I understand why Kubo stopped personifying Orihime's abilities, but I still don't approve.

Enjoy!

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Auburn Strands and Red Threads #26

Orihime was surprised when she realized she was waking up.

She struggled to open her eyes, and immediately she was draped with a feeling of miserable discomfort. Her eyelids were extremely heavy, and her eyes themselves felt extremely warm and stung every time she blinked. Her entire body felt weighed down and hot, and her weak attempts at moving her limbs steadily exhausted her.

Distracting herself with looking around, she discovered she was in her bedroom, the light was on, and she was lying on her bed with her thin bedspread over her. She tried to remember when she woke up from her nap to walk to her room, but the memory evaded her. She figured she must have been very tired and stressed out, but nothing could explain why she felt so incredibly sick and weak.

Then the scent of food and the sound of people moving about alerted her.

Orihime held her breath, listening to the busy noise, and tried to figure out who could be in her home. She sat up quietly and moved her legs over the edge of her bed. Muffled voices could be heard now, and she knew one of them was definitely Tatsuki. Perplexed, Orihime forced herself out of bed and made her way to her living room. When she reached the end of the hall, she could see Uryuu in the kitchen preparing food.

"So, you're finally awake."

Orihime looked to her right to see Tatsuki and Chad sitting on her sofa playing a card game. Tatsuki set her cards down and huffed pointedly, bracing her hands on her knees.

"Did you know it's possible to make yourself sick from stressing too much?" Tatsuki said.

"Um . . . It's just a fever." Orihime struggled to smile. "I must have caught something."

"Doubt it, but I'll drill you on that later." Tatsuki leaned back and crossed her arms. "You've been acting strange for a while, but if you weren't feeling well, then you should have said something."

"Especially if it poses a problem to your safety," Uryuu said from the kitchen. "Your door was unlocked when I arrived."

"And I've saved you too many times from falling down the stairs," Tatsuki added.

"I noticed you haven't been eating lunch for a few days," Chad said. "Has something happened to you?"

"Ah . . . N-no." Orihime looked at the ground, rubbing her arm. "I'm just thinking too much. Like Tatsuki said, I really am . . . making myself sick from stress."

"We can talk about it later." Uryuu joined them in the living room. "Stress or not, your fever is very real. It'd do you well to get some rest."

"I suppose you're right . . ." She paused, looking at him curiously. "How come you all are here anyway?"

"I was called," Tatsuki said.

"And Ichigo told us," Uryuu gestured between him and Chad, "to check up on you from time to time." He frowned. "Is something going on with you? He didn't exactly explain anything to us."

Orihime looked to the side, not really focusing on anything, and tried to ignore the stubborn crease between her brows. "Kurosaki-kun . . . He worries. He doesn't really understand, but he worries." Her mouth twisted into a small pout, and she suddenly felt very ill. "Excuse me. I'm going to go lay back down." She turned down the hall and paused. With a small smile, she looked back at her guests. "Thank you all for worrying, and being patient with me. I . . . I really appreciate it."

The group watched Orihime walk to her room, and they shared curious glances when they heard the bedroom door close. They understood very little about what was going on, but they were beginning to believe Ichigo was not worried over nothing.

o0o0o

Orihime sat on the edge of her bed, the crease between her brows still present. She rubbed her forehead methodically and tried to process everything going on in her life.

It was an odd mix of irritation and civility she was trying to balance. She appreciated her friends for looking out for her and making sure she was okay, but sometimes it grated her nerves by how fragile they believed her to be. She knew there were times where she could be too kind or too optimistic, but that didn't mean she couldn't look after herself. That didn't mean she wasn't allowed to make her own mistakes.

But more than anything, like anybody else, she enjoyed time to herself every now and again.

Orihime groaned. Her head began to pound, and she lowered herself down onto her bed. She pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead; it hurt too much for her to rub it. Through squinted eyes, she looked at her desk and was devastated to see that her clips were out of reach. She closed her eyes again, centering her head in the middle of her pillow, and tried to stop her creasing brow.

"Ayame, Shun'ō . . ." Orihime's voice was thick and strained. She tried to speak louder, but the effort was making her head ache worse. "If you guys can hear me, I really need some help."

She wasn't sure how long she waited before she drifted into a light slumber, but when she was aware of her consciousness, she was relieved to no longer feel any pain.

