Corroded Spirits

Corroded Spirits: 16

Chapter 16: Hopeless Stockholm

 The call had been too early. Too early for any of the Captains' comfort. But if the Commander was calling for a meeting, then none of the 12 could complain even if it wasn't even breaking dawn yet. So far, within the last few weeks, the captains had been keeping to themselves. The 4 assigned ones who were to caretake for Orihime Inoue barely observed her personally now. Most of her sessions now lay on the visits of a few willing vice-captains.

 They'd all been individually keeping themselves busy with whatever it was they did. The 8th, 11th, and 13th Divisions were mostly laying off, due to their captains beinng, drunk, bored  and sick, respectively. The only ever-so busy Divisions were the 4th and 12th. Now that they were gathered for, yet another meeting, only now did they see the slight changes that had been developing amongst them. Byakuya Kuchiki had been discarding kenseigan as of late, and wearing his hair completely down. Shunsui and Ukitake were seemingly looking older, though Ukitake looked quite strong and fit despite this and his constant ailment. Toshiro was starting to get quite taller, a change which a few captains and fellow officers congratulated him for. The most change among the Gotei though, was the return of former captains, Shinji Hirako, Kensei Murugama, and Rose Otorabashi to presume their respective Divisions. A truly superflous meeting indeed.

 "Let us begin." Yamamoto said when all of the captains were settled. The first few topics discussed were of minor things. Mosty regarding the Division's individual budgets and several other common things. Halfway into the meeting, was when the discussion fell upon Orihime Inoue. "She has shown remarkable recovery. I doubt she'll regress back. It is safe to say that she is well now." Retsu reported. 'That is good to hear." Yamamoto mused. "There is something I want to share though, Commander." Retsu quickly said. "What is that?" He inquired. "Well one of my vice-captain's sessions with the girl, had her theorize something." "Orihime Inoue willingly confessed the time of her captivity in Hueco Mundo. But it seemed she always appeared quite sensitive whenever she spoke of her Arrancar caretaker, which was so very often." Yamamoto opened his eyes. "Ulquiorra Schiffer?" Retsu nodded.

 "Now what would you mean by sensitive? Like she cringed in fear? Or shaked and trembled?" Komamura asked. "That was what I first thought. But it proved incorrect. Because her sensitivity were signs like looking upset, and unconsciously crying." Retsu said firmly. "What're you trying to say, Unohana-taichou?" Commander asked. Retsu placed her hard stare at the Commander. "Based on my vice-captain's observation, and my own hypothesis, I've come to the  highly likely conclusion that Orihime Inoue may have developed some type of bond with the Arrancar, Ulquiorra Schiffer." And with that said the captains all gave a cry of disbelief. "Now wait just a minute here, Unohana, coz I'm confused." Shinji began.

 "You're saying that Orihime-chan got all friendly with a Hollow while she was in Hueco Mundo? Doesn't that sound just a tad bit impossible to you?" Shinji said. Retsu glanced at him. "It's quite unbelievable, but it's not impossible.." "There is a certain condition found in humans, which develops when held captive by a certain hostager for a considerable amount of time. A condition, that makes them confide in, and find solace with their captors. The brain does this to protect the hostage's sanity. Being alone, and cast away from all that was known to them, they begin seeing their captors as their only ally, their friend. Protection from everything else. If we were to fall under the same situation, it's probable we'd do the same. That explains why she often spoke of the Hollow." She finished. "So that's it." Ukitake whispered.

 "The problem, isn't that, though.." Retsu added suddenly. The captains all looked back at her. "No? You mean there's something more troubling than that?" Toshiro asked. Retsu nodded. "While there is a condition for hostages, there is a counterpart for the captor. Where the captor, also develops a bond with the hostage."If the Arrancar reciprocated the girl's feelings.." Her face suddenly fell dark, and the room grew ominous with her next words. "What would've happened then?"
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 Ulquiorra isn't there. He's not in the room, like he usually would've. But then again, he hasn't been coming to visit her for several days now. Not even to monitor her when she was given her daily cycle of meals. Arrancar servants were left to tend to that. He had cut himself off from her, Orihime knew that all too well. She didn't need a daily beating from Loly and Menoly to remind her that. She gave a loud grunt when Loly sent another hard kick at the ribs. She could hear the bones cracking in her eardrums.

