, Orihime. I will call on your presence soon," he said and that was that. "Ulquiorra." With a wave of his hand sent over the arm of his chair, Aizen's single-word command called the pale man to do his bidding and escort the girl from the room.
"Who was that?" Orihime asked as soon as they stepped over the threshold, glancing over her shoulder again in hopes of catching a glimpse of the unknown person's face.
"It matters not," Ulquiorra answered and continued to lead her away from the scene in silence.
"Was that…Ichimaru-san?"
Ulquiorra didn't seem very interested in answering, but Orihime didn't need his confirmation to know. She was almost certain she'd seen correctly.
"It was him, wasn't it?" she said quietly, staring at the back of his head. Her brow furrowed in determination before she immediately turned on her heel and ran back towards the room. "Ichimaru-san! Ichimaru-san!" she called loudly as she neared the doorway, hoping she could reach him before she got caught. Unsurprisingly, she didn't get far. She gasped as Ulquiorra snatched up her arm just above the elbow. No sooner than she'd gotten those few steps, he'd already stopped her from getting any closer. With a simple tug, he easily jerked her back into place beside him. His cold hand gripped her bicep and his lifeless green eyes stared down at her, inciting Orihime to frown up at her warden defiantly. Her chin jutted outwards as her lips formed into a frown, glaring at him. "Please, I need to tell him something important," she implored seriously, hoping to reason with him.
"No."
"Let me go," she demanded evenly.
"No."
Orihime made a noise of frustration in the back of her throat, wishing, not for the first time, that her strengths lay less in healing and more in physical prowess. Her human body was frail and what muscle she did have was well formed, but weak in comparison. Though the man before her was slight of build, certainly not the largest stature she had seen, his hand had still easily encircled her arm with little difficulty. He'd overpowered her without even trying.
"I'm not leaving without speaking to him!" she cried with renewed determination. She wasn't going to give up without a fight.
Seeing that the girl was not going to come quietly, Ulquiorra swiftly pulled her forward and hauled her over his shoulder, locking his arm around her waist to keep her in place.
"Lord Aizen has dismissed you," he spoke evenly, unfazed by the single, feeble impact of her fist against his back - an action that even he could tell was more for show than any true aggression. "You should return to your room without causing a scene."
Orihime didn't want to cause a scene! She just wanted to talk with Ichimaru. More bubbles of frustration welled inside her, and with another half-hearted punch to his back Orihime gave up her efforts to escape and diverted her energy elsewhere. "Ichimaru-san!" She tried to call out to him again, hoping he could hear her if she was loud enough. "Ichimaru-san! I have to tell you something for Rangiku-san!" She pushed against Ulquiorra's back with her palms, trying to get enough leverage so she could watch the doorway as it faded into the distance.
Surely, he would come out so she could tell him. He had to. If it was for Rangiku, he had to…
Taking a deep breath, Orihime brought a hand up to cup her mouth to make her voice carry as Ulquiorra hauled her further and further away. "She misses you very much! And Kira-san, too! They miss you and still love you! She told me herself!"
Orihime paused to catch her breath and continued to watch the doorway. Her eyes never left the fading speck as he carried her off, waiting and hoping for him to come out and acknowledge Rangiku's feelings. When Ulquiorra turned the corner, completely cutting off her view, Orihime withered. With a deep, mournful sigh, she let her hand slide down his back as she gave in and dropped her head.
"Doesn't he care?" she whispered to herself as tears pricked at her eyes and grief struck her heart. "Doesn't anyone care?" Rangiku's face came to mind, her sorrowful eyes and heartfelt words.
Ulquiorra said nothing as he continued carting the girl back to her room, hanging over his shoulder and silently weeping. He felt her fingers dig into the fabric of his jacket against his lower back as she released a particularly despairing sob and whispered one last time,
"She loves you, Ichimaru-san…she told me so herself…"
As the moisture of her tears dripped onto the floor behind them, all he could seem to think was how utterly, completely human she was.
"She is quite an interesting girl, isn't she…Gin?" Aizen asked as he rested his chin in his palm. He was smiling out at the beautiful expanse of the desert, eyes closed as he listened to the girl's earnest cries.
Gin stood by the doorway, where he'd stopped just out of her sight, staring at the floor and silently listening as the girl's voice died off in echoes. With his mouth set in a hard, tight line, he turned and made his way back to the balcony. "Yes…" he said distractedly. "Yes, she is."
..
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TBC
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