Warning: This story is rated "M". Expect a violent, confused (H)Ichigo, and mature themes.(Though I have difficulty making him as violent as this story would actually require... I love him too damn much for that :-))

…...

Chapter 3

Uryu and Chad arrived to the scene a few seconds later. They saw a man, who had Orihime's limp body thrown over his shoulder. He must have felt their arrival, because he turned to face them, with a mildly curious expression.

The quincy and the giant froze. Their mouth parted to form identical expressions of disbelief. Neither of them could speak. They seemed to be completely paralyzed, their eyes bulging, as they studied the features of the man before them.

He was tall, lean, dressed in white. His kimono parted at the front just enough to let the huge, black hole breaking the whiteness of his skin in the middle of his chest show. The features of his face were familiar. Too familiar. As was the fiery orange hair: the same color it had always been. Maybe even more intense, now being mirrored in the eyes too. It was spiky at the top, but long locks reached down on his back. On the top of his head, he wore a broken part of a hollow mask striped with deep red... But what left no doubt about his identity was the sword in his hand. It was impossible to mistake the form of it. Cleaver-like without a hilt or a guard.

'And who you two might be?' the man inquired, clearly loosing patience with them doing nothing, but staring.

'Kurosaki!' Uryu finally choked out.

The man's eyes narrowed, and his mouth was pulled into a mild frown, one that was really close to a scowl.

'No. It's Shirosaki. Shirosaki Ichigo. And just who you might be, Archer?'

Uryu's eyes widened even more.

'You mean you don't recognize...' he started, but then he collected himself. 'Ah. I see. Of course you don't. My mistake. For a moment I almost confused you with someone.' He lifted the hand holding his shining blue bow, and he gripped it tightly, doing a quick mental analysis of the situation. He could feel Orihime's spiritual pressure fine, that must mean she was only knocked out. But she was in danger! He must keep his cool, and act... 'As for who I am... for the time being, all you have to know about me is that I am a Quincy. Please release her. I'll be your opponent.'

A malicious laugh rose from Ichigo's lips.

'So serious! What's the problem, Quincy? Is this YOUR girl I'm holding?' he asked, giving the girl's skywards backside a little spat.

Uryu's face darkened, and a muscle tensed at his jaw with anger.

'Just release her...'

'No! I don't think I will!' Ichigo grinned even more.

'Sado! Watch out!' Uryu cried, as Ichigo disappeared form before their eyes using sonido.

Uryu was right at his heel.

'Out of my way, Quincy!' Ichigo barked.

'You're not going anywhere!' Uryu answered, raising his bow again.

Ichigo only laughed.

'Not a good idea... or do you want to risk hitting her? Besides... you look like a sensible guy. You must know that an arrow of THAT level could do nothing against me.'

Uryu gritted his teeth.

'Let's try it, shall we?'

'Some other time, maybe.'

'Sado! Don't let him get away!' Uryu cried.

Chad finally came out of his stupor, and began to move. But it was no use. Neither of them could keep track of the fast sonidos Ichigo began to move with. Orihime's weight did nothing to slow him. He even seemed to be enjoying the tag, two trying to catch one. Finally he stopped on top of a nearby building, looking down on the desperate friends, laughing cruelly.

'It was nice meeting ya!'

He reached out confidently with his free hand (the other holding Orihime firmly in place), and opened up a garganta, stepping inside the black gate...

…...

'How? How is it even possible?' Uryu cried, beside himself. 'Explain, Urahara!'

They were sitting inside the Urahara shop. Chad was still visibly in shock, looking ahead of himself, with round, almost terrified eyes. The shopkeeper pulled the brim of his striped hat even lower into his face.

'I know no more of this than you yourself, Ishida-san... but I do have theories, of course.'

Uryu 'tsk'-ed impatiently.

'How much do you know about the evolution of hollows?' Urahara asked.

'Evolution?'

'Yes. Well, maybe I should start at the beginning to make everything clear. When a spirit turns hollow, his heart vanishes, and a hollow mask takes it's place. But even if the heart is lost, the hollow retains some of the human spirit's personality – hence the different form of the individual hollows. The hollow can also bring some memories of his past life with him. I'm sure you can drag up some examples to illustrate that... For one thing: they tend to hunt down those they loved before.

