"She won't remember us, will she?" It was Rukia who spoke, her voice quivering slightly, giving away the emotion she was trying to suppress.

Ishida shifted involuntarily, his eyes much more moist than usual, as if he were trying to keep some emotional tidal waved down.

Ukitake's own dark chocolaty eyes gazed at the group of friends pitifully.

"No, she won't. It's for the best."

"But… why?" Rukia's voice grew smaller each time she spoke, until now it was just a whisper.

"We've explained this to you before. If anyone were to get wind of Orihime Inoue's powers again, there could be another incident like the one where she was kidnapped. Count yourselves lucky you all survived Hueco Mundo episode unscathed. Next time you might not be so lucky. It's in everyone's best interests that we stamp out her powers, and it's just unlucky that she forgets you. But we have to take the interests of Soul Society into account." Ukitake finished with a small cough. The situation obviously wasn't the ideal one for him either.

Ichigo's fists clenched, nails digging in to his palms. He didn't care. The pain was a distraction.

"It's not like you won't see her again. She will still go to your school. You will just have to start the relationship again. But if you ever try to tell her about yourselves… You know what will happen."

Renji shifted imperceptibly.

"Now." Another voice spoke. Kuchiki Byakuya had crept up on them silently.

"It's time for you to go, I believe. Orihime Inoue will arrive in your world on Tuesday. We will be transporting with many guards, and while she is under sedation. She will be fine on Wednesday."

Ukitake nodded encouragingly at the group.

…

It was peculiar lying in his own bed, when Ichigo was so used to not sleeping. His mind was now turning over the events in Hueco Mundo. Ulquiorra. Orihime. Soul Society. Her screams as they cornered her and dragged her away.

Ichigo cursed. So powerless. So helpless.

He had promised to protect her. And to an extent he had. He had saved her. But he hadn't been able to save her from herself. Hadn't been able to save her from Soul Society. So pathetic.

…

School.

He had been going to school normally for the past two days, but this was different. Today was…

Ishida glanced at the calendar. January the twelfth.

Wednesday. Orihime would be at school. But she would look right through them. She would not recognize him.

…

It was like seeing a ghost, thought Chad, watching the red-haired girl introducing herself to the class. She looked exactly the same. The only thing, which was missing, was her hair-clips. They had been taken from her. Instead Orihime wore her hair in a plait. Her deep gray eyes were still the same, still curious and searching, looking right through a person.

She sat down only a few seats away from him. He couldn't help staring at her. She looked so every-day, so utterly normal. It unnerved him somewhat.

…

Ichigo gazed at the back of her head. She was sitting directly in front of him. Her hair reflected the sunlight. He wondered if he were to open up her head, if he'd see a big hole, which he and his friends had occupied. Or maybe there would be a fake story in its place. Another set of friends, another set of experiences.

"Excuse me!" She had turned around, catching him off-guard.

"Do you have a pencil, uhh…?"

"Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo."

She offered him a super nova smile.

"Kurosaki-kun."

…

"Don't die, KUROSAKI-KUN!"

…

"Yeah, sure." He gave her a pencil, their fingertips brushing.

"Thank you." She offered him another smile.

…

"Why?" Rukia asked softly. She posed the question carefully, for right now, she had the feeling she was treading on egg shells.

"Why what?" Ichigo asked irritably, obviously in an extremely foul mood.

"Why did you want to save her so desperately? What was it that ate so greatly away at your conscience, that you turned in to a monster to save her? Was it guilt? What was it, Ichigo?" Rukia's deep plum-coloured eyes looked searchingly at him, attempting to find something well hidden, something that Ichigo had buried in the wasteland of his mind, in a box of things he'd rather not think about.

"It's not guilt. It's probably a selfish reason. But I wanted to get this whole protecting thing right a second time. You made me make that promise to her, do you remember?"

Rukia did. She had made him say it to Orihime's face, rather than him keeping it all locked up.

"I do remember."

"Well… I made that promise once before. Years ago. When I was much, much younger. But this time, I wanted to get it right. But it seems no matter how hard I try I always screw it all up. I'm never…." And here Ichigo clenched his fists, his knuckles white. "I'm never fucking strong enough for anyone! I can never save them! They always slip through my fingers like water!"

"Ichigo…"

Ichigo ignored her.

"Who did you make that promise to the first time?"

Ichigo looked at her, and a very peculiar expression was shown in his eyes, sadness and a raging bitterness.

"I made that promise to my mother."

…

Rukia knew she didn't have many friends in Soul Society, except for Renji. It was lonely, but up until that point she had been happy. Orihime had been training with her regularly. She had gained a friend. And not just any friend; she was a girl. Rukia was used to being surrounded by men, and there had been something relaxing about having another female around. Orihime had made her laugh, had cooked her strange meals, had eaten ice cream with her, had water fights, and now it was all gone. All taken away from her. Every experience deleted, and replaced by false ones. And all because Orihime's powers were not ordinary.

Rukia sighed, and tipped her head back to watch the clouds.

…

Another scream rang out across the chamber as yet another memory was torn from Orihime's mind. Nemu could not help but wince. This time the memory was a strange silvery blue colour, and when Nemu bottled it, she saw images of the night Orihime must have been kidnapped. She felt a desperate torn feeling, a desperate longing, and a loneliness that must have eaten Orihime alive.