In fact, she was engulfed in an immense warmth and calm that made her hesitant to open her eyes in case this was the effect of her sleep.

She sat behind the comfort of her eyelids for a few minutes before she remembered she had guests in her home.

Begrudgingly, she opened her eyes and immediately noticed the yellow dome around her, but it was darker than the other times she used it and had a much dimmer glow.

Her next thought was blotted out by the four tiny beings floating outside the dome. One being she readily identified as Shun'ō, who had his arms crossed and was standing in mid-air.

The next she realized was Lily, who was seated in mid-air with one leg crossed over the other. Her dark pink hair was now styled into a bob, and her transparent yellow goggles now covered the upper half of her face. She wore a dark blue, full length bodysuit that faded into a darker blue from the thighs down, and on the bodysuit itself were her usual black markings. What used to be her pink appendages were now fashioned to look like a high-low skirt with the appendages jutting out from her hips. Two large lavender circles were placed on either side of the fake skirt and each had smaller circles descending in size. A larger version of her orange necklace was now a belt at her hips, and three dark pink spheres hovered around her.

Baigon was seated cross-legged partially behind Lily. He wore a forest brown haori and a beige hakama with a blonde braided belt wrapped around him; on his feet appeared to be traditional white socks she believed to be tabi and black sandals she thought were zori. His appendages remained around his shoulders but looked to be more plated and dense. The mask that covered the lower part of his face was intact, but the flowers and yellow designs were now transferred to his hakama. He was completely bald now as well.

Hinagiku, who flanked Lily's other side, wore a long striped purple kimono, and his dark purple appendages were raised to center across his back with each appendage holding one large yellow dot. Where his eye-patch used to be was now replaced with a red sphere resting in his eye socket. His nails were still long and sharp, but now they held a curious dull gleam.

Orihime stared at the conversing beings above her. The new arrivals appeared to be listening intently to what Shun'ō was saying, and one of them would make an exaggerated movement every so often.

Orihime tried to decipher what they were saying, but she could not hear anything from them or anything else. The more she strained her ears, the more she was consumed with an overwhelming silence that made her head spin.

Don't get too comfortable, woman.

Orihime jerked forward but her body only produced a weak spasm.

You can't move. I'm curious to know if you can speak.

Orihime fought to move her lips as sound pushed up her throat. "Tsubaki . . ."

Heh, yeah, you remember. Listen, woman, I don't know what you did to us, and I really don't care. You've managed to give us powers that you certainly didn't obtain alone, so consider this a thanks on my part.

"Ah . . . B . . . ut . . . wh-"

While I'm part of this Sōten Kisshun, you're not gonna be able to do much of anything.

He paused.

Then again, this isn't a Sōten Kisshun anymore. None of our powers are exactly what they used to be, but listen here: You're not gonna be healed after this barrier drops. Seems like Ayame's power doesn't mesh well with mine, so you're gonna go back to feeling like crap once this is over, especially since Ayame's gonna be too drained to heal you herself. Just remember this, Orihime, don't ever get this weak from here on out.

The barrier dropped, and Orihime was immediately flooded with the sensations of feeling and sound. Her headache and stiff body tumbled back to her like an avalanche, and she winced, groaned, curling into herself. She could hear her abilities speaking in rushed voices all around her, but she couldn't make sense of anything being said. Shutting her eyes tight, she pushed herself to slowly sit up and let her body adjust as best as it could.

"Tsubaki," Shun'ō said, his voice a calculated drawl, "you've gotten more irritable since before our transformation."

Tsubaki laughed and it was a deeper, huskier sound than Orihime remembered from just a few seconds ago. "And you've finally found that backbone you were missing." He scoffed, "What? It's about time we stopped babying her so damn much."

"Come on, Tsubaki." It was Lily who spoke. Her voice was refined and elegant, but it still held that overt mischievousness and humor. "Orihime's life didn't start with us, and it certainly won't end with us. Let her succumb to the pitfalls of being a human."

"She isn't just a human," Tsubaki fired back. "She has us now, and maybe you forgot how Blondie over there talked so much about these demons popping up as well as Hollows."

"I didn't think you could hear me," said Shun'ō. "And why is Ayame so worn out?!"

