Chapter Description: Some musings. Kon and Rukia share their hatred for me (the writer who neglects them). Rukia tries to help Ichigo, seeing him all depressed.

Some SI (self-injury) and other crazy stuff. Then… at last… the big reveal.

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Chapter 10

"Welcome home, Ichigo!" Rukia beamed, waving to her roommate enthusiastically as he entered the room. As she opened her eyes to his lack of response, her smile transformed into a concerned frown. "What's wrong, Ichigo? Are you ill?"

"I'm fine. I just… need to be by myself."

"ICHIGO! What the fuck is your problem, dumbass!" A lion plushy leaped onto Ichigo's chest, pounding him with fists of fluff.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, scowling at the talking "inanimate" object bouncing about on his torso. "Where the fuck have you been these last few days?" He lifted the lion by his neck, kicking and screaming, to inspect him further.

Kon gasped, feeling horrendously dishonored by the statement. "Where the fuck have I been? Where the FUCK have I BEEN? I've been… Wait, where the fuck have I been? Doesn't this bitch realize I'm THE BLEACH ICON?!?! Doesn't my opinion in this matter count?!"

As Kon continued to rant, Ichigo tossed him across the room, losing interest. "Right. Don't care."

Kon, offended by Ichigo's show of disrespect, took off grumbling out of the room, rubbing his plushy bruises as though the cotton was somehow affected by the plunge. Ichigo and Rukia paid no mind to the fact that a talking plush lion had taken off walking into the hallway, where anyone could come across him and find him or herself astonished by the fact that there was a WALKING, TALKING lion plushy.

"Ichigo… what's wrong? Did something happen today?" Rukia stepped forward towards the bed, where Ichigo had thrown himself upon entering.

He didn't look at her; didn't reply; only stared at the ceiling, lost in his own thoughts. What isn't wrong? I can't protect my friends. Inoue hates me, and I don't know why. Sado's in hell, and I don't know why. Ishida won't even look at me; again, I don't know why. Oh yeah, and my BEST FRIEND WAS MURDERED. Did I forget something? Ah, yes—I don't know why.

"You know…" Rukia leaned in, so close he could feel her breath on his neck. Daring herself, she clasped his hand in hers, continuing to bend further until her lips came close to touching his ear. "You can talk to me, Ichigo. You don't need to keep everything locked up inside."

Recovering from the initial shock and shaking off the blush that tainted his cheeks, Ichigo pushed the girl off of him. I'm sorry, Rukia. I just… really don't want to be touched right now. "Not now, Rukia."

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I think I'm going to write a book. I'm calling it, "The Only Character Without Any Drama." I mean, come on, I get like, what, MAYBE a paragraph of dialogue, thought, or general plot devoted to me in two chapters, and then I'm suddenly dropped like I don't even matter? What, just because I'm the other woman, I don't get a plot? Huh? How's come I don't hate anyone, or kill anyone, or rape anyone, or, like, you know, I don't want to die, but if that's what it takes to get me in this story, come on, just do it!

But enough about "me". I believe I've already taken up my paragraph, plus some. What, she hasn't stopped yet? Wow, I'm impressed. I was really expecting her to just cut me off in the middle of—

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Inoue amused herself by toying with the sharp metallic kitchen utensil in her hand. Extending her left arm, she held the knife to her flesh, pushing deeper as she slid the blade across the skin. She didn't cringe or show any sign that the action caused her pain at all. As the blood began to emerge slowly, then started flowing, she was reminded of just how alive she still was.

I can still bleed. But I'm so numb; it's as if I don't even feel it. Still, the adrenaline rush I receive is satisfying enough. I wonder how many times it will take before the pain hits.

Orihime continued making a row of the red indentations, perplexed at her composed response to each. I know what I'm doing isn't rational. But it's relieving, in an odd way. The Shun Shun Rikka hovered above her, appalled by the girl's senseless behavior.

"It takes much longer for us to heal your own wounds. Please stop," Ayame pleaded quietly.

"Woman! Cut it out!" Tsubaki launched forward, kicking the girl in the forehead and pulling on her hair. "Where the hell is your head at?"

She sighed, dropping the knife at his demand. Her hands, stained with blood, covered her face, ashamed of her senseless actions both in the past and at this moment. Ayame and Shun'oo floated above the girl's arm, forming an oval-shaped shield that rejected the events. The scars faded slowly, depleting a great deal of the fairies' energy.

Tsubaki's anger subsided as he gazed upon the silently grieving girl in wonder. I thought exterminating the enemy might bring her back to normal. But she seems just as distressed as she did before. Damnit. I hate seeing her in so much pain. He looked on as his teammates healed her self-inflicted wounds, wishing at the same time that he had the ability to heal those which could not be seen. Or at least slice the cause of the pain in two.

