I am back! So, Summer's over and updates will be less frequent (not that they were very frequent anyway '^^) so I will just give you all a really, really long mega chapter which is officially the longest I've ever written (I keep saying that in various different stories and then I write an even longer one).

More tragedy, hopefully some questions answered, probably more questions raised, chaos, panic and disorder. My work here is done ;)

(PS. The song is actually from Bleach, which makes a difference for me. You know, usually I just pick random songs from random artists and stick them in my stories. This is Nothing Can Be Explained. Which is ironic, 'cause a lot is explained to Orihime in this chapter. It's Ichigo who's still very confused.)

Allons-y!

Nothing can be explained

'Who are you?' I ask, continuously pressing my hand against the gem in my pocket, hoping that my desperate thoughts will somehow have an effect. Rangiku never told me how to activate this gem, so hopefully it will somehow work telepathically. I've only asked the question because there's still some vain hope inside of me that is praying that my ability to sense spirit energy is wrong, and this guy is simply an ordinary human.

An ordinary human who just asked me whether I am Number Seven.

'I'm sure you're already aware of what I am,' the Hollow continues in his calm voice, 'and I would prefer it if you could confirm that you are Number Seven.'

'I don't know what you mean,' I lie, terrified.

His emerald eyes continue to look directly into mine, and it feels as if he's calculating my answer. I can tell that he doesn't even need me to confirm that I am Seven. He knows it's me. He just wants to get me to admit it myself.

Nel clutches onto my arm, staring at the Hollow with wide, hazel eyes. Up in the tree, Nozomi's feathers are bristling, reminding me of a distressed raptor off a dinosaur documentary I once saw. The little green songbird actually looks quite aggressive, which should seem ridiculous (considering how small she is), but something about her emits a sense of power. Almost as if she could fend off this Hollow.

I'm looking for help in a songbird. That's how desperate I am.

The Hollow takes his eyes off my own and stares at the little girl beside me. 'Ten?'

Nel freezes, completely shocked. Then, shakily, in a very quiet voice, she utters, 'C-code w-w-word?'

The Hollow replies without any hesitation, 'Pittacus.'

Pittacus… Somewhere deep inside my mind, I recall having heard that word before. But how is it that something like that can matter now? What does Nel mean, 'Code word'?' Does she somehow know him? No, she was too scared when she saw him. Perhaps she knows of him. But how? He's a Hollow, and she's a human. There's no way…

'And t-t-the other c-c-ode word?' Nel stutters.

'Lorelite,' comes the reply.

Nel breathes a sigh of relief, confusing me even more. 'T-t-thank G-G-God… I thought y-y-you were one of t-the others…'

'You're in luck,' the Hollow says, still allowing no emotion to cross his face. 'Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of time. The Hollows know that Number Seven is here in Spain. They even know exactly where, here in Santa Teresa.'

'You told them?' I choke. 'You've sent for backup?'

'No,' the Hollow answers. 'The only reason I was able to find the two of you was because I hacked the Hollows' database and was therefore able to receive all the data they have so far collected on the whereabouts of Number Seven.'

'W-wait… are you not a Hollow?' I ask. 'And why were you looking for Nel as well?'

'I am a Hollow,' he tells me, once again focusing his emerald eyes on me. 'And I wasn't expecting Number Ten to be with you, although I'm glad that she is. This means that it will make it ever so slightly easier to continue looking for the rest of the Loric.'

'N… Number Ten?' I look away from the Hollow and stare at Nel. She is still watching the Hollow, her eyes shining with determination, and then the hazel orbs flicker up to the songbird in the tree, who continues to hop agitatedly from branch to branch, although she appears to be calming down now that her owner is no longer distressed.

'Nozomi,' Nel calls up to the songbird. 'Can you go and get her? She needs to be here.'

Who's 'her'? Why is this Hollow not attacking us? And why did he call Nel 'Number Ten'?

Nozomi flutters off in an instant, somehow understanding Nel's command.

'What's going on?' I ask weakly, about a million questions flying around my head, although that is the only one I find myself able to ask.

Nel turns to me. 'I'm sorry, Orihime. There is a lot of stuff I haven't told you. I've had to tell a lot of lies. Even my age is a lie.'

'Wh-what…?'

Nel faces the Hollow again. 'You know both the code words, which means that we can trust you, right?'

'Yes. I mean you both no harm.'

'B-but you're a Hollow…' I breathe.

'Which would naturally make me your enemy, under normal circumstances,' he says. 'However, these are certainly not normal circumstances. My name is Ulquiorra, and I am on your side.'

'My Cêpan told me about you, and the others like you,' Nel says. 'You're different from the other Hollows.'

'We defy the decisions of our leaders,' Ulquiorra elaborates. 'There are few of us, but there are those among my people who have no wish to participate in the universal domination that the Hollows have planned out.'

A… good Hollow? I manage to process inside my very confused brain.

'You… you mean there are Hollows out there that are… helping the Loric?' I whisper.

'Precisely,' he replies. 'At this rate, my people may destroy everything, and myself and the few others are aware that the Loric are the only ones who actually have a chance of preventing this. The humans are too weak to stand in the way of the Hollows. However, the Loric, few as you may be, might be able to make a difference.'

'You'd go against your own people?' I question.

'He understands that the Hollows' beliefs are wrong,' Nel says. 'We can trust him, Orihime. He passed my test because he knows both the code words that my Cêpan informed me of, to be used in the event of a situation like this. He's with us.'

'You have a Cêpan?' I ask Nel. 'You're Loric?'

'On the day of our planet's destruction, the ten Elders of Lorien placed a charm upon a group of Garde children, so that they could only be killed in order,' Nel says, and my eyes widen in shock. Nel knows everything. She…

She's one of us.

'Nine children and their Cêpans journeyed to Earth in a ship that narrowly escaped the Hollows' capture,' Nel continues. 'The departure of the ship was delayed slightly because one child and their Cêpan were late on arriving. However, the ship eventually had to leave as they ran out of time, and the child and their Cêpan were left behind.'

