Chapter 3

Uryu pushed his glasses further up his nose as he walked down the deserted sidewalk.

'Is Ichigo really in college? His reiatsu was stronger and more menacing then I've ever felt it... Could that big of a change really happen with him going away to school? No, I doubt it. What could he be planning?'

"Uryu! I didn't think you got up this early." He heard a voice and swirled around, met with a bright smile from Orihime.

"O-Orihime, how are you?" She flipped her hair to the side, away from her face.

"I'm doing well; in fact I was just on my way to the library, would you like to come?" she asked excitedly. Uryu couldn't help as his lips turned up into a small smile.

"I'd love to accompany you Orihime."

The sun shined down on them as they walked to the local library, both walking in a comfortable silence. Orihime turned her face towards the sky and took a deep breath.

"You know, sometimes I can't help but wonder why I feel like there's a hole inside of me. Then there will be these times when I'm looking at things and…something strange happens to me, and then I have this terrible headache," she explained, her gray eyes turned to the silent boy next to her. "The other day I found a photo album but when I opened it there would be pictures missing in places. I doubt I would organize them that way…but then again, it is something I would do, isn't it?" she asked with a goofy grin on her angelic face.

Uryu's heart slowly cracked as he watched her innocent smile. 'If only you really knew Orihime…but if you did know, would you hate Ichigo for the rest of your life?'

"Look Uryu! Isn't this little dog cute?" Her voice rang loud in his ears and he couldn't help but chuckle softly.

'On second thought I'm positive you would forgive him. You don't have it in you to hate anyone.'

"He does look good," Uryu replied as he crouched down next to Orihime to look through the glass.

"It makes me want to buy him so I won't be alone in my apartment, but no pets are allowed," Orihime stated with a straight face. Uryu sighed as he reached his hand out, about to touch her cheek but stopped himself, letting his hand fall to his side instead.

"If you ever need anything, Orihime, I'm only a phone call away."

She turned towards him and smiled, "Thank you so much, Uryu, I'll make sure to remember that."

Uryu straightened up and Orihime followed after him as he began to walk down the street once again.

"Say Orihime…What exactly happens when you get a headache?" Uryu asked carefully.

Orihime placed her index finger on her chin. "Well… Before the pain comes, I see something. It's like a movie although I don't know how a movie can play in my head.... Like last night, I was touching the back of my couch and then suddenly it was like I was looking in on a scene. There was a boy…I saw his hands and heard his voice, but never once did I get to see his face."

"Were you in this... movie too? Or were you watching someone else?" Uryu asked.

She smiled as she allowed her hand to fall to her side. "Oh, I was in it but I don't remember anything like that happening before."

Uryu looked at his hands to distract himself from Orihime's face. 'Great going Ichigo. I bet you didn't see something like this happening.'

"But at the same time it felt so right... I don't understand it." Orihime continued.

"So what did you want to do at the library?" Uryu asked, successfully changing the subject.

"Oh! Well I wanted to look at some cooking books you see." Orihime replied, clasping her hands together behind her back.

Uryu eyed her worriedly. "You want to look at cooking books? What for?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Well, that's easy to answer! I want to be able to cook for all my great friends! I know most of you don't like my creations so I thought it'd be good if I learned how to make food you guy's will like."

Uryu looked up at the tall building they came to. "And you think you'll be able to fix that?"

Orihime nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yes! I really think I can do it. I want to be able to feed you, Chad, Tatsuki and…" she trailed off as a confused look crossed her face.

After a few moments of silence Uryu cleared his throat. "Orihime, is everything all right?" he asked slowly.

Her eyes glazed over as she seemed to get lost in another world. Panic began to work its way through Uryu as he watched her hairpins begin to glow a light yellow. 'She can't be unlocking her powers already…Ichigo said it would take a while, said we had nothing to worry about for at least a few months. I swear when I see him again I'm going to skin his hide.' Uryu inhaled deeply when he saw her eyes refocus and her hairpins go back to their blue color.

"Sorry Uryu, did you ask me something?" Orihime apologized quickly.

He slowly shook his head back and forth, still trying to form words to speak. After a few seconds, hesitantly, he smiled. "No everything is fine."