"Everyone calm down." Hinagiku's rapid speaking cut through clearly. His tone was also changed, but Orihime could not determine whether or not it was because he sounded more formal or because he wasn't yelling like usual. "All of this will be cleared up soon enough, but what's important now is that Shun'ō get rid of Orihime's headache. She's going to need her wits about her very soon."

"What's that mean exactly?" Shun'ō asked cautiously.

"Cryptic people should not be entertained," Lily said. "But go on and heal her." She laughed. "Little Hime's face looks silly all scrunched up in pain."

Shun'ō yelled, urging Ayame to help him.

When Orihime was healed, her eyes were immediately drawn to her fairies. Tsubaki was the least changed out of the others. Everything was the same except that now his hair was slicked back and the white scarf around his face was now made of dark red velvet.

"Disappointed?" Tsubaki asked pointedly.

Orihime jumped, waving her hands wildly. "No, it's not that. It's just . . ." She dropped her hands in her lap, her shoulders raising self-consciously. "It's been so long since I've seen you all together, and none of you look exactly the same anymore. It's just a little . . . strange."

"You think it's strange?" Tsubaki snorted indignantly. "Your body and mind didn't reconstruct itself just to accommodate immense power being forced on you."

Orihime shrank into herself. "Is that what happened?"

"What? You think all we did was wake up with a new look and controlled powers? Get real, princess."

Shun'ō directed a scowl at Tsubaki. "Have you always been this annoying?"

Tsubaki's dark eyes brightened, and his creased brows deepened. "You've gained some bite, Shun'ō, but you better be careful who you bare those fangs to."

Shun'ō turned his body in Tsubaki's direction. "And what does that mean?"

Tsubaki gripped the top of his scarf. "It means you don't know how to use your fangs like I know how to use mine."

"Is that a fact?"

"Um!" Orihime physically put herself between the two beings with the rising energy. "I-is this part of the transformation?" She looked at everyone. "All your personalities are a little . . . different."

Lily laughed. "It's just them, Orihime. Their personalities weren't fully formed to begin with, so it's gonna take some time for them to get used to all the new jumbles going on inside of them. This battle for dominance will leave soon enough."

"It's true," Hinagiku said, his red eye looking between Shun'ō and Tsubaki. "Their powers are still unstable, and our abilities are directly linked to your temperament. In this instance, the more unnerved you are, the more agitated they are."

"Oh . . ." Orihime said. "I'm sorry, you guys."

Tsubaki huffed.

Shun'ō crossed his arms, giving a troubled frown to the wall.

"Orihime," Hinagiku said, "would you mind explaining what has happened to all of us? This isn't a result of training because your strength hasn't increased at all."

For the sake of the others, Orihime explained how she met Inuyasha and what he's been through since meeting her, what the Shikon Jewel was, and the new threat of demons. She even threw bits of Kisuke in there that none of them were overly surprised by. By the time she relayed all important information, the fairies were left in a contemplative silence.

"So this was all by accident?" Tsubaki shook his head. "Ridiculous."

"And one day you'll have to give this crystal back." Hinagiku shrugged. "Well, we'll learn to adapt for now."

Orihime nodded. "We still need to train because there's no telling how long it will be until Inuyasha finds all the other shards."

Shun'ō laughed. "Well, one of the fragments is with us, so technically it'll be hundreds of years before he can get them all back."

Orihime cracked a smile. "That's a little hard to wrap my mind around if I really think about it."

"Right," he agreed. "What if it really does take him hundreds-"

"Forget all that!" Lily flew to Orihime's face, rubbing her shoulder against the auburn's cheek. "You and that goo-covered boy have come a long way. He saved you from the Soul Society, fought Ichigo, and even took you to where he lives. Are you sure you're not leaving anything out?"

Orihime tried not to look away. "What . . . What would I leave out?"

"I dunno, like maybe you've got a new demon boyfriend or something."

"Lily! That's just-! Why would I-?!" Orihime's eyes darted all around the room, and she tried her hardest to push down her rising blush. "Baigon! How are you doing? You've been pretty quiet."

Baigon, who had been silently watching everything going on with Ayame, bowed his head in a form of greeting. "This power gives me a new sense of calm." His voice was deep and warm. "I'm simply enjoying it."

Orihime smiled. Hearing Baigon speak somehow calmed her to the very depths of her being. "I'm glad to hear that."

