Chapter 3: Runaway

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Bastard! What is your problem!?" A blue haired man was fuming with rage. "Why did we retreat? Huh? She was right there! We finally found her. Tell me Ulquiorra! Why the HELL did we not take her?!" He pointed his finger aggressively to prove his point.

They were now in the middle of the woods far from the village. The hooded figures grouped together waiting for commands. They looked to their leader who stood silently with his hands in his cloaks pockets.

Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder at his heated comrade. It was correct he had given the order to back off. It had caught him by surprise that the woman was in fact the healer. That must have been the reason I was drawn to her presence, he thought to himself. He had stood back and watched as she cried and screamed for her brother's life only for her own people to stop her. They wasted no time hitting her over the head knocking her unconscious. Curious… It was after that happened he spot a green light into the sky to signal a retreat.

"HEY! DON"T IGNORE ME!"

"Silence Grimmjow," Ulquiorra spat with disgust. He couldn't take his constant whining. "Lord Aizen put me in charge of this mission. Now do as I say and return to the keep."

Confused faces looked at each other and back at Ulquiorra. He glared back at them; he didn't like repeating himself. "Go, trash…"

The members started to slowly head back to the caves. Only two remained after a few minutes: Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra started to walk away when a calmer Grimmjow, who wore an uneasy expression, stopped him.

"What the hell Ulquiorra… Isn't this what we have been waiting for? We-"

"Grimmjow" Ulquiorra's voice was flat and cold as he interrupted. He turned around and stared at Grimmjow in the eyes. He saw desperation. "Do you honestly think I have no plan? Now go. Go back and tell Lord Aizen I shall return with the women before the 2nd full moon."

"2nd full moon!?" Grimmjow roared, "Why would it take you-"

"Silence…. If you need to ask why then you really have no intelligence…"

Without waiting for a reply, Ulquiorra ran off left leaving Grimmjow alone with nothing but his rage.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The room was filled with a soft glow of the morning dawn. The pain within her body awoke Orihime. Her head throbbed for unknown reasons. With heavy eyes she looked around the room to an unfamiliar setting. The room had no decoration or any sign that it was previously lived in. it just had an old bed and a small table. Where am I? Why does my head hurt? What happened? She slowly propped herself up on the bed. She was still dressed in her clothes from last night. On the other side of the curtain she heard hushed voices that seemed to stop when they heard her move around. Within seconds a tall man with long brown hair popped his head in to look at her. He hesitated when he saw that Orihime was awake. It seemed like he wasn't sure what to say. This left Orihime even more confused. Why is on of the leaders looking at me? She was felt the back of her head, wincing at the tender bump that had formed.

"Chief Yamamoto, she is awake! Umm…. Orihime dear, do you think you can come sit with us?" The man said softly motioning for her to get off the bed.

Shunsui Kyoraku did not want to have this conversation. He watched as the red head slowly got up from the bed and walk towards him with a blank expression. He was there at the battle and saw what had happened. Guilt was rising up in him. He couldn't speak for the others, but he felt regret. We had made the wrong decision years ago….

Kyoraku lead Orihime to a table where 4 others were sitting: Chief Yamamoto, Jushiro Ukitake, Soi Fong, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi. These were the leaders of the village. Orihime noticed their grim expressions the closer she got to her seat. She didn't know them well personally, but she knew they always called upon her brother. My brother…. Orihime took a big inhale as she sat down remembering last nights events. Her mind was racing. She remembered green eyes and her brother calling to her. There was an orange light…. then nothing but pitch black. Orihime started to panic. Why isn't Sora here….What happened….

"Where is my brother?" Orihime asked loudly. She didn't care about being rude. There was silence. 5 pairs of eyes could not match hers. She looked around at each of them waiting for a response. Nothing. She was loosing patience.

"Where is HE!?" She slammed her hands on the table. Tears started to fill her eyes as more and more of last night came to her. She remembered why there was an orange light now: her powers. Realization had set in and her breathing got heavy and fast. The tears flowed quickly and felt hot on her cheeks.

