Chapter Twenty One
He truly couldn't help but find it interesting to watch as Rarity worked. The flow and distribution of mana, and it being diverted to the various applications, the steady fluctuations in her reiatsu as she went about operating the sewing machine with great determination, giving a predetermined form to a piece of simple black cloth. Her reiryoku was hardly impressive in scale, but her use of what she had was truly skillful. Not even lacking a sufficient amount of material for what she wanted was slowing her down, as she simply readjusted to work with what she had, and attempt a new application.
"Just stitch that seam down... tuck in that corner and tack it into place..." she muttered to herself, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated. "Just another minute."
Glancing over at the others he saw Twilight Sparkle seemingly studying Rarity's method of work as if she were a scientist studying a different form of life, for the purpose of drafting up and submitting a paper; a concept that perhaps would best be reserved for Pinkie Pie. To her left was Spike, the same look from earlier on his face. What was this curios state he was in, and why did the white unicorn affect him in such a manner?
More questions for which there seemed no readily available answers.
"Just one last snip... and... wonderful!"
His attention was drawn back again to Rarity as she levitated her creation.
Was she quite serious?
It appeared to be a black shirt. However he had never seen one of such a style before, and couldn't adequately comment on its exact nature. There were no sleeves present, and an open neck. He suspected the rather skimpy nature was a side effect of her business mindset clashing with her status as holder of the Element of Generosity. It would make sense to not put significant labor and resources into something that would be given away for free.
"I don't claim to know all that much about your physiology... or the physiology of Arrancars in general... I can only make assumptions. But you at least look to have a very toned and well defined build that any stallion would be proud to have. It's such a shame that its covered up so extensively by an all encompassing jacket such as yours. And surely it must get uncomfortable in the warmer weather. This," she paused and gestured to the freshly made garment, "should provide a nice change from the status quo, and really extenuate your build in a flattering way, all the while covering up... well you know..."
He could point out that not being alive in the same way they were he wasn't vulnerable to extreme temperature variances, and even subzero weather wouldn't prove sufficient to harm him. However Rarity didn't seem like the type who would so easily be convinced by simple logic. She was in her own limited view of the world right now, and nothing else mattered. And not being able to threaten her with harm for failing to recognize such facts left him with a limited number of responses.
Perhaps it was best to simply humor her for the time being.
Twilight watched as Ulquiorra unzipped his jacket and allowed it to slip open, shuddering to herself as his Hollow hole came back into view again. The very idea of it actually being there, smack dab in the middle of his chest, still left her uneasy, still sent shivers up and down her spine as he flagrantly disregarded all known rules of physics and logic in his very existence. So long as it remained hidden from view she could convince herself that nothing was out of place. But when it came back into view...
"I still say that has to be an illusion."
She hadn't meant to say it out loud but she'd wound up letting it slip out anyway for everyone to hear. Almost immediately her hoof flew to her mouth as if she could somehow clamp up the truth by a simple physical gesture. It was all so foalish.
"I can assure you it's quite real. Perhaps you care to examine it up close?" Ulquiorra replied.
"Oh my," Rarity whispered.
"Really?" Twilight asked nervously, her cheeks getting quite hot, and quite red at the very idea. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?
Cautiously she stepped closer to him, rearing up on her hind legs and using her left hoof to press against his hip in an effort to steady herself. Slowly and cautiously, she brought her right hoof to his chest and pressed against the location of his Hollow hole, positive she'd find his musculature intact. But there was no underlying skeletal structure for support. Instead she felt as her foreleg slid completely through the hole, and out the back until it came into contact with the material of his jacket.
It was a real hole. Right through his chest and out of his back. There was no way it could be an illusion. The very idea of what she was doing and what it meant was making her squeamish as a phantom chill settled over her limb, and she quickly withdrew it, stepping back and down, and shaking it as if she'd come into contact with something wet and slimy.
Ulquiorra remained silent throughout it all, Twilight Sparkle's own displeasure with her experiment being sufficient for him. From the looks of it, the others were shocked and surprised as well. He continued removing his jacket, letting it slide from his shoulders and fall to the ground, stopping just short from touching the floor as Rarity enveloped it with her magic and levitated it elsewhere while presenting the shirt to him.
"I do hope it's to your liking," Rarity said softly as she watched and waited.
