Corroded Spirits

32: Corroded Spirits

Chapter 32: Calming Storms

 After everything that they had discussed, the group of Shinigamis, exiles, and enhanced humans, took up most of the after-time to process what had been said. "How could the Soutaichou let the situation go out of hand?" Renji asked. "It's not surprising, going by the intensity of the destruction and chaos Ulquiorra can generate through Inoue-chan." Kisuke filled in. "Even if any one of us went out of of control..." He said, darting his eyes from one ally to the other. "Any of us at all... he'd probably do the same thing."

 From being quiet for the last 20 minutes, Ichigo let out an unidentifiable sound. "Well what are we waiting for then? You said they're going to execute, Inoue. So what are we waiting for? Let's bust in Soul Society already and stop it!" He billowed. "Idiot! It's not going to be that easy." Rukia stated. "Of course it will! It'll be just like what we did the last time." The carrot-top shot back. "And that's what's going to make it even harder thick-head." Renji shot.

 "Abarai is right." Tohsiro intoned. "After how you and your friends first infiltrated Soul Society to stop Kuchiki's execution; and not to mention the other calamties that have happened within the last year. the Commander will have probably doubled the security precautions by now." He offered. "Besides, it's not like Inoue is going to let us save her like Kuchiki did." He added.

 This caught Ichigo's attention. "That is right. And that's not because she is possessed by a fallen Arrancar who refuses to release her." Retsu said. "But because she has chosen to die herself." Everyone gave a slight gasp. That was not included in their discussions earlier. "What do you mean by that? I thought you said that Inoue-san's only possessed? Why would she want to die? Isn't that just what Ulquiorra wants?" Ichigo asked question after question.
"It is actually more complicated than that, Kurosaki-san." Kisuke stated.

 "From what I've gathered regarding Inoue-san's possession, it is not a simple Hollow's soul inside a human body, but a complete merge of their spirits." He began to explain. "You mean? Like they're one person?" Ichigo asked. "Yes, but no as well. They are in one body, and yet they have two distinct minds. And depending on what emotion they feel, one of them succeeds the other." Ichigo took a moment to mull over these few words, before an idea popped back into his mind. "Maybe we can use that!"

 Rukia and Renji looked at him with mirroring looks. "What?" Ichigo rubbed his fingers inside his folded hands, trying to think of a way to explain his idea clearly. "Maybe, we could try and make Orihime's subconscious resurface. We could try and get her to be in control again." He said. "If we can do that, then maybe Ulquiorra's own subconscious would weaken, and we would be able to sever his hold on her." He finished with an eager look on his face. Everyone exchanged glances, and they were surprised to see that Kisuke was actually considering the idea.

 "That could work. But we cannot guarantee that Inoue-san would even let us try to get into her head. She's too consumed by Ulquiorra. His hold on her is ever firm." He said. "But we don't have a choice." Byakuya whispered. "What we're doing could unleash cataclysmic chaos on Soul Society if we fail... We can't afford that." Toshiro said reasonably. "It has already been 2 weeks. The date set for her execution is nearing. Kurosaki's plan is all we have." He said, and there was no room to make a snappy remark on it, because this was serious. There was no jest in what they were about to do, and that was saying something for a group of allies who had gone through unimaginable hells for as long as each of them can remember.

 Agreeing on the argument, Toshiro resigned from saying anything else. "All right, then.. But say we do get Inoue-san's subconscious to resurface.. How do we sever the Arrancar's hold on her?" He asked instead. Kisuke hummed deeply. "Leave that problem to me. For now, you and the others should return to Soul Society before anyone realizes that you're gone." He said, standing up. "We have less than a week before the execution. We must be ready." He finished.
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 The silence was eerily quiet around the halls of Las Noches. Every Arrancar and Hollow were locking themselves away in their chambers, and the three commanders who reigned over them were doing their own designated leisure activities that the Hollows don't know of. There was only one creature who was not where he should be, and that was Ulquiorra. And if it wasn't so clearly obvious enough, he was in Orihime's room.

 They would've gone to their oasis, especially how it was supposedly 'night' around their current time. But they didn't want to risk getting caught by anyone who could possibly be up and watching about. The reason for the prisoner and his captor meeting at such an ungodly hour, was to discuss the fool's plan of escaping.

 It was very much incorrect to call Ulquiorra a fool (since it was him who thought of the plan), but anyone with the thought of escaping Las Noches, and more importantly Aizen, a 'fool' was the only right label to call them. Ulquiorra included. "How do we even know that this will work?" Orihime asked, breaking the silence after the time that they had discussed the plan.

 Ulquiorra was staring deeply at the circlet of silver lying on Orihime's palms. The bracelet that he had presented to her before had been returned to him after she was taken to Hueco Mundo, for the reason that she no longer needed to hide away her Reiatsu among the Arrancars. He never discarded the accessory, and had hidden it in his room ever since. He never would've thought that he was going to use it for a tool to escape and to orchestrate a mutiny.

 "Ulquiorra? How do we know that this plan will work?" Orihime repeated, seeing as he didn't seem to have heard her the first time. A sigh slowly came out of his lips, and Orihime saw the most troubled expression he had ever wore, etched completely on his face. "I don't know." He said, and there was no hidden message. It was the honest truth. A moment passed, before he slightly shook his head and said: "Let's go over it once more."

 He looked back at Orihime's resolutely worried face, and fought hard to keep his voice from wavering. "I will go out into the desert, and create a distraction, enough for a few of the Arrancars to check in on. You..." He trailed off to let her continue. "I will wait here in my room. And if anyone comes, I have to wear my bracelet so I can escape them." Ulquiorra nodded. "And when I come, I will open a Garganta to the Human World." He continued. "And go where no one will find us." She finished.

 They both breathed deeply, as if stating the plan alone was tiresome. Their minds and bodies truly felt it was. Orihime hung her head, clasping her hands together, and pressing them against her forehead. "If one of us dies..." Ulquiorra quickly cut her off, placing his hands on her shoulders to slowly wound his arms around her. "No one is going to die." He whispered seriously. "No one." He held her tighter when he felt her shivered, and the two of them stayed in the that position for a moment longer. "If anyone dies.. It's going to be them." He said.