Ujikiyo walked from the room where Kita laid sleeping soundly. He was starting to wonder if she were ever going to wake up. It had been three days and not as much as one movement from her. The beating she took from that other Espada was ghastly. Though what Ujikiyo saw of the fight, Kita fought well, even though being over powered drastically. He sat at the waters edge thoughts running through his mind.
“I have seen her with four different Espada now. Two weak and two so powerful they remind me of my master.” Ujikiyo shook his head, he knew that not even he would have been able to defeat the Espada that has her in the mess she is now. “She regenerated well for what injuries she had, but the one she took to her midsection worries me the most. She still heals from that one.” He looked back at toward the room, “Kita’s reiatsu has gotten stronger since this fight and her looks underwent some mild changes. I’m guessing it has something to do with her release I saw.” Ujikiyo looked back to the waters surface with a heavy sigh, “I don’t know what I could do to save her if they come looking for her. Thank god they haven’t.” He ran his fingers through his hair as he sat at the edge of the crystal clear water looking to the bottom of the pool.
While Ujikiyo sat thinking, Kita finally opened her eyes. She drew her hand to her head slowly seeing her glove had been removed. Slowly she lifted her other hand seeing it to was missing its glove. She looked out across the room blinking a few times to adjust her vision. A few tables and chairs sat across the room from the bed she was in and a huge cloth covered one wall. The opening into the room she guessed. She slowly pushed herself up on her elbows as the blanket that covered her slid down off her chest. Kita looked down seeing a bandage wrapped from above her breast down to her waist. It was all coming back to her now. She cringed sitting up as she touched her mid section with her hand. Her eyes narrowed as she growled under her breath.
“Nnoitra you bastard!”
She then looked around for any signs for Ujikiyo. Lifting the blanket that covered the rest of her she looked to see if she still had her pants. They were not her pants but she at least had something covering her bottom half. Swinging her legs to the floor she paused briefly to stand as her head spun and her vision blurred.
“Wow, I really took a beating from Nnoitra.” She whispered with her head hung.
Slowly she went to stand as her head started to spin again. Just then, Ujikiyo entered the room and sonidoed to Kita as she was starting to fall to the floor. Catching her around her waist her lifted her back and set her on the beds edge.
“Whoa there tiger! I don’t think that is such a wise idea. You took quite a beating from that asshole.”
He lend down with his hands on his knees standing in front of her. Kita had her hand to her head as she looked up at Ujikiyo with a weak smile.
“I am sure you’re hungry.”
Kita nodded slowly not saying anything. Ujikyo smiled with a nod and walked over to the table in the room. Kita watched him as he picked up a plate and walked back handing it to her.
“It’s not much, but it will help until you can get out and kill a good meal.”
Kita nodded slowly and started picking at the food on the plate. Ujikiyo then sat to the floor next to the bed. He had one leg bent up and his arm resting to its knee as his other leg was tucked into him in the front.
“How you feeling?”
“Like was I hit by a wall.” Kita told him taking another bite.
Ujikiyo chuckled softly, “I bet. That guy was brutal.”
“Nnoitra. The fifth Espada in Aizen’s army of arrancar.”
“Arrancar army? How many are there?”
“Ten in all if your only counting the Espada. Then there are hundreds of arrancar. Me being 78.”
“So are all of them assholes like the last two I saw you with?”
Kita nodded slowly, “Yeah pretty much. And none of them should be messed with. It means a painful swift death to anyone that does.” She looked up to Ujikiyo from her plate, “How long have I been here?”
“About three days if you don’t count the day you were attacked.” Ujikiyo was standing from the floor as he dusted himself.
“FOUR DAYS!” Kita exclaimed almost dropping her plate.
Ujikiyo quickly caught it sitting it to the bed. “Yeah four days. Why?”
Kita’s eyes held an urgency as she spoke, “and no one has come looking for me!?”
Ujikiyo shook his head, “the forest has been rather dull since you have been injured, Ki. No one has been here since.”
