Empty Eyes

Chapter 7: The Glass Rose

In spite of all,

Some shape of beauty moves away the pall

From our dark spirits.

-John Keats, Endymion Bk. 1.1

The night was calm and the prey was plentiful.

The White Wolf ran through the brush of the forest around Karakura Town. The scent of blood stained the brush. There was a wounded animal nearby and had passed by fairly recently. He sniffed at the blood and recoiled. There was a bitter smell to it and it knew that it was blood from one of the two-legs who had been recently bitten by one of the Ageless.

Bad blood, bad meat, it thought as it rushed away.

It knew better than to try to go after anything bitten by the Ageless. Their meat was known to be poisoned and any Werewolf that tried to devour such meat died a horrid death.

It ran away from the cries.

Renji Abarai

"Alright, it looks like we'll get some action," Renji whispered to the group of students who were assigned to him.

This part of the forest was a part of Squad 6's jurisdiction. He could make out the other experienced Gotei Hunters set up the traps. He was glad that the Reiatsu Reader was informing him that whatever they were chasing had not fully become a Level 1 Vampire.

This will really help prepare them for when they graduate from being mere Entry-Level Apprentices, he thought.

As a member of the Gotei, one of Renji's duties was to help lead a small group of Entry-Level Novices on a field exercise. Normally, field exercises were merely quiet patrols, but every-once-in-a-while there would be call and the field exercises would actually be allowed to participate in an actual operation, so long as other actual Gotei members were present to assist.

He remembered how his own field exercise nearly ended in disaster. He had been with Izuru Kira, Shuhei Hisagi, and Momo Hinamori and they had been assigned to work in Squad 8's jurisdiction at the time. They had entered an old abandoned warehouse with a small group of Gotei Hunters when the floor gave way from under them and they landed in a relatively newly-formed Haunt, which had been very fortunate. If it was a more developed Haunt then none of them would have gotten out.

As it was, they had only lost three of the Gotei Hunters and their instructor who had broken his leg in the fall to where the bone was sticking out of his leg like a branch from a tree before they were able to set up a perimeter of UV flashers. It had taken roughly three weeks for him to be able to smell barbecuing meat without completely losing it. He sometimes still had trouble smelling roasting meat even after two years. He was glad he hadn't lost it while running from that Haunt. If he had, he would have most likely been ripped to shreds.

Renji made sure that the spare UV flashers he always brought with him were still in his jacket pocket. He smiled when he felt their comforting shape through the light fabric.

Never leave home without 'em, he thought.

"Alright, now listen up," he said as he faced the students. "We're in luck that we're chasing a person who hasn't become a Level 1 yet. However, that does not give you an excuse to let your guard down. They can be nearly as dangerous as a regular Vampire. You will only be permitted to help set up the traps and observe. If you try to play a hero and rush into danger without giving a single thought to your own life or the lives of your fellow students, I will kick your ass so hard that you won't be able to sit down for at least two months. Is that understood?"

The students nodded, but he could tell from the gleams in their eyes that he would have to make sure that they wouldn't try anything stupid.

"Just remember that I'll be keeping an eye on you. Now, are there any questions?"

"Yeah," one of the girls spoke up. "Will we be able to get a good look at how handsome it is?"

The other girl student giggled a little and the two boys only rolled their eyes. Renji sighed.

"For God's sake, this isn't Twilight. You may think that all Vampires are über-sexy and they are when they reach Level 4. However, before that they're beasts with no free-will of their own and only a sensational hunger. Level 1s actually shed their human skin to make way for the more Vampiric skin, and no, it doesn't glitter. If you think for a moment that Ronald guy, or whatever his name is, is waiting for you up ahead, you're mistaken.

"Keep in mind that this is a search and destroy mission. That means that you'll get to see what happens when we kill a Vampire and it ain't pretty. Now, get all thoughts of Twilight out of your heads and pay attention. Are there any real questions that don't have to do with silly teenage paranormal romances?"

The other girl raised her hand.

"Go ahead."

"What exactly happens before a person becomes a Level 1?"

"Well, that's more like it.

"First, they start losing their ability to think. Levels 1, 2, and 3 Vampires have no free-will and are bound to whoever their Waker is. However, most of the time the Waker don't even bother trying to control them and so they're only left to follow their instinct, which is to feed. Their vision becomes blurry. They feel tremendous amounts of pain as their blood is turned from human into something not human. It's that pain that causes them to feed on human flesh and blood. We don't know why that is, but that's just how it is. I can tell you that as soon as that hunger becomes insatiable, they're officially a Level 1.

"Their first victims tend to be family or friends, anyone whom they know by instinct. After that, it's whoever's unfortunate enough to come across them. They become a Level 2 as soon as they shed the last of their human skin. That in turns allows them to grow their harder and more refined Vampire skin as they continue to evolve. At least that's what the textbook says."

There was a slight chuckle at that. He was glad to see that they looked more cautious now. The last thing he needed was for them to get too cocky and think they could take on any class of Vampire by themselves. That was the last thing he wanted to contend with. He remembered hearing that Ichigo had been that way during his field exercise as a Novice and he had been reprimanded and made to clean out the empty Vampire cages.

