We All Fall Down—Side B

A/N: Ok! So! This was originally going to be a part of the HitsuHina fic, We All Fall Down, but I figured that it would be better for the flow of both plotlines to separate them entirely…and also so you IchiHime lovers don't miss out on a good story because it's tied to one labeled HitsuHina. Please let it be clear that this is a COMPANION to the original, NOT a sequel! The only real tie is that both fics are happening at the same time. Read and review, please!

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Chapter One: To Be the Hero

Inoue Orihime

I heard his rapid footsteps and his breathing before I saw him. I looked over my shoulder as Ishida-kun gingerly sat up halfway, supporting himself on one arm.

The sight of him sent a pang of dismay through my heart, even though I new it was silly – he was clearly going to be all right. Still, seeing him with his shoulders heaving with each exhausted breath, his robes torn half to shreds, and his body covered in freely bleeding wounds instinctively made me want to go to him, to help him…somehow.

There was a lot of blood on him. Though not all of it is his…

I wasn't sure whether that made me feel better or not.

His eyes were the colour of amber, his gaze as hard as steel. Rarely did they ever soften, but they did as they met mine, and my heart fluttered in appreciation. There was beauty hidden in those eyes. If he would only smile…but this was a phenomenon I had never been allowed to witness.

The moment lasted only an instant. "Inoue, Ishi--" he stumbled over Ishida-kun's name: after all, he had very nearly killed him. "Ishida, I'm--- I don't know what happened to me..."

"Neither do I," Ishida-kun replied. "But something tells me there's something else we need to be discussing?"

"Well...yeah. Mayuri found us a way outta here. So, we're going back."

"Where's Chad?"

"Unohana-san is healing him partwas. Just enough to get him through the portal; there's not time to do it all the way. He'll be here --"

"Right now," said Sado-kun, appearing as if called.

"Then that's it. Let's go." Kurosaki-kun reached out a hand to me. I grasped it reflexively and he pulled me to my feet, letting go as soon as I was stable. Even that small amount of skin-to-skin contact sent a thrill through me and I could feel my cheeks flushing slightly. I was dazed for a moment before I rememberd how to speak, then I blurted, "We can't!" I added, "Not yet," my face turning redder as they all stared at me. I swallowed and did my best to speak clearly.

"There's still the--the Hogyoku. A-Aizen showed me where he kept it, to gain my trust, I think. Before we leave, we have to d-destroy it."

Ishida-kun started, "But the Hogyoku can't be des--"

"I-I can do it," I said. "With my power. I can--reject the existence of the Hogyoku."

Theyw ere quiet for a moment.

Kurosaki-kun spoke first. 'Inoue's right. We have to destroy that thing before it can be used to do any more damage."

"Or be used ever again," I added firmly.

"Yeah," he said. His gaze was piercing and determined. "Show us the way, Inoue."

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We met several Arrancar as was made our way through the halls of Las Noches. Ishida- Sado- and Kurosaki-kun took their turns fighting them off, while I stood off to one side, out of the way..like I always had. And, always, I'd longed to be able to do something that no one else could, to be of some help to someone.

Just once, I wanted to be the hero.

But, I was about to have my chance, at last!

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Sado- and Ishida-kun's eyes widened as they looked upon the Hogyoku and felt the immense power radiating from the tiny orb. Kurosaki-kun, who had already seen it before, simply glared at it.

I took a few steps forward on my own. I had an odd feeling in my stomach. I looked over my shoulder and laughed nervously, "Wish me luck."

"Inoue--" started Kurosaki-kun, sounding irritated. "I was just kidding!" I said quickly.

"...You don't need it anyway," he mumbled.

Kurosaki-kun believed in me! That meant I could do anything,

I raised my hands, aiming my palms towards the Hogyoku, and declared firmly: "I reject!"

No sooner had a shimmering field surrounded the orb than I felt it: a strange stirring, an inhuman consciousness inside my mind.

And I realized something was terribly wrong.

I gasped as all my strength was drained from me at an alarming rate. My knees shuddered, and it was all I could do to stay standing. I struggled to reel some of the energy back in, like playing tug-o'-war with something I couldn't hold with my hands, only my mind. I cried out as my mind's grasp gave again, and I became weaker.

The others had sensed something amiss as well. "Inoue!" yelled Kurosaki-kun, and I could hear him start to run for me.

"Stay back, Kurosaki!" shouted Ishida-kun, and the footsteps became his. 'Chad, you, too."

In the back of my mind, I understood why. Sado-kun was something like a Hollow in a human's body, and he might have turned into an Arrancar if he was exposed to the Hogyoku's power. And Kurosaki-kun…he was everything in one, it seemed. Who knew what could happen to him?