'I've heard about that,' I say. 'Rangiku once told me when I was eight or nine. She said that there were supposed to be ten Garde and ten Cêpans, but Number Ten didn't make it on time, and we had to leave without them.'

'A second, smaller ship was launched an hour later for the last Garde child and their Cêpan,' Nel finishes. 'The other Garde children are so far unaware that the last child actually did make it out of Lorien alive, along with her Cêpan.'

'So, you're…'

'I am Number Ten,' Nel confirms. 'My Cêpan brought me here to this country a few months ago because an ally of ours had discovered that there was a very high probability of Number Seven living here in Spain.'

'But… you're seven years old, Nel. This happened ten years ago,' I say, feeling so confused.

'As I said, I lied about my age,' Nel says, giving me an apologetic smile. 'I'm actually eleven years of age. I was a baby when we escaped from Lorien, the youngest of the Garde. Even Number Two was older than me; I was born a few months after her.'

'Then, how…?'

Nel closes her eyes and before my eyes, I watch her form begin to morph. She grows taller, still smaller than me, although her face grows less round and a little sharper, her green, curly hair now reaching her shoulders. She really does actually look her true age now.

'An age changing Legacy?' I breathe.

'Not quite,' comes a new voice from behind me. I turn to see a dark skinned woman with blonde hair and green eyes, her eyelashes the same shade as her hair. She wears a simple white coat and white trousers. Her face is calm; unlike how Nel and I were to start with, she seems unfazed by the presence of a Hollow. Fluttering behind her is Nozomi, who then plants herself back on the branch she was previously situated on.

'Nel, did you ask this Hollow for the code words?' the woman asks as Nel rushes to greet her. She pulls the eleven-year-old into hug.

'He's on our side!' Nel exclaims happily. 'He's one of those Hollows that you told me about, Mama!'

So, this woman must be Nel's Cêpan. As Nel was only a tiny baby when she came to Earth, that would explain why she thinks of this woman as her surrogate mother.

'Number Seven?' the woman asks, glancing up at me, her arms still wrapped around Nel.

'Yes,' I answer. 'You're Nel's Cêpan?'

'Correct,' she says, giving me a smile. 'I go by the name of Tier Harribel. And Nel's ability to change age is not actually classed Legacy, but rather a special power that few Garde are born with. We call it Aeturnus. She has been able to use this power since she was born.'

'I'm still too young to actually develop my Legacies,' Nel says with a sheepish smile. 'I'll get them when I'm a little bit older. And changing my age so I'm a teenager doesn't make the Legacies come any faster, believe me. I've tried.'

'And your name is?' Tier asks the Hollow.

'Ulquiorra Cifer,' comes the reply. 'And we don't have much time. The other Hollows have worked out that Seven is in Santa Teresa. I gained my information via their database, after all, and I was only just able to make it here before they did. There's an army coming, and if they are able to capture Number Ten as well as Number Seven, they'll consider it a bonus.'

'As Nel and I met each other a while back…' I begin, realisation dawning on me. 'This means the Charm has been broken for a while…'

'Not quite,' Tier says. 'When Nel and I planned for her to enter the convent and find you, we used a special gem from her Chest to transform Nel's spirit energy into that of a human's temporarily, so upon your first encounter with her, the Charm would not be broken.'

'That actually worked?' I ask, bewildered. 'I mean, it would explain why Nel's spirit energy seemed human whenever I was trying to sense the spirit energy of the people around us, but we still actually physically met each other. Isn't that enough to break the Charm?'

'The Charm is not a physical thing itself. It exists because of the spirit energy of the Garde,' Tier explains. 'If the spirit energy of a Garde is altered so it will be perceived in a different way, physical contact will have no effect on the strength of the Charm, and thus it will remain unbroken.'

This seems complicated, but I think I understand it. But now, as I focus on Nel's spirit energy, I can tell that it is like mine and Tier's once more.

'Nel's spirit energy is back to normal. I can sense she is Loric and not human,' I point out.

'While she was disguised as a human, it sealed any Legacies she may have developed, meaning that she would not have been able to use them. However, she is still too young to have developed any Legacies, so we were willing to take that risk when we transformed her spirit energy. Any natural powers that she was born with such as Aeturnus weren't affected.' Tier takes a deep breath, a frown stretching out onto her face. 'But now we've released the power from the gem and allowed her spirit energy to go back to normal. I think that it's a good idea, just in case it restricts Nel's powers anymore, and she is unable to use immense strength or speed should we need to fight the Hollows in the event of the army reaching us before we leave. Unfortunately, this means…'

'The Charm is now broken,' Ulquiorra finishes, and I actually notice a flash of worry in his eyes. 'Order no longer matters. The numbers are now irrelevant. They can kill any of you at any time.'

I honestly thought that I'd know when the Charm would break. Like some feeling inside of me, such as whenever one of the Garde dies and I gain a new scar on my ankle. But that's obviously not true.

I should be feeling more terrified than ever. Now, the Charm is broken. There's an army coming, and I've only so far developed exceptional strength and Hydrolocomotion, as well as my ability to perceive spirit energy. I haven't even got my Telekinesis, and who knows how fast I'll be?

I should be worrying. I should be.

But I'm finally going to do something about the war. Ulquiorra informs us that he has reason to believe that Number Eight is in London, England, and Tier suggests that once we've reached Rangiku we should travel to the nearest airport and hopefully escape the army of Hollows. She and Nel decide to go on ahead to the location Tier has been staying at while Nel's been at the convent, telling Ulquiorra and I that they'll book flight tickets. So now I head to the convent as fast as I can with Ulquiorra by my side. I can't help but stare at him as we run along through the streets. Just a mere hour ago, I thought he was my enemy, and now it turns out that he is actually my ally. He has defied his own race to help me and the other Loric. I can't help but think that there must be some deeper reason to explain why he's helping us, but he doesn't elaborate as we head towards the convent. He keeps his emerald eyes fixed straight ahead of us, his face unreadable, remaining completely silent.

