A/N: I had so many plans for this fic. Alas, the two week deadline that I wrote it in killed my minor plot points. You can see hints of it all, though, so if you feel like psychoanalyzing you might figure out some of what's going on!

"And now, here's Sakura Miyamoto with the news!"

The newsanchor adjusted her hair ever-so-slightly as the camera cut to her. Looking straight into the camera, she said, "Officials in the Okinawa Prefecture have expressed concern at what may have been a foreshock for an oncoming earthquake. There have been signs of new volcanoes forming under the crust at the edges of many uninhabited islands in the prefecture. Experts say-"

Click !

The tv died as the power was shut off. A sigh was the only thing that broke the silence of the apartment now.

Orihime sat, watching the blank screen, wondering if something similar was reporting about their adventures in Hueco Mundo to the people of Soul Society. She doubted it. It seemed like a really bummer place to live.

...Everyone ended up there. Including her brother. And then everyone that died there ended up on Earth. A never-ending cycle…

It left her with the question of...why? What was the point of going? Keeping moving forward, only to die and end up worse off in your next life.

Was this what Ulquiorra had been reaching for? An explanation for the cycle? It was a question that she had thought she'd known.

But…

Orihime shook it off.

"Are you okay?"

She looked towards her dresser to where she knew the voice had come from. Her hairpin sparkled even from where she sat.

She smiled as she replied, "No. Er, wait! I mean yes! I'm fine!"

"Don't fuckin' lie to us!" Her hairpin flashed as her friends came to life. Tsubaki floated aggressively, finger pointed angrily at her, as the rest of the Shun Shun Rikka sat on the dresser. He growled, "We can feel how messed-up you are right now. That junk with that Aizen guy really fucked with your head."

"Why do you feel the need to hide it from us, Orihime?" Shun-ō asked.

She looked between Tsubaki and the rest of them and sighed. "I...I just…"

"It's okay. You can tell us," Lily quietly said. The rest nodded in agreement.

"...No. It's fine. I'm fine." Orihime clenched her fist. "I'm just...still recovering from Aizen and his plan. That's all."

"Fuckin' liar!" Tsubaki snapped.

"Tsubaki…" Orihime bit her lip but said nothing else.

"...Whatever. When you feel like bein' on the same page as us, let us know." Tsubaki landed on the dresser with the rest of the Shun Shun Rikka. "We'll be here with ya."

"Always, and forever," Shun-ō agreed. "We're a part of you just as you're a part of us."

"I...yeah." Orihime closed her eyes, not feeling up for looking at them. She felt them recede back into her hairpins.

She waited a moment before breathing out a sigh. Then, her body feeling heavy as lead, she got up from the table to begin getting ready for school.

Orihime felt...off. The walk to school was the same as normal. Her morning routine had been the same as normal.

Things should have been back to normal. Things with Aizen had been finished. It was all over and done with. All her friends, loved ones, everyone was safe. Ichigo, was safe. The world was safe. They were back in school, back with all their friends and family. Back to nice, simple, regular old life.

She should be happy. She was happy. But...but at the same time…

Things were just...

"Orihime!" She looked up from the sidewalk. Across the street was Ichigo, who was waving her over. "Oy! Orihime! C'mere."

Orihime tried to shake off the feeling as she crossed the street, almost forgetting to check for traffic as she did so. Waving as she raced the oncoming car, she hopped up on the sidewalk with a small shout.

"Hiyah!" Orihime made an exaggerated karate chop motion. "I have made it!"

"Uh, yeah." Ichigo shook his head. "Anyway, Orihime. I have a question for you."

"I did my homework early and I'm willing to tutor you on it!" she exclaimed.

Ichigo gave her a flat look. "...No. I was gonna ask you if you wanted to get some ice cream or somethin' after school."

"Oh! Uhm…" Orihime thought about it for a second. "You, me, Chad, Tatsuki-"

"No. Just...us. The two of us."

Orihime thought harder on it. "Just you and me?"

"...Yes." Ichigo looked like he was having some sort of trouble.

"Hmmmmm…" Did she want ice cream? Ichigo seemed like he really, really wanted ice cream. At the same time, it was kinda cold out. Finally deciding, she shook her head. "No thanks! Maybe when it's warmer."

Ichigo's lip twitched downwards. "Ah. Okay."

"Ah! Don't be sad!" Orihime waved her arms akimbo. "It's just too cold! I would fr-r-r-eeze if I got ice cream!"

Ichigo chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, I get that." He suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder and said, "I hope you'll always be you, Orihime."

"Eh?" Orihime chuckled nervously. "Aren't I always me? Wait!" She gasped. "Is there ANOTHER me wandering around?!"

"No. There isn't. There's only one of you. One perfectly unique you."

Something clicked with Orihime. She asked suddenly, "Ichigo! Are you okay?"

Ichigo blanched. "I-"

"Oyyyyy!"

The two of them looked down the street. To Orihime's surprise, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Chizuru were grouped together across the Intersection of Doom from herself and Ichigo.

Chizuru shouted, hands around her mouth like a megaphone, "You two are gonna be laaaaaate~ if you don't hurry uuuuuup~"

Orihime glanced at her cell phone and gasped. Chizuru was right!

"C'mon!" Orihime grabbed onto Ichigo's wrist. Ignoring his cry of confusion, she braced herself before jumping clean into the busy intersection. Using her stellar timing, she danced and dodged through the traffic. A few near-collisions later saw her bouncing to a sudden stop on the sidewalk next to the three classmates. Ichigo fell to the ground. If Orihime didn't know better, she'd think his soul had left his body!

But that would be ridiculous now. After all, he wasn't standing next to her in his Shinigami clothes!

"I think you killed him," Chizuru chuckled.

"I'm...not dead…" Ichigo sputtered quietly. It was something that could have still been debated, though.

"You two are weird," Keigo said, shaking his head. He waved his arm. "Let's hurry up and get to school."

"Let's do it," Tatsuki said more seriously than warranted. She looked across the street suddenly before she said, "Let's go!" She grabbed Orihime by her arm and began dragging her in the direction of school.

Orihime barely resisted even as she accidentally dropped Ichigo to the ground. As Tatsuki dragged her, Orihime looked back at where Tatsuki had seemed to see something.

They turned the corner fast, but Orihime thought she saw something.

Was that...

...A lizard…?