"Who's next?" Rukia asked, absentmindedly fingering the hilt of her zanpakuto, revealing her hidden insecurity to be wanding like this in the hollow's realm.

Orihime raised a finger to her chin. "The only other espada I've met, and by met I mean I was there while he tried to kill people, is that giant one.. umm..."

"Yammy." Rukia supplied, having helped start the fight against him.

Orihime nodded. "Yeah, him."

"You were probably listening to the captain's stories of the espada they fought, what did they say?" Orihime asked, referring to the half hour spent down in Szayel's lab in which all the shinigami traded stories so Kurotsuchi-Taicho could document things accurately when they returned to soul society.

The soul reaper frowned at her friend. "You weren't paying attention?!" She pointed out the disrespect.

Orihime put a hand behind her head, embarrassed, even though such behavior was typical of her.

"Ah, I didn't mean to be rude, I just kind of got distracted..."

Rukia smirked and elbowed her friend playfully, forgiving her forgetfulness.

"Well the only other two espada that were killed were the seventh, who Nii-sama fought, and Aaroniero the ninth, who I killed."

The soul reaper's lip drew up in a disgusted snarl at the mention of her old opponent.

"They will not be able to be revived."

Orihime's eyebrows rose, surprised.

"Why not?"

"When Nii-sama defeated the seventh, he evaporated, so it was told. And their fight destroyed the tower and completely buried Aaroniero's corpse."

Now the auburn haired girl's face took on a fierce thinking face, again biting her lip. If there was nothing left of Kuchiki-Taichou's opponent, then she couldn't revive him. It was kind of a guess that she could even heal the other espada by just having a piece of them, but having nothing... it just wasn't possible.

"I guess we'll have to do some digging then." She stated, determined to save the ninth now.

"No Inoue."

Orihime's head whipped over to stare at her friend, whose brows were furrowed and a deep frown persisted on her face.

"He defiled Kaien-dono."

Grey eyes widened in astonishment at the mention of Rukia's most admired person.

"He had eaten the hollow who had killed Kaien-dono, and so gained the ability to take on Kaien-dono's appearance and use his abilities. Armed with his memories the espada tricked me into believing he was Kaien-dono."

"Kuchiki-san," Orihime whispered.

To have to kill Kaien twice... It must've been like a nightmare to her.

She placed a hand on her shorter friend's shoulder.

"I will make this exception for you Kuchiki-san." She said, agreeing to leave behind one of the espada, even though her beliefs screamed against it.

Rukia's wide blue eyes looked up gratefully at Orihime, and the mouth below it smiled.

"Thank you Inoue."

The human only nodded.

They walked on through the white sand.

"Uhm.."

Orihime stared upwards towards the tail of hair sprouting out of Yammy's scalp that was far out of her reach.

"I can't reach..."

"I'll get it for you Inoue." Rukia offered, and set down the vials she had, for fear of dropping them.

"Thank-you Kuchiki-san."

Rukia shrugged off the thanks and leaped high, landing easily on the shoulder of the dead giant. She stomped on the espada, paused, and stomped again.

Dead, she confirmed. That dread put to rest she again leaped an impossible distance, landing on the skull-like jaw.

She crinkled her nose in disgust at being so close to the face of the monster, but continued forward, towards the crown of his head.

Stepping over the ridges that ran over his skull she reached the rat-tail's start, and gingerly stuck her hand into the black mess, and yanked a scruffy hunk of wiry black hair.

Poised to leave, she scoffed once more at Yammy and then dismounted, falling down several stories height and landing on her feet, a small puff of the sand billowing around her.

Orihime was shook from her reminiscent staring up at the espada and ran over to Rukia.

"Thank you Kuchiki-san." She said again, taking the rope of hair and folding it into a vial.

Rukia turned away and bent to collect her own vials, again ignoring the thanks.

This is most certainly a crime, her conscious screamed at her, the direct involvement in Inoue's plan removing the damper Rukia had placed on it.

You've been to death row before, you don't want to go back.

Rukia's face tensed into a frown.

Why are you helping bring these demons back to life? The very beings who were comrades to the monster who stole Kaien-dono?

Why was she? It didn't make any sense...

For Inoue, her heart retaliated.

"Kuchiki-san?"

The very same girl that occupied her thoughts spoke tentatively, setting a hand on her shoulder.

Rukia let out a pent-up breath.

I believe in Inoue. That's why.

Rukia turned to her with a gentle smile. "Let's go."

Orihime, surprised by her expression, brightly beamed back, and turned to retrace their steps.

A/N: Alright! Now they get to stop hunting corpses! Next chapter!