EDIT (11/8/2006): Last chapter took a long time to edit, mainly because I've had hardly any time to spare, but also because it underwent some major editing, especially in the first parts. I'm really working hard in making the chapters shorter, more compact. But bear in mind, it sometimes feels like I'm killing off a bit of the essence of the story. Besides just checking grammar, I'm getting rid of certain elements that I feel might seem repetitive to readers, but in the meantime they are part of how I first etched this story in my head. I'm killing off random ideas, for the sake of decent writing. When I put it that way, I feel like I don't want to do this anymore. But it's important that I do. I want my readers to enjoy the story. I hope you do.

---

Hello, everyone!

I'm sorry this took so long. I was swamped with work, school assignments and random house errands. I tried working fast on this, but time is not always on my side. Actually, it's almost never on my side.

I'm back from Germany. I had a great time. Our friends threw an impromptu birthday party for me and Harry on Sunday, and we had a blast, basically getting wasted and eating cake and danced around with ridiculous hats. Apparently I managed to make a fool of myself by the third beer, and ho-ho, apparently it's all on DVD. Guess I'll watch it when I get back home and have a good laugh.

The game was awesome. But I hate penalty shootouts, they're the worst. But it was great that Italy won, cuz otherwise my friends would've been bummed and we wouldn't have had a bash that day or the next day, or the next (I think they're still celebrating). Now it's back to the real world, work, school, take the dog to the vet, pay rent, pay bills, blah blah blegh. I guess it's true what they say: you CAN have too much of a good thing. It gets addictive. I'm addicted to football. I suppose Harry is excited; he probably thinks I'll watch aaaaall the games of the British league with him now.

I wish I could at least stop talking about football. Do you realize the huge paragraph I just wrote talking about the bloody world cup? I'm annoying even to myself.

Sorry. I'll stop now.

Thanks for all the reviews! Walis, I'll mention you again, because I now how much you like it. I wanted to thank you again, anyway, for your nice comments.

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything but the storyline. I only own a Kon plushie (gah, I'm such a geek).

---

Coming Undone – by Deathberry15

4: Tears and rain (a.k.a The caged bird)

The rain was getting worse. The heavy water created a mist as it hit the ground, making it hard to see. Orihime constantly tripped over irregularities in the pavement as she ran down the sidewalk, loosing her footing every now and then but regaining her balance quickly, and she kept running. She was afraid to look over her shoulder, afraid to stop to catch her breath, afraid that if she fell, he would catch up with her.

She had been running for what felt like a long time, and it also felt like she was getting nowhere. She was exhausted and cold and scared. Fighting Ulquiorra was one of the most grueling moments she had ever been through; she had held her ground, though, attacking and stopping any attacks. But it wasn't long before she was tired, and Tsubaki was tired, and she could see that Ulquiorra was nowhere near tired. He could've easily defeated her a long time ago. It was almost as if he was simply going along with it to see what she would do next.

Running aimlessly was not her original intent. She wanted to find the shinigami; she could still see where the sky was torn. She knew where they were. But her path was blocked by Ulquiorra; she couldn't risk that. So she ran in the opposite direction, hoping to gain some time so she could think what she'd do next.

She couldn't sense where he was, almost like he wasn't following her at all. The power of the Arrancar was beyond her understanding; she had seen him move so fast that he seemed to disappear and reappear elsewhere. He could pop up anywhere around her, and she'd never be quick enough to get away.

Her splashing footsteps and panting were the only sounds as she kept going straight; she couldn't recognize her surroundings. She just hoped to get somewhere dry.

Suddenly, she found herself stepping on nothingness. The sidewalk ended there. Below was the riverbank, a steep slope leading down to it.

Orihime let out a yelp of surprise, as she lost her footing completely this time and stumbled to the sloping ground. She rolled down the hill, pebbles scratching and bruising her skin and clothes, until she was dizzy. It wasn't really that high, but she was already so disoriented and tired as she finally came to a stop at the base of the slope, she felt as if she had been tossed about. As she hissed in pain, bleeding from skinned knees and elbows and little cuts all over, she rolled onto her back, trying desperately to get her breath back. But she couldn't stay there long.

She had no clue how she had reached the river so quickly; she must have been running faster than she thought, in her desperation to put distance between herself and the Arrancar. She knew the danger she was in. How was she supposed to get out of there now?

It was dark all around her, the riverbank barely illuminated by the streetlamps above and the safety lights from the train tracks not far off. She willed herself to move, to get up and keep running, but she truly had no energy left. Orihime sighed and stared up at the sky, the cumulus still dark and threatening, dumping endless rain on the earth, and on her. She blinked to keep the water out of her eyes.

If I were the rain… she thought sadly, wondering what would happen now. She got her answer sooner than expected, when a lightning bolt illuminated the sky, and she was able to see something hovering above her, a dark silhouette outlined against the sky, casting a long shadow on top of her.

---

Hitsugaya faltered. His breath came out in ragged gasps.