Kita smiled softly at Ujikiyo and started picking at her plate again. Her energy more light and at ease, her thoughts raced in delight, “did I really get lucky enough that Nnoitra believes I am dead and convinced the others as well. Did I really escape Los Noches and have no worries of ever being drug back. All because they think I am dead?” Kita softly laughed as Uijikyo looked at her confused.
“Are you alright, Ki?”
Quickly she lends forward and wrapped her arms around Ujikiyo’s neck. “Thank you, Uji.”
Ujikiyo drew his hand to his head and became embarrassed as Kita hugged him, “Uh… y… yeah. Sure… thing, Ki.”
Kita laughed softly at his reply as she broke the embrace she had on Ujikiyo. The two sat there a while longer as they talked and shared a few laughs. Kita was finally starting to feel much better as she stood and walked around the room a little. She then walked over to the cloth that hung in the room.
“So where does this lead, Uji?” Kita pulled the cloth back to look out.
“To the rest of my home,” Ujikiyo told her.
Kita’s eyes lit up at the sight before her. Slowly she walked out of the small room into a huge opening underground. Stalactites of all sizes hung down over a large pool of crystal clear water as a large bank of white sand surrounded it. Above her the glow of a soft emerald green lit the area she stood in. She pointed to the ceiling turning to look at Ujikiyo as he to, walked out of the room.
“What are those?”
“I don’t know what they are, but I call them glow worms.”
Kita looked back above her with a wide smile, “That is so cool.” She looked back to Ujikiyo. “So this is your new home?”
“No, this has always been my home. The place I took you the first time is just the entrance to this place.”
Kita gave a soft laugh and walked over to the waters edge. Slowly she kneeled down running her fingertips through the water.
“Want to go swimming?” Ujikiyo asked her.
Kita stood nodding her head quickly with a big smile; she then touched the bandages on her midsection. “Do you think it will be alright?” She looked around for her clothes. “Where are my clothes by the way?”
“Destroyed,” was all Ujikiyo told her.
“That bad, huh?”
“Yeah, I am shocked your top stayed on you while I brought you here. The glove from your left hand was cut and a bloody mess as was the right one. Your right arm was twisted under you and the injury from your midsection messed that one up, as it did your pants and top.”
Kita nodded reaching up and touching her neck, “where is my choker?!” she asked slightly alarmed that it was missing as well.
“I have that on the table in your room.” Ujikiyo told her pointing with his thumb over his shoulder at the room.
Kita nodded letting her arm rest at her side, “So shall we?”
“Sure, “Ujikiyo replied, “I am sure you will be fine.” Ujikiyo then darted for the water and dived in.
Kita laughed drawing her hands up to shield her from the splash of water. She to, then dived into the water. It was wonderful. The water so cool as it incased her body, washing away all the dirt and blood. She swam under the water feeling so alive and not believing that she was finally free of Los Noches. Free of Aizen and the others. No more fearing for her life with the other Espada. It was all too good to be true, but it was. Because here she was, still, after four days and no one has come looking for her. Ujikiyo did not realize how good he really had it. Just then, she wanted to talk to Ujikiyo about staying with him, so she headed to the surface of the water. She hoped he would say yes.
However, Kita was far from correct about being free and her arrancar life about to change in a way she never imagined. For hours much earlier and unbeknown to her, Aizen had discovered what happen to her, and Ulquiorra was at that moment on the hunt by order of Aizen and his require in finding her. Ulquiorra searched the forest for hours, finding the place Kita and Nnoitra fought. Then searched even longer for indications of where she may be hiding or being kept while healing. He knew the arrancar within the forest had saved her. He had saved her once before it was only feasible that he would do it again.
The nearer Ulquiorra drew to Kita, the better he could sense her reiatsu. Finally, it was to the point that Ulquiorra had to only follow the course of Kita’s energy. “She has grown stronger.”
Soon after, Ulquiorra was entering the room under the large tree. He scanned the small room quickly, feeling Kita’s reiatsu all around me, but nowhere in the tiny room was she to be found. Becoming angered at the dead end he had come to he flung his arm hitting and destroying the small table with the candle on it. There. His eyes fell on a hiding entry way. Ulquiorra proceeded on his way, Kita’s reiatsu growing stronger by the seconds the closer he became. Finally, Ulquiorra stepped out into the large opening scanning the area for Kita. Ulquiorra stood on the bank not far from the water knowing she was close at hand. There in the water. He stepped closer. A figure was coming to the surface.
