[Log] 07 - Shattered Sunset
Date: 04-15-08
Characters: Aizen, Orihime, Ulquiorra, Uryuu
Summary: An innocent walk through the park takes a dark turn.
-=[City Park - Karakura]=-------------------------------------------------------
The City Park is an area outside of the school grounds where kids can go to play rough; it even contains a baseball diamond.
A few trees litter the wide expanses of green grass and provide shade from hot days and perfect places for picnics. There are pieces of equipment for children younger than twelve to play on stationed away from the baseball diamond along with benches. There is a dirt pathway leading through the park into a more secluded area slightly more dense with trees. It eventually brings the walker to a small pond and a few more shaded benches.
It's probably too cold to play. That's what Orihime surmises as she gazes out at the empty playground, the swings blowing lazily in the cold wind. Too cold for kids to come here, not when they can stay at home where it's nice and warm, huddled around the television, watching Don Kanonji's famous show. Even the pigeons are absent. Are they doing the same thing in their pigeon world, watching a pigeon exorcist?
...No, probably not, but she enjoys entertaining the idea just the same. The plastic bags of groceries she carries, one in each hand, rustle serenely as she turns towards the park. It's a place of good memories for her. She can recall running through the leaves with her older brother, and later, with Tatsuki. Seems wrong that it should be so quiet, really. Orihime shouldn't be the only one here. She shouldn't be the only one who thinks it's lovely, with the trees of red and gold slowly baring their branches as the rosy skies turn to gradients of deep violet and blue. There might even be a crescent moon tonight, wouldn't /that/ be something?
~Tatsuki-chan...~ Orihime purses her lips, recalling her friend. Tatsuki's been out of sorts for a while, and for her sake, Orihime has been skirting the topic, avoiding it. How could she possibly explain what happened and have it make sense? There's no guarantee that Tatsuki would even believe her, not with a record of Orihime's vivid daydreams and imaginative romps, sometimes acted out right there on the spot.
But she should go see her. They can eat something exotic and weird, and laugh, and just be best friends together for a time while forgetting about the Espada, the war, the reason why all of Tatsuki's teammates died on that strange fall day.
Orihime moves deeper into the park, approaching the swingset. But she doesn't sit on one of the swings. Instead, she pauses beneath one of the big iron legs of the structure, then tips, resting her shoulder against the cold metal as she watches those plastic seats sway back and forth, entertaining memories of laughing children.
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. It is for this reason and this reason alone that Ishida Uryuu, once and future Quincy, takes a path through the park on his way to his father's hospital to meet his destiny. No flights of nostalgia course through his analytical mind, no rehashing of old memories. He only looks to the future; what he must do now. The decision Orihime unwittingly helped him begrudgingly make, the fate he has chosen, they all lead to this path he walks now. Though it's a path he'd rather not take, the end result is unquestionably necessary, and the path is unavoidable.
His head lowered, his hands shoved into his pockets as deep as his hatred for the father he goes now to meet, this path he abhorrs himself to tread makes another encounter with Orihime just as unavoidable as trusting his father. It's too late to avoid her by the time he happens to look up and notice her standing just a handful of feet before him. Even if he were lucky enough that may not be paying any attention, his feet crunches loudly on betraying dead leaves and makes this stop requisite.
"...Inoue-san," he greets quietly, though his emotionless voice carries clearly through the deserted park.
Thank goodness for leaves, otherwise Orihime might have jumped a mile. As it is, she gives a mere guilty start, turning around to see the owner of the voice. "Oh, Ishida-kun!" Orihime blinks, then smiles. Admittedly she's been a little worried about him too. They haven't spoken since that day in the classroom, and suddenly, she's flooded with things she wants to tell him...about what they discovered thanks to Ukitake's research, that Tsubaki has been returned to her, about the new adventures she had up in Soul Society...!
But none of that comes out. She's just glad he's still here, that he hadn't boarded a plane to go train in Mongolia to recapture his Quincy powers. She switches a bag from one hand to the other, freeing up her left arm so she can rub the back of her neck. She probably looked a little silly just standing there staring at empty swings. "Ah ha ha ha! I was just heading home to make dinner, and saw this place, and..." He didn't ask, but somehow she feels like she's got to explain somehow. "...Did you ever play here when you were little?" she suddenly derails from that train of thought, curious to see if he has any of the same sorts of memories she does.
Mongolia. Now there's an idea. If only it were as simple as that, he'd have done it by now. Uryuu makes it a habit not to judge Orihime based on her behaviors. At least, not anymore. He knows better now. Of course, that doesn't mean her endless questions don't still take him by surprise.
"Did I-? Ah...perhaps." He glances around as if he's only just noticed where he is, but still he's in no mood for nostalia. "You'll catch cold if you stay out here much longer, Inoue-san. I could walk you home if you like." He's not procrastinating his meeting with his father, not at all. "Please allow me to carry your bags for you." Not. One. Bit.
He does not appear in the immediate vicinity, or at least, not anywhere that his presence would be so obviously noticed by those sharp in that sense. His objective is not to draw attention. Carefully masking his reiatsu, he turns his ever piercing gaze to inspect the surroundings. Nothing more than flies stretch out below him, pitifully insignificant flickers of spiritual energy, flames that would be easily quashed if were so inclined to waste his time in doing so. The half-helmeted Espada has better things to do, however. Slowly he turns his head to look hard in one direction, remaining unmoving for several long seconds before he finally takes a step off of the building he stood upon. With his next step he vanishes completely to dart through the air, Sonido making short work of the distance that stands between him and the small park where lies his target.
Walk...her home? Carry her bags? That's a very gentlemanly offer indeed. And not something people hear much these days! A slow but warm smile steadily works its way over Orihime's face. "All right! I'd like that!" And then she won't feel bad about flooding him with chatter and information, since they'll be passing the time so amicably. Besides, she knows how sharp Uryuu is, she's interested in hearing his take on things. "I'd like that a lot, thank you." She beams, passing over one (1) bag. She doesn't want to make him a pack mule, but she doesn't want to emasculate him either. They can share!
"Perhaps?" she echoes his statement, taking a step forward with a smile over her shoulder. "You don't remember? Or did you grow up in another district?" He certainly wasn't in her elementary school, but then again, neither was Ichigo. Still, a part of her sort of hopes he /did/ play here, because she likes the idea of a dwarfed, bespectacled Quincy child running and laughing and having a good time. "Do you want to share dinner with us too?" she offers hopefully. "I'll let you have a say in what I throw into the wok!" Just in case he's worried she might make something strange.
Nodding in acceptance to the unspoken gesture of sharing the burden, Ishida rests assured that he must have the heavier of the two (despite the fact that they're both probably equal in weight) and strides along beside Orihime. "It's nothing; I'm not busy." Just a little white lie. He did have plans, just plans he's in no rush to fulfill just yet.
"It's possible that my mother may have brought me here when I was very young," he explains. "But the majority of my childhood was spent training with my grandfather." He considers her offer for dinner, he truly does, however he can only procrastinate for so long before his father's ire will come back to make him suffer. "I'm afraid I won't be able to stay," he apologizes, in his own way. "Perhaps another time?"
