Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
The silence was heavy enough one could easily hear an apple fall off its tree and hit the ground. Everypony present was just staring. Fluttershy and Pinkie were looking at the strange being standing on the porch beside Applejack while Ulquiorra looked at the bright pink earth pony with unkempt mane and the butter yellow pegasus with the flowing pink mane with the scared look on her face.
Twilight looked between the two parties, uncertain what exactly had gone wrong. Why was nopony talking or making an effort to strike up a conversation? Fluttershy had seemed motivated to come over when Spike had explained about Ulquiorra in the best way he could. Was his appearance scaring her? And what about Pinkie? Where was her usual joyful nature that could overcome any rocky start and bring out the best in anypony?
"Am I correct in assuming not everything went according to plan?" Ulquiorra finally asked, breaking up the stifling silence in the process.
"Something like that," Twilight replied, not knowing what else to say.
Ulquiorra said nothing in response as he continued to study the two ponies before him. The pink one looked at him in confusion and amazement while the yellow one looked at him in fear.
"No matter," Ulquiorra replied and stepped off the porch with his hands tucked into his pockets. "These two are the bearers of the elements of laughter and kindness?" he asked.
"How'd you know that?" Twilight asked, feeling stunned by the revelation.
"Applejack was quite informative and helpful, explaining how you and the others possess the "Elements of Harmony" and have used them against Princess Luna's alter ego of Nightmare Moon and Discord himself," Ulquiorra replied simply as he stepped closer. "I must admit I was fairly surprised to see that these two are element bearers. Considering how vital these artifacts are to the safety of Equestria I expected them to be in the possession of those who were older and considerably more experienced."
"Now jus' a minute here," Applejack spoke up when she finally found her voice and climbed down off the porch. "Ah don' know how things are where ya come from, but over here we've proved ourselves ta be pretty darn good at savin' the world an' all. We saved it like three times on our own so far. Ain't that right, Twilight?"
Twilight paused in thought and took stock of the number of times that would count as saving the world. The defeat of Nightmare Moon, sealing Discord back in stone, stopping King Sombra...definitely making Discord reform and change his ways. The Changeling invasion didn't count as that was her brother Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. Saving Ponyville from the sleeping dragon couldn't be counted either as that was local rather than regional.
"Four actually," Twilight replied.
"Right," Applejack said as she turned her focus back to Ulquiorra. "Four times we been heroes ta the world so don't go doubtin' us jus' 'cause ya ain' been around ta see us in action."
"I was merely making an observation about the importance the Elements of Harmony possess, not about your qualifications to possess them," Ulquiorra replied simply as she looked back at Applejack before turning attention back forward.
They didn't need to be informed of his opinions regarding the overall level of security Equestria had with the six of them holding what might amount to the most powerful weapons in the world or his doubts about their ability to protect the world if they couldn't maintain a cohesive group.
"Hey we're super duper responsible!" Pinkie finally spoke up, and she wasn't happy. "You're certainly a Meanie McMean Pants!"
Twilight could tell this wasn't going to end well. She knew Ulquiorra was honest and straight to the point, and he was often blunt about what he believed, but she hadn't seen him go out of his way to engage in simple cruelty or outright meanness. That was her evaluation of the Arrancar, and unfortunately the way things were quickly progressing she could see that this meeting -and failed blending- of the two cultures wasn't going to end well unless she pulled some kind of damage control. She needed to act fast to prevent everything going straight to Tartarus. No the way things were going this would go well past Tartarus, this would go all the way to his dimension's equivalent of Hell.
"Ulquiorra," Twilight spoke up and interrupted whatever trade was going to be had. "Could I see you for a minute?"
Ulquiorra quirked an eyebrow as he looked at Twilight. The tone in her voice had changed considerably and her facial features had become more hardened. Something about her posture must've been readable to everyone else as Spike knew enough to dismount her without even being told. There was an intensity to her that he hadn't seen from her before, an intensity he had only seen on the Princesses so far.
Wordlessly he followed her lead as she lead him away from the group towards the apple orchards. Finally after some measure of distance she turned and faced him directly.
"Look. I know you're not being mean or cruel, you're just being...well...yourself, to the point on what you observe. But my friends don't exactly understand that because they don't know anything about Hollows or Hueco Mundo. I don't know if they could handle those details," Twilight explained.