He never wanted to find out what that was like, but it definitely caused Ichigo to become more cautious during his patrols, but not by much.

"Hey, care to give us a hand?" one of the Hunters shouted.

"You heard him. Get to it," Renji said. "And remember to do exactly what they tell you to do. You're not on the same level as Van Helsing quite yet."

He shook his head as the four students went to help set up the traps.

Amateurs, he thought. There's no way I was ever like them.

Ulquiorra Schiffer

Ulquiorra woke from his nap and stifled a yawn. He really hated showing any such human traits as fatigue, but some things couldn't be helped. He knew that his hair was ruffled and he would have to comb it back before he left.

However, those things were not at the forefront of his mind. He was thinking of his dream. He could only remember bits and pieces of it, but he could remember one part: Orihime becoming a storm of flower blossoms.

Why am I thinking of her? What is she to me but a mere human? We do not belong with each other, no matter what anyone else says. She is nothing more than a human.

And yet something inside him resisted that thought.

A part of him believed that he and Orihime were meant to be together. A part of him wanted to just go over to Orihime's apartment and visit her. She had granted him entrance once and so he could come and go as he pleased. It wouldn't take much to mark her as his.

Just one little bite, he thought, and she's mine.

No, I can't do that to her. I can't do that to her.

But it's in your nature. You're like a disease. You want to spread your influence. That's the way all Vampires are.

"Shut up," he whispered. "I do not want to do that to her."

And yet he did.

He went to the elevator and stopped. Could he really trust himself to take a walk outside and not head to Orihime's apartment? He could go to the building's gymnasium and exercise there. But if he did that then he could just decide to go outside since it was too close to the main entrance. The temptation was too great.

Then just give in.

Why should I?

You want to.

Why should that matter? I am above the influence of such petty things like desire.

No you're not.

He rubbed at his temples, trying to get that inner voice under control. The last time that voice had been this talkative was when he had first met Rosaline. And now it was coming back to haunt him like it did then.

He began to pace the room. Movement always helped him to ease his mind. He walked over to the fridge and took out a packet of blood that he had delivered to him from one of the blood banks owned by the Aristocratic Council. He unscrewed the top and poured some into his mouth, not bothering with a glass. He needed something to help ease the tension he got when the Hunger came upon him. He allowed the metallic and yet sweet nectar to ease his dry throat. He hadn't realized that his teeth had become fangs until he felt them returning to their more human shape.

The combination of movement and blood helped him. He was calming down now and regaining a sense of equilibrium. He sighed in relief as he sat down and looked towards the bookcase. He frowned as something caught his eye. He got up and walked towards it.

Did this cause me to have that dream? I cannot see how since I rarely look at it anymore.

He picked up the glass rose from its place on the shelf and examined it. Looking at it brought a sensation on him so suddenly that he nearly dropped the object. However, his Vampire reflexes caused him to snatch it before it could begin its descent from his loosened grip. He closed his eyes and then…

He was in a field of roses that looked to have been made from glass and a waterfall cascading down on them and as the water hit them, the glass roses blossomed and shone like a field of suns, each one containing a universe. What made the dream stranger was that the glass roses were singing and walking among them singing in tandem to them was Orihime, naked and pregnant. Yet her feet did not touch the ground.

As she sang, her pregnant womb became even larger and a flower began to bloom from her navel. But unlike the other flowers, this one was a golden red. It was a sun to put all suns to shame. Then the light consumed her in its harsh and yet wonderful fire. It spread towards him and he allowed it to sweep him away into its depths.

He opened his eyes and was confused at where he was. He was still on his bed.

He rushed out to the living room and went to the book case where he had found the glass rose. He looked and saw that there was no glass rose. Confusion came over him. He looked around and at his hand, but there was no glass rose.

His head ached as he tried to separate reality from dream. For a time, the two had become the same thing.

Orihime Inoue

She was in the forest again.

The leaves glowed lovely shades of silver and emerald green. The sounds of drums beating were coming from somewhere up ahead and she could make out the blaze of a fire through the fog on the ground. The desire to reach that fire filled her very essence. She knew that if she reached it, then some great secret in the path of her life would be answered.

She stopped, hoping that Ulquiorra and Ichigo would come to her again. The vague memory of what happened before filled her with excitement. She longed for their caresses against her skin and their whispers in her ears.

She listened as an evening wind came through the trees.

Sing. Sing. Please, sing us the Song.

Sing oh Daughter of the Earth. Sing oh Mother of Life. Sing oh Maiden of Hope and Widow of Despair. Sing oh Child of Spring Flowers.

She looked around and saw that the trees were not made of bark. They were made of people. Faces swam in and out of view in ripples along the surface of the trees and branches. Some were smiling and laughing. The branches reached out to her like hands to caress her. Their touch was like the grass with early morning dew under her feet. She could feel something inside her soar as though trying to be freed and take flight.

Sing.

Sing.

Sing oh Child of Spring Flowers.

Her fear was gone. She understood that she had come too far on this path to turn back.

"I will sing when I reach the glade," she whispered in response. "I will sing when I dance around the living fires of desire. I will sing with the Shun-Shun-Rikka."