Her eyes closed as she smiled. "I'm glad! I would feel horrible if you got sick from walking with me here. I hate to be a bother." Uryu's eyes softened as he looked at her innocent expression. He put his hand on her head, which was out of character for him, causing her to open her eyes in surprise.

"You are never a bother Orihime. Whenever you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Her cheeks turned a light pink hue as she nodded shyly. The clock on the library chimed, indicating the hour.

"Uh-oh, I better get in there and find that book. Didn't you say something about a test you have today?" Orihime asked as she pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah…" Uryu replied.

"Well then don't worry about me, I can walk myself home." Orihime responded sweetly.

Uryu looked at her intently before sighing. "All right, if you're sure you'll be okay…"

"I'm sure, now go!" Orihime exclaimed while pushing him lightly in the direction of the university.

"I'm going, I'm going. You can call me if you need someone to…" he was cut off by Orihime covering his lips with the palm of her hand.

"Really Uryu, I'll be fine. Just go and study for that test and then go ace it. I know you can do it!" She said excitedly. Uryu looked at her intently and then pushed his glasses up higher on his nose.

"I'll see you later then." Orihime watched as he walked away until she could no longer see him. Rushing into the library, she went up to the third floor.

"Okay…Cooking, cooking." She mumbled as she looked at each of the titles of the sections that were on the bookshelves.

While she was walking, she came across a back section that looked like no one ever visited. Her interest was piqued as she started down the lonely area. 'Wow, I wonder why no one comes to visit these books, they must be really lonely,' she thought sadly.

Her eyes blurred again once she reached the far end of the section. "Why is this happening again?" She asked in a quiet, scared voice. "Am I going crazy? This isn't normal." After that she felt the same sensation the last time this happened to her.

"I need to study and so do you!" Her voice whispered urgently as she was being pulled into one of the sections of books. She was working hard to hold back a giggle while she was pulled along.

"We have our whole lives to study, who knows how long we have to…do other things," a masculine voice answered.

Orihime rolled her eyes as her boyfriend stopped and turned towards her. "We have all the time to make out." She pointed out as she placed her index finger on his chest. "But we don't have all the time to pass these classes."

The boy in front of her sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "You're right as always, but it still doesn't change the fact that I'd rather spend time with you then a dirty old book."

"You know I hate it when you pout!" She whispered frantically, "Oh please, please don't look like that." She was begging now and she knew it but a part of her didn't care. In a desperate measure to make her boyfriend happy, she pulled on his shirt to make him bend down so her lips could close easily over his. After a few seconds, he pulled away from her with a big grin.

"You didn't only make me happy, but you made yourself happy as well. You have to admit you liked it," he leaned down and whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She pushed at his chest and shook her head in disapproval.

"You want to be a doctor and that will be really hard if you're busy pulling me into creepy old hallways of sorts." He easily pulled her back into his arms and rested his head on top of her head.

"Okay, okay, we'll go back and study."

A small smile of victory flashed across her lips. "Good. I want you to make your dreams come true and I don't want to stand in the way of that."

The pain that came after the 'movie' was enough to make Orihime fall down on her knees. She grasped at her head in pain, trying to dull it.

"Ouch…I didn't ask for this," she said through gritted teeth.

After a few agonizing moments, the pain dulled enough to where she was able to think about what she had just seen. She knew there was a boy in the 'movie' but for some reason she was never able to make out his features. It was like her vision was blocked from it.

"I had a boyfriend? Well at least me in the movie had one…and…"She reached up and touched her lips. "I can still feel it—the way it all felt." A blush swept across her delicate cheeks. Instead of standing up and going back to looking for a cook book she stayed where she was, enjoying the little movie that had played in her head earlier. 'I wish it was real…I've never had someone kiss me like that.'

Blood made a trail down the orange haired Shinigami's cheek as he gasped for breath, leaning on his knees.

"Ichigo, you're still not good enough," a sinister voice boomed across the room.

A vein began to throb on the side of his head. 'If he keeps talking, then I'm sure to lose it. I want to do nothing more than whip the floor with his smug, ugly, face,' Ichigo thought darkly as he straightened up. His grip on Zangetsu tightened as his eyes narrowed.

'C'mon King, why don't you just fully let me have control for a while? I'll rip his head off his shoulders and be done with this whole thing and then we'll be on top, you won't have to answer to this weakling anymore.'