"And what would you propose as a solution?" Ulquiorra asked simply.
"Apologize. If for no other reason that appearance's sake. Defuse the situation," Twilight suggested.
"A useless gesture to perform," Ulquiorra replied. He had done nothing wrong and Twilight Sparkle acknowledged the fact that he'd done nothing wrong. So why would she be insisting that he apologize? It was simply illogical in nature.
"Ulquiorra," Twilight replied in a low and serious tone. "Remember how Princess Celestia instructed you to listen to me as you would her? Well I'm instructing you to play nice for the time being. Those ponies are my friends regardless of how nonsensical they can be at times. And sometimes that means swallowing your pride and consenting to something you don't believe in for the sake of the bigger picture. Dominating every single incident might have you right but you'll be alone, and that goes against your assigned purpose here; learning about friendship and making friends," Twilight explained. "This is lesson number one in friendship: tolerance."
He observed her as she spoke. She was determined and assertive whereas previously she had been curious and more malleable in personality. And as her personality hardened so did her reiatsu to the point being in her presence was causing his skin an unpleasant sensation. It appeared that simple logic wouldn't aid him on this matter as she'd already reached a conclusion on her own.
"As you wish, Twilight Sparkle," Ulquiorra replied neutrally before turning around and walking back to where the others remained. Perhaps agreeing to the terms of his release was premature on his part. Finally he stood before the small group again and prepared to carry out his orders. "I apologize if I came off as being cruel in my unfamiliarity with how things are done in Equestria. In Hueco Mundo if items as important as the Elements of Harmony existed they would be carefully safe guarded at all times and deployed only by the most experienced and seasoned individuals to guarantee that they couldn't be stolen and used by the wrong parties."
"Well originally they were secured in Canterlot where only Princess Celestia had access to them," Twilight added, her tone of voice just like it had been before their discussion. "But after two consecutive failures to acquire them during a crisis, Princess Celestia decided it'd be best if we kept them with us since only we can use them. Furthermore they've each been magically bound to us so nopony can steal them even if they tried," she explained.
Perhaps the most logical of decisions that could be made under the given circumstances. With the Elements of Harmony so far away from the only ones who could use them it only made sense if that distance was closed. And at least Princess Celestia had the foresight to safeguard each of the elements to their selected user so they couldn't be misused. Perhaps he'd been premature in making his earlier assessment.
"Maybe we got off on the wrong hoof, let's try this again," Twilight suggested. "Ulquiorra Cifer, these are two of my friends in Ponyville. Pinkie Pie, the most awesome party planning pony you'll meet anywhere. And Fluttershy, best known for her expertise in taming all manner of animal, big or small, herbivore or carnivore."
Pinkie grinned happily at Twilight's statement while Fluttershy made an effort to hide her face behind her mane.
"Girls this is Ulquiorra Cifer of Hueco Mundo, here to establish diplomatic relations with Equestria and getting to know the ponies that make this land great."
Ulquiorra nearly rolled his eyes. He had consented to let Twilight Sparkle handle the initial introductions but he hadn't suspected she would be engaging in such deceit. Diplomatic relations? Really? What sort of diplomatic relations could he truly engage in? And was the unicorn really this prone to dishonesty with those she considered friends?
Perhaps beneath that friendly veneer she harbored feelings of superiority and resentment towards the others and merely tolerated their presence for the sake of Equestria. He couldn't rule it out as being a possibility.
"Cool!" Pinkie stated excitedly. "Welcome to Ponyville Ulqy! If you need anything in the way of parties just lemme know."
Ulqy? He cocked an eyebrow at her selection of name for referring to him. He preferred Applejack's manner of address in comparison. However instead of saying anything he turned his focus to Fluttershy who seemed to shrink under his gaze. "Are you the one who reformed Discord?"
Fluttershy squeaked at being addressed directly and took a hesitant step backwards as if confronted by overwhelming danger. Not that it was an inaccurate comparison to make. Eventually she managed a weak nod and a barely audible "yes" in response to his question.
"You fear me," Ulquiorra stated bluntly. "You consider me a monster due to my differences from you and that's why you're afraid. Correct?"
Fluttershy's eyes went wide at the statement, stopping her in her tracks before she could back up any further. Was she really coming off like that? How terrible.
"No..." she whispered.
