Beside You In Time - Ch. 21

Chapter 21


"So this is my inner world?" Orihime asked tentatively. After watching the faeries nod, she turned around and nearly fainted at the sight that was waiting for her. There, at the "center" of her inner world, stood Ulquiorra. It seemed that all the colors that were swirling shapelessly around her were originating from him.
The center of my world, Orihime's eyes widened at the thought. He really did mean the world to her.

“Let’s get started!” An overzealous Tsubaki said loudly. Orihime nodded, not taking her eyes off of Ulquiorra, who stood unmoving and stoic as ever as colors flowed out of him like a waterfall that defied the laws of gravity.
“So what do I have to do?” Orihime finally tore her gaze away from the black-haired ex-Espada.
“Fight,” Tsubaki grinned. He was going to enjoy this more than he should. Orihime’s faced was set with determination as she took up a defensive stance.
“No, you have to attack us,” he smirked. Orihime’s stance faltered for a split second before she recovered and charged at the faeries.
For Ulquiorra-kun, she thought, solidifying her resolve to rescue him no matter what stood in her way as she clashed with the faeries that symbolized her powers.
Orihime managed to land one hit on Hinagiku before she was thrown back by Tsubaki.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Yes, he was enjoying this more than he should be.

Ulquiorra found it easier to sleep through the following days. Thoughts of morals and intentions of killing Aizen raced through his head when he wasn’t asleep, and he was plagued with images of Orihime taking comfort from Ichigo, forgetting he even existed. He had never imagined he would know what it was like to be in the role Orihime had been in when he had captured her.
He now knew what it felt like to hope and hope that that one person would come and save him. He now knew what it felt like to be weak, a prisoner.
A knock on his cell door made Ulquiorra’s eyes fly open; he always awoke quickly and without much yawning or stretching.
He was surprised to see the Taichou of the 4th squad and her Fukutaichou enter the high-security cell moments later.
Having learned that respect, even if he felt no urge to give it, would increase the people who didn’t see him as a threat, he bowed slightly.
“Ulquiorra Cifer, Yamamoto-taichou would like to see you,” the finality in his words were all the cue he needed.
It was time.

“Hah!” Orihime puffed, breaths coming in short pants. Her faeries lie on the ground exhausted and defeated. As Tsubaki fell from his knees to the ground, green reiatsu-like light rose from all of the little figures in front of her. It formed into an orb at Orihime’s eye-level and floated towards her.
Suddenly Orihime felt a rush of power and energy flow into her. Impulsively, she reached forward and grabbed the orb. She had to close her eyes as the orb burst into a blinding light and seeped through every shadow, dissipating all darkness.

With a jolt Orihime opened her eyes to see Yoruichi kneeling infront of her.
“And?” she raised an eyebrow questioninly.
Orihime grinned proudly. “I did it!”
She could feel awareness pulsing through her veins, and she just knew that she could open a Senkai Gate. Had someone asked her how she knew that she could do it, she wouldn’t have known how to answer. It felt like second-nature, an instinct she had long held buried underneath layers upon layers of subconscious barriers.

‘How ironic,’ thought Ulquiorra as he scanned the scene before him. Aizen Sosuke was bound and immobilized in front of him, on the very precipice where his journey had begun so many months ago. The same precipice that had Kurosaki Ichigo, his friends, the Onna, and all of the Gotei 13 despairing.
Ulquiorra breathed in, realizing that soon he would be allowed to leave this place, hopefully never to return, to see his Onna – to see Orihime – again.
He was handed a plain katana. He gripped the hilt tightly and examined the blade before him. It shone brightly, reflecting sunlight. The reflection of his green eyes stared back at him; a glimmer of an unknown emotion passed through them before he lowered the katana and slowly made his way towards Aizen.
“What will you do without me, my precious Cuatro Espada?” Aizen’s tone angered Ulquiorra.
“I will do more,” the ex-Arrancar stated, “than you could ever have envisioned when you created my brethren and me.”
For the first time, he allowed his hatred and anger to flash visibly in his eyes. He raised the katana, held it there for a brief moment, and swung it back, cleanly taking off his creator’s head.
The crowd that had gathered around him was silent.
The katana fell to the ground next to Aizen’s head.
Nearby, a Senkai gate opened.

Before Orihime could get her bearings, she felt a hand in hers. Her eyes widened.
“Ulquiorra-kun!” She flung her arms around his neck, tears streaming down her face. His name became a mantra to the young woman.
He couldn’t help the flutter that filled his torso in reaction to her obvious affection. “Onna.”
He gently removed himself from her embrace before placing a hand under her chin, tilting her head upwards. Orihime’s cheeks burned crimson and he lowered his lips to meet hers.
Although it was only a small peck, the couple knew that it was a symbol for something neither of them were prepared to say aloud.
Yoruichi cleared her throat from several feet away.
Orihime’s eyes widened; she had obviously forgotten that she had had a companion on her way from the World of the Living. Her companion simply chortled.
“I’ve got some business to take care of here,” Yoruichi stated. “You two can go ahead and head back.”
Ulquiorra nodded at her.
“Thank you, Yoruichi-chan,” Orihime smiled.
“Ulquiorra,” the feline woman turned towards him. “Urahara wants to see you as soon as possible back in the World of the Living. Something about a new gigai or something.”
A split second later, she was gone, having turned into a cat and sprinted off.
“Let’s go home, Ulquiorra-kun,” Orihime grabbed his hand, gripping it tightly.
He looked down into her eyes and saw something there that sent another jolt of flutters through his stomach along with a dose of fear. Fear of the unknown.
And love was completely uncharted territory for the Cuatro Espada.