As Nel and I parted with a hug a little earlier on, she told me to take Nozomi with me.

'Why?' I asked, eyeing the songbird with confusion.

'She's not just a bird, if that's what you're thinking,' Nel said. 'She's from Lorien, just like us. Have you heard of the Chimæra?'

I shook my head.

'They were native creatures to Lorien,' Tier began. 'Shape-shifters. When Nel and I left in the ship, travelling to Earth, we brought a few with us. Chimæra were popular pets, and the ones that came with us all belonged to the various members of the Garde children that were sent to Earth. They, like us, hadn't had enough time to reach the first ship with the other escaping Loric. We took the Chimæra with us and when we reached Earth they transformed into birds and left, obviously looking for their original owners or any Garde child they could find to protect. Those who did own a Chimæra back on Lorien have a special charm placed upon their Chests. Their particular Chimæra would be able to find their old owners from back on Lorien because they would naturally be pulled instinctively to the Chests, thus finding the Garde children.'

More complications… but I understood that too.

'Nozomi will always be able to find me as long as I have the Chest with me,' Nel elaborated.

'That's very convenient,' I replied, trying not to feel sad at the thought that I was one of the Garde children that didn't have a Chimæra to find me.

'She can transform into a bigger form and help you fight if you have to,' Nel continued. 'Plus, she will be able to lead you and Ulquiorra to us afterwards.'

I nodded, a little worried at the idea that I would be parting from Nel and Tier. I knew that it would be wise for them to keep away from any possible fight, as Tier was is Cêpan and Nel hasn't developed any actual Legacies yet.

It's weird to think that out of the four of us, three Loric and one Hollow, I am probably the strongest. Nel only has her Aeturnus and as a Cêpan, Tier's strength is similar to that of a human's. As for Ulquiorra… I fix my eyes on him again as we draw closer to the convent. I don't know how powerful Hollows are, or whether there are different types of Hollows, like how the Loric are made up of Garde and Cêpans. Right now, we simply do not have the time to discuss this, however.

'Orihime? Who is this?' Sister Lucia exclaims as Ulquiorra and I throw open the front door to the convent. The sister stands in the open hallway, her arms holding a pile of newly-washed clothes, and she is obviously heading towards the staircase to deliver the clean laundry to one of the dormitories upstairs.

'A… friend of mine,' I reply, glancing around the hallway quickly. At the other end, a couple of girls, three or four years younger than me, enter the room and stare at Ulquiorra before giggling to themselves.

I hear one of them whisper, 'Looks like Arisawa finally let a boy ask Inoue out.'

Blushing a little, I ask Lucia, 'Could you tell me where Rangiku is?'

'Sister Rangiku,' the woman corrects sternly.

'Sorry- could you tell me where Sister Rangiku is?' I manage not to sound impatient, but my heart is hammering at a ridiculous speed and I am filled with adrenalin.

'Sister Rangiku,' Lucia says, spitting out the name as if she's in a bad mood, 'has neglected her afternoon duties by disappearing from the premises. No doubt she has decided to engage herself in… other activities.' And by that, I know that Lucia is suspecting Rangiku is getting drunk right now, as it's no secret about how fond my Cêpan is of alcohol.

'We have to go,' Ulquiorra says quietly.

'Yeah,' I whisper, quickly spinning around to face the door. I hear Sister Lucia call out in irritation but I ignore her as Ulquiorra and I race out the door and back outside.

'Where do you think she is?' I gasp as we tear across the courtyard outside the convent. What if the Hollows are already here? What if they've found her?

'You know her well,' Ulquiorra reminds me. 'Where would she probably be right now?'

Probably in a pub, getting ridiculously drunk… I sure hope not… I decide to use my new ability to sense spirit energy. She can't be too far, definitely somewhere here in town. I'm not sure how far someone would have to be from me for me to no longer be able to sense their spirit energy.

A wave of relief spreads through me, closely followed by horror. I can sense Rangiku, not that far away at all. In fact, she's in the abandoned chapel where we keep the Chest.

But I can also sense the spirit energy of four Hollows in the exact same location.

'Hey, Ulquiorra…' I say, fearing his answer, 'you didn't bring any Hollow allies with you, by any chance?'

His face still looks completely calm, his expression remaining the same. 'As far as I'm aware, I'm the only one in Europe, let alone Spain.'

Oh no… Rangiku…

Ulquiorra and I creep around the side of the chapel, peering in through the gaps in the wall. Rangiku stands in the centre of the rundown building, cradling the Chest in her arms. She must have discovered the Hollows were invading and raced to the chapel to rescue the Chest.

The Hollow warriors surround her, two to her sides, one behind her and one in front. The black armour that I remember well is covering them, as well those darkened helmets, obscuring the pale faces that I had flashbacks about. Each one of them is pointing a dangerous, glowing red sword at my Cêpan, and Ulquiorra quickly presses me against the wall to stop me from running in there.

I know I'm not an experienced fighter, but I am a Garde. If anyone has a chance of rescuing Rangiku, it's me. I feel something light flutter down onto my shoulder and I twist my head to see Nozomi watching the scene in the chapel with beady eyes. I remember what Nel said, about how Nozomi is a shape-shifter. As much as I don't want the Chimæra to get hurt, it's comforting to know that Ulquiorra and I aren't alone in this battle.

'Where is Number Seven?' a Hollow demands, pushing his sword closer to Rangiku's body.

'I don't know what you're talking about,' Rangiku spits, her face looking fierce.

'We know you're Seven's Cêpan,' the Hollow continues, his head facing down slightly towards the Chest in Rangiku's arms. 'And we're aware that that is the Chest. Now tell us where Seven is.'

'Go to hell.'

The Hollow slashes his sword upwards and a crimson line appears in Rangiku's left cheek. Instinct makes me cry out in horror, but Ulquiorra quickly covers my mouth with his pale hand.

