Chapter 26 – La Chica Es Solo
The next day had arrived in the ever-dark world of Hueco Mundo, and Orihime was curled up in her bed, all alone.
She had been unable to speak with Tatsuki, since Mayuri's tests had gone on for hours. Some….more horrifying than the others. And she didn't see Liltotto Lamperd at all.
"Woman…..your breakfast is here."
Ulquiorra had entered, with a tray.
"…..not hungry." Came the response under the sheets.
"Aizen-sama has commanded you eat when it is offered, Orihime Inoue. If you do not eat it…I have alternate methods of making you do so."
The girl removed the covers and sat up.
"I see….your pins are gone."
Mayuri and Szayel wanted to keep them for overnight study.
"…"
"Do you understand what this means, Orihime Inoue?" Ulquiorra asked, placing the tray on her lap.
"…..I'm in no position for defiance." She answered, remembering Aizen's exact words when the tests had been finished for the day.
"Correct." Ulquiorra responded, heading for the door.
"Wait."
"…."
"C-Could….you take me to Grimmjow? I….want to see my friend."
"No. You are also in no position to make demands." The Espada answered, exiting the room. The girl sighed and just picked at her food.
It looked completely unappealing.
"Hiya, Hime-chan!"
Now Gin had entered.
"…..hello." She responded, looking depressed.
"Huh, what's wrong? It's the food, ain't it? Cap'n Aizen really needs to get better cooks….it doesn' help most of the people in the castle eat souls."
Orihime looked at the ex-captain.
"Ichimaru-san…..did Aizen ask you to check on me?"
"Well…..yes and no." He drawled, scratching his head. "It's better if you ain't wanderin' around, but I just felt like paying ya a visit."
"….."
"Hey, Cap'n Aizen was telling me you were with Cap'n Fon? Ha! She's scary, ain't she?"
"No…." Orihime smiled slightly, still picking at her food. "She was strict, but she trained me. She was always giving me advice."
It would be a monumental loss for Seireitei if your powers were in the hands of the enemy.
She looked at the smiling man.
"…..Ichimaru-san…can I tell you something….private?"
"Oooh! I love gossip!" Gin said, closing the door to avoid spyers.
"…..Rangiku-san misses you. A lot."
A frown instantly came to his face.
"…you were with Rangiku?"
"She was part of the team guarding Karakura." Orihime explained. Although the man was sneaky, always smiling, and hard to read…..she felt slightly at ease around him now. Relatively speaking.
"Really now? Cap'n Hitsugaya let her go off?"
"Yeah."
Gin hummed and looked to the small window, where the constant moonlight was shining in.
"She still the same?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Well you know….." He coughed awkwardly and gestured to his chest.
"Umm….." Orihime blushed. "Y-Yeah."
"Oh, neat. But I always liked her eyes the most."
"Really?"
"Well yeah! They're blue, wide….and nice to look at. When I'm not eyeing her breasts, that is. Hehehehehe…"
"….do you want to see her again?" Orihime wondered out loud.
"…well, I don't see why not. It'd be nice to see her and Izuru again, just like old times." Gin smiled.
"then….why?"
"Don't know whatcha mean."
Orihime gestured to the walls around her.
"…..like I said, I don't know whatcha mean." He repeated, walking towards the door. "Cap'n Aizen will be looking for you eventually."
"Wait!"
"What's up, Hime-chan?"
"Could…..you take me to Grimmjow?"
"…nah. Don't feel like it."
Orihime sighed.
"But, I'm a nice guy! It's not like you ain't allowed to be out and about. This room is so boring." Gin took out a slip of paper and a pen. "Just follow these directions, 'kay?"
He scribbed a few lines and handed it to the girl.
"Just be careful. Some Arrancar get really cranky when they don't get all of their sleep." He said, soon leaving completely.
Orihime looked at the paper. Some of the directions were very hard to make out, but one line at the very bottom was written very clearly.
The bull ain't so tough when you grab its horn.
The bull isn't so tough….what does that even mean?
Orihime kept reading the paper over and over, not being able to understand the man's….message? Riddle? It seemed so confusing.
Without her pins, Orihime had to be careful. She only had….karate to defend herself, and a human's punch would be completely worthless against hierro, reiatsu, or a zanpakutou.
She was dressed in the Hueco Mundo uniform given to her yesterday, and she felt dirty every second wearing it.
