Life Before Death

Chapter IX "No don't!" A girl screamed. The chain attached to her chest bounced around noisily as she tried to run away. A long extended limb quickly wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. "You don't understand, I need you to look pretty for me." A sly voice whispered against her neck. "You'll be so beautiful!" It reassured her. "Just think, I'm so close to perfecting it, you might even be the one, you might stay in that beautiful form long after you've gone. Wouldn't you like that?" he asked her, sounding hungry. "Nooo!" She cried loudly. "Stop!" Ishida's voice sounded over her scream, and the arrancar looked up from the girl, his eyes widening. "A Quincy...." He spoke softly. "You would look beautiful too..." It pondered the thought, toying with the girl in the long extended limb, tossing her around gently. "Perhaps there's some way I could join your two together... I haven't tried that yet, it would... Yes, it would be interesting to say the least." "Not gonna happen." Ichigo landed right beside Ishida, his Zangetsu drawn in his right hand. "Who are you?" Ichigo demanded. It was the arrancar from the night before. The figure seemed to sway with laughter. "My collection is going to be so beautiful this time!" he sounded thrilled. "And judging by your reiatsu, I might grow strong enough to make it last! I'm so close!" "What does that mean?" Ishida asked him, lowering his Quincy bow. "Hoho, there's no point in telling you when I can simply show you." A second extended limb surged out after Ishida, but his arrow cut it off. "Ow, that wasn't very nice." The arrancar pouted, another limb replacing it. "They can grow back." Ishida noted. "Yeah, I caught that." Ichigo sounded irritated, but they both shut up as several more limbs sprung out towards them. "Watch out Kurosaki!" Ishida threw himself at the shinigami, both of them landing just out of reach of three limbs. "You're still-" "I know!" Ichigo growled. "Is it the drug still?" "Who the hell told you?" Ichigo leapt up just in time to miss another limb. "Renji." "That bastard." He growled. "Awww, you're both far too serious, I need to make sure my methods don't grow stale, so if you'll excuse me." The arrancer raised his hand up over the girl, peering down at her with hungry eyes. "I'm going to make her everlasting!" "Santen Kesshun!" Orihime's shield managed to separate the girl from the arrancar. It took her a moment to recover, but she managed to scramble away from him, and found Orihime holding her hands out to keep up the barrier. "Thank you." The girl whimpered as she crawled over to hide behind Orihime. Ichigo saw her and began to rush over, but just at that point he heard the Arrancar gasp loudly. "Oh.... You... your beauty..." he began. "I don't think so." Ichigo growled at him, sending a rippling Getsuga Tenshou towards him. The thing evaded it easily for the most part, only suffering a few scratches. "No no, I must. You look so..." He took a deep breath, drawing closer to Orihime. "It's just so-" "No." The two of them turned to see Ulquiorra land just in front of Orihime. The girl that they were defending saw him and screamed, worried that the arrancar's reinforcements had shown up. "You'll leave her." He warned the new hollow. "Oh?" It responded to him. The thing was still for a long time, for a moment it pondered the possibility that this hollow was protecting them, but then it fell back a bit, his eyes widening. "You're..." He began, but stopped. Ichigo jumped as the thing's limbs rushed out, more than just a few, they all rushed towards Orihime, Ulquiorra and the spirit. "I must have you." He droned, his voice different now, desperate. "Ohhh, I must have you again." It groaned, the arms winding to reach Ulquiorra as he took a hold of Orihime, leaping just out of reach. A few well-placed Ceros took care of most of the limbs, although they didn't land quite on target, the power of each seemed to fluctuate greatly. The arrancar growled furiously. "Please!" It cried. "I made you so beautiful." Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshou acted to distract the thing. Ulquiorra rushed off quickly. Using sonido, he managed to lose the hollow and hide himself and Orihime on the other side of a building in an alleyway. "Th-thank you." Orihime shivered, leaning up against the wall. She looked sideways at Ulquiorra. He himself seemed out of breath, and in fact, his eyes were widened, almost fear stricken it looked. "Um.." She spoke softly, reaching out to him. Her wrist cracked loudly as he hit her hand away out of impulse. The hollow turned to see what he'd done though. She was cradling her wrist, but still looked at him with those caring eyes. "I'm sorry. Does it hurt." He asked, ignoring the state he was in himself. "It's fine." She laughed softly, she didn't make the mistake of approaching him again, she only shook her head and nodded to him. "Are... Are you ok?" She asked. She'd been around him enough to know that the expression he had a moment ago was not customary of the espada. "I'm fine." He told her, taking a deep breath and assuming his stoic expression once more. "Do you walk home alone?" He asked her. "What?" That was a little unexpected. "Usually, but Matsumoto and Hitsugaya are staying with me, so usually, at least, Rangiku-san walks home with me now." "That's not enough." He told her. The espada turned from her to look around the corner. "I don't understand." She told him, but he didn't answer her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "He doesn't know where we are, I'll take you home." He told her, placing a surprisingly gentle hand on her back and leading her out of the alleyway and into the evening sun. "Um, why are you-" "And tomorrow, I'll escort you home from school." He told her, taking his place beside her. Orihime kept an eye on him, then laughed softly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "Did that amuse you?" He asked her, wondering if he'd said something wrong. "It did. It's just... you're acting like a parent." She told him, smiling warmly. The hollow's eyes softened a little when he saw that smile of her's. "I didn't have any parents for the most part." She told him, turning her smile towards him. "Why do you do that?" He asked her curiously. "Do what?" she asked confused. "You were still smiling when you said that." He pointed out. "Oh... I... I think I'm just used to it. There's no sense in being upset over it, right?" She asked him. Ulquiorra thought about it. "I mean, I can be happy about the time I had with them, and my brother, but they wouldn't want me to waste any time over being upset that they're gone." The more he thought about it, the more he realized the small similarity they both shared. The only different was that his prevalent emotion of choice was indifference, rather than bitter sweet serenity. "You would have made a terrible hollow." He told her, looking straight ahead again as they walked. That time she laughed again, it was a real one, not one to cover up any pain. "Really?" She said, trying to calm herself down. "You would have left a complete life behind, nothing to lose yourself in." "Like... revenge or something?" she asked him timidly. The hollow slowed some. "I see the boy has divulged you in what little he's learned of me thus far." Ulquiorra sighed. "It's interesting, it makes you seem more human I guess." "Human?" He pondered that for a moment, catching up to her. "Do you like the thought of being human?" She asked him seriously. "It's just, that you seem to think about it a lot." "I think that..." he began, and continued on down another smaller alley towards the girl's house. "Even while I was hollow I had forgotten what it felt like." "To be human?" Ulquiorra nodded. "But it's not something that pains me, it's just something that is. So don't concern yourself with that." He reassured her as they both came to a stop a short distance from her house. "I keep thinking about it..." Orihime looked back towards where they'd come from. Ulquiorra tilted his head to one side, encouraging her silently to continue. "You and Kurosaki... you're a lot alike in some ways." She smiled. "How so?" She hadn't planned on voicing them, but she'd couldn't just say that and then not say anything else. "Well... uh, you both seem determined, and you both only seem to fight people who interest you. To an extent I think." That wasn't the biggest similarity to her though. "Well..." She blushed. "You both lost your mother's. Actually, they were both taken away, weren't they..." Ulquiorra looked surprised that she knew that, but understood. "And you both seemed to continue on in life, instead of dwelling on it. Neither of you let it stop you from doing great things." She smiled at him. "Ah! Orihime-chan!" Matsumoto rushed out to her without her gigai, her zanpaktou drawn. "Are you ok?" She asked. Orihime only nodded, smiling at her. At that point, Ichigo and Ishida showed up, surprised to see them both together. "You just took off, again." Ichigo said to Ulquiorra, quietly, while the others surrounded Orihime. "I assume you missed where the arrancar seemed interested in the girl." Ulquiorra sounded reluctant to realize any fault in what he'd done. "My point is, you ditched us, just like you did last week." Ichigo growled at him. "Perhaps this isn't the best place to discuss it." Ulquiorra suggested to him, letting Ichigo notice the concerned look on Orihime's face. "Ah, Inoue, sorry. Are you ok?" He asked. She smiled at him warmly, nodding. "What... happened to your hand?" He asked her, reaching out for it but not touching it, afraid that it might be sore. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine Kuro-" "I struck her." Ulquiorra said plainly, leaning in to examine it. "You'll remember to ice it." He told her, and she nodded to him. "You what?!" Ichigo turned on him, taking a hold of the espada's collar, that didn't do anything, Ulquiorra simply made eye contact with Ichigo and then remained quiet, his expression unfaltering. "No! Kurosaki-kun it's fine. It was my fault anyway." Orihime pulled him away from Ulquiorra. She pushed them all I the direction of the shop while Matsumoto headed inside, waiting for Orihime. "Inoue..." Ichigo began, but she waved her hand at him. "Oh, Uh, Ulquiorra." She said timidly, having never really called him by that name. "I don't have school tomorrow, so... the day after tomorrow?" She smiled at him. He nodded to her, and then followed after Ichigo and Ishida. "What's that mean?" Ichigo asked him sternly. "What does what mean?" The hollow asked him. "School!" The boy snapped at him. "What did she mean by that? You two have a date or something?" "Is would be inappropriate if that were the case." Ulquiorra pointed out to Ichigo. "How would it be inappropriate?" Ishida inquired. This was the typical dating age for them, maybe not Ulquiorra, but for Orihime. "I didn't tell him." Ichigo informed the hollow. He was guessing it was because Orihime looked like his mother. "Oh? You've been telling others though, right?" Ulquiorra questioned the boy. "No, I've been writing it down, I'm using it for an assignment." He let Ulquiorra in on his master plan. "I see." "I don't, I'm still lost." Ishida reminded them. Ulquiorra waved a hand dismissively to let Ichigo know he was fine with it. "Orihime looks exactly like his mom." The strawberry explained. "Ohhh. That would be somewhat ironic. A little Oedipus Rex, huh." Ishida joked, which flew straight over Ichigo's head. "Precisely why I'd like to avoid that." Ulquiorra agreed. "That still doesn't answer what ever you two were talking about." Ichigo reminded him. "I'm not confident in that woman and her Taicho's ability to protect Inoue Orihime. The arrancar could attack her while she walks home." He looked down at the ground to ponder this some more. "He could attack while she's at school too." Ishida pointed out. "I realized that..." Ulquiorra slowed down some. "Wait..." Ichigo tried to jump in. "There's no way to be sure that he won't try that." Ishida added. "I know." The hollow sounded concerned. "You guys-" Ichigo panicked. "We're there all day, but..." Ishida hinted. "I suppose it can't be helped." Uqluiorra sighed. "No, No! Wait!" Ichigo stopped them both. Ulquiorra only stopped to face Ishida, the Quincy looking at him in agreeance. "You'll have to enroll in high school." The Quincy confirmed. "No!" Ichigo nearly yelled. "I don't want you in the same class room as me!" "Kurosaki, this isn't the time to stake out your territory. Inoue-san is in danger, we need all the help we can get, and you had to die and turn into some monster just to beat him. He might just be perfect for the job." Ishida tried to defend Ulquiorra. "You're alright with this? He's still technically an enemy." Ichigo pointed out. "Do I really threaten you that much?" Ulquiorra looked. "I'm just... not comfortable with you... in the same room as me for longer than necessary." Ichigo tried to hint to Ulquiorra. "Is this about what Renji mentioned earlier?" Ishida asked "What'd he say?" Ichigo looked devastated. "Well, I don't think I need to tell you... It's not a huge deal, Kurosaki." Ishida told him. The strawberry was redder than one, and more than a little pissed. "I was wondering if it was simply the boy or if your society is really so different." Ulquiorra said. "It is in some places, but I think here it's a little more accepted." Ishida sighed. "In some places, young boys are hung for it." Ulquiorra wrung his hand around his own neck absentmindedly. "I see." "Hey, are you really going to be there on Monday?" Ichigo asked Ulquiorra, his voice indicating that he'd already given up the fight. "I am, but we need to talk before then." He warned the boy, just as they waved Ishida off as he turned down his street. Ichigo nodded to the hollow, just wanting to get to bed. "Is it gonna be awkward?" He asked him. "If you make it so, yes." "What are we talking about." Ichigo asked. "You're interest in my past. It's unhealthy, I want you to stop." Ulquiorra told him. He was vague, but straight to the point. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to persuade Ichigo. The boy nodded at him, but bit his lip. That wouldn't work. "Can you tell me how it ended?" He asked, maybe he could get an idea and just alter the story a bit. "No." Ulquiorra told him flatly. He didn't leave the boy with much of a choice. The rest of the commute back was quiet. Ichigo found the room he was sharing with Renji and crawled back into his own body. It was still dirty from the day, and so he needed to bathe. As the boy entered the bathroom, he walked in on Ulquiorra leaning over the sink, a fair amount of deep red liquid was being washed down the drain. The hollow had his hand over his mouth, and the other held a tissue up over the hollow's hole in his neck. "Ah! What happened?" Ichigo gasped, rushing in towards him, but Ulquiorra pushed him back, wiping the little blood that stained his lips. "It's nothing." He scolded the boy. "Yeah right!" Ichigo growled trying to make him sit down on the toilet or something, but Ulquiorra landed a sound punch against the boy's diaphragm, sending him down and gasping for air. Ulquiorra moved over him, glaring down at him, his eyes darker than when he wanted Ichigo dead less than a month ago. "You won't concern yourself with this, anymore." He meant when Ichigo looked into his past, but the boy didn't understand that. "And this is why I'll be escorting Orihime home from school from now on." He told him. "What?" Ichigo was still trying to get air back into his lungs. "That hollow is different, and it has its sights on her." He warned Ichigo. "How is he different?" "We don't know." Urahara's voice had interrupted them both, and a good thing it seemed. He stood at the other end of the hall with Rukia. "Ichigo, this one is different some how, and he seems to have affected Ulquiorra in some way, but we don't know why." Ichigo looked up at Ulquiorra as he slumped a little against the wall. The hollow was looking straight over him and at Urahara instead. "Well.... Can I walk her home too?" He asked Ulquiorra. "Actually, it would be preferable. I would appreciate it." He told him, heading back into the bathroom to check the hollow's hole in his neck. "Uh... why is it doing that?" He asked. "I don't know, it's never happened before." "Does it hurt?" "No, I can't feel a thing." He clarified, making sure that the bleeding had stopped. "I'm going to rest though." He sighed. "Would you prefer it I rest somewhere else?" He asked the shopkeeper. "No, you're fine, I'll have Ururu come bandage you up, in case it happens again." He told the hollow. Ulquiorra showed his gratitude with a shallow bow and then left them all and went into Urahara's room. Rukia gave the shopkeeper a look at that, but didn't press it any further. "Uh, I'm gonna shower." Ichigo told them both, and they nodded, leaving him to it. He needed to go over a lot of this. ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~ Author's comments: * I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, the story isn't going to change at all, but when I reread what I have posted, I'll admit that I was a little mortified. I'm going to rewrite a lot of it. It just sounds awful to me. XD But what happens in every chapter should be mostly the same. A lot of the dialogue will be reworked. @_@ * I told my friend in an excited devious manner "I think Ulquiorra's gonna enroll in high school 8D" and she turned and gave me this weird look, then turned back to her own fanfic in progress. Then I said, really quietly. "He might sparkle." She turned on me with the cruelest look of indignation in her eyes. XD I was joking, I just wanted to see her reaction. I wouldn't do that to poor Ulquiorra. * Can any of you guess what I might be hinting at with the new Arrancar? It's a mythological thing, and it is related to Alexander the Great. @w@ ~squee~ * I'm beginning to wonder if I should make it a goal to have Ichigo sleep with every male character. XD I won't I won't... but do you guys want some Ichigo and Ishida action? How about you toss in some characters you all want to see, and I'll see if I can work it into the story. XD I'm gonna go by plot and character though, so if I can't (or don't want) to make it work, then it won't happen. But it's worth a shot right? :D * I'm posting another chapter right after this so that you all have some tasty man lovin'. I didn't just want to give you a boring sexless chapter. XD I also didn't want to make this one super long like the last one. I'll make sure to start it off with something hot.