I apologize for the relatively late update. It seems I have developed rather painful tendonosis due to working at a computer all day long, so that makes any additional typing rather cumbersome. Would appreciate your prayers. In any event, I acknowledge Tite Kubo for his compelling characters. And also my great new beta, whom I will refer to as Akire.


After the initial emotion of their encounter, Tatsuki naturally inquired as to Orihime's whereabouts—Why didn't you call? Are you OK? Were you hurt?

All the natural questions. All the questions that lent themselves to difficult answers.

Orihime had not planned a strategy for answering anything. She zipped out the door upon Tessai's suggestion that she visit her friend. Tessai shouted several things after her, but she was too excited to pay attention and continued running until she'd reached Tatsuki's house.

Now she wished she'd waited.

She'd gotten herself into another mess. She'd forgotten that Tatsuki had seen Ulquiorra the day he and Yammy had attacked Karakura Town. Tatsuki would know what kind of people Orihime had gotten mixed up with. How would she react? Orihime could not think of a way to explain her own whereabouts and realized she didn't even know what she was allowed to talk about as per the contract. It wasn't until Tatsuki machine-gunned her questions that Orihime realized revealing any secrets about Soul Society could potentially land her swift repercussions.

Orihime contemplated lying, but Tatsuki's face, still red from crying, and the tear streaks still wet across her face—it compelled Orihime to choose honesty. Even if she couldn't tell the truth, she could at least give Tatsuki the modicum of respect she deserved.

"I don't know if I'm allowed to say where I was…"

"No. No. Don't do that to me, Orihime. Don't do the same thing Ichigo did!"

"Kurosaki-kun? What did he do?"

Tatsuki took a few steps back. The hurt in her face was painful for Orihime to see.

"He lied to me. He told me he didn't know where you were. But I saw him. I saw him in his black robes. I saw him with those weird people from that candy shop not far from here."

Orihime must have betrayed something in the way she reacted to Tatsuki's words, because Tatsuki changed her tone.

"You know those people? Wait…do they know you're here?"

"I—"

"Who are you staying with?"

Orihime looked helplessly at her friend. Tatsuki could be in danger just by knowing things she shouldn't know. There was simply no way to approach an explanation with any tact.

"I can't imagine what it must have been like for you. It was…really hard for me, too. But I didn't get hurt. And I'm here. I'm fine now."

"Fine? FINE? Look at yourself!"

Tatsuki shot her hand over to Orihime's arm and spun her in the direction of the wall so that Orihime faced a beautiful, full-length oaken mirror. Initially confused, Orihime obeyed. She could not see anything that should give her serious pause for concern. Sure, she was a little pale and thinner, but they hadn't exactly fed her the choicest diet in Hueco Mundo. Orihime turned to look at Tatsuki with a question in her eyes.

"You don't see it?"

"What do you mean?"

Tatsuki left Orihime's side for a minute. When she returned, she held a familiar object and thrust it in front of Orihime's face.

"My picture! The picture of us by the river," Orihime said, fondly looking at the picture as she took it into her hands. Orihime remembered what Yoruichi had said about Tatsuki having taken Orihime's important belongings.

"Look at yourself in this picture and then take a look at the mirror."

Orihime held the photo to her face and turned to face the mirror. What she saw scared her.

As she compared her current face to the one in the picture, she could hardly believe her eyes. Staggering. It looked like she'd lost 15 pounds,* at least. Orihime stared and stared, shifting her eyes back to the photograph to note the differences. Her sunken eyes and weight were just the beginning. She looked like a real-life version of a Tim Burton character—lifeless, absolutely lifeless. As though Death had followed her around all those months without her knowledge, chipping away at her life force. There was a mirror in her room in Las Noches. She had looked at it often. She'd been dying and hadn't noticed.

Even her hair seemed a bit duller. Browner.

"How did this happen?" Orihime wondered aloud.

"You don't know?"

"I mean—I didn't notice…not until now. The changes must have taken place gradually."

It was like someone had turned on the lights in a darkened room. Things that had previously gone unnoticed she could now see clear as a bell.

"This isn't me."

"I didn't even sense you when you were at the door! When you first disappeared, I couldn't sense you. That's why I didn't open the door when you first knocked. I had always counted on being able to sense you the minute you returned."

Orihime turned to face her friend and then looked back at her reflection.

Her thoughts drifted back to all the hollows she'd encountered in Hueco Mundo. All of them had a certain melancholy attached to them. They embodied Death. She hadn't suspected that an atmosphere like that would do such damage to her soul. It wasn't like that in Seireitei, so she'd never thought to question what Hueco Mundo could do to her. It was a miracle she hadn't been completely destroyed.

What would have happened if Aizen had used the Hogyoku on me? What really would have happened to me?

"You've changed," Tatsuki observed. The way she said it, Orihime knew she wasn't speaking of her appearance.

"I'm still your best friend."