Oh…..I hope everyone has figured out where I am…..
Orihime turned a corner and found a flight of stairs. These seemed to be part of the directions, so she shrugged and headed down. Her heart started to race when she passed by a certain Espada…
"Stop."
Orihime gulped.
Tia Harribel was behind her, her steps now reversing to look at the girl face-to-face.
"…Orihime Inoue. Why are you by yourself?"
"I…..was just looking for the bathroom! Heh heh…."
Harribel shook her head.
"You are not. I suggest you tell me your true course of action, as I dislike those who think they can deceive me."
Orihime bit her lip hard when the Tercera released a fraction of her reiatsu to show she wasn't kidding.
"…..I'm s-sorry. I was looking for Grimmjow."
"What business do you have with the Decima?"
"Um….."
Harribel narrowed her eyes.
"…..I just wanted to see my friend…..Tatsuki."
Tatsuki Arisawa.
She had seen the girl for the very first time yesterday during the meeting. She now knew that was the special guest. And she saw her come in with….Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Suddenly it all made sense.
"Follow me." Harribel commanded, heading up the stairs and turning another corner. Orihime quickly followed.
"T-Thank you….um…..I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."
"Tia Harribel, Tercera Espada."
"Oh….you're #3, Harribel-san?"
"Correct." At least the girl could understand Spanish.
"….." Now Orihime didn't know what to say. This woman was quiet, serious, and she didn't want to anger her in anyway.
"…..I wish to ask you a few questions. Acceptable?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
"…..what is your relationship with that girl? You claimed you were her friend, but she didn't know who you were."
"….Tatsuki-chan…..was my best friend…..we were both living in Karakura Town."
"…..I see. …but she is an Arrancar now."
"Yes." Orihime said quietly.
"…how do you know Mayuri Kurotsuchi?"
"Huh?"
"You are not a Shinigami, and you are not someone who would associate with a man like him. What is your history?"
Harribel led the girl down a narrow hallway.
"I…I'm not sure if I should say."
"You said he tortured an Ishida's grandfather. What exactly does that mean?" Harribel had an idea, as her mind flashed to Aizen's briefing of the Quincies.
Orihime looked at the taller woman's back. Her zanpakutou was strapped horizontally, and she could easily reach for it.
"…I…..don't want to get in trouble."
"…..You are in Las Noches. It is better if you start telling the truth now."
"….Ishida-kun is another friend of mine…..a Quincy."
Harribel stopped in her tracks, making Orihime bump into her.
"Ow! Oh, I'm s-sorry, Harribel-san!"
"Start from the beginning, Orihime Inoue."
"….are you sure?"
"We have all of the time in the world." Harribel said, continuing her walk. "Go on."
Aizen turned one of Orihime's pins over in his hand.
"I take the tests were successful, you two?"
"Yes!" Mayuri said with a grin. "Her power…..it is everything I could've hoped for! Every stimulation, the girl was able to repair the lost part!"
"Limbs, organs, blood…." Szayel smiled. "What luck!"
"Excellent." Aizen smirked. "I trust the two of you will be able to make something useful out of them."
"A slight problem, it seems." Mayuri said, stepping over to his computer. "The girl has the most autonomy with them….either of us don't seem to have much luck with control…."
"Would you be able to…..alter the pins to make them…more receptive?" Aizen was hinting at something.
"Oooh…..maybe." Szayel grinned, and his partner did the same.
Aizen set the pins back onto the case they were in.
"You must be careful. If they stop working….Orihime Inoue is useless to our efforts."
"Naturally." Mayuri responded. "But…..weren't you just going to have her be bait to lure the Gotei here?"
"Correct, Mayuri-kun. But I prefer killing two birds with one stone. With the likes of Urahara, they will most likely have their own tools for combat."
Aizen stepped over to the tube with Grand Fisher's replacement.
"Is this ready?"
"Yes, sir." Szayel said. "You don't have to worry about her cognitive function, as the computer is wiring her mind to what you wanted."
"Excellent."
"Hmm, now that I think about it…..you have Inoue, and you have Arisawa. Why employ a third counter to Ichigo Kurosaki?" Mayuri wondered, tapping the tube with his fingers.
"You have never met the boy." Aizen said. "Ichigo Kurosaki takes after his father, and due to his young age, he is reckless as he is powerful. It is too easy to make his emotions flip into overdrive, allowing him to make mistakes."
