Chapter 17: Training Under His Care
Swish. I sliced my sword in the air at Ulquiorra. My head was pounding with pain. He held his sword up, and blocked it off. This was the harshest training I have ever been put through. Sweat dripped off of my face, and onto the sand like features below me. My hair was flying all over, and into my face.
I was breathing hard. Light began to glow between his fingers. Cero. He shot it off to soon for me to counteract so instead I just brought my hands up and grabbed it. So must reiatsu in it. How is this even possible?
We have been out here training for 2 hours now. I was tired, thirsty, and just out of breath. I called out to my power from my sword. "Heki aisu." I whisper to it sending out spike crystals.
He flung his sword in front of him, and they shattered. "Ranpu bakuha." I yell. Then I swung my sword at him. A dark purple shot out at him. It seemed to be a light of some sort.
He then let out a cero, counteracting me attack. "That's new." He says expressionless.
"Yeah." I mutter while shooting out a cero. I knew he would block it off, so I sonidoed behind him and sliced at him just as the cero was in his grasp. He stopped my cero, but my sword was against the skin on his neck.
"Very good." He says. "You have improved. But, if this were a real fight with an enemy, don't hesitate to make the final blow, and kill the person."
I nodded my head and got ready to sit when he says, "Don't collapse just yet."
"Why?" I ask. "I beat you so we are done."
"I want to see what you will come up with when at your limit." He says.
"Is this a joke?" I ask irritated.
"Do I ever joke?"
"Of course not." I say while rolling my eyes.
I turned around to get my hair out of my face when I heard movement. I glanced toward Ulquiorra, than quickly went to block of the attack. "Dang it." I stutter between clenched teeth. He can't really expect me to fight when I'm this tired does he?
Are swords clashed together leaving a 'clink' noise in the air. My body was shaking behind my sword, as I tried to hold him off. His sword, slowly though, began to creep closer toward me. I need to come up with a plan. But what? His eyes stayed steady on my face, and I narrowed mine. Look for the weak spot. I searched over him. Okay, he doesn't have one. So do something he won't expect. While he was focusing on my face, I reached out and grabbed onto Ulquiorra's sword, even though it cut me.
He looked at me, as if wondering what I had in mind, but then I began to make a cero in my hand. The purple color began to get darker and darker. He too, began to make a teal cero on his finger tip while pointing it at me as I say, "Ranpu bakuha." Light shot out from my finger, and my sword.
Smoke flew up into the air, making me loose all sight around me. I heard rustling sounds, then I felt my spiritual pressure begin to drop. I'm at my limit. I have small amount of power left. Guess that leads to one thing now... Sword fight and that's it. Either that or finish him off with one blow... but that won't work on him. He is too smart.
The smoke began to clear up, and I saw him nowhere in sight. Shit... where'd he go? Remain calm. Keep your eyes open. Focus on his spiritual pressure. The second I got a hold of it, he was attacking again, but from behind. This is different... He swung down much harder.
I brought my sword up. Once it made contact, I felt myself being flung back. "So strong." I say.
He nodded his head in approval then says, "We can be done now."
"Were you trying to kill me?" I ask while collapsing on the ground."
"No." He says.
I brushed my hand over my forehead, and wiped away some of the sweat. My eye lids began to feel too heavy for me, and exhaustion was taking over. I felt my muscles go numb, and I was unable to move. Ulquiorra looked over me, them began to walk away saying, "Let's go."
"I would but I'm too tired." I say while yawning and laying back in the sand. I felt eyes fall on me and I smiled. Then I heard footsteps come closer and my smile slipped away. I looked up to see Ulquiorra leaning over to pick me up.
"Guess you won't be eating then?" He asks.
"You are very right." I say.
He stood up straight and began to walk back into the palace to take me to a room to sleep in. His footsteps was the only thing I was paying attention to at the moment. I felt his warm body heat on me. His strong arms holding onto me. His strong but loving arms that is. His pale face looking in front of him as he walked.
His black bangs falling into his face, but his teal eyes popping out while it appeared to look like he was crying. Ulquiorra... I missed you so much. I made a mistake that I will never do again.
"What are you thinking about?" Ulquiorra asks, interrupting my train of thoughts.
"Uhm, you." I say while blushing and pushing my face into his chest.
"I see." He says while pushing a door open.
"Whose room?" I ask.