'Not yet,' Ulquiorra says calmly, gently lowering his hand as I get my hyperventilating under control. 'We can't just run into this.'

'Do you have a plan?' I ask.

He nods. 'They don't know I'm not their ally.' And with that he releases his grip on me and steps into the chapel. The Hollow closest to him spins around and points the glowing weapon at Ulquiorra's throat, only to lower it as he realises Ulquiorra is a Hollow. I quietly let out breath that I didn't even know I was holding in.

'Why are you not wearing your armour?' one of the Hollows asks Ulquiorra, eying the white waistcoat he's wearing.

'I'm a scout,' Ulquiorra replies, and the other glance at each other before focusing suspicious gazes on Ulquiorra. 'My squad has located Number Seven, over to the east. We'll be needing backup.'

'How many Legacies does Seven have?' another Hollow questions.

'Five, as far as we can tell,' Ulquiorra answers. 'She's powerful. We should leave here. We'll need all the strength we can get.'

'All the more reason to take this one with us,' the first Hollow growls, nodding at Rangiku, who stands frozen, an extremely worried look on her face; she's concerned for my safety.

'Seven will probably rethink her strategy when she realises we have her Cêpan,' the Hollow behind Rangiku laughs.

Oh no… Ulquiorra was probably trying to lead the Hollows away from this place, but that's not going to work as we hoped if they're going to take Rangiku with them. On the other hand, Ulquiorra has managed to approach them without them suspecting anything.

He seems to be thinking along the same lines, because in a split second Ulquiorra's arm slams into the stomach of the Hollow nearest to him, the force of the blow sending the soldier crashing into the rubble of one of the collapsed pillars. Ulquiorra dives for the glowing red sword the soldier has dropped and quickly spins around to face the others.

I leap into the room, knowing that my enhanced strength will enable me to help out in this fight. I'm not just going to sit on the sidelines while Rangiku and Ulquiorra are in danger. One of the Hollows immediately spots me and saunters over, raising his sword. I twist out of the way so as not to get struck with the blade and I push him away from me, not with too much force, but enough for him to go stumbling back a few feet before his back bangs into the wall. I don't know my own strength, evidently.

'Orihime!' Rangiku shouts, looking relieved, probably because I appear unharmed.

I lean down to pick up the sword of the soldier I just pushed away from me, ready to use it against him, when a flash of pain like lightning spreads through my head. I drop the sword in an instant as my hands fly up to grasp my head, but the pain's already disappearing. Blinking in confusion, I reach out to get the sword again, only to find that the moment my fingers touch the handle, the pain returns. I retract my hand quickly, realising that the sword itself is causing this agony inside my head.

'Don't touch it,' Ulquiorra warns me. 'It's a specially engineered Hollow blade. It's designed to reject any Loric grasp on it.'

I look up to see that Ulquiorra has dealt with the Hollow that I pushed against the wall, as well as the other three. They lie unconscious on the ground, various pools of blood here and there from where their heads have come into contact with the walls of the chapel. I feel uncomfortable at the thought of them having been defeated so painfully. It's not pity… I don't think it is… I hope it's not… I mean, they're my enemies, and they will stop at nothing to hurt me and those I care about, but still…

No. I can't think like that. I'm Loric, so I'm going to have to fight.

I look back at my allies, just in time to see Rangiku grab a rock from the debris at her feet, holding it up threateningly in one hand with the Chest under her other arm as she glares at Ulquiorra. He holds up his hands in an instant, still managing to maintain that calm personality.

'It's okay, Rangiku!' I yelp, throwing myself between the two of them. 'He's with us! He's on our side!'

'He's a Hollow!' Rangiku snarls, trying to pull me out the way, no doubt with the intention of keeping me safe from the 'threat' right next to me.

'He's a good Hollow,' I exclaim, my hands still outstretched to stop Rangiku from attacking. 'Nel told me about them- they're fighting for our side! He's come here to save us!'

'Nel?' Rangiku is so bewildered that she forgets to look angry. 'What has she got to do with this?'

'Nel's Number Ten,' I tell her. 'She and her Cêpan made it to Earth on another ship, right before the Hollows wiped out life on Lorien.'

Rangiku's blue eyes are wide. 'Ten's here? She made it?'

'Yes,' I say, glad that Rangiku is no longer acting aggressive. 'She and her Cêpan are arranging flight tickets for all of us! Ulquiorra is coming with us; we're going to find Number Eight in England!'

Rangiku watches Ulquiorra closely. 'You're really helping us?'

He nods. 'I was one of the first Hollows to come to Earth after Lorien's destruction. I've been trying to find the Garde before they do. Their first priority is to find Number Four, and their databases show that they have reason to believe that Four and Six are in Asia. They suspect Japan.'

'How come we don't know about these supposed 'good' Hollows?' Rangiku demands.

'My allies arrived at the location at which the nine Garde and nine Cêpans had left from moments before, hoping the get there before all the other Hollows. Thses few Hollows actually helped Ten and her Cêpan escape when they arrived a little later, so I'm not surprised that only they know about us.'

'Why did you tell the Hollows that I have developed a lot of Legacies?' I ask, knowing that it's not really relevant now, but I'm feeling a little self-conscious because I have hardly any Legacies in reality and subsequently I feel weak.

'Better for them to be afraid of you than to believe they can easily defeat you,' Ulquiorra says.

Rangiku nods. 'That's correct. If you really are what you say you are, then we need to get out of here right n-'

She gasps in shock, her body lurching forwards in an instant as I witness a glowing red blade, now covered in darker crimson liquid, emerge from the front of her body in a flash. The Chest tumbles out of her arms and skids over to the edge of the room. From behind her, a now-conscious Hollow whom Ulquiorra had previously defeated pulls his blade out of her back and prepares to deal another blow.

I scream.

A huge slab of stone rises from the ground and smacks the Hollow right in the head, knocking him to the side. He staggers off, shaking his head to regain his bearings. I raise my hand, and at my feet another boulder rises into the air, flying straight towards the front of the Hollow's helmet, causing his body to go flying back into a wall where I hear a sickening crack.