"I see….."
Aizen turned to Szayel.
"The Quincy?"
"That is running smoothly! We've already made a device to disrupt reishi manipulation. It needs a few more tweaks, but you will certainly get one!"
"And the Arrancar for the task?"
"They're almost done." Mayuri said, rubbing his hands. "The Hogyoku is quite the marvelous device!"
"And it can be brought to newer heights with Orihime. It is time I see…..what the limitation of these pins are."
"Are you going to do the test, milord?" Szayel asked.
"I intend to. Have any….disposable subjects for my usage?"
"Well….." Mayuri scratched his chin. "I've been experimenting on these two Hollows, and while it is exciting to keep injecting the compounds I create…..studying these pins and that Quincy seem to be more fruitful and interesting."
He waved his hand.
"You may use them if you wish. If the girl can't revive them…..well, it gives us clear data and I can always just keep experimenting on them anyways."
"Hey Menoly! Are you gonna get up already?!"
Loly opened the door and stepped over to her sister in her bed.
"C'mon! Aizen-sama wouldn't want us to slack off!"
The pigtailed Arrancar shook her sister.
"Wake up!"
"…..go a-away, L-Loly."
"What's with you? Caught a bug or something?"
"…just go." Menoly responded quietly.
Loly scowled and pulled the covers off.
"Can't you just….!"
Menoly was shaking like a leaf and curled into a ball, not bothering to turn to look at her sister.
"…what's the matter…..Menoly?"
"…g-go away! Please….." She whimpered.
Loly pulled the girl apart and studied her carefully. She didn't appear to have any wounds or marks, and her form looked unaltered.
"…What the hell happened to you?" She asked, confused.
"…please go."
"No! Not until you tell me, Menoly!" Loly demanded.
"…..I…." Menoly bit her lip and with a shaking hand, rubbed her opposite arm. "….I was with Kurotsuchi."
"What? Why?" Loly asked, alarmed.
"Aizen-sama suggested I help him and Szayel-sama with a project."
"But…..they hurt you?"
"….." Menoly sniffled and covered herself again.
"Stop that!" Loly yelled, and ripped the covers away again. "What happened?!"
"…it's her."
"Huh?"
"The girl…..Orihime Inoue. Her power."
"…I don't understand….."
Menoly grabbed her sister and pulled her closer.
"Have you ever lost a limb?"
"…no, w-why?"
"Do you know what hurts more than losing a limb?"
"…..losing two limbs?"
"Losing the same limb over and over and over again." She whispered, not bothering to wipe her now falling tears away. "…..the girl wouldn't make the pain stop. They…..wouldn't make the pain stop!"
She cried into her sister's top.
"But…are you saying one of them kept…..cutting your arm off, or something?!" Loly asked, horrified.
"…it wasn't just my arm!" Menoly shouted. "S-So much….blood…..every single time, the girl would clean it up…..fix me…..but she only made it so…the pain could continue…..!"
Loly's eye narrowed.
A small black-haired girl was adjusting her gi when she caught the gaze of a small orange-haired boy in the same outfit.
"Hi!"
"…..who are you?"
The boy smiled. "I'm $%^#!"
"Ha! Doesn't that mean Strawberry?" The girl asked, laughing.
"N-No!" The boy blushed. "It means Protector! That's what….my mommy said…."
"Heh! It's still a silly name. I'm Tatsuki!"
"That's….a cute name."
"S-Shut up!" The girl blushed now, making the boy laugh in turn. She got into a stance. "Just be ready when I pin ya!"
Then the scene changed, and true enough, the boy was running to his mother in tears.
"Tatsuki!" The girl's mother scolded. "You should apologize to that boy for being so rough!"
"Aw come on Mom!" She pouted. "We were sparring! He deserved it for calling me cute!"
"But you are cute Suki-chan!" Was the response, making the girl groan. She looked over.
A woman with light brown hair was comforting the boy.
"Sssh….it's okay, $%^#…."
"Go on." Her mother demanded. The girl rolled her eyes and walked over to the two.
"Hey….I'm sorry."
The boy stopped crying and turned to face the girl, sniffling all the while.
"…I didn't mean to be rough…..$%^#."
The woman besides him smiled, and the girl felt her heart melt slightly. She looked so kind, like an angel descended from Heaven.
"See, $%^#? She was kind enough to apologize."