She smiled as the trees swayed with excitement.

"Sing while drinking the wine of Long-Ago and Yet-to-Come," the trees said in a mighty chorus. "Sing while the berries ripen. Sing while the fire burns. Sing while the flowers bloom. Sing while the blood Awakens."

"I shall sing," Orihime whispered as ecstasy came over her. "I shall sing for the Child of Winter's Snow. I shall sing for the Children of Summer's Rage. I shall sing for the Child of Autumn's Melancholy. I shall sing for the Child of Blood. I shall sing and they shall hear my song."

She felt herself falling back and landing on the grassy ground. The trees surrounded her, reaching for her. The grass reached up for her with their dewy fingers.

Orihime sank into the caresses as they dressed her in dew and listened to the wind's ancient song.

Byakuya Kuchiki

Byakuya looked up from the spot in "Song of Flowers" and picked up a pen. It was strange that the Grey Watchers mentioned those others that the story mentioned. He quickly jotted down the list of who the Child of Spring Flowers would sing for that the story mentioned.

The one that caught his attention were: "Children of Summer's Rage" and "Child of Blood." The main reason was that they didn't match with the others mentioned. The others were singular and dealt with one of the four seasons. He tried to make sense of what it meant when Councilor Ukitake rushed into the room. He looked around the room as though looking for someone and was about to leave when he spotted him.

"Oh…there you are."

"What do you want, Councilor Ukitake?"

"We got word that the members from the Mercenary Guilds will be arriving shortly. Supreme Councilor Yamamoto wants us to greet them."

"I see."

Byakuya stood up and closed his notebook and put it and the pen back into his bag. He thought about it for a moment and decided to take the book with him. He had gone over the story "Song of Flowers" so many times and yet something didn't quite add up. When he had reached the end he expected it to continue, but it didn't. It was as though the line, "And thus she came into glade and," was the last thing whoever told it would say. Without that "and" he would have thought it was a natural ending. However, that "and" told him that it wasn't the ending and that there must have been something else after it.

He supposed he would have to see where the original manuscripts, if any, of that tale were kept.

He followed Ukitake out of the library with the messenger bag clutched in one hand.

"You should be pleased."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your Apprentice, Renji Abarai, is leading some of the Novices on a field exercise. And it would seem as if they're going to see the Gotei in action."

"So long as he doesn't get any of them killed, then I would be pleased."

"He's a responsible young man."

"The problem is that he's still a teenager. He may tell them not to try any heroics, but will he heed that advice?"

"He's not Ichigo Kurosaki."

"No, but he is can still be irresponsible at times."

"Don't be harsh on the boy."

"I have to be. He is under my command. A commander should be harsh to those who he's responsible for."

Ukitake sighed. He supposed that Byakuya had a point on that. He knew he felt that way about Ichigo and Rukia. They were his responsibility. However, he knew that he couldn't keep an eye on them all of the time. He trusted them to do what they thought was best.

It seems that he has a difficult time trusting his own subordinates. I wonder why.

Renji Abarai

Renji kept an eye on the four students as they crept closer to where the would-be Vampire was howling in pain. He lowered the night-vision glasses over his eyes. He could tell that the subject was male and he could see pain contorted on his face. Unfortunately, the eerie green hue that the glasses caused everything to have didn't tell him if the eyes were becoming completely red as they pooled with blood. However, he could see that the subject was starting to lose some of the human teeth, which would soon be replaced with fangs.

The first things to go during the physical transformation are the teeth, he thought. Good thing the fangs haven't started growing or we may have to actually face a Level 1.

"Alright, it's not a Level 1 Vampire right now and that's a good thing. When the subject becomes a Level 1, they'll become extremely fast and extremely strong. You don't want to find yourself in their grip, because once they have a hold on you, it's over unless you have some kind of UV light or pure silver on you and have it ready to use." He whispered this lecture to them, hoping that they wouldn't have to learn the hard way of the importance of being prepared.

"Alright, here's what we'll do. We're going to lure it into the traps that we set up."

"What?" one of the boys whispered. Renji wasn't surprised to hear a slight tremble of fear.

"You heard right, we're going to be bait. Well, you're going to be the bait while I just sit back and watch."

"Are you insane?" one of the girls asked.

"Well, you wanted to enter the Gotei. That means that you have to learn what the Gotei Patrols do. And the best way to learn is by doing."

"What if we don't want to?" the other boy asked.

"Well, you get to clean out the empty Vampire cages in exchange. So, what do you want to do? Do you want to be some janitor or do you want to be a member of the Gotei Patrols and keep your friends and family safe from the likes of these?"

There was silence. Then the girl who had asked about what happens during the transformation into a Level 1 spoke up.

"What do we have to do?"

Renji smiled and took out a knife.

"You want to cut your palms. Do it deep enough to draw blood. The scent will attract it. It's weak right now, which is good. That means you don't have to run too fast, but head towards the traps. If you get into trouble, don't panic. It can't see you and its hearing is still at human level, which means it won't be able to hear your heart beat. Just stay down and conceal the wound or use something to cover the scent of blood. Its sense of smell won't be developed enough to distinguish smells."