"Orihime, please calm down…" the black haired female tried to soothe her. It had failed. Orihime stood up and started shouting.

"Where is SORA! You all are just sitting there! Why are you not saying anything?! I was healing him… NOW WHERE IS HE?!"

"Orihime…" Chief Yamamoto started. His voice was deep and precise. He felt for the girl but he had anger of his own. "You have broken the rules. You used your powers at night. Now you will never be safe nor will our village. You do not realize what you have done?"

Orihime eyed the older man in disbelief. She had become angrier. He avoided her question and was attacking her.

"What I have done? WHAT I HAVE DONE?! Are you serious? HOW am I supposed to know what I have done when you have never told me WHY I shouldn't use my powers? If it were SO important- you would think you would have shared that with me. NOW WHERE IS MY BROTHER!"

"He is dead…"

"What?" her voice started to break. "I-impossible…I-I-I-I was healing him…he was going back to normal…" At the moment Orihime remembered the pain in the back of her head. Her eyes widened and her face became paler. "Who stopped me?…WHO?!"

Orihime began to hyperventilate. He can't be dead. It can't be real. It is a lie..a lie…No one at the table was talking. They all tried there best to not look up at her as she desperately tried to find the answer. Her cries began to fill the room. The white longhaired man called Ukitake couldn't take it anymore.

"Orihime….What happened to your brother was terrible. But please understand…. We couldn't let them see how strong your powers are…. it may be too late now, but Orihime. Please take our apology and listen to what we need you to do."

"Take your apology?" Orihime scoffed between tears. "You basically killed my brother! You want me to blindly listen to you all?"

Orihime got up from her chair and slowly backed away. She didn't want to be in the same room as these people. Her heart was already in pieces; she couldn't take anymore from them. Turning on her heel she ran out of the hut at full speed.

"ORIHIME! Come back!" Soi Fong yelled after her. She was about to get up and chase after her when Chief Yamamoto stopped her.

"There is no use talking to her now. Let her be. She needs to grieve. We will find her later today and have the talk with her." The village leader sat back in his chair and took a long sigh.

"I think we made a mistake…." Kyoraku begain, "We should have told her from the beginning about everything...we shou-"

"It is too late," Mayuri interjected. "We made that decision 8 years ago. She needs to learn that one death doesn't matter when the whole village could come under danger."

"Yea, but what I am saying, Mayuri, is that this could have been avoided if-"

"Enough," Chief Yamamoto cut them off. He was tired and their conversations were going nowhere, "We will tell her everything before nightfall. Those demons will be back for her tonight. We need to ready…"

XXXXXXXXX

Orihime had run to her hut as fast as she could. When she entered the door it didn't feel like the same place anymore. Any warmth there once was vanished. It made her skin crawl. Bypassing her room, she went straight to where Sora slept. Part of her was thinking it was a bad dream and she would find him sleeping. Empty. Helplessly, she collapsed to the floor. Nothing was right. This wasn't how life was supposed to go. Her mind was racing and her tears were unending.

Her brother is all she knew in life. Her parents were gone. She had friends but none of them could ever compare to him. The townspeople were kind enough but after what the heads of the village did she wasn't so sure anymore. She barely understood anything. Everything seemed very complicated. Orihime remained on the floor staring at the wall. Her mind was searching for an answer. She thought about the events of last night. It had all come back to her now. Recalling the moment the blade went through Sora made her body shake. Everything happened very fast. She shook her head quickly as to erase the mental imagine. She tried to focus on what happened before when she was staring at pair of emerald eyes.

What was that about? I've seen those eyes before. Why didn't it attack me? Why was I not afraid?