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Rukia had gone on a stroll, hoping to leave Ichigo and his misery to himself, as he'd asked of her. She reflected once again on his insensitive way of pushing her off, rejecting her show of affection and causing her to regret being so bold. "Not now, Rukia," he had said. He didn't say it in a kind, understanding way; more like he was annoyed at her touch and disturbed by being so uncomfortably close to her.

"I'm so… stupid." She looked up, finding herself outside of Orihime's living quarters. "Inoue… She seemed very disturbed the last time I saw her. When she spoke before, it wasn't to me. Her words were very distant, like she was speaking from some other world I was not a part of."

Gathering courage, Rukia willed herself to approach Inoue's doorstep, uncertain of what her friend would make of her being there, or what she would do or say upon entering. The black-haired Shinigami knocked and awaited a response. She could hear voices coming from inside, a sign of life within. She knocked again, but to no avail. Who the hell does Inoue have over? She turned the knob; it was open. I hope she doesn't mind the intrusion.

Rukia entered the room, overwhelmed with an air of silence that fell upon her. She searched the area for the source of the voices she'd heard earlier, but found nothing inside. Where was Inoue? Taking a few steps forward, she froze, finding Orihime's motionless body on the kitchen floor. There was blood spattered around her, but no apparent injuries that she could see.

Rukia ran to the still form of Inoue, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and shaking her a bit. "Inoue! Inoue, wake up! What's wrong with you!"

Inoue opened one eye slowly, still worn out from healing her own scars. She could just barely make out the blurred image of Rukia looming above her, embracing her. "Ku…Kuchiki-san?"

"You're awake! Inoue, what happened? Why is there blood?" asked Rukia, relieved, but still worried.

Orihime blinked, unable to comprehend what she was saying. "What? Blood? I don't know." She shook the girl off, standing wearily. "What are you doing here, Kuchiki-san?"

What am I doing here? "I… wanted to know what's been bothering you. You haven't been acting like yourself and… I was worried."

Inoue bit her lip, debating within herself whether to tell the girl or not. "I…" she started, unsure of how to start. "I… I…" She fumbled with her hands nervously. "…was raped the other night… by the river." She wouldn't lift her eyes from their hold on her hands. She couldn't meet the other girl's gaze.

"Wh-What? When? How?" Rukia didn't even know how to respond. She stared in astonishment at the girl who looked so ashamed. "Inoue… Why haven't you told anyone? Did you at least go to the police?"

Orihime shook her head, responding to only the last question. A single tear rolled down her cheek, an unfamiliar feeling coming over her; one which she was not able to achieve until this moment: she could cry. All at once, she let herself go, becoming lost in Rukia's warm embrace as tear after tear fell.

When Orihime seemed to have calmed down some, Rukia grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her square in the eyes. "Orihime. I want you to tell me… Who did it? I'll fucking kill him!"

Orihime lifted her eyes to meet the other girl's. She wiped her tears, her face becoming grave. "You can't."

"Well, I know, I mean, I won't necessarily KILL him kill him, but I'll definitely kick his ass and make him WISH he were dead—"

"That's not what I mean, Kuchiki-san," Inoue interrupted. "You can't kill him because… he's already dead."

Rukia's eyes grew larger. She leaned in towards the girl who gave her so many questions and so few answers. "Wh-"

Inoue silenced her friend with a wave of the hand. "Kurosaki-kun… he wouldn't like me very much if he knew."

Fear overwhelmed the dark haired girl as she tried to make sense of a battered woman's ramblings. "If he knew what, Inoue?" Silence. "If he knew you were raped?" Silence. "If he knew you were raped or…

"If he knew you killed him?"

"Kill? Who said anything about murder?" Inoue smiled sweetly. "All I said was that he was already dead. It makes no difference to me how the boy died. Now Ichigo, Ishida, and Sado… it makes a difference to those three."

"Are you… really alright, Inoue? You've kept this bottled up inside… Do you need to see a doctor? Or… Is there anything I can do?" Rukia's tension had lowered, returning to concern for the girl's strange tone and behavior. Orihime never talks like this. She's so… serious and detached. I wonder if not talking to anyone all this time has really gotten to her this much.

Inoue stood, stretching her arms toward the sky energetically. "I'm fine, Kuchiki-san. Thank you. Just please… don't say anything to Kurosaki-kun or the others." She tilted her head back in thought before adding, "And, Kuchiki-san?"

"Yes?"

Orihime gave a soft, sincere smile, still staring at the ceiling. "Please help Kurosaki-kun… feel better. You're the only one that can help him, and…" she hid her face as one last tear streamed down the side of her face, "…the only one that can make Kurosaki-kun happy."

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Author's Note: I have a lot of ideas circulating about where the story will go from here. A lot of really evil ideas. But I want to hear your ideas before I commence writing. Ideas specifically on Inoue, Rukia, Ichi, Ishida, and especially Sado. And don't forget about Ulqy's return later on! I think this'll go a few more chapters—maybe 3 or 4—but the last will probably be the longest. Please read and review and give feedback!