Disclaimer: I own all of the plot, history, and people except for Ulquiorra in this part of the story. Bleach and bleach concepts belong to Tite Kubo. I hope you enjoy.

Warnings: AU & OOC on the part of Ulquiorra

As usual, if you have questions, message me.

Hounoku no Ai: Shall we call it autumn?

Chapter 34

He couldn't believe her, even at a time like this she was still thinking of him. She had always exceeded his expectations, but even he hadn't expected for her to think of and plan for his deteriorating condition.

"You can't die here, Ulquiorra. You must survive. I can distract him for the rest of the day, so don't give up".

Her last words which she disguised as a kiss on his ear still rung in his mind. He worried about what plan she might attempt in order to save him from torture. She was only a princess. It was impossible for her to handle physical torture or mental torture. He gritted his teeth in frustration. He could take more, as long as she didn't have to suffer. He nearly welcomed it, yet she had to step in and try to take the responsibility from him. Why? Why was she like this?

The guilt about Ulquiorra's condition ultimately boiled down to hatred for Ryugo. As we left the cell though, the locking of the steel door confirmed my suspicion that as long as Ryugo wasn't present, they couldn't torture Ulquiorra. The only question now was how to get Ryugo away from the cell as long as possible. I took a deep breath to mask my hatred. If I showed him how much I hated him, he would be less likely to go along with what I had said.

As we emerged from the underground tunnel, the inherent loss of direction hit me. I had no idea how large the compound was, how heavily guarded it was, or where in it I was. Sensing my confusion, Ryugo smirked.

"You're thinking of escaping, aren't you, Ju-no-hime?" he sneered. "Well too bad, this is a compound within the military base. There's no way you can get out alive. Would you like to see the extent of the cage you are in?" he said in a sarcastic tone.

"In fact, I would. Would you give me a tour of this cage of mine?" I retorted.

He looked at me incredulously and howled in laughter. "You really are a spoiled princess. Did you really think that I would do whatever you asked?"

I frowned in annoyance. "In fact, I did. The 5th Prince did ask you to fulfill my requests, did he not? You wouldn't defy the second-in-line, would you?" I asked bluffing slightly.

His eyes flashed angrily. "You dare threaten me, with Kazuya's word?" He snapped.

I glared back at him. "I dare, do you dare to defy him?"

He looked ready to break my fingers off one by one, but he held back. "It doesn't make a difference whether you know or not. You can not escape; instead, it will just further your despair." He smiled. "Do you dare look?"

"You do not need to feign consideration for me." I said simply.

He turned. "Well, follow then."

The compound was relatively unamazing. It was a medium sized compound. But beyond the compound walls, or specifically the south side of the compound, was a fortress without walls. I tried to keep my surprise from showing. The vast majority of the troops were stationed on the south side of the compound although a few were scattered around in other cardinal directions. Judging from the layout of the base, the Eastern Empire's royalty didn't particularly trust the army too much. It made sense considering their government was a joint authority between an Emperor and several high-ranking Generals. The compound purposefully weakened on the north side so that they royal family could escape easier in the case of a coup d'etat. But otherwise, the base was heavily equipped with several blacksmiths, hundreds of stables, thousands of barracks, archery shops, etc. Judging by the sheer size of the base, we couldn't have been just a few hours from where I was abducted. Had I lost sense of time in the darkness? We had to be at least a few hours on horseback within the Eastern Empire's borders. How far had we strayed from our path? How could we get back?

"Well then, Ju-no-hime, satisfied with what you're seeing?" he asked confidently. I tried to keep my amazement masked.

"It's nothing much," I said looking away from him. He only scoffed at my ruse, but then he kept staring. I tried to ignore him and learn as much as I could to help my Empire in the upcoming war but his staring was really beginning to bother me.

"What?" I finally asked him firmly.

He humphed with condescension before speaking. "You know the rules of royalty, Ju-no-hime. You gain some, you lose some, you take some, and you give some. You have done your share of taking, now what are you going to give?" He asked.

He was really unbelievable. "I don't need to give you anything. I have taken nothing that shouldn't have been given by the standards of decent conduct." I said unwilling to negotiate with him.