The boy turned…..and smiled.
"…..T-Thanks….Tatsuki."
The girl rubbed her head.
"Hey…..um…..I dunno. Want to come over one day?"
"Huh? Why?"
"Well, so we can play dummy." The girl responded, but then she looked to the woman. "….can $%^# play one day?"
"Certainly." The woman smiled again. "$%^# would love to make a new friend."
"M-Mom!" The boy blushed.
"Hahaha! Now the Strawberry is a cherry!" The girl laughed, running back to her own mother. "Bye $%^#!"
XXXXX
"Hey!"
Tatsuki jumped at the voice of Grimmjow's voice.
"Stop with the daydreaming. We have training to do, remember?"
The spiked-hair Arrancar groaned. Their training yesterday went on for over 10 hours straight, and while Tatsuki was always up for a workout…..
"Stop complaining, damn it!"
"Okay, okay!"
"What were you dreaming about, anyway?" Grimmjow muttered, getting into a battle stance.
"….I had some kind of memory, I think."
"Oh yeah? What?"
Tatsuki looked unsure. "…..me and some kid. I…..I wasn't here. I was….I think in a dojo. I guess it was a human memory from my past."
"Yeah, those can happen from time to time."
"The kid….he had orange hair."
Grimmjow froze.
"…but his name…..everytime he and someone said it…it was just a mess of sounds." Tatsuki said, readying her own stance.
"…..Tch. It's just a worthless memory. Don't pay attention to it."
"But…."
"But what?"
"….there was a woman there. She…..looked like an angel."
Grimmjow smashed his fist into her face.
"Really now?! Did you come here to be all sappy?! You think any Shinigami is gonna sit there and let you think of fun times?"
Tatsuki rubbed her cheek and stood up.
"N-No….Senpai."
"Good. Now stop with the chattering, and let's fight already! You did well yesterday, so keep it up!"
The two charged each other, but the pang of confusion and wonder was still in Tatsuki's mind.
Gin hummed as he entered the Las Noches control room. Tousen was there, pressing a few keys.
"Hey Kaname."
"Gin…..I know it was you that keeps putting salt in my tea."
"What?! I'm hurt! It had to be Yammy or someone like that."
"You did that back in the Seireitei." Tousen deadpanned.
"…well, guilty as charged then."
Gin smiled as he sat in a chair.
"Soo….let's see what's on the monitor for today…..Ulquiorra being boring as usual, Zommari being creepy as usual, Yammy being dumb as usual…."
He trailed off when he saw the feed for one room in particular. It was dark, and all he could see were two yellow eyes. Two yellow, large, menacing eyes.
Then six more.
"Uhhh…..what the hell is that?"
"It is a secret project by Kurotsuchi." Tousen explained. "No need to elaborate."
Gin looked at the ex-captain.
"You're blind, Kaname. How are ya seeing any of this? I could be describing Barragan in the shower for all ya know."
Tousen shivered. "Don't put that image in my head. Why did you set a camera there, anyway?"
"In my defense, I thought that was Harribel's shower at the time."
"…..she would kill you in seconds."
"Guilty as charged." He repeated, leaning back. He flipped the feed again. "Hey, speak of the devil. She's with Hime-chan."
"…..Orihime Inoue shouldn't be traveling out and about."
"Aw come on, don't be so unfun, Kaname. They're probably just talking about boys and lip gloss."
"Tia Harribel doesn't have lips to apply gloss; her mask covers the bottom half of her face."
Gin groaned.
"Good god you're boring."
"I believe she is up to something with Stark." Tousen said.
"Huh? That's quite the team. But I think Stark is too lazy to ask out her on a date."
"…..you only pay attention to the frivolous things, huh?"
"Guilty as-"
"Don't keep saying that. I've sensed them together in recent days. They've never talked to each other beforehand."
"Well…..you could always ask them."
Tousen didn't respond.
"Right, you're not gonna, since you're boring like that."
"Stop poking me."
"That's not me!"
Wonderweiss moaned happily as he poked his "father".
"Ah, my dear Wonderweiss…..good morning….."
"Should I leave so you two can get comfortable? I want to say Wonderweiss tops."
Tousen put up a middle finger, but he had aimed it at the wall.
"….that never gets old." Gin smiled, poking around feeds again. "Hey, look!...well, not literally in your case. We have a juicy scene ahead of us."
