A/N: I guess I'm freaking you out with this story a little... I'm sorry about that, I hope you'll be more content after this chapter, and continue reading. Things are slowly taking a favorable turn. (nypsy: I know you like Uryu very much, so please read until the end of this chapter before you decide judgment on how I wrote him... And I don't see the ending of this story completely clear yet – this only fuels me to write more, because I'm curious – but I certainly won't take Ichigo away from Orihime completely.)

Chapter 6

Neliel scanned the sand-dunes with narrowed eyes.

'That way!' she pointed.

'But Nel-chan! I can feel strong hollow pressures that way!'

'It can't be helped! They will be drawn by your presence, no matter which direction we choose! Hurry! Our only chance is to outrun them, if we don't want to waist time fighting...'

'Right!' Orihime answered, collecting herself.

The two of them started running. Orihime tried to use the time to get her disarrayed thoughts back under control. She didn't know what she could achieve, but her heart urged her forward all the same. After a few minutes, Neliel stopped again.

'What is it?' she asked her.

Nel's scarred face paled.

'These are no ordinary hollow pressures I'm feeling...'

…...

Ichigo laughed, as a deathly blast of Brazo Derecha de Gigante missed him by inches.

'Wow! That was scary!'

'I'm not done yet!' Chad cried. 'El Directo!'

Ichigo lifted his sword high above his head, then brought it down again.

'Getsuga Tenso!'

The two energy beams met, the explosion shaking the ground under them. When the dust cleared, Chad was on the ground, choking, while Ichigo stood above him, looking down coolly. He narrowed his eyes, as he saw movement with his peripheral vision. The ferocity of Uryu's new attack forced him to leap away with a series of sonidos. Chad also managed to get up, and Ichigo was soon caught between arrows and energy blasts. In order to avoid the latter, he neared the Quincy, and attacked him. Uryu could dodge the first blow fine, but was too slow on the second. He got a nice cut on his bow holding arm.

Chad rushed in quickly, to claim Ichigo's attention again. He held Zangetsu's blade off with his armored left arm.

'Why? Why are you doing this? Why did you take Inoue?' he asked bitterly.

Ichigo scowled.

'Just because I want her.'

'Don't you remember anything? Anything at all? Don't you remember me?'

'Only flashes... I know we used to be friends.'

'Doesn't that count for anything? Ichigo!'

'I spared your lives back in the human world. Yet you came after me! What did you expect? Handshakes and a welcome party?'

Chad stepped back, sweat-drops pouring down his brows.

'You are like him, yet you aren't.'

Meanwhile Uryu pulled a seele schneider from his belt, and filling it with spiritual pressure he put it to the string. He aimed and fired. The blue energy filled blade soared through the air.

'Yes!' Uryu cried, thinking he got Ichigo this time. But then his eyes bulged. The arrancar just caught the blade with his bare hand! 'That much power...!'

Ichigo looked at the light-blade he was holding, then just threw it away. He sighed, shaking his head.

'I so didn't want to do this... You see, I have significantly less control over myself in my released form. But you're leaving me no choice... attacking two on one...'

'Curse you!' Uryu fumed, taking off his mantle, and trying to wrap it tightly around his wound to stop the bleeding. He could have done that better by concentrating his spiritual pressure, but he wanted to force every last bit of it into his attacks.

Ichigo gripped Zangetsu's handle with both hands, holding it before himself, just like he used to do before going bankai. His mouth opened to form the familiar name. But suddenly he stopped, the confident smirk disappearing from his face. Uryu and Chad froze likewise. They all felt the message brought to them by the spiritual pressure waves...

'Orihime!' Ichigo choked. Without even one word, he turned his back on the other two, and dashed away.

'Ishida!' Chad cried.

'Yeah! I know! I know!... I feel it too. Let's follow!'

…...

Nel and Orihime were standing back to back, the Santen Kesshun shield covering them from one side, and Nel's zanpakuto "Gamuza" held ready at the other. At least five blood-thirsty looking arrancars circled them, trying to find an opening in their combined protections, while even more of them watched from the sidelines... One fired a cero, but Nel swallowed it easily, returning it doubled.