"Perhaps we should change our location before we discuss these issues." He indicated towards the path as if he hadn't heard me at all. I looked at him suspiciously and then cautiously proceeded behind him. It was getting close to the evening now and the sun was gradually getting lower. The inner meeting room we finally stopped in was already being lit by candles on either side of the room. Servants came in with tea as we sat opposite across a low table.

He smiled smugly. "I believe, Ju-no-hime, that you feel a little too secure because Kazuya has been around to make sure nothing dire happens to you, but let me let you know," he said with a secretive tone. "It's the quiet ones that are always the most dangerous." He smiled.

Kazuya had probably not informed him of what had happened between the two of us and I had no intention of letting him know I knew. I looked away from him so that he couldn't read my face.

"I would also suggest you not get too comfortable with the situation here." He said allowing his tone to grow more threatening. "You see, Kazuya is only here temporarily. This compound is assigned to me. I could have simply thrown you into a cell and left you there. The luxuries you have here now are there because I allowed you to have them. I answered your request to see your vassal and I answered your request to see the base."

I tried not to roll my eyes. By the way he had been acting you could hardly call any of it voluntary. I actually had to threaten him to get him to do it.

"In any case, you have done your share of taking and now I want something from you."

"I have nothing I can give you. When it comes to jewelry and money, well, I'm sure you have enough of it yourself." I said.

"That's true, I have no need for money. However, I do need a little something you can give me. I want to know what you were that far East and that far South for." He said. He wanted to know the objective of the mission. I couldn't make anything up. He would immediately notice an inconsistency between what I say and what Ulquiorra might have said. If Ulquiorra hadn't refused to say anything even through all of that torture, then Ryugo would know it was a lie if I made up something insignificant.

He sensed my hesitation.

"It's understandable that you hesitate. As a princess, you know I don't expect you to know anything more than this one fact. If you tell me, then you perceive that your life's worth in my eyes will disappear. But you know, if you don't tell me, I can immediately throw you into a cell." His eyes darkening even more. A chill traveled through my spine. He wasn't joking at all. I bit my lip. If I told him, I could still rely on Kazuya to preserve my life, but at what cost? The simple thought of relying on Kazuya any more was also quite bitter.

"You're a strange princess, Ju-no-hime. You kissed him so lovingly back there in the cell, but you don't even think about how I might kill him if you refuse to answer." He scoffed. "Well then again, you are royalty from the Sun. 'Royalty does as royalty must.' You care not who you must step on to preserve your status." He said with extreme distaste.

I bit my lip to keep from lashing out at him and replied rationally. "I don't fear that you'll kill him because you can't kill him. I don't know any sensitive information, but he does. You know very well that he is the Grand General of the Sun Empire so you can not kill him because you still want all the information he knows about our forces." I replied confidently.

His frown grew deeper, but he spoke again. "Indeed, I concede you are right, Ju-no-hime. However, you are naïve. Death is not the only way to punish a person. In fact, it's the worst way to get someone to speak." He said smiling at his own lame joke. "If I drive another stake through his arms, he might just break and speak."

"You were doing what to him?" I snapped at him angrily.

"Don't worry, that fool didn't say a word. Now I hope that you'll be more reasonable and speak."

I bit my lip, resolved. "I won't tell you anything." I said firmly. Ulquiorra had suffered so much in order to keep the alliance a secret. If I said it now, even if it was to protect myself, what would he have endured so much torture for? No, I could never tell.

"Fine then," he said his eyes flashing in anger. He stood taking the key from around his neck. He walked to the door and called a servant. "Bring this to the captain. Tell him to drill another stake into the prisoner's arms."

"Wait!" I said rushing from my seat and gripping his arm. "Stop torturing him. I am the one who refuses to speak, so stop hurting him."

He scoffed. "Are you joking? The moment I drilled a stake through you, you would die. I have a hunch that you are a much more reliable information source and I can't have you dying on me just yet." He said handing the key over.

The image of fresh blood dripping from his body flashed through my mind. "Anything else, just choose anything else. I'll do anything else just stop hurting him." I said begging him. I didn't want Ulquiorra to hurt anymore, but I couldn't say anything if Ulquiorra didn't.

He looked at me suspiciously and then conceded. "Alright then," he said taking the key back from the servant. "I want to see everything you had with you since you arrived here. I want any and all records and pamphlets you might be carrying."