Harribel and Orihime continued to walk.
"...so you think one of us killed your friend?"
"…yes." Orihime whispered. "…Was it….?"
"No. But if it was…..would I be in any inclination to tell you?"
"…no….."
"Orihime Inoue, you must be careful. Your powers are the only thing keeping you safe in this castle. Even if you figure who it was…..what then? Would you fight them?"
"…..I would make them pay."
Harribel stopped and glanced at the girl.
"Would you?"
"I don't care that I'm just a human." Orihime said seriously. "Tatsuki-chan is still my best friend, and ever since I got my powers…..I promised I would protect her."
Harribel gave a nod.
"…..it seems we think alike."
"How so, Harribel-san?"
The two headed down another flight of stairs.
"…..my fraccion. They serve me, but I vowed I would protect them from harm. You dislike the idea of your friend being around Kurotsuchi? I dislike the idea of them being around him."
"May I….meet them?"
"I do not see why not, but aren't you looking for Grimmjow?"
"…..you're right."
"Well, well! So the pet decided to come out to play."
Orihime looked up at the voice. A tall Arrancar with black hair and a sneer was sizing her up.
"Quinto. Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Harribel asked.
"Tch. I didn't think Aizen-sama's little toy was able to get some exercise!" Nnoitra laughed, stepping closer. "Weak little thing, aren't you?"
"Don't answer him." Harribel suggested, walking past the spoon Arrancar.
"Hey." Nnoitra grabbed Orihime's hand before she could do the same. "I asked you a question, woman, so you'd better answer."
"…."
"Aw, what's wrong? Too scared? Figures. You probably get loaned out to every one of the male Espa-!"
Nnoitra started to choke. Harribel had gripped his neck.
"I suggest you don't make filthy comments in my presence, Nnoitra Jiruga. Know your place. This girl is Aizen-sama's guest…and not some 'pet'".
Harribel released him, and gestured for Orihime to follow.
"You…..fucking….!"
"I'm not weak." Came Orihime's voice as the two turned a corner.
Nnoitra growled.
"…everything's still the same…the Tercera always thinks she can mock me…..!" He seethed, storming off to vent some anger on his fraccion.
Coyote Stark was having a good dream, for once.
He was on a tropical island, with the sun shining brightly and the wind flowing. He was alone, sleeping on a bed made of smooth sand, the waves crashing quietly next to him.
But then suddenly, the sky got cloudy and dark. Rumbles. Rain had started to fall.
"What…..?" The Espada muttered, sitting up and rubbing his head. "Oh man…."
Then a large kracken arose from the sea, roaring mightily and raising its tentacles. Stark merely blinked when the tentacles aimed for his face.
XXXX
"Ow….."
The Primera laid sprawled out on the ground, a boot having connected with his forehead.
"Stupid Stark! I told you to watch me!"
Lilinette growled as she stepped over and snatched her boot.
"Lilinette…..was that really needed? I can watch you all just fine…."
She was training with Harribel's fraccion. Finally the dynamic had a neat 4 way split.
'Liar! You should've seen my newest move!" The young Arrancar shouted, putting her boot back on.
"You think Harribel-sama will be back soon?" Sun-Sun asked.
"She wanted to talk to that Inoue girl." Apache said. "I dunno how long it'll be."
Lilinette looked at her partner, who was rubbing his head, now standing.
"Stark, are we gonna defect?"
Stark's eyes widened. He quickly clamped a hand over the girl's mouth.
"Lilinette, you gotta be careful with these kinds of things. You can't just say 'defect' out loud like that!"
"But why not? We all saw the girl yesterday. Kurotsuchi….." Lilinette removed the hand. "He made her an Arrancar. The other girl was really sad about it."
"…..I know."
"…..what's keeping us, Stark?" Lilinette asked, softly. The Tres Bestias were resuming attacking each other now.
Stark sighed.
The six Arrancar in this little alliance were all disgusted with Mayuri Kurotsuchi's actions, and they had seen Orihime react to the girl Tatsuki's new….condition.
And apparently, torture was involved with someone named Ishida? It appeared to match up with Aizen's boast that he had tortured other Quincies.
It wasn't as if they needed another reason to dislike the man, but as much as Stark wanted him gone….what could he do? The man was with Szayel, and they were as smart as much as he liked to sleep. Even if he and Harribel managed to overpower him, there was no telling what tools he had at his disposal.