Hollows eat other souls, human, and their own kindred alike. Higher level hollows are born when lot's of spirits merge together. But in the process, they lose their personality, and presumably also their memories: they become Menos. Adjuchas come to be, when one spirit becomes dominant of the fold, and rules. In vasto lordes, that personality becomes human-like again, with removing part of his or hers hollow mask. But I guess you already knew that...

Now comes the interesting part! When a hollow eats an other soul, that soul becomes a part of it's power... and it is possible, that if that spirit was actually stronger than the hollow, then it may change the personality of that hollow to his favor... We had no proof until now, that this could actually happen. A bunch of high skilled scientists study the matter under dear Mayuri Kurotsusi's command... hehehe... he'll be pissed we found evidence before him!... Khm... sorry. I know this is irrelevant... So! Since Kurosaki-san's spirit have always been exceptionally strong, it's no wonder, that he was able to overcome the hollow that took him with time. That must mean that he is a full arrancar now, with possibly no memories of his former life... Although... him taking Inoue-san... it makes me wonder...'

'Wonder as much as you like... after you have opened up the garganta!' Uryu said fiercely. 'If there is the smallest chance that she is still alive... we must bring her back!' He looked at Chad. 'Are you with me, Sado?'

Chad's fist balled up tightly. There was still pain in his eyes, but he raised them to Uryu.

'Ah... of course!'

'Sado-san!' Urahara addressed him. 'I wonder if you understand: it's not the Ichigo you knew we're talking about. He may look like him, he may act like him in some things, but the essence isn't there. Not any more...'

'And he can never go back to what he once were!' Uryu said. 'Remember: we wowed to destroy the hollow responsible for his death! Now we found it!'

…...

Orihime opened her eyes, blinking a few times.

'Ouwiii...' she whined, feeling her aching head.

She was lying on some soft surface, inside a dark room. She pushed herself up with difficulty: her arms were wooly. She raised her head... and realized she was not alone.

She knew who the man standing opposite her, leaning to the wall, and fixing her with that disturbing orange stair was, she just couldn't believe it...

'Ah. You're awake at last!' he greeted.

'I...iiichigo?' she breathed. It had been so long since she last took that name in her mouth, that it felt quite foreign.

There was no warning. The next moment, he was on her, turning her, and pinning her down to the bed, his face only inches away from hers. She squeaked, alarmed.

'Good. You know me... I hoped it would be like this.' he said, studying her features. 'Are ya scared?'

Orihime pondered the question. She didn't really know what the right answer was... She mostly felt confused, the other emotions still needed to catch up with her.

'Speak up! I want to hear your voice!' he commanded.

'I... I guess I am... a little.' she admitted.

He closed his eyes briefly, before looking down on her again.

'Yes. It is you... I'm glad I found you...' he murmured.

Then he just swooped down, and plastered his mouth onto hers.

Orihime's mind went blank. Those lips worked on her forcefully, stealing her breath. But even though the kiss was more forceful than what she ever got before, there was still something in it, that she recognized. Body ignoring the shut down mind, she find herself responding involuntarily, and opening up. As soon she did that, she was lost. Her eyes closed, and she gave herself over to feeling that sweet taste. It was the same as she remembered it... maybe even better. His spiritual pressure swirled around them: it had unmatched overtones, but it was still recognizable.

He drew back slightly. He licked his lips to savor the taste.

'Should this feel familiar?' he asked, looking down on her.

Orihime only had strength for a shaky nod.

He bent down again, this time kissing her neck. She gasped, as he began sucking her sensitive flesh.

'And should this feel familiar too?' he asked, murmuring against her skin.

To her utter embarrassment, she let out a soft moan. He chuckled.

'I guess that's a yes! Now I only need to know your name...'

She opened her mouth, but he cut across her.

'A-a! Don't tell me! I want to figure it out on my own! It feels like it's on the tip of my tongue already...' While he spoke, his hands began to journey, one entangling in her hair, at the back of her neck, and the other traveling down to feel her curves. Orihime felt blood rush to her face heavily.

'It's real unusual for arrancars to dream, you know... yet I dream.' Ichigo said. 'Almost every night. Of you! Can you tell me why that would be?'

She gulped.

'We... we knew each other in your past life...'

'I figured as much...' he grinned.