The four students looked at Renji and then at the man who was crying out in pain. He knew what they were thinking. It had been what he thought when he first saw this process happening before his eyes. He had always assumed that a person had to die before becoming a Vampire. He supposed that in a way they did, but not only in the way that was portrayed in films and novels where the heart stops beating completely, even though that type of death sometimes occurred.

This death was of the old self in body, mind, and soul and being completely changed into something new and closer to the dream of godhood that had plagued mortals throughout History. But that begged the question: was the creature before them still human?

He didn't know. All that he knew was that if they allowed it to escape, it would become a monster that would prey on any who got in its way.

"Alright, let's do this," one of the male students said and grabbed the knife. "Should we just have one be the bait?"

Renji shook his head.

"No. That way the chances of success will be greater and if you need to lure it away from someone in trouble, you can."

The boy nodded and put the blade against his palm. He pressed deep and slid the knife in a quick motion. He closed his palm so that way the others could have the opportunity to use the blade on their own palms. It reminded Renji of taking a blood oath when he was younger.

Funny how blood seems to be so important for some reason, he thought and pushed the thought aside.

It didn't matter. All that mattered was the task at hand.

Ulquiorra Schiffer

Ulquiorra splashed cold water on his face. His mind was still reeling. He believed that he was awake when he was still dreaming. He had heard of such things happening, but he had never experienced it until now. It was rather disconcerting to say the least.

"I need to take a walk," he whispered. "Fresh air will clear my head."

For a moment, a sense of déjà-vu seized him. Hadn't that been what he thought in the waking part of his dream? And hadn't he wondered if he could trust himself not to go to Orihime's apartment? He shook his head.

"That was only a dream."

He went to the fridge and took out a packet of blood. He was about to unscrew it and stopped himself. He would not behave like some barbaric Half-Blood like Grimmjow.

He went over to the glass cabinet and took down one of the brandy glasses. After pouring himself a glass, he screwed the top back on and put the half-empty packet back into the fridge as he sipped the blood from the glass. Slowly, his mind was able to come to some kind of equilibrium.

He drained the last of the blood from the glass and ran his tongue over the inside of the glass to absorb the blood that clung to the sides and bottom. This was the only time he ever deviated from proper etiquette, at least proper human etiquette. Vampire social etiquette dictated a waste-not policy when it came to drinking blood and it really didn't matter how a Vampire got the last bits of blood from a glass just as long as they got it.

When he finished getting the last of the blood, he raised it to the light to inspect it. He nodded his head in approval when he saw that there wasn't a single drop of blood anywhere on the glass and he put it in the dishwasher.

He walked to his closet and took out one of the black jackets he wore, even though he didn't really need it. However, appearances were everything. And since humans tended to wear jackets when the weather got a little cooler it was only appropriate to do the same in order to blend in. He was about to go out when he stopped.

His eyes rolled to the back of his head. He could feel himself rising as the Blood Connection was made.

How may I be of service, Blood Lord?

Ah, Ulquiorra, Aizen's voice echoed in his mind. I tried to reach you earlier, but you weren't responding.

I apologize. I was resting.

I see. Well, I wanted to let you know that our Honored Guest is bringing a little surprise for you with her.

Ulquiorra kept a moan from escaping. He had a feeling he knew what that meant.

I see. How did she manage to get Corrin to permit my father to accompany her?

I'm afraid I don't know. I just merely wanted to give you forewarning. I would hate for you to make some kind of scene like Starrk does whenever his father comes over to visit. There was a slight chuckle. But I trust that I won't have that same problem with you.

I understand. I shall be civil with my father regardless of how he addresses me.

That's good to know. I knew that I could count on you. Anyways, what can you tell me about the girl?

She is merely a human. As of right now, there is nothing to warrant the notion that she is anything special.

I see. Well, I trust you on your judgment on this matter. However, Ulquiorra, you will inform me if anything about her is odd. And I do mean anything.

I understand. I suppose the only strange thing I can report is that her close circle of friends includes two Hunters, a Shaman, and a Werewolf.

There was a pause at that.

In that case, observe with caution. They most likely know what you are. Does the girl know?

I have concluded that she does not. They seem to be protective of her and do not wish her to know about our world. Also, there is no evidence that any Inoue was involved with any of the Treaties and therefore are not one of the families permitted to serve in the Gotei or any of its affiliates.

Well, that's good to know. I will have to inform our Honored Guest that one of our guests is a human who isn't aware of our world. Thank you, Ulquiorra. That is all.

I trust you will have a pleasant evening, Blood Lord Aizen.

I will. Gin was kind enough to bring me a little toy to play with. But I won't bore you with that. You should really find a play-thing of your own. After all, all work and no play make Ulquiorra a dull boy.

The Blood Connection severed at that and Ulquiorra was allowed to descend back into his physical body. He staggered a little bit as consciousness reunited with the physical body. His vision was still blurred but it was quickly coming back to normal. No matter how many times a Vampire used telepathy they could still not avoid the physical effects of its uses. However, they could get used to them to where they barely noticed them.

"Why does everyone wish for me to get something to ease sexual tension? I have no need of such a thing."

Then his thoughts went back to that dream he had of him and Ichigo and Orihime. He could still not explain that one away.