The large Arrancar, Yammy, had gotten tired of doing nothing after a moment, and started attacking him, while the other one, Lupii, continued to lash out at everyone with the tentacles from the strange contraption on his back. So Hitsugaya fought Yammy while at the same time he avoided attacks from Lupii. He was becoming quickly exhausted.

He couldn't use bankai; there was too much water around, he feared he'd end up hurting his comrades as well. He couldn't take that risk.

However, fighting without his final release was not doing any good either. He could barely do anything against the Arrancar. But he had to hold on. He was a captain, for crying out loud. He had to protect his team.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Matsumoto dodge one of the tentacles, only to be suddenly snatched up by another one. The smooth, flexible arm wrapped around her like a snake, immobilizing her. He watched as Yumichika was caught in one too, arms trapped. The zanpakutou fell from his grasp, impaling itself on the ground below. Hitsugaya couldn't do anything at the moment. He had his hands full.

I have to get rid of this guy now, he thought urgently, as he dodged one attack after the other. He's a monster.

But it was easier said than done. He needed his bankai. And there was no stopping the rain.

Yammy lunged at him, and Hitsugaya only got out of the way just in time, the Arrancar's zanpakutou missing his skin by a millimeter. The blade tore at the sleeve of his kimono, though, and Hitsugaya faltered again.

Even he couldn't believe how terribly he was doing in battle. He felt tired, like his sword weighed in his hands a thousand times more than it should. He supposed that would be more or less the feeling one would get fighting Kira, with his zanpakutou that could multiply the weight of anything it touched with each blow. Hitsugaya wondered momentarily if Yammy's zanpakutou had that ability, but he knew that wasn't it. If he was slow and weak, it was really just him.

It was that strange feeling he'd dealt with all day long. Like everything about this night was going the wrong way. Something didn't seem right to him. They showed up so suddenly. For what reason? What was the purpose of this fight? Eliminating the shinigami presently on Earth? Assessing the conditions for the battle in winter? Testing the opponents?

Something was off. He saw no true purpose to their fighting. It seemed almost as if they were just passing the time.

Just killing time.

A thought crossed Hitsugaya's mind. A terrifying thought.

---

"Inoue-san… is everything alright?"

Orihime looked up. Hitsugaya stood beside the couch, looking only slightly concerned at her. She had been channel-surfing for the past fifteen minutes, without stopping at any station, as if she weren't paying attention to what she was doing. Hitsugaya must have noticed. He came to sit next to her, taking the remote from her, and switching off the TV.

"I'm sorry, but that's annoying. I had to stop you," he said.

Orihime laughed in embarrassment. "Sorry about that."

Hitsugaya chuckled, something he didn't do often, and Orihime smiled.

"Is everything alright?" he asked again.

"What do you mean?"

"You seem down lately."

"I do?"

"I just thought you would be… I don't know… happier?" Hitsugaya said, looking awkwardly for the right words.

"Why is that?" Orihime asked with a grin.

Hitsugaya hesitated. "You were happy earlier, weren't you?"

"When?"

Another gesture of hesitation escaped Hitsugaya's normally serene complexion. He looked down at his hands, slightly embarrassed. "It wasn't my intention to eavesdrop, but I overheard you and Kurosaki-san earlier, when you came back from school. And…"

Orihime instantly blushed. Hitsugaya didn't want to go further, not wishing to make her more bashful. He chuckled again.

"I guess I know a bit about… how you feel about him," he said. Orihime didn't say anything. She just looked down at her hands too.

"And I just thought that would make you happy, right? That he responded to those feelings," Hitsugaya continued.

Orihime had to smile sheepishly. It was odd to hear Hitsugaya talk like this, but living with him, she was slowly discovering some things about the 10th division captain; things that maybe a lot of people wouldn't know. She was seeing another side of him, a gentler, more sensitive side.

"Yeah," she muttered, "it's not just that. He told me—"

"I know what he told you."

Orihime nodded. They fell silent for a moment.

"I understand Urahara-san is thinking cautiously, he wants to make sure everything is planned out. We can't afford to make any mistakes in battle."

Hitsugaya didn't say anything. But he knew Orihime thought of herself as one who would most likely "make a mistake".

"Kuchiki-san… she wanted to find a way around that. I guess it's possible. I really want to. But I'm scared I might not be able, and then it would've been for nothing." She was genuinely sad, Hitsugaya could tell. The normally sprite Orihime was now beside him, discouraged and subdued, like a caged bird.

"I just never thought he would ask me that. Not Kurosaki-kun. He's the reason I have these powers in the first place."

He thought he heard her voice break just slightly. He could only imagine how she felt; there was probably nothing he could say to make her feel better.

"Why didn't you say something?" he asked. She only shrugged.

"I didn't think it was important."

"Why wouldn't it be?" he said. "I understand that you feel left out. You came to Soul Society to rescue Kuchiki-san, and you showed us what you can do, and now you feel like your powers and your strength are being disregarded."