'Koten Zanshun!' Orihime cried, and she managed to hit one of their attackers, but couldn't ascertain the decree of the damage she made, because the others took his place.

'Concentrate your fire on the greeny!' a man commanded.

Lights of new ceros formed in all direction.

'Orihime... please! Run! I'll hold them off!' Nel ordered strictly.

'No! I'm not leaving you! You're in trouble because of me! I'll fight!'

'You don't have hierro like me... you'll be burned alive! And I can't transform, unless you give me some room! I need to release!'

Orihime hesitated. But the moment to decide was already past them. The ceros were unleashed. Nel returned the first, held off the second with her sword, but could do nothing about the third. She only flung herself at Orihime at the last minute, to give her what protection she could by shielding her with her body. Orihime's shield deflected the most of the cero's power, but the reminder was enough to throw both of them off their feet. Orihime cried out in pain, as she felt flames lick her skin.

'Take this as well bitches!' cried an arrancar, the one who received Orihime's earlier attack. He had lost an arm, and was very pissed by the looks of it. He raised his other hand, which transformed to hold a cannon-like attachment, and he fired missiles out of it.

The girls had no strength at the moment for any counter attack. They hardly even noticed the coming danger. But the next moment a shadow fell on them.

'Ichi!' Nel choked at the same moment he took the missiles with his body.

Orihime looked up, her eyes round, full of wonder and pain. Ichigo choked. Redness of blood poured out of his mouth. He brushed it away, and turned to face the attackers with the meanest of glares... They would find no mercy...

Uryu and Chad arrived in time to see the rescue-act.

'Erm... Ishida? Would a cat save a mice from other cats at the risk of his own life?' Chad asked.

Uryu remained silent. He just watched Ichigo tearing the arrancars to pieces. Literally. Suddenly, he noticed, that Chad was no longer next to him.

'Eh? What? Sado! Come back!'

Chad joined the fight, punching out an arrancar behind Ichigo's back. Ichigo turned, and grinned.

'Hey! This feels familiar! Chad!'

Hearing this, Orihime smiled weakly, even though she was still in pain. The first true smile on her lips since arriving here... Maybe even since longer. But her relief was short lived, because Nel started screaming beside her. A large, brute looking arrancar grabbed her, and started hauling her away.

'Neliel!' Ichigo cried desperately.

He rushed after her. All the attackers were now retreating, but one of them stood his ground, facing Ichigo, cutting his way off.

'Disappear!' Ichigo hissed, and fired a Getsuga Tenso at him. But the stranger countered his attack easily.

'Ah. You've got more than the others it seems.' Ichigo noted through gritted teeth.

'Yes he does!' said a voice from behind. Vasco and Gil have arrived to the scene. 'He's Blas, one of Cayo's nasty sidekicks!' Vasco informed him.

'Correct!' the arrancar answered, still concentrating on Ichigo's moves.

'Gil! Vasco! They've taken Neliel! Quick! Go after her!' Ichigo commanded. 'I'm fine here!'

Gil started going instantly, but Vasco hesitated.

'Go!' Ichigo ordered again. 'Really! I've got my back covered here! Or don't you trust me to take care of this scum alone?' he asked, pointing to Blas.

Vasco raised an eyebrow, his eyes wandering to Chad, and the still frozen Uryu suspiciously. Suddenly a yellow shield covered Ichigo's body, who smiled wide.

'An other familiar feeling...'

Vasco looked startled, but he soon felt a soohting little hand on his shoulder.

'Please... I'm healing him. Go and save Nel-chan!' Orihime begged.

Vasco's eyes widened with surprise.

'As you wish...' he answered, bowing a little to her, and he went after Gil.

Orihime came before Ichigo, and they looked at each other, through the Rikka shield.

'Take this back.' Ichigo scowled. 'I'm gonna fight now... Heal yourself instead!'

'I'm fine... Nel-chan protected me. This is nothing...' she said, looking down to the little burned mark on her leg.

'For me it's not!'

Orihime gasped. She had heard this same line before...

'Are you done talking now?' Blas asked. 'I've been waiting for an opportunity to get at him for long...' He grinned at the thought of impressing his master by defeating Shirosaki Ichigo alone...

