An update!

Settle in with something to snack on, folks. This one is LONG. Just couldn't bear stopping it at one part, and I really wanted this chapter to be the last flashback, so…there you go. Long updates, ahoy!

So sorry for the wait, my friends. Even in the summer, I am busy. Then again, I guess I better get used to it. When I graduate next year, summer will no longer be a break, but a time to find a job in the "real world" (DUN DUN DUN).

Plus, writing this one was like pulling teeth for some reason. I went back and forth on a lot of stuff, and finally just confided in fellow writer and friend, xfang-girlx, (who writes some Bleach and Death Note stories, for those interested :) my shameless plug for her haha) to get everything sorted out, so kudos to her for this one! Thank you! :D

And thank you to everyone who has shown any interest in this story! I know the updates are slow, but it's because I'm trying to give you the best story I can. Hang in there with me, please. And thank you for follows/favorites/reviews!

And on another side note that does not have anything to do with the upcoming chapter of this story, if you are not caught up on the Bleach manga releases, you should think about trying to catch up. It is phenomenal in my opinion (though apparently some people are not as happy with the story as I am…), and I get so stuck on the artwork that it is crazy. Maybe it is the art kid in me, but Tite Kubo's work just makes me swoon sometimes, and not even just with the attractiveness of his characters. I get all excited about placement and composition and geeky art terms like that. I even sent my mother a photo on my phone of one of the panels, gushing about the emotion portrayed by Ichigo in that particular scene. *Sigh* if only the chapters were not so short.

But enough of my rambling. It's time for another update. This is going to be the earthquake and tsunami, and will be the longest chapter to date. Remember friends, this story is AU, so I've taken some creative liberty and arranged some things to benefit the story. Be kind in your reviews.

Warnings for this chapter: Some language, dark/scary situations, depictions of death.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I own any OCs and the plot, but that is all.

Chapter 3

5:46 p.m.

One moment, Orihime was thinking of a way to break the comfortable silence that had fallen between her and the man that had stuck up for her against a coworker. The next, she was aware of her stance on the usually solid floor becoming unsteady. It took the girl a few seconds to understand that it was the building shaking and not just a trick of her imagination. With wide eyes, she reached out to steady herself, grabbing the closest thing to hold onto, which happened to be the arm of the recently introduced Ichigo.

If the man was offended by her touch, he showed no indication of it. Instead, he furthered the contact, reaching up to grasp her shoulder firmly as the tremors began to increase.

"An earthquake?" Orihime spoke quietly, her voice full of disbelief. But her guess was confirmed when the building's alarm system began to blare.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew what she was supposed to do in this situation. Earthquakes were not that uncommon in Japan, seeing at they were a hot spot for tectonic plates moving, but she could feel the difference almost instantly. This wasn't a small tremor that lasts for barely a second. This was larger, stronger. Knowing what to do in a situation like this and being able to apply it to said situation were two completely different things, and the orange-haired girl was having trouble remembering a course of action.

She wasn't the only one who seemed to forget. Somewhere in the gallery a woman screamed, and a few yells rang out to fill the air along with the shrill alarm system. The floor rocked violently under her feet, and she stumbled, nearly falling to the tiles below, but she was caught by the sturdy arms of Ichigo, who immediately pulled her to his chest.

"Get down," he ordered quickly, pulling both of them down to the floor. From there, he ushered them both the nearest wall. His authority was clear, and Orihime listened without any hesitation. While she was drawing a blank, he seemed to know exactly what to do, and his ability to think quickly in such a situation was a comfort to her. She did as he said, pressing her back against the wall and pulling her limbs in as tightly as she could to make herself as small as possible. She expected him to do the same, but watched in surprise as he positioned himself over her, his arms locking against the wall on either side of her. He was shielding her, she realized, using his body as a barrier.

"Ichigo?" Her voice took on a questioning nature, and he immediately picked up on what she meant by the tone.

"I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I didn't try to protect you," he answered quickly, though his expression didn't match his light-hearted words. He glanced down at her, noting that she still was concerned, and he nodded firmly. "I'm fine. Just hang on," he assured her, his eyes intense as he looked at her.

She could feel the warmth of his skin radiating from him, though he did his best to put space between them even as he tried to protect her, ever the gentleman. Orihime cursed her body's immediate reaction to blush at his proximity, but said nothing of the man's closeness.