He regarded the supposed shirt for a moment before taking hold of it to examine it closer. The material felt to be a reasonable weight between his fingers, the neck line larger than he truly cared for, but likely necessary if it was intended to be slipped over the head as he was assuming, the back raised higher than the front around the neck from what he could see. Without a word he slipped into it and pulled it down into place, tucking it into his pants rather than leaving it outward where it could interfere with his sash.
The neckline was indeed larger than he cared for. However it was sufficient for covering his Hollow hole and... strange... had it always been that low in his chest? He'd believed it was higher than that. However he had little time to dwell on it as a full length mirror -full length for ponies anyway- was levitated over for him to get a better look at it.
Something about the presentation... something that didn't make sense... reminded him of that human companion of Ichigo Kurosaki, that Sado Yasutora individual who had foolishly believed he could stand up to Yammy Llargo and be successful. The exposed arms and shoulders, the way it fit his frame. Despite the plainness of it all it simply wasn't him.
However there was a bright side he immediately noticed, that perhaps the others didn't. Should he ever find the need to impale another individual up to the wrist, his jacket wouldn't become soiled with their blood and bits of tissue. Perhaps it was enough of a bonus to warrant wearing it.
"You're quite certain you have no intention of accepting payment for your services rendered?" Ulquiorra asked as he looked over at Rarity, the pony not even flinching under his gaze.
"Quite certain," she replied and nodded in a simplistic manner he could respect. No wasted words, just straight to the point. "But if you insist on some form of compensation, would it be alright if I held onto your jacket for a while longer, took a few more measurements of it?" she asked as she brought his jacket back into view.
A rather strange question to be presenting. These ponies continued to confuse him in the way they did things.
"I will require it back before nightfall. You may have it until then," he replied before directing his attention back to Twilight Sparkle and Spike. "I assume now would be the proper time to locate the others for this study, and whatever else you have in mind?" he asked.
"Er-" Twilight paused, caught off guard by Ulquiorra's bluntness and lack of courtesy towards Rarity after all her hard work. One would think after getting a brand new shirt -likely the very first of its kind in all of Equestria- he'd express at least some gratitude, but apparently not. "I guess so... we should probably head on over to Fluttershy's, and see how she is. She's been... kind of different since last week..."
"Different? In what respect?" Ulquiorra asked, finding himself mildly curious by the statement.
"Quiet even by her standards. Sort of sulking I guess? Not her usual happy quiet self," Twilight tried to explain. Trying to explain the difference in Fluttershy to an outsider wasn't really something she was skilled at. It was almost like trying to explain actual emotions without referencing their characteristics.
"Perhaps a consequence of her guilt over not being able to make the dragon leave peacefully?" he asked.
"Actually... that's not a bad theory of explanation. She really has been somewhat depressed since then," Twilight responded, "maybe today's visit will do her some good."
He doubted the unicorn's optimism but said nothing about it.
"Lead the way then."
"Right... Spike, would you mind showing Ulquiorra the way to Fluttershy's cottage while I have a word with Rarity, and I'll catch up in a bit?" Twilight asked.
"Sure thing Twi'," Spike replied and climbed down from his perch atop her back. "C'mon Ulquiorra, I'll show you the way."
Ulquiorra regarded the two unicorns for a moment before wordlessly turning and following Spike out the door, leaving the two to their own devices.
Once she was certain they were out of earshot Twilight turned back to face Rarity, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm really sorry about that, Rarity, I honestly thought we were making improvements, and Ulquiorra was getting better adjusted to life around Ponyville, but I guess I was wrong. He's still as callous as ever."
"Yes he is, isn't he?" Rarity agreed. However the tone in her voice lifted as she continued. "I wasn't really surprised at all, rather I expected it. To some degree it's understandable after learning what I have about him. The fact he took the shirt at all leaves me feeling that there's some hope for him fitting in our world at some point down the line," she explained. "Anyway darling, you just run on along and see Fluttershy. Now that I've got his jacket, I really want to learn more about it, like how it could go through dragon's fire and not even be singed."
"I suspect it has something to do with that hierro technique he referred to," Twilight muttered as she watched Rarity examining the jacket with great enthusiasm. "Anyway lots of luck. I'd better catch up with them before Ulquiorra winds up scaring all of Fluttershy's animals away... again..."
"Probably a very good idea," Rarity agreed and nodded before turning her attention back to the jacket.
"Wait a second."
The entire thing had happened so fast Spike hadn't even known how to respond until they were well out the door. It was only as they walked towards Fluttershy's cottage that the realization came up and smacked him in the face like a brick.