Orihime shook her head. "No, that's not it."

"It's not?" He frowned.

"I don't know… maybe. A little," she said finally. "I just want to help."

"I know."

Hitsugaya stood up. "I'm sorry, but I also think it's safer that you stay out. That way you can help after the battle; your healing powers should come in handy. Hopefully that won't be necessary either, but…"

"Maybe it's better this way," she said, more to herself than to him. She stood up too, and he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry so much. Everything will be alright," he said firmly. Orihime nodded in agreement.

She walked toward the kitchen and asked him if he would like to help her make dinner. Thinking he should probably supervise, to make sure she would cook something at least slightly normal, he followed her, and soon enough, she was back to her cheerful mood once again. He watched her smile, self-confident, unburdened, while she gathered ingredients, and he smiled to himself. Yes, hopefully everything would be alright.

---

Presently, Hitsugaya's eyes widened in horror.

Thinking back to that moment, earlier that same day, he realized the clue that Orihime had given him, and that he had ignored. It only just hit him then.

Urahara knew something the others didn't. There was more to the reason why he told Orihime to stay out of the fight.

There was no doubt about it. It was all clear to him now.

They never should have left her alone.

He dodged another attack. Yammy came after him repeatedly, but Hitsugaya wasn't thinking of fighting back anymore. He needed to get away. He needed to run and find Orihime.

Inoue-san is in danger.

He had been almost certain of it. He had a terrible feeling now. He was sure of it now.

Dodging one last blow, Hitsugaya fled. Ignoring the calls from his comrades, he leapt over trees and buildings, following Orihime's reiatsu. He had to get to her fast.

"Where is he going?" Ikkaku asked.

"Dammit…" Yammy cursed under his breath. He knows…

Without another look in Luppi's direction, he ran after Hitsugaya. Things needed to keep going smoothly. Not that he had any doubt they would, but he wanted to make sure nothing –no one— pestered Ulquiorra. He would be mad. Yammy knew it wasn't a good thing to make Ulquiorra mad.

---

Rukia leapt from one rooftop to the next, following as best as she could the faint reiatsu she detected to be Orihime's. She was farther than she thought. Orihime had probably done some running. Rukia needed to hurry.

But even as she got closer and closer, the reiatsu was still faint. That could mean only one thing right now; Orihime was in serious trouble.

Hang in there, Rukia thought. Just a bit longer…

"Gotcha!" she said, landing in the middle of what looked like an empty lot. For a moment she thought she was in the wrong place. But looking around, she saw the sky reflected on the ground, as lightning struck over and over among the tightly-knit clouds of rainstorm. She was at the river.

Just then, a train zoomed by overhead, the light from inside the compartments casting flashing squares of light on the riverbank. In that faint light, Rukia was able to see two figures under the heavy rain.

The Arrancar, zanpakutou drawn, walked slowly and steadily toward Orihime, who was on all fours, soaked hair falling around her face like a curtain. Her glowing shield, the Santen Kesshun, floated in front of her, illuminating her face with an eerie golden glow, displaying her fierce gaze as she looked up at the Arrancar with determination and stood up. Her voice called out to Tsubaki for another strike.

Rukia gripped her white zanpakutou. She had to do something. Without hesitation, she measured her movements, seeing the opening for attack, and charged. As she ran down, she was deafened by her own mind's desperate cry for someone –anyone— to come and help. She wouldn't be able to protect Orihime alone.

"ICHIGO!!" she shouted, and raised Sode no Shirayuki over her head, ready to bring it down upon the Arrancar for what she hoped would be a fatal blow.

---

Orihime's heart was racing, her vision blurred by the dizziness that clouded her mind, chilled to the bone by the cold rain. Pebbles and rough blades of grass dug and cut into the skin of her hands and knees, as she lay on all fours, trying to regain her breath. Soaked, muddy clothes weighed down her already sore body, and for a moment she felt like passing out and not waking up. And still she looked up, looking straight into the cold, green eyes of the Arrancar walking menacingly toward her, and she stared back with equally fierce and determined eyes. She was not ready to give up.

Ulquiorra came to stand in front of her, zanpakutou dangling from his grip with ease, as if he didn't feel the need to be on his guard.

"Get up," he said, his voice barely rising over the sound of the rainstorm.

Orihime did so, not because he told her to, but because she couldn't fight on her knees. She swayed slightly, but stood firmly on her feet.

"Tsubaki!" she called out. Tsubaki floated above her left shoulder. Waving her hand, she yelled out "Koten Zanshun! I reject!" and Tsubaki charged at Ulquiorra with unseen speed. Ulquiorra blocked every single attack, but Tsubaki charged again and again, until there was an opening.

Blood seeped out of Ulquiorra's zanpakutou-wielding arm, staining his white sleeve. A mild look of disbelief crossed his face, but his countenance remained almost unchanged. He brought his other hand up to the wound, wiping away the blood. It wasn't a very deep wound. But he didn't see it coming; he didn't see anything.