After an hour, Orihime sat up straight. She had been slouched down clutching Sora's pillow. Over and over again she thought of 'why' or 'how' last nights events happened. She had been rifling through her mind on what she should do next. Everything seemed rather bleak to her. She could stay and have her life dictated for her. Or possibly be an outcast for the rest of her life. She honestly had no clue what the leaders goals were. They needed something from her but Orihime wasn't so keen and letting them have their way. Then there was her other option, running away. It solved nothing and was dangerous. The next village of any kind was a 4-day journey. Running away wouldn't be what Sora would want her to do. He would have wanted her to be brave and strong. There is a third option…

Without a second thought she got up and grabbed a bag. She filled it with clothes and any food she could find. She decided she was going to leave. Orihime wasn't going to run away. She needed to get to the bottom of this and find a solution; to find answers. She had a feeling she would get them from those green eyes.

XXXXXXXXX

Ulquiorra went to his usual spot, out of sight of the watchers, and waited. There was more people patrolling then ever before. It seemed like the Village of Light was expecting another battle. What fools they are. He shifted his attention to where the woman dwelled. There were no light or any sign someone was in there. Ulquiorra quickly changed his vantage point. He noticed some people in a panic. Out of all the years he has looked upon this village he noticed they seemed to hold some importance. Ulquiorra had assumed them to be the leaders, especially the old man with the lengthy white beard. They were yelling at each other. What are you searching for? Ulquiorra closed his eyes and focused. He honed his ears and listened.

"I couldn't find her at her hut!"

"Have you checked the Light temple, Soi Fong?"

"Do you not think I looked there first after she wasn't at home? Ukitake did you ask around to her friends?"

"…None had seen her. Most of them are still in shock about last night…"

"She must be here…we must keep looking. Mayuri search the east, Kyoraku go south, Soi Fong the west, and Ukitake go north. I will stay central. She is here. We must find her."

Ulquiorra opened his eyes. They have lost her?….No. She isn't here anymore. How interesting. He turned on his heel and quickly set off into the woods.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It has been 3 days since Orihime had left the village. She was getting to her limit. Each day she rode for hours and hours to put distance between her and the village. She didn't want anyone to find her. She wasn't ready to go back. The distance she hoped would draw the Darkness away from the village. They knew who she was, clearly they would find out she wasn't there anymore. In her own way, this was her method of keeping the village safe. She may have hated the leaders but she was still attached to her friends.

At night she waited. She put her barrier up around her and the horse and gazed into the night. Each night could have been her last. The Darkness could have come at any minute. She didn't know if they would take or kill her. All she could do was keep the barrier up and be on the look out. In the past 3 days, she barely had gotten any sleep. She was physically and mentally exhausted. Her mind was consumed with Sora and her fate.

The sun was setting and she prepared for the long night ahead. She had started a fire and let the horse graze in a grassy patch close to the campsite. She made the fire bigger then all the other nights. She wanted to be found and didn't think she could keep up her routine for much longer. Orihime relaxed against a rock and ate some fruit she found. The sun seemed to go down faster then usual tonight. Once the last beam of light could be seen, her barrier went up. All the years of practicing had ready paid off. She could maintain her shield for over 10 hours. It exhausted her but she did feel accomplished.

Hours passed and it seemed like it would be another night without interruption. Orihime wondered if she should just try and sleep when she heard a branch break in the distance. She sat up quickly and tired to pinpoint where the noise had come from. There was nothing but silence. An animal maybe? Disappointed she slouched back down. Another hour seemed to pass when a familiar feeling washed over her. It felt like all those times at her window and that time at the cave. She sensed she was being watched.

Orihime jumped to her feet and spun around to figure out where it was coming from. Her heart began to race. This is it... she thought. She kept turning trying to find the source with no luck. With one last turn she was surprised to see a cloaked figure only a few feet from the barrier. Seeing the figure so suddenly caused Orihime to trip over herself and fall to the ground. Not once did her eyes break contact. She felt no fear. Why is that? They both just stared at each other like they did on the battlefield. Orihime was certain it was the same hooded creature. She didn't let her guard down as she stood back up. From all of her lessons on the Darkness she didn't know if they could speak but she figured that maybe it would understand her.