+++
"...I'm finally starting to find you guys a little interesting," Ulquiorra commented. How had it come to this exactly? Standing here in the process of dying, his body turning into ash after being defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki under control of his Hollow self after what should've been a fatal injury. And on top of that he was being denied a proper death by the human because of some misplaced belief in honor before reason.
The woman stood to his right, looking at him as he slowly faded away. Her eyes...they were filled not with fear or relief but rather sadness...sadness directed at him. Slowly he stretched his arm out to her.
"...Are you scared of me? Girl."
"I'm not scared," she replied, sadly yet defiantly.
Even after all he'd done to her and her friends she wasn't scared of him, she took no pleasure in his imminent death. He'd tried to kill Ichigo Kurosaki, torn off the Quincy's left arm, threatened to kill all of her friends if she didn't do exactly as he said in instructing her to come to Hueco Mundo. And yet she still took pity on him. He wouldn't be able to understand her even if he tried to, there was no logic to her.
"I see."
The last thing he could see was her reaching out to take his hand, the gesture causing his limb to disintegrate starting at his fingers and quickly racing back up to his torso.**
+++
"I'm...not afraid of you..." Fluttershy whispered with a bit more courage than her previous statement, although it still wasn't very convincing to those that didn't know her. "You're...you're not a monster..."
If only she knew how wrong she was in her statement. If these ponies had seen him back in Hueco Mundo would they be so quick to assume he wasn't a threat to them? If Princess Celestia had experienced him firsthand in his released state would she still allow him to interact with her subjects as freely as she currently was, their only provided protection being two guards with a significantly lower level of reiryoku than his own?
Most likely not.
"Fluttershy's always that way 'round new ponies," Applejack stated from behind. "Although ah still don't rightly know wha' ya are."
"Then we are in an equal position. I've been informed that you're all ponies but that tells me little about just what you are," Ulquiorra replied without even turning to look at her. "Nothing like any of you has ever been seen nor heard of in Hueco Mundo. It would be only logical to assume the same would be true when the situation is reversed."
"Hueco Mundo? Hey does that mean-" Pinkie began, only to be stopped by Twilight.
"I already tried when I first met him, Pinkie, he doesn't speak that language," she explained.
"Oh," Pinkie replied and gave a small shrug. "Whatever! Put 'er there Ulqy!" she said and stuck out her hoof.
He recognized the gesture from yesterday with Twilight Sparkle, knowing what she was expecting. However he felt less motivated to return the gesture with this one. He'd rather wait and see how long it took her to comprehend that he wasn't inclined to shake hands.
Nearly a full minute before she finally set her hoof back down on the ground and frowned in response.
"So...wha' exactly is an Arrancar anyway?" Applejack asked, figuring it was the best way to head off whatever might be brewing between Pinkie and their new guest.
"What exactly is a pony? What is it precisely that makes a pony a pony rather than a zebra, gryphon, dragon or some other species?" Ulquiorra asked in response and turned to face her. "We're all simply who and what we are and nothing more. Titles and species are nothing more than a way to categorize others into different types and sub-types for the purpose of maintaining artificial boundaries for separation."
"There he goes with that deep thinkin' again," Applejack thought to herself, unable to figure out what to say in response. What was the difference between an earth pony and a zebra? Or between a pegasus and a gryphon? And how much difference was there? One thing was for certain he really inspired a lot of thinking.
"Ooh! Ooh! Ulqy! Ulqy!" Pinkie called excitedly and bounced on her hind legs until he finally turned around to face her. "Cake?" she asked as she presented a large chocolate frosted cake with "Welcome to Ponyville!" written in white icing on top.
He was left confused at the cake being presented to him. The pink earth pony hadn't shown up with anything that could even remotely contain such an item, nor could she have gone to retrieve it when he was addressing Applejack without him becoming aware of it. Yet here she stood, reared up on her hind legs and using her forelegs to hold up the pan for his consideration.
"I was under the impression earth pony magic is passive in nature and can't be used for teleportation or materialization," Ulquiorra replied, unable to determine the exact location the cake had come from.
"Pinkie is...very random..." Twilight explained as best she could.