Rangiku falls to her knees, blood already pouring all over the ground in front of her. I bend down and wrap my arms around her, quickly preventing her body from crashing to the ground.

'Rangiku...'

Please, no... don't let this happen... please don't let this happen...

'Looks like... you finally got your Telekinesis... huh?' she coughs with a forced smile, managing to twist her head and look at the Hollow I just killed...

I killed someone...

And Rangiku's d- NO! She can't be...

She can't be dying...

I reach up with a shaking hand to rest on her wounded cheek, covering the red slash so I can see none of the blood. My vision is already going blurry because my eyes are filling with tears. I blink furiously, staring into her own pained blue orbs. A cold feeling spreads through my fingers, not uncomfortable, more like a cool breeze on a hot day. Is this her skin, going cold? Is she...?

'Rangiku...' I cry.

Rangiku's eyes widen in surprise as her skin underneath my hand begins to glow orange. I stare at it too, wondering what on Earth is happening. I glance at Ulquiorra. He is watching it carefully, recognition spreading across his face. He knows what this is.

'What...?' I begin, but at that moment the light fades away and I lift my hand off Rangiku's face just in time to see the blood that was trickling down her skin moments ago retreating, heading straight back towards the cut, which is shrinking right before my eyes, sealing up before finally disappearing.

'A healing Legacy,' Ulquiorra breathes, then he commands, 'Quickly- the stab wound.'

I waste no time in pressing my hand against Rangiku's wound on her stomach, forcing that cool feeling back into my fingers, watching as this area too begins to light up a light orange shade. This wound is a lot deeper and takes a whole minute to heal, but finally it has sealed up and is clean once more. Rangiku stares at me, completely bewildered, before she pulls me into a hug. I glad she does- I'm feeling very dizzy all of a sudden, probably because of all the power I used, and I feel like I could collapse at any second.

'Hime... I'm so proud of you,' she whispers.

The water in my eyes are now tears of happiness. 'I'm so glad you're okay!'

'Am I right in thinking that you actually managed to develop your Telekinesis and a healing Legacy within the same minute?' Rangiku laughs. 'Now that's pretty impressive!'

A gun shot silences our relieved conversation, followed by Ulquiorra letting out a pained grunt as his hand flies up to grasp his sholder, which is already covered in blood. Rangiku releases me in an instant and we turn to face yet another Hollow who has just come into the chapel, carrying a large gun which he now points at me.

I prepare myself to use my Telekinesis, even though I know I've already almost reached my limit with how much power I can use. These Legacies are new, and I need time to practice in order to control them without draining myself. But it turns out I don't need to do anything; a ferocious wolf, the size of a small car slams into the Hollow, quickly grasping the soldier's head in its jaws. It twists the head in its mouth and I hear a crunching noise. The wolf lets the body drop to the ground before it turns to face us, flicking its ears and swishing its tail. It begins to shrink, growing smaller and smaller before its grey fur morphs into green feathers and it becomes a songbird once more.

'Thanks, Nozomi,' I call to the bird. She chirps in reply.

I quickly get to my feet, trying not to collapse from all the dizziness and nausea. I step over to Ulquiorra and place my hands on his shoulder, willing his bullet wound to heal.

'Thank you,' Ulquiorra says quietly as the blood disappears and his expression of pain leaves his face.

'That's fine,' I say with a smile, trying not to show how exhausted I am. I catch sight of the Hollow I killed lying on the ground and my nausea becomes even worse. I know this feeling is appalling for a Garde. I've got to get used to fighting Hollows, but the idea of taking a life away... it fills me with sadness.

Nozomi quickly changes back into a large wolf again, growling as she fixes her eyes on something outside the chapel. I walk over to the Chest, guessing that we'll probably need to leave really quickly. I have to lean up against the wall as I approach the Chest, knowing that if I let go I might fall. Ulquiorra follows me, having probably sensed that I'm having problems standing. When I reach the Chest, I bend down to get it and almost collapse but Ulquiorra steps in front of me and holds me still until I've got my bearings again. I open my mouth to thank him but at that moment a huge explosion is heard. The ground shakes beneath our feet and I collapse against the wall and slide down to land beside my Chest and Ulquiorra, who has also fallen over because of the explosion.

I think I black out for a few seconds because when I awaken, I am still lying beside the Chest but the explosive noise has been reduced to echoes now. Nozomi is still in wolf form, out cold on floor, and I can see some blood trickling down her fur from behind her ear. A rock must have fallen on her head. Before my eyes, she transforms back into a small green songbird, still unconscious. I lean over, still feeling incredibly ill, and pick her up, gently placing her inside my pocket where she'll be safe.

Ulquiorra is stumbling over to a huge rock pile. He appears to have blood splattered over his white clothes, and I make a mental note to heal him when I regain my strength. He reaches the debris and begins to pull the smaller rocks off the pile, evidently trying to clear a path through it. It looks impossible; part of the ceiling has caved in. This building was decaying already, and it simply wasn't strong enough to withstand this battle. The pile reaches right up to what's left of the ceiling, and there's no way we could climb over it.

Within the next few seconds, I hear some coughing on the other side of the rubble and I realise exactly why Ulquiorra wants to get through the rock pile.

Rangiku.

'No!' I yell, pushing myself to my feet, managing to ignore the fact that the world is swirling at a strange angle. I rush over to the rocks, tripping over a few times in my haste to reach my Cêpan. I trip over a few times, landing bruises and cuts all over my legs and hands, but none of this matters, all that matters is that Rangiku is trapped on the other side and as far as I can recall, the only entrance to that area of the chapel is the place where the Hollows keep coming through-

'Rangiku! RANGIKU!'

'Orihime,' Ulquiorra says, a hint of gentleness in his calm voice. 'I've tried shifting the rocks. They won't budge-'

'I'm a Garde!' I cry, throwing myself at the pile of rocks, immediately trying to lift them up. All this effort in my condition causes me to start hyperventilating. 'I'm supposed to- have- enhanced- strength!'