He saw the next one, though; he swung his injured arm up, bringing his zanpakutou in contact with Tsubaki, striking him back toward Orihime.

The magnitude of the impact sent both flying backwards.

"Tsubaki-kun!" Orihime exclaimed, holding him in her hands. Tsubaki was clearly hurt, but he'd be alright. She still called him back, not wanting to use him again.

"Santen Kesshun!" The glowing shield reappeared, just in time to block Ulquiorra's blade as he brought it down toward her over and over again. Orihime winced each time, preparing for the worst, but the shield held on strongly. She just didn't know how much longer she, Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon would be able to hold it.

She suddenly tripped over a rock, fell backwards, and the instant she lost her focus, the shield vanished. As she landed right on a puddle of mud, she saw the glint of the zanpakutou right above her, coming down toward her. Orihime shut her eyes, expecting to feel pain. But it didn't come. She opened her eyes.

Rukia stood with her back to her, her gleaming white zanpakutou gripped tightly with both hands, as she and Ulquiorra crossed blades. The Arrancar looked slightly surprised. He hadn't seen or sensed her approaching. It was like she appeared out of nowhere.

"Kuchiki-san!" Orihime exclaimed, more out of surprise and concern than of joy.

"First dance," Rukia began, but she was unable to get the rest of the words out, when Ulquiorra released the block and pushed her back. Rukia fell next to Orihime.

"Dammit!" Rukia said, and she tried to get up, but the ground was slippery. Ulquiorra seemed unfazed by her sudden appearance.

"No one stands in the way," he said in the cold, low whisper he used to speak. He lifted the zanpakutou once again.

"Santen Kesshun!" Orihime called out again, and the shield opened up in front of her and Rukia just in time to protect them both from the Arrancar's attack. Instantly, Rukia emerged from behind the shield and charged back.

"Go back to Hueco Mundo!" she cried.

---

"ICHIGO!"

Ichigo hit the ground so forcefully as if he had fallen fifty feet. He winced in pain as he tried to stand up, the pieces of his shattered Hollow mask disappearing as they fell around him. He gasped for breath while watching Grimmjaw, also breathless, grin maliciously at him, a ragged laugh escaping his open mouth.

"I've got to hand it to you, boy. You sure have gotten stronger," he said. "But still pathetic. You think you can beat me in a few seconds? See, I'm not even trying."

Ichigo was on his feet and charging in a split second, reaching Grimmjaw so fast and so surprisingly, he was sure the Arrancar hadn't seen him move. At least he still had his speed. But this battle was going nowhere fast. It was true: Grimmjaw wasn't even trying.

In fact, from the moment Ichigo's Hollow mask appeared, he could tell Grimmjaw was taunting him, rather than fighting him. He dodged attacks, keeping a distance, just waiting for Ichigo's time to run out. To Ichigo's dismay, it worked. But he couldn't understand why Grimmjaw would do that. Wasn't he the same guy who wanted to pretty much rip his head off, probably to compensate for the arm he lost?

"Pathetic," Grimmjaw kept saying over and over, as he blocked Ichigo's attacks again and again. It didn't seem to make much difference that he was missing one arm. He had the same strength and skill as before, and Ichigo was futilely looking for an opening, when it was obvious Grimmjaw was in full defensive mode.

"Hey, you're the one acting like this is a training or something. Why aren't you fighting back? Where's your killing intent? All you seem to be killing is time," Ichigo retorted. This was very strange; Grimmjaw didn't seem the type to bluff, like he was all talk and no play. It was a purposeless fight. They wouldn't accomplish anything. Was it merely for entertainment? Did Arrancar just showed up every once in a while to engage shinigami in epic battles on Earth?

Grimmjaw gave him a demonic grin, grotesquely emphasized by the teeth from his broken Hollow mask. "Maybe I am," he said in a playful tone.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ichigo asked.

"Kiiiiill…" mumbled Wonderweiss.

"ICHIGO!"

Ichigo heard a faint voice somewhere, once again, calling out his name, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from, or whom it belonged to.

He couldn't summon the mask again. He still wasn't strong enough.

"Dammit! Just give up already!" Matsumoto shouted, bringing Haineko upon Wonderweiss, who easily blocked each blow. Apparently it didn't matter that the small Arrancar seemed more interested in catching raindrops with his tongue, since he fended off every attack out of pure instinct. He wasn't even looking at her.

"This is no fun at all," Luppi sounded bored. "I was expecting a challenge, you know. But this… is dull." He yawned.

Ichigo was still breathing heavily. This was bad. This was going nowhere. Grimmjaw just stood off at a distance, watching him with a maniacal expression. They're taunting us, he thought with a chill. They're not here to beat us down. They're just toying with us.

"Why aren't you even fighting back?" Matsumoto demanded, staring at Wonderweiss in thorough confusion as he crouched and tugged at blades of grass, with his zanpakutou raised over his head to stop Matsumoto's blade.

