"ORIHIME!"
She let out a small gasp as the sword broke through her shield and impaled her heart. The hooded figure pulled their sword out her body letting her fall to the ground. Ichigo raced towards her, his face in crippling agony.
"ORIHIME!"
He dropped to his knees and cradled her body, he searched her face in desperation looking for any sign of life. Orihime could feel him shaking in anguish, she looked up and gazed at Ichigo's heart broken eyes.
The pain in her heart was overwhelming, however for him she mustered all her remaining strength to breathe,"Ichigo..."
The last image she saw was his grief stricken face, and not wanting him to feel any more sadness she gave him a small smile before letting her world become shrouded with darkness.
The pain was gone.
Ichigo was gone.
She could feel the darkness encasing her, the emptiness that surrounded her. She didn't want to open her eyes, she didn't want to face being so unbearably alone. She knew all her friends were fighting and right now Ichigo was pouring all his pain and fury into every gash he gave the enemy, but Orihime was here now, wherever here was she did not know, the only thing she knew was that while everyone fought together, she was here now, alone.
"Get up, woman."
Her eyes shot open.
That voice.
She stood up and saw the darkness that enveloped her, but amongst the darkness was a shining white figure.
There standing several feet away was someone she thought she'd never seen again, the Arrancar Ulquiorra.
She observed him and saw that his Hollow hole and the remnant of his hollow mask were gone and though his skin was still incredibly pale and he still bore the teal lines below his eyes , he looked remarkably human.
"Ulquiorra."
"Orihime."
Her eyes widened but before she could say another word he turned around and began walking.
"Hey!" she cried running after him.
He paid no mind to her when she caught up to him he simply kept walking.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"The inbetween." he answered.
"I don't understand...what is this place? Why are we here?"
"I don't know."
They kept walking and after a certain amount of time Ulquiorra stopped.
She looked at him in confusion but he just stood staring into the darkness.
"Ulquiorra?"
He faced her and waited, she stared into his eyes and saw how much he'd changed, apart from his usual melancholic demeanor, his eyes showed how lonely he felt.
"Have you been alone... all this time?" She asked.
"No."
He walked past her, brushing her shoulder with his, "There have been others, but they only stay for short amount of time."
"Where do they go?"
He kept walking but she stayed put.
"Ulquiorra, where do they go?"
He stopped walking and answered, "Back."
"Back where?" She asked walking closer to him.
He was about to reply but was cut short, in the far off distance they heard a faint voice calling Orihime's name.
"Ichigo!"
She looked around frantically trying to see where he was.
"They go back." whispered Ulquiorra.
"Help me find him." she pleaded grasping his arm.
He looked at her, seeing the desparation plastered across her face.
"Please." she insisted.
He sighed,"A light should appear beside you."
"What?"
"Be patient."
An orb of white light appeared a few feet away from them transforming into a portal.
She let go of his arm and stared at the portal and then back at him in confusion.
"What is this?" she murmured.
From the portal Ichigo's voice cried, "Orihime!"
"Ichigo!" she replied her eyes filled to the brimm with tears.
She stepped towards the light and was about to run through it when she stopped short. She turned around and saw Ulquiorra starring straight at her, his emerald eyes overcome with sadness.
"Come with me." she proposed stretching out her hand.
He only stared back in return.
"We can go together." she said.
"After everything that's happened, how could you want me to go back?" he questioned.
Her eyes softened and she smiled at him, "No one deserves to be alone."
His eyes widened, he looked down and when he looked back at her she still had her hand outstreched towards him and a soft smile on her face. He walked up to her and took her hand in his. Her smile grew and just as she was entering the portal he let go.
"Ulquiorra!"
He stared at her as the light overtook her and she reached out to him. The light swirled around her hand as she tried in vain to grasp his.
When the light had gone, when Orihime was gone, it wasn't until he felt another being's prescence that he finally let his arm drop to his side.
"No one deserves to be alone." he repeated walking towards his next companion.