'You've reached the limit of your powers,' Ulquiorra tries again, actually sounding sad. 'I'm sorry, Orihime.'

'No!' I shout, desperate to get these rocks out the way so I can rescue my Cêpan. 'If I can't get them out the way then I can just go round the side and-'

'There's a whole... Hollow army... there, Hime,' comes a weakened voice from the other side of the rocks, muffled and barely audible. My heart skips a bit as relief fills my mind. She's alive, she's okay! I can help her! 'The Charm's broken; if you face them, you'll be killed... for sure.'

'I don't care!' I yell. 'I've got to help you!'

'You'll be killed,' Rangiku says. 'Hime... you have to go.'

'No, no, no, no, no!' I sob, trying to use my Telekinesis to lift one of the huge boulders. It doesn't budge. Ulquiorra is right. I don't have the strength to lift any of these big rocks, whether I'm using Telekinesis or not. 'Please... please...' I whisper, desperately trying to pull the boulder out of the way.

'You've... you've got the Chest, haven't you?' Rangiku asks, coughing a little more. I can't see her at all. There are absolutely no gaps in the pile.

'It's here,' Ulquiorra confirms, glancing back at where we've left the Chest, still on the other side of the room.

'Orihime...' Rangiku continues, the pain evident in her voice. 'The Hollows will be coming through the... gap on my side any minute now. You need to... get out of here and take the Chest with you, okay, honey?'

'I can't open it without you!' I choke.

'A Garde can open their Chest by themselves when their Cêpan is... deceased,' Rangiku calls back, and I can tell she is crying too, but trying to sound strong. 'You know that... honey...'

'Please, Rangiku,' I beg. I don't even know what I'm asking her. It's not like she can do anything about this. 'Please... please...'

'G-go to Eng-g-gland, sweetie,' Rangiku says. 'You find N-N-Number Eight. You and Nel need to find the others, and then you beat the Hollows, okay? You go back to Lorien and... make things right...'

I'm taking huge gulps of air now, finding it harder and harder to breath. 'R-Rangik-k-ku...' I whimper.

'I'm sorry I wasn't... a g-g-good Cêpan, sweetie...'

'Don't say that...'

'I love you, okay? I'm proud of you, Orihime...' I can hear her sobbing now.

'Please, Rangiku! I love you... please don't leave me...'

'Hey, Hollow... Ulquiorra...'

Ulquiorra snaps to attention. 'Yes?'

'If you really are... an ally... if you really are helping the Loric... then you listen to me: you protect Orihime, alright? You keep her safe.'

'R-Rangiku...' I continue to cry, still pulling hopelessly at the the rocks. If only I hadn't used my powers so much... if only I was stronger... then I'd be able to save her...

Ulquiorra looks calm as ever, though I can see the tragedy reflected in his emerald orbs. He closes his eyes, as if he's uncomfortable with displaying the emotion. 'I will. Don't worry.'

I hear a relieved sigh on the other side of the rocks. 'Good... Orihime?'

'R-R-Rangik-ku...'

Another coughing fit. 'Remember... me... in a good light... okay?'

'Of... of c-c-course... you kept m-me safe all this t-t-time... thank you...'

'Bye... Hime,' Rangiku says in a voice that's barely above a whisper. 'I'll miss you...'

And then there's a huge bang on the other side and her voice is cut off. I scream in despair and do anything to try and push the boulders out the way: I kick, punch, hit them as hard as I can, watching blood spurting from my fists, but I don't care, all I care about right now is Rangiku-

And now I can feel arms wrapping themselves around me as I'm pulled away from the rock pile, and I'm screaming and struggling but whoever it is won't let go-

Then I feel a smaller hand grasp my hand and I turn to see Nel standing there, having just arrived, and there are tears pouring down her face too as she tries to lead me away-

And I can see Tier Harribel reaching down to grab my Chest, shouting something about the Hollows coming, though I can't understand a word anyone is saying; all I can hear is the terrible silence as I embrace a world in which I will never hear Rangiku's voice again-

I reach out for the Chest in Tier's arms, pressing my hand on the lock, and after a few seconds and a whirring sound I hear a click, signifying my having opened it by myself, which can only mean one thing- so now I know in my heart that Rangiku is gone forever-

And now everything's fading away into darkness, and as my vision goes foggy and I lose sight, I feel myself being lifted up into someone's arms and carried away.

I wake up to find my eyelids feeling rather heavy, almost as if my body's telling me that it needs more sleep. But I know that's not what's happened. This is what it's like on the morning after I've been crying a huge amount. I've woken up like this before: once when I was nine, once when I was twelve, and once a few months ago- in other words, every time one of the Loric dies.

Oh-

I remember now.

With a miserable moan, I curl up into a ball, closing my eyes, hoping really hard that everything that I'll wake up for real now, and that none of this really happened. This all has to be a dream. It can't be real, it just can't be.

Please don't let it be real...

'Orihime? Are you awake?'

My eyes shoot open hopefully, praying that it's her, here and alive-

But it's not her voice.

'Are you hurting at all? How are you feeling?' Nel asks.

'I'm... fine...' I lift me head up, realising that it was resting on Nel's lap. She gives me a tentative smile. We're sitting in the back seat of a car, a VW by the looks of it. The seats are made of black leather, and I can see Tier and Ulquiorra at the front, the former driving. They both glance in the rear view mirror, acknowledging that I've regained consciousness.

'What's going on?' I ask.

'We're heading to the airport,' Tier says gently. 'We managed to escape the Hollow army, but on no account should we stay in Spain, let alone Santa Teresa. We've got four plane tickets to Heathrow Airport in England, with the plane leaving in an hour's time. There were five tickets... but we... um... obviously had to cancel the last one,' she finishes awkwardly.