It's the way he says it that causes Orihime to believe he's speaking the truth. There WILL be another time, and he's not actually terrified of what she might cook. And that makes her happy. "Mm!" she agrees with a single nod, beaming. "I'll look forward to it!" And she will, too. The last time they shared a meal was, where...Kuukaku Shiba's home? That was so long ago now, it seems.
"Well it's no wonder you got to be so good. You've been training since you were a kid? Wow..." It certainly explains his extraordinary skill level, he'd blown her away with his speed and technique when they were in Soul Society. That probably explains why she hadn't seen him around until middle school, too. "Ah, that reminds me!" she suddenly straightens. "Ukitake-taichou contacted us with some really important information. I already told Kurosaki-kun, but I need to tell you too. He thinks he knows what Aizen's after."
It doesn't take him long to find them. Or more importantly, her. The Quincy is not his target, but finding him present with the girl, it is likely that he'll become a victim. The Espada does not want them to leave to a more populated vicinity. This place would suit his purpose just fine.
His foot sets lightly upon the grasses perhaps two steps behind the unsuspecting pair, his coattails fluttering to rest against his white hakama as if he had merely been walking all this time, and he resumes this casual pace, easily closing what small amount of space had been between them. His hand slips from his pocket, and just as casually is thrust forward once he comes up beside Uryuu. Let's see how well he can respond when he has a hand through his gut.
Ishida only half-listens to Orihime's news, the other half of his consciousness struggling to identify what his sixth sense is trying to tell him. The crawling sensation at the back of his skull that means there's someone behind him comes much too late. The first thing he notices is a quick spatter of blood on the ground in front of him, followed immediately by the most intense pain he's yet to know. Everything feels like it's moving so slowly as he glances down and the shock sets in upon witnessing a bloody hand emerging from his torso. A gurgling sensation courses up his esophagus and he spits up a mouthful of blood, adding to what's already shining crimson in the grass. Orihime's bag of groceries slips from Uryuu's fingers, its contents spill out.
"Inoue-san...get away...from here..." he forces himself to say, all the while not even seeing the face of his attacker.
It had been nearly fifty years since Aizen last spent more than a moment's time in the material world. A captain was rarely expected to tend to more than mountains of bureaucratic nonsense that served no purpose other than to dull skills and minds, to prevent the natural evolution of a soul not only in the physical sense. Stagnation did not simply cause blades to rust and fall away, but ambition as well. Ambition, strength, evolution. All aspects of a near perfect being gone to waste behind protocol and busy work.
In other words, it had been far too long since Aizen had drawn blood in the material world.
Such tasks, sadly, were better left to his children. It was more important to hone the skills of his soldiers and to quell their bloodlust than to indulge himself in pleasures long missed. And even Ulquiorra, calm and obedient as he was, no doubt retained the bloodlust that was common to all of his children. It was only that calm nature that allowed Aizen to place such faith in him... one of the few whom he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt would satisfy himself without endangering Aizen's interests. And his interests today were to cause as little fuss as possible.
A shadow passed over Orihime. Even when his reiatsu was kept carefully suppressed, it seemed as if the very air itself grew heavy and oppressive as the Lord of Hueco Mundo made his presence known. Though the man's expression was nothing but warm, a friendly mask perfected over centuries of deceit, there was a hungry gleam in his dark eyes, no longer obstructed by a pair of simple glasses. "Good afternoon, Inoue Orihime."
It all happens so fast. /Too/ fast. There's no time to react, no time to even feel the spiritual presence of the pale-faced Espada until she sees the red spattered on the sidewalk in front of her. With a numb horror that seems to drag time to a crawl, Orihime's head turns, her eyes wide and afraid. Uryuu is going to die. And there's a cold drop in her stomach that prickles her spine, almost expecting a second hand to pierce through her unprotected body as well.
It doesn't come.
The bag of groceries falls from nerveless fingers, potatoes bouncing off of the curb and rolling into the gutter as Orihime whirls with a broken cry of dismay, reaching out to take hold of Uryuu. "Ishida-kun! /ISHIDA-KUN!/" she screams, her voice sharp with fear for her friend. His warning is ignored...of course it is!...as four petals break away from her hairpins to engulf the Quincy, as well as herself and Ulquiorra should his hand still remain inside.
But even as her arms fold around his slim shoulders, that voice...that voice, warm with sickness and ill intentions...arrests her on the spot. She doesn't want to turn, she doesn't! But nonetheless, her head is pulled around to gaze up at the man who claimed he would stand upon the heavens. Her dark eyes are bright with tears not yet shed, and her insides tremble violently. Aizen...! She holds that much more tightly to Uryuu, wanting to protect him as well as herself. In that instant, he becomes her anchor. "...Ai...Aizen...!"
The hand now coated in the blood of the Quincy allows gravity to pull the young man away, uncaring gaze watching as Uryuu's body falls to the grass, only to be intercepted by the human female. There is little change in the Espada's expression as he sees Orihime's power flare into action. There are no words offered to the those at his feet, for he moved no further than where he had need to.
With the arrival of his master, Ulquiorra shifts one foot back to allow more room for him as he approached the unfortunate pair, his eyes remaining upon them, studying and ever alert.
Though he falls, the sharp alarms of danger force Uryuu to remain alert. The danger is for her; for Orihime. What could they want with a powerless Quincy? So for her he keeps his senses, he does his best to ignore the pain. He's the only one who can protect her.
He falls onto his hands and knees and forces himself to remain there, forces himself to raise his head to meet the eyes of the one who looks not at him. "You...Aizen Sousuke..." he spats the name, colored with contempt and dislike, along with more of his own blood. This man betrayed his own, lied and attempted to murder his own subordinate. This man...this reprehensible person... of all Shinigami, Uryuu hates him second most. First would of course be the man he vowed to kill, the one responsible for his grandfather's death: Kurotsuchi Mayuri. But Aizen is a close second, simply because of the lack of honor his actions display.
Feeling Orihime's hold on him tighten, he reaches forward, shifting his weight onto one arm, and grabs her shoulder. He knows he looks utterly feeble as he moves to take a more forward position. Orihime's power has already slowed the bleeding, giving Ishida the confidence to take such a possessive stance. "Get away from here."
The demonstration of the girl's power was taken in silently. Such an extraordinary ability, a thing unmatched by any of Aizen's servants and infinitely more useful even than his own abilities. For even he, the Lord of Hueco Mundo, could not undo what had been done.
Giving the fallen Quincy only a passing glance, Aizen reached out a hand towards the girl, a gesture filled with arrogance, yet somehow as soft and gentle as a father offering his hand to a fallen child. He gave Orihime the opportunity to acknowledge his wishes and come of her own volition. After all, he had no wish to cause a fuss and draw the attention of the Shinigami patrols that so lazily guarded Karakura.
"Come with me."
"Ishida-kun..." Don't! That's what she wants to tell him. He's badly hurt, and she doesn't think her powers can revive the dead. To further aggravate these two would invite their wrath.
But she won't let that happen. She'll fight. She trained for a full month for such an occasion, and it's now or--
"...What...?" Orihime sucks in her breath, her damp, wide eyes widening even further. Go? With /him/? What would they want with her? They surely couldn't have come all this way for such a thing! "...I can't...I can't do that..." she stammers, mustering up her courage. Not while Uryuu's still bleeding like this. She shifts a little to further interpose herself between him and Aizen.