"Dis…dis…tracting… um…shini…ga…mi…" he mumbled. "Crea…aaate… aaaaa… di…di…diveeeeersion… uh…waaaa…"

Ichigo and Matsumoto both frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Diveeeersion!!! Diiiiiveeeersiioooon!!!" the Arrancar kept saying, like a child who learns a new word and won't stop saying it. Wonderweiss was like a baby, taking in his surroundings with awe, and speaking as if he were just learning how to speak, and the sound of words coming out of his mouth were a wondrous thing.

"Did you just say this is a diversion?"

"DIIIIVEERSIOOON!"

"Shut up, Wonderweiss!" Luppi yelled, and one of Trepadora's tentacle-like vines swapped in the direction of the smaller Arrancar, knocking him away.

"ICHIGO!"

Ichigo heard someone calling his name again, but this time the voice was different. He looked back and saw Renji, followed by two artificial souls, in the gigais of Renji and Matsumoto, running toward him.

"Took you long enough!" Ichigo taunted Renji, grinning. Renji was about to answer, when Wonderweiss suddenly charged at him, zipping past Matsumoto, flailing his arms and slashing with his zanpakutou. Renji avoided him with difficulty, and Ichigo hoped for an opening from behind. Wonderweiss had no trouble handling them both. His eyes became wide and wild, he grinned like a madman, and finally started fighting back. The two shinigami were now the ones blocking attacks.

"Ichigo! You've got— WATCH OUT!" Renji yelled, and he pointed at Ichigo's back. Ichigo turned just in time to block a blow from Grimmjaw.

"Heh, now do you believe me that you're pathetic? You can't even watch your own back," Grimmjaw snarled.

"You can't even do what you came here to do! I thought you wanted me dead. It's just no fun kicking your ass if you don't put up a fight," Ichigo retorted.

"I didn't come to kill you. I just came to watch you suffer," Grimmjaw replied. "And all I have to do is wait."

Ichigo raised one eyebrow questioningly. Even if Grimmjaw hardly made sense, something about his words made Ichigo felt uncertain.

"Ichigo! Listen!" Renji garbled, as he and Matsumoto both charged at Wonderweiss, who moved very fast and seemed to be going berserk. "There's another Arrancar here tonight! Inoue is fighting him!"

"WHAT?!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"What?!" Yumichika and Ikkaku both exclaimed simultaneously.

"She'll be killed!" Matsumoto yelled.

"He won't kill her!" Renji answered. "He's taking her to Hueco Mundo!"

"WHAT?!" Ichigo shouted again.

"How do you know?!" Yumichika asked.

"Urahara told us," Renji explained, jumping from side to side, dodging Wonderweiss's zanpakutou. "Kon was attacked, too." He grabbed Ichigo's sleeve long enough to look him straight in the eye. "Ichigo, Rukia's gone to find her. You have to go to. You have to help them!"

"ICHIGO!"

Ichigo finally realized what that voice was. It was in his head; it was Rukia. It was her calling him. A shiver traveled up his spine, making him tremble. He could sense their reiatsu now. They were fighting, both of them. And they were losing.

"Well, well. It seems that we've been figured out. What are you going to do about it now?" Luppi asked tauntingly.

Grimmjaw caught Ichigo's eye and gave a triumphant chuckle. "Suffering yet?" he asked.

Ichigo didn't think twice about it. He took off in the direction he sensed Rukia's and Orihime's reiatsu were coming from. He didn't have a clue where he was headed, but soon enough he would. And he had to get there fast.

"OH, NO, YOU DON'T!" Luppi shouted, and one of his vines stretched out toward Ichigo to stop him. But the others were one step ahead.

"We're not done with you yet," Ikkaku said. He, Renji, Yumichika and Matsumoto stood in the Arrancar's way, zanpakutou ready. "You want to get to him, you'll have to go through us first."

Wonderweiss stood beside Luppi with a puzzled look. Grimmjaw only continued to chuckle.

"There's no way you'll stop me from getting a front row seat. The show's about to start," he said. But before he could take another step, Renji confronted him.

"Actually, now that Ichigo's gone, you have me to deal with," he said, gripping Zabimaru with tight fists.

---

The sound of heavy clashing swords was outdone only by the downpour, as Orihime watched Ulquiorra and Rukia battle. Neither was holding back. Rukia's graceful yet powerful fighting style was impressive, but Orihime knew just how strong Ulquiorra could be, even when he wasn't even trying. And all he was doing right now was trying to get Rukia out of the way, kill her once and for all if necessary.

She had to do something to help. She approached Rukia, ready to call out Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon so they could form a shield to protect her.

"Inoue, don't!" Rukia shouted. "Run! He's here for you! You have to run!"

Orihime looked shocked. "I'm not leaving you alone, Kuchiki-san!"