"Should we not leave the building?" she asked quietly, her voice barely heard over the alarm system. Already, the shaking was getting worse. The plastic containers on the wall spilled their contents, papers sliding across the floor once again. She could hear a light bust in the galley space, glass tinkling as it hit the tiles. Plaster in the ceiling above them began to break, the white chunks falling to coat the two of them in a layer of dust and debris.

"We have to wait for it to pass," Ichigo replied, his voice calm as he observed his surroundings. "It'd be dangerous to try and move right now."

Orihime closed her eyes, pushing further back into the wall behind her as she tried to control her breathing. She could feel her heart racing, her head reeling as she tried to remain calm. She didn't see how the man was remaining so composed, his gaze alert as he scanned the hall. Here she was, nearly hyperventilating, and he was in control. Or at least he was on the outside.

If asked, she couldn't tell you how long the shaking continued. It felt like hours, days, but was most likely only a few minutes. But when the world stopped its shaking, it was as if time had been paused. She didn't react right away, her mind still caught in the earthquake though the tremors had stopped. It wasn't until Ichigo called her name that she snapped out of her trance, looking up to meet warm brown eyes.

"Let's get out of here," he said softly, pulling her up from her spot on the ground.

X

Ichigo was reminded of a warzone as he looked at his surroundings. Glass covered the floor, mostly from lights that had not been able to withstand the pressure of the earthquake. People stood on unsteady legs, regaining their bearings in the now still building. Some were crying, some were cursing, and some looked too shocked to really have any reaction at all.

He was aware that Orihime seemed to fall into the latter category, having receded into her mind so far that she had not realized the shaking had ended. Though she now responded to him, standing alongside him as they began to move, he could tell she was still struggling to grasp what had happened. Not that he blamed her. He could barely believe it himself.

They passed the elevator, instead choosing to take the stairs. Orihime clung to his jacket's sleeve, allowing him to tug her along behind him. Not that he minded. He understood the need for an anchor in a situation like this. He would gladly serve that role for the girl until this whole thing was sorted out.

"Once we get outside, we can figure out the damage," he spoke over his shoulder, taking the stairs down. He struggled to remain at a calm pace, anxious to leave the building. It was ironic. Only a few minutes ago he was mourning the thought of postponing his exploration of the Mediatheque. Now he couldn't move fast enough on his way to the exit.

As they reached the second floor landing, the building lurched again, a second, smaller tremor rippling through the structure. Orihime let out a gasp, gripping at the wall with open hands as she steadied herself. Ichigo was less fortunate, not having the wall to hold onto as he was perched precariously at the edge of the closest flight of stairs. He felt his feet falter and knew he was going to fall. Bracing himself, he reached out towards the railing, only to have his grip slip and land heavily against the metal bar with his torso. The collision forced all of the air out of his lungs, a sharp pain radiating from his side as he groaned.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath as the tremor ceased. He hadn't thought of aftershocks. Though this one was much less devastating and a hell of a lot shorter than the previous earthquake, it was still enough to make stairs difficult to descend.

"Are you alright?" the concerned voice of Orihime rang out, and Ichigo looked up to see her watching him closely.

Ichigo probed his side with gentle fingers, cursing under his breath once more as he touched the tender area. He was certain that his ribs were not supposed to feel like that, the slight ridge prominent as it slightly lifted away underneath his touch, moving a fraction of an inch with every breath and pressing into his skin. He didn't have to follow in his dad's footsteps into the medical field to know that two, maybe three ribs were broken.

"Just my ribs. I'll be okay," he assured her, knowing there was not much he could do about it at the moment. Having gotten his fair share of injuries in his adolescent fights, he was no stranger to broken ribs. It would be a bitch to breath until they were healed, as each breath would move the injured area, but he knew he could handle it.

But damn it, if it wouldn't slow them down. He could barely straighten his torso at the moment, the motion putting too much strain on his ribs to be comfortable. Already, his body was overriding his mind, refusing to listen to him as he told himself to take steady breaths and instead bringing in air in shallow pants, trying to keep his chest's movements as small as possible.

Orihime didn't seem convinced by his assurance and stepped forward, gently ducking under his arm to support him. "At least let me help you down the stairs," she insisted, looking up at him with an expression that gave no room for argument. The man was in no position to protest, and simply nodded, allowing the girl to help him down the last flight of stairs. The pain would subside in a few moments, at least enough for him to move freely without needing assistance, but at the moment he was grateful for it.