Standing as still and silent as a statue with a face to match, Ulquiorra continues to watch, but he refrains from shaking his head at the Quincy's display of chivalry. What is it with these humans, that they will put themselves in the path of danger, a sacrifice when all would amount to uselessness in the end. Although he does not address them verbally, for he has not been asked to speak and his lord is quite capable of conveying his own wishes, the dark haired Espada does shoot a look towards the Quincy that says as much as his thoughts would go; your efforts are meaningless. The glance he slides towards Orihime amounts to roughly the same, his countenance lacking in sympathy for her predicament. When the master requests you to come, you come.
With the help of Orihime's powers, the gaping wound in Uryuu's stomach begins to piece itself back together. His breathing returns to normal and as he wipes the blood from his chin with the back of his hand, no more drips forth from his mouth. In frustration, he watches Orihime counter his own attempt to shield her by shielding him in return. There's no point in this wordless, hand over fist squabbling amongst each other. If she's as adamant in protecting him as he is in protecting her, they'll just have to work together.
Slowly, without waiting for Orihime's fairies to finish their job, Ishida pushes himself back to his feet, urging her to rise with him. He realizes now that luring them away while she runs is out of the question. They couldn't care less about him. Glancing at Ulquiorra out of the corner of his eye, Uryuu begins to strategize. He has no powers, but that doesn't mean he's completely defenseless.
Glancing at Orihime to catch her eye, he begins to unzip his shirt, presumably to check his injury. Get ready, Inoue-san...
Aizen's warmth faded like clouds covering the sun. In fact, it seemed as if the entire park grew darker, as if heavy clouds had rolled in to hide away any glimpses of pleasant sunlight. Yet nothing in the sky had changed. Still, Aizen's shadow grew longer, his eyes darker. The smile he wore now remained, not out of any attempt at comfort, but rather born from dark amusement. Did the girl mean to stand against him?
"Do you care so little about this boy's life?" He spared another glance for the Quincy as the boy rose with all his futile bravado. Some might find such bravery in the face of death to be admirable, but Aizen found it wasteful. Pointless. Dark eyes shifted to Ulquiorra, issuing silent orders with only the slightest nod of his head. Kill him.
Orihime isn't sure what Uryuu's planning. She has no idea that he actually took precautions, fashioning wonderful things out of his reiatsu when it was still full and strong. But she knows that he's smart, and she also recognizes that brief glance that warns her to fight. What can they do? Very little. However, she doesn't want to go without a fight.
Unfortunately, Aizen makes it clear that this is her only option with that subtle shifted gaze to Ulquiorra. Orihime's heart jumps to her throat. Ulquiorra's /fast/, and if she doesn't respond quickly enough, Uryuu will die. "Wait...!" She forces herself to move, and takes two hasty, stumbling steps towards Aizen. "WAIT! I'll go! Just...just let me heal him first. Please, Aizen-san!"
The subtle gesture is noted, and once again Uryuu and Orihime bear the brunt of that ever unblinking gaze. Ulquiorra hasn't even moved an inch when the girl suddenly moves forward of her own accord. He keeps her in his peripheral vision, watching Uryuu closely. Don't think he's going to dismiss the Quincy just because he's moving to toy with his shirt.
Despite Orihime's words, Ulquiorra shifts from his spot, whether he had made move to budge or not before then makes no difference with the use of Sonido. If the Quincy remains where he stands, it is highly likely he'll feel that unpleasant touch of someone's fingertips pressed against the small of his back, with only split seconds marking the difference between its penetration.
Perfect. Orihime's bid for time is just the distraction Uryuu needed. Though Ulquiorra is hardly distracted, this means little to the Quincy. Even as the zipper reaches its end, he is already reaching inside for two small silver tubes full of a conducting liquid and fully charged. As Uryuu turns to assault the Espada with the first of the gintou, only hesitating a fraction of a second to realign his aim with the sudden change of position, he doesn't even notice that he's pulled himself away from a fresh, newly bleeding wound at his lower back. Likely he won't begin to notice the pain for another minute or two.
"Gritz," he incants quickly as he throws the gintou at Ulquiorra's person. The spell of binding known by the Quincy, fairly strong but he doesn't expect it to hold Ulquiorra for long, if he gets lucky and it works at all.
The second gintou is immediately thrown at Aizen's feet, with a shout of, "Volcore!" At once, Uryuu grabs Orihime by the hand and pulls her off into a run into the street before they're caught up in the blast. Much as he doesn't expect to be bought much time with the first spell, he also doesn't expect the second to actually do any real damage to the wayward Shinigami. All Ishida is hoping for is a smokescreen effect, to let them get some distance, and hopefully escape somewhere safe. "Run, Inoue-san," he hisses. "Run and don't stop, no matter what."
Had Orihime thought she'd had any option from the start? The warmth returned to the Lord's expression and he extended his hand once more, meaning for the girl to take his hand and join him. Ulquiorra was trusted to keep the Quincy quiet as Aizen took the girl away. However, it seemed the boy still had a few surprises. Surprises in the most annoying sense of the word.
The pair would likely not see as they turned to flee, but the Aizen that had stood before them melted away like a fast burning candle. By the time the Quincy's explosion occurred, there was nothing left of Aizen save the faint imprint of his boots in the grass.
As the Quincy ran, he would find his way suddenly blocked. There had been no trace of movement, no hint of shunpo, nothing to indicate the man who stood before them had not been there just a moment before when the way had seemed clear. Nor was there any indication of malice or attack. All the same, the Quincy would find sharp pain blossoming across the length of his torso from right shoulder to left hip; a pain that appeared almost before the Lord's motion was even certain. Yet now Aizen stood at the boy's side, Kyouka Suigetsu already sliding silently back within its sheath nearly clean for the swiftness of his strike. The cut itself was not particularly deep, nor was it meant to be, but it would bleed quickly all the same.
And again, he offered his hand to Orihime.
Orihime can scarcely believe her eyes! Where did Uryuu get such things?! Wow! WOW! But there's no time to be impressed. Uryuu's got her by the hand, and she doesn't intend to fall behind one step. There's a fierce nod at his words, her groceries completely forgotten behind them without so much as a passing thought. All that matters is that they get somewhere safe, find someone who's more capable of fighting these men. Someone's bound to notice that there's something wrong here. The sudden use of reiatsu will surely draw someone's attention. They might just have a chance after all!
Orihime glances quietly at Uryuu, taking in his determined profile with a sidelong glance. Once again, he's protecting her, even when the odds are overwhelmingly against them. How does he do it? She turns her eyes forward again, her fingers curling more tightly around the edge of his palm as they run. If he knew how grateful she was...
But then it all comes to a horrible grinding halt. Aizen's suddenly right there in front of them, completely unmarred, and baring the bite of his blade...at Uryuu. "NO!" Orihime protests, jerking hard on Uryuu's arm to pull him out of the way. But it's not enough. There's still blood, shed again because he stood between the enemy and Orihime. She grasps for his arm, her heart sinking. She shouldn't have run. She should have just pulled away and let him go in the first place, then this wouldn't have happened. "Ishida-kun...?" she inquires, terrified that he won't be able to answer her. "Ishida-kun..."
