The Furthest Planet From The Sun

by Mahi-Mahi

He took her away...far from the warmth of the sun.

23. Chapter 23

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CHAPTER 23

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Grimmjow yawned as he lay back atop a building within the dome of Las Noches, staring up at the sunny sky above. The shadows of the clouds passed over him slowly, moving on the breeze like wisps of cotton.

Another week had passed by without much action, filling him with a type of restlessness that was near insufferable. His fraccion were dead, Aizen wouldn't let him do shit, and he dared not set one foot near the princess, making his mind feel as if it were rotting away with the lack of stimulation.

Reaching down to his side, he pulled his Zanpakuto up to hold above his head. Pantera was silent in his hands as he slowly retracted the blade from its sheath, the whisper of steel sliding against the case an old familiar tune. The reflection of his sober blue eyes gleamed back at him in the once flawless metal, meeting his gaze in a blind, unblinking stare. He frowned at the small, almost barely perceptible crack that hadn't been there before. Its tiny, fractured presence a bitter reminder.

That bastard would pay for playing so dirty. He'd make sure of it.

He had no clue if the blade would or even could be mended. Perhaps he'd catch a break and it would just heal itself or some shit.

Yeah, right, Grimmjow scoffed at the thought. He should be so lucky.

With a quick snap, he shoved Pantera back into its sheath and dropped it onto the concrete beside him. Crossing his arms behind his head, he went back to his cloud gazing.

Ulquiorra had completely blindsided him. He hadn't even been expecting him to attack, didn't once see it coming, even though that was exactly what he'd been trying to achieve: to force his hand and make him fight.

The little prick was fast, though. Grimmjow had to give him that much. He was also much stronger than he looked. He packed one hell of a punch. Nnoitra was nearly as thin as Ulquiorra, but at least he had size on his side. Ulquiorra just…didn't. It kept his enemies underestimating him, which in turn kept them off their guard.

He was average sized and of an average build, but that's where the "average" comparisons ended. Nothing else about the man, from his looks to his monstrous strength, was average.

He wanted nothing more than to kick his arrogant ass, but as it currently stood, Kurosaki took priority. If he wanted to fight the boy, he'd have to get Ulquiorra out of the picture somehow. He'd gotten in Grimmjow's way one too many times. He was too much of a stickler for rules and would no doubt stop him if he tried to sneak out to fight the half-Shinigami brat. Ulquiorra seemed to love forcing others to follow orders, but apparently had no problem in skirting around them when it suited his purposes, mostly because he knew how to do it without getting caught. He knew how to bend the rules, rather than break them like Grimmjow did most of the time. Plus, as if to make it that much easier for him, Aizen had a particular liking for Ulquiorra that was impossible to miss. He gave him more assignments than any of the other Espada, more work, more praise, more attention, and he'd even given him his angelic little prisoner for safe keeping when Harribel would have clearly been a better choice.

All of that wasn't of interest to Grimmjow at the moment, however. He was downright itching for some action, the call of destruction singing in his blood like the temptation of a siren. The isolation of that solitary confinement had nearly driven him mental. All that quiet…it made him half insane just thinking about it. He'd been purposefully avoiding the princess before all that mess, and considering the trouble she'd gotten him into, it was no wonder. But when Aizen had locked him in that tower, he could hardly stand the fact that he couldn't go where he wanted, beat up whoever he desired, or even sneak into the fourth tower under Ulquiorra's nose to pick on the princess.

Just being around that girl made his brain go to shit. Though, the space he'd put between them had certainly helped. He shouldn't have been nearly as interested in her as he had been in the first place. Kurosaki was what took precedence, but just torturing her got him worked up and the sight of her tears was just as exhilarating as the sight of her smile. He wanted nothing more than to run Kurosaki through right in front of her face and savor her inevitable cries. At the same time, he also wanted to just sit around her and watch all of her weird emotional antics. Because how could she not be interesting when she seemed to fear him so little?

Grimmjow grit his teeth as her face came to mind…and then the memory of her twisted body laying on the floor.

Hell, he hadn't meant to knock the bitch into unconsciousness, but she'd really taken him by surprise. She'd probably want nothing to do with him anymore. If she was smart, she'd never even look his way again.

He could still picture the way she'd always smile up at him when he walked into a room, even if he'd done something terrible to her the day before. Didn't she care that he was a Hollow? Didn't she care that any of them were Hollows? Apparently it didn't matter all that much to her, in view of the fact that she was fucking Ulquiorra practically every night.

The smell on her, the little love marks that would peak out from under her collar, the way she couldn't even seem to walk straight some mornings…

Grimmjow groaned and ran his hands through his hair as a mental image of that pale bastard taking her came forward.

It pissed him off.

It pissed him off that he had no fucking clue what she saw in him.

It pissed him off that he wanted to fuck her just as bad.

It pissed him off that she was somehow able to get reactions out of Ulquiorra that he never could.

It pissed him off that sometimes the scent of sex on her actually turned him on.

Mostly, though, it pissed him off that it even got under his skin at all.

Sometimes, if he closed his eyes and relaxed, he could smell her lingering on his clothes, or feel the warmth of her skin from the times when she'd wrapped her arms around him. He could taste the salt of her tears in the air, or sense the brightness of her smile and hear the sound of her laugh.

He just wanted to shove her down and mount her until she screamed her throat raw. He didn't care where, or even if there were a hundred fucking people in the room. He'd screw the bitch until she couldn't see straight. He'd fill her up until he couldn't even smell Ulquiorra on her anymore.

With big, pouty lips and a body that was far too sinful to be human, she was built more like a succubus than anything mortal. Her eyes were large and innocent, and her cheeks were rounded and oddly adorable looking for such a beautiful visage. She was cherubic in every sense of the word, yet far too tempting to ignore. That ass of hers was downright criminal, but those breasts nearly drove him to distraction. Firm and shapely, she was a perfect hourglass, made with a tiny waist that begged to be gripped as he fucked her violently. If he could corner her after Ulquiorra was done with her, he wouldn't even have to work that hard. She'd still be wet, sensitive, and probably even loose enough that he wouldn't have to worry about stretching her all that much…all he'd have to do is hike up her skirt, spread her legs and shove himself inside her warm little…

"Fuck!" Grimmjow abruptly sat up, panting heavily from the vivid depictions plaguing him.

He had to get out of this place…he needed to pound his fist into someone's face, maybe find some whore to release his frustration on. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd gotten laid. Annoyingly enough, he knew it was before that bitch had shown up.

As if in answer to his wants, Grimmjow felt a faint surge of reiatsu flaring outside the dome's walls.

Someone was fighting out in the desert…

Slowly, a vicious grin spread across his lips, almost instantly recognizing the spiritual pressure.

It was Kurosaki's.

He was finally close enough to the dome to pick up on his energy.

Grimmjow could barely sense the presence of his little ragtag group of friends, their strength nowhere near comparable to Kurosaki's, not that he even cared about them. Killing them would only be icing on the cake.

With the boy so close, he could easily head out to intervene under the excuse he was protecting Las Noches. Quite honestly, even if he did get reprimanded, he really didn't give a fuck what Aizen said at this point. He knew what he wanted and like hell anyone was going to stop him, especially when Aizen was too busy ignoring the threat the little bugs presented. He was tired of sitting and waiting around. This was a war, for fuck's sake, and Aizen sure as hell wasn't acting like it. Blood should have long since been shed. Whatever the hell the tyrant was waiting for, Grimmjow didn't care.

Getting to his feet, Grimmjow slipped Pantera back into its rightful place at his side as he stared off into the distance.

Perhaps if he was lucky…he could get there before the fighting was over.

---

Ulquiorra paused in the middle of the hall, his eyes hardening as he slowly turned his head to glare through the wall to his left. The energy shift he was currently sensing beyond the cold white canvas had been unexpected and his pesquisa quickly narrowed in on several moving targets all at once…one in particular.

"That fool…" he uttered quietly.

Without ado, he turned on his heel and headed for the nearest exit.

His conference with Aizen would just have to wait.

It was about time he took care of this problem once and for all.

---

"Nel's spiritual pressure…" Ichigo turned to Bawabawa. "You're sure that they're here, right?" With a nod of its head, the beast rumbled what he could only assume was an affirmative.

Ichigo rubbed his face wearily as he squatted back down behind the large tree root their group was currently using as cover to stake out the Adjuchas' stronghold.

Nel and her self-proclaimed brothers had gone and gotten themselves kidnapped during their extended stay down here in the Menos Forest. They hadn't seen hide nor hair of the trio for nearly a week and a half now - Rukia even longer. He was downright tired and grouchy and pissed that he'd lost track of the Shinigami woman so easily. They didn't even know if they were moving closer or further away from that castle that they'd been striving to reach. Wandering aimlessly through this depressing place wasn't exactly what he'd call progress, especially when their crew was so fractured.

It was clear someone had been expecting them, as the Adjuchas that had attacked them had mentioned something about their group not measuring up to the opponents they'd been expecting. It was just like Runuganga, someone had forewarned them of their coming presence before they'd even set foot inside the forest. It was a bit unnerving to think about, so he simply tried to ignore it and focus on what was important, which was getting Nel and Rukia back.

Without the tiny woman by his side, he was really feeling the strain. After getting her back for those few short days, only to have her ripped from his grasp again…all he wanted was to get her back within reaching distance. She kept that wallowing darkness at bay, forcing him to wake up and pull himself out of the gloom. With her gone, he found that keeping his brooding temper in check was becoming more and more difficult.

Now, after blindly searching for their lost comrades, Bawabawa had finally picked up on a scent and they had followed it to this underground hideout. He'd hoped it would be Rukia they'd find, but even he could sense Nel's sloppy reiatsu inside.

Really, all he wanted was to get Rukia and Inoue and get the hell out of this miserable place.

Of course, he knew it would never be that easy…especially with everyone slowing him down.

Perhaps he should have come here alone, after all…

Ichigo quickly shook the thought from his head, locking it away somewhere deep and dark.

"What should we do now?" Chad asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Renji answered. "All we have to do is barge in and swipe them like the Hollows did. What else are we supposed to do? We can't just stand around and waste time. We have to find Rukia as soon as possible."

"Hang on, it's too dangerous to just barge in there without knowing the situation inside-" Ishida cut his objection short when all three men promptly ran past him and towards the stronghold, completely ignoring his words. "Hey! Wait a minute!" he called, hardly able to believe their stupidity.

When they charged into the den, only to find it completely empty, Ichigo frowned in annoyance.

"I guess that spiritual pressure I felt from in here was just lingering traces."

"We need to stay on our guard, regardless," Ishida reminded them. "Look around here, there's patches of moss and greenery, what does that tell you?"

"Uh…that Hollows like hiding out in dank, mold-ridden caves?" Ichigo ventured sarcastically.