I nearly sighed in relief. I didn't have anything with me that had any mission statements written on it. I slipped several things out of the folds of my kimono, a handkerchief, a fan, a few of my favorite poems, and a scroll containing information on contemporary politics in the Capital.

Ryugo sorted through the paperwork carefully and stalled on the scroll about politics. To my relief, it had nothing about South and Sun diplomacy written on it. I reached in for something else and I felt the pressed magnolia petal, the flower that brought Ulquiorra and me together, hidden in the folds. I smiled secretly to myself as he still read through the scroll about the politics. I had to be strong. I couldn't let him learn about the alliance. Scrolls detailing government in the capital weren't allowed to be taken out of the country so in a way it was a win for Ryugo, but it wasn't as if it would give the East some sort of unparalleled advantage. My hand suddenly touched another small silk scroll that I didn't remember carrying until I suddenly realized what it was. My body froze in fear. It was a simple scroll that carried the flower meanings I had been studying with Rinko on them. It didn't contain a mission statement, but any idiot with a brain new that the South was the only land that still used a coded flower language. He could infer a number of things from it.

I peeked at him cautiously. He was still occupied the politics scroll and I wondered what I should do with the last scroll. Quietly, I slipped my lap hoping he wouldn't notice.

"What else?" He asked dropping the scroll down on the table.

"There is nothing else." I said trying to keep a straight face.

"Nothing else, really?" He asked suspiciously.

"Really." I responded confidently.

He seemed to sense something and stood up from the table but while watching me like a hawk. He began walking towards me and I scooted back a little defensively. Once I caught the glint in his eyes, I knew that he knew I was hiding something. I dashed for the candle. Pulling the scroll out, I held it in the flame hoping it work burn quickly.

He cursed and pushed me aside roughly causing me to drop the scroll as I hit the floor. I hoped that the burning scroll would set the entire compound on fire, but he stomped on it and the fire died beneath his boot. I cursed in my mind. The fire had only burned a little more than half of the scroll. Most of the words were still probably legible. I began pulling myself up off of the floor and into a semi-sitting position.

Ryugo looked through the half-burnt scroll at first a little lost.

"Just a bunch of flowers." He mumbled, but then the light bulb went off in his head and he gave me a dangerous look.

"What?" I challenged.

I saw him coming towards me quickly and I tried to do something, but before I could blink, he had me pinned to the ground by my throat. I felt the air leaving me and instinctively I tried to keep his hand from crushing my throat.

"An arranged marriage, huh? Typical. I should have expected it." He hissed. "But what if the bride just suddenly disappeared?" He said into my ear. He squeezed a little harder to emphasize his point. I couldn't breathe at all. Pressure was building inside my head and my head felt painfully lighter than the rest of my body. Suddenly I felt air surge into my body and I coughed as he loosened his grip just a little.

"How dare you?" I coughed. "If you kill me, the Sun and South will destroy this Empire." I threatened.

"Just relax, Ju-no-hime." He said. "We have a better solution." He whispered in my ear. I tried to move away from him but his hand still held me to the ground. His free hand touched my neck and slid to the fold of my kimono at the base of my throat. Just thinking of what he might be thinking made my heart race with panic.

"Stop it. Don't you dare touch me." I seethed trying harder to pry his fingers off.

"If I kill you, they might launch an attack. But if I make you unmarriageable, I can ruin you and the alliance with one move. Will you be able to eat your pride and tell your family or will you surprise both empires on your wedding night?" He said with a laugh. "Or tell me, with the way you were kissing the General, were you already planning to do the old trick and get the poor sucker deathly drunk on your wedding night?"

My face burned with hatred and I gave up prying at his fingers for hitting him. He moved out of the way, but I still clawed him hard enough with my nails to draw blood.

"Shut up." I said venomously as he touched his cheek in disbelief. "You don't know anything about him. He's not a monster like you." I said. Suddenly the squeezing tightened and I felt my airways close again.

"I dislike prideful girls like you." He said dangerously. "From your response, it seems like I have to job to do." He hissed grabbing hold of my kimono.