Ulquiorra said nothing in response, left uncertain as to how to go about interpreting the statement as it provided little in the way of hard facts. Randomness? Randomness didn't answer how the pink earth pony had produced a cake so fast. Even Twilight Sparkle couldn't have produced the cake without him feeling a fluctuation in her reiatsu as he'd felt in the other times she'd exercised her magic.
"Cake?" Pinkie asked again, still maintaining her level of balance without any significant display of tiring from the awkward position she was in.
"It would appear to be, however I'm unable to confirm whether or not it is," Ulquiorra replied simply.
Pinkie blinked in confusion at the statement, before snorting and bursting into a fit of laughter in response, nearly tipping over in the process.
"That's hilarious I've gotta write that one down!" Pinkie laughed. And just as easily as the laughing had begun it stopped and Pinkie was as serious as she had been previously. "So do you want some cake?"
"No."
"No?" Pinkie asked, unable to believe her own ears. Just like that he'd turned down chocolate cake without even the briefest of contemplation? "Not even a little piece?"
"No."
"Wow Ulqy you're a tough one!" Pinkie stated as sat down on her haunches in order to better balance herself. "No smiling, no hoofshake and now you're turning down cake? The next thing you know you'll be trying to tell us you don't have any friends."
"I don't," Ulquiorra replied.
The change in atmosphere at his words could almost be felt. Perhaps he'd said the wrong thing.
He could understand how different dimensions might have different standards of physics; he'd seen such when it came to the use of magic for basic levitation and even teleportation, neither of which existed in Hueco Mundo. Different standards of physics even made sense regarding the ability of the pegasus species of ponies to fly.
However he was certain that different standards of physics didn't explain how the pink earth pony's mouth could open far enough that her lower jawbone could actually make contact with the grassy ground beneath her; nor how she could so easily toss the cake and platter into the air where it came back down on her head and was cushioned by her mane and remained perfectly balanced as she literally picked her jaw up and audibly snapped it back into place.
"Oh...my..." Fluttershy stated in surprise.
"WHAT?!" Pinkie shouted in surprise. "No friends? You mean like never? Like never ever?" she asked. "That's terrible! That's super duper sad, like sadder than "not getting any of your birthday cake or presents when it's your own birthday party" sad! Girls this is a super duper Partycon Level 1 emergency! We've gotta get Ulqy some friends pronto!"
Ulquiorra blinked and kept silent, still trying to understand how the cake could remain so perfectly balanced on her head. He could understand the meaning of the words the pink pony was using despite how fast she was talking. But she was speaking utter nonsense. Simple illogical nonsense with no basis in common sense. She was rambling about things beyond her understanding and beyond his ability to care about. She spoke of friends as if they were a physical concept of great importance. Regardless of what Princess Celestia had ordered of him he still didn't grasp the concept. And until it could be proven otherwise it would continue to remain as such.
"I fail to see the emergency of the situation," Ulquiorra replied as evenly and unmoved as ever before. "My stay here is limited to the daylight hours only. I don't have the time to engage in wasteful indulgences."
"Actually Ulquiorra...it's not as wasteful as it might sound," Twilight spoke up, bringing the Arrancar's attention to her, knowing full well that if she didn't provide a necessary distraction then Pinkie could very likely go into meltdown mode.
"How so?" Ulquiorra asked as her looked at her.
"Well it's a long story. Before I came to Ponyville I used to believe the same thing. I was so busy researching the legend of Nightmare Moon and trying to warn Princess Celestia, but she insisted on sending me here to check on preparations for the Summer Sun celebration and telling me to make some friends. And that's how I wound up making friends with Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. That's how we obtained the Elements of Harmony, defeated Nightmare Moon and saved Equestria," she explained.
"...And you did all of this through the concept of friendship?" Ulquiorra asked, unconvinced of the notion. Twilight nodded in response, as did the others. They were all sticking to the story, to the notion that friendship had somehow aided them. Perhaps there was a measure of truth depending on what the Elements of Harmony needed in order to function properly. But the very idea still seemed preposterous.
"Ulquiorra Cifer. You asked to be assigned a purpose so your presence in our kingdom would have meaning. Considering that you're a foreigner to this land, to say nothing of this dimension, and unfamiliar with all the wonders it holds, as well as being under my rule, I've reached the conclusion that the best course of action available is to assign you the same task I assigned Twilight nearly three years ago. You're to educate yourself on the magic of friendship and all that it holds. You'll learn to make friends, you'll submit reports on your findings."
