A.N. Okay, so, I know it starts out super dark. But it has a happy ending! I promise! And I have temporary writer's block on Here in Your Arms, so you get this!
Art
Tatsuki bit her lip, watching as Orihime scribbled furiously, her hand making broad arcs and thick, dark lines. Art was yet another one of Orihime's hidden talents. For assignments, she always created cutesy, cartoon drawings, but Tatsuki had seen Orihime near about bring things to not only life, but a whole other plane of existence, with bright, smudgy colors that gave everything, even things like vibrant, sun-lit forests, the appearance that it had just rained. That was the sort of things Orihime used to draw. Vivid woods with dancing fairy lights. Couples walking down beaches, everything golden and faded except for the couples' facial expressions. There was the occasional sad thing, like the grieving face of a widow, but usually, everything was hunky-dory and magnificent.
Not anymore. Not since she had been kidnapped. Oh, yes, Tatsuki knew about that. Even if Kisuke hadn't told her everything, the kidnapping, the killing of Aizen, Orihime had tried to the minute she was back and she and Tatsuki were alone. Anyway, nothing Orihime drew now was even remotely positive. Her drawings were the only things that conveyed her unhappiness. Truly, if Orihime hadn't trusted Tatsuki enough to let her watch, Tatsuki wouldn't have even realized Orihime wasn't feeling perfect. Ha. That was laughable. Tatsuki was depressed that Orihime wouldn't let anyone else (Ichigo) see these drawings. Maybe then he would realize how badly he had messed her up...
Orihime's drawings weren't hazy anymore. Oh, no, that would be far too pain deadening. No, now they were painfully clear. There was absolutely NO mistaking what Orihime was drawing and marking it off as strange similarities.
Tatsuki remembered the first time Orihime had shown her some of her drawings. Since Orihime had gotten back, she hadn't allowed anyone in her apartment. No one had argued, thinking it was just a strange side effect of what she may have gone through, although no one but Orihime knew exactly what that was. When Kisuke had heard this, he'd looked at Yoruichi, who'd sneaked off and appeared later with her face taut and worried. One day, probably about two weeks after Orihime had gotten back, she called Tatsuki and asked her to come over. Tatsuki was ecstatic, glad to know that she was the one Orihime trusted enough to allow in her safe haven. When Tatsuki first walked through Orihime's door, her emotions appeared in about this order: shock, horror, bewilderment, grief, and resignation.
The shock was at what covered Orihime's walls. All over, covering almost every surface, were sketches made with computer-like perfection and inhuman, or perhaps, too human, amounts of raw emotion. These sketches were of eyes. Larger-than-life, focused, incredible, green eyes. Tatsuki knew whose eyes they were. Ichigo had spoken fearfully many times of this particular pair of eyes. Cold, dead, lethal, beautiful, emerald eyes.
The horror came next, blending in with the bewilderment, and was a thousand times stronger than the shock. This was terrible; why the HELL were Ulquiorra's eyes everywhere? Was Orihime insane? Had Ulquiorra somehow caused her to crack with all the psychological abuse Ichigo had said he was sure had occurred? Why? Why did she do this? Was it not bad enough that he had captured her in life, but now he couldn't release her in death?
...And how the HELL did she stand having eyes that piercing and intense watching her every minute of the day? Tatsuki shuddered to think about how frightening the true Ulquiorra's eyes must have been for the replicas to unnerve her so much.
Next came the grief. Oh, how had Tatsuki missed her friend's suffering? Tatsuki felt like she was a truly horrible friend, allowing Orihime to go through silent pain. Orihime had never screamed or shouted or cried since she had gotten back. She was quiet as a mouse. According to Ichigo, that wasn't how she had been on the dome. Tears flooding down her face, Orihime had howled at the sky, a sound of pure agony that had chilled Ichigo to the bone. After the one piercing screech died down, she yelled profanities, whipping her head around, clutching her hair, sinking in on herself. That's how Ichigo had described the emotion on her face. Self blame. This caused Tatsuki to feel incredible misery, unable to believe how much her pain Orihime had gone through, although only now was Tatsuki starting to make sense of Orihime's behavior on the dome.
