She sat staring at the cold food that had been brought for her. Her ochre-colored hair hung limply down the sides of her face, kept out of her eyes only by the bright blue hair clips pinned just above her ears. In this cold prison, despite the moonlight that shown through the single barred window, even these flower-shaped jewels had lost their shimmer.

She looked around the room- empty and nothing but white. Casting her eyes back down to her plate, she picked up a piece of bread and halfheartedly bit into it, grimacing at the bad taste. This had become her life. She ate only enough to avoid further threats from her captors. At night (though night was eternal in this barren place), she slept restlessly, if ever she could sleep at all. And every day was spent along except for the occasional visit from her ghostlike caretaker, although his cold and cruel demeanor could hardly be considered appealing company.

All she could do was hope that her friends had given up and gone back to the world of the living. Enough blood had been spilled on her account. But every day her hopes were dashed by their ever-present spiritual pressure, some fiercely engaged in battle, and others faintly lingering in the air. They had come to rescue her- the last thing she'd wanted to happen. She couldn't deny that when she first felt their presence, she felt comforted, relieved in fact. But this feeling quickly turned to dread when she realized the danger that they had put themselves in. They were no match for the Arrancar. Aizen would see to it that any intruders were killed.

She placed her face in her hands as the tears trickled down her cheeks. There was nothing left for her to do until the moment came when she would be of use.

Suddenly, she felt a burst of spiritual pressure. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the door unblinking. "I-it can't be…"

A loud explosion echoed through the air as the door was blown apart. Rubble from the surrounding wall came crashing down, shaking the entire room. A young shinigami came stumbling into the room. He was breathing heavily, sweat and blood glistening on his face. He dipped his head down, supporting his weight with a zanpakutô as long as he was tall. His spiked orange hair quavered as he panted. He slowly looked up and his brown eyes locked-on to her own as she stared, completely stunned.

"Orihime…" he said with a small smile.

"I-Ichigo!" She rushed over to him to help him stand up. She put his arm around her shoulder and led him staggering to the white-cushioned couch against the wall. She gingerly laid him down and held out her hands.

"Sôten Kisshun." Immediately, the two fairies separated from her hairpins to form a shield over the shinigami. Orihime looked over his body. His coat was torn in several places. A large rip on the upper part of the coat left his chest bare. His skin was marred with cuts and scars. "Ichigo…"

"Orihime, are you alright?"

She suddenly realized that her cheeks were still tear-stained. She hastily rubbed her face the back of her hand. "Yes, I'm fine. But Ichigo… y-… you shouldn't have come." She bit her bottom lip to keep herself from crying again.

"What?" He tried to get up, but Orihime put her hand out to stop him. He turned to look at her. "Orihime, we came here to save you."

"I know… but… you weren't supposed to come after me." She turned her head to avoid his gaze.

"Wait, Orihime." He reached out and grabbed her hand. She inhaled sharply at his touch and he could see that she was crying. Her tears were lit up by the golden glow of the shield.

"This is my fault, Ichigo. It's my fault you were hurt," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry…"

"Is that what you're worried about?"

She didn't respond. She only continued to sob quietly.

Ichigo pulled on her hand, forcing her to look at him. "Orihime, this was our decision. 'I decided to jump in on my own. It's my fault and only my fault that I got hurt…'" He gently brushed some of the hair out of her eyes. "'So don't apologize with only pain in your eyes.'"

Orihime listened as Ichigo recited the very words that she had said to him after the first Arrancar attack.

"It was you, wasn't it? The one who healed my hand that night?"

She looked at him through the shield. She'd never seen him like this. His eyes were serious, but they made her feel safe.

"If you were there, why didn't you ask for help? Why did you just leave?"

Orihime tipped her head down. "…Because… because, if you knew I was there… they would've killed you." Her voice was no more than a whisper. "Ulquiorra said that if I came quietly, none of you would be harmed."

Ichigo's muscles tensed. "That bastard… so he forced you into a corner," he snarled through gritted teeth.

Orihime had finally finished healing him and she stood up as her hairpins returned to their original state. She turned around and walked to the middle of the room. "You have to leave before they come here," she said with her back facing him.

Ichigo sat up on the couch. "I'm not leaving without you."

Orihime clutched at her sides. "I can't leave. But, you… Ichigo you can still get out of here before they catch you." Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around to see Ichigo staring down at her.

"I made you a promise, Orihime," he said as he leaned in closer. "I promised you that the next time, I would protect you."

Orihime looked up at his deep brown eyes, less than a hand's length from her slowly reddening face. She wanted nothing more than lean in and press her lips against his. She wanted to bury her face in his chest and cry. She wanted to do anything other than what she was about to do.

She placed both of her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back. Eyes glistening, fighting back tears, she gazed up at him. "Leave, Ichigo."

He took a step towards her. "Orihime…"

"Santen Kesshun."

Ichigo was shoved back by her Shun Shun Rikka's shield. He looked at her in disbelief and opened his mouth to say something, but she wouldn't let him get the chance.

"Ichigo, if you don't leave… if you don't leave right now, I-… I'll never forgive you!" The words seemed to echo across the room, cutting through everything. She whirled around, keeping her back to him. It was for him. If he left now, he would be okay. It didn't matter how she felt. It was to keep him safe.

He stood in the doorway, staring at her. "Orihime…"

"Go now!" She hated herself. She hated herself for what she was doing to him. But he would be safe.

Ichigo walked slowly to the hall outside of the room, his face completely downcast. As soon as he was out of sight, he heard sobbing. He quietly peeked around the corner of the wall. Orihime was on her knees, crying uncontrollably into her hands.

He turned around and slung his zanpakutô over his shoulder. This time, he looked up with a look of determination. His eyes were burning fiercely. He strode down the hall with one thought in mind.

"Aizen, I will kill you!"