Maybe they have a point, he thought. But I won't give them the satisfaction of seeing me no better than Grimmjow.

He pushed the down button for his private elevator and when the doors opened, he stepped in and pushed the L-button.

He decided that he needed to take a walk after all.

Renji Abarai

Renji ran through the forest, bringing up the rear. The blood trickled from the wound in his palm. The students were doing what he taught them. They were weaving, but keeping in the same direction. Behind them, the pseudo-Vampire was chasing after them.

Renji was surprised when he saw that it was faster than he expected. But it wasn't unusual. It meant that if the victim became a Level 1, then there was a chance that it would become a force to be reckoned with and have a larger appetite than the usual Level 1 Vampire. It was best to eliminate such a creature before it got out of control. If it was under the protection of its Waker, then the Gotei wouldn't have to get involved.

However, most Wakers didn't want to take responsibility for those whom they Awakened. Some believed that not interfering was the best way to determine which were worthy to evolve and which ones weren't, but most simply allowed their victims to evolve on their own because they didn't care. As a result, the lower level Vampires could only go by instinct like mere animals.

And now Renji was being chased by a pseudo-Vampire whose rational mind was being wiped clean by the Vampire's blood.

"KEEP RUNNING!"

The victim sprang at him and Renji swung his arm, hand closed into a fist. His fist struck the side of the creature's head and it went sprawling. He knew better than to stop to wait on it to get up. At this point, the creature was running solely on adrenaline.

At least it's not a Level 1, he thought.

Ahead of him, one of the students tripped and fell.

"COVER YOUR WOUND AND STAY QUIET!"

Renji paused to make sure that the student did as instructed while keeping an eye on the creature following him. He could see it rushing at him. Then it stopped and sniffed the air.

Shit, he thought and checked the scratch on his hand.

The blood was starting to clot. He hadn't cut deep enough. He dug one fingernail under the forming scab to reopen the wound. The coppery he could barely smell the coppery scent as the blood began to seep from re-opened wound. He thrust the wounded hand out to the pseudo-Vampire.

"OVER HERE! COME AND GET ME!"

The creature let out a raspy howling and rushed at Renji who ran towards the traps. He saw that the other three students were taking cover behind the trees. He smiled. They were doing exactly what he told them to do.

"NOW!" Renji yelled as he and the creature ran into the cluster of trees.

He ducked, closing his eyes, just as the UV flashers became active. The synchronized flashes caused the creature to howl in pain. Thin tendrils of smoke rose from its skin as its turning blood began to boil. One of the Gotei Hunters rushed out with a sharpened pole and rammed it into the creature's chest, pushed it over, pinning it to the ground. The flashers stopped and the other Hunters stepped out of their hiding spots.

The other students stepped from the trees while Renji went back to get the one who had fallen. The entire event from the chase beginning to this point lasted only three minutes, but Renji could still feel his heart beating. He saw that the fourth student was getting up.

"Is it…you know?"

"Not yet. It's just pinned down," Renji replied and clapped the student on the shoulder. "You did good but next time, cover your wound completely. It could still smell you."

"I'm sorry sir."

"If you're truly sorry, then you'll remember next time. Remember, when you're out in the field, it's a matter of life or death. It's not a game."

"I'll…I'll remember, sir," the boy said and dropped his head.

"Come on. I'll demonstrate how we destroy a Vampire."

"I thought it was piercing the heart with a stake."

"That's just popular culture. While a Vampire's heart does still pump blood through the body, destroying it with a stake won't do much good because the veins and arteries kind of serve as extensions of the heart. If the heart's partially destroyed, they'll just keep on pumping until the heart is restored. The old legends are more accurate in that the stake helps to hold the Vampire down. There are only three ways to destroy a Vampire: take the heart out of the body since the veins and arteries can't connect to each other or form a new heart, slice off the head, or destroy the body completely."

The student looked in surprise at that. Renji could tell that the boy thought he was an expert on everything dealing with Vampires and was coming to realize that he didn't know everything after all.

I know how ya feel, kid. I've been there myself.

Byakuya Kuchiki

Byakuya and Ukitake watched as the cargo plane rolled to a stop. They could make out the emblem of the Mercenary Guilds, a sword with ivy wrapping around the blade, on the tail. The abandoned airport made the perfect landing spot to be used by those who worked in the shadows. The Gotei members who were assigned to this location rushed towards the plane as the engines were cut off and the runway lights switched off.

"They must have brought some of their heavier gear if they had to use the cargo plane," Ukitake noted.

Byakuya didn't say anything as he began his way towards the plane as the rear ramp door slid down.

"Officer Kira," Byakuya said to a young man with blonde hair with part of it hanging over one eye.

"Yes, Councilor Kuchiki?"

"I would like to see the manifest and passenger list."

"Of course," Izuru replied as he handed him the clipboard.

Byakuya examined it and handed it to Ukitake who looked at it.

"I suppose that fitting six off-road motorbikes and two two-person dune buggies would be difficult to fit on a simple passenger plane. But…why bring dune buggies?"

"They're not dune buggies," someone said.