Last, resignation. Of course. This was Orihime. Of course she fell for her captor. After all, she wouldn't have been Orihime if she hadn't.
When Orihime saw Tatsuki's reluctant acceptance, she'd smiled the smile of a shattered angel. Beautiful and heartbreaking. "Thank you, Tatsuki," she said, hugging her. "I knew that even if you didn't understand, you'd be there and wouldn't try to talk me out of what I'm sure you think is insanity. Heck, for all I know, it is!" She kissed Tatsuki on the cheek and started telling her stories of her silent guard. She was completely honest, about the good, the bad, and the down-right twisted. The mental torture, the threats. The quiet conversations about hearts, his protectiveness, the hand reach. His lack of reaction to Orihime's slap. All of it. And Tatsuki started to understand why Orihime had fallen in love with him. It was simple. One, both Tatsuki and Orihime saw in their slightly strange brains, Ulquiorra was obviously as in love with Orihime as possible. Two, it was the first time Orihime was ever needed. Three, he didn't lie to protect her. He was the first person to be entirely real with her. Last, it was obvious that they completed each other. Where Orihime ended, Ulquiorra began. What he lacked, she had. What she needed, he gave. It was all about balance, and Tatsuki clearly remembered her science teacher explaining over and over again, The universe is all about BALANCE. This is why opposites attract, because they BALANCE each other out. If poor Ms. Ganchero only knew how right she was.
After that day, maybe a month ago, Tatsuki came over every night, and after they finished their homework, Tatsuki watched Orihime draw. Usually, it was a memory. These memories were scattered everywhere on the floor and counters, as the walls were filled, keeping him alive in her thoughts and heart. Tatsuki at first wondered if this was healthy, but then realized that all day, Orihime was wracked by tremors, but when she drew, and for a while afterward, she was back to normal. So Tatsuki let it continue, knowing that if it was too bad, the black cat with golden eyes that constantly spied on Orihime would do something.
Tonight was different though. Orihime was sketching a memory with a new spin, her eyes glazed over as her hands whipped across the page. Suddenly, she stopped and smiled, showing Tatsuki the picture. Tatsuki almost choked on air. Tatsuki recognized Orihime's cell, knowing it's appearance from past drawings. The strange thing was, the cell was turning to ash, starting from the left side, the side where Orihime was, the floor disintegrating beneath her feet. Orihime was covered in cuts and bruises, her Arrancar robes torn, and her feet were obviously trying to move. Her right arm was stretched out, and desperation was clearly etched across her face. The worst was the figure Orihime was grabbing for.
Ulquiorra was in Segunda Etapa, according to what Orihime said. He, too, was reaching for her, and although his face was emotionless, his eyes screamed pain, desperation, fear, and love. Wrapped around him was orange light, pulling his farther away from Orihime, and an over sized, black kitchen knife pinned him down. What made Tatsuki's eyes fill with tears was the orange light dragging Ulquiorra. In the jagged lines, Ichigo's face could clearly be made out. And it was smiling as the light from the backwards moon shone down on them from between the bars of the window.
Tatsuki screamed. Orihime instantly hugged her, grey eyes wide as she asked, scared, "Tatsuki? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Tatsuki didn't say anything, too busy gasping and fighting tears. Tatsuki suddenly resolved herself. Snatching Orihime's picture, she ran out the door, yelling, "I'll be back!" "Okay! I have something to show you! And bring Ichigo!" was Orihime's faint reply.