And even if they killed him, that would only serve to make things much worse – they would have to leave, because Aizen would target them in revenge. Where on earth would they even go? He didn't want to put Lilinette's life in danger, but she was the one who feared him the most.
They were trapped.
"….things." He answered. "Just remember…..we're all in this together. One of us is always gonna watch over the rest of you guys. But…..I'm not sure on what to do next…...it's complicated."
Lilinette managed a nod.
"….Right, Stark…"
But she wanted to do something soon.
"Here we are." Harribel reached the entrance to Grimmjow's area. "He should be in here."
"Thank you….Harribel-san."
"Thank you, Orihime Inoue. You…..have told me many interesting things."
"….Stark-san is nice too, right?"
"Nice? …you are an odd human. After one killed your friend, you are willing to think of our kind as….nice?"
Orihime's mind drifted to Aizen…..then Yachiru and the SWA.
"…Shinigami are the same way. Some are…..awful people, but…..some are the nicest you've ever met."
"….Best of luck, Orihime Inoue."
"Wait! You're not gonna wait here until I'm…..done?"
"I am not a babysitter. But remember my warnings."
And with that, the blonde Espada sonidoed away, leaving the girl alone. She sighed and stepped forward, following the faint sounds of battle cries.
Eventually she found Grimmjow and Tatsuki dueling it out. The sight was not pretty; they were savagely attacking each other, and Tatsuki definitely looked to be the more wounded one.
"E-Excuse me!"
Grimmjow stopped the cero he was charging up. He turned his head and growled.
"You!"
Orihime yelped when he sonidoed over and picked her up with one hand.
"Why the hell are you interrupting our training?!"
"I j-just wanted to talk to Tatsuki!"
"Get the fuck out of here before I kill you!"
"Wait!"
Grimmjow cocked his head. Tatsuki had dashed over to the two.
"….let her speak….senpai."
"Why should I? I'm calling the shots here!"
"But she's not armed." Tatsuki said. "You told me…..a fight is more satisfying when your enemy can fight back."
Grimmjow scoffed and dropped Orihime.
"You got five minutes, woman."
He walked off.
"T-Tatsuki-chan….."
"I don't know you, girl, so stop with the nicknames."
Tatsuki felt her hand being taken by Orihime's.
"Please….don't you remember anything?"
"No!"
"Are…..you sure?"
Tatsuki frowned. The earlier memory….
"…you wouldn't know."
"Yes! I would!" Orihime pleaded.
The black-haired Arrancar glanced at Grimmjow in the distance.
"…I saw some kid, okay? At a….dojo."
"…..oh! That's where….you met Ichigo."
"…..what?!"
Tatsuki pulled herself away from the auburn-haired healer.
"Why the hell would I know Ichigo Kurosaki?!"
"Because he's your friend too! He's known you longer than I have!"
"No!" Tatsuki shook her head. "…..I was told Ichigo Kurosaki is a bad person. He mocks our kind with his powers, and he…..he's arrogant. Thinking himself to be the best. Like every Shinigami."
Orihime gasped. What had Grimmjow told her?
"But….he's not."
"How do you know, girl?"
"Because he's my boyfriend!" Orihime shouted, then immediately blushed.
Tatsuki laughed loudly.
"I think you picked the wrong one, girlie! You're a human! And he's….a Shinigami!"
"You even encouraged me to ask him out!"
"….what the hell? I've just met you yesterday, remember?"
Orihime took the girl's hand again, much to her disgust.
"Please….Tatsuki. You have to remember…your friends….Chizuru, Ryo, Michiru, Mahana…..Ishida-kun, and Sado-kun…"
"More names I don't know." She grunted, pulling her hand away again.
"…Asano-kun…..K-Kojima-kun…." Orihime whimpered, her eyes watering.
"Oh don't start crying!"
"…..Rukia-san?"
"Nope."
"Yachiru-chan?!"
Tatsuki was going to respond in the negative, but she suddenly heard a high-pitched voice in her head.
Spiky-chan, you'd better hide. Because this is gonna get messy.
Tatsuki twitched.
You were gonna hurt Spiky-chan.
Orihime watched as she began to rub her head in pain.
I just wanted to see if you're okay! You're my friend, you know.
"…..Spiky-chan." She managed to say.
"Huh?"
Tatsuki grabbed Orihime.