"No, you moron!" Ishida snapped and then turned away to push at his glasses, reining in his temper. "There hasn't been any sign of life up until this point," he explained. "Even the trees were all nothing more than dead, crystallized remnants. Life doesn't just randomly grow in such harsh environments."

"We're getting closer to the castle," Chad supplied.

"Exactly." Ishida nodded in agreement, glad at least one of his comrades had some brains and was able to connect the dots. "Nel told us before that there was no water in Hueco Mundo, so nothing could grow. But here, there's life. My guess is there's water in that structure, probably tons of it. The runoff is likely feeding all kinds of life in the desert around it." Kneeling down to examine the green, mossy lawn, he lifted a thin blade of grass before his eyes and rubbed it between his fingers to test its strength. "It would be safe to assume only the strongest Hollows are capable of living so close to the palace, effectively chasing out the weaker, more vulnerable ones."

"Great," Ichigo said. "That means all the ones we've fought up until now have been nothing but small fry." He nearly sighed in frustration. Even if some of them had been pretty easy to beat, their sheer numbers alone had almost overwhelmed all of them. Not to mention, they'd been fighting nearly every hour on the hour for the past who-knows-how-many days. The place was infested.

"At least now we know it means we've been moving closer to the castle, rather than away from it." Chad tried to see the positive in the situation, though it wasn't much.

The sound of Bawabawa's incomprehensible rumbling grabbed their attention and they each looked up to see the massive beast attempting to convey some type of message.

"Did you catch their scent again?" Ichigo asked, momentarily wondering at his mental stability when he was stooping to the point of talking to a big, dumb worm. Then again, it did seem like the huge creature could actually understand him.

Bawabawa nodded his hulking head in confirmation and leaned down to offer them another ride, confirming his suspicions. The thing really could understand.

The ride atop Bawabawa was as uneventful as ever and it wasn't long before they reached another clearing and found the trio standing upon a cliff, looking pathetically helpless and scared. They kept their arms awkwardly tight to their sides and their legs as close as possible, each of them standing ramrod straight as if they were enduring some type of childish, second grade punishment. At least they appeared to be alright, despite their trembling.

"Hey!" Ichigo shouted, feeling his ire rise when they did nothing but stare back at him. Didn't these fools even know how to get down from a cliff by themselves? "What the hell are you guys doing up there? This ain't no party. Do you know how long we've been looking for you? What's the deal?" Still nothing but more trembling and sniveling. "I ain't coming up there to get your sorry asses if that's what you're expecting!"

"How dare you talk to us like that, bad guys!" Pesche shouted indignantly, but still refused to move.

"Yeah, once you save us, we're gonna teach you a lesson!" Dondochakka added.

"Is he serious?" Ishida sighed.

"Who knows, let's just get them down." Ichigo took a step towards the face of the cliff, only to pause as he heard Nel crying out to him.

"Itsygo! Run away!" she tried to warn him. "It's a trap!"

Too late did her voice reach them and a cero blasted directly into their group, taking them all off guard.

They barely managed to dodge in time as the scorching hot concentration of energy plowed into the ground where they had once been standing. Gillian emerged from the forest, peeking their large, dead eyes out from behind the trees. They howled and groaned as they sauntered forward, completely surrounding the intruders with their big, cloaked bodies.

Laughter peeled out from over their heads, drawing their eyes up to a pack of Adjuchas that stepped into view behind Nel and her captive companions.

"Don't move, Soul Reaper…don't move a single hair. If you do, the Hollows are going to eat them," one of the Adjucha cautioned, his face covered in a long, bird-like mask.

"They're really gonna eat us!" Dondochakka blubbered.

"Hurry up and save us!" Pesche bleated uselessly. "It's okay if you're bad guys…I'm cool with being saved by bad guys!"

"Damn it," Ichigo cursed, losing his patience. Those three really were nothing but a pain in the ass.

"It seems like you were trying to draw us out by using them as bait from the beginning," Ishida noted calmly.

"And that's not all!" the Hollow announced, like it was something to be proud of. "The guy who Lord Aizen placed in charge of this forest says that he wants to fight you one on one, so we drew you out. He can take care of that Ashido later. For now, you guys are his priority."

"Ashido?" Chad echoed, having no clue who he was talking about.

"That's why we made you come to this amusing little place."

"You call this place amusing?" Renji drawled sardonically, completely missing the supposed entertainment value of the hideous underground junkyard. "It's a fucking pit." The whole place was just dreary and dull, even a little creepy. Even the desert above held a more ghostly beauty to it than the forest.

"Silence," the Adjucha hissed. "You are here now and you can't escape. There's no running for any of you! Now, let's see if you're going to be worth the guardian's time…"

With a commanding wave of his hand, the Gillian opened their jaws and began gathering energy. Soon, bright red ceros started glowing in their mouths, casting the entire forest in a hazy shadow. When they released their attacks, Nel cried out as she watched the group become engulfed in the light. The impending explosion cracked the ground, leaving behind nothing but solidified glass from the sheer heat of the combined ceros melting the sand.

"Itsygo!" Nel screamed, the noise only drowned out by the Adjucha's laughter.

"Did we get 'em?" he cackled. "What?! Where did they go?" he demanded when he finally noticed the invaders were nowhere in sight.

In the blink of an eye, Ishida appeared above them, releasing a barrage of arrows to push the Hollows back while Ichigo and Renji swooped in to haul off their captives. It wasn't long before all of them were back together, their enemies having been easily defeated.

"Nicely done, Uryuu," Chad said, to which the Quincy merely nodded in silent acknowledgement.

"Thanks, Chad."

"Hahaha! We did it!" Pesche announced merrily, waving his arm in the air as he gloated like a glory hog.

"As if! You didn't do anything!" Ichigo shot back.

"Well, at least now we can get out of this forest." Renji rubbed at his nose, trying to hide the fact that all the mold surrounding them was making him want to sneeze.

"Alright." Ichigo stepped forward and scowled down at the dark-skinned Adjucha on the ground before him. He was the one Hollow that hadn't turned tail and ran like a coward during the relatively short counterattack. "Tell us where the exit is…and don't think I won't beat it out of you."

The creature cowed back, and then abruptly growled in anger as it realized how easily they had overtaken him.

"That won't be necessary," another voice answered in the Hollow's stead.

"W-what the fuck?" Ichigo jolted back as he watched another Adjucha saunter up from behind his cowering subordinate. The bulky silhouette of the beast quickly became clearer with every stride it took, each giant step feeling as if it shook the ground. With dark skin that gleamed violet in the scant underground light and a wickedly smiling mask, the opponent before him completely took the boy by surprise. "That guy is huge!"

"Are you the human called Kurosaki Ichigo?" the guardian asked, causing Ichigo to frown.

"How do you know my name?"

"I knew you were coming," he answered, his voice so deep and gravely it almost gave Ichigo pause. His beefy arms were practically bulging with muscle as he crossed them over his chest, showing off every little vein and tendon that popped to the surface. "In this forest, I know everything…and now I'm going to kill you, human."

"Keh, you're welcome to try…Hollow," Ichigo retorted.

The guardian's tail was coming at him even before he could catch his next breath, forcing him into instant defense.

"Ichigo! Be careful!" Ishida shouted from behind him. The girth and length on that tail was huge.

Getsuga's large blade blocked the next barrage of attacks as Ichigo scoffed under his breath at the Quincy's concern. "Just worry about yourself, dumbass!" he snapped back, noticing the wave of Gillian that were coming down on his friends.

It wasn't long before their entire group was locked in a conflict, with Chad and Renji slaughtering their way through the Gillian whilst Ishida peppered the few remaining Adjucha with his arrows.

Ichigo gasped in pain as one of the guardian's prongs grazed his side, completely bushwhacking from the left. He hadn't been expecting him to have such an attack, but now that he'd seen it, at least he would know how to avoid it.

Barreling forward, Ichigo lifted his sword and swung it down as the guardian's tail came charging at him again. With one brutal swipe, he severed the massive appendage. Blood sprayed through the air and the beast growled in pain. Shock contorted the Adjucha's masked features as he watched the boy emerge from the mist of crimson, bringing his blade down with surprising speed and mercilessness.

Forced to use his sonido, the sentinel bolted away, escaping death. The sandy ground where he'd been was ripped from the attack, leaving behind nothing but a deep score. The Hollow's eyes widened at the sight, staring as Ichigo's dark figure landed in front of him.

"You're stronger than that Espada said you would be," he remarked, causing Ichigo's eyes to harden.

"What Espada?"

If possible, the guardian's masked face seemed to grin even wider at this, noticing the coldness that suddenly overcame the boy's countenance. "The one that had that human female with him." He chuckled darkly, enjoying the way Ichigo's whole body stiffened. Once given all the puzzle pieces, it wasn't hard to guess why this mixed group of humans and Shinigami were here. It had something to do with that female. "You know, she was really delicious looking…too bad she had that scrawny bastard's scent all over her. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was fucking her, but she is just a human…so who really knows what-"

A garbled cry was all the sentinel was able to get out as Ichigo's blade was suddenly thrust into his abdomen, sending blood spewing from his mouth in torrents.

Hardly able to move, the guardian slowly lowered his eyes to the harsh figure standing dangerously close. The once young, almost innocent looking face of the boy was now stony and hard, his eyes shrouded in a frightening type of darkness that he'd never seen before, not even in fellow Hollows. "Never talk about Inoue like that."

The guardian coughed, forcing more trails of blood to run down his chin.

"Who was the Espada?"

"You…little…ack!" the guardian hacked violently, the air in his lungs seizing when Ichigo gently twisted the blade an inch to the left.

"Who was the Espada?" Ichigo's voice was low and dangerous as he repeated the question, the unforgiving look in his eyes telling the Hollow he had no option but to answer.

"I…I don't know…he never told me his name," the guardian heaved slightly, reaching up a shaking hand to grip the sword impaling him. He groaned when that sword slowly began to move upwards, dragging the sharp end of the blade closer to his chest in an excruciating symphony of pain.

"Wrong answer."

"No! I'll tell you! I'll tell you!"

When Ichigo only narrowed his eyes expectantly, the guardian took a deep breath to try and find his voice.

"His…his name is Ulquiorra. H-he was thin, with dead eyes and dark hair," he paused when blood came gurgling up from this throat. "His skin was washed out, like he was sick or something. He kept a mortal girl with him…red hair…huge tits. I swear that's all I know."

Without warning, the blade was yanked out of the guardian's body. The Hollow fell to his knees as Ichigo flicked his weapon free of its offensive blood and turned to walk away, needing nothing else from the beast.

"Thanks for the information." He didn't even look back as he headed to his awaiting friends, the rest of their enemies already defeated by their hand.

As he watched Ichigo walk away from him as if he were dirt, anger and incense filled the guardian. He'd defeated him so easily, it was degrading! And now he didn't even have the common decency to even put up the pretense of finishing him off?

"You should never turn your back on your enemy!" the guardian's raging voice suddenly shouted from behind him.