“Kita.” Ulquiorra spoke under his breath.
Kita then broke the surface. Her back to Ulquiorra as she took a deep breath into her lungs and called out. “Uji?” she started to turn, “Uji, I want to talk to you,” with a soft giggle she spoke again still turning around, “wher--” her eyes fell upon none other then Ulquiorra. Her body froze as their eyes locked. Her mind raced in thought as neither of them moved.
“I'm still awake, right? Was it all really too good to be true? No. It can’t be. Is he really standing there? His eyes so accusing, like he has any right.” Kita’s eyes slowly scanned around for any signs of Ujikyo, her mind still raced in thought catching Ulquiorra’s gaze once more. “His eyes threatening the life it belongs to. Did he already kill Uji?”
Finally, Kita spoke up, “Why can’t you leave me alone? You know as well as I that he'll use us, twist us and turn us however he pleases. Leaving us an empty shell of what use to be. I can’t be as far in as I'll ever be out?” Kita stepped back in the water never taking her eyes from Ulquiorra. She shook her head slightly as she tried to turn and walk away. “This life is not just an hourglass glued to the table? I refuse to return to Los Noches!” She could not breathe and felt trapped under his gaze. Everything she felt second before now washed away in the fear of losing it. Just as Kita was able to turn, Ujikiyo came up from under the water behind her and caught her in his arms. He was laughing saying something to Kita, however, when his eyes fell on Ulquiorra as he looked over Kita’s shoulder. He bound from the water to face off with Ulquiorra.
Ujikiyo did not even get a chance to get both feet on the ground. When Ulquiorra raised his hand and knocked Ujikyo from the air. It was like seeing someone swatting a fly from flight. Kita quickly sonidoed from the water to catch Ujikiyo, however, her attempt was fruitless with being cut off by Ulquiorra. She watched as Uijkiyo hit the white sand and slid to a stop next to the wall. He was not moving. Kita looked to Ulquiorra with narrowed eyes.
“WHY!?” she screamed at Ulquiorra, “Why can’t you just lev--”
Kita was cut short by a swift backhand to her cheek as it busted her lips. She stood in front of Ulquiorra with her head hung as she spat blood to the ground. “You are returning to Los Noches with me. I am not concerned with if want to or not.”
She said nothing as she stood there hearing Ulquiorra speak once more. “But first…” Ulquiorra then turned away from her and started walking toward Ujikiyo. “This trash must die.”
“NO!” Kita cried out, quickly sonidoing in front of Ulquiorra. There she stood in front of Ujikiyo with both arms spread out. “I won’t let you.” Kita told him.
Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at Kita. “Come away from him, Kita. He is common trash.”
“He saved my life! Twice! I won’t let you kill him.”
Ulquiorra looked at the lifeless Uijkiyo on the ground then back at Kita, her eyes. They were different. Still their vibrant blue, but cat like, even her small rounded ears turned to a point. Her uniform gone. Only a tattered thin pair of pants that hung to her knees, no shoes, a bandage that wrapped her torso. Even her gloves were missing along with the bow in her hair. Ulquiorra’s eyes then narrowed when he saw her missing choker. Just as he was about to mention all this Ujikiyo awoke. Kita saw him move from the corner of her eye as she yelled.
“GO UJI!”
Kita lunged at Ulquiorra tackling him to the ground as Uijikyo sonidoed past them diving into the water and was gone. Beyond annoyed at Kita, Ulquiorra stood grabbing her arm and jerking her to her feet.
“You will turn in time and obey me, if I have to kill you ‘again’ to do it.”
Kita swore she saw the flames of hell burning in his eyes as he glared at her. The last thing Kita remembered was Ulquiorra lifting his hand to her. The next day she awoke back in Los Noches and locked in her room.
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- Part 14 Gone Too Long