It wasn't until they got outside of the Mediatheque that the two could see the extent of the damage. Surprisingly, it seemed that there was not much destruction. Some broken glass littered the ground, some areas of the asphalt cracked where it had been smooth earlier, but it seemed that most of the buildings were intact, structurally sound.

That didn't stop the rising panic from seizing the pedestrians, however. Tons of people were scattered in the street, creating a mass of chaos as they weaved amongst the rows of cars that lined the street in bumper to bumper traffic. The traffic was stopped, either from fear of hitting the people crowding the streets or still stalled from the confusion of the earthquake. Orihime did not stray from Ichigo's side, sticking close as he tried to figure out the next course of action.

He couldn't stand still. Not with the way the crowd moved. He could hear police whistles, and watched as a few policemen with emergency kits started instructing people to move. An evacuation? What for? Perhaps some gas lines had been damaged. Ichigo couldn't think in the situation, not with the amount of people and the shrill sounds of the whistles as they cut through the air. Everyone was moving in the same direction, further into the city, and Ichigo found himself falling in step with them, tugging the girl along behind him. They seemed to know where they were going, and moving seemed like the better option.

"Do you have family nearby?" he asked quietly, his voice barely caring over the nervous conversations of those around them. The girl heard him just fine, however, and shook her head.

"No," she answered, though he could see something click in her mind. "My friend Tatsuki lives around here though."

"Call her," Ichigo replied calmly. "She's probably worried." As he spoke, he pulled out his own phone, punching his old man's number into the device before lifting it to his ear. The thought of his family sent a panic through his heart, and he silently prayed that everything was alright back at home.

His dad answered on the second ring. "Ichigo? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ichigo said, wincing when a small movement sent pain through his torso. "Got some broken ribs from a fight with a staircase, but I'm in mostly one piece. Are you and the girls okay?"

"We're fine," Isshin confirmed, and Ichigo sighed in relief. "Yuzu is a little upset, and Karin is putting on a strong face, but none of us are hurt. Not much damage here, thank God."

"Good. There wasn't much in this part of the city, either, though I'm not sure about the rest of Sendai," the orange-haired man answered. Ichigo could hear Orihime on the phone, talking rapidly and assuring the person on the other line that she was okay. "Though that hasn't stopped people from being a little freaked out. The police are moving us, but there isn't any information being given out. Anything said on the news?" He was hoping there would be something to tell them what they could expect next, if there were going to be more aftershocks or what they would need to do now.

"Hold on, let me turn on the television," his dad muttered, and shuffling could be heard on the other line. It was another moment before his father spoke again. "Jesus, it was a magnitude of 9.0, about 43 miles off the coast of the Touhoku region," his father said, his voice lowering ever so slightly. Ichigo figured his sisters were close by. If Yuzu was still upset, his father would probably try to keep his voice down, less the information scare her more. Especially when her brother was currently in the Touhoku region. "I'm surprised you weren't hit harder than you were, seeing how close it was to Sendai. There saying there's a possibility of more aftershocks, so be careful."

"I will be," Ichigo promised. Orihime suddenly stiffened next to him, and he heard her gasp as she came to a stop. He glanced down at the girl, watching as she covered her mouth, listening intently to the other person. People shot them glares as they maneuvered around them, but Ichigo wasn't paying them any attention. "Orihime?" he questioned. "What's wrong?"

His father was the one who answered that question. "Holy shit," Isshin breathed into the phone. "Son, there's a tsunami."

Ichigo's heart seized in his chest, and he struggled not to cough as he tried to control his breathing. "What?"

"The earthquake caused a tsunami," Isshin repeated, his voice much more urgent. "It's…God, Ichigo it's being reported as a major one, maybe ten feet high in some places." Ichigo could hear his sister's in the background asking what was going on, Isshin's voice having grown louder. "You've got to get to high ground. Now."

Karakura Town was luckily far enough inland to avoid a tsunami, but Sendai was a port city, and with the earthquake happening so close they would be hit for sure. They were further inland in this part of the city. Could the water still reach them? How fast was this thing moving? The police hadn't said anything yet, but it was obviously by their urgent yells that they were in very real danger. His breathing quickened, and he tried to ignore the ache in his side as he forced himself to walk faster, pulling Orihime back into motion.

"How much time do we have?" Ichigo asked, his mind reeling. Where was he going to find high ground? He didn't have a car with him, and he didn't know the area. The odds weren't in his favor. "Do they have an estimate for Sendai?"

"Thirty minutes," Orihime spoke softly, bringing Ichigo's attention to her. She looked terrified, clutching her phone to her chest. "Tatsuki said the news was giving us thirty minutes. We are under mandatory evacuation."