Ichigo looked at Orihime, who reluctantly withdrew her shield, and stepped back next to Chad.

'Take your shoot!' Ichigo said to Blas, light of determination shining in his orange eyes.

…...

'Orihime! Are you all right?' Chad asked.

'Yes. Thanks Sado-kun!' she answered, not taking her eyes off of Ichigo's fight. Both arrancars were in their released forms now, and the air trembled heavily from all the unleashed force.

Uryu appeared next to them. He gave Orihime a hard, searching look. She looked back at him steadily.

'We should go now... while he is occupied! We won't get an other chance like this!' Uryu finally sighed.

'What?' Orihime asked. 'What do you mean?'

'We came to take you back.'

'But...'

Uryu stood behind her, and turned her back, to face the fight.

'Look! Just look! What do you see?'

'I... I...'

Orihime's eyes were glued to Ichigo's form. She knew very well what Uryu was getting at. Ichigo's hollow mask transformed to bare those hateful horns that had haunted her nightmares after his fight with Uluquiorra, the former 4th Espada. His hands, as well as his legs resembled clawed paws. There was ferocity, animalistic brutality and killer instinct visible in his every move. Clearly a monster. A brute. She should be grateful for the opportunity to be rid of him, and without endangering her friends more. Ichigo had hurt her, threatened her, played with her. He had been mean with her. But he also saved her. Two times now. And even though he was in his most terrifying form now, there was just too much familiarity about him for Orihime to turn her back on, especially when he was fighting for her sake. She didn't know when she first started to hope, but realized now that the hope was there. Against all reason. She could do nothing against it.

'All I see is... Ichigo!' she finally answered Uryu.

Yes it was Ichigo. Not the protecting angel, but the protecting demon...

The fight was nearing it's end. The arrancar Blas already looked shaken, countering less of the blows. His resurrection resembled a large bear... a wounded, angry, desperate bear. Finally Ichigo had enough, and nearing his enemy he pushed his right hand right through his body. That was the final stroke.

As his enemy fall to the ground, he turned, blood dripping down from his uncurling fingers. All three watchers tensed. His eyes were just too fierce, not really seeing them by the looks of it. He came nearer. Orihime shook, but she took a step forward.

'Orihime!' Uryu warned.

But she didn't heed him. She went boldly closer.

'Ichigo?'

She screamed, as his clawed hands shoot out, and grabbed her, way too roughly.

'Inoue!' Chad cried in alarm.

'Save...' Ichigo spoke slowly, as though it was taking a huge effort. 'Will save... you!'

A hysterical sob racked Orihime's captured body. The grip on her only intensified, forcing her body to arch painfully. Chad could only look horrified. Then there was a blue light, and when Chad looked up, he saw Uryu with a raised bow next to him.

Ichigo's hands fell away from Orihime. The burning light faded from his eyes. He staggered, and his released form melted away in a wave of smoke, his human-like form returning. He looked at his own chest, unbelieving, to see the blue arrow sticking out from there, close to where a heart should be. He collapsed.

'No!' Orihime screamed.

Ichigo was lying on the ground, eyes closed, body twitching slightly.

'Ishida! NOOO! You couldn't!' Chad bellowed, beside himself. 'You... you saw it! He sawed her... he... he was fighting! You couldn't have used the spiritual pressure container!' he felt desperate, angry and betrayed.

Uryu looked pale as a statue.

'Yes I did. But I used a normal arrow, instead of Urahara's special one... Of course I could see too that his spirit was struggling to remember, for Orihime's sake.' he lowered his bow, and walked next to the girl, who was crouching down beside Ichigo now, tentatively putting her hand to his forehead.

'Ichigo...' she whispered through tears, calling him.

'I figured this was the only thing we could do to help him remember clearly... A part of his earlier self.' Uryu said, looking down. 'I hope I wouldn't regret it later.'

Ichigo opened his mouth, and murmured something, but his eyes remained closed. Orihime leaned closer to be able to catch the words.

'What is he saying?' Chad inquired.

Orihime listened for a few seconds longer, but it seemed he wouldn't speak again, so she looked up.

'He said: "The rain is pouring down."'

…...

A/N: Please review!