The hand is offered again. It's more mercy than she'll receive if she refuses again, and she knows she's lucky to even have /this/ chance without losing Uryuu completely. She bites her lip for a moment, hiding her face behind a curtain of hair as her head bows forward.
"Ishida-kun..." she begins again, her voice a trembling whisper. "Thank you. You protected me in Soul Society so many times...and I could never do anything to help you in return. Even now..." He was willing to shield her with his own life. It touches her heart in a way words can't really explain. "Thank you."
She raises her head, her eyes bright with tears that she holds back, and smiles. "Thank you, very much." Gently, carefully, she lets go of his arm and turns towards Aizen. There's a gut-wrenching feeling of uncertainty, knowing that she'll be crossing into a world where no human was ever meant to tread. She doesn't know what it will be like, what will happen to her, or why they seem to require her in the first place. But it's clear that this is where her road ends. The only thing she can do is ensure that Uryuu's road continues. "This time, I'll protect you, Ishida-kun." Hesitantly she lifts her hand...and places her fingers within the curve of Aizen's open palm.
"...che." Silence is broken with an almost equally muted curse as out of reflex Ulquiorra moves to intercept the small vial thrown his way, only to find his movements completely hindered by the binding spell it releases. He can only watch as Aizen handles the rest, not that he hadn't expected as much from his master. The Lord of Las Noches had all in his palm since the beginning.
The Espada lets his reiatsu expand slightly to try neutralizing the bindings, at the same time being mindful not to do so that more attention might be drawn to their position. That would go against all they have been working hard to preserve, this small, private space of meeting. Eventually he feels his bonds shatter, and lowering his hand to slide into his pocket, Ulquiorra steps towards where the others have moved, not that far as it may be. The sun is now in their grasp.
No, it's not terribly deep, but it's deep enough to result in a large arc of blood spatter on the asphalt. Uryuu's vision blurs, his enemy distors within the haze of pain. The only sensation the cuts through is Orihime's hand clutching his arm. Despite his resolve, his legs give out beneath him and he sinks to his knees. "Don't," he pleads as she offers him her heartfelt words of gratitude. "Inoue-san...please, don't..." As she releases his arm, it's as if all the strength leaves his body and he once again keels over onto his hands and knees. But this time he has no strength to lift his head. He can only stare upsidedown at the blood seeping from the horrible wound across his body.
But Orihime's words are enough that he doesn't need to look to know what's happening. "No...Inoue-san, no! This isn't over! Don't...!" Again he loses more of his strength and falls into the growing pool of his own blood. Yet he forces his eyes to remain open, and all he can see is their feet. "/Aizen./ This isn't over."
Fingers closed slowly but firmly around the girl's small hand. How easy it might have been to imagine there was kindness behind that gesture, that perhaps he held tightly in order to provide the girl with a measure of comfort. There were hints of such thoughts in Aizen's eyes as they settled upon her. Yet he offered no assurances that she would not be harmed nor did he express empty promises of safety.
Without casting even a glance at the fallen Quincy, Aizen turned. He located his Espada quickly enough, nodding once; they were finished here. As the Quincy boy's life slowly puddled beneath him on the pavement, the space beyond him bent and tore, opening the pathway through which Aizen would return with his prize. Yet as the Lord drew near the gaping black maw, he carefully released Orihime's hand. "Say your good-byes."
But it /is/ over. More and more, that realization sinks in, but at least it kills the outright panic she first felt. Now she can start to accept it. There won't be any last minute interventions or rescues like there were before...just a long, dark road that leads to an uncertain and probably short future.
She's surprised when Aizen lets go, and gives her that one last chance. A few more minutes to be in this world, and remember it, and the people within. Were it not for the blood on the sidewalk, she could almost mistake it for kindness.
She can feel their reiatsu all over town. Ichigo's, blurred by the barrier erected by the Vizard...Tatsuki's, small and quiet...Rangiku and Toushirou's, both bright and warm even if their personalities are such opposites...Chad's gentle aura of strength...
And Uryuu Ishida, who would have let her wear silk to model his end-of-year project, who stepped between Orihime and a randy shinigami of high ranking to diffuse the situation with a few choice words, who needed his own changing room after they acquired a pair of shinigami robes. She's going to miss him. She's going to miss all of them, very much.
With a quiet nod of gratitude towards Aizen, Orihime hastens forward. Her shoes are within sight of Uryuu, and she lowers herself down to sit on her heels, reaching for his slim hand to grasp it in both of hers. It's not much of a goodbye, and even now it feels very surreal. She's not a physically affectionate sort of person. There were boundaries to respect! So she hopes he'll forgive her this small indulgence, because it's something she'd like to remember...the touch of a friend's hand. Probably the last she'll ever feel. "Please forgive me...I caused you a lot of trouble," she chuckles softly, her smile quiet and sad. "I feel like...there's too much I didn't do, or say, or..." How can she put it coherently? It doesn't seem like she /can/. But she tried.
She takes a deep breath, trying to etch everything into her memory. The smell of woodsmoke in the cold night air, the sound of distant cars, the rustle of the wind in the trees... She wants to remember these things. "You took good care of me, Ishida-kun. Don't ever think otherwise." Reluctantly she lets go of his hand, feeling the callouses at the end of his fingers from a combination of mastered archery and sewing. His fingers are warm. She'll remember this most of all in the days to come.
Rising to her feet, Orihime takes a step back, then another. "Goodbye." With one last lingering look and smile over her shoulder, the girl turns, and follows after the flowing white of Aizen's garments.
A watchful eye is kept upon the Quincy who lies on the floor, not a twitch of pity nor remorse marring his stolid features. Ulquiorra looks on as Orihime offers the wounded man her heartfelt farewell, remaining on guard should anything else happen. He waits for his master and the girl to be on their way through Garganta before he steps past Uryuu's form to follow, his coattails the last thing passing through the enormous maw that splits the worlds, now slowly closing its jaws to once again separate the living from the dead.
This can't be happening. This situation is too, too familiar. It's exactly like the time he was easily cut down trying to defend Rukia. That time, she'd been taken away too. Uryuu didn't want the same thing to happen to Orihime. Not Orihime! She didn't belong to those worlds, she lacked offense. She needed someone to protect her, and he failed. He has no one to blame but himself. As she takes his hand, he feels how cold her fingers are and he knows that he has failed.
"Inoue-san..." Uryuu can only look up at her, the apology in his eyes. Despite her words, a deep guilt builds within and nothing she can ever say will change it. Because he wasn't strong enough, who knows what will happen to her? Silently, he vows to regain his strength and rescue her, alone if he needs to. "Inoue-san."
With a pain deeper than any blade could make, he watches the three of them pass through the garganta, watches it fade away into nothing. Nothing, which is what amounts to how much he did to protect her. "This is my fault," he whispers, not caring whether he bleeds to death. "If only I hadn't been so selfish and stubborn...I'd already have had the power to save her..." Clenching his teeth, his ire rises. "/Aizen./" He vows his revenge to the sky. Pushing himself over onto his back, he feels the blood immediately soak into his shirt. "I'll save you...Inoue-san."