"Stop it." I strained out not sure whether to keep him from crushing my throat or to try and push him away. In the panic, an idea rushed in my head to accomplish both things at once and so I slammed my knee into his stomach and shoved him off. I stumbled onto my feet and rushed for the door, my head fuzzy from the rush of the blood. Suddenly I felt my sleeve snag forcing me to turn. He was holding on to my sleeve now and I was pulling with all my weight. He grabbed a fistful at a time, but each time he was pulling me farther from the door. I tried to pull my wrist away, but he grabbed it. I reached for something, anything, but his hand suddenly closed around my neck. His grip was tighter than ever now and I could feel him radiate killing intent from behind me.

"I thought it would be better if I didn't kill you, but I guess it's too late for that." He seethed as his fingers crushed my throat.

I couldn't feel the blood flow. The pressure was building in my vessels and in my head. Panic settled in my mind as it steadily grew blank. My vision grew hazy and then slowly black. I vaguely recalled him making threats, but I didn't process them and at some point, I ceased to hear him all together. Without air, I couldn't hold on. Slowly, I felt all of my senses slip away from me. Some of the senses I never knew I had. Through that darkness, I could only recall the beating of my heart, my only sign of life.

And slowly, even that disappeared.

Szayel let out an ear-piercingly shrill whistle that literally caused the sky to split. Through the large tear in the dimensional fabric, he coaxed hundreds of hollows out of their holes and into the material world.

"Now, my little ones, feast to your heartless souls delights." He shouted with grandeur. The hollows rained down towards the city.

"Great idea, Szayel Aporro-sama!" Lumina and Verona shouted excitedly while jumping up and down. "May we have a taste as well?"

"Suit yourself." Szayel replied with a confident smile. Infiltration would be easy. He closed his eyes and activated his pesquisa. There was one spot of light in the map of souls in his mind that particularly stood out to him as the most hateful. He opened his eyes. There was no doubt that that was his target, Tsujiame Asako. But before he could move from his spot, he saw a bright white glow from the center of the city. On instinct, he grabbed Lumina and Verona and tossed them back into the garagantua as the light flooded the city like a nuclear shock wave. The light was engulfing everything in its path and as it touched the hollows they vaporized on contact. Szayel wasted no time as the light reached him, and escaped into the garagantua himself.

"Szayel Aporro-sama! Szayel Aporro-sama!" Lumina and Verona bounded concerned for their master.

"Shut up!" Was Szayel's only snarky answer. He had escaped as fast as he could but nothing was faster than the speed of light. He held his left leg tightly. It felt like someone was pressing a white hot iron against his flesh and not moving it. He had already administered some treatments but it didn't help. The wound wasn't bleeding, it was corroding. That's when the recognition hit him. The wound in Grimmjow's neck had been similar. He cursed annoyed as the wound began festering and spreading. If he didn't do something soon, it had the potential to take his entire arm in just a few hours. He grabbed Verona and chomped into his fat fraccion. Using the extra energy, he countered the force that was corroding his arm. He knew now what her abilities were now and why she had seemed so hateful. Her ability to purify was astounding in a bad way for the Octava Espada.

"Verona," Lumina wailed in distress.

"Oh shut up!" Szayel snapped at his fraccion. He was glad now that he had taken them along for insurance. The wound stopped spreading and began to heal albeit slowly. He opened up another garagantua a mile away from where he was the first time to survey the situation. Nearly all of the hollows were dead, but the few that were left drifted around the edges of the city. The light had died out and from what he could see a barrier that surrounded the city from all sides replaced it. When the hollows touched the barrier, they vaporized on contact. Szayel bit his nail in frustration. The infiltration was a failure and now he was stuck in an unfortunately troublesome situation. The only way his day could have been worse is if Aizen-sama found out about the failure before he had the chance to fix it.

The opening of a garagantua behind him and the sudden burst of familiar reiatsu dampened his mood significantly more as his day immediately became the shittiest it could have been.

Author's Notes: Hello everyone, I intended to have this chapter out earlier in the week, but my computer seems to have entirely died on me. I had to go through the trouble of converting my hard disk in order to get all my lost files back. In any case, I shall try my best to keep the updates regular. Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews. I was really happy to hear everyone's opinions. You all gave me a lot of inspiration. Keep telling me what you think of the chapters. Lots of you have told me said a lot of wonderful things about my story. I hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter.

-Aisumi