"Who the hell is Spiey-chan?!"
"….that's you, Tatsuki." Orihime said quietly.
"…no….no, I don't know any of you! Stop getting in my head!" She shouted, falling to her knees. "JUST STOP IT!"
"No." Orihime said, bending down to her level. She grabbed Tatsuki's shoulders.
"S-Stop touching me, girlie…..!"
"I'm your friend….Orihime. Your best friend…Tatsuki…..I will always protect you, okay? Even if you don't remember me right now…..I know you're in there somewhere. The real you."
Tatsuki didn't know what to do when the girl hugged her.
"Please…." She choked out. "You….have to remember."
Boobies is my friend, and she's your friend too. So that means we're friends now too!
Who was this voice in her head? No Arrancar had a voice that high…..this girl…..
"Hey!"
Grimmjow had stepped over. He pulled Orihime away.
"Stop with the hugging and leave already! You had your time!"
He glanced at Tatsuki.
"Don't believe a word she says." Grimmjow growled, pulling Tatsuki away to resume training.
Although Orihime was ready to cry again…..she felt something had gotten through. Maybe there was hope for her best friend after all.
Yachiru…..
She turned to leave, clutching her chest.
Thank you….
Ulquiorra found Yammy grinning and flexing in a mirror, obviously very pleased with himself.
"Heh….you're the best Espada there is!"
"Yammy."
"Ulp!" He jumped. "Ulquiorra! Stop sneaking up on me! I was….just taking a break! I'll get back to training, okay?"
He didn't respond. He merely looked into the mirror.
"…..aren't you excited, Ulquiorra? Soon we're gonna crush tons of Shinigami."
"Anything for Aizen-sama." He answered.
"Not just that! That orange-haired punk that got in our way last time! I can't wait to turn his bones into dust!" Yammy declared, chuckling evilly.
"…..he will be here eventually."
"Huh? How do you figure?"
"He is friends with both Orihime Inoue and Tatsuki Arisawa. He will find his way here to save them both."
"Ha! That makes things easier then. I get him first!"
"…tch."
Before Ulquiorra could leave, Yammy chimed in with another comment.
"Of course…..he'll definitely want to kill you when he finds out you're the one that iced the Arisawa girl."
Ulquiorra scoffed.
"Trash like him could never hope to defeat me."
"Ha! You're probably right. But what about that Inoue girl?" Yammy grinned. "She'll probably want to slap you or something!"
He laughed at his own bad joke.
"…..you really are an idiot, Yammy."
"Huh?"
"That girl is no regular human. Be wary of her."
As Ulquiorra left, Yammy shrugged and continued his poses.
Orihime was trying to find her way back by reading Gin's directions in reverse, but to no avail.
"Turn left at the curved staircase…..so I should go right! Oh, ….but the path only goes straight…."
She sighed and continued her walk, soon reaching a hall she hadn't passed with Harribel.
"Uhh….oh….maybe I should ask someone for help …."
"Lost, princess?"
Orihime's eyes widened. The voice definitely did not sound friendly.
"….H-Hello?"
Loly stepped out of the shadows, her arms crossed.
"….Umm…..excuse me, do you know the way back to my room?"
"…..you're Orihime, right?"
"Y-Yes?"
Loly stepped forward until her face was directly in front of the girl's.
"…..I know what you did."
"W-What?"
"I know what you did." She repeated. "Oh! Excuse me. Where are my manners? I'm Loly."
"….N-Nice to meet you." Orihime replied, now very nervous. "You….kinda look familiar."
"Familiar, huh? You've seen an Arrancar with blonde hair….green eye….other eye covered by the mask?"
Orihime gulped. Her mind was now thinking of the tests….yesterday. Now she couldn't block out the screams of pain and crying.
"…..y-yes…." She mumbled out, now very uncomfortable and ashamed.
"I didn't hear you."
"Yes…." Orihime whimpered.
"I see. That was Menoly Mallia. My sister."
"Oh! I….I'm so sorry, I-"
Loly's fist smashed into her face without warning, making the girl fall to the ground. Blood had started to leak from her nose.
"Ahh….!"
"You fucking bitch! You're the one that made her suffer over and over again?!" Loly shouted.
"I…I didn't….!"
"Typical human, trying to pass it off!" Loly put her foot onto Orihime's stomach, preventing her from getting up. "I know Kurotsuchi and Szayel are sick….but you just made the pain keep going!"