Characters: Aizen, Orihime, Ulquiorra, Uryuu
Summary: An innocent walk through the park takes a dark turn.
-=[City Park - Karakura]=-------------------------------------------------------
The City Park is an area outside of the school grounds where kids can go to play rough; it even contains a baseball diamond.
A few trees litter the wide expanses of green grass and provide shade from hot days and perfect places for picnics. There are pieces of equipment for children younger than twelve to play on stationed away from the baseball diamond along with benches. There is a dirt pathway leading through the park into a more secluded area slightly more dense with trees. It eventually brings the walker to a small pond and a few more shaded benches.
It's probably too cold to play. That's what Orihime surmises as she gazes out at the empty playground, the swings blowing lazily in the cold wind. Too cold for kids to come here, not when they can stay at home where it's nice and warm, huddled around the television, watching Don Kanonji's famous show. Even the pigeons are absent. Are they doing the same thing in their pigeon world, watching a pigeon exorcist?
...No, probably not, but she enjoys entertaining the idea just the same. The plastic bags of groceries she carries, one in each hand, rustle serenely as she turns towards the park. It's a place of good memories for her. She can recall running through the leaves with her older brother, and later, with Tatsuki. Seems wrong that it should be so quiet, really. Orihime shouldn't be the only one here. She shouldn't be the only one who thinks it's lovely, with the trees of red and gold slowly baring their branches as the rosy skies turn to gradients of deep violet and blue. There might even be a crescent moon tonight, wouldn't /that/ be something?
~Tatsuki-chan...~ Orihime purses her lips, recalling her friend. Tatsuki's been out of sorts for a while, and for her sake, Orihime has been skirting the topic, avoiding it. How could she possibly explain what happened and have it make sense? There's no guarantee that Tatsuki would even believe her, not with a record of Orihime's vivid daydreams and imaginative romps, sometimes acted out right there on the spot.
But she should go see her. They can eat something exotic and weird, and laugh, and just be best friends together for a time while forgetting about the Espada, the war, the reason why all of Tatsuki's teammates died on that strange fall day.
Orihime moves deeper into the park, approaching the swingset. But she doesn't sit on one of the swings. Instead, she pauses beneath one of the big iron legs of the structure, then tips, resting her shoulder against the cold metal as she watches those plastic seats sway back and forth, entertaining memories of laughing children.
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. It is for this reason and this reason alone that Ishida Uryuu, once and future Quincy, takes a path through the park on his way to his father's hospital to meet his destiny. No flights of nostalgia course through his analytical mind, no rehashing of old memories. He only looks to the future; what he must do now. The decision Orihime unwittingly helped him begrudgingly make, the fate he has chosen, they all lead to this path he walks now. Though it's a path he'd rather not take, the end result is unquestionably necessary, and the path is unavoidable.
His head lowered, his hands shoved into his pockets as deep as his hatred for the father he goes now to meet, this path he abhorrs himself to tread makes another encounter with Orihime just as unavoidable as trusting his father. It's too late to avoid her by the time he happens to look up and notice her standing just a handful of feet before him. Even if he were lucky enough that may not be paying any attention, his feet crunches loudly on betraying dead leaves and makes this stop requisite.
"...Inoue-san," he greets quietly, though his emotionless voice carries clearly through the deserted park.
Thank goodness for leaves, otherwise Orihime might have jumped a mile. As it is, she gives a mere guilty start, turning around to see the owner of the voice. "Oh, Ishida-kun!" Orihime blinks, then smiles. Admittedly she's been a little worried about him too. They haven't spoken since that day in the classroom, and suddenly, she's flooded with things she wants to tell him...about what they discovered thanks to Ukitake's research, that Tsubaki has been returned to her, about the new adventures she had up in Soul Society...!
But none of that comes out. She's just glad he's still here, that he hadn't boarded a plane to go train in Mongolia to recapture his Quincy powers. She switches a bag from one hand to the other, freeing up her left arm so she can rub the back of her neck. She probably looked a little silly just standing there staring at empty swings. "Ah ha ha ha! I was just heading home to make dinner, and saw this place, and..." He didn't ask, but somehow she feels like she's got to explain somehow. "...Did you ever play here when you were little?" she suddenly derails from that train of thought, curious to see if he has any of the same sorts of memories she does.
Mongolia. Now there's an idea. If only it were as simple as that, he'd have done it by now. Uryuu makes it a habit not to judge Orihime based on her behaviors. At least, not anymore. He knows better now. Of course, that doesn't mean her endless questions don't still take him by surprise.
"Did I-? Ah...perhaps." He glances around as if he's only just noticed where he is, but still he's in no mood for nostalia. "You'll catch cold if you stay out here much longer, Inoue-san. I could walk you home if you like." He's not procrastinating his meeting with his father, not at all. "Please allow me to carry your bags for you." Not. One. Bit.
He does not appear in the immediate vicinity, or at least, not anywhere that his presence would be so obviously noticed by those sharp in that sense. His objective is not to draw attention. Carefully masking his reiatsu, he turns his ever piercing gaze to inspect the surroundings. Nothing more than flies stretch out below him, pitifully insignificant flickers of spiritual energy, flames that would be easily quashed if were so inclined to waste his time in doing so. The half-helmeted Espada has better things to do, however. Slowly he turns his head to look hard in one direction, remaining unmoving for several long seconds before he finally takes a step off of the building he stood upon. With his next step he vanishes completely to dart through the air, Sonido making short work of the distance that stands between him and the small park where lies his target.
Walk...her home? Carry her bags? That's a very gentlemanly offer indeed. And not something people hear much these days! A slow but warm smile steadily works its way over Orihime's face. "All right! I'd like that!" And then she won't feel bad about flooding him with chatter and information, since they'll be passing the time so amicably. Besides, she knows how sharp Uryuu is, she's interested in hearing his take on things. "I'd like that a lot, thank you." She beams, passing over one (1) bag. She doesn't want to make him a pack mule, but she doesn't want to emasculate him either. They can share!
"Perhaps?" she echoes his statement, taking a step forward with a smile over her shoulder. "You don't remember? Or did you grow up in another district?" He certainly wasn't in her elementary school, but then again, neither was Ichigo. Still, a part of her sort of hopes he /did/ play here, because she likes the idea of a dwarfed, bespectacled Quincy child running and laughing and having a good time. "Do you want to share dinner with us too?" she offers hopefully. "I'll let you have a say in what I throw into the wok!" Just in case he's worried she might make something strange.
Nodding in acceptance to the unspoken gesture of sharing the burden, Ishida rests assured that he must have the heavier of the two (despite the fact that they're both probably equal in weight) and strides along beside Orihime. "It's nothing; I'm not busy." Just a little white lie. He did have plans, just plans he's in no rush to fulfill just yet.
"It's possible that my mother may have brought me here when I was very young," he explains. "But the majority of my childhood was spent training with my grandfather." He considers her offer for dinner, he truly does, however he can only procrastinate for so long before his father's ire will come back to make him suffer. "I'm afraid I won't be able to stay," he apologizes, in his own way. "Perhaps another time?"