"You already know the way to Fluttershy's cottage. We walked there last week!" Spike stated, disbelieving how he hadn't seen it earlier.
"Indeed we did," Ulquiorra replied and nodded. "It would seem in her haste to speak with Rarity about certain matters, she forgot about that fact. I suspect she has ulterior motives, and is planning something that requires a distraction."
"Yeah?" Spike asked as he looked up at him, "whadda you think she's planning?"
"At present time I'm uncertain. I suspect it may have something to do with Pinkie Pie's intention of throwing me some type of party. More logically, perhaps Princess Celestia has outsourced her method of keeping tabs on myself, and my actions in an effort to determine the threat level I present to Equestria, and Twilight Sparkle is a part of the plan."
"Whoa..." Spike replied and stopped in his tracks. "You really think that the Princess sent instructions for Twilight to spy on you because she's suspicious?"
"If the situation were reversed, and one of them found their way to Las Noches, I would do the same," Ulquiorra replied simply and continued walking along, leaving Spike behind in his confusion as he went.
"Spike?"
It was only when he heard Twilight's voice from behind that he snapped out of his thoughts.
"Where's Ulquiorra?" she asked.
"Going on ahead since he knows the way already," Spike replied and gestured in the general direction of Fluttershy's cottage. "Hey Twilight... did Princess Celestia tell you anything in the last week? Anything relating to Ulquiorra specifically?" he asked.
"Not that I remember. Why?" Twilight asked as she tilted her head in confusion.
"... Just wondering is all..." Spike replied and began walking again. He wasn't sure just how much of this conversation he could share with Twilight at the time. There was a whole lot of stuff going on, and he needed time to think and organize things.
Now it was Twilight's turn to remain in place and utterly confused, blinking in uncertainty as to what was going on around her. Why was everypony talking in secrets?
"Hey you two, wait up!"
The walk to Fluttershy's cottage was as uneventful as it was quiet. Just like it was quiet when they actually arrived at the cottage; but this quietness on arrival was a lot different. It was... strange. The last time Ulquiorra had visited, all the animals had made a ruckus and scattered from the scene immediately. This time there were no animals in sight and everything was in an eerie stillness before their arrival. It was... weird. It was strange...
"Okay this is spooky," Spike commented.
"I've read about this. Primal instincts to flee an area when a dominant predator is detected. It's the same reason the animals fled last week, it's the same reason Opal freaked out and dashed out of Carousel Boutique. They picked up on Ulquiorra's predatory nature and regarded him as the superior threat," Twilight replied before turning her attention to Ulquiorra. "No offense."
"None taken," Ulquiorra replied as he crossed over the bridge to the small stream as he made his way up to the cottage door. At least the animals in Fluttershy's care shared her intelligence in recognizing him for what he was. He knocked and waited for a response.
It was nearly a full minute before the door creaked open just enough for him to catch a glimpse of an eye through the crack and realize it was Fluttershy looking back at him. Slowly the door opened wider as she looked up.
"Greetings Fluttershy."
She was silent as she continued looking up at him with some measure of curiosity, tilting her head to the side, her pink mane shifting about in the process.
"Hey Fluttershy," Twilight greeted as she and Spike came up behind Ulquiorra to meet with their friend.
Fluttershy turned her attention away from Ulquiorra and towards Twilight, smiling some as she saw her and waved a hoof in greeting.
"This is unusual behavior for her," Ulquiorra commented and turned his gaze towards the unicorn.
"Well you have to admit she had quite a shock last week, it's natural for some ponies to go through a period of adjustment after something like that and not act like themselves," she explained, shaking her head some before redirecting her attention back to Fluttershy. "Hey Fluttershy, do you wanna come along with the other girls to Sweet Apple Acres? Ulquiorra's here to learn more about friendship."
Fluttershy remained silent but continued to smile, nodding in agreement before stepping out the front door of her cottage and deploying her wings to hover off the ground. Ulquiorra quirked an eyebrow but remained silent, before turning his attention back to Twilight Sparkle.
"Where to now?"
Sugarcube Corner. The location where Pinkie Pie worked. Somehow it seemed appropriate with how things had been going over the course of the day. Somehow he doubted the notion that Twilight would leave any of her "friends" uninvolved if she could help the matter any.
"You're quite certain?" Ulquiorra asked as he turned his attention back to Twilight Sparkle.
"Yep. Trust me, Pinkie's easy to get along with, once you get adjusted to her. Let's just see if she's available to come along," she told him.