I feel new tears appearing in my eyes, and I try to blink them away. I wipe my eyes and ask, 'What about Nozomi? Is she okay?'

'I found her unconscious in your pocket,' Nel replies, holding out her hand so I can see the little bird. Nozomi is awake now, but she looks dazed, probably from her head wound. I hold out my hand to take Nozomi and Nel hands me the bird. Within the next few seconds, a glowing orange light appears around the little bird and she blinks in confusion with beady, black eyes, before chirping in a cheerful manner.

'Thanks!' Nel says, then her expression turns concerned. 'But, um... are you sure that was a good idea?'

I understand. Already my vision is swirling around and I put my head in my hands, trying to force myself not to retch.

If only I'd had more time earlier on, if only we'd managed to keep the Hollows at bay, I could have waited for my powers to return and then I could have shifted the rock pile and saved her...

'It's not your fault, you know.'

I jump. With him being so silent the whole time, it's quite easy to forget that you're standing next to Ulquiorra. I turn to face him, only to find his emerald eyes watching me carefully.

We're standing off to the side, waiting for the gates to open so we can board the plane. There aren't that many people in the airport, and I can see Tier and Nel sitting down on some chairs a few feet away. Somehow they have managed to get both mine and Nel's Chests through security. Maybe they used some other charm to conceal the items inside it, or tricked the guards into thinking that the stuff in the Chests are just regular items one might find in a suitcase. The guards didn't open the Chests up, which proves that they believe whatever illusion they're seeing. Maybe the metal detectors didn't pick up anything because any metals found in there are Loric and not from Earth, so they technically don't register on the scanners. I don't know. I don't really care right now. I'm too busy trying not to cry openly about what happened to Rangiku, and there's also the fact that I never got to say goodbye to Tatsuki.

'What?' I ask Ulquiorra.

'Your Cêpan's death. It wasn't your fault.'

'Rangiku. Her name was Rangiku.'

'There was nothing you could have done to prevent Rangiku's death,' he continues. 'Maybe if I had found you sooner, if I had approached you earlier on and helped you get away in time, this wouldn't have happened-'

'It's not your fault, either,' I whisper, looking at my Chest, which is on an empty chair next to Tier, next to Nel's Chest. 'I'm never going to understand the items in my Chest, now that she's gone.'

'Mama is a great Cêpan,' Nel says in an effort to cheer me up, coming over to see how I'm doing. 'I'm sure she'll be able to help you as well as me.'

'Thanks, Nel,' I reply, giving her a tiny smile.

A speaker announces that the gates are now open. Nel rushes over to Tier and picks up her Chest, while Tier takes mine.

'Come on,' Ulquiorra says, holding out his pale white hand. I take it.

I promise, Rangiku, that I will find the others. We'll fight the Hollows, and we'll win. I swear that we will save Earth and restore Lorien. Thank you for everything.

(Lost on the way, no one to blame, no one to save

nothing to do with the way everything's changed)

I open my eyes.

There's sunlight pouring in through a window and the white curtains are blowing inside because of a breeze travelling through the open window. I sit up, immediately feeling a terrible headache. I'm confused at first- this isn't my bed. This isn't even my room. Where the hell am I?

'Hey. You're awake,' comes a familiar voice. I stare at the bottom of my bed to see Toshiro sitting in a chair a few feet away. He gives a sad smile.

'What...?' I begin.

'Sorry I couldn't come in time. I was a bit late,' Toshiro says.

'Where's Zange...' I trail off as I remember. No... it wasn't just a dream... why?

Lost, I feel, a little like, a child who's lost, a little like

everything's changed a lot, I didn't like all of the pain

(everything's changed)

Toshiro bows his head respectfully.

'Is he awake yet?' I hear an obnoxious sounding voice say from the other side of the door. I stare at the wooden door in disbelief. What the hell's Grimmjow doing here? … Wherever here is.

'Yeah,' Toshiro replies, and the door swings wide open as Grimmjow enters the room.

'What's he doing here?' I ask, staring at Grimmjow.

'How much do you remember?' Grimmjow asks, cocking his head to the side.

'We... we were fighting... and then Zangetsu...' I can't go on.

'I arrived at your home right after... anyway, Grimmjow carried you here and I came too,' Toshiro explains. 'You blacked out and then your heart started beating really slowly and you stopped breathing. We thought you were going to die, and when we opened your eyes to see if they were dilated or anything, they'd changed colour.'

'Changed colour?' I mutter.

'Yeah. The sclera- you know, the white bit- were black, and your irises were yellow. We weren't sure what to do because we couldn't exactly take you to a hospital, but then Kon started scratching at the Chest, and we realised we needed to get it open. I remembered what you said about how you need both the Cêpan and the Garde to open the lock, except when...'

Except when the Cêpan is dead, I think miserably.

Lost, confused, a lot of it is hard to take, and 'cause of it

everything's changed, I thought I'd make it through the pain

(everything's changed)

'So then we pressed your hand up against the lock and it clicked open, then Kon when and picked up this weird stone with his mouth and carried it over to you. He put it in your hand and then you started breathing again and and your heartbeat went back to normal. We think it was some sort of Loric healing stone or something.'

'Right...' I get it. The black and yellow eyes.

The same colour as Shiro's eyes.

He... he tried to possess me or something. I don't really understand, but whatever happened, I know that he is my most powerful Legacy, one of the ones I haven't unlocked yet. And I know that because of this, him trying to possess me almost killed me.

He wanted me to kill everyone. To transform my grief into hatred and use it as a weapon. Somehow, he is my enemy, despite the fact that he is a part of my powers. He... betrayed me...

Given the chance I would happily dance on the grave of the one

who shows no remorse

'Where are we?' I ask, deciding to focus on something else.

'A Bed and Breakfast,' Toshiro asks. 'We had to get you away from your home. We're on the outskirts of Karakura now. You've been unconscious for the whole night.'

'What about Rukia?' I ask, leaping out of bed. 'Is she safe from the Hollows?'