Preposterous...but it was still his purpose in this new world to learn about it. And as much as he may not see the point he was also under orders to exercise courtesy. He was beginning to wonder if the void really was worth leaving for this. Had he known what he'd be stepping into he might've stayed behind.
"Preposterous," he stated. Orders or not, that didn't mean he had to comply with them immediately. Not when there were still so many questions left unanswered. "Friendship is an intangible concept created by others in an attempt to convince themselves that they're not alone in life. The simple fact of life is that we're all alone in our existence, the only difference being to what extent we willingly admit this fact."
Twilight wanted to facehoof at Ulquiorra's words. He wasn't paying attention to Princess Celestia's instructions. Despite his words yesterday about considering alternative views he still seemed firmly rooted in his nihilism and unwilling to change. Was he really this stubborn? Was it by nature?
"...You're not alone..."
It was a statement barely above a whisper but everyone present still managed to hear it and tell that it was Fluttershy's voice. Currently and wordlessly she was hovering off the ground to place a foreleg on his arm.
"You don't have to be alone here while you're around us," Fluttershy stated.
He regarded her neutrally. Despite being the most scared of the five present she seemed to find enough courage to approach him and make actual physical contact. Twilight Sparkle had offered, as did Pinkie Pie, but Fluttershy was the only one to actually initiate the contact. Even as he looked at her with the same gaze that made her shrink away previously she didn't seem willing to leave. Curious. Where had she found this courage she'd previously been devoid of?
There was the remote possibility that what they were talking about really wasn't a matter of nonsense. He wasn't in Hueco Mundo anymore where loneliness and despair were the lay of the land. He had to at least consider the possibility that what they were talking about was serious in nature.
"I still possess doubts about the validity of what you're saying," Ulquiorra stated. "But I'm at least wiling to consider the possibility of alternative views on the matter..."
Now it was Twilight's turn to have doubts. Ulquiorra had said pretty much the same thing last night but so far hadn't shown any followup since coming to Sweet Apple Acres, he was still stubbornly maintaining the belief that anything he couldn't see didn't exist. But she had to be willing to cut him some slack as this was a lot to take in all at once; Pinkie was a lot to take in all at once. She hadn't exactly adjusted well on her first day either.
Speaking of Pinkie she seemed to have brightened considerably at Ulquiorra's statement; as if he'd just told her he wanted her to throw a huge party. One of these days she had to get the party pony down into her lab and figure out just how she could smile so wide without hurting her face.
"This is gonna be awesome!" Pinkie stated.
Ulquiorra meanwhile was observing the change in his surroundings. And what he was seeing was enough to make him question whether or not his pesquisa was still working properly. He understood that the intensity of Twilight Sparkle's reiatsu was in some way linked to her emotional state. But in the case of Pinkie Pie this seemed even moreso as her amount of reiatsu was increasing dramatically and flooding the area to the point it was overshadowing the others.
The strange aspect was the lack of density being presented. Whereas Twilight Sparkle and even Applejack had a measurable density to their own reiatsu Pinkie Pie's was the opposite, being relatively thin and airy in a way. It was like comparing wood or stone to a pile of feathers...or perhaps the human snack known as cotton candy would be more accurate. There was no overwhelming sense of unpleasantness being exerted against his skin as he stood in its presence. It was all...most curious in nature.
Despite her doubts Twilight was glad to see how things were unfolding. Slowly her friends were warming up to Ulquiorra's presence and no longer put off by his strange appearance or mannerisms. This at least seemed like a good sign, maybe it indicated the rest of the day would go well too. Even Fluttershy of all ponies seemed to be getting comfortable around him; even if he did kinda force the issue and accuse her of seeing him as a monster. But the important part was that the bonding process had begun! Ulquiorra's lessons could now progress, meaning her assignment could be achieved as well.
"So who's up for Ponyville?" Spike asked, desperate to make himself known before anypony else could strike up a long conversation and leave him out in the cold. "He's gotta see it sooner or later. And we might find Rainbow Dash and Rarity there too."
"Ah reckon Spike's got a point. Sweet Apple Acres is fine an' all but there's only so much ya can learn here. Ponyville's where ya wanna be headin' fer interactin' with other ponies," Applejack added.