"What happened to you?" Tatsuki asked again.

"I promise I'll tell you as soon as I can. I just really wanted to see you as soon as I could. Let you know I'm alright." Her eyes flicked back to her reflection. "Well…alive, at least." She chuckled a bit.

"It's not funny," Tatsuki said. Her throat constricted.

"I know."

Tatsuki then led her to a room filled with Orihime's belongings—only the most important things. Pictures, books, some electronics, clothes and knickknacks Orihime had adored.

Orihime spotted her cell phone. She walked over to it and picked it up. It felt heavier in her hands than she'd remembered. To think she'd gotten along without one for almost a year. How petty and juvenile had her worries once been.

She walked over to a little cupcake figurine she'd gotten from Ichigo on her birthday one year. How she used to treasure that gift. At the time, she'd thought it was so sweet of him. Then, one day when Orihime was visiting his house, Yuzu let it slip that she was the one who had picked it out since Ichigo had no clue what to get a girl for her birthday. After that, it didn't mean as much to her. As she stared at it, she felt the sweetness it had once embodied turn bitter.

"Thank you for keeping my things, Tatsuki-chan."

"I tried to get as much as I could, but there's only so much we have the space for and had time to get."

Orihime shook her head and gave her friend a sad smile. "You've done so much more than enough."

"Where are you staying? My dad and I can help you move your things once he gets home."

Uh-oh.

"Can I just…leave them here? For now?"

"Do you not have a place to stay?"

"No, it's not that…"

"Why won't you tell me where you're staying? Is it Ichigo's house?!"

"No! No, not there."

"Then where?"

Orihime only blinked helplessly. Tatsuki understood.

"You can't be serious!"

"Tatsuki-chan, don't be mad. They were the only ones there when I got back."

"The only ones who were there? I looked for you everywhere! I even hired a detective!"

"Tatsuki-chan, that's not what I meant!"

But Tatsuki was already tearing up again.

"How can you say they were the only ones there? Did you really think I'd stop looking for you?"

"No, of course not!" Orihime's own eyes started welling up.

"Why can't you tell me what happened to you? I deserve to know."

"I will! I promise I will. I just don't know if I'm allowed to. I might get in trouble if I say anything."

"By those people you're staying with? I'll kick their a—"

"No, not by Urahara-san! He and his team have given me a place to stay. Really. They've actually helped me escape where I came from. I promise I will explain more, Tatsuki-chan. I just need time to figure out what I can and can't say."

"Escape?! What do you mean escape!?"

Orihime averted her eyes.

"Tatsuki-chan, please. Please."

The two friends stood in silence for several moments before Orihime shifted her eyes back to meet Tatsuki's. Orihime knew that Tatsuki would not cross boundaries. Orihime only needed to say the word. So she did. Again.

"Please, Tatsuki-chan. Isn't it enough that I came to see you? I promise, when the time is right."

It was Tatsuki's turn to avert her eyes. "It was really hard not knowing. I had no closure. I had nothing."

"I know. It was hard for me, too."

Orihime still had the picture in her hands. She set it down and eyed it for a few seconds before turning back to Tatsuki.

"I'm still the same me. But I have a lot of work to do before I come back. I have no idea what to do about school. About my future. I feel like it's gone now."

"Don't worry about that. You'll catch up in no time. And I'll help you."

"Thank you," Orhime said, her voice breaking.

.oOo.

After waving goodbye to Tatsuki, Orihime breathed a sigh of relief. She was grateful for Tatsuki's patience. She would have to ask Kisuke about what exactly that contract said. She was sure he'd know something about it.

On the walk back home, she contemplated all the other things she might ask Kisuke. She wondered whether he would have any good answers as to how she would begin picking up the pieces in her life. She hit a stop light and was about to cross the street when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a massive, colorful, fake cupcake poised atop a bakery. Above the cupcake was the word Mokusei.

"The bakery!" Orihime gasped.

She hurried over to the shop and let herself in. A couple of schoolgirls ogled at the pastries in front of one of the display cases. Delightful smells permeated the room, prompting Orihime's mouth to water as she approached another display case with cleverly decorated cupcakes.

"These look amazing," she said, more to herself than anyone else.

"Thanks! We try!"

Orihime looked up to see who had answered her compliment. It was a woman with reddish brown hair tied up in a ponytail. She was a good head taller than Orihime, with beautiful green eyes and a look that said she was stern but kind.

"I saw a sign outside that said you're hiring?"

"We are! Do you have any baking experience?"

"A little."

The woman looked over Orihime with narrowed eyes, as though she were trying to recall something. "You look familiar, but I've never seen you at this shop, and I'm here every day. We've only been open for a few months, though."

"I guess I just have one of those faces!"

The woman raised her eyebrows but just said, "Well, if you'd like to apply, here is an application. And a pen. You can fill it out here."

"Thank you! I'm Orihime Inoue."