Ichigo shook his head, fighting back the black that was slowly starting to creep over his eyes.

"The only way for you to get stronger is to fully embrace that hollow that is inside of you. Didn't Shinji explain all this to you already?" The voice continued to rant.

"I do have control over it!" Ichigo shouted as he straightened up to his full height. His eyes locked with the evil red ones in front of him.

The man walked over and placed his hands on Ichigo's shoulders. "I know you have control of it. What I'm telling you is I want you to allow it to consume you for a while."

Ichigo stared at him like he had sprouted two heads. "You actually want me to just sit back and allow my hollow to change me into some kind of psycho maniac? I have been working so hard to be able to control him so that doesn't happen. I've gotten stronger from my control of him…Why would I want to jeopardize that?"

Ichigo pulled away from the man's touch. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he backed away. "I don't want to become a senseless killing machine. You have no idea what you're asking of me. I came and joined your stupid army and I said I would do what you told me but this…this is going too far. The hollow inside of me is no push over so if I give him a little room he'll take all of it! You can just kiss my ass." He hissed, his hair covering his eyes as he lowered his head.

The man clicked his tongue disapprovingly as he turned his back.

"All right this is all for today. Although, because you haven't been performing as well as I'd like I'm going to have to punish you."

Ichigo didn't respond as he continued to keep his eyes lowered.

"And since things don't seem to sink in when I punish you physically my only option is to punish someone close to you... Perhaps an old teammate?"

Ichigo's head shot up in horror. "You stay away from them! They have nothing to do with any of this!"

A sinister smile came over the man in front of him. "That's where you're wrong, Ichigo, they have everything to do with this. I know they are the only reason why you agreed to join us and I also realize that they are your weakness. So in order to make you stronger and more to my liking I'm not afraid to use them against you. Especially that girl…What was her name? Orihime, was it? Aizen had so much regard towards her…in fact he still does."

Ichigo's blood ran cold at hearing her name, his mouth became dry and his hands began to sweat.

"Ah? No witty response? You realize that Aizen will go after her again soon, don't you? So why shouldn't I bring her here and torture her a little? I see no reason why not to, but then again…there's also that Rukia girl that you're close to, isn't there?"

"Stay away from them," Ichigo said as venom laced his words.

"My, my, see this is the attitude I want you to have more of, my precious Ichigo! Yes, become angry, let the angry drive your every instinct."

Slowly raising his brown eyes, he locked with what he thought was the man's eyes in front of him. "Why is it that when you train me you always have your face covered and a shield around you?"

A dark chuckle escaped Ichigo's teacher as he let his head fall back.

"I decided you don't need to see my identity it makes it more entertaining this way. Now are you going to listen to what I have said or should I pay a visit to a certain healer?"

The substitute shinigami's jaw clenched, the grip on his sword slackened as he closed his eyes.

"You said you need to punish me...but if I let him take over, will that satisfy you?" Ichigo asked uncertainly.

An evil grin spread over the man's face that was hidden inside the cloak.

"I believe that will be the only thing that can save you from having your friends take your punishment."

Exhaling Ichigo looked at his hands. 'Okay, Hollow, it's your time to come out and show him what you've got.'

'Hahahaha, I'll show him who's boss when it comes to power. You made the right decision, King. Now let me finish the rest of this 'training' session.'

His eyes clouded over with the blackness he had been trying to fight back. Soon his consciousness was sucked into the blackness he hated.

"Now it's my turn!" His voice was no longer the voice he usually used; it was distorted indicating the change.

"Ah, yes, now we'll finally get somewhere," the cloaked figure sneered as he braced himself for the attack that was sure to come.

Gray eyes flew to the window as she slowly came to her feet and made her way across the living room.

"Something is wrong…but…" Her voice trailed off as she pondered what could possibly be happening to make her feel uneasy.

The color orange flashed across her eyes, making her gasp.

"What was that…someone is hurting…someone important, but who?"

A/N: Hey everyone, sorry its taken me a while to get this chapter out. I had finals for school and just finished them not too long ago. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, I'll admit it was a little boring for me to write but I need to write the boring stuff to get to the good and exciting stuff. Please review and tell me what you thought of it. :D I'll be seeing you guys next chapter.