"Very well," he replied and stepped inside, knowing that trying to argue with the pony would prove useless on this matter.
Almost immediately after crossing the threshold of the bakery, he was greeted by a loud clang and complete darkness falling over him. It took him a moment to realize a metal bucket had just fallen on his head. And then he heard the cackling laughter...
+++
He had stepped out of his quarters in Las Noches to tend to matters of importance. That was all he'd done before noticing something against his ankle and the next thing he knew there was a loud clang and complete darkness falling over him, a wet sensation on his head and creeping down his jacket. And then he heard the cackling laughter of a high pitched voice.
Without a word he pulled the metal bucket off his head, the contents spilling further over him. As his vision came back he became aware of two things. The immature Espada Lilynette Gingerbuck was present and barely able to stand because of the ferocity of her laughter. And he was covered in a thick blue paint.
Where in Hueco Mundo had she even found blue paint?
"Oh man you shoulda seen the look on your face! It's so priceless!" she howled as she gripped her sides, barely able to keep from toppling over on the floor.
"Lilynette Gingerbuck," he replied calmly as he dropped the bucket to the ground, the blue paint dripping further down his jacket and onto the floor.
"I knew you could use some color but I didn't think I'd make you so sad," she choked out, "why so blue!?"
Her howling laughter continued for an unknown period of time, before she felt a strong tugging sensation on her arm, easily lifting her up off the floor where she found herself slung over his shoulder like a bag of dirty laundry, getting the blue paint all over herself in the process. This was no longer a laughing matter.
"Put me down you jerk!" she yelled as she kicked at his front and punched at his back. Ulquiorra remained silent as he held onto her firmly with one arm, and proceeded to walk down the hall. "Jerk! What're you gonna do, spank me!? Yeah I bet you'd like that a lot you pervert!" she shouted and tried her best to wiggle free. If she could get even one leg loose she would kick him so hard in the face right now.
His silent walk down the halls of Las Noches was offset by her raucous behavior and foul language, calling him every dirty name she could think of, in a long, and unending stream of profanities as she fought to get free.
"You just wait until Starrk finds out about this, he's gonna stomp the shit outta you!" Lilynette stated as she continued pounding on his back. It was only then that she noticed he'd stopped walking and stood in front of the door that lead to the Primera Espada's quarters. "This was your great plan for retaliation? Ha! Knock all you want, nobody but me can make Starrk wake up and I'm not cooperating with ya!"
Ulquiorra said nothing in response, settling instead for delivering a hard kick to the center of the door and knocking it right off its hinges, as it fell inward and slammed against the floor.
Even through all that commotion, the Primera Espada still slumbered away, snoring without care.
"Oh shit," Lilynette replied at the display she'd just seen over his shoulder. However she had no chance to say anything else as he readjusted his hold on her, lifting her up by the back of her pants with one hand, and literally throwing her across the room where she crash landed against Starrk, knocking him off the bed and waking him up in the process with a terrified yell.
"Control your other self," Ulquiorra spoke calmly before walking off in the direction he'd just come from.
+++
"Lilynette Gingerbuck..." he thought to himself. He'd discounted the possibility earlier on because Pinkie Pie visibly lacked the proto-Espada's sociopathic tendencies. It now appeared he'd dismissed the possibility far too early.
"Got ya Ulqy!"
Without a word Ulquiorra removed the bucket from his head, the contents spilling over him in the process. The one change was that this bucket contained confetti and streamers rather than a messier substance that would require significant effort to clean up. That and the pink earth pony was having an easier time remaining upright than her Espada counterpart due to the increased number of limbs on the ground.
"So it would appear," he replied simply and dropped the bucket on the ground.
It seemed Pinkie Pie was taking her promise quite seriously.
Behind him he could hear the snorts of barely suppressed laughter. Glancing over his shoulder he could see it was Spike and Fluttershy engaged in efforts to hide their amusement. It would appear the pegasus wasn't overwhelmed by guilt for her actions to the point she was beyond being amused. Twilight Sparkle on the other hand simply scowled at the earth pony beyond him. He said nothing, and simply proceeded to dust himself off in a casual manner.
"Pinkie that wasn't very nice. What if it was one of us who walked in first? Somepony could've gotten hurt," she stated.
"Oh Twilight you silly filly," Pinkie giggled, "you don't have to worry, I had everything planned out. The trip wire running to the bucket is held in place by a switch panel under the welcome mat. All the school aged ponies are too light to set it off, and all the adult aged ponies are too heavy to set it off. Ulqy's the only one in the right size range to overcome the spring tension and release the bucket."