Tatsuki crashed through the doors of the clinic, not even caring that she had just interrupted the Kurosakis' dinner. Rukia and Ichigo were both instantly on their feet, demanding to know what was wrong. "Look at this!" Tatsuki screamed, thrusting the picture in his damn, dumb face. "Do you see what you've done to her!" she continued, savagely pleased to see both of their faces go whiter than Ulquiorra's, whose appearance and personality Tatsuki now knew as well as Orihime did. "I- I don't get it," he whispered. "Of course you don't," Tatsuki uttered, deathly quiet. "You're too involved in your world where you are the hero who conquered his hollow in time to defeat Aizen to notice the world you left behind, the one where the damage your hollow created is irreversible. But I've decided it's time to bring you back. Follow me."
She turned and left, still not caring about his dumbstruck family. He followed her, silent and obedient, Rukia behind him. Soon, Renji, Chad, and Uryu joined, sensing from the fluctuating spiritual pressures of the three of them that something was wrong. "What hap-" Uryu began, but Rukia shook her head. The six of them slowly weaved to Orihime's house, as quiet and somber as a funeral march, but for when Tatsuki passed back the picture to show Renji, Chad, and Uryu. Then, their gasps and shaky breaths were as loud as gunshots, as well as Renji's whispered, "Is this truly how she sees what happened?" Tatsuki laughed. "Just wait. This isn't all." She heard
them all swallow. Suddenly, Ichigo stopped, eyes wide. "I- I don't know if I..." he whispered. "What?" Tatsuki rounded on him. "Not sure if you can what? Face her?" He swallowed again and nodded. To his surprise, Tatsuki softened. "I know. But it's the least you can do. And maybe she'll explain to you what happened. After all, she told me."
Tatsuki was curious to see their reaction when they walked in Orihime's house. Ichigo started shuddering, his jaw clenched, eyes wide, breath coming in short pants, muscles locked like a scared deer. Rukia stiffened, mouth opening, eyes rounder than the moon, and flickering wildly about all the jade eyes staring at her. Chad was sniffling, gently picking up a picture on the ground of Ulquiorra standing in a light doorway, bathed in a soft glow, looking like a fallen angel: beautiful and dangerous. Uryu's reaction surprised her. His cobalt eyes flashed and a soft smile curved his lips. At Tatsuki's questioning look, he explained, "He saved my life, and probably Inoue's, too, when Kurosaki went... Besides, I have a feeling that he and I could have been friends, if things weren't so-"
"Wrong?" a soft voice finished. "Entirely screwed up?" Uryu swallowed and looked down. "Yeah. Exactly." "Inoue..." Ichigo whispered. Orihime looked at him and smiled. "Ichigo, what's wrong?" He looked at her, stunned. "Don't you hate me?" he asked. She looked surprised as he held up the picture. "Oh, Ichigo. Whether I like it or not, in that scenario, you were the bad guy. But I don't blame you. You only doing what you thought was right. How could I hate you?" He looked at her hopefully, and then asked, "Could you try to tell me what happened between you and him?"
She looked at him with distant eyes. "I think he was my soul mate. He knew me, knew what to say to break me down, knew what to say to make me feel beautiful and wise. I am aware that our relationship wasn't conventional, or even good, I guess. God only knows, I wouldn't have enough fingers to count all the many psychological disorders our relationship had. Stockholm Syndrome, Lima Syndrome, sadomasochism, passive/aggressive, and who was what depended on the day." She smiled briefly. "You get the idea. But, he was the Oreo cookie to my frosting filling, the Cola to my Coca, dark to my light. Do you understand?" She looked at everyone in the room, meeting their gaze until they looked away. "Not to be cliche, but he completed me, and I completed him. Without each other, we're both missing something."
"I see," Rukia whispered, violet eyes glittering. "You're only you when you're with him." Orihime beamed at her before lightly fingering one of her sketches, whispering, "Exactly. Exactly." Everyone was silent, consumed with their thoughts until Tatsuki broke the quiet, throwing out her words like how she used to throw apples into the duck pond on her grandpa's farm. "Orihime, you said you had something to show me?" Orihime's eyes suddenly filled with tears as she sniffled, "Not anymore. I w-was trying out a new recipe, but m-my hands st-started shaking, and I d-dropped the pot and b-broke it. Th-then, I just couldn't t-take it anymore, and I-I..." She trailed off and everyone ran into the kitchen.