 She tried to give a glance at the two girls who had started tormenting her ever since the Arrancar in charge of her had stopped visiting. It was hard to see anything. Both of Orihime's eyes were literally bloodshot, and the still-recurring kicks Loly continued to give her didn't help. The hits they were administering weren't life-threatening, at least, they weren't supposed to. But if they kept up their hits with the same growing force, the ginger-haired girl would be done for. The two Arrancar stopped for a moment to catch their breaths. Apparently delivering a beating was as exhausting as accepting it. Loly pulled her arm back, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Orihime drew in her breath as she realized it would be her last. It's at this time, that the door finally swings open, and Ulquiorra stands there, staring at the two Arrancar girls, and the human girl by their feet, injured.

 No one breathes a word, not even Ulquiorra, whose usual response would be to ask someone what the situation that was taking fold. The moment he closes his eyes, the  door swings shut, and a gush of wind so strong, and fast fills the room, none of the girls were sure it was even there. Menoly suddenly hunched over, spittle spurtling out of her mouth. Her head gets knocked back up and a strong force hits her stomach that she flies against the wall and crashes through it. It happened so fast, Loly is still processing it, by the time Ulquiorra's hand is crushing her neck. "How Aizen-sama even see benefit in you two, I'll never know." He whispered, lifting the lesser Arrancar a few feet off the ground. A few garbles escapes the girl's lips, but it goes unnoticed. "Now you won't either..." He added.

 Something warm pressed itself on his back just as he's about to snap Loly's neck. "Stop.." Orihme all but gasped behind him, tightening her arms, which were now around Ulquiorra's torso, despite the many bruises they had. Ulquiorra inclined his head to look at his charge. It surprised him greatly that she's still able to stand despite her beaten up state. And that she was looking at him directly, giving him a good look at her perfectly bruised face. He can still feel Loly's pulse against his index finger and thumb, and even then, as he stares back at Orihime, he can kill Loly. But he doesn't. He lowers her down, but doesn't loosen his grip. He just about sets aside killing Loly the longer he perceives the girl's grey eyes. But when he sees the trail of blood at the corner of her lips, he turn his head back at Loly.

 He lowered her down some more, until her legs dragged on the floor. Then, with one swift motion, he kneed her in the chest. Unlike her companion, it was blood that escaped her mouth, which was all the more satisfying. With one more curse to her, he threw her across the room, right through the door. He waited, until both the Arrancar girls were gone, and even double-checked to see no one else was there. "Huh.." Orihime sighed tiredly, her grip around Ulquiorra slipping. Feeling it, he quickly turned around, and easily caught her by placing one hand against her back and holding one of her wrists to balance her. The feat managed to pull her in closer towards him. "Heal youself." He said immediately. Orihime looked up at him in surprise. Did his voice just sound softer? Or maybe... "Heal yourself right now. Your wounds are a nuisance." He added. To someone else, that would've sounded insulting. But Orihime had heard him speak for so long, that she knew how to translate the real meaning behind his words. "Souten Kisshun."

 The golden shield began to form, and Ulquiorra was about to release her, but Orihime suddenly grabbed hold of his shoulder. "You're  hurt, too." She whispered. Ulquiorra involuntarily remembered the sudden appearance of an ill-tempered Grimmjow earlier. His pestering insistance for a fight. And the small scratch he gained on the  shoulder while escaping, to, finally, after days, visit Orihime's cell again. "It's just a scratch." He said quietly. With only silence as the reply, the shield formed around them both, and began to heal them.   

 The shield dispersed itself when they were both healed, but none of them released the other. They kept their hands where they were, and eyes locked on each other. It was confusing, Ulquiorra admitted, that he felts o conflicted as he looked at her. He had made quite a rift on his responsibility to look after the girl. Hadn't he come at all, Loly and Menoly would've killed her. With a silent grunt, Ulquiorra released her, allowing her to stand on her own. He turned his back on her. "I will call for the servants to repair your cell. I will be back shortly." He said. But before he could go, like earlier, Orihime wrapped her hands around his torso.

 He could feel the light touch of her cheek as she laid her head on his back. It was so warm. So warm, so soft...and so very wrong. But Ulquiorra relented for the sake of his own self-procclaimed selfishness he had only recently begun seeing. "Thank you for coming back..." She whispered as she held him tighter. He doesn't reply, and they both know that he doesn't need to. What just took place was enough explanation. There was no more need for words. And that was enough for both of them.