It's the way he says it that causes Orihime to believe he's speaking the truth. There WILL be another time, and he's not actually terrified of what she might cook. And that makes her happy. "Mm!" she agrees with a single nod, beaming. "I'll look forward to it!" And she will, too. The last time they shared a meal was, where...Kuukaku Shiba's home? That was so long ago now, it seems.
"Well it's no wonder you got to be so good. You've been training since you were a kid? Wow..." It certainly explains his extraordinary skill level, he'd blown her away with his speed and technique when they were in Soul Society. That probably explains why she hadn't seen him around until middle school, too. "Ah, that reminds me!" she suddenly straightens. "Ukitake-taichou contacted us with some really important information. I already told Kurosaki-kun, but I need to tell you too. He thinks he knows what Aizen's after."
It doesn't take him long to find them. Or more importantly, her. The Quincy is not his target, but finding him present with the girl, it is likely that he'll become a victim. The Espada does not want them to leave to a more populated vicinity. This place would suit his purpose just fine.
His foot sets lightly upon the grasses perhaps two steps behind the unsuspecting pair, his coattails fluttering to rest against his white hakama as if he had merely been walking all this time, and he resumes this casual pace, easily closing what small amount of space had been between them. His hand slips from his pocket, and just as casually is thrust forward once he comes up beside Uryuu. Let's see how well he can respond when he has a hand through his gut.
Ishida only half-listens to Orihime's news, the other half of his consciousness struggling to identify what his sixth sense is trying to tell him. The crawling sensation at the back of his skull that means there's someone behind him comes much too late. The first thing he notices is a quick spatter of blood on the ground in front of him, followed immediately by the most intense pain he's yet to know. Everything feels like it's moving so slowly as he glances down and the shock sets in upon witnessing a bloody hand emerging from his torso. A gurgling sensation courses up his esophagus and he spits up a mouthful of blood, adding to what's already shining crimson in the grass. Orihime's bag of groceries slips from Uryuu's fingers, its contents spill out.
"Inoue-san...get away...from here..." he forces himself to say, all the while not even seeing the face of his attacker.
It had been nearly fifty years since Aizen last spent more than a moment's time in the material world. A captain was rarely expected to tend to more than mountains of bureaucratic nonsense that served no purpose other than to dull skills and minds, to prevent the natural evolution of a soul not only in the physical sense. Stagnation did not simply cause blades to rust and fall away, but ambition as well. Ambition, strength, evolution. All aspects of a near perfect being gone to waste behind protocol and busy work.
In other words, it had been far too long since Aizen had drawn blood in the material world.
Such tasks, sadly, were better left to his children. It was more important to hone the skills of his soldiers and to quell their bloodlust than to indulge himself in pleasures long missed. And even Ulquiorra, calm and obedient as he was, no doubt retained the bloodlust that was common to all of his children. It was only that calm nature that allowed Aizen to place such faith in him... one of the few whom he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt would satisfy himself without endangering Aizen's interests. And his interests today were to cause as little fuss as possible.
A shadow passed over Orihime. Even when his reiatsu was kept carefully suppressed, it seemed as if the very air itself grew heavy and oppressive as the Lord of Hueco Mundo made his presence known. Though the man's expression was nothing but warm, a friendly mask perfected over centuries of deceit, there was a hungry gleam in his dark eyes, no longer obstructed by a pair of simple glasses. "Good afternoon, Inoue Orihime."
It all happens so fast. /Too/ fast. There's no time to react, no time to even feel the spiritual presence of the pale-faced Espada until she sees the red spattered on the sidewalk in front of her. With a numb horror that seems to drag time to a crawl, Orihime's head turns, her eyes wide and afraid. Uryuu is going to die. And there's a cold drop in her stomach that prickles her spine, almost expecting a second hand to pierce through her unprotected body as well.
It doesn't come.
The bag of groceries falls from nerveless fingers, potatoes bouncing off of the curb and rolling into the gutter as Orihime whirls with a broken cry of dismay, reaching out to take hold of Uryuu. "Ishida-kun! /ISHIDA-KUN!/" she screams, her voice sharp with fear for her friend. His warning is ignored...of course it is!...as four petals break away from her hairpins to engulf the Quincy, as well as herself and Ulquiorra should his hand still remain inside.
But even as her arms fold around his slim shoulders, that voice...that voice, warm with sickness and ill intentions...arrests her on the spot. She doesn't want to turn, she doesn't! But nonetheless, her head is pulled around to gaze up at the man who claimed he would stand upon the heavens. Her dark eyes are bright with tears not yet shed, and her insides tremble violently. Aizen...! She holds that much more tightly to Uryuu, wanting to protect him as well as herself. In that instant, he becomes her anchor. "...Ai...Aizen...!"
The hand now coated in the blood of the Quincy allows gravity to pull the young man away, uncaring gaze watching as Uryuu's body falls to the grass, only to be intercepted by the human female. There is little change in the Espada's expression as he sees Orihime's power flare into action. There are no words offered to the those at his feet, for he moved no further than where he had need to.
With the arrival of his master, Ulquiorra shifts one foot back to allow more room for him as he approached the unfortunate pair, his eyes remaining upon them, studying and ever alert.
Though he falls, the sharp alarms of danger force Uryuu to remain alert. The danger is for her; for Orihime. What could they want with a powerless Quincy? So for her he keeps his senses, he does his best to ignore the pain. He's the only one who can protect her.
He falls onto his hands and knees and forces himself to remain there, forces himself to raise his head to meet the eyes of the one who looks not at him. "You...Aizen Sousuke..." he spats the name, colored with contempt and dislike, along with more of his own blood. This man betrayed his own, lied and attempted to murder his own subordinate. This man...this reprehensible person... of all Shinigami, Uryuu hates him second most. First would of course be the man he vowed to kill, the one responsible for his grandfather's death: Kurotsuchi Mayuri. But Aizen is a close second, simply because of the lack of honor his actions display.
Feeling Orihime's hold on him tighten, he reaches forward, shifting his weight onto one arm, and grabs her shoulder. He knows he looks utterly feeble as he moves to take a more forward position. Orihime's power has already slowed the bleeding, giving Ishida the confidence to take such a possessive stance. "Get away from here."
The demonstration of the girl's power was taken in silently. Such an extraordinary ability, a thing unmatched by any of Aizen's servants and infinitely more useful even than his own abilities. For even he, the Lord of Hueco Mundo, could not undo what had been done.
Giving the fallen Quincy only a passing glance, Aizen reached out a hand towards the girl, a gesture filled with arrogance, yet somehow as soft and gentle as a father offering his hand to a fallen child. He gave Orihime the opportunity to acknowledge his wishes and come of her own volition. After all, he had no wish to cause a fuss and draw the attention of the Shinigami patrols that so lazily guarded Karakura.
"Come with me."
"Ishida-kun..." Don't! That's what she wants to tell him. He's badly hurt, and she doesn't think her powers can revive the dead. To further aggravate these two would invite their wrath.
But she won't let that happen. She'll fight. She trained for a full month for such an occasion, and it's now or--
"...What...?" Orihime sucks in her breath, her damp, wide eyes widening even further. Go? With /him/? What would they want with her? They surely couldn't have come all this way for such a thing! "...I can't...I can't do that..." she stammers, mustering up her courage. Not while Uryuu's still bleeding like this. She shifts a little to further interpose herself between him and Aizen.