A rather elaborate trap for no other purpose than releasing a bucket of confetti on his head. Perhaps there were certain questions that he shouldn't bother asking; such as how she knew he would be coming here today of all days. From what he could see, Twilight Sparkle shared his disbelief of the situation.
"Anyway Pinkie..." Twilight began, "we were thinking about going to Sweet Apple Acres with Ulquiorra. Do you wanna tag along?" she asked.
"Sure Twilight! I've still got a promise to keep of putting a smile on Ulqy's face and I can't do that if I'm here all day!" Pinkie readily stated and bounced excitedly.
"You can't do that regardless of where you are," he thought to himself and gave consideration to rolling his eyes.
"Hey Pinkie, do you know where Rainbow Dash might be?" Twilight asked as the group began leaving the bakery.
"Last I heard she was over at Sweet Apple Acres doing something with Applejack, but that was a couple hours ago," Pinkie replied as she bounced along.
"A rather strange coincidence. Eight days ago Rainbow Dash was with Fluttershy. Today she is possibly with Applejack. One can't help but ponder what circumstances are responsible for finding two Element bearers at the same time more than once," Ulquiorra commented.
Twilight blinked in response but said nothing, instead choosing to focus on his statement and the facts behind it. He did have a very good point about it being a strange coincidence. This was going to require some serious investigation!
"For science!"
"Get back here ya featherbrained idjit!"
"Make me you ground pounder!"
This was the scene that was unfolded in front of the five once they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were chasing after each other between the trees of the orchard, each one of them alternating between who was in the lead and who was bringing up the rear. And they seemed oblivious to the presence of the others.
"Is this regular behavior for those two?" Ulquiorra asked as he looked at Twilight for clarification.
"It's Wednesday," Spike replied, "Rainbow Dash and Applejack always race each other on Wednesdays if they're not otherwise busy. They're very competitive with each other," he explained as he watched the two make another pass, still obviously oblivious to their presence.
Ulquiorra said nothing, simply choosing to make use of his pesquisa as he observed the two. Their two reiatsu signatures were flaring considerably as they raced against each other. Applejack's reiryoku was distributed throughout her body evenly but with a greater concentration diverted to her hooves. Rainbow Dash's reiryoku was much the same, but with no significant distribution to any particular part of her body. As it stood, it appeared the pegasus was keeping pace through her own sheer physical prowess, than through any connection to passive magical abilities inherent to the pegasus race.
"I don't think they're gonna notice us anytime soon. I've seen them race like that until nightfall sometimes," Pinkie commented as the two athletes made yet another hard turn, kicking up dust and gravel in the process.
"Those two..." Twilight sighed and shook her head before looking over in Ulquiorra's direction, "do you think you could sonido between them and... I don't know... pick them up and bring them back here?" she asked.
"If it was necessary. However I don't know if their bodies could withstand the speed at which they would be moving under such circumstances. Rainbow Dash can only withstand her own Sonic Rainboom because her reiatsu distributes itself in a manner similar to an Espada's hierro," he pointed out. Even after seeing the technique he still wasn't sure if said distribution was a deliberate act she could control, or if it was done purely by instinct.
However it all soon became irrelevant as the race ended the moment Rainbow Dash turned her head to stick out her tongue. An act that caused her to not watch where she was going, snagging her front hoof on a tree branch and tripping, her forward momentum sending her rolling end over end as she yelled helplessly, making her way in the group's direction before coming to a complete stop as she slammed against Ulquiorra's legs, laying upside down and moaning as her eyes spun about.
"Owww..." she moaned. That'd hurt!
Ulquiorra remained unfazed and unmoved -emotionally as well as physically- by what he'd just seen. It was her own fault anyway.
She wasn't doing much to help herself either, with the manner in which she was positioned and where her tail currently rest.
"Ya a'right Sugarcube?" Applejack asked in a concerned tone as she came running over to where her friend lay, stopping only when she noticed his presence. "Howdy Mr. Cifer. Wha' brings ya 'round these parts?"
"Twilight Sparkle and her friends," he replied plainly before looking down at Rainbow Dash again as she started to pick herself up.
"Who put that bucking mountain in the middle of the orchard?" she groaned and rubbed the back of her head, as well as her lower back, before opening her eyes and looking up at him. "Sorry, didn't see you standing there," she paused and tilted her head to the side, "nice shirt. Rarity's work?"