But Ishida-kun was a Quincy; he would be all right…

Selfishly, though, I still wished it were Kurosaki-kun's hands that caught me and held me steady when I stumbled.

"Inoue?" Ishida-kun's voice was urgent in my ear. "What's wrong?"

"I—" I gasped again; even more of my strength vanished, and it was hurting me physically as well. "It's – fighting—back."

"Stop, Inoue!" shouted Kurosaki-kun. "Just let it go. We'll take the thing back to Urahara—"

But the Hogyoku was dragging my energy out of me, hungry for more. It wouldn't let me go.

'I—I can't!"

The Hogyoku's power swelled and increased, weighing down on everyone in the room.

"Ishida!" Kurosaki-kun's voice had an edge of panic to it. "Do something!"

"Like what?!"

"I don't – goddammit! Inoue!"

My head was spinning from pain and exhaustion, but the orb would not stop until it consumed me. My own thoughts registered as if from far away, surrounded by a fog, but I realized what I needed to do…if the Hogyoku was taking in my energy, maybe I could still manipulate that energy…

Bracing myself, I continued to attack, while more and more of my strength was lost to me, I made the energy battle the Hogyoku from the inside. The room was completely silent. I could feel the Hogyoku becoming stronger as my energy fed it, and yet weaker as the same energy continued to slowly destroy it. I could sense, also, that whatever consciousness the thing possessed was certainly angry – furious, in fact. If I failed, it would kill us all.

I can do this! I have to do this…

I saw my powers as a ball of yarn. I held fast onto one end and the Hogyoku took the other, both of us unraveling the ball from opposite sides. If I let go of my end, I would lose, and it would mean my life, and Sado-kun's, Ishida-kun's, and…Kurosaki-kun's. I could never let them die from my weakness.

In my mind, I completely loosed the yarn-ball, holding fast to the string as it stretched taut.

The Hogyoku became blurred at the edges –tiny pieces crumbled away into oblivion…

Yes!

And then, all of a sudden, it collapsed on itself, imploding into nothingness.

But I'd made a huge mistake.

The Hogyoku still had not released me. Even now, it was pulling, draining, consuming, from somewhere in a realm of nonexistence, somewhere my powers couldn't reach –

No one else had noticed.

"Inoue," Kurosaki-kun started, sounding amazed, "you—"

His words were drowned out, for all I could hear was my own screaming as my end of the string was torn away from me.

I stumbled forward, away from a startled Ishida-kun, and collapsed. Only I never hit the floor, as Kurosaki-kun had shot forward to catch me.

"Inoue! Inoue! C'mon, snap out of it! Say something!"

I couldn't. I was too far away…I was dying, after all.

Inside my body felt so black…so empty…hollow…Hollow...?

Oh, no!

"K-K-Kuro-Kurosaki-kun," I gasped. My vision was black with fatigue, red with pain…

"C'mon, you'll be okay," he said. "Can you stand up?"

"N-no…Kuro—saki ---"

'Ichigo," said Sado-kun uneasily. "Wait a minute. Do you feel that?"

There was silence and stillness.

'No, Inoue!" Kurosaki-kun cried suddenly. 'No!"

I started crying. "I'm sorry; I'm sorry; I'm sorry," I sobbed, then spent several seconds gasping for air.

Kurosaki-kun demanded, "Let's get her the hell outta here; we can –"

"It's already too late, Ichigo," said Sado-kun gently. 'You know that."

"There has to be--!"

"Kurosaki," said Ishida-kun, softly but firmly, "you know you have to—"

"No way!"

'It's the only way to save her—"

"I said, no fucking way!"

'It'll be easier than letting her –"

'If it's so goddamn easy, then you do it!"

'You know I can't! You know I'll end up destroying her soul."

Silence again.

So…much…pain…

'K-Kur-ro-sa-k-ki-kun…"

"Ichigo…we'll see her again. We can find her in the Rukongai, somewhere. She just—won't be able to come back with us."

"P-p-please – hel-lp – me…"

Kurosaki-kun will save me. He always has…

Silence.

"Kurosaki. You can't wait anymore, or it will be too late."

Silence.

Footsteps.

Warm breath in my ear.

'Inoue – you did it. You saved us."

I…saved…you?

"Thank you. Very much."

I'm a hero! At last!

"Inoue…I'm – so sorry…"

But if I'm the hero now…

…who will save me?

It hurts…so much…

'Inoue…"

Kurosaki-kun…Ichigo…

And then, miraculously, there was no pain at all.

A/N: Okay, that's it for now! Let me hear your thoughts, please! And also check out the original We All Fall Down if you haven't already and if you're a HitsuHina fan. See you next chapter!

~Raye Lynne