Lily flew into Orihime's line of sight. "And I'm glaaaaaaaaad you've run out of distractions! Tell me more about goo-boy. Tell me everything I know you left out. Why did he keep coming back after things were cleared up? You were basically strangers, so what kept him coming back?"

"Lily-" Orihime tried to turn away, but Lily was back in her sight no matter what she did. "It really— isn't anything like that—" She stood abruptly. "W-we aren't like that. Inuyasha and I are—"

The bedroom window rattled. Orihime whipped around, her fairies flanking her in an instant.

"It's okay," Hinagiku said as the window fought to be opened. "He is no threat, but do you want us to be seen?"

"Huh?" Orihime's eyes darted from him to the window. "What do you mean? Who is it?"

"Hide!" Lily said.

The group concealed themselves behind Orihime as the window opened. Inuyasha leaped in, giving her a once over before scanning the room. Orihime was suddenly very warm and wobbly on her feet, but she was determined to conceal it.

"Hi," she said.

Inuyasha's sharp gaze snapped back to her, and he turned to close the window before looking at her sternly. "Do you know there are people in your home?"

Orihime blinked at him a moment, perplexed by the rough firmness in his low tone. "Yes . . . My friends came to check on me."

His gaze lightened a bit but his expression hardly changed. "Do all your friends hold some type of power?"

Orihime smiled awkwardly, shrugging. "More or less."

He stared at her a moment longer, his eyes gradually softening. "Oh." He paused, looking her over. "You sick?"

"Um! Hm?"

"You said your friends came to check on you. Are you sick?"

"O-oh, well . . . Just a little tired." She laughed, rubbing the back of her head. "I haven't been sleeping all that well."

"Yeah? How long?"

"Um . . ." Maybe this fever was serious. "Since . . . you left . . ."

Inuyasha cocked a brow at her, folding his arms in his sleeves. "That long, huh?" He looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "Wait. That was days ago, and you're still sick?"

"A . . . ha . . ." She looked away, twisting her hair. "Yes, I-"

Inuyasha placed one hand on her forehead and the other on his own. Orihime's mouth shut fast, staring at the half-demon as he stared to the side trying to determine her temperature. She could feel her face filling with heat, and she didn't know what to do if color was showing as well.

"U-um, Inuyasha-"

"I knew it!"

Both Orihime and Inuyasha jumped as Lily sprouted from behind Orihime's shoulder, the others peeking out as well.

"So this is Inuyasha!" Lily flew directly in front of Inuyasha's face, smiling widely. "Aha! This is him! Wearing the same clothes and everything!"

Inuyasha was leaned away, one arm guarding him, looking at the tiny being with wide, wild eyes. "Uh, what-"

"Of course! We haven't properly introduced." Lily spun away from him and posed elegantly. "My name is Lily. I am part of Orihime's defense."

Inuyasha stared apprehensively. "Uh . . . Okay."

"And I am Hinagiku." He appeared next to Lily, arms crossed over his chest, and bowed. "I am also part of Orihime's defense."

"Baigon." The burly fairy made his way over and bowed as well. "Defense is my specialty as well."

"He's already met us," Shun'ō said, him and Ayame sitting on Orihime's shoulder. "No need to bow to him."

Tsubaki sat on Orihime's other shoulder. When it appeared everyone was waiting for him to speak, he said, "No."

Inuyasha looked at Orihime, either expecting an answer or expecting her to make them go away. She rubbed her arm, smiling for no reason in particular.

"So . . . these are my powers," she said.

"I see . . ." Inuyasha looked at all of them many times over. It was strange to think she needed so many beings to protect herself and fight.

"Thanks for the power, I-nu-ya-sha," Lily said. "I dare say the fashion isn't half bad."

"Yeah . . . sure."

"And I hear you've been taking such good care of Orihime while we've been away. Tell me, how is it that you two have grown so close?"

"Uh . . . Close?"

"You know, from being a random fighter in a forest to sneaking in through her bedroom window at night." Lily smiled slyly. "Could it be that you're in lo-"

"Lily! Everyone! It's time to go back!" Orihime said loudly.

Instantly, everyone was forced back into her clip so fiercely that the clip itself was snatched out of her hair and fell to the ground. Orihime stared at it, not realizing it had been on her in the first place. Her face was surely red and her chest noticeably rose and fell. She peeked back at Inuyasha, who only looked at her questioningly.

