Unfinished Gems

Soul Brothers - 17

Ulquiorra looked at the ceiling. Grimmjow was planning an attack on the world of the living. He wanted no part of it.

His thoughts of Yoru Shihoin, the other part of his soul, would often drive his waking thoughts.

Yoru...was nothing like he expected. He did not hate his darker side, he didn't condemn Ulquiorra for being what he was. He accepted that they were two parts of a soul that had been split evenly down the middle.

Yoru often escorted Shiro, the dark side of Kurosaki, to Hueco Mundo to regain his spiritual power. Apparently in exchange for giving up the power he inherited from Ichigo's soul, he was allowed to run around freely in the world of the living.

The boy was...kind. But he could tell that the child wasn't stupid.

Yoru was kind because he had seen the human version of hell. He was kind because he knew what it was like to be truly alone with the world against you.

But he also knew that trust should never be given lightly.

Ulquiorra knew this because in a sense, he was still Yoru.

That boy had learned the world's harshest lessons while he was still a child. He had learned through repeated attempts of seeing good in others. And he had narrowly almost lost his chance at seeing heaven.

There was no denying what Ulquiorra would do if Yoru and Ichigo won this war that was to cone.

He would abandon Hueco Mundo and seek his freedom with his lighter half.

If Yoru could still be called that.

Over the course of the past few weeks, Yoru had listened to Ulquiorra and actually added intelligent input.

So when he brought up the mysterious angel that sometimes brought him great peace of mind, Yoru's face took on a strange look like he was trying not to laugh.

When he composed himself, Yoru explained the reaction.

"Hedwig...well I suppose the Japanese equivalent is Otome, is more of a Valkyrie than an angel. Though she would appreciate the compliment."

Ulquiorra had paused then, before saying exactly what was on his mind at the time.

"Can I see her?"

Yoru had smiled in such a way that the ever present hunger had abated quite a bit.

"Next time we come to let Shiro loose, I'll bring her. Should be safe enough with you around."

No one really questioned his abrupt leaving of the towers. Since he was merely trying to verify the reports of what he suspected was Ichigo training, they could care less.

They didn't know he had already found the truth.

~

Yoru was waiting with a bored Shirosaki.

And on his shoulder was the white angel he remembered in the rare dreams he had. She took one look at him and launched herself into the air.

As if by memory, Ulquiorra lifted his hand, and she landed perfectly out of habit. Otome seemed to enjoy his attention. She certainly didn't seem to care that he was a hollow, and that his aura was almost entirely negative in nature.

Shiro ran off to kill more hollows.

During the times he spent there, Ichigo learned more about fighting other people with soul reaper and hollow abilities with Shinji and the others.

Yoru would have joined them, but he had to deal with both his squad and hiding a secret from the commander general.

If the man ever suspected what he was, then he would have been stripped of his rank and sent to the King without hesitation.