"Then perhaps it would be best to go now. As I've said my time here is limited to the daylight hours. And I would rather not inform Princess Celestia that I was unable to complete my mission due to constant interruptions and distractions," Ulquiorra stated.
That seemed to strike a cord with the ponies. As far as he could see they at least understood the possibility that they were keeping him from doing what he came here to do, and if he had to deliver a negative report on his discoveries they'd be named as responsible for such developments.
"Well then what're we waitin' fer? Le's get goin'," Applejack stated.
"But what about Ulqy's cake?" Pinkie asked.
"I don't see the point in eating when not hungry for no other purpose than recognizing a kind gesture. Do with it whatever you please," Ulquiorra replied.
Pinkie considered his advice for a moment before throwing her head up, sending the cake airborne before gravity took over and brought the whole thing back down into her now awaiting mouth, allowing her to swallow it in a single gulp, platter and all. Ulquiorra had seen the entire display and blinked in surprise.
"Did she just-"
"Eeyup," Applejack replied.
"Does she know-"
"Probably," Spike replied.
"Will she-"
"Even I don't know for sure," Twilight added.
Confusion. That was the best way to describe what he was experiencing right now. The pink earth pony seemed to be a walking violation of physics regardless of what world he was in. There were certainly some Arrancar who could perform such a feat but this one was definitely no Arrancar. He really didn't know just what she was right now. This would definitely require investigation.
Investigation that would have to wait for later. Perhaps the town of Ponyville would hold some of the answers he currently sought.
"Twilight?"
The walk back to Ponyville for the second time today was proceeding in relative silence. Ulquiorra hadn't said a word since they left Sweet Apple Acres and neither had Fluttershy, but that fact wasn't surprising to anypony. Pinkie Pie was surprisingly keeping to herself, not talking endlessly abut anything but rather humming to herself, carrying on a tune only she herself knew as she bounced along to keep pace with the others.
So it was reasonably easy for Twilight to hear Applejack's whisper and notice that she wasn't exactly keeping pace with the rest of the group but rather hanging several lengths back, even further back than the pegasus guards escorting them. Taking the hint she slowed her pace until she was walking side by side with Applejack, Spike still silently riding atop her back.
"What's up?" Twilight asked.
"Does that Cifer character strike ya as a might bit weird?" Applejack asked. "Ah ain' talkin' 'bout appearance neither."
"Granted he's not exactly like we're used to seeing, but weird how? Anything specific?" Twilight asked.
"Well ah can understand him not knowin' 'bout friendship since he says he didn' have no friends. But before ya'll came back he already knew ya were on yer way back an' he knew ya were bringing jus' Pinkie and Fluttershy with ya. He didn' even see ya comin', he jus' knew," Applejack explained. "An' the way he don' talk much. Ah'm used ta my brother not talkin' unless he's got somethin' ta say, but the way that Mr. Cifer does it jus' feels unnatural," she continued.
Twilight could somewhat understand where Applejack was coming from. When she first met Ulquiorra yesterday there was a lot about him that she found very strange and...well weird was a good word for it. Of course over that small course of time she'd found out a great deal more information than her friends currently had access to so she and Spike had a better understanding of the full situation. She knew more about Hollows, Arrancars, the Espada, Hueco Mundo and the dialect of Ulquiorra's world than anybody...anypony...whatever... and more or less just took it in stride, adapting to the situation quickly. Even Spike was keeping pace with her and treating Ulquiorra more like an everyday sight that simply held great interest.
Maybe she'd gotten too ahead of herself in this and was too quick to introduce him like she had. Now they were asking questions she wasn't certain she could answer.
"Well he's...a little different from the rest of us. You've gotta remember, AJ, this is his first visit to Equestria. Maybe he's nervous?" Twilight suggested.
Nervous really wasn't a good way to explain the situation. Ulquiorra's lack of emotional interaction and his silent nature unless directly engaged in discussion could be a little off-putting to those that weren't familiar with it. He was like the direct opposite of Pinkie.
"Nervous don' explain how he knew ya were comin' without seein' ya. Tha's jus' freaky. He ain't got a horn like unicorns do so it can't be magic er anythin' lika ya could do," Applejack stated.
YES! Now that was a question she could answer and truthfully.