"Damn it," Ichigo muttered, a shaky hand raking through his hair. Thirty minutes was not a lot of time to get somewhere.

"Son, are you there?" Isshin asked, frantically trying to gain his son's attention once more. "Talk to me."

"I'm here," Ichigo answered, his voice far calmer than it should have been. Maybe he was going into shock, he thought briefly, but even still he could feel the dread pooling in his stomach. "Orihime says we have thirty minutes."

If his father found it odd that he had mentioned another person, he didn't comment. "You need to get as far away from the ocean as you can. Does this Orihime have a car?"

"The roads are congested," Ichigo nearly groaned, shaking his head. "By the time we got to a car, it probably wouldn't do us much good." Even now, the sound of car horns was beginning to reach his ears. The roads had become all one direction, cars pushing forward as they tried to leave the city, but it was still slow going. "Fuck," he said in a low voice, knowing his tone held a note of terror. "Dad, I don't know what to do," he admitted. He was terrified, knowing they were running out of options.

"Find a police man and see where you're supposed to go," Isshin fired back, doing his best to keep his wits about him.

Ichigo looked around, spotting a man in uniform close by, ushering people forward. "Sir! Hey, officer!" he called out, and the man looked up. "Where are we supposed to go?" he asked, watching as the man continued to wave people through.

"We are doing the best we can, young man," the officer responded, avoiding the question. The man was nervous, frantic in his movements to get the people moving, and Ichigo understood that this was a high stress situation, but he was going to lose his mind if he didn't get some kind of assurance that they had somewhere to go.

"That's not what I asked," Ichigo said, aware that some people were trying to listen in. He didn't want to cause a scene, and he knew that if he allowed his panic to get the best of him he may cause more harm than good. "Please, is there no where we can go for refuge? I'm not from this city. I don't know where we are being led."

The police officer hesitated, trying to word his answer, before sighing. "Listen, I don't know what to tell you other than we are trying to get everyone to high ground. Buses have already been sent out, and we are trying to load them up as quickly as possible, but they won't be enough." He paused, shouting out for the others to keep moving. "Right now, the pedestrian bridges are our best option."

"Would a building not work?" Orihime questioned the man after a moment, and Ichigo watched as the officer shook his head.

"We don't know how strong this wave will be when it reaches us, and there is a high possibility of fire in this situation, as a lot of these buildings are run on gas." Though the bridge wasn't the best option, the structural design would serve to help them in this situation. With space beneath the structure, it would allow the water to pass without creating much resistance, making it less likely to be swept away. As long as the bridge was soundly built, it would work as an escape from the water. "We are doing our best to get everyone out of harm's way. Please, follow the instructions we've given and keep moving."

Ichigo nodded, giving a quick thanks before moving on, pressing his phone back to his ear. "They said there are buses, but we won't all be able to leave. The remaining people are being led to pedestrian bridges for shelter."

There was a pause, and for a moment Ichigo thought the man had hung up. "Dad? Did you hear me?"

There was a hesitation on the line, and then Isshin spoke, his voice full of worry and urgency.

"Find the sturdiest one you can and sit tight."

X

The bridge they were led to ended up being sturdier that Ichigo first expected. The metal structure was well made, rooted deep in the concrete, and elevated to around fifteen feet over the street. Even as a last option, Ichigo felt it would do.

His father had been a nervous wreck when he tried to hang up. The older man had nearly put up a fit, ranting about the importance of communication during a crisis, but Ichigo knew he needed to save his battery. He didn't know how long he would actually be on that bridge, and he'd much rather wait out the tsunami in silence if it meant he could contact his family the minute he was safe. After a lot of convincing and promises of wellbeing, he finally ended the call, putting the phone back in his pocket as they neared the bridge. Sarcastically, Ichigo noted that at least the phone's case was waterproof, but he quickly shoved that train of thought out of his head, less it lead somewhere much less humorous.

It had taken them a little over ten minutes to walk that far. The tsunami would hit soon, he knew. The traffic was slowly beginning to flow together, moving much faster than it had been, but it was going to be a close call getting everyone out. Too close, Ichigo thought with despair.

It wasn't as crowded as it could have been, and they weren't anywhere near the weight limit that the bridge's sign boasted it could hold. From a logical standpoint, Ichigo should have felt rather confident as he and Orihime took to the stairs and found a spot on the bridge. But this wasn't a situation where logic could help. Natural disasters were chaotic, untamed, and no amount of reassurance was going to get rid of the sickening dread that had begun to settle over the bridge and its occupants.