"Sorry," she said, tugging at her fingers. "Um . . . I haven't-"

The bedroom door opened. Inuyasha's eyes snapped to the intruder right as Orihime turned around.

Tatsuki stood in the doorway. Her face was oddly neutral as she looked at the two in front of her—the boy with the vicious stare and her nervous, red-faced friend.

What felt like minutes was only a few seconds, and no one was prepared for the lethal punch that came next.

o0o0o

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Don't apologize, Orihime! He deserved it!"

"Says you, runt! You deserved-! Ow!"

"Inuyasha, please relax."

Orihime stood in the kitchen with Inuyasha, who needed an ice pack to nurse his bruised nose. Tatsuki sat on the sofa while Uryuu wrapped her hand in bandages.

"You're a martial arts specialist," Uryuu muttered. "You should know how to avoid this."

Tatsuki whipped her head to the side. "You don't always think the clearest when you hear your friend scream and then find some punk in her bedroom."

"I ain't no-!"

"Inuyasha, please!" Orihime whispered. She turned to the living room. "Tatsuki, do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Forget it." Tatsuki waved her good hand. "Fractures heal on their own."

"But we will stop by the Kurosaki Clinic before we go home," Uryuu assured.

Chad entered the apartment just then with a grocery bag and a bag of ice. After putting the items away and assuring his friends that it was no trouble to get these items, he asked what everyone else was putting off.

"Who's your friend?"

o0o0o

"You've gotta be kidding me." Tatsuki let her head hang, her elbows bent over her knees. "Orihime . . ." She looked up at her friend. "Wow."

"What?" Orihime asked, truly concerned.

"Well," Uryuu said, "you have to understand the last time Tatsuki met this Inuyasha friend of yours, he was a little less than friendly."

Tatsuki scoffed. "A little? Uryuu, that's the guy I told you about! The freak sniffed her. Her entire body!"

"Yes, well . . ." Uryuu looked to the kitchen where Inuyasha and Chad were preoccupied. "This is the first I'm meeting him, and I admit he's a little . . . different."

"He is . . . different," Orihime said. "Um . . . I didn't mean to keep him a secret. Our friendship happened so fast."

"You don't say," Uryuu said, glancing back in the kitchen. "But Orihime . . ." He looked at Tatsuki hesitantly. "Well, there is much for us to discuss at a more appropriate time. I think it's best Chad and I take Tatsuki to get her hand checked."

"What?!" Tatsuki roared as best as a whisper would allow. "You want to leave her here with that guy?"

"Well, he is her friend, so it's not like we have much to worry about."

"He was in her room when I walked in, Uryuu! What was he doing? Hiding in her closet? Climbing through windows? Making secret passages?!"

"My, you're really animated about this."

"Uryuu-"

"Tatsuki." Orihime gently grabbed her friend's good arm that she was about to violently slam down. "I know you don't trust him because you don't know him, but he's a really good guy."

Tatsuki huffed, not at all satisfied. She couldn't help but feel as though Orihime didn't see the real issue at hand. "How long is he staying here?"

Orihime shrugged playfully. "I'm sure he just came for a visit. He won't be here long."

Tatsuki grumbled, glaring into the kitchen and then back at her. "I'm calling you as soon as I get to Ichigo's house, got it?"

Orihime smiled. "Got it, Tatsuki."

The group prepared to leave a short while later. Chad and Uryuu were interested to get to know this new face, but Tatsuki's hand was steadily becoming more pained—not to mention there was a great deal of tense air between her and Inuyasha.

"You sure you're gonna be alright?" Tatsuki asked, lingering in the front door's entrance. Chad and Uryuu had already said their goodbyes to leave the two some privacy; Inuyasha felt it best to wander into Orihime's room.

"Of course." Orihime smiled earnestly. "Inuyasha really is a great guy, Tatsuki. You both are just a little rough around the edges."

"Pheh! Don't lump me with him." Tatsuki paused. "What's up with him anyway? Is he the cosplay type?"

"Um . . . No. It's a bit more complex than that."

Tatsuki raised a brow, ready to question her, but her hand throbbed in the most awful way. She forced a smile when she saw Orihime's anguish. "I'll be fine. That friend of yours must have some tough bones to make me hurt this bad. Just don't think this is over, alright? I want to meet that guy again and see what he's really about."

Orihime nodded. "Of course, Tatsuki."