"Indeed," Ulquiorra replied as she got back on all fours again and into a less compromising position. He again turned back to face Twilight Sparkle and cast his gaze upon her; an act that caused her to flinch. "What truly brings us to such a secluded location? What business did you have out here?"
He observed as she giggled nervously, scraping a hoof against the dirt in a manner suggesting she had been caught in the act of doing something she shouldn't have been doing in the first place. Along with her demeanor, her reiatsu level began fluctuating wildly. She had definitely been up to something secretive.
"Well I was... kind of hoping you could demonstrate some of those techniques of yours so I could kinda... study them, and figure how you did them..." she hesitantly admitted.
Rather strange behavior. If she simply wished to study him, then why did she insist on bringing the rest of her "friends" along for the study? What could she possibly hope to gain from their presence? He looked over each of them as he tried to piece together the puzzle. Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy. What was the connection he was not currently seeing? Why was Pinkie Pie smiling so intently? Why was Fluttershy hovering about off the ground, when she seemed so comfortable on the ground like an earth pony? And why did she not flinch under his gaze?
"So I see," he replied calmly and stepped away from them, turning around to look over each of them again in thought. "And how do you propose going about learning how to do what I can do?" he asked.
"Well there's this spell called "mage's sight" that I learned recently, and it lets the caster see the flow and structure of mana, and how its utilized when a particular spell is cast. If your techniques have even a passing similarity to the structure of this world, then I should be able to deduce and hypothesize how to go about replicating them," she explained.
Interesting. She had thought far enough ahead to have figured out a way at deducing the nature of the Espada's techniques, and in a way to understand the basic mechanics, or at least to try and do so anyway. That would certainly save him the effort of trying to explain how so much of it was instinctual in nature, and couldn't be put into simple words.
However there were other matters at hand to deal with first.
"Before we begin with such an endeavor, I want to make one thing perfectly clear, as it needs to be said," Ulquiorra began addressing them, each of them remaining silent to hear what he had to say. "I consider all of you to be nothing but trash. Back in Hueco Mundo I wouldn't have given any consideration to wasting my time with a single one of you. Besides being trash you're all supremely stupid. You were correct to fear me after finding out about my true nature. Then you suddenly feel sorry for me after having learned about my past? You believe incidents you consider to be tragic in nature negates what I have done and done so willingly? The fact you are trusted with the safety and wellbeing of Equestria leads one to question the wisdom of your Princess Celestia and how the world hasn't fallen into utter destruction yet."
"What the!?" Rainbow Dash shouted in anger at his words. "You big jerk! What the buck makes you so special for you to pass judgement on the rest of us anyhow!?"
Each of them had been thinking the exact same thing in some form or another. However Rainbow Dash was the only one who seemed able to vocalize her displeasure with Ulquiorra's statement regarding them and everything they'd done so far, the others too stunned to properly get a word out edgewise.
Undeterred by the outburst Ulquiorra continued as he slowly paced between them.
"The only one of you who has shown any common sense is Fluttershy. She and she alone, is the only one of you who has correctly regarded me as a predator that must be feared and avoided at all costs. She did not maintain the false notion that she could somehow domesticate me, and turn me into a friend, unlike the rest of you and your foolish beliefs that I could be or wished to be reformed," he continued as he stopped in front of the hovering yellow pegasus and looking deep into her eyes. "Out of all of your friends you are the wisest. Out of them all, you are the one most deserving of my thanks for recognizing the facts before you, and addressing them in a proper manner," he explained as he raised his left hand and began to stroke her mane.
Fluttershy flinched at the sudden contact, as was to be expected from her. However as the stroking continued she became more relaxed and allowed her eyes to close, the tension in her body fading away as she leaned into his hand, as he scratched at her head and behind her ears, her wings beating gently in contentment.
And then the sudden crunch of bones being broken. Fluttershy's eyes flew open wide with shock as an unimaginable pain shot through her chest and the rest of her body.
Nopony had seen it happen until it was too late. Ulquiorra had moved so quickly none of them had seen it until it had already happened and his left hand was firmly plunged into her chest all the way up to his wrist, easily shattering the bones in her ribcage with unimaginable force and cruelty.
None of them could move at what they saw, the shock of it all far too overwhelming. None of them could even speak as they watched helplessly as their friend was impaled in the middle of hovering off the ground.
"You have my thanks for your wisdom, dear Fluttershy..."