"Makoto Kino. It's a pleasure."

Makoto gave Orihime a warm smile and handed her an application.

When Orihime finished, she handed back the paperwork, bowed her head, and started heading out. She was just about to open the door when the woman called out, "Wait, wait wait! You put bacon in your chocolate chip cookies?"

"Yes?"

"Huh! You know, I've heard that's a popular thing in other parts of the world. I've thought about trying it here but didn't think it would fly."

"I love it!"

"What other things do you bake?"

"Oh, you know. Just simple stuff. Cakes and cookies."

"Anything else unusual?"

Orihime and Makoto talked for about an hour after that. It turned out that Makoto had designed the application to find someone with a "creative mind." One of the questions had been, "What is the most creative dessert you have ever baked?" During their conversation, the topic slowly turned to actual dishes rather than just desserts. Makoto had made reserved faces at some of Orihime's dishes, but then she just pursed her lips and said something about "fine-tuning" Orihime's instincts. As fate would have it, someone like Orihime was exactly what Makoto was looking for. She got hired on the spot.

Orihime was practically skipping when she left Mokusei. She was worried that some of her tastes would make her a bad applicant, but something told her she should be honest about herself when she filled out the questions. She was excited to learn something new. To start a new chapter in her life. Perhaps she would finally get a chance to share her love of cooking—or at the very least, baking—with her loved ones. The prospect of someone actually liking her dishes brought her such happiness that she could hardly contain herself.

As she pranced back over to Kisuke's shop, she was too distracted to notice that someone was expecting her. It wasn't until she reached the door that she saw him out of the corner of her eye.

Ichigo.

That fast, her elation turned to sorrow.

"Inoue."

"Kurosaki-kun. What…what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you. Urahara-san said that you were out. He wouldn't tell me where."

"I was applying for a job." A half-truth. She wasn't ready to tell him that she'd seen Tatsuki.

"Really? Where?"

"A bakery."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I got hired."

"Oh...wow. That fast? Congratulations."

"Yeah. Thanks."

Orihime gave him a bright smile that didn't meet her eyes. She had not made eye contact with him yet, but as a token of etiquette, she invited him in for tea. He refused.

"No, I just…wanted to check up on you. I'm sorry I haven't seen you earlier. I was…caught up with stuff at home."

"Is everything OK?"

He nodded once. "Everyone's healthy."

A non-committal answer. What was that about?

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." There was an awkward pause. She wanted him to leave. "Is there anything you wanted?"

He stared at her as though he were going to ask her something, but he remained silent.

The sight of him reminded her of what she'd lost in Hueco Mundo. Of how he'd lost control. Had he gained it back? She tried not to let anger get the best of her, but it was difficult to ignore what he'd done.

"Well, if that's all you wanted?"

He nodded at her, averting his eyes. Orihime thought back to her reflection in Tatsuki's mirror.

"I'm just glad you're back, Inoue. A lot of us fought really hard to get you back, especially Urahara-san."

"I know. And I'm really grateful."

Another pause.

"Listen…I—" Ichigo started, but Orihime cut him off.

"You don't have to say it."

"I'm gonna say it anyway. I'm sorry." He clenched his fists.

"It was my choice."

"Don't say that. I know they made you go."

"They did threaten me, but it was my choice. And I know you tried to save me. But I wasn't expecting it."

"If there's anything I can do—"

She didn't want him to do anything for her. She wanted to be left alone. To mourn. "I'm fine, Kurosaki-kun. But it's getting late, and I had a really long day. I'm still getting used to being back. I really just want to rest right now."

"I'll be back to check up on you, Inoue."

Orihime gave him another empty smile and a swift nod before heading back into the house. She breathed a sigh of relief upon locking the door. When she turned around, Tessai greeted her with solemn news.

"He lost his powers, you know."

"What?"

"Kurosaki-san. He lost his shinigami powers. I think he probably was here to tell you that. And to make sure you're doing alright."

"He's not a shinigami anymore?"

"No."

Orihime genuinely felt sorry for him. No wonder he looked so broken. Orihime had always been so thankful for the Shun Shun Rikka. She had almost forgotten what life was like without them since she hadn't called on them—not even for a conversation—until Ichigo and her friends had crashed into Las Noches to rescue her. Too terrified they'd get consumed or hurt by any of the arrancar, she had just shut them out. She'd also wanted to avoid drawing any attention to herself. But she was surprised at how easily they bent to her will when awakened. They had grown stronger, even.

It must have been all that training with Ulquiorra. The thought of him depressed her.

"Well, I hope Kurosak-kun can be happy without them."


*15 pounds is approximately 6.80 kilos.

**So, this isn't supposed to be a crossover fic (regarding Makoto) but I am really trying to avoid original characters. My beta called this an Easter egg. I like that idea. By the way, Mokusei means Jupiter in Japanese. Hint hint, wink wink.