Orihime cried out when the girl kicked her face.
"So guess what?" Loly asked, her voice dangerously tense. "I'm gonna make the pain keep going for you…"
Orihime threw up slightly when Loly smashed her foot deep into her stomach.
"Aww….did you make a mess?"
She lifted Orihime up by her hair.
"No one is gonna save you, Orihime. I want you to remember that."
Loly punched her again. When she pulled her her fist back, it was soaked in blood. But Orihime refused to cry despite the intense pain. Tatsuki had told her…..never to let a bully win.
"Oh! Now you think you're tough?"
Orihime was thrown into a wall, her head making a noticeable dent upon contact.
"Not gonna cry yet?"
As the girl tried to get up, Loly delivered another punch, making her eye swell up. But still….Orihime did not cry. She had shed enough tears. She had hope now. Between Tatsuki's memories and Harribel's talk…..
Loly watched as the girl stood up, form shaking.
"So! You have some fight left in ya? Good! Because…I'm far from done." Loly readied her fist to strike again….
…..only to have it caught by Orihime's hand.
"What?!"
Loly looked up.
Despite her face bloodied and swollen, her dress now soaked with the dripping red liquid….Orihime had managed to glare at Loly. To the Arrancar's surprise, she aimed her own fist and knocked the girl down with a punch of her own.
"You little….!"
Loly gasped when she saw blood drip onto her shoe. She rubbed her nose. More blood was on her hand.
Unfortunately…..Orihime was now clutching her now broken one.
"You're…..gonna pay for that." Loly whispered.
She tackled Orihime to the ground, and as the healer received an endless barrage of punches and kicks, her mind blocked out her surroundings and thought of the people that would save her.
Ichigo.
Uryu.
Chad.
Rukia.
Yachiru.
The SWA.
She….would escape this nightmare. Tatsuki would be by her side.
Eventually Orihime saw nothing but black.
"I see…..he had wanted her from the very beginning…." Stark muttered. The Espada and the others had finished listening to Harribel's account.
"Correct. Even since he saw her powers in the Seireitei."
"…and his tests….?" Sun-Sun frowned.
"Yes. Orihime Inoue had to keep restoring Menoly Mallia's limbs and blood every time it was cut off or damaged by Kurotsuchi."
Apache gasped. "But….that's fucking sick!"
"I know."
"…she didn't see what else was in the lab, Harribel-sama?" Mila Rose asked.
Harribel shook her head.
"No, but she told me she saw….one Quincy get captured in Karakura Town. Brought to here. If I had to guess, based on what she told me about Uryu Ishida and our previous knowledge….that Quincy is being tortured right now."
Lilinette whimpered and clutched Stark's shirt.
"…why would anybody command that? …poor Menoly…..poor Quincy….."
"Aww man. If her sister finds out…." Apache cringed.
"…why did the girl agree to help? Just because Aizen-sama suggested her to do it?"
"Blind loyalty makes you do certain things." Harribel responded.
She watched the sand blow by.
"If it was Aizen-sama's intention to kidnap Orihime Inoue to lure out the Gotei to this world…..perhaps it will be a dangerous course of action."
"Why?"
Harribel thought of Orihime's description of her friends.
"….friendship also makes you do certain things. And her friends might be willing to destroy anything in their path if it meant a way to bring her home."
"Orihime….wake up. Can you hear me?"
The girl opened her eyes weakly. It hurt to open them, and her vision was blurry.
But there was no mistaking the cool stare of Sosuke Aizen.
"I see….you've been seriously injured."
Orihime couldn't respond. She definitely felt several teeth missing and her jaw broken.
"…A price to pay when you feel the need to explore my castle without the proper permission."
Aizen took out her pins and placed them in her non-broken hand.
"I was going to call you into my throne room, but perhaps I can see the limits of your power right now first. Either you heal yourself or…..well, you'll die of your wounds."
Aizen smiled.
This really was a nightmare.
And sadly, it was all too real.
FIN
Ending notes: A chapter focusing on Orihime's stay in Las Noches. I had originally wanted to do two chapters, but I figured one would suffice. Is Tatsuki on the road to recovery? What of Liltotto? What is Mayuri planning? What is Aizen planning?
Next time - Ichigo and his friends depart for Hueco Mundo. But who in the Gotei will come along?