He charged Ichigo's open back, his yellow eyes blazing like a thousand suns of hatred for the young man.

Just as his fist was about to strike, Ichigo spun on his heel and brought his sword around with him.

The massive wave of black and red energy that was sent hurtling at the attacking Hollow seemed to make the dim light in the cave grow even dimmer. There was nothing white or pure about the reiatsu, and it only darkened everything in sight. The storm swallowed the sentinel whole, burning his skin and devouring him alive. The only thing it left behind was the sound of his dying cries and the thick, disgusting stench of scorched flesh.

Ichigo stood in place for several moments after, utterly silent. He stared indifferently at the blackened smear that spread across the ground at his feet, his every breath eerily smooth.

"Ichigo," Chad said, trying to stir the boy from his daze.

He didn't respond as he placed Getsuga onto his back.

"What did he say to you?" Ishida asked.

"Nothing," Ichigo replied monotonously as he walked right past their group. "Let's just find the exit and get out of here."

"The Hollows told us the exit was right over here." Pesche pointed out, his disposition ever cheerful.

"Are you sure?" Ishida turned to eye the area he insinuated. "They actually told you?"

"Yes, they even showed us."

"Why would they do that?"

"Because they said we'd never escape!" he laughed, apparently unaffected by the morbidity of that statement.

"I-Itsygo?" Nel stammered when her love interest only ignored them.

Ichigo didn't even stop as he continued towards the egress on the other side of the cavern. The aura around him was heavy, causing both Pesche and Dondochakka to skitter out of his way as he walked by.

"What the hell, Ichigo?" Renji grimaced at the sudden mood change. Ichigo always had been a brooder, but the whole 'man of darkness' disposition was really freaking him out. "You're acting like an ass."

"Shut up," he said. "We're leaving."

"What about Rukia? We can't just leave her," Renji reminded him and Ichigo abruptly paused.

That was right…Rukia. She was still here, still waiting for them to find her.

Just as the light began returning to his eyes, a slow, mocking clap echoed out from the dark passageway in front of them - their one exit.

The entire group stiffened at the unexpected sound, jerking their sights to the blackness that shrouded the source of the sarcastic applause.

"Who's there?" Ichigo demanded as his hand settled itself onto his Zanpakuto. "Show yourself!"

A deep, amused chuckle was his only response as the clapping died out into nothing but a fading reverberation on the stone walls.

"You know, that was pretty entertaining…Kurosaki."

Ichigo's eyes widened dramatically at the familiar voice, his heart leaping in his chest.

As if sensing his dread, a large grin appeared inside the shadows, sharp teeth gleaming like razors.

"I'm glad to see you remember me. It looks like you've gotten a little stronger. Taking out all those Adjucha like that…impressive. Then again, that guy was always pretty pathetic. I don't think anyone will be too sad to see him gone."

No one said a thing, prompting the voice to scoff at their shock.

"I guess all you weaklings forgot how to talk." He sounded unimpressed. "Ya know, the princess said you pests would come after her." A shadowed hand rose up to scratch at the back of the figure's head. "I almost didn't believe her at first, but when your asses showed up in Hueco Mundo, I actually got a little excited. Here I came all the way out here to see you, and now you can't even greet me with a proper hello…talk about disappointing," it chuckled quietly.

Stepping forward, the light gradually revealed the tall, muscular frame and wild, electric blue hair belonging to the Sexta Espada.

"Grimmjow…" Ichigo breathed, his body frozen.

Behind him, he could hear Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka's gasps of fright. Their voices quivered as they stared at the man, practically drenching the place in the scent of their fear.

"It's…it's Master Grimmjow!" Nel uttered shakily, her small hands clinging to her brothers for comfort and protection.

Grimmjow smirked maliciously at the sight of the boy in front of him, completely overlooking the other parties present. They held no interest to him, their open displays of terror not even inciting an amused cackle. All he cared about was Kurosaki.

"I'm sure you can guess what I came here for." He cocked his head back to stare down at Ichigo arrogantly.

As if yanked out of a haze, Ichigo snapped back to attention and gripped the hilt of his sword with firm fingers. They didn't need to spare many words between them. They understood each other perfectly well without them. "Don't think things will turn out like last time, Grimmjow." He narrowed his eyes at him.

"Oh? You mean that little bitch ain't gonna come running to your rescue again?" Grimmjow taunted. "I don't see her in your cute little fan club. Did she already die? How sad…"

"Enough of the chatter," Ichigo said. "If you're going to fight me then let's do this."

"Oh, don't tease me," the Espada drawled darkly.

"As if I would," Ichigo replied, his tone serious. "I'm ready when you are."

"Are you?" Grimmjow pulled a hand out of his pocket to flex his claws menacingly.

"Yeah."

There was a long pause between them as they glared one another down. The air became thick with tension and for a moment, a light breeze churned their clothing as their reiatsu began to build. It rattled the branches and churned against the old, thick layers of dead bark on the trees, creating hushed, crackling scratches that hummed like a harmony of insects inside the shadows.

"Itsygo!" Nel cried as they suddenly charged one another.

The next thing they knew, Ichigo came crashing down into the ground on the far side of the cavern, dust clouding the atmosphere. He quickly launched himself forward again, his form appearing as little more than a blur as he swung his sword at the Espada.

"Weak start, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow shouted maniacally as he easily dodged the strike, only to immediately slam his fist into Ichigo's gut.

"Ichigo!" Chad stepped forward as he saw blood spray out from his friend's mouth. The sound of his pained voice reached their ears, making it difficult for his three comrades to remain in place and not run to his aid.

"I know you can do better than that!" Grimmjow taunted as he spun and drove the back of his boot into the boy's chest, sending him plummeting back down to the dirt.

He didn't wait to follow after him, landing atop Ichigo and straddling him with a wild look in his eyes. He punched him once, twice, three times, again and again until blood was pouring out of his nose.

"He's not going to last like this," Ishida said through gritted teeth. They watched helplessly as Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo's hair and forcefully pulled him from the rubble. "We have to do something."

"You're right." Renji clenched his fists as he was also made to watch the one sided battle. "We can't just stand here…but if we intervene, we might end up just getting in the way."

Blood ran down Ichigo's brow as Grimmjow slammed him up against the wall and leaned in close.

"You know what I want, Kurosaki," he growled low. "So stop holding out on me."

Ichigo met the man's eyes with a defiant glare.

"If that's what you want…" he said quietly.

His hand slowly reached up, his fingers rigid as he covered his face and pulled forth his mask. The Hollow inside of him screamed as if it had been released. Power surged from his body, causing the walls and trees to shudder violently. The sheer force of the outburst threw Grimmjow back, separating him from his prey.

"That's it…" Grimmjow laughed darkly. "That's it!" His smile turned positively destructive as he darted even further back to avoid the sharp edge of Ichigo's blade. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" he bellowed as he was forced on the defense. Before he could get both feet on the ground, a flash of strawberry blonde hair entered his vision. Ichigo was in front of him, his leg coming up as he delivered a roundhouse kick directly into Grimmjow's diaphragm. The whoosh of air and blood that spewed from Grimmjow's mouth seemed to wake him up from his excitement, pulling an edge of seriousness onto his face.

In seconds, Grimmjow was met blow for blow. He was put on his guard, left with less room to attack as each of their strikes became almost evenly matched. With his position being driven onto the losing side, Grimmjow suddenly drew Pantera, blocking Ichigo's blade when dodging no longer became an option. Fueled by the moment, Ichigo pressed down harder and sent another huge burst of his reiatsu towards his enemy, shouting out with his chilling, Hollowfied voice.

"Shit…Ichigo! You have to stop!" Renji yelled when he noticed the crumbling layers of sediment coming down around them. "You're going to bring this entire place down on our heads!" They would be buried if they kept this up. Should their reiatsu go any higher, they were all done for.

"He's not listening." Chad narrowed his eyes as he watched the fight. There would be no positive outcome so long as they kept forcing their spiritual pressure higher, no matter who won.

"We have to stop them." Renji wracked his brain for a solution, but didn't find any that could be classified as worthwhile. They could always just charge right into the middle of the battle, but then run the risk of getting Ichigo killed by causing him to become distracted. Then there was the matter of Grimmjow. Even if they got Ichigo to calm down, if Grimmjow didn't also rein in his own strength, they'd still be buried alive. Sucking up his pride, Renji turned to the Quincy, knowing desperate times called for desperate measures. "Any ideas?" he asked.

He was surprised to find the young man's eyes directed elsewhere, his gaze discreetly aimed towards the shadows.

"Ishida?" Chad glanced at him, also noticing his tense stance. "What is it?"

"There's someone here," he said quietly.

"What?" Renji's eyes widened slightly as he whirled around to scrutinize the area the Quincy was watching like a hawk. "Another one?"

"I'm not sure," Ishida began uncertainly. "The energy…it's difficult to read. I almost missed it altogether."

The ground rumbled underneath them again from the fight, another tree falling to the dueling men's wrath.

Ishida's brow furrowed as he reached up to adjust his glasses, his back straightening slightly. "Whoever you are, there's no point in hiding anymore," he addressed the shadows. "We know you're here."

For a good while, nothing happened.

Then, like something unholy, shocking spectral green eyes slid open inside the darkness, glowing out at them from the inky depths of the forest. The pair of eyes hovered a respectable distance away, lingering outside their reach like two pinpoints of perfect marble. With irises so large and pupils slit so tightly, it was clear there was nothing human about the luminescent orbs that peered back at them.

"You're very perceptive," a deep, cold voice replied. Void of any emotion, the sound was as a caress of silk over raw, bleeding skin.

"I would like to say thank you for the compliment," Ishida said coolly. "But I have a feeling you aren't here for simple pleasantries, am I correct?"

When the owner of the voice stepped forward, Chad immediately tensed at the pale figure that came into view. That morbid stare and dense, quiet reiatsu was impossible to forget. "The Arrancar from the park…"

He'd seen the man nearly disembowel his own comrade just for stepping out of line. The same comrade that had utterly wiped the floor with himself, Inoue and even Ichigo, he'd smacked around as if it were nothing. He'd barely been conscious to witness it, but he could still recall the ease with which he blocked a head on attack from Urahara, only to turn around and slam his fist into his comrade's gut, hitting him so hard blood had coated his entire hand.

At his entrance into the light, none of them missed the way Pesche and Dondochakka snagged Nel up from the ground and dashed behind the nearest tree, Bawabawa hot on their heels. There were no words or even the usual cowardly outcry begging for protection, they exited his presence the moment the light touched his face. The sound of the child's whimpering could barely be heard over the roar of battle, her tears hidden as she buried her face in Dondochakka's colorful clothing.

"Who are you?" Ishida asked, only to be ignored as the man's green eyes slid over to observe the fight playing out.

"Attacking me is useless, Quincy," the Arrancar said plainly, causing Ishida to flinch in surprise when he realized he'd easily caught him dropping his Quincy bangle from his sleeve, even before the little charm had yet to slide past his wrist. "I have no intention of fighting you."

