The dry air blew in little gusts, sending more prickly sand flying their way.

Ishida and Inoue sat listlessly on the top of the dome, Ishida staring at the gash in his stomach.

That stupid Ichigo just left us here. He's probably down there, being the Hero once again. I wonder if everyone's okay…

He prodded his navel slightly. "Ow!" he yelped, as the pain seared though his body.

Inoue turned towards him, startled by his cry. She narrowed her eyes and frowned at him.

Right, Right, thought Ishida, I have to be silent. Because Inoue-san is in mourning. For the loss of Ul-queer-ora. To be frank, the world was definitely a better place without him. Even Hueco Mundo. Who needed a ruthless, green-eyed monster like him around, who punched random holes into people?

Ishida sighed audibly.

Oh Damn…

This time Inoue glared at him. "Is there a problem?" she asked.

Yes, there IS a problem. I just had my stomach and other organs fixed through an extremely embarrassing process by that Mayuri weirdo, and now I have another huge hole in my stomach. Plus, my arm has been ripped off. How was he supposed to use his Quincy Bow? With his teeth?

"Erm…Are you going to heal me anytime soon?" asked Ishida.

"Nope", said Inoue, turning back to the pile of dust that was once the 4th Espada.

"And why not?"

"Because I don't know whether I'm supposed to. If I heal your organs now, and the chapters require a "Healing Scene", they'd have to cut off your arm again, and slash through your stomach too. Besides, I don't want to waste my reiatsu in healing pointlessly." replied Inoue.

She observed the pile of dust at her feet. "I wonder if he'll come back if I try to reject this pile of dust." she murmured.

"Wha!?" cried Ishida "Doesn't bringing back a mindless monster also come under the "Things-I-can't-waste-my-Reiatsu-on" category?"

Inoue looked annoyed. "Fine, Fine, I'll heal you. Don't tell me if they demand the "Healing Scene" "she said, walking over and starting to heal his arm.

A sudden materialization behind Inoue startled Ishida. To his surprise (and dismay) it was Ulquiorra.

"Ah, Healing the arm I cut off? It was a clean cut wasn't it?" asked Ulquiorra grinning.

Inoue turned around in amazement, dropped Ishida's half grown arm and shrieked with happiness.

"Wha-How-Why are you here?!" she finally managed.

"I'm a ghost" replied Ulquiorra.

He certainly looked paler, noticed Inoue.

"You can't be one" said Ishida, frowning at him. "Ghosts are souls of dead people. You were already a soul when you died."

Ulquiorra looked unconcerned. "Fine, then I'm a ghost of a ghost." he said, turning away, "Woman," he continued, addressing Inoue, "I formed a new theory about the heart. Wanna hear it?"

"Sure" said Inoue smiling.

The two of them walked off towards the other end of the dome, deep in conversation, ignoring Ishida's scientific explanation about ghosts.

Ishida looked down sadly at his half-arm. Hmm, he could see the radius and ulna. And he could identify some of those muscles. Could help with his Anatomy class, he decided, bringing his arm closer to observe it more carefully.

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