Chapter 2

Ichigo was just staring off into space at the campfire…just thinking about her. The way she had smiled at him…as she walked off into Soul Society like she wasn't about to face her death…that was the thing that always bugged him about Orihime… her fake smile. That smile was always impossibly large and showed all of her teeth. She used that smile when she didn't want to say anything. When she wanted to hide something. Try as he might Ichigo couldn't understand why she would choose to willingly go to Soul Society when she knew full well that they were taking her to her execution. Then again, he was also at a complete loss as to why Soul Society would apprehend her when they knew very well that she was kidnapped. Come to think of it, this is almost exactly like when Rukia was captured but things were a little different now.

He looked at the people who had come with him to rescue her even though he had highly advised against it. He didn't want anymore of his friends to be hurt because of the mess he had caused in the first place.

FLASHBACK:

Ichigo watched as the last of the soul reapers left through the gate, Renji and Rukia. This would be the second time he would have to watch them abandon Orihime and leave her to her fate. When he looked at their backs they looked back at him with the sad look in their eyes. The eyes telling him don't try a rescue just yet…and then they disappeared.

Bulllcrap! Like I'm going to let Soul Society execute one of my best friends. They're not serving any justice by executing her. They need someone to blame everything on and Orihime's the one to do it, Ichigo thought to himself.

He looked at everyone left around him. Chad, Uryuu, Yoruichi, Urahara, and those freaky half soul reapers half hollows.

There was a moment of silence as everyone took the time to digest what had happened.

"Urahara," Ichigo finally spoke up. "Can you get me into Soul Society like you did when Rukia was captured?" Everyone just looked up at him with interest.

"I thought you might say that and you should know what the answer is. Of course," replied Urahara. "Soul Society has gone too far this time. Punishing and executing souls and soul reapers is one thing but to punish and execute a human still in her own body is something completely different. They've never apprehended a human before."

"If Ichigo is going then so am I," piped up Chad.

"Come on, Ichigo, you don't really expect to us to let you go alone, now do you," explained Uryuu.

Ichigo wasn't going to have any of this…he wasn't going to let any of them die, he wasn't going to lose any of them again. He had involved his friends enough as it is. If they went to back to soul society they could die and it would be all of his fault.

"Ichigo, I sincerely hope that you are not treating yourself as a victim or anything. Like you're the only one that's hurting because of Orihime's fate. Orihime is also our friend. She's important to every single one of us. We would all willingly die to save her and I especially hope that you're not thinking about stopping us because you're we're going to die. We all know what might happen and its never once stopped us from fighting to protect our home, our family, our friends. So Ichigo, you'll just have to suck up that little fear because all it will do is stop you from getting the help that you need," spoke Uryyu.

Fear, huh? Is that why I don't want them to come with me? I remember Urahara talking to me about fear once.

He remembered fighting in that room. Preparing to rescue Rukia. He remembered what Urahara had taught him about fear. He was told that he was ruled by fear. Afraid to lose, afraid to die, afraid that he wouldn't be able to protect something. He thought he understood it now. If you fight, fight to win and live on. If you protect someone don't let them die.

"I thought I had managed to squash all those fears…guess not. Alright, lets go," Ichigo told everyone.

End of Flashback

That's how Ichigo ended up with Uryyu, Chad, and Yoruichi at his side in Soul Society once again on another rescue mission. Don't worry, Orihime, I won't let you die even if you want to.

Then all of the sudden he felt a great spiritual power. A pressure he knew very well but never once thought he would feel it in Soul Society. He also realized that everyone else felt it as well.

"Yoruichi, should we go after it?" asked Chad.

"Are you kidding?! Of course we go after it. I want to know why that bastard is here in the first place but I also want to make him pay for putting Orihime in this mess!" growled Ichigo and with that, he ran off into the darkness looking for the one and only Ulquiorra Schiffer.

"Ichigo! Wait! Do you even have a plan?" Uryyu yelled as he, Chad, and Yoruichi ran after the impulsive teenager.

Ichigo heard the others running after him but didn't stop. He could feel the Espada was close no doubt the Espada could also feel him. There wasn't enough time to think up a plan. Sometimes you just need to run into things head on regardless of how things might turn out. A little lesson he had learned from Orihime. Then, he saw him. The cause of Orihime's fate.

"Ulquiorra, you're going to pay for putting her into this mess," Ichigo yelled as he drew Zangetsu. Gathering up his spiritual power, he began to strike Ulquiorra, an action in which Ulquiorra easily deflected.

"Leave now, trash, fighting me is not going to save her. You're just wasting your energy and time," said Ulquiorra.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo said through gritted teeth.

"I do not need to explain my reasons to trash. You should just go back to your world and climb into the trash can you call home," said Ulquiorra.

"Bastard. I will not leave Orihime to her fate," growled Ichigo.

"A noble line, but trash like you will never be able to save her. You couldn't even save her from being brought to Hueco Mundo in the first place" retorted Ulquiorra.

"Why you-"

"Ichigo, stop this meaningless fight at once," yelled Yoruichi. "especially since you both are after the same goal."

"Yoruichi, I don't know if you've finally lost it you've just been spending way too much time as a cat but I seriously doubt he has the same goal as I do. He doesn't care about Orihime. He was the one who kidnapped her," yelled Ichigo.

"Oh, but I think he does. There is no other possible reason why he would be here in Soul Society and when we passed through the gateway I sensed a tag along in the gateway. I have no doubt at all that Ulquiorra is really here to save Orihime Inoue," lectured Yoruichi.

Ichigo couldn't believe this. There is no way Ulquiorra could ever care about a human. He tried to destroy Orihime.

"Alright then," Ichigo began, "Why? Why are you trying to save her?"

"I am by no means obligated to tell you. Feel free to tag along if you so choose but I will save her," said Ulquiorra and walked off into the distance and with that Ichigo with a low growl, Yoruichi, Chad, and Uryyu followed Ulquiorra debating what possible reason could Ulquiorra have to save a human.

Sorry about it taking so long to finally update but my life is a little unpredictable so I can't always gurantee that i'll be able to update. I didn't feel to good about this chapter actually but i promis the next one will be better. As always, review or don't review. I'll still continue writing the story regardless.