"Is that so?" Renji frowned. "You afraid we'll kick your ass or something?"

As if turning at the sound of an insect buzzing in his ear, the man angled his head fractionally to pin the redheaded Soul Reaper with his large eyes.

"What's wrong?" Renji said mockingly, a small smirk tugging at one corner of his lips. "You look like you're about to cry. Did I hurt your feelings?"

Seemingly unimpressed, he went back to watching the fight, which only irritated Renji further.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." Renji scowled, but only received nothing in reply. His temper began to rise at the brush-off, unused to being in the presence of opponents with so little fighting spirit. He didn't even seem interested in them. Still, Renji had enough experience to see there was something about the man that told him he wasn't as blasé as he appeared, which only pissed him off all the more to know he was deliberately writing them off. "Who the hell does this guy think he is?"

"He thinks we're not worth his time," Ishida supplied stonily, silently assessing the man before them.

"Keh, fine with me," Renji said. "The less we have to fight, the better."

"My guess is he's here to do something about that Espada." Ishida leveled the unknown man with an unwavering stare. "Am I right?"

After sparing the bespectacled Quincy a brief look from the corner of his eye, he calmly stepped towards the fray.

"If you want Ichigo Kurosaki alive, you would do well to stay out of my way." With that, he gave them his back and walked away, dismissing them.

"What a freak," Renji said.

"Maybe," Ishida added as they watched him leave, his smooth gait unfaltering in the face of the deadly amount of reiatsu the dueling men were emitting. "But his being here might be a good thing. If he's really here to do something about Grimmjow, then we might be able to get out of this without any casualties."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Chad interjected seriously. "We need to keep our guard up…I have a feeling things are going to get bad."

Not bothering to argue with him, Ishida and Renji remained silent in unspoken agreement, their expressions hardening with cold sobriety.

---

The sound of Ichigo's mask shattering sliced through the silence like broken glass.

Sharp, blistering pain split through his shoulder as Pantera cut deep into his flesh, the fragments of his mask crumbling around him. His time was up and he really didn't have enough energy to call it out again. He couldn't give up, he just couldn't, not with Inoue and Rukia still waiting. Unable to even stand a second longer, Ichigo fell to his knees before Grimmjow, his face twisted in stubborn refusal to acknowledge defeat.

Both their uniforms were torn and tattered. Blood coated their hands and faces, though Ichigo looked slightly more worse for the wear.

"You're out of time." Grimmjow grinned sadistically, every ounce the animal lacking humanly features.

Ichigo stared up in disbelief as Grimmjow's arm rose, Pantera glinting at him almost joyously.

"You're mine, Kurosaki!" he shouted as he brought his blade down.

Glee coursed through the Espada's veins like never before, his blood literally singing at the sheer prospect of finally claiming his rival's life. He soaked it all in; the look on his face, the glint of fear in his eyes, the way his body tensed up in preparation for the pain.

Pantera had just touched the hair on his victim's head when a figure materialized behind the boy.

"Grimmjow."

The sound of his name being called like that, in that slow, aggravating way that only Ulquiorra could, caught him off guard, stopping his attack in its path.

With the razor sharp edge of a blade inches from his nose, Ichigo's spine suddenly stiffened, his body trembling as he felt the air behind him drop several degrees. His pulse froze in his veins, filling him with a sense of dread. On his knees, he stared up into Grimmjow's eyes, which were focused on something behind him. He could see a reflection in those blue orbs, lithe and sleek and far too pale to be natural. Horror gripped his heart, spreading across his face in an angst-ridden mixture of unease and trepidation.

Something dark and quiet in the back of his mind suddenly came forward, whispering teasingly, monster.

"Have you already forgotten your orders?" The figure slowly moved around them, hands casually resting in its pockets as if it hadn't just interrupted a fight to the death. "Must I remind you of your place again?" No exasperation, no impatience, no emotion…nothing.

As the form gradually entered Ichigo's periphery, he turned his head, his wide eyes growing even wider at the sight that greeted him. "Ul…Ulquiorra…" he breathed raggedly.

At this, green eyes suddenly darted to him, their dark intensity cutting into him almost painfully. The sheer indifference that he was met with was startling, his presence commanding caution in the most silent of ways.

"How interesting that you know my name." He stopped beside them, seeming far too close for comfort even though he wasn't even within arm's reach. "I don't think I ever told you my name, though."

Ichigo clenched his fist around the hilt of his sword and glared up at the man sharply, but his palm was bloody, making the hold slimy and warm.

"I get it now." Grimmjow's harsh voice pulled Ulquiorra's attention back to him. "You're only here because you can't stand the thought of me killing Kurosaki. You want to steal my prey, you pathetic fuck."

Ulquiorra said nothing as Grimmjow pulled his sword away from Ichigo's head and faced him.

"Don't you have something better to do than get in my way?" Grimmjow scoffed at him, as if pitying his worthlessness. "Why don't you make yourself useful for once and try spending your time actually doing something productive."

Ulquiorra lifted a single eyebrow, causing Grimmjow to laugh at the microscopic reaction.

"Kurosaki is mine, so get lost."

"Leave the boy, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra ordered, disregarding the offensive abrasiveness of the blue haired man's surly attitude. "Return to Las Noches now and I will not report your insubordination."

"How charitable of you." Grimmjow grinned at him. "I'd love to take you up on that, but I guess I'm just not in the mood to listen to your bullshit today. I'll remember your kindness when I'm smashing your face into the ground."

"Ichigo!" Renji called out as he, Ishida, and Chad came running, glowering at the Espada intently.

Grimmjow leapt back as Chad's right arm smashed into the ground where he'd been standing, forcing him away from their wounded comrade.

"What pests." He frowned as he skidded to a stop next to Ulquiorra. Much less unenthusiastic with the selection before him, Grimmjow slid his Zanpakuto back into its sheath. Without a second thought, the three young men surrounded Ichigo, placing themselves directly between him and the pair of Espada. "So these are the ryoka that broke into Soul Society?" Grimmjow held back an unpleasant sneer. "I don't see what's so special about them."

"Don't underestimate us," Ishida said, his bow glowing at his side as he faced the threat before him without fear. So long as it was to protect a friend, fear would simply have to take a back seat.

"If you want Ichigo, you'll have to go through us," Renji added.

"How touching." Grimmjow sighed and reached up to rub the back of his neck in contemplation. "Were we supposed to keep these guys alive, too? Or was it just Kurosaki?" he mused aloud, unable to remember.

"They are trash," Ulquiorra answered for him, closing his eyes in disinterest. The words were spoken without inflection, utterly lacking in emotion, as if it was a simple truth being spoken aloud.

"I guess trash should be disposed of." Grimmjow dropped his arm and smirked at the three males. "Then again, they are the princess's friends…she might get upset."

"That is irrelevant at the moment."

"You bastard!" Renji cried out at their insulting repartee and charged forward, anger fueling him from their casual dismissal of both them and Orihime.

With sudden, sickening ease, his blade drove straight through the middle of Ulquiorra's chest. The subtle sound of his jacket ripping around the cold steel was like needles piercing the air, causing everyone to freeze in shock.

Ulquiorra's eyes shot wide, his body jolting back from the impact of reiatsu in the attack.

"Don't talk about our friend like that." Renji bared his teeth at him, his arms nearly shaking in anger at their cavalier references to Orihime and their blatant disregard of her feelings.

"He actually got him…" Ishida uttered in disbelief.

Slowly, Ulquiorra lifted his head, his large eyes meeting the enraged glare of the Shinigami. Pupils as black as night locked with Renji's, seemingly reflecting back far more light than the cave actually offered. Beside him, Grimmjow began cackling loudly at their naivety. The sight of Ulquiorra with a Shinigami's blade stuck in his chest was amusing as fuck, but now that he'd made the first move, chances were Ulquiorra wasn't going to let his attacker off as easily as he'd originally intended. The stupid kid was really going to get it now…

Renji's brow furrowed in confusion when Ulquiorra's hand began to lift out of his pocket. "Wh-what the fuck?" he said as the man's thin fingers came up and closed around his blade. Seemingly unperturbed, the Espada calmly pulled the offending weapon from his undamaged chest. "That's impossible…"

"Renji! Get out of there!" Ichigo yelled too late.

Ulquiorra suddenly jerked the sword towards him, bringing its wielder along with it. Lifting his knee, he drove his foot into Renji's chest, sending the young man careening back into the wall of the cave with an appalling crack of bone. Everything around Renji fell apart, the rocks crumbling down on him as he was instantly knocked out.

"How bothersome," Ulquiorra said as he glanced down to his torn jacket, lightly dusting the ripped material with his fingers. The sword had pierced him directly in his Hollow hole, leaving behind nothing but another ruined uniform.

"You'll pay for that!" Ichigo shouted as he struggled to get to his feet.

"Will I?" Ulquiorra dropped his hand back into his pocket. "You seem unusually upset," he observed. "I didn't even kill him."

Ichigo grit his teeth.

"Does it distress you to see your friends in pain?"

"Of course it does!"

At his answer, Ulquiorra studied the boy silently, as if internally debating something. He didn't have to think long before he angled his head slightly towards Grimmjow, his eyes still trained solely on Ichigo. "Get the others out of the way, but leave them alive."

"What? And leave Kurosaki to you?! Hell no!"

"Silence," Ulquiorra answered his rant with his usual cool austerity. "Now is not the time for your impetuousness. Do as I say or I shall kill the boy myself and drag you back to Las Noches to face Lord Aizen's wrath for all the trouble you have created."

Grimmjow's ire flared at the threat. "You underhanded cur," he hissed quietly. "You never play fair, do you?"

Ulquiorra merely shut his eyes, an action Grimmjow recognized all too well as his way of ending the conversation without having to say a word. Grimmjow knew Ulquiorra never bluffed, but at the same time he also knew Ulquiorra wouldn't go against Aizen and kill the boy. Not to mention, the princess would hate him until the day she died should he kill her beloved Kurosaki-kun…though, Grimmjow honestly didn't know if that would hold any weight against the heartless prick.

"Keh, fine." He relented bitterly. "But don't think I won't slaughter your ass if you lay one finger on him." With that said, he turned and charged the two remaining humans, effortlessly separating them from Ichigo. Arrows flew through the air as Ishida fought desperately to keep the powerful Espada at bay, leaving Chad barely able to keep up.

"Separating us isn't going to work," Ichigo said as he took a weak step closer to the figure in front of him. His body was aching and his reiatsu was dangerously low. Not only that, but his instincts were once again screaming at him not to engage this man in battle. He could feel the fear building inside of him, threatening to take over. He wouldn't stand a chance in his current condition. "We're still going to defeat you. We'll get Inoue back!"

Ulquiorra didn't appear moved by his claims.

"You wish to fight over the woman?" He observed the way Ichigo's whole frame tightened up at the mention of her. "You are wasting your time. Instead of fighting for her, I could simply take you to her."