"Don't be a fool! Get away from here!" Rukia yelled. Ulquiorra took his chance and delivered a powerful blow, knocking Rukia off her feet. He kicked her in the stomach as she fell, sending her flying back some ten feet and rolling in the mud.

"KUCHIKI-SAN!" Orihime exclaimed. Rukia groaned and tried to scramble away, but Ulquiorra seized her by her hair, clearly gesturing he'd slice off her head.

Hitsugaya swooped in at that very moment, and sent the Arrancar hurtling back.

"Toushirou-kun!" Orihime exclaimed happily.

"Where'd you come from?!" Rukia asked, shocked at his sudden entrance.

"Never mind that. We have to take Inoue to safety," Hitsugaya said in his no-nonsense voice.

"Why are they after me? I haven't done anything! I'm not even that powerful!" Orihime asked desperately. Rukia took her hand and pulled her up the steep hill.

"It appears that you are much more powerful than you think. You have powers that Aizen wants. We have to get out of here!" she said. Turning around, she saw Hitsugaya adopting a fighting stance, Hyourinmaru gleaming in his hands. "Hitsugaya-taichou?"

"I'll handle this one," Hitsugaya muttered, as Ulquiorra stood up, unscathed, and brushed off the grass and mud from his clothes, and they looked at each other. It seemed Ulquiorra was ready to charge, but he didn't. Hitsugaya stood expectant, when all of a sudden something caught him on his right, smacking him and sending him flying twenty feet. The wind was knocked out of him as he landed on the hill, eventually rolling down to flat ground.

"Sorry, Ulquiorra. This one got away," Yammy said, stampeding into the area. He passed Ulquiorra and the girls and went straight for Hitsugaya, who barely got up before he was punched by Yammy's massive hand, hurling him onto the wet street. Yammy chased after him, and this time, the blow was powerful enough to send Hitsugaya across the street and into a building. His body broke through the wall, making a sizable hole on it, and he disappeared inside the structure.

"TOUSHIROU-KUN!" Orihime shouted. Rukia turned around. Ulquiorra was right on top of her. She was able to lift her zanpakutou just in time to block Ulquiorra's, but the impact made her fall.

"Inoue, run!"

Orihime, however, ran toward the building. She had to help Hitsugaya; he was probably in very bad shape. She had to heal him, and make sure he'd be okay.

"Wha—" her voice got caught in her throat as she felt her body being tossed. She was flying and soon enough she was hurtling back to the ground. She landed painfully on the riverbank, rolling across the ground, until she stopped. Her vision blurred; she was afraid she would lose consciousness any moment.

She suddenly wished she had stayed home. She wished she had stayed out of the battle. Then none of this would've happened. Rukia wouldn't have been fighting Ulquiorra, risking her life; Hitsugaya wouldn't have been injured.

I broke my promise to Kurosaki-kun…

But she had to save Kon. She couldn't let him die. He was hurt because of her, in the first place; to get to her. The Arrancar used him.

She couldn't let herself be driven by this fear. She had to stand up for herself. That is why she fought.

She remembered the advice from Matsumoto, on the first night she and Hitsugaya bunked with her. How different she had felt back then. She cried after finally admitting to someone that she loved Ichigo, and still she couldn't shake that feeling that now, seeing how much he had changed, how much he had gone through, she would never be good enough for him. She wasn't fearless and strong like Rukia. What could she do?

"When things start weighing you down like that, you should learn to stand up for yourself and put a stop to them," Matsumoto had said to her. "It's just no fun running around while you're being chased by whatever negative forces surround you. Rather than running away, standing up and beating them down once and for all is always the better way. I think that kind of attitude suits you much better, Orihime."

Tears slid down her temples, mixing with the raindrops on her face, and she decided to squeeze all that helplessness out before it overwhelmed her. She was not going to let her friends die because of her. This time, she would stand up for herself, and for them.

"This time," she said, standing up and looking fierce and unwavering beneath Yammy's towering frame, just as he landed in front of her, "I'll put a stop to this."

"You're one feisty chick," Yammy said, and he extended a hand toward her.

"Koten Zanshun!" The injured Tsubaki shot out of her hairpins, and sped straight at Yammy. There was a whirring sound, like the flap of insect wings, followed by a zing, and Yammy stood stock still.

"Santen Kesshun!" Orihime yelled, and Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon formed their shield in front of Orihime, as Yammy's hand shot out toward her, only to freeze when he finally realized there was a huge hole in his arm. Tsubaki had cut him through and through. Blood splattered to the ground, and he gave a wail of pain.

"DAMMIT! YOU LITTLE BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!" Yammy yelled, and he brought his massive hands down Orihime over and over. She shrieked with every blow, fearing the shield would give. Instead it shifted into a sort of cocoon, wrapping around her, so wherever she moved it moved with her.

"DIE, BITCH, DIE!" Yammy shouted, smashing his fists on the shield again and again, until he was out of breath. He growled when he noticed he hadn't even made a dent on it, and he grabbed it in frustration, curling his fingers around it. He found it rooted to the ground; it wouldn't move, no matter how hard he tried.