The sight surprised everyone. It was orderly trashed. You could see the furrows on the walls where Orihime had dragged her fingernails, drawing strange pictures, could see where shattered cups and dishes decorated the floor in intricate patterns, could see smashed food in clumps of rainbow colors, broken bottles glinting in the light of the setting sun. They turned to Orihime, who was standing in the door and looking a lot smaller and more introverted than a couple minutes ago. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, her arms wrapped so tightly around herself, Tatsuki wouldn't be surprised if there was bruising. "I don't know what I was thinking, I just... lost myself for a second." Ichigo suddenly banged his head against a wall, and with tears in his eyes, he mumbled, "Oh my God, I can't take this shit anymore. Rukia, stay here with Orihime. Everyone else, come with me if you can keep up."
Tatsuki knew she shouldn't go. She ran after him anyway, along with Renji and Uryu. Chad was enfolding Orihime in a massive bear hug while Rukia stroked her hair, singing a lullaby Renji used to hum. In record time, they arrived at Kisuke's shop. Ichigo charged in, much the same was Tatsuki had at his house. "URAHARA!" Ichigo roared. "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" "What?" Kisuke asked, annoyed, as he walked out in his pajamas. Ichigo pinned him against a wall, his arm pressed against Kisuke's throat. "Open a portal to Hueco Mundo. Now," he hissed in a deadly calm voice. Next second, Yoruichi yanked Ichigo away and pinned him down. "What the hell's wrong with you?" she snarled as a shocked Kisuke rubbed his throat and tried to get Yoruichi to get off of Ichigo. "What's wrong with me!" Ichigo screamed. "What's wrong with me is one of my best friends is DYING right in front of me! And it's my fault!"
Yoruichi's eyes widened with realization. "Orihime," Yoruichi whispered. Ichigo glared at her as she leaped off of him. "Yeah. You knew? And you and Kisuke haven't even tried anything?" "WHAT COULD I DO?" Kisuke exploded in a rare moment of fury. "I can do a helluva lot of stuff, but I can't bring back the dead. Huh, even AIZEN couldn't do that, and he was a damn lot closer to God than I ever was!" Kisuke laughed hysterically and looked down, taking off of his hat. "You said it was your fault. Ha, mine too. If I had handled getting her out of the war better, none of this shit would have happened at all. In fact, if I hadn't even invented the goddamn Hogyokou, we'd all have been in a better place. So, don't play the self-blaming martyr in my presence, because if anyone has the right, it's me. And, you know what I've been doing instead? Trying to make something that can reverse death. So I have, at least, been trying. Don't deny me that."
Tatsuki noted that now, with his hat off, she could see the creases in his forehead, the rings around his eyes, the hair that looked like a hand had run through it far too many times to be healthy. Sighing, he said, "But I've reached so many dead-ends. I'm almost out of ideas. So, even though it's stupid and you'll probably die, I'm going to open a Garganta. Maybe if you can recover some of his DNA..." "I want to go, too," a small voice said. Everyone turned to see Orihime standing in the doorway, Chad and Rukia running to catch up with her.
Ichigo's eyes tightened as he said, "Orihime, no. You could get hurt." "So could all of you," she fought frailly. "You don't understand. I need to go. I will go." "Okay," Kisuke agreed unexpectedly. Ichigo's brown gaze swung to him. "Whatever you like Orihime. You can probably lead them around Las Noches, right?" She nodded, and smiling, said, "I noticed lots of stuff when Ulquiorra occasionally took me out to see Aizen and go to the showers." Everyone but her flinched when she said Ulquiorra's name. Kisuke nodded and led them down to the underground training room. In no time at all, they were running down the white path of the Garganta. The original five, along with Orihime and Tatsuki. Tatsuki was totally overwhelmed. Orihime was, to everyone's surprise, pointing out familiar blobs, becoming more alive the closer they got to Hueco Mundo.