They turned and saw a young man approaching them. He wore a Red Sox cap over his brown hair and his blue eyes glittered at them. He wore a pair of sneakers and blue jeans and a black t-shirt with the Decepticon symbol on it under an unbuttoned white shirt.

You have got to be joking? They sent him again? Byakuya rubbed his eyes.

"They're all-terrain vehicles."

"Which of the group leaders are you?" Byakuya asked.

"I'm Skullak Tuma, leader of group Alpha-02."

"I'm Councilor Jushiro Ukitake and this is my fellow Councilor, Byakuya Kuchiki."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember you from the last time we were here. You were the one who had to stay indoors because of some…OUCH!"

He was interrupted by a slap to the back of the head.

"That's enough, idiot," the purple-haired woman said as she came up from behind him. She was dressed in a Lolita dress that caused Byakuya to just want to close his eyes.

Great, two of their best and they're not even dressed properly. What is the world coming to?

"Ow, Cirucci, why'd you do that?"

"It's because you don't address a high-ranking official in the Gotei that way, idiot." She turned her attention to the two Councilors.

"Cirucci Sanderwicci, leader of team Alpha-03 reporting. I'm sorry for this idiot. He sometimes forgets his manners."

"I see." Byakuya consulted his list. "So where are…?"

"OUCH! That hurt, Hiyori!"

"Shut up, Dumbass. You need to get us signed in or something. If you don't get us signed in, then we don't get paid! Damn Bureaucracies always going on-and-on about their beloved paperwork."

"YO, SHINJI! OVER HERE!" Skullak shouted. "Where's Rudobon?"

"Tight-ass is coming just as soon as he finishes signing the paperwork with the pilots," a blonde-haired girl with a snaggle tooth replied.

Byakuya looked at the girl with her red jogging suit and white t-shirt and looked at the blonde-haired man who was brushing off a newspaper boy cap.

At least he's wearing a tie, Byakuya thought.

"Agh, I hope he's signing out for us as well," Skullak moaned. "I completely forgot to…"

"Shut up," Cirucci said and elbowed him in the side. "Findor already signed out for you, you idiot and now he's helping Ggio get the gear loaded on the truck with Dordoni and Gantenbainne."

Skullak laughed and rubbed his neck.

"Yeah, well, I'm glad he's helping out your team too."

"Well, he does owe us that much for losing so much of our equipment in the Himalayas last summer," Cirucci huffed.

"Yeah, and I still owe you dinner for last month," Skullak muttered.

"Anyways, I better see if Hachi needs help unloading his gear," Hiyori said to no one in particular. "Don't forget to give us all of the details, Shinji. I would hate to have to rely on getting it from Rude-Bones again." She looked at Shinji and growled when he saw he wasn't paying any attention. She kicked off one of her flip-flops and grabbed it in mid-air and slapped him across the face. "PAY ATTENTION!"

"OUCH! I WAS PAYING ATTENTION!"

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER ME, YOU MORON?" she shrieked as she hit him across the face again.

"OUCH!"

Byakuya frowned.

They're seriously three of the best team commanders in the Mercenary Guilds? I would hate to see what the worst are like.

"I take it that you're Hirako Shinji of team Alpha-07?" Ukitake asked.

"Damn right he is," Hiyori said. "Not that he deserves it. Just make sure he signs it so that we get paid this time."

"I won't forget. Damn it, Hiyori, I'm not a child."

"That's what you said the last time. If I find out you forgot…I'm so kicking your ass."

Byakuya watched as the young girl stomped off and shook his head.

Mercenaries, he thought with disgust.

Ulquiorra Schiffer

Ulquiorra walked through the empty streets of Karakura Town. The late night wind brought a chill that he could not feel. His footsteps seemed to echo as they struck the sidewalk's concrete. He walked past dark windows. His reflection was slightly blurred on the cold glass surfaces.

He could sense Gotei Hunters on patrol, but as long as he was behaving himself, they wouldn't bother him. He loved the sense of isolation that the late night brought with it. The only sign of life that he could see was a gas station near the intersection. His eyes could make out the lonely clerk behind the counter reading a magazine.

Ulquiorra sighed as he walked down one of the side streets. He didn't know where he was going. He only knew that he needed to walk. He allowed his feet to take him where they would. He didn't notice as the shops around him became less and less glamorous or that some were completely empty. He didn't notice that the street lights were darkened or that the sidewalk was badly cracked with weeds reaching through the cracks like fingers. He only looked at the road ahead.

He allowed the darkness to swallow him.

He no longer felt the ground beneath his feet. He no longer cared that the desolate streets and the night sky became one. He only knew that he was following the steps of a secret desire, but this desire was not for Orihime. It was the desire to go deeper into the darkness. It was the desire to flee the harsh light of day for the comforting embrace of night's dark shroud.

This is where our kind is meant to tread. Not the paths of a day-lit forest, but the roads of a dead city clad with night's funeral shroud.

The darkness was broken by a soft yellow light. He looked to the side and saw a display window filled with old books. He was surprised to see that the shop's name was painted on the window, "LOST CARCOSA BOOKS." He found it to be rather intriguing that a used bookstore would be located in such a desolate area and that it was opened.

Maybe it isn't really opened.