"Are you trying to kill the one that we're supposed to bring back to Aizen-sama?" Ulquiorra questioned him, releasing his death grip on Rukia's neck Rukia dropped to the ground almost limp, gasping for air and coughing.

"She's making too much of a fuss! She just drove a hole through my arm with that bug she shoots out!"

Rukia seemed to recover her breath, and she stood up shaking, lifting Sode no Shirayuki.

"If you kill her, I will drive holes all over you, until I run out of space," Ulquiorra warned him. As if he had eyes on the back of his head, he lifted his zanpakutou and blocked Rukia's blade. She tried taking advantage of his distraction.

"KIA!"

Rukia and Ulquiorra both turned in time to watch Orihime, no longer cocooned in her Santen Kesshun, leaping very high and delivering a karate high kick at Yammy's head, effectively knocking him down. Yammy looked stupefied, not really knowing what hit him, and let out a yelp of surprise as he plummeted down, causing the ground to shake a bit. Orihime adopted an initial stance, ready to attack or be attacked.

"I may not be a black belt in karate, but I can fight like one, thanks to Tatsuki-chan," she declared, smiling proudly at what she had just done.

Rukia gasped in awe. Ulquiorra was not amused, and he took this chance to neutralize Rukia once and for all. His zanpakutou caught her on her side mildly, causing a non-too-deep cut which purposely surprised her. He grabbed her by the neck of her robes with one hand and flung her over his head. Rukia hit the very edge of the riverbank, the impact leaving her half-conscious. She then plunked into the water, sinking rapidly.

"KUCHIKI-SAN!" Orihime exclaimed in horror, watching the petite girl disappear beneath the surface. She would've run over to somehow fish her out, but Yammy leapt to his feet. He was still bleeding profusely from his arm, but he seemed not to care at all.

"It's going to take more than that to knock me out, bitch," he snarled.

"Tsubaki! Koten Zanshun! I reject!" Orihime shouted, and Tsubaki shot out against Yammy repeatedly. The Arrancar could barely block him; he was too fast.

"I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!" Yammy yelled, flapping his hands around trying to catch the solo fighter fairy. He only obtained numerous cuts and injuries all over his body. Finally, exhausted and dizzy, Yammy dropped to his knees, out of breath, and writhing in pain.

"Don't underestimate me," Orihime said, giving him a fierce, determined look.

---

Leaping over rooftops and trees, Ichigo felt the reiatsu more clearly. This was the way Hitsugaya had gone, pursued closely by the big Arrancar, Yammy. Hitsugaya's reiatsu was growing fainter. So was Rukia's. Orihime's reiatsu, however, was all over the place.

"It's here," Ichigo said to himself. Even in the rain, he knew at once where he was. He had arrived at the same place where, six years ago, he had leapt over the railing and rushed toward a little girl standing by the river, on a stormy day much like this one. That day, his mother had died.

"Rukia! Inoue!" At once he saw the silhouettes below, on the riverbank. He knew it was them.

Leaping over the railing like that time, Ichigo ran down, the weight of his soaked shihakushou slowing him down slightly. The one who instantly caught his eye was Orihime, standing over a beat-up Yammy; he was breathing heavily and dripping blood from everywhere in his body. Had she been the one to do him in so badly?

"INOUE, LOOK OUT!" he shouted just as Ulquiorra moved. He moved like shinigami did, so fast and undetected, like disappearing and reappearing a few feet away. He stopped behind Inoue, and his hand slithered toward her.

But the Santen Kesshun had already cocooned her again. It didn't seem she had even called it out. She turned then, facing the Arrancar, and smiled triumphant. Ulquiorra touched the surface of the glowing shield and eyed it carefully.

"You can't stay like that forever," he whispered to her.

Ichigo moved up beside him in a blink, and Zangetsu quickly fell upon him, although it was easily stopped by Ulquiorra's own zanpakutou.

"I can move like that, too," Ichigo declared.

"You again," Ulquiorra said, tone unwavering. Ichigo was about to respond, when he saw the shield disappearing, and Orihime taking off in the opposite direction

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked alarmed.

"I have to save Kuchiki-san!" Orihime said, jumping over Yammy.

The river was swollen, nearly to the point of overflowing. The current was strong as Orihime wadded quickly into the water, her skirt floating up around her, threatening to pull her away from the bank. But she dove right in, catching sight of something in the bottom. She resurfaced, with Rukia in her arms, both sputtering and coughing. Rukia had latched onto a tree root underwater and held on tight, even when she was about to pass out. Orihime dragged Rukia back onto dry ground, the shinigami spitting water and gasping for air.

"Souten Kisshun!" Orihime shouted, and Shun'ou and Ayame sprouted from the remaining petals of her hairpins, immediately forming a glowing shield over Rukia. The wound on her side began to close up immediately.

"There you have it," Ulquiorra said, watching Orihime work even as he fought Ichigo.

