Road to Redemption

Chapter 3: Home at Last

A/N: Hello everybody! As always I hope you enjoy the story. Thanks for reading!

© Bleach and it's characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. The fanart does not belong to ne

Chapter 3: Home at Last

The first thing he noticed was that the sun was brighter in the world of the living.

The city was covered in various tones of yellow and orange. The streets were clouded with people, and there was an air of tranquility that Hueco Mundo sorely lacked. 'It is as if the war had never happened.'

"What do you think?" The woman's chirpy voice asked him.

"It is quite calming."

"I was thinking that we could go buy some clothes. I'm sure you don't want to spend every day in Espada uniforms. Plus I can show you around. Is that ok?"

"Sounds good."

"Great. Do you want to take a bath before we leave? I can lend you some of Sora's old clothes."

He nodded. The woman quickly disappeared into the hall and came back with a towel and brand new clothes.

"These have never been used. I think they'll fit you. The bath's already running. I'm going to take one in the other bathroom. Knock if you need me."

"Thank you." 

Just as he closed the door to the bathroom he realized Kukkapuro had followed.

"You're taking a bath too. If you get the house filthy the woman won't be pleased."

The puppy whined.

"No excuses." He picked up the up and both of them got into the warm bath.

It still felt like a dream. He knew how things were meant to end, he was ready to fade into darkness once again. He accepted it.

She didn't. The way the woman clung to him, the painfully beautiful expression on her tear stained face, when she literally poured her soul into saving him. It was just like her to keep surprising him.

Kukkapuro barked. He was covered in bubbles and shook his tail. As if he knew what Ulquiorra was thinking.

"What? I just don't think she should have done this. The position they put her in, it's unfair."

The woman had shown kindness to almost all of them. Even to the ones she should have hated. She was a special kind of human. Maybe that's why he had grown fond of her.

He finished his bath quickly and put on the clothes she had given him. They were simpler than his uniform. A pair of jeans, a white shirt, a scarf and a green coat.

Kukkapuro jumped out of the bath and dried himself. He looked like a puffy white ball of fur.

"Let's go. The woman must be waiting."

***
Orihime had to look at her reflection twice, by now she had grown used to wearing the Arrancar uniform Ulquiorra gave her.

Now she was wearing her favorite lavender dress with a cream sweater, a scarf and brown boots.

She cast a worried look at her hairpins. They'd been overworked to the point of exhaustion. She carefully pin them to her sweater. 'Rest easy everybody.'

"There! All ready!" She grabbed her purse and headed for the living room. Ulquiorra was already there waiting for her. Kukkapuro had fallen asleep beside him, looking like a ball of cotton with a skull as a head.