"Well I don't know if it's magic but it's a technique he calls "pesquisa." It's a lot like an advanced form of a bat's echolocation but instead of using sound waves to detect physical objects to allow him to maneuver about safely it locates a pony's magical frequency within a given area. It's really a fascinating concept and I've never seen anything like it," Twilight explained.
"Yeah and nopony can sneak up on him when he's using it. He can detect you no matter how quiet you're being. Even the Princesses couldn't get close without him knowing it," Spike added.
Up ahead Ulquiorra remained silent as he followed the lead to Ponyville, keeping his hands in his pockets as he walked along and observing his surroundings.
Pinkie Pie was bouncing around them in a large circle and humming to herself in an oblivious manner of her surroundings. How she could move in such an erratic manner without the platter she'd swallowed causing harm to her internal organs was still a matter of confusion; how she'd managed to consume the platter when it was larger than her head was even more confusing.
Fluttershy was walking beside him, her stride and posture suggesting she wasn't overcome with fear like she was previously had been.
Behind them the two pegasus guards followed silently. Behind them were applejack, Twilight Sparkle and Spike, their voices carrying enough for him to make out part of the details of their conversation and how it involved the earth pony's confusion over his being and the other two doing their best to explain him without sharing any of the more sensitive details they insisted on keeping under wraps. So far she seemed to be doing an adequate job at spinning half truths and outright dishonesty.
"Sir?"
His attention turned to Fluttershy who was now looking up at and addressing him. Whatever measure of courage she'd found in herself still seemed present as she didn't turn away when his gaze focused on her, although there was still a noticeable flinch.
Fortunately she wasn't shaken to the point that she lost focus of whatever was on her mind and she was able to carry on without his instruction to do so.
"Um...I was just wondering...what's it like where you came from? Are there any animals there?"
Brave but not very assertive. Her posture might have changed but the tone of her voice seemed to compensate for such.
"Hueco Mundo is a desolate and harsh location where one could walk for miles on end and never find anyone or anything. Those that are trash could never hope to survive in such a place. It's cold, lonely and unforgiving," Ulquiorra explained bluntly. Whatever measure of courage and optimism Fluttershy seemed to possess faltered at his words.
"Wow Ulqy! No wonder you don't have any friends, there were no friends for you to make in the first place!" Pinkie stated as she hopped in front of him. Ulquiorra simply ignored her and continued walking along.
"T-that really isn't very nice, Pinkie..." Fluttershy stated as best she could.
"Regardless it's an accurate statement. One can't hope to survive in Hueco Mundo if they occupy themselves with concepts such as being "nice" and "friendly." Outside of Las Noches the world is very unforgiving," Ulquiorra explained.
"Las Noches?" Pinkie asked as she stopped in mid bounce to look at him.
"What you'd call the capital city, like Equestria's Canterlot," Ulquiorra replied, before continuing to walk on and leave Pinkie where she stood.
"Ooh! What's it like? Are there lots of parties? Are there bakeries with lots of sweets?" Pinkie asked.
"No."
Any further conversation Pinkie tried to start up beyond that point was ignored. There were a great many things about the pink earth pony that Ulquiorra found curious in nature and worth exploring, but her conversation ability was definitely not one of them. Her high pitched voice and hyper nature was annoying and the less said the better.
"Lesson number one in friendship: tolerance..."
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Did he just say the cake was a lie?
2835377
In an incredibly circuitous way, yes, I believe he did.
Although it was more of a Schrödinger's Cake situation, where he could not confirm nor deny the cake existed in the first place.
Why won't these come out faster. (Just kidding, take your time). I'm loving this so far.
That is all.
Update sooner damnit! You do good, but you take to long!
Really great. I'm looking forward to more. I'm wondering if Ichigo will ever make an appearance. That'd be interesting.
I knew he'd see a bit of Orihime Inoue in Fluttershy.
"Lesson number one in friendship: tolerance..." Brilliant
Another amazing chapter, once again I must say that it's quite a unique experience to read a story with such a verbose story line is quite a treat. It's not often I find a story that makes me think as much as this one does.
Another great chapter as always. I wonder if Ulquiorra will remain himself or became I-love-everything one. Also did you plan on shipping him with someone?
*slowly building laughter*
This won't end we-
Partycon 1! That's the most serious one of them all!