All the air left Ichigo's lungs, his eyes shooting wide. "What?" he managed to say.

"You heard me. I could take you to see the woman. Is that not what you wanted? To be reunited with her?" Ulquiorra suggested smoothly, coercively. "She is safe inside Las Noches. I have protected her just as I said I would."

"You can…take me to her?"

"Of course," Ulquiorra replied simply. "All you have to do is come with me." With a snap of his fingers, a black, looming garganta opened up behind him. Not once breaking his stare, Ulquiorra's hand slid back into his pocket.

Ichigo's expression darkened. "You're lying."

"I assure you…I am not."

"I don't believe you."

"She talks about you frequently," Ulquiorra continued easily. "She seems quite desperate to see you again."

Ichigo swallowed hard.

"Can you really afford to pass up this opportunity?"

"Stop it…" Ichigo knit his brows as he tried to ignore his voice. "I won't fall for your pathetic mind games. I'm not going to fight you, either."

"Mind games?" Ulquiorra echoed lifelessly. "Is that what you think this is? How disappointing. It seems the woman will be quite distraught when I explain to her that the man she has placed all her hope in not only sold her off to war, but refused to see her when offered the chance."

Just like that, Ichigo rushed him in a blind rage, a battle cry on his lips.

"You're very predictable," a voice said from behind him, causing Ichigo's heart to drop into his stomach.

How did he…?

Not a second later, Ulquiorra's knee had embedded itself in the side of his head, sending him hurtling into the ground. Already worn and exhausted from his battle with Grimmjow, Ichigo was scarcely able to move due to the pain shooting through his body. His head was bleeding something fierce and his vision was fading fast.

Ulquiorra's thin figure was the last thing he saw standing above him before he quickly fell unconscious.

---

"Looks like Cuatro-san is late again." Gin crossed his arms lazily over his chest, his back leaning against Aizen's throne without a care in the world. "He used to be so punctual," he sniggered. "You don't think that girl is havin' a negative influence on him, do you?"

Aizen said nothing as his fingers drummed out a slow cadence atop the arm of his chair.

"Come now, Captain," he drawled, grinning at the silent man over his shoulder. "I'm sure he'll show up with a really interesting excuse. It'll be entertaining, at the least." On the other side of the massive room, the doors creaked open, the sound a harbinger of someone's arrival. "Oh, interesting indeed." Gin leered mischievously as he saw Ulquiorra's familiar outline come into view.

Aizen's eyes narrowed when he noticed the limp form slung over his shoulder.

"What's this?" Gin straightened up. Pushing away from the throne, he strode up to the edge of the podium to get a better view.

Without much care, Ulquiorra gripped the back of the unconscious body's uniform and pulled the person off his shoulder, dumping them at the base of the stairs.

Aizen's dark gaze somehow narrowed even further as the body rolled over to reveal strawberry blonde hair and the bleeding face of Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Ulquiorra," Aizen greeted. His tone was dangerously calm, yet at once bristling with a sinister edge that hinted at a terrifying amount of veiled displeasure.

"My Lord." Ulquiorra bowed in his usual manner, seemingly unaffected by the ominous air that settled around him. His pretense at propriety went unnoticed.

"What is the meaning of this?" Aizen asked, his chin still resting soundly in his palm. The aura around him spoke volumes to the fact that his subordinate had better have a good reason for disobeying orders and not only engaging the invaders, but actually bringing one into Las Noches…into his very throne room.

"Grimmjow attacked him. I had no choice but to bring him in."

Aizen said nothing at the mention of his most troublesome and trying Espada.

"Why is that not surprising?" Gin sighed, all of it making sense now. The man was damn near unmanageable, his behavior disruptive - even on the best of days.

"I sensed him leaving Las Noches this morning before I had the chance to report," Ulquiorra explained impassively. "My apologies for acting without consent."

Aizen's façade dropped into a small frown, seeing through the lie easily.

"You brought Ichigo Kurosaki into my court…did you think I would be pleased about this, Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra met his glare with cool indifference. "I shall dispose of him, if that is what you wish, My Lord."

Aizen's fist tightened on the arm of his throne for the briefest of moments. He knew exactly what Ulquiorra was doing…he was calling him out, daring him to order the boy killed. He'd dragged him in here bloodied and beaten and tossed him at Aizen's feet. It was a silent challenge; kill him if he's really as useless to you as you claim. He knew Aizen would never let Ichigo be executed so soon, and that's precisely why he'd brought him here; it was kill him or keep him.

It was aggravating to think his own subordinate had turned his games around on him, and no doubt for his own purposes. Ulquiorra was in many ways a perfect servant, obedient to his every command, but he could be just as clever…and that was dangerous.

It could also be useful.

Slowly, a nefarious grin lifted the corners of Aizen's lips.

If Ulquiorra wanted to play this game…he would gladly accommodate him.

He'd give him exactly what he wanted.

"That won't be necessary, Ulquiorra." Aizen smiled down at him, amusement glinting in his eyes. With a wave of his hand, a pair of servants entered the room and approached the boy, securing a dark red choker around his neck. "Place him with the girl."

Gin's eyebrow arched at the words.

"Thank you for bringing us this enemy, Ulquiorra. You have no doubt saved Las Noches a great deal of future grief," Aizen praised, leaning further back into his chair. "You've really outdone yourself."

Ulquiorra said nothing as he stared back into his master's knowing eyes.

"Since you brought him in, I'm leaving him under your care…do be gentle with him."

"Of course, My Lord."

"My, my, Cuatro-san." Gin chuckled quietly as he leaned over the podium and cocked his head curiously. "You're certainly going to have your hands full."

It wasn't a split second later that Grimmjow's destructive reiatsu flooded into the room, utterly lacking subtlety and etiquette.

"I'm gonna rip your brains out through your ass, Cifer!" he roared wrathfully.

"Oh dear." Gin's ever present grin dropped at the sound of his furious voice. "Someone's in a bad mood. What on earth did you do to upset him, Cuatro-san?" As if it wasn't already obvious.

Moments later, Grimmjow's muscular frame appeared in the doorway, practically radiating hatred.

"You lying bastard," he seethed. "You took my prey!" He'd murder the bastard and make him beg for mercy!

"How vexing," Aizen sighed, his eyes slipping closed as if he were suddenly feeling very weary.

When Grimmjow stormed towards Ulquiorra, he was just as abruptly stopped in his tracks as the point of an impossibly long blade pierced the ground in front of him. Cursing under his breath, Grimmjow looked up to glower at the source of the intrusion.

"I wouldn't do that, Sexta-san." Gin smiled down at him, unmoved from his position atop the podium. Shinso's hilt was held loosely in his slender fingers, its frighteningly long blade extended down to block his path. "Why don't you go back to your quarters and cool down?"

"Like hell," Grimmjow retorted. "Just stay out of this, Shinigami."

"Enough, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said, finally deciding to intervene when his patience with him began to grow short. "The boy is unharmed. Your anger is unfounded."

Grimmjow frowned at him, then lowered his gaze to the lifeless heap at his feet. "He looks dead to me," he challenged. "I don't sense any reiatsu from him."

"Lord Aizen has placed a collar on him to suppress his spiritual pressure," Ulquiorra answered. "He is currently as weak as any normal human. Should you attempt to fight him now, he would be defeated as easily as the woman. You would kill him with naught but a release of your reiatsu."

"What?" Grimmjow snapped, not liking the sound of that at all. He didn't enjoy weak prey.

"Grimmjow." Aizen's voice drew his focus up. "I hope you will treat our new guest with the same respect you have shown our dear Orihime."

Aizen smiled as he watched Grimmjow's eyes slowly widen in disbelief.

"Guest?"

"Yes, Ichigo Kurosaki is now a prisoner of Las Noches. I'm leaving him under Ulquiorra's care for the time being, so I suggest you defer your temper for a while. He's now just as important to us as Orihime Inoue. Do try to get along, yes?"

Grimmjow nearly felt his knees go weak as the news sunk in.

Kurosaki Ichigo - his prey - now belonged to Aizen…and he'd left him under Ulquiorra's control.

This couldn't be happening.

"Oh, it looks like we're about to have company," Gin said as he retracted Shinso. "I guess our little flower girl just couldn't wait until you got back, Cuatro-san."

Ulquiorra turned towards the door, sensing the woman's presence closing in on them. The sound of a dog's barking, along with the light chime of her laughter preceded her arrival.

Stepping away from the boy's body, Ulquiorra made his way over to the entrance to greet her, knowing full well there was a chance she would faint the moment she saw her unconscious comrade.

It didn't take her long to reach them.

His eyes slid open as he heard her voice calling out his name.

As she came into view, he wondered just how long that light in her eyes would last once she realized her beloved Kurosaki-kun was now just as much a prisoner to this place as she was.

---

Ichigo's head was throbbing painfully, causing him to groan miserably. He felt dizzy and disoriented, unsure if he was even awake or asleep. His stomach rolled from the sheer magnitude of the pain, resulting in an awful, bile-like burn at the base of his throat.

When his eyes slowly cracked open, he flinched back at the brightness that assaulted him, only to moan when the mere act of flinching caused a sharp jolt to shoot through his skull.

Where am I, was his first thought.

He was supposed to be in Hueco Mundo, wasn't he? All he'd ever seen of Hueco Mundo had been darkness and long, never ending planes of sand. This place almost seemed…sunny. He could almost swear he felt a warm breeze touching his bloody cheek, tugging at the matted hair that clung to the crimson liquid on his flesh.

The last thing he remembered was lunging towards Ulquiorra, and then nothing. Was he dead? He hoped not. He couldn't afford to die, not when Inoue and Rukia still had yet to be rightfully returned to his side. His family was still depending on him, too…and all his friends.

"Oh," a sly voice drawled from somewhere far above. "I think he's awake."

Ichigo thought he might be seeing some type of podium in his peripheral vision, but he could hardly tell with the way his blurry vision was currently playing tricks on him. Was that a person standing over him?

Unwilling to simply lay still and defenseless, Ichigo gathered his strength and forced his body to move. He pressed his palms into the floor as he rolled over onto his knees, and then came damn close to blacking out again from the shift in equilibrium. The movement also became a cruel reminder of the stinging cut on his shoulder. The flesh wound, however, was nothing in the face of the churning sickness making him just want to pass out again.

Why did he feel so weak? His head was hurting, sure…but why couldn't he feel his own reiatsu?

The sound of soft, happy laughter pulled his attention up, his heart nearly stopping in his chest as he instantly recognized the sound.

His eyes darted over to a huge pair of open doors in the bright room, his entire body tensing up in a mixture of relief, joy and horror.

"I…Inoue?" he whispered.

"Welcome back, Ulquiorra!" The girl danced up to the Arrancar standing beside the doorway and wrapped herself around one of his arms, greeting him with one of the biggest, most adoring smiles he'd ever seen.