He went to the front door. He expected to find the sign swapped to CLOSE with the business hours listed below. However, he was surprised to find a sign that read "ALWAYS OPENED" in black script on a yellow board. He pulled the door open and stepped inside.

The first thing he noticed was the rich smell of books. The smell of leather binding mixed with the almost-vanilla scent of old paperbacks. The only scent he felt that could compete with this smell was the smell of Orihime's blood.

No, I mustn't think of that.

"Well, good evening."

Ulquiorra was startled at the voice. He turned to the counter and saw a young man standing up from the swivel chair he had been sitting on. He put the copy of Joseph Campbell's Myths to Live By on the counter. He tapped the key on the laptop that he had and "Julia" by The Eurythmics fell quiet.

"I apologize. I did not think anything was open at this time of night."

"Yeah, I know. It's normally the fast food places or the gas stations that are opened this late. But the boss insists on keeping this place open 24-7. That way, the more cultured night owls have a place to congregate aside from a diner like in that Edward Hopper painting."

"Do you mean Nighthawks?"

"Yes, that's the one. You really know your artwork. I remember seeing it when I was a kid. My mom took me to see it on one of our trips to Chicago and we went to the Art Institute of Chicago as well as the Museum of Natural History."

Ulquiorra nodded. He had seen the painting on a trip to the States to visit his father.

"Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"

"I think I shall browse for a bit."

"Alright. Let me know if you need help finding something."

Ulquiorra nodded. He watched as the clerk tapped the space bar on the laptop and The Eurythmics came back on.

"When spring rejoices down the lane and everything is new again," the Eurythmics sang. "Will everything be just the same? Will we be there? Oh Julia. When the leaves turn from green to brown and autumn shades come tumbling down."

Ulquiorra listened to the song. He couldn't quite place it. The clerk looked up and smiled.

"It's from the album they made for the film 1984. It's hard to come by, but fortunately, after a quick online search, I found a place where I could download it for free."

"Is that even legal?"

"I don't know. Like I said, it's a hard to come by album. As far as I'm concerned, when something is hard to come by and it's good, then it should be made more readily available for others to enjoy. After all, piracy did save the old version of Nosferatu. One of the only cases where pirating a movie was a good thing."

Ulquiorra cocked his head a little and turned to walk the rows the books. He found his way into the Classics section and looked at the books. He picked up one, Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence, and flipped through it before placing it back on the shelves. He allowed his pale fingers to trace the books. His fingers stopped when they came across a copy of The Magus by John Fowles. He took it off the shelf and opened it and looked through it. Some of the passages seemed to be underlined, but one caught his eye:

"The incidents seemed designed to deceive all of the senses."

In the narrow margin, someone had written: "Senses=Reality=Glass."

Ulquiorra was curious about why someone would write down such an odd formula. He kept the book in his hand and kept looking. This time he went over to the Poetry section. He knew that Starrk and Harribel and Nel were always talking about how great people like Keats or Donne or Shelley were, but he had never bothered to read them. For him, the Romantics would always be drawn to the Romantics. He was more into History and how the view of History depended on distance from time and perspective. Herodotus treated myth like History, because he had lived in a time where myth and History was the same thing. That was what Ulquiorra found fascinating. Humans could grasp that myths were History manipulated and warped by time and culture.

He looked through the selections and picked up a copy of a collection of Shelley's poems along with Keats and Donne and Milton's Paradise Lost. He was about to approach the counter when he realized something. He reached into his pocket. For a moment, he was afraid that he had left his apartment without his wallet or keys, but they were both where they should be. He felt a little relieved and approached the counter.

"Ah, all set?" the clerk asked as he brushed back his shoulder length golden-brown hair.

"Yes," Ulquiorra replied and looked into the clerk's eyes. The areas close to the pupil were hazel, but as they went out they became a bluish-grey. Two freckles dotted the right iris.

"Alright, let's see," the clerk said and made a slight clicking sound. "I see that you have good taste. Most of the people we get in here are looking for Twilight or Nora Roberts. They're not my cup of tea."

Ulquiorra nodded and then his eyes narrowed as they saw the display case that formed the counter.

"Excuse me, but…where did you get those?" he asked and pointed to the glass roses that were on the top shelf.

"Oh…those…the boss makes them. It's a hobby of his. He loves making glass objects and he'll make them for us to sell in here. Why?"

"I would like a glass rose," Ulquiorra said.

"Sure. I'll have to put $15 on your total, though."

"That is acceptable."

"And no refunds if you break it."

"I understand."

The clerk nodded and reached behind him and brought out a pack of wrapping tissue and a small bag. He reached into the case and pulled out one of the glass roses. He looked at it and smiled.

"Some shape of beauty," he whispered. "I bought one of these things myself when I first came in here. Glass objects are beautiful, but they're also fragile." He placed the glass rose on one of the tissues and wrapped it gingerly despite his rather short and thick fingers.

For some reason the act went well with the song that was now playing, "Ode to Simplicity" by Secret Garden. The clerk hummed it under his breath as he worked. He put some of the sheets of tissue into the bag and placed it carefully in the bag.