'Sheesh, everything's about your girlfriend,' Grimmjow says, rolling his eyes, though I know he cares about what happens to Rukia too.

'All the Hollow soldiers have either retreated or they are dead,' Toshiro replies. 'Momo's with Rukia right now.'

'But she's a Hollow-'

'I know. But it's different.'

'How exactly?' I say angrily. 'If Momo's with her, then Rukia's in danger!'

'She's fine,' Toshiro says. 'They're both fine-'

I leap out of bed, ignoring Toshiro and Grimmjow's commands to sit back down. In an instant, Grimmjow pushes me back onto the bed, rolling his eyes again. I find myself growing extremely dizzy and I understand; I'm still quite weak from the battle. But Rukia's still with Momo-

'Thanks for your help, Grimmjow,' Toshiro says (since when were they such good friends?). 'You should probably get back home and continue with your life. Forget about all of this.'

Nothing is plain

nothing can be explained

nothing can be explained

nothing can be explained

…

'How can I?' Grimmjow asks. 'After everything I've seen, all that fighting...'

'The Hollows will know that Number Four has fled Karakura Town. They probably won't be bothering you or anyone else around here again,' Toshiro answers. 'This isn't your battle, Grimmjow.'

'It isn't yours, either,' Grimmjow points out.

'I've been a part of all of this for a lot longer than I realised. After all, I'm best friends with quite a few aliens in case you haven't noticed. I want to help.'

Grimmjow nods. He turns to face me. 'Oi, Carrot-Top. Try not to get killed. That would probably suck.'

I manage to smile. 'Yeah. Probably.'

Grimmjow grins and then he disappears out the door.

I feel something nudging my arm, and I look down to see Kon crouching on the bed in his cat form, watching me with warm brown eyes.

'You're the reason I'm still alive,' I say, reaching over to stroke his back. 'Thanks, buddy.'

Toshiro smiles, then his face turns serious. 'The plan hasn't changed, though. I know Zangetsu-' He hesitates, obviously uncomfortable having to bring up my dead Cêpan's name- 'booked two tickets, one for you and one for him. I can take up the spare place.'

'Toshiro-'

'Look, I'm sure Rukia will be able to explain it a lot better than me,' he says, handing me his cell phone. I take it and immediately dial Rukia's cell number.

Let her be okay... please let her be okay...

(Lost on the way, no one to blame, no one to save

nothing to do with the way everything's changed)

But after all the grief all the betrayal, my life almost coming to end, I know what I have to do. No matter how much it hurts, I've got to will my heart to keep on going.

'Hello?'

I almost jump about a foot in air, I'm so relieved. 'Rukia! Are you okay?'

''Course I am, Strawberry,' she replies, and I can tell she's grinning at the other end. Then her voice grows less playful. 'Toshiro called me up about what happened to Zangetsu earlier on...' And I can hear in her voice how sorry she is, but she doesn't say sorry, and I remember what she said two nights ago about how she hates it when people apologise for others' misfortunes. Even though I said sorry to Toshiro when he told me about his grandmother, I understand where she's coming from.

'Is... is Momo with you?'

'Yeah, we're at the airport now.'

'At the- the- what?!'

'Sounds like Toshiro didn't explain much,' Rukia says grimly. 'Momo and I are going to Spain to help Number Seven, and if all goes to plan, you and Toshiro should be going to America to help Number Nine.'

'But... but... Momo's a Hollow!'

'Yeah. I know,' she replies simply.

'She's dangerous! She could hurt you!'

'Hello, Ichigo. This is Momo speaking.'

I stare at the ground, horrified. '… Have you hurt Rukia?'

'Of course I haven't!' Momo replies. 'She's my best friend!'

'You're Hollow.'

'You just naturally assume that all Hollows want the Loric dead, don't you?'

I have nothing to say to this.

'There are a few of us- very few, unfortunately- who have been brought up believing that what most of the Hollows want is wrong. I've grown up with Rukia. I've known her for most of my life. I've been protecting her this whole time.'

'You mean...'

'A few months ago, I went to New York to try and find Number Nine before they did. I was unsuccessful. Hollows like me... we want keep the Loric safe, because we know they can stop all of this.'

'So, you're an... ally?'

'Yep,' she confirms.

'But why have you been keeping Rukia safe this whole time? Why does she need protecting?'

'Hey. It's me again,' comes Rukia's voice.

'Why are you getting involved in all of this, Rukia?' I ask.

'Two main reasons,' she replies. 'One: they took Shirayuki.'

'What?!'

'The Hollows attacked us too. They've taken Shirayuki prisoner, but Momo and I managed to escape. I've got to find a way to rescue her, and finding the rest of the Loric is a good start.'

'And the other reason?' I ask, a realisation beginning to dawn on me. It hardly seems possible, but as I look across the room at Toshiro, the look in his eyes is practically confirming it for me.

I remember what he said earlier to Grimmjow: 'After all, I'm best friends with quite a few aliens in case you haven't noticed.'

'It's me, Ichigo,' Rukia says. 'I am Number Six.'

In the original story, Number Ten does not have a Chest and is not technically part of the group in the respect that she is not under the Charm like the others, but I didn't want to do that with Nel.

With what Rukia just said... hopefully it will make sense to you all by the end of the next chapter. Some of you guessed correctly about Number Six's identity, some other guesses were rather worrying... not the point '^^

I also don't want Orihime to be as weak both mentally and as physically as she is in Bleach. I'll still make her have a generally friendly personality, but I don't want you guys to hate her 'cause she sits around doing nothing, because that's not what she's going to do in this series.

Obviously Momo and Rukia don't know that Seven will no longer be in Spain by the time they get there, but they'll soon figure out what to do.

I wouldn't be surprised if the characters have a fear of collapsing buildings, considering the events of this chapter and the last.

Within the next story, I'm perfectly happy with shipping UlquiHime, but if anyone has a problem with that, speak up.

Okay, so one last chapter ahead, and then we'll be onto the sequel!

Bye!