"Hello? Why are you looking for me?" Orihime made her voice sound tough. There was nothing but the noise of the forest. I guess they can't speak after all…

"You cannot speak but can you understa-"

"Of course I can speak. I am not some mindless creature your people assume me to be," the voice was deep and smooth. It sent a shiver up her spine. It sounded so human like. There was no growls or malice. Orihime was wide eyed. The voice continued.

"Do you not know why I am here?" He questioned her with a slight bit of amusement in his voice.

"No…. but I came here to get answers."

"Answers? Tell me girl, why do you seek answers from your enemy and not your own people?"

Orihime paused. She didn't exactly want to reveal her distain for the village at the moment, least of all to the Darkness. "I have my reasons…." She said coyly. The more they spoke the more curious she got. She wanted to know what the he looked like. Ever since she was young she had imagined what could be under those black cloaks. After hearing how human his voiced sounded compared to the screams of other Darkness members, she really wanted to know.

"Isn't rude to talk without revealing your identity to me?" Oh that is a terrible excuse Orihime…

"Isn't it rude to be using your powers so strongly near me?" the voice quipped back

"I cannot trust if you will kill me or not…"

"That is strange, you want answers yet you do not trust I wont kill you.."

"How can I? Your kind has killed many of my people!"

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have easily already done so."

Orihime looked at the figure more strongly. She already knew he didn't want to kill her, at least not right away. Orihime came to get answers and that also meant a certain level of risk. Strengthening her resolve she spoke again.

"If I take down my shield…will you take down your hood?" There was another pause. The hooded male appeared to be thinking. Moments later he spoke.

"Agreed."

"But if you try anything, do not think for a second I wont attack you…" Orihime warned.

"…"

Orihime took a deep breath. A small part of her was scared of what would happen when the barrier went down. More then fear she felt excitement. She wanted to see. Soon after she took down her shield. She could feel the soft breeze of the wind against her skin. Her heart was beating so loud she was sure he would hear it.

He slowly reached for his hood only hesitating for a moment until he pulled it back revealing what was underneath. Orihime couldn't help by drop her jaw when she saw him. He looked more human then she was led to believe. First it was his eyes she saw. She knew they were green but without the cover of the cloak they were a gorgeous bright emerald. His skin was as white as milk only interrupted by two thin green streaks down his cheeks. It almost looked like he had cried green tears and it had stained. His hair was jet black that framed his face and went just above his shoulders.

"Does my appearance shock you?" he asked breaking the quiet atmosphere. Orihime had been staring at his face for longer then normal. She could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"AHH no..noo.. well I didn't expect you to look so….normal I guess." His expression changed ever so slightly by her statement.

"Normal? Do not compare me to humans, girl. I am far from it."

"Sorry… I just…"

"Enough, do you wish to know answers?"

"Yes. Please I need to know everything," Orihime stepped closer to him to prove her determination.

"Are you afraid, girl?" He looked down to her intensely. It almost seemed to Orihime that he was saying 'there is no turning back now'. Orihime squeezed her hands into tight fists. There was no going back. Brother keep me strong…

"I am not afraid," her voice was steady and calm. Without saying another word the man slowly turned and started walking away. Orihime knew he wanted her to follow. She quickly started to gather her things and ready the horse. He seemed to be walking slowly as if waiting for her. Orihime didn't know what would happen to her. Any normal person would be scared or worried. Orihime felt nothing but elation when she looked into his eyes. Taking a step forward, a small smile ran across her lips. She hadn't smiled in 3 days. It felt good. Orihime looked at the back of the man walking in front of her.

"What is it that I should call you? I am Orihime…" The man stopped walking and looked over his shoulder at her.

"I know who you are, girl" there was a slight pause before he started walking off again. Orihime sighed. I am going to have to get use to his personality I guess.

"Call me Ulquiorra,"

Once again a small smile graced Orihime's lips.