Ichigo's skin went cold.

What was he looking at?

Why was Inoue, who used honorifics even with Tatsuki, talking to that Espada so informally? Why was she greeting him like a comrade? Why wasn't she terrified?

She didn't even look the same.

He hardly recognized her. The young woman before him, with her hair grown out and her smile so confident, was a far cry from the clumsy, stuttering redhead he knew so well in school. Long white skirts bobbed around her ankles, where a small pup pranced about energetically. Her skin was a little pale from the lack of sun, but there was something about her that seemed more developed, more mature than she used to be. Even her face, which somehow still retained its sweetness, appeared to be more defined and womanly.

Had she always been that beautiful?

"What took you so long?" Her chin rested on the Espada's shoulder, biting her lip and gazing up at him with a twinkling kind of mischievousness in her eyes. "You came back much later than you said you would."

She was pressed up against that man so tightly…

"I guess it's alright, though." She tugged at his arm, trying to urge him out of the room and follow her. "Come, I want to show you something!"

"Woman," Ulquiorra began, seemingly unaffected by her affection. "I have brought you something."

"Wha-? Really?" She beamed excitedly. "What is it?"

With a nod of his head, Ulquiorra motioned to the boy over his shoulder. Still grinning, Orihime leaned over to peek around his arm. Almost instantly, their eyes met and all the color drained from her blushing face, her expression slowly falling.

Ichigo could see her hands start to shake even from a distance, her small fingers suddenly clutching Ulquiorra's sleeve harder than they had been before. Her lips parted softly, as if catching a breath. At first, she looked completely horrified and Ichigo actually felt something in his chest break. Wasn't she happy to see him?

As if seeking permission for something, or perhaps just wanting reassurance, she glanced up to Ulquiorra in question.

When he merely nodded his head in consent, Orihime released his arm and ran desperately towards her wounded friend.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she cried, startling Ichigo from his daze.

In seconds, she was beside him, falling to her knees and throwing her arms around him. She held onto him so fiercely he could hardly believe it. Tears filled her eyes as she buried her face in his neck and sobbed, unconcerned for the blood she was smearing across her uniform.

Ichigo froze against her, momentarily numb to the pain in his head.

"You're here!" she practically wailed. "You're really here! I knew you'd come for me!"

Hearing her voice, so shaken and heartfelt, Ichigo found himself forgetting all the issues at hand. She'd been waiting all this time, expecting him to come for her. Hearing her words only confirmed it.

"I missed you so much, Kurosaki-kun!" Her hands clung to his uniform, as if terrified he'd disappear. "So, so much!"

And just like that, all the confusion and alarm drained from his body.

Sighing quietly, he brought a bloodstained hand up to rest on her head, pulling her closer as he closed his eyes in defeat.

"Yeah," he said warmly. "Me too."

At the sound of his voice, a whole new round of sobs erupted from her, causing him to smile lopsidedly.

"Hey, come on. Don't make such a scene." He rested his cheek atop her head, though his words were lacking any real exasperation or displeasure at her behavior.

"You're hurt," she noted belatedly as she pulled back enough to gaze up at him.

"It's fine," he replied, though he really didn't feel fine at all. "I'm just glad you're safe, Inoue." His hand dropped from her head to rest on her shoulder. He really hated to admit how worried he'd been about her, though he feared it showed on his face much too openly for his liking.

"That's really sweet, Kurosaki." The unexpected sound of Grimmjow's sarcastic voice so close to him instantly threw Ichigo into defense mode. He pulled Orihime closer as he turned to glare at the blue haired man, wondering how he'd ever missed his presence in the first place. "I never really thought you had such a soft side. I haven't seen the princess this happy since…well, ever." His grin was anything but pleasant.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo growled threateningly, ready to protect the girl beside him with his life. "Where am I? What am I doing here?" he demanded.

"You are in Las Noches."

Ichigo felt his skin crawl when Ulquiorra stepped up to him, reminding him of his presence. Just being in the man's vicinity felt like a cube of ice was running down the back of his neck, making him want to shake the repulsive sensation off and get away from his empty, otherworldly eyes.

"You…" he hissed disdainfully at the mysterious man, barely managing to get to his feet. The second he looked into Ulquiorra's green gaze, Ichigo knew he'd done this. He was the one who brought him here. Anger seared his blood as he thought of the man's manipulative efforts to draw him in, but when that didn't work, he'd simply knocked him out and hauled him in by force.

It pissed him off, because he knew that for whatever reason he'd been pulled into this mess, it couldn't have been good.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," a suave, masculine voice said from above him. As Ichigo whirled around, his eyes climbing the seemingly unending length of steps, his sights came to settle upon the image of a man that made his blood run cold.

Lazing confidently in his throne, with his dark eyes and casual smile, Aizen Sosuke stared down at him patiently.

"Welcome to my castle."

For a very real moment, Ichigo felt his knees go weak.

Then, just as abruptly, he hardened his features and placed himself between Aizen and Orihime, his hand darting over his shoulder to reach for his sword. When his fingers only came up empty, he looked back to find his Zanpakuto missing.

Aizen merely lifted a hand and propped his chin upon his knuckles. "I hope you don't mind, but we were forced to remove your Zanpakuto for the time being," he said, already knowing Ulquiorra would have been shrewd enough to disarm him before bringing him here.

"Give it back!" Ichigo shouted, his reiatsu rising with his temper.

However, as he felt the heat of his spiritual pressure begin to surge through his veins, it was just as suddenly sucked from his body. Gasping from the cold shock, Ichigo dropped to one knee, completely unable to gather his strength, or his breath. It was as if someone had dumped a bucket of freezing water over his head, sending his system into shock. Orihime was instantly by his side, her small hands grabbing his arm as she tried to help him stay upright.

"I'm afraid we also had to place a suppressant on you." One corner of Aizen's lip tilted upwards in sadistic amusement. "I do hope you'll forgive us for the trouble."

"Wh-what's going on?" Orihime's eyes darted from Grimmjow to Aizen to Ulquiorra, seeking answers. Her mind was seemingly just starting to catch up to the reality of the situation. The bliss she'd felt from seeing her friend was gradually evaporating into panic. "Why is Kurosaki-kun wearing a collar?"

"Really, princess?" Grimmjow chuckled. "You didn't actually think he was here to save you, did you?"

"Ulquiorra?" she said as she looked to him uncertainly. "What does he mean?"

"It means your Kurosaki-kun is just another prisoner here…just like you, Orihime-chan." Gin smiled down at her.

Had she not already been on her knees, Orihime would have fainted.

"You…you brought him here," she breathed, not once taking her eyes off Ulquiorra. "You did this, didn't you? You're going to trap him here just like me."

She suddenly felt very short of breath. Her lungs constricted tightly and her clothes rubbed at her skin in all the wrong ways. A wave of cold heat swept up her body, making her nauseous. Her hands started shaking as she began to hyperventilate. Anger, hurt and heartbreak warred inside her mind, while at the same time the logical side of her searched frantically for an explanation. An explanation she couldn't find.

Her chest ached.

"I…I think I'm going to pass out," she gasped and placed a hand to her forehead, fighting a losing battle against the darkness creeping into the corners of her eyes. Her blood pressure skyrocketed and just as she reached out for stabilization, Ichigo's arms caught her, stopping her from hitting the floor as she blacked out.

"Inoue!" Ichigo gently shook her in concern, trying to wake her.

"Goodness, what a scene." Gin sniggered to himself. "Whatever are we going to do, Captain?" He tossed Aizen a maliciously pleased glance.

"Take her back to her room, Ulquiorra," Aizen ordered as he stood from his throne and left the room, apparently done with them all. "You're all dismissed. Do make sure our new guest is made comfortable, yes?"

When Ulquiorra stepped forward to retrieve the girl, Ichigo quickly pulled her close and glared daggers at him.

"Don't even think about touching her," he warned, his arm secured tightly around her shoulders.

"Do not make it harder on yourself." Ulquiorra seemed unfazed by his aggression. "Resistance is futile."

"Fuck you," he grit out. "I'm not your prisoner and neither is she. You're delusional if you think I'm going to follow any of your orders."

Unperturbed by his claims, Ulquiorra pulled a hand out of his pocket and calmly crouched down in front of him. As he reached out to Orihime, Ichigo instinctively tried to pull the unconscious girl nearer to his chest. With a gentleness that was far too threatening to be genuine, Ulquiorra lightly trailed the back of his knuckle across her cheek, tucking a strand of her fiery hair behind her ear.

"If you wish for the woman to remain unharmed, then I suggest you do as I say."

Ichigo tensed at the shockingly blatant threat, stunned that he hadn't even tried to veil it with subtle intimidation.

Not for the first time since waking up here, Ichigo felt a sense of dread settle in his gut; thick and heavy like cement. Staring up at the menacing man before him, he began to wonder if this was a situation he could even get both himself and Inoue safely out of. They had fallen into a trap, and now they were at the mercy of some of the most powerful, bloodthirsty creatures he'd ever come across.

Hanging his head, he tightened his arm around Orihime.

He had to protect her.

If that meant bending to their will…then so be it.

"I'll carry her," he finally said, trying hard to conceal the defeat in his voice with anger.

Apparently unconcerned about who carried the girl, Ulquiorra stood up and turned away.

"Follow me," he ordered.

Ichigo didn't have a choice but to obey.

---

"Place her on the bed." Ulquiorra waited beside the door to a small room, clearly expecting Ichigo to enter.

Ichigo hesitated outside the threshold, his prideful fighting spirit silently rebelling at every small command he was given, no matter how insignificant. All he wanted to do was lash out and tell him to shove all his orders up his ass. The mere thought of 'obeying' anyone was nearly making his blood boil.

Seeming endlessly patient, Ulquiorra merely remained in place. He saw the rebelliousness in Ichigo's eyes, and did absolutely nothing to show he gave a damn.

Ichigo scowled internally.

The creepy bastard could probably stand there all night without even blinking.

Another shudder ran down his spine, once more trying to ignore the strange sense of fear and disgust he held towards him. It was something indistinct and undefinable, the way one look was all it took and he could just tell death was this man's shadow. Even Aizen wasn't quite so intimidating in the same ways Ulquiorra was.

Deciding he'd stood there long enough, Ichigo finally relented and stepped into the room. A large bed sat on the far wall under the window, with a sofa to the left and some type of vanity to the right. A single chair and table sat across from the couch, the only source of color seeming to be the vermilion colored rug on the floor.

The place was cozy enough with all the furniture, but the high ceiling, barred window and barren walls still made it feel incredibly cold and depressing. The darkness in the room only added to the atmosphere, leaving the white walls looking grey and lifeless.

Doing as he was told, he moved over to the bed and gently placed the unconscious girl atop the mattress.

"What am I supposed to do now?" he growled the question bitterly over his shoulder.