"Inoue! Take Rukia and run! I'll handle these guys!" Ichigo yelled. But Ulquiorra drew his sword back and sleekly stabbed Ichigo's middle through and through.

"KUROSAKI-KUN!"

"Enough," Ulquiorra said in his chilling low voice, while Ichigo slowly fell to his knees, gasping and clutching at the wound in his stomach. Orihime looked at him in shock, watching the blood seep through the hole on his back and drip to the ground. Ulquiorra raised his sword to Ichigo's neck.

"This wasn't supposed to take so long. You've put up an unnecessary fight; you're coming with us, whether you agree or not. I am no mediator; I came to take you to Aizen-sama, and that is that."

"Don't take Inoue. Take me instead," Ichigo said, his voice coming out garbled, feeling the blood rising in his throat.

"You? Whatever makes you think we would want you?" Ulquiorra asked. Ichigo's heart sank. They came for her specifically. This whole battle, he realized, had been a diversion after all, just like Wonderweiss said. The Arrancar came to distract the shinigami. And Ulquiorra came exclusively to find Orihime.

"Why?" he asked. But Ulquiorra wasn't going to answer.

"Right now, you have a decision to make," the Arrancar continued, facing Orihime again. "You come without a fuss and it's over. We will leave your friends alone."

Orihime looked like she was about to cry. She looked at Ichigo, then at Rukia. I'm not going to let my friends die.

"I can't help Aizen," she muttered, her voice shaking. "I can't! And I will never—"

"Then I'll have to kill him," Ulquiorra said, and with a flick of his hand, Ichigo was suddenly yanked up into the air and suspended, as if an invisible hand was clutching at his throat and strangling him. Ichigo tried to grip whatever was choking him, but there was really nothing there. It was Ulquiorra doing it. Ichigo peered at Orihime, and saw Ulquiorra aiming to sever his head with the zanpakutou.

"No!" Orihime yelled. She ran toward Ulquiorra, who didn't show the same aggression toward her as he had before. Maybe because she knew he could kill Ichigo faster than she could ever attack him. She still grabbed his arm, the one that wielded the sword, as if pleading him to stop.

"Then you will follow me, or I'll have to take measures," Ulquiorra repeated. He pressed the tip of his zanpakutou to Ichigo's neck, hard enough to make a shallow cut. Ichigo grimaced, choking down a scream, instead groaning through clenched teeth. Blood seeped from his new wound, staining his white underrobe.

Orihime began to cry. Ulquiorra loosened the grip on Ichigo's neck a bit. He knew she already made her choice. This human, in particular, was very predictable.

"Orihime, don't!" Ichigo shouted weakly. Orihime looked momentarily shocked that Ichigo had called her by her given name, which only made her sadder.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered between sobs.

Ulquiorra gave a nod, and looked at Yammy. "It's time," he said. Without effort, he tossed Ichigo away, the shinigami hitting the ground painfully. Orihime ran toward him, but she was caught midair in a massive hand. Yammy stood once again; he seized her and threw her in the opposite direction. Orihime hit a nearby tree and fell to the ground limply. She was rapidly losing consciousness.

"I warned you," Ulquiorra said to Yammy, and like a flash, his sword slashed at his fellow Arrancar, slicing off his right arm. "Do we have to do this every time?"

Yammy was crying and yelling in pain, grabbing his severed arm and clutching at the huge bleeding stump on his body. Ulquiorra walked over to Orihime, and leaned over her body. He observed her curiously, and finally reached a hand toward her face.

"Such a small, insignificant-looking thing," he muttered, mostly to himself, as he removed one of her flower-shaped hairpins.

Instantly, the shield over Rukia disappeared. Ichigo could barely see what was going on, but he saw the fairies flying back to the hairpin.

The tear in the dimensional fabric opened beside the river. Ulquiorra lifted the limp Orihime into his arms and headed for the rip, ordering Yammy to follow him.

"You certainly are trash," the Arrancar muttered to Ichigo as he stepped through the dark gap in space.

Ichigo glared at him with all the hatred he could muster, but it was useless. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was Orihime, lying unconscious in the Arrancar's arms, and then the sky closed, and they were gone.

---

This was longer than I had originally expected. But I rewrote a great part of it, so maybe it got longer in the process.

Wow, it's tough to write about fighting, describing the action scenes to depict them as they look inside your head. I'm glad I'm done with it.

And yes, according to Wikipedia, and Harry, who appears to remember more clearly than me, it seems Orihime DOES have black belt level fighting skills, thanks to Tatsuki, who has taught her karate. It may not be much, but I thought it would be cool to see Orihime defending herself.

It's now very late or very early, depending on how you look at it (I'm looking at it as "I can't believe I have to get up in two hours to go to work!"). But I had to finish this. I promised I would.

Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed this. It was fun to write this. More coming soon (I hope).

Have a nice one!

-Nariko the Seer a.k.a Deathberry15