Standing as still and silent as a statue with a face to match, Ulquiorra continues to watch, but he refrains from shaking his head at the Quincy's display of chivalry. What is it with these humans, that they will put themselves in the path of danger, a sacrifice when all would amount to uselessness in the end. Although he does not address them verbally, for he has not been asked to speak and his lord is quite capable of conveying his own wishes, the dark haired Espada does shoot a look towards the Quincy that says as much as his thoughts would go; your efforts are meaningless. The glance he slides towards Orihime amounts to roughly the same, his countenance lacking in sympathy for her predicament. When the master requests you to come, you come.
With the help of Orihime's powers, the gaping wound in Uryuu's stomach begins to piece itself back together. His breathing returns to normal and as he wipes the blood from his chin with the back of his hand, no more drips forth from his mouth. In frustration, he watches Orihime counter his own attempt to shield her by shielding him in return. There's no point in this wordless, hand over fist squabbling amongst each other. If she's as adamant in protecting him as he is in protecting her, they'll just have to work together.
Slowly, without waiting for Orihime's fairies to finish their job, Ishida pushes himself back to his feet, urging her to rise with him. He realizes now that luring them away while she runs is out of the question. They couldn't care less about him. Glancing at Ulquiorra out of the corner of his eye, Uryuu begins to strategize. He has no powers, but that doesn't mean he's completely defenseless.
Glancing at Orihime to catch her eye, he begins to unzip his shirt, presumably to check his injury. Get ready, Inoue-san...
Aizen's warmth faded like clouds covering the sun. In fact, it seemed as if the entire park grew darker, as if heavy clouds had rolled in to hide away any glimpses of pleasant sunlight. Yet nothing in the sky had changed. Still, Aizen's shadow grew longer, his eyes darker. The smile he wore now remained, not out of any attempt at comfort, but rather born from dark amusement. Did the girl mean to stand against him?
"Do you care so little about this boy's life?" He spared another glance for the Quincy as the boy rose with all his futile bravado. Some might find such bravery in the face of death to be admirable, but Aizen found it wasteful. Pointless. Dark eyes shifted to Ulquiorra, issuing silent orders with only the slightest nod of his head. Kill him.
Orihime isn't sure what Uryuu's planning. She has no idea that he actually took precautions, fashioning wonderful things out of his reiatsu when it was still full and strong. But she knows that he's smart, and she also recognizes that brief glance that warns her to fight. What can they do? Very little. However, she doesn't want to go without a fight.
Unfortunately, Aizen makes it clear that this is her only option with that subtle shifted gaze to Ulquiorra. Orihime's heart jumps to her throat. Ulquiorra's /fast/, and if she doesn't respond quickly enough, Uryuu will die. "Wait...!" She forces herself to move, and takes two hasty, stumbling steps towards Aizen. "WAIT! I'll go! Just...just let me heal him first. Please, Aizen-san!"
The subtle gesture is noted, and once again Uryuu and Orihime bear the brunt of that ever unblinking gaze. Ulquiorra hasn't even moved an inch when the girl suddenly moves forward of her own accord. He keeps her in his peripheral vision, watching Uryuu closely. Don't think he's going to dismiss the Quincy just because he's moving to toy with his shirt.
Despite Orihime's words, Ulquiorra shifts from his spot, whether he had made move to budge or not before then makes no difference with the use of Sonido. If the Quincy remains where he stands, it is highly likely he'll feel that unpleasant touch of someone's fingertips pressed against the small of his back, with only split seconds marking the difference between its penetration.
Perfect. Orihime's bid for time is just the distraction Uryuu needed. Though Ulquiorra is hardly distracted, this means little to the Quincy. Even as the zipper reaches its end, he is already reaching inside for two small silver tubes full of a conducting liquid and fully charged. As Uryuu turns to assault the Espada with the first of the gintou, only hesitating a fraction of a second to realign his aim with the sudden change of position, he doesn't even notice that he's pulled himself away from a fresh, newly bleeding wound at his lower back. Likely he won't begin to notice the pain for another minute or two.
"Gritz," he incants quickly as he throws the gintou at Ulquiorra's person. The spell of binding known by the Quincy, fairly strong but he doesn't expect it to hold Ulquiorra for long, if he gets lucky and it works at all.
The second gintou is immediately thrown at Aizen's feet, with a shout of, "Volcore!" At once, Uryuu grabs Orihime by the hand and pulls her off into a run into the street before they're caught up in the blast. Much as he doesn't expect to be bought much time with the first spell, he also doesn't expect the second to actually do any real damage to the wayward Shinigami. All Ishida is hoping for is a smokescreen effect, to let them get some distance, and hopefully escape somewhere safe. "Run, Inoue-san," he hisses. "Run and don't stop, no matter what."
Had Orihime thought she'd had any option from the start? The warmth returned to the Lord's expression and he extended his hand once more, meaning for the girl to take his hand and join him. Ulquiorra was trusted to keep the Quincy quiet as Aizen took the girl away. However, it seemed the boy still had a few surprises. Surprises in the most annoying sense of the word.
The pair would likely not see as they turned to flee, but the Aizen that had stood before them melted away like a fast burning candle. By the time the Quincy's explosion occurred, there was nothing left of Aizen save the faint imprint of his boots in the grass.
As the Quincy ran, he would find his way suddenly blocked. There had been no trace of movement, no hint of shunpo, nothing to indicate the man who stood before them had not been there just a moment before when the way had seemed clear. Nor was there any indication of malice or attack. All the same, the Quincy would find sharp pain blossoming across the length of his torso from right shoulder to left hip; a pain that appeared almost before the Lord's motion was even certain. Yet now Aizen stood at the boy's side, Kyouka Suigetsu already sliding silently back within its sheath nearly clean for the swiftness of his strike. The cut itself was not particularly deep, nor was it meant to be, but it would bleed quickly all the same.
And again, he offered his hand to Orihime.
Orihime can scarcely believe her eyes! Where did Uryuu get such things?! Wow! WOW! But there's no time to be impressed. Uryuu's got her by the hand, and she doesn't intend to fall behind one step. There's a fierce nod at his words, her groceries completely forgotten behind them without so much as a passing thought. All that matters is that they get somewhere safe, find someone who's more capable of fighting these men. Someone's bound to notice that there's something wrong here. The sudden use of reiatsu will surely draw someone's attention. They might just have a chance after all!
Orihime glances quietly at Uryuu, taking in his determined profile with a sidelong glance. Once again, he's protecting her, even when the odds are overwhelmingly against them. How does he do it? She turns her eyes forward again, her fingers curling more tightly around the edge of his palm as they run. If he knew how grateful she was...
But then it all comes to a horrible grinding halt. Aizen's suddenly right there in front of them, completely unmarred, and baring the bite of his blade...at Uryuu. "NO!" Orihime protests, jerking hard on Uryuu's arm to pull him out of the way. But it's not enough. There's still blood, shed again because he stood between the enemy and Orihime. She grasps for his arm, her heart sinking. She shouldn't have run. She should have just pulled away and let him go in the first place, then this wouldn't have happened. "Ishida-kun...?" she inquires, terrified that he won't be able to answer her. "Ishida-kun..."