Tatsuki returned her nod and turned to leave. She stopped, looking back at Orihime with a frown. "No more secrets. Okay?"

Orihime hesitated, unsure of what to say, but ultimately nodded again.

Tatsuki continued to stare at her for a few seconds. "So, that's the guy Chizuru saw you hugging?"

Orihime jumped. "I mean . . . Y-yes."

Tatsuki's brows rose. "Are you . . . datin-"

"It's not like that," Orihime gushed. "It . . . I-I know how it seems, but . . . that's not . . ." She stopped herself. "Honestly, Tatsuki, we aren't like that."

Tatsuki laughed, shaking her head. "I hear ya, Orihime, I hear ya."

After Tatsuki left, Orihime closed her front door and pressed herself against it. She waited, listening for sound, but didn't hear anything.

She walked to her bedroom to find Inuyasha lying on the bed with the ice pack resting on his nose. Orihime frowned and walked to the side of the bed. His eyes were closed, and he didn't open them when she stood over him.

"Human strength can hurt you?" Orihime asked.

"Your friend is pretty strong."

Orihime almost laughed. "Yeah." She paused. "Do you want me to heal you?"

"Nah." He opened his eyes. "Did I scare your friends off?"

"I don't think so. Tatsuki needs to get her hand looked at, and they all know you're no threat."

"Really."

Orihime watched him a moment before sitting down on the floor. "I haven't . . . seen you in a while. Where have you been?"

He laughed. "I'll show you soon enough." He paused, a smirk on his lips. "You miss me or somethin'?" Inuyasha looked at her as best she could without moving, but she looked away.

He didn't understand that.

He moved the ice pack and sat on the edge of the bed. "What is it?" he asked. "You're acting strange . . . r."

She shook her head, unable to look up.

Inuyasha noticed her shoulders were shaking, and he almost panicked trying to figure out why she was crying, but then he realized she was laughing. She lifted her head, pushing her hair back. Her face was red and wet, but she was definitely laughing.

"I think you're right," Orihime said through tears and laughter. "I missed you."

"Dammit! It's like my whole hand is on fire!"

"It'll help if you stop moving it."

Tatsuki, Uryuu, and Chad made their way to the Kurosaki Clinic. In the middle of ranting about Orihime's new friend, Tatsuki couldn't stop herself from gesturing violently with her hands, which resulted in more pain than necessary.

"I'm just saying!" Tatsuki yelled. "Why would she keep a guy like that a secret if there wasn't something going on?! I'm supportive! If that's her type then fine, but you guys!" She looked at both of them incredulously. "He sniffed her body! Accused her of stealing from him! How do you grow close after that?!"

"They might just be friends," Chad said.

"Tck. Do you really believe that?"

Chad didn't answer. From the small talk he had with Inuyasha in the kitchen, it was obvious the guy had feelings for Orihime. Chad just wasn't sure if it was true the other way around.

"Either way," Uryuu said, "if this is what Ichigo wants us to watch her for, then I see where he stands." He shook his head. "Really. Over something as trivial as this. I mean, Orihime can-"

"Uryuu." Chad stuck his arm out to stop his movement. His voice was low as to not alert Tatsuki too much. "Up ahead."

Uryuu looked and saw an odd figure approaching from in front of them. It was a small creature close to the ground, but its body was moving all over as if its skin were alive. The creature didn't seem to be coming towards them on purpose, if the haphazard way of walking was indicative of anything, but something was off. He couldn't feel any life or energy coming from it. If this was a new kind of Hollow, Uryuu didn't know how strong it was.

"Why don't we take a different route," Uryuu said.

"Why?" Tatsuki squinted forward. "Because of that dog up ahead?"

"You can see it?" Uryuu questioned.

"Yeah, I see that . . . Wait . . ." She stared harder at the creature. "The heck is that . . . ?"

Chad stepped in front of the other two. "Take a different route."

Tatsuki tried to walk past him. "Why, it's just-"

"Uryuu," Chad said.

"Come on, Tatsuki." Uryuu led Tatsuki away. "We should listen to him."

"Why?" She looked back but Chad was obscuring her vision from the creature. "You just wanna leave him? What is that thing?"

"I don't know," Uryuu admitted, "but I don't like the feel of it. Let's just leave it to Chad."

"Leave what to Chad?"

Uryuu couldn't answer; he didn't want to say anything he'd regret later.