This time, when the Garganta spat them out, it was right above the dome in Las Noches. They managed to fall though the hole, Uryu condensing the spiritual pressure around them to create a platform that caught them before anyone was injured. Orihime immediately started walking a certain direction, weaving like she was following a familiar trail. "Orihime!" Renji called. "Where are you going?" She turned around, surprised, and said, "I'm following Ulquiorra's trail. Can't you guys see the green ribbon? It feels just like him." Ichigo exchanged a startled glance with Uryu, remembering the time Uryu had shown him his own red spiritual thread. Could Orihime really sense it when so much other spiritual stuff was clouding everyone else's senses?
Rukia, Tatsuki, and Chad followed Orihime without question. Everyone else hesitated a bit before trailing her, warily looking for Hollows and Arrancar. Eventually, they came upon a room, a small, familiar four on the door. Cautiously, Orihime opened the door. Walking in slowly, she made her way to the bed, where to everyone's horror, a body was. Smiling, Orihime brushed a finger across Ulquiorra's dual-colored lips. "It's like a reverse Sleeping Beauty," she breathed softly. "Although, we didn't have to break through thorns to get here. That's weird." Uryu swallowed hard and said, "Excuse me, Orihime. We have to, um, take the body to Kisuke." Orihime looked at him quizzically. "What are you talking about, Uryu? Ulquiorra's not dead. Remember when he said his body would regenerate, but not his internal organs? That's what happened. He's here, and alive, just, without any insides! And I can fix that."
A shock wave moved through the friends like a bomb. She was right. She could fix him. Smiling, she leaned down and placed her lips on his, murmuring, "I reject." A golden light poured out of her and into Ulquiorra's slightly parted lips. Everyone watched with bated breath. Tatsuki was sure they were all thinking different things, but her only thought was, Please. Please, let this work. Please. Just then, an Arrancar crashed through the doors. He didn't look strong, but everyone in the room but Orihime was forced to their knees by the spiritual pressure pouring off of him. "Intruders!" he bellowed, rushing forward, a fist swinging towards Orihime, the one who, to his eyes, as the only one standing, was the biggest threat. A golden shield stopped his hand, shattering all the bones in it instantly. He let out a howl of pain as Orihime slowly moved from her position at Ulquiorra's bedside. Orihime spoke, and all of her Shun Shun Rikka spoke with her, creating a ghostly effect. "You are trying to stop us from being together again." "Hell, yeah, bitch, "he spat, only knowing it was what she obviously didn't want. Her eyes opened, golden light spilling out as she said again in the strange tone, "We will not let that happen again."
Her face blank, she raised her hands and said, "Koten Zanshun. I reject." Tsubaki shot out in the form of an amber Cero, slicing the Arrancar cross-wise; a vertical cut and a horizontal cut, splitting him in four. Blood gushed out, her powers eating away at his existence from the two cuts until the Arrancar ceased to exist, along with his gruesome screams of agony. Everyone in the room instantly felt the drain as the outrageous power use sucked away her energy. Gold eyes turned back to silver, which rolled back into her head, and she collapsed. Ulquiorra, however, caught her before she hit the ground. Immediately, Orihime curled into him as impassive green eyes stared down at her and the conspicuous lack of a hole in his chest. Sighing, Ulquiorra looked at the stunned crowd and said, "Let's go. She needs to go to bed." Ulquiorra walked out, Orihime bridal style in his arms as he told her, "Those two pieces of rejection were magnificent, woman. Your powers have advanced incredibly." "Thank you," Tatsuki heard Orihime whisper. "I missed you so much." Tatsuki was sure she and Orihime were the only ones who heard Ulquiorra return, "And I you. But I won't leave again."
A.N Yay for one-shots! Ichigo better thank his lucky stars that Orihime didn't go all Bankai Shun Shun Rikka on him the way she did on that poor Arrancar.