The hand is offered again. It's more mercy than she'll receive if she refuses again, and she knows she's lucky to even have /this/ chance without losing Uryuu completely. She bites her lip for a moment, hiding her face behind a curtain of hair as her head bows forward.
"Ishida-kun..." she begins again, her voice a trembling whisper. "Thank you. You protected me in Soul Society so many times...and I could never do anything to help you in return. Even now..." He was willing to shield her with his own life. It touches her heart in a way words can't really explain. "Thank you."
She raises her head, her eyes bright with tears that she holds back, and smiles. "Thank you, very much." Gently, carefully, she lets go of his arm and turns towards Aizen. There's a gut-wrenching feeling of uncertainty, knowing that she'll be crossing into a world where no human was ever meant to tread. She doesn't know what it will be like, what will happen to her, or why they seem to require her in the first place. But it's clear that this is where her road ends. The only thing she can do is ensure that Uryuu's road continues. "This time, I'll protect you, Ishida-kun." Hesitantly she lifts her hand...and places her fingers within the curve of Aizen's open palm.
"...che." Silence is broken with an almost equally muted curse as out of reflex Ulquiorra moves to intercept the small vial thrown his way, only to find his movements completely hindered by the binding spell it releases. He can only watch as Aizen handles the rest, not that he hadn't expected as much from his master. The Lord of Las Noches had all in his palm since the beginning.
The Espada lets his reiatsu expand slightly to try neutralizing the bindings, at the same time being mindful not to do so that more attention might be drawn to their position. That would go against all they have been working hard to preserve, this small, private space of meeting. Eventually he feels his bonds shatter, and lowering his hand to slide into his pocket, Ulquiorra steps towards where the others have moved, not that far as it may be. The sun is now in their grasp.
No, it's not terribly deep, but it's deep enough to result in a large arc of blood spatter on the asphalt. Uryuu's vision blurs, his enemy distors within the haze of pain. The only sensation the cuts through is Orihime's hand clutching his arm. Despite his resolve, his legs give out beneath him and he sinks to his knees. "Don't," he pleads as she offers him her heartfelt words of gratitude. "Inoue-san...please, don't..." As she releases his arm, it's as if all the strength leaves his body and he once again keels over onto his hands and knees. But this time he has no strength to lift his head. He can only stare upsidedown at the blood seeping from the horrible wound across his body.
But Orihime's words are enough that he doesn't need to look to know what's happening. "No...Inoue-san, no! This isn't over! Don't...!" Again he loses more of his strength and falls into the growing pool of his own blood. Yet he forces his eyes to remain open, and all he can see is their feet. "/Aizen./ This isn't over."
Fingers closed slowly but firmly around the girl's small hand. How easy it might have been to imagine there was kindness behind that gesture, that perhaps he held tightly in order to provide the girl with a measure of comfort. There were hints of such thoughts in Aizen's eyes as they settled upon her. Yet he offered no assurances that she would not be harmed nor did he express empty promises of safety.
Without casting even a glance at the fallen Quincy, Aizen turned. He located his Espada quickly enough, nodding once; they were finished here. As the Quincy boy's life slowly puddled beneath him on the pavement, the space beyond him bent and tore, opening the pathway through which Aizen would return with his prize. Yet as the Lord drew near the gaping black maw, he carefully released Orihime's hand. "Say your good-byes."
But it /is/ over. More and more, that realization sinks in, but at least it kills the outright panic she first felt. Now she can start to accept it. There won't be any last minute interventions or rescues like there were before...just a long, dark road that leads to an uncertain and probably short future.
She's surprised when Aizen lets go, and gives her that one last chance. A few more minutes to be in this world, and remember it, and the people within. Were it not for the blood on the sidewalk, she could almost mistake it for kindness.
She can feel their reiatsu all over town. Ichigo's, blurred by the barrier erected by the Vizard...Tatsuki's, small and quiet...Rangiku and Toushirou's, both bright and warm even if their personalities are such opposites...Chad's gentle aura of strength...
And Uryuu Ishida, who would have let her wear silk to model his end-of-year project, who stepped between Orihime and a randy shinigami of high ranking to diffuse the situation with a few choice words, who needed his own changing room after they acquired a pair of shinigami robes. She's going to miss him. She's going to miss all of them, very much.
With a quiet nod of gratitude towards Aizen, Orihime hastens forward. Her shoes are within sight of Uryuu, and she lowers herself down to sit on her heels, reaching for his slim hand to grasp it in both of hers. It's not much of a goodbye, and even now it feels very surreal. She's not a physically affectionate sort of person. There were boundaries to respect! So she hopes he'll forgive her this small indulgence, because it's something she'd like to remember...the touch of a friend's hand. Probably the last she'll ever feel. "Please forgive me...I caused you a lot of trouble," she chuckles softly, her smile quiet and sad. "I feel like...there's too much I didn't do, or say, or..." How can she put it coherently? It doesn't seem like she /can/. But she tried.
She takes a deep breath, trying to etch everything into her memory. The smell of woodsmoke in the cold night air, the sound of distant cars, the rustle of the wind in the trees... She wants to remember these things. "You took good care of me, Ishida-kun. Don't ever think otherwise." Reluctantly she lets go of his hand, feeling the callouses at the end of his fingers from a combination of mastered archery and sewing. His fingers are warm. She'll remember this most of all in the days to come.
Rising to her feet, Orihime takes a step back, then another. "Goodbye." With one last lingering look and smile over her shoulder, the girl turns, and follows after the flowing white of Aizen's garments.
A watchful eye is kept upon the Quincy who lies on the floor, not a twitch of pity nor remorse marring his stolid features. Ulquiorra looks on as Orihime offers the wounded man her heartfelt farewell, remaining on guard should anything else happen. He waits for his master and the girl to be on their way through Garganta before he steps past Uryuu's form to follow, his coattails the last thing passing through the enormous maw that splits the worlds, now slowly closing its jaws to once again separate the living from the dead.
This can't be happening. This situation is too, too familiar. It's exactly like the time he was easily cut down trying to defend Rukia. That time, she'd been taken away too. Uryuu didn't want the same thing to happen to Orihime. Not Orihime! She didn't belong to those worlds, she lacked offense. She needed someone to protect her, and he failed. He has no one to blame but himself. As she takes his hand, he feels how cold her fingers are and he knows that he has failed.
"Inoue-san..." Uryuu can only look up at her, the apology in his eyes. Despite her words, a deep guilt builds within and nothing she can ever say will change it. Because he wasn't strong enough, who knows what will happen to her? Silently, he vows to regain his strength and rescue her, alone if he needs to. "Inoue-san."
With a pain deeper than any blade could make, he watches the three of them pass through the garganta, watches it fade away into nothing. Nothing, which is what amounts to how much he did to protect her. "This is my fault," he whispers, not caring whether he bleeds to death. "If only I hadn't been so selfish and stubborn...I'd already have had the power to save her..." Clenching his teeth, his ire rises. "/Aizen./" He vows his revenge to the sky. Pushing himself over onto his back, he feels the blood immediately soak into his shirt. "I'll save you...Inoue-san."