Ulquiorra's Death; from Her Eyes.

Author's Note: This is the ULTRA REVISED edition! I re-wrote this a while ago for another fic I thought about writing but the manga blew everything away…..

Anyways I wanna thank Belladonna Rose for nominating this fic for 'otakuonlinestop's March best fanfiction.' Which I did win haha! XD

And for some reason lately this fic has been getting a lot of attention :O So here it is…..

Note: This is slightly different from the manga. I did not want to do re-write it word-for-word.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Kubo does.

Ulquiorra's Death; from Her Eyes.

Version #2

"Kill me now, if you don't this, it will never be over."

Ulquiorra was turning to dust right before her eyes.

"No. NO! I can't…" Ichigo gripped his zanpakuto.

"You never do what I want…" Ulquiorra closed his eyes then looked slowly at the orange haired woman he had protected so avidly. Orihime and Ulquiorra's eye's locked onto each others. He could tell she was thinking by her ever changing expression.

'No, this is my fault! Uryu's hand, Ichigo's transformation and now Ulquiorra-' her thoughts were cut short, Ulquiorra had raised his right hand and pointed at her. It looked like he was about to shoot a cero at her. Orihime felt a surge of fear streak through her body. If she could have moved her feet she would have, if not for the immense spiritual pressure, she would have. 'W-Wait!' she thought 'He has done nothing but protect me since I've arrived… e-even though he kidnapped me… he's never laid a hand on me. I should be thankful…'

"Woman, are you afraid?" Ulquiorra questioned Orihime, with his emerald green eyes boring into hers. Orihime felt like crying, this man, this hollow, had saved her multiple times from the clutches of the other evil Arrancars. And now he was going to 'die' (if that's what you could call it) because of her, after all that he had done, he was going to 'die'. She felt pity and sorrow cross her face, and then pain flood her eyes as she answered.

"No- I'm not afraid." Her words were true, she did not fear him, in-fact she had finally began to understand her feelings. 'I-Ichigo always protected me but Ulquiorra did that and so much more… He's always supported me in his own way; he taught me how to stand up for what I believed in and- ' she looked into his eyes 'U-Ulquiorra…' Orihime slowly –ever so slowly reached out her hand towards Ulquiorra's already outward stretched one; pale and thin. She saw his wings disappearing even faster. 'No…' she thought. '-don't go…'

Ulquiorra's gaze softened as he reached for the woman's hand… 'No.' he corrected himself 'Not woman… Orihime, is her name…' he felt his vision begin to fade… All he would like to do is hold her hand, no matter how delicate and breakable it seemed he wanted to hold her soft hand, just once…

Orihime tried to clasp his hand before he permanently left her sight, but it was too late, his ash had already slipped through her fingers. As his face disappeared she could have sworn she saw a smile on his thin lips.

As he disappeared it seemed the two; the human and the Arrancar, had reached the same realization. Ulquiorra had found his heart, and Orihime had found someone that would return her feelings…

And so the Cuarto Espada was gone. Uryu couldn't believe it, Ichigo couldn't, but Orihime refused to accept it. The Arrancar had protected her, even in his own-awkward way supported and cared for her. Now that the Arrancar was gone, there was nothing left of him but the memory of his eyes in Orihime's mind.

It was silent for a few moments as Orihime slowly withdrew her hand

'…Ulquiorra …'

Ichigo and Orihime both stood and staired at the spot where Ulquiorra had dispersed, when their trance was broken by Uryu's raspy voice.

"H-hey, um, Ichigo? O-Orihime, coul-d I get s-some he-help?" The two bright haired people turned and looked at Uryu who was sitting in an awkward position, just so he wouldn't bleed to death.

"Oh! Sorry I kinda forgot about you man!" Ichigo laughed as he jogged over to his friend and helped him sit up properly.

"Th-thanks… That make-s me feel s-so necessary." He coughed up a little blood; his abdominal wound was starting to cause problems.

"Hehe! You should shut your trap, maybe you wouldn't get beaten up so badly!"

"Why- y-you!" Uryu was obviously going to kill Ichigo the next chance he got.

"Ichigo." The two boys looked at Orihime "Please move, I'll need room to heal Uryu." She was holding her arms tightly.

"Um- yes of course." Ichigo quickly moved out of the way, after so Orihime began to heal her friend.

'Why?' Orihime was lost in thought while healing Uryu. 'Why am I so sad? Shouldn't I be happy, that my friends came and rescued me? No. Happy isn't the right word, grateful is. Shouldn't I be grateful the Ichigo and Uryu didn't die, that I'm no longer bound to the Arrancars. If that's so, then why do I feel empty?'

All three friends jolted suddenly from an increase of spiritual pressure. It was coming from below, and it was Yammy's, the Decimo espada. Along with his increase of spiritual pressure, Rukia's also suddenly decreased. "Rukia!" Ichigo whirled around and looked out across Las Noches towards the battle. Ichigo looked like he wanted to go to Rukia's side but he stopped short and looked at Orihime.

"It's – it's alright. Ichigo. Go, Rukia needs your help. I'll –we'll be fine." Orihime forced a small smile onto her lips. This gesture of content did not portray her inside feelings in any way. 'I know you want to protect her...'

"But you-" Orihime stopped Ichigo before he could continue.

Orihime shook the jealous thoughts from her head.

"Ichigo, there is nothing left they can do to me. Now go Rukia needs your help." He nodded at her words and in a flash was gone. Ichigo didn't even consider what she had said. Orihime closed her eyes…

Uryu looked solemnly at his orange haired friend. "Orihime…are sure…. Are you sure your okay with letting him go?"

Her eye's popped open and looked at him quizzically. "Why wouldn't I? Rukia's in trouble and needs help."

Uryu felt stupid, he had meant was she okay with Ichigo being with Rukia. But he now understood how silly he had sounded. "Sorry, I didn't think of what I was saying…"

"No, it's okay. I know what you really meant…And yeah, I'm okay-" Orihime looked up at Uryu with a tearful smile "I'm just a little confused…"

Uryu raised an eyebrow but let Orihime travel back to her thoughts… 'She must be contemplating something of grate importance…' he looked at her eyes, which were closed again 'I should let her be for the moment…'

Orihime had realized that she didn't feel like Ichigo had to be there for her at the moment.

What she did feel was a sense of loss, a loss of something of great importance in her heart. 'Why? I'm supposed to feel relieved that my friends saved me… But was he ever the enemy, wasn't he the one who protected me...' Orihime looked over at the last spot she had seen him… 'I-I wish he w-was still here… I don't think he ever liked following Aizen's orders. But I never asked him… I should have…'

She bowed her head and tears began to fall from her gray eyes. 'I-I feel so lost, empty, hollow… Ulquiorra I'm so sorry… I never thought about your feelings…forgive me…' Orihime began to choke-up.

"Orihime…?" Uryu asked worriedly. At the sound of her name her head snapped up from its previous downward facing position, allowing him to see her cascading tears. Uryu eye's widened dramatically as Orihime spoke in a soft, fragile voice, it was barely audible…

"I guess the saying is true…" she looked over at the spot where they had last seen Ulquiorra. " 'You're so blind by your first love; you don't realize what you have right in front of you, till it's gone.' "

~Fin~

After Note: Yes I was quite the upset person when I read what happened. And I'm even more upset now that the manga STILL hasn't showed anybody in Hueco Mundo for who knows HOW many chapters… grrr…

Read, Review, Comment and/or Flame! All is appreciated to the utmost.

- Ke-chan