When he didn't receive an answer, he turned to see a plainly dressed Arrancar carrying a small load of white fabric into the room. He frowned at the creature, easily distinguishing its role as a servant from the dark clothes and hideous, mask-covered face. It kept its head down the entire time, never once looking up as it deposited the material on the arm of the couch and promptly left.

"Take off your clothes."

The order came as a shock and Ichigo's brow furrowed in a grimace.

"What?"

"You are a prisoner of Las Noches now. As such, you will dress appropriately." Ulquiorra stood in the doorway, his slender build seeming to literally and figuratively block him from escape. In the poorly lit room, the backlight from the hallway outside cast his silhouette in sharp contrast. Thin as he was, it did nothing to detract from the disquieting vibe his figure cut, the horn of his mask only adding to the ominous aura whispering around him. It was as if the very air surrounding him was stagnant, stilling into something dead and unmoving. "Your current garb is unacceptable. Remove it."

"Over my dead body." Ichigo clenched his fists at the very idea. "Like hell I'm going to be your prisoner and dress like you, too." There was no way he'd let them take part of his identity away.

"Need I remind you of the consequences?" Ulquiorra said as he walked into the room. "Do you really think your pride is worth her life?"

"Fuck off!" he hissed, hardening his features as the man stopped only a few feet away from him.

"I told you to take off your clothes, Soul Reaper. Your uniform is offensive to Lord Aizen's authority," Ulquiorra began stoically. "Is this something you understand? Or shall I strip you naked and parade you through the halls until you accept your place?"

Ichigo's eyes widened at the threat, wondering if he'd actually follow through with it. Though his words lacked any real inflection or hostility, something told him he wouldn't hesitate to fulfill it.

"Damn you," Ichigo cursed as he gave in. Eager to get out of the man's immediate vicinity, he stepped away and forcefully began yanking off the layers of his kosode and shitagi. Tugging them violently out of the waistband of his hakama, he moved over to the couch where the servant had placed his new uniform. He winced as he carefully peeled a layer of torn, crusty fabric away from his wounded shoulder, frowning when he noticed how deep it really was. "What did you do with my Zanpakuto?" He glanced back for an answer, only to have his hackles rise at the sight of Ulquiorra's hand pulling Orihime's hairclips from her temples. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he snapped. "Get your hands off her!"

"The woman cannot be allowed to use her powers around you," Ulquiorra explained as he collected the tiny ornaments in his palm and stuck them in his pocket. "She will no doubt attempt to free you once left alone."

"So you're just going to leave us defenseless?"

"You're not defenseless. The woman is not so weak." Ulquiorra retreated from the bed and made his way back to the door. When he paused just before the threshold, Ichigo watched him with dark, brooding eyes. "Your Zanpakuto is safe. It will be placed under a seal along with the woman's hairpins." With that, he turned and left the dark cell, closing the door quietly behind him. As it creaked shut, his last words drifted through the air, a reminder to their hopelessness. "Do not bother trying to escape, you will not get far."

Ichigo felt despair fill his heart as the room was swathed in darkness, leaving everything still and silent. Save for the light of the moon outside the window and the scant beams that crept in under the door, everything was shrouded in shadows.

His fists clenched in self-loathing as he stood in the middle of the room, his head lowered in guilt.

He could feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as anger flooded him.

How the hell did he ever let himself get into this mess?

More importantly, how was he going to get Inoue and himself out of it?

This was all his fault…

---

Orihime had suffered another horrible nightmare, the first one in weeks. Ichigo and Ulquiorra had fought once again in some obscure place in Las Noches, only instead of being forced to watch Ulquiorra die a gruesome, harrowing death, it had been Ichigo who had fallen at her lover's hand. Her brain had short circuited, hardly able to accept what her dreams were showing her.

Ichigo never lost. Never. Not even if he was knocked down a thousand times, he'd just get back up again.

She'd cried in hatred and heartache, desiring nothing more than to curse the man responsible to the lowest pits of hell, but unable to find the words.

She had been relieved to finally wake up and escape the sick distortion of reality. It had been too much and she didn't want to be a part of it anymore…she didn't want to be a part of any of it.

Coming to, Orihime rubbed at her eyes as she awoke. Rolling over, she reached out, wanting nothing more than to curl herself around the lone safety net she had. Her arms went to wrap around the body she expected to find there, but when emptiness proved to be her only companion, she frowned in confusion.

Sitting up, she was surprised to find herself in her own room. She never slept in her own room anymore…

When her eyes suddenly landed on the lone figure on her couch, her eyes widened in disbelief.

Ichigo sat in the middle of her sofa, hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees like some great weight was pressing down on his shoulders. He glared at the floor as if he could find all the answers there, seemingly lost to the world. His hands were clasped in front of him and his head was hung slightly, making him look so deep in despair that Orihime felt her chest constrict painfully. He was dressed in white Arrancar garb, the look so strange and alien on him that it was almost too heartbreaking to look at him.

It didn't take long for everything to come rushing back to her.

Oh, no, she thought miserably as her face twisted in anguish. No, please no. Tears filled her eyes as she lifted her hands to cover her mouth, fighting just to hold back her sobs. She shook her head, desperately praying that it was just a dream, that he hadn't been trapped here just like her, that he wasn't really there.

Sensing her eyes on him, Ichigo lifted his head and met her gaze.

When he did, Orihime felt her heart shatter.

"Kurosaki-kun." She broke, doubling over as she let out a pained wail. "I'm so sorry."

"Inoue." His desolate expression dropped into one of pity, his brown eyes softening.

"They brought you here," she cried into her hands. "And now you can't escape because of me." He didn't have to tell her, she could piece together the situation easily enough. They'd probably threatened her life to prevent him from fighting back, and now he was stuck here in this place with her. "This is all my fault!"

The touch of a hand on her head snapped her out of her grief and she looked up to find him standing above her, smirking as if nothing was wrong at all.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said. "I'll have us out of here in no time. It's nothing to cry about."

Orihime's lower lip quivered as she gazed up at him, hardly able to believe how strong he was. She'd practically snapped on her first night here, yet here he was, so confident and unafraid. It brought things back into perspective, reminding her of her own promise to become stronger. Ichigo was so prideful, and yet even under the humiliating crush of the collar around his neck he wasn't giving up.

She couldn't slip back into how things used to be just because he was with her again. Yet, that's exactly what she'd done. She'd bowed her head and started crying around him like she usually did, while he was forced to be the brave one…just to make her feel safer. Being stuck in here must have been bad enough, but being stuck in here with a wailing female in need of comfort was probably much worse.

Guilt assailed her before she quickly reined it in. Remorse wouldn't make them feel better, it would only bring the gloomy atmosphere down even further than it already was.

Reaching up, she hastily rubbed the tears from her eyes and smiled at him.

"Yeah, you're right." She laughed nervously to hide her shame. "I believe in you, Kurosaki-kun. I'm sure we can figure this out."

Just then, she noticed the blood that was still on his face and hands. Gasping at her own neglect of his wounds, she went to call on her powers, only to find them gone.

"M-my hairpins!" she nearly shrieked in panic. "They…they're gone!" Her hands frantically patted around her hair, and then in the bed, searching for her missing fairies.

"Ah, that," Ichigo said as he dropped onto the edge of the bed, his hands hanging between his knees as he stared up at the ceiling. "Ulquiorra took them. Said he didn't want you trying to break me out or something."

Orihime's heart thudded in her chest at the mention of his name, though she couldn't tell if it was from pain or something else. It kinda felt like both. At least she knew if her fairies were with him they'd be safe. He must have locked them away somewhere under a seal, seeing as she couldn't sense them. After all, it was he who taught her that she could use them without them needing to be attached to her, but now she couldn't even call on them no matter how hard she tried.

Swallowing thickly, she slid out of the bed and made her way over to the bathroom to get a towel for him.

"Here," she said as she stepped back into the room, holding the damp rag out for him. "I'm sorry I can't heal you, but maybe a cold compress will help."

Ichigo blinked at her for a moment before taking the proffered towel. "Thanks."

Orihime rubbed at her arm nervously as she watched him wipe some of the blood away before pressing the material to the side of his head where a fairly nasty looking bruise was forming. The white of his eye also looked disturbingly bloodshot, the sclera completely shaded in crimson.

"The uniform looks…good on you," she began uncertainly, suddenly feeling a little awkward in his presence. Though she really didn't like the uniform on him, she just wanted something to say. It had been so long since she'd seen any of her friends and now that she was around her ex-love, it was…strange. Had he changed? What should she talk about? How were the rest of her friends?

Ichigo scoffed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back as the cool rag took some of the throbbing away. "Yeah, right. This thing just pisses me off having to wear it," he replied noncommittally.

Orihime eyed the pale garment closely, noting the standard hakama and long jacket. It was simple, but not very original, clearly something that hadn't been tailor made like hers. In fact, she was quite certain she'd seen a similar design on a few servant Arrancar before.

"Ishida would probably laugh his ass off if he saw me now."

"I-Ishida-kun?" She perked up slightly at the mention of one of their friends. "How is everyone?" She was trying not to think about it, but if Ichigo had been defeated and brought in…what had happened to the rest of their group?

"I'm not really sure." Orihime watched as his eyes slid open and became hard once more, still glaring at the ceiling as if he could see through it. "They were alive the last I can remember. They were fighting Grimmjow at the time, so I have no idea if they escaped or not."

"I…I see." Orihime swallowed again, trying not to let her distress show at the news.

"I'm pretty sure they're fine, though. That Ulquiorra guy seemed pretty adamant that Grimmjow didn't kill any of them."

Orihime's eyes darted back to his. "H-he did?" she voiced hopefully.

Ichigo cocked a brow at her sudden question.

"Sorry." She smiled nervously. "I was just thinking if he really said that, then maybe everyone was really okay."

"Don't worry about them. We need to concentrate on getting you out of here."

Orihime nodded reluctantly, wanting to protest the thought of him placing himself in any danger just for her sake, but she remained quiet, still unable to voice her opinions around him now that he'd been thrust so suddenly back into her presence. It was her fault that he was here, anyways.

"You should probably try to get some rest," he said as he stood up.

She dropped her eyes to the floor, not feeling tired in the least.

"Um…there's a bathroom right there," she said as she watched him head back to the couch. "It has a shower and everything. I'm not really sure why they placed us in the same room, but you're welcome to use anything here…it's not really mine, anyways." Thinking only of his comfort, Orihime pulled two pillows and a blanket from her bed and carried them over to him. "It gets really cold here, especially at night." She offered him the bed dressings and he gratefully took them. "And don't mind the shadows…or the noises. Las Noches can be a little frightening at first, but you get used to it."

She hated the look of pity that suddenly crossed his face. He must have thought she'd been miserable here. Well, she had been pretty lonely and depressed in the beginning, but it wasn't so bad now. Was that wrong of her to have found some happiness in this place?

"Kurosaki-kun, I…" she hesitated. "I just…never mind." She sighed in defeat and covered her tracks with a weak smile. "I hope you sleep well. And don't worry about me, we'll be fine if we're together."