'Erm... what do you dream about me?' she asked quietly.

He laughed softly.

'You tell me...' his orange eyes held a playful taunting light inside them, and Orihime couldn't help blushing even more. His hand started moving again, going down her front and stopping to boldly grope one of her large breasts. This time, her blush showed mortification which soon turned into alarm as she felt him tearing her blouse open with one casual flick of his hand. She gasped. Now his fingers brushed over bare skin... He gave a throaty sound, that was probably a grunt of approval. His moves suddenly became more rough, a new urgency and fervency readable in them. But this time, Orihime didn't melt into his touch. Her brain hardly had enough time to process the situation, let alone accept it... If she wasn't scared before, she was now.

'Ichigo!' she tried to plead.

'Ahhh! Say my name like that a few more times... It fucking turns me on!' he whispered huskily as an answer. His hand now left her chest, and felt her thighs, pushing up her skirt completely, reaching the side of her panties.

'Please... stop!' she tried again. This was going too fast...

'What's the matter?'

'This... this definitely shouldn't feel familiar...'

He chuckled at her words.

'I see... don't worry! It soon will! I guess that "Kurosaki" must have been a real looser!' he said laughing evilly, with hunger in his eyes.

Orihime didn't know how it happened. There was a yellow light, and suddenly Ichigo was thrown back from her.

'What the hell?' he asked, confused, and angry.

The glowing light of the Santen Kesshun shield separated them, and Orihime crouched behind it, shaking completely, and wondering how she was able to find her strength for rejecting this time. Ichigo's foreign eyes burned, and his teeth barred in an animalistic gesture.

'This was... a huge mistake!' he said, the words coming out of his mouth like a hiss.

She could feel his spiritual pressure spike, and she trembled even more.

Ichigo lifted a hand.

'Did you think you could defy me?' he cried, giving the shield's surface one simple punch. That was all it took for it to break to a thousand pieces... and before Orihime could even blink, he was on her again. Orihime was being strangled for the second time that day. And somehow, it hurt even better this time...

'Well guess again! And here I was... trying to be gentle!' she heard Ichigo spat through the sounds of her own choking. She saw that his eyes held the malicious glint of a predator: deathly, merciless. Her fear boiled over, a familiar desperation taking hold of her. 'What should I do?'

'Ku... kuro...saki-kuuun!' she choked. She didn't even realize, that in her fear and confusion, she had used the name she had used to call him by before they had became a pair... The reaction was instant, unexpected and violent.

Ichigo's whole body went rigid. Then he jumped away from her, of his own accord this time. Orihime choked, drawing in large breathes. She instinctively backed away from him even more. Tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes. Once she was able to somewhat find her breath, she looked up.

Ichigo's face showed confusion, and as Orihime looked, she could have sworn she saw something flash through his eyes... like a different, more natural, darker color...

'No... No!' he cried, clutching his head, as though he was in pain. 'It's Shiro! Shirosaki!' he screamed at her desperately, anger ruling out confusion again. Then he suddenly turned his back on her, freeing her from the hold of his burning stare. He took a few large breathes. He walked slowly to the door, and put his hand on the handle.

'Just so you know: I've brought you to my own place in Hueco Mundo. Outside this building, there is only desert... You can't escape. I'll be back.' he announced, opening the door. 'Try to get yourself together by then, Hime! Because I won't be so... patient next time!'

The tears rolled down Orihime's cheeks, as sobs began to shake her body. But then something registered... Was that really her name he used? Or was it meant to be some silly title? Did he remember something? But she didn't have time to broad on the subject.

Ichigo stepped out the door.

'Neliel!' he shouted firmly.

Orihime heard footsteps approaching, and a tall woman appeared in the doorway, her long lime-green locks billowing behind her.

'As you may have noticed, we have a guest...' Ichigo informed her. 'Give her everything she needs! Understand?'

'Yes, Ichi!' she replied softly.

Orihime looked up, her crying momentarily halting.

Neliel stepped inside. Her beautiful features looked sad.

'Nel-chan!' Orihime cried, relieved to see a familiar face.

'Hi, Orihime...' she greeted back averting her eyes.

...

A/N: Please review, and tell me what you think! I really need the feedback! (Apart from telling me whether this story is worth continuing, it makes me soooooooooooo happy!)