"Alright, so your total is going to be…" he pressed the Subtotal button on the register, "…$32.75. Will that be cash or if you want you can pay with Visa or MasterCard?"

"Cash will suffice," Ulquiorra said and he dug out his wallet. He handed the clerk the money. "Out of curiosity, who named the shop?"

"The boss, when he first moved here from Europe. He's a big Robert W. Chambers fan, especially the story, 'The Yellow Sign.' That's where he got the inspiration for the shop's name."

"I do not understand."

The clerk smiled and closed his eyes.

"'Strange is the night where black stars rise, And strange moons circle through the skies, But stranger still is Lost Carcosa.' It's part of what Mr. Chambers called 'Cassilda's Song.' It's one of the loveliest openings I've read along with Daphne DuMaurier's opening line to Rebecca or Shirley Jackson's opening paragraph for The Haunting of Hill House."

Ulquiorra could tell that the clerk was getting excited.

He must really love books. Then again, he does work in a used bookstore.

"I will have to look into those."

"I hope you do. Please, stop by again and I may even have a list prepared for you. The boss always encourages his employees to type up a list of their favorite books as a kind of 'Recommendation List.'"

"Thank you. I shall have to come by again uh…"

"My name's Michael and you are?"

"Ulquiorra Schiffer."

"Well, I trust you have a good night, Mr. Schiffer. Don't stay up too late or you'll be too tired for school."

"I shall try not to."

As Ulquiorra left the shop, the clerk only shook his head.

"Hmm, nice guy, bit on the odd side, but still…" he whispered.

Outside, Ulquiorra walked with his bag of books and the smaller bag containing the glass rose in both hands. He knew that the night was still young but he had found someplace that he could go whenever he just wanted a place, other than his apartment, to relax and think. He thought about the underlined sentence in the copy of The Magus that he bought and the note. For some reason he then thought about his dream within a dream of a field of glass roses, each one blazing like a sun with their own cosmos inside that light.

When he reached his apartment he put the sack of books on the coffee table while he took the small bag with the glass rose wrapped inside over to the bookcase. He took it out and gently un-wrapped the object. He held it up to the light of the overhead fluorescent.

"A cosmos inside a glass rose," he whispered as he admired how the light shone on the glass petals and blossom.

He put the glass rose on the bookshelf and sat down on the couch. He reached into the bag and brought out the collection of poems by John Keats. He opened it to the long poem entitled "Endymion" and began to read.

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever:"

As he read, his thoughts went to Orihime's orange hair and her eyes.

He found that just as he found the glass rose beautiful, he was finding Orihime to be the same way.

She's like a glass rose, he thought and stopped reading. He put the book down and went to the small table by the elevator. He picked up a pen and the notepad and wrote:

As the sun's light creates an ensnared sky

Of a cosmos in the glass rose's eye

So too does the sun's light shine

Through the fiery hair of thine.

He knew that it sounded terrible and sappy. But he was not a poet. He wasn't one then, even though Rosaline did appreciate his efforts, and he wasn't one now. He knew he would most likely never achieve the heights of glory that were worthy of a single strand of Orihime's hair.

End of Chapter 7

A.N.: I couldn't resist putting myself into the story. As soon as I envisioned the used bookstore scene, I just knew that I had to put myself in it since I pretty much haunt bookstores and libraries. I've been that way since I was about five.

I've also wanted to try my hand at a dream within a dream kind of thing since I love that whole concept of dreams being layered. I actually had a dream where it felt as though I was awake and went about a normal routine. It was strange dreaming like that since it felt so real and when I woke up I was honestly confused because I thought that I had been awake. That was a couple of years ago and I still remember that sensation of where reality and dream just blended together to where it was impossible to distinguish the two. So, I decided to give Ulquiorra a dream like that and just based it on my own experience. I even used the same out-of-place object that I had, which was a glass rose in a glass vase on the table in my dream and in Ulquiorra's Waking-Dream it was a glass rose on a bookshelf.

Anyways, I want to thank nerd4ever243 for giving me some great music recommendations. My soundtrack for this story now includes:

"Downfall", "My Mind's Eye", "The Path of Decay", "The Other Side", and "Sundown" by Sirenia

"Paradise" by Coldplay

"Winston's Diary" and "Julia" by The Eurythmics (from their album 1984: For the Love of Big Brother, which is unfortunately not available on iTunes here in the States, but can be found on the internet)

"Ode to Simplicity" by Secret Garden

For book recommendations, I have now included:

The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers (a collection of stories)

The Magus by John Fowles

Ghost Story by Peter Straub

A Dark Matter by Peter Straub

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

The poems of John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Donne, and John Milton

That's all for now.

Thanks for reading, and please review.

"Cassilda's Song" by Robert W. Chambers (In full):

Along the shore the cloud waves break,

The twin suns sink behind the lake,

The shadows lengthen

In Carcosa

Strange is the night where black stars rise,

And strange moons circle through the skies,

But stranger still is

Lost Carcosa

Songs that the Hyades shall sing,

Where flap and tatters of the King,

Must die unheard in

Dim Carcosa

Song of my soul, my voice is dead,

Die thou, unsung, as tears unshed

Shall dry and die in

Lost Carcosa