Yet another scream echoed around the walls, as yet another experience was ripped from Orihime's body, to be again placed in a jar. Bottled memories.

"Nemu!" Mayuri's harsh voice rang out across the chamber, his footsteps echoing eerily.

"Yes, Mayuri-sama?"

"Can't you find a way of making her quiet? I'm getting a migraine."

"This is as quiet as it gets, Mayuri-sama."

Mayuri's eybrow twitched in annoyance.

"Fine. Where are the specimen's weapon?"

"In case 73FX Mayuri-sama."

"Good." Mayuri strode towards the glass case and peered hungrily inside.

"This must be some sort of joke, Nemu! Look at how fragile the actual form in which the power is st-"

He was interrupted by another shriek from Orihime.

"Damn it all Nemu, I'm really getting irritated now."

"My apologies Mayuri-sama. I will see to it."

Nemu walked towards the center of the room, where chains and cuffs, which glowed an eerie green light bound Orihime down to the seal, which was burned into the floor.

Her autumn-coloured hair lay in a pool around her head, rather like a halo. Her eyes were frightened and blank.

Nemu retrieved a cloth from her robes and made to tie it around Orihime's mouth.

"S-sor…y U-Ulquior…ra…" Nemu stopped. This was a part of the final stage. The victim would try to say things, which they held for important, even though they no longer knew the significance of these words.

"S… Sorry… R-Ruki… a… Ish… da… C-Cha…d… R-Renji…"

Nemu made to tie the cloth around Orihime's mouth, but not before Orihime managed to utter one last name.

"K… Kuro… saki… kun. S-sorry."

…

Ichigo gazed at Orihime and Tatsuki. Tatsuki's mind along with the rest of the humans who had been forced to be involved had been wiped, but not quite as strongly as Orihime's.

Orihime was a blank. And now Ichigo watched silently as their friendship began again. A new beginning. A blank canvas to draw a new story on.

"Iiiiiiiii- Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii- Gooooooooooooooo!" Ichigo acted out of instinct, and raised a fist. Sure enough It made contact with a face, sending Keigo sprawling to the floor.

"As accurate as ever, Ichigo!" he said admiringly through a bloody nose.

"Ichigo." Asano greeted him politely, smiling slightly.

"Would you like to go and eat lunch now?"

"Yeah, sure." Ichigo cast one final look at Orihime who was now gazing curiously at Tatsuki, who was showing her karate moves. No doubt Orihime would pick it up quickly.

Ishida and Chad joined the three and they made their way up the long flight of stairs to the roof-top, where they could eat quietly, and undisturbed by the rest of the class.

…

It was an accident that Ichigo found himself walking home with Orihime. She had smiled when he told her where he lived and told him she went right past his house. And so Ichigo now found himself in the slightly uncomfortable situation of being accompanied home by her. However she made it easy for him, she chattered away happily, not bothered that he didn't say much, as she spoke enough for the two of them. She told him she worked in a flower-shop part time, which made him smile somewhat. Orihime had always reminded him of flowers and rosebuds.

She explained she had moved here from Tokyo, because she had always wanted to live in the countryside.

Ichigo couldn't help but feel uncomfortable when she told him her account of how things had turned out in her life, as he couldn't help but remember how it had really been, and why she was really here now.

"Neh, Kurosaki-kun, you look really grumpy." She remarked suddenly.

"I do not." He said defiantly.

"I always look like this."

"That's bad, you'll get really deep creases in your face!" Here she took the opportunity to poke his forehead.

"Right here!" she said while doing so.

"I'm doing alright so far." He said unconcernedly.

"That's what you say now!" she said giving him another smile.

"But you know, you're using a lot of muscles in your face! When you smile you use much less! Try smiling."

Ichigo was left a bit speechless. Orihime had always been like this, it was true, but it was unnerving to experience it when you knew about her memory being wiped. Ichigo had assumed her personality would have changed with her memories. Assumed wrongly, it was now clear.

Unwillingly he smiled.

Orihime nodded encouragingly but then her expression changed and she smiled somewhat sadly.

"You have a funny face, Kurosaki-kun."

…

"I seriously don't get why you like him Orihime! You could have anyone and you chose grumpy old Ichigo! He never smiles! You're both complete opposites!"

"Ah, but you see Tatsuki-chan! Kurosaki-kun has a funny face." And then Orihime did that typical thing where she day dreamed, and suddenly started laughing, no doubt imagining the many funny faces of Ichigo.

…

"Well, see you tomorrow, Kurosaki-kun!" And with that Orihime was gone, skipping in to the sun-set.

"Should I walk you home?" Ichigo called after her.

"No, no! I have to run! My favorite show is on!" And she continued to half-run, half skip down the street, her copper hair flowing behind her.

'Déjà vu.' The phrase came instantly to Ichigo's troubled mind, as he recalled the first time he had really spoken to Orihime. He had also offered to walk her home, and she had also said no, because her favorite TV show was on.

A small, sad smile tugged at the corners of Ichigo's mouth. Nostalgia, Ichigo had yet to learn was the most bittersweet and the most dangerous emotion. It could eat people alive.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS APPRECIATED! Thank you.