IMMINENT PARTY
t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-bzPvVD75N56UmmBsXtsbjR2z6O0wOix0GAuNaQa8Z9GZ_YfocA
I disagree with Twi's lesson, or at least her teaching method. Tolerance is important in friendship. So is fairness, and mutual respect. One may lead to the other, but the important lesson of "learning when to swallow pride", was taught counter productively, and the situation was improperly handled...as if fairness, respect, and tolerance are mutually exclusive, which they aren't in healthy friendships.
Twi understood what happened. She still pulled Cifer aside to urge him to apologize to her friends. Twi made no attempts to be responsible, or fair. She didn't use Pinkie's confrontation as means to lay groundwork for the future interactions of both groups. She left her friends out of the "bigger picture." Pinkie was as much at fault as Ulqy. It would have made more sense to impartially mediate right then and there, and count deeper understanding between Pony and Arrancar, as lessons in friendship, rather than let her friends take offense over what Cifer already explained (perhaps unclearly to Pinkie) that he meant no offense. Twi's actions were against most conceptual elements of Harmony. Unless harmony is not for everyone, which means that ponies exclude some beings, possibly unless they allow others to trample over them.
Twi's actions were the opposite of smart, nice, friendly, and diplomatic. Even if Ulqy doesn't care for fairness, or chose not to logically argue against hypocrisy since he's dealing with the beloved student of a demanding sun princess, on pony turf, with a timed mission...Twi took advantage of him. It's unclear how much of Twi's actions were partisan in nature, versus apathetic. Anyway, her actions reflect poorly on her character.
2838173
An excellent catch of details but this was a deliberate choice. It goes to show the early original nature of Twilight believing that friends were just a waste of time and she's making a clumsy attempt to explain things as best she understands. To make friends with the other ponies she first needed to tolerate their presence as when they set out to help her defeat Nightmare Moon and rescue Princess Celestia. Had she chased them off because of her earlier statement about them being crazy then she never would've succeeded and they never would've saved Equestria.
Perhaps Twilight sees a little of her old analytical self in Ulquiorra and she's responding to such, like Scrooge seeing the shadows of the past and futilely trying to speak with them and change the way events unfolded? Or perhaps she's trying to explain things in scientific terms that he'd understand.
As to not cluing her friends in Ulquiorra's exact nature...well I can't elaborate on that until a few more chapters when things will become clearer.
2835377 I believe he did my good fellow.
2835377 I think he did... Oh boy, here we go.
*Reads chapter.* *Adds to favorites*
This is so true.
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Good stories often come with the Consequence of long times of waiting.
2836583 only pinkie pie could posibly make that work. And they would never make a good ship.
2835377 yup he did and that was hilarious xDD
I've been with you since Chapter Zero and all I can say is...
Fantastic, one of the most amazing pieces of fiction it has ever been my pleasure to read.
Keep up the good work
Sooooo awsome!!!
"Did she just-"
"Eeyup," Applejack replied.
"Does she know-"
"Probably," Spike replied.
"Will she-"
"Even I don't know for sure," Twilight added.
Never Question The Pink
You Are (Not) Alone. I bet no one will get my reference.
3033462 Doctor Who, Yana.
2836869 I agree
XD
3033462 Rebuild of Evangelion of course!
3033462
Evangelion
Edit:
To be exact, the first Evangelion, Evangelion 1.11 You Are [Not] Alone.
Why has it taken me so long... It was sitting right there in front of me for like 2 years... Am i the only one who didn't see the joke? Ulquiorra is... a Bat out of Hell
4336061
that's so good
Brilliant line, so short and simple, yet so much meaning. Next thing you'll tell me you don't have friends. "I don't". I don't want him to change, these interactions are fantastic to read and laugh at. Learn about friendship, but don't embrace it, that's not his style.
3112656 Right? faved just for those lines...
and the rest is still hilarious but I Died from That!
I know there's still, like, seventy chapters ahead, but I'm kinda wondering how the ponies will react to seeing the gaping hole in his chest/neck/torso, if they do at all, I mean.
I also don't remember Ishida losing an arm. I'm pretty sure it was just Grimjow and Yami who lost arms.
6654070
http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Yasutora_Sado#Censorship
Nopony but Sunset Shimmer!
*picks himself up from where he fell over at that line*
Oh yeah, Ulqy will need A LOT of tolerance to go through Pinkie Pie ! X'D