"Mine." He says. "It was closer."
"Oh." I say as he sets me down on his couch. I sprawled out on the couch and soon fall asleep.
Silent intakes of breathe filled the air. I felt shivers go up and down my spine. My eyes slowly opened, and I saw nothing but darkness with the moon illuminating light into this room.
I sat up, and looked around. Ulquiorra was lying in his bed, head in his arms, staring at the ceiling. "Are you okay?" I ask.
He seem startled, and looked over at me. He must have seen me shivering, because soon enough both his arms were around me and pulling me close to his chest.
"I didn't realize you would be cold." He says.
"It's fine." I say between chattering teeth.
He picked me up and carried me back to his bed, and set blankets over me while he held me close to him. I lay in his arms trying to hold onto this memory.
"What's bothering you?" I ask.
"Nothing." He says.
"I know you aren't much of one to show feelings, but I think I am able to read you slightly." I say.
"I see." He says.
"So what is it?"
"I just want to be able that I can train you well enough to defend yourself." He says. But I could tell that there was more to it than just that.
"What else?" I ask.
"I'm not sure." He says.
I was at a loss of what to say next, so instead I just looked at him curiously.
"You remember when I asked you how you knew if you were scared or not?"
"Yeah." I say.
"Well I think I am just scared to lose you." He says.
Guilt flew over me. I felt a ping in my stomach and kept my face down.
"Oh, Mai, that's not what I meant." He says realizing the pain I was in.
I nodded my head and looked upward at the window. The night was cloudless, with the normal, fake moon setting in the sky.
I felt Ulquiorra's hand on my face and he made me look at him and he says, "You know I love you, and you mean more to me than anything I could have imagined. You're the only thing and person that matters to me. That's why I don't want to loose you."
I stared at him at shock, then say, "I love you too."
He didn't frown nor did he smile. He just had a straight face. But either way I loved it. I loved everything about him. I loved how it looked like he was crying. I loved his eyes. I loved his skin color. I loved the way he would hold onto me. I loved the way he comforted me. I loved how protective he was over me. And most of all, I loved him for who he was.
I didn't want to die, because that just meant time away from him. I knew he would not die. He was too strong, and surely he is getting stronger. Next time, if he ever faces Ichigo, he will win.
""You are thinking again?" He asks.
"Yeah, I do that a lot." I say.
"So I have seen."
I smiled and yawned. "Good night." I say.
He leaned over, kissed my forehead, and I fell fast asleep in my lovers arms.
Bright light glowed through the window and reflected off the walls, lighting up the room. My eyes flickered open and I noticed I wasn't alone in the room. I sat up and looked around. Sleeping on the couch was a new arrancar. Of course, have to be watched over. Does he not think I am strong enough?
A knock hit lightly on the door. I stood up and made my way to the door. I opened it up and stood in shock. Standing there was the one person I probably shouldn't have seen. There in front of me, was Luppi.
"Uh, what can I do for you?" I ask.
"Can we talk?" He asks while walking in and plopping down on a chair next to the table.
"Luppi, I don't think that is such a great idea."
"Why not? You and Ulquiorra are better, and he is not here. What do you have to loose?"
"Everything." I whisper than say, "Look me and Ulquiorra made an agreement."
"And what was that?"
"That she stays away from you." Ulquiorra says while stepping in.
Luppi looked up scared, then disappointed, then bored. "Whatever." He mumbles.
"You should leave now." Ulquiorra says without emotion.
"Why, are you jealous?" Luppi asks.
Anger was in the room. "Shut up." I say to Luppi.
"You mad your girl chose me over you?"
Ulquiorra just stood there blankly, and just stared at Luppi.
"Don't forget, he is King of Heuco Mundo." I growl at him. "And nobody talks to my guy that way."
"Oh, is that why you cheat on him?" Luppi asks while standing up. He stepped passed Ulquiorra and says, "Within time, she will come crawling back to me."
I lifted my finger up, and a cero began to form in my finger. Ulquiorra quickly grabbed onto me after shutting his door and says, "Ignore him."
"Is that even possible?" I ask.
"Yes." He says.
"Ulquiorra....." I say trailing off then saying, "I'm sorry."
"Mai, don't let it bother you. Him and his words mean nothing to me." He says.
I smiled, pressed my lips onto his, and then got up to go eat.
"Don't forget, we train after you eat."
Oh great....