"Yeah." He smiled at her, though it was small and didn't even come close to reaching his eyes. "Thanks, Inoue."

After that, he leaned back onto the couch, folded his arms behind his head, and closed his eyes, clearly pretending to go to sleep. She knew he probably wouldn't get much rest, if any at all.

Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, she turned to her chifferobe and grabbed a fresh pair of nightclothes. When she emerged from the bathroom, she returned to her bed and slid under the covers, also pretending to find enough peace to get to sleep.

---

Orihime tossed and turned restlessly. She'd spent uncountable hours alternating between staring at the ceiling and the wall, tallying up each spot and imperfection. The silence in the room was deafening and the lack of a solid, steadily breathing chest under her cheek was nearly driving her crazy.

She wanted the walls to just close in already, just so her mind could be pulled out of itself. As it were, nothing happened. The floor hadn't swallowed her up, the ceiling was still in the same place it had been when she laid down and the walls hadn't moved, either. The moonlight creeping in through the window seemed to be the only living thing, stalking across the floor with amazing slowness.

She was wide awake with no hope of sleep in sight, not with so much on her mind.

Having Ichigo here was just too much, too unexpected.

Hurt and anger coursed through her at the possibility that Ulquiorra had been involved.

She didn't want Ichigo here. She didn't want him to be a prisoner of Aizen like she was. To see his rebellious yet kind spirit chained down utterly broke her heart. She wanted nothing more than to free him of this place, even if he'd only been here a few hours in comparison to the months she'd spent stripped of her freedom. She'd gladly stay years if it meant her friends' happiness.

Why had Ulquiorra captured him? Why did he have to put him in her room where his presence was a constant reminder of their reality?

Orihime clenched her eyes shut as tears pricked at her vision.

She didn't understand.

Ichigo had said Ulquiorra hadn't been interested in hurting her friends. Those words alone lifted some of the weight on her chest, allowing her some space to breathe. They also offered hope.

He hadn't seemed very concerned about hurting Ichigo, either.

There had to be an explanation. She was just jumping to conclusions…wasn't she? He worked for Aizen, but clearly he wasn't such a terrible foe if he'd spared their lives. She didn't know much about how their hierarchy worked, but she could tell Ulquiorra usually had special privileges that the other Espada didn't. He probably could have gotten away with trying to kill them, but he didn't even make an effort.

Taking a deep breath, Orihime ran a hand down her face, wondering why she was making excuses for him. Because, in the end, that's all she knew they were; excuses.

She turned onto her side, wishing desperately to see him. Just so she could talk to him.

Her fingers splayed over the cool fabric of the pillow next to her, wondering at how she ever used to sleep in an empty bed.

She should stay mad. She didn't want to be around him right now.

It didn't matter what the situation was, he'd brought one of her most beloved friends to this place as a prisoner. She simply couldn't stand for that. Truth was, she'd always side with her friends, no matter what. They'd been there for her through thick and thin. She'd never abandon them…least of all for a man.

A man that she was beginning to question why she ever loved in the first place…

A villain wasn't the type of man she wanted to give her heart to.

Orihime shifted slightly in her bed to glance over at Ichigo. He had rolled over at some point during the night to face the back of the couch. He looked very still…perhaps he had actually been able to fall asleep.

Turning away, she tucked her sheets up closer around her head.

If he was asleep, she could sneak out to talk to Ulquiorra. He was probably still up.

Orihime clenched her eyes shut.

She couldn't leave Ichigo here like that, not when he'd been ripped from their friends even more violently than she'd been taken from the Senkaimon. He must have been just a little bit scared. Even if he tried to hide it, anyone would be frightened of being brought to a place like Las Noches.

Daring another peek, Orihime checked to see if he had moved at all.

After a few more minutes went by and she checked yet again, only to find he hadn't stirred an inch, Orihime felt her hands pulling back her covers without her permission.

Her heart felt heavy, but she'd only go see him for a bit, then come right back…she needed answers.

When her bare feet touched the cold floor, Orihime had to forcefully swallow back her guilt. Her eyes remained trained on Ichigo's back as she edged past him towards the door. Her heart was in her throat, dreading the moment he woke up and rolled over to ask her what she was doing.

Relief surged inside her when she was able to reach the door and slide it open as quietly as possible without disturbing him. A sliver of light pierced the room as it creaked open, sending her shadow darting across the floor in long, hideously deformed shapes.

Orihime paused to cast one last guilt-ridden glance back at the young man sleeping on her couch.

Then, pulling the door shut behind her, she glided silently out into the hall.

---

Orihime didn't even knock on his door as she struggled to crack the massive thing open. She was glad to see the lights were still on when she slipped inside, knowing that meant he was likely still awake.

As she closed the door behind her, she noticed him stepping out of his closet, tying up the drawstring on his night pants. She'd probably just caught him before bed…he only got changed when he was about to lay down.

Why did it please her to know these useless things about him?

He glanced over at her as he paused outside the closet, gazing at her as if he'd already known she was there.

She tried not to look back at him as she crossed her arms behind her back and leaned against the door.

A pregnant pause lingered between them and Orihime made sure to keep her eyes glued to the floor, her head stubbornly turned away from him.

"Why did you bring him here?" Her voice was hushed, serious.

"It unsettles you to have him in Las Noches?"

"Yes."

He didn't reply.

"Why?" she asked again. "I want an answer."

"Grimmjow was going to kill him. There was no other option," he explained. "I thought this was what you wanted, to have the boy with you."

Her eyes shot up to his, anger glittering in their depths.

Ulquiorra's brow dropped fractionally. "You are displeased."

"I didn't want him to be trapped here like this." She frowned at him. "I don't want him to be a prisoner like me!"

"You yourself said he would come for you," he continued, unaffected by her emotional response. "You should be glad. At the very least, I was able to spare his life."

"Life doesn't mean anything if you're just some prisoner, some tool to be used and disposed of!"

"Are you insinuating your life currently holds no meaning?"

"Don't twist my words." Orihime clenched her fists behind her back.

"It is your logic, not mine." He made it a point to remind her. "You would rather I killed him?"

Her shoulders sagged slightly, her expression twisting into one of pain. "Please don't say things like that."

More silence.

"Swear you won't hurt him."

"You know I cannot do that."

Orihime quickly looked back down as frustrated and hurt tears filled her eyes. She didn't want to argue with him about it. It really should have been obvious to him. In fact, she was fairly certain he knew exactly how she felt about it, he was just being a deliberate jerk. She hated the fact that he'd practically doomed Ichigo along with her, but it was just as frustrating to know he'd also been responsible for saving his life.

It meant that all of her anger wasn't truly founded, not really, not when he'd spared Ichigo from a death at Grimmjow's hand…even if saving his life meant cursing him to this place along with her. It wasn't like he'd specifically gone out there to kidnap him. She knew Grimmjow's impulsiveness got the better of him most of the time, chances were Ulquiorra had done Ichigo a big favor by saving him. Even though it didn't feel like a favor…

At least like this, they still had a chance to get out together.

Still, a part of her knew it was something she'd never be able to forgive Ulquiorra for. She had known Ichigo would never be able to rescue her without having to go through Ulquiorra. He would only let her go through the price of death…or the direct order of Aizen himself. Now, her warden had found a way to control even that.

Silently, she made a vow to herself to find a way to get Ichigo out, even if she couldn't go with him.

The tears finally escaped her control and ran down her cheek, each one silent and sad.

The touch of a cold hand on her face pulled her gaze back up. More tears filled her vision as she met Ulquiorra's piercing eyes, feeling the way they dug into her very soul.

Why was he looking at her like that? Like he couldn't figure her out…like the sight of her sorrow intrigued him…like he wanted something from her but he just didn't know what. Normally, all she received was a vacant stare…but she couldn't help but feel slightly shaky when he looked at her like he was now. It was just one instance in the small handful of times she could remember looking into his eyes and not seeing nothing but a glass reflection of the world.

Without a word, his knuckle dipped under her chin, lifting her head as he leaned down to press a kiss to her lips.

There was something strangely repentant in the way he moved so gently over her, forcing a quiet sob from her that he merely swallowed in stride.

"Please don't hurt him," she whispered into him, scarcely able to choke back her cries.

She pressed her eyes shut as his thumb softly swept over her cheek, removing the tears.

Despite her anger at him, she craved the closeness of having him near. She was discontent and his calm presence soothed her.

Pulling her hands out from behind her back, she slowly spread them up his bare chest, feeling every grooved ridge under her fingers. With her brows still drawn in distress, she pushed up onto her toes and returned the kiss. She welcomed the cool sensation of his skin on hers, offering no protest when the back of his hand trailed from her face, down her neck and then lower to tease the space between her breasts. His fingertips were like phantom threads passing over her heart, feeling the way it trembled and sped up at his touch.

She could taste him mixed in with the salt of her tears, driving her further as one of her hands slid over his shoulder and pulled him down in silent demand. Her other hand gently pressed her palm into his chest, savoring the hard security of his body. She had only just started to pull back when he suddenly leaned further down and covered her mouth with his, causing her to gasp.

His hands were gliding up her thighs and cupping her backside, lifting and pushing her back into the door. Her legs slithered around his waist as he settled between them, fitting so perfectly against her that it almost seemed unreal. His tongue thrust its way past her lips as hers rushed forward to meet him, deepening the kiss and completely taking her breath away.

"Ulquiorra," she sighed against him, his lips devouring every syllable. "I need you…please. "

His hips rolled into her in answer, letting her feel the thick hardness growing in his pants.

It wasn't long before he'd tugged her panties aside and was thrusting into her, each plunge reaching deep into her tight sex.

"Oh…oh, god," she panted deeply at the sheer intensity of it, her hands clinging to his back as if her life depended on it.

His lips pressed into her temple as she turned her face into his shoulder, his hips rocking into her in a slow, steady rhythm. She could feel his shuddering breath in her hair and on her skin, the sheen of sweat building on his back, driving her to rake her nails down his flesh to rest against the top of his firm backside. She pulled his hips to her, wordlessly begging for him to go deeper, to take her until she split apart in his arms.

"Please," she kept sobbing, again and again, because it was the only word she could manage.

His hands squeezed and rolled her against him, granting her whispered, tearful pleads for more. He moved with a heavy sort of intensity, each thrust struggling to penetrate her as far as her body could manage.

Orihime buried her face further into his shoulder, submerging herself in him as he brought her closer and closer to completion.

She didn't care how long he took, she just wanted to stay with him like this…to never part ever again, with their bodies moving in a constant ebb and flow. She couldn't even tell if she was crying anymore.

He filled her to the point of bursting, stretching her in all the painfully sweet ways. He felt like a flood inside of her, rushing into her again and again, spilling over and leaving nothing behind but ravaged land.

She could do little more than sink her nails in to hold onto him, not caring if he took all night to finish, so long as she was with him.

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TBC

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