Ichigo couldn't say he felt very safe, knowing the cold feeling in his gut would only get worse as the time got closer to the estimated arrival of the tsunami, but he felt safer on the bridge than he did on the sidewalk. As he lowered himself to sit, pushing his back against the railing of the bridge as he ignored his throbbing ribs, he let out a shaky breath. Orihime settled next to him quietly, and for a moment neither spoke.

"You're family," Orihime started, breaking the silence, "are they okay?" She fiddled with the hem of her jacket, and Ichigo could see she was shaking.

"Yeah," he said softly, looking down the street. The direction they were facing was towards the coastline. Though he could not see the ocean from here, he knew the water would come. "They are not close to the coast, so they won't have to worry about this."

He turned to look at her then, meeting her gaze. "What about your friend?"

"Tatsuki will be okay," she assured him, though the worry was evident on her face. "She's a lot tougher than I am, and very brave." She smiled at him, something that seemed to just belong on her face. Even though she was nervous, she believed what she said.

The two fell into silence again, both looking for any sign of water.

Ichigo could see the other people fidgeting. He allowed his gaze to sweep over each of them, taking in their expressions. They were all scared, the police still rounding up the remaining people and not giving much of an answer to any of the questioned they were asked, no doubt to cut down on the panic, and Ichigo couldn't help but feel his own fear creeping up the back of his neck. He was terrified, though he was doing his very best to make sure Orihime was left unaware of that fact. She was a sweet girl, and he knew she was using his calmness to find her own.

"Do you think we will be okay?" Orihime asked when another few minutes had passed.

The question was said quietly, her voice a little over a whisper. Though her face showed little emotion, Ichigo could see how her eyes darted from the others to the road. She wouldn't meet his gaze this time, and he wondered if she was afraid of what she would find if she did.

Reaching out a gentle hand, he grasped her shoulder. She was trembling underneath his hand, but he didn't comment on that. Instead, he forced a smile. It was weak, barely enough to be little more than a grimace, but it was the best he could do at the moment.

"Yeah, we'll be okay. We just have to hang tight and wait it out." Though the words did settle her nerves momentarily, the calm didn't last long.

It wasn't until a lady screamed nearby that Ichigo saw the water. The dark, muddy water was much slower than he expected, seeming to creep down the road at a walking distance, but he knew its speed was deceiving. It was much faster than it looked, would cover the ground in mere minutes, and would be strong enough to take any one of them if they were not out of its reach. He felt Orihime grip his jacket, and quickly covered her hand with his own in an attempt to comfort her. The shaking was back in her touch.

As the water moved closer, gaining momentum as it came in further, the police finally took to the bridge, guarding both ends to keep everyone contained and out of harm's way. Shouts of "Stay calm," and "Everyone just hang on," were given, and Ichigo forced himself to take calm breaths. Orihime's own breathing had quickened, and he squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"We'll be okay," he repeated, though the words were delivered without the smile this time. She gave a nod, but she was anything but convinced.

As the water started to swirl around the bridge, another yell rang out, this time frantic in pitch. "There's someone down there!"

Ichigo stood at that, moving towards the opposite railing and searching the ever-rising water alongside some of the others. His eyes scanned the area, looking for any sign of life as it raced underneath the bridge and down the street. There was no one in the water, which now reached nearly three feet high, and he found himself hoping the person who had shouted out had been mistake. But just as he wrote it off as a misunderstanding, he spotted a man standing near the overhang of a nearby building, having climbed on the top of a newspaper dispenser and staring at the water that lapped at his feet. He must have been inside the building at one point, but now he was caught outside, unable to get back in with the water rising.

"Someone's got to help him," a man mumbled next to him, and Ichigo watched in horror as the man's footing slipped momentarily, nearly sending the terrified man into the water below.

In that moment, Ichigo forgot the ache in his ribs, and the way his breaths had become ragged, and the terror that threatened to overtake him. Everything else faded away as he watched the man's face contort in fear. All he could think of was helping that man, and he pushed himself towards the end of the bridge where the police stood at the steps.

"Ichigo?" Orihime called after him, but stayed where she was, and Ichigo continued forward.

Ichigo skidded to a stop at the stairs, looking down at the steadily flowing water. It was close to five feet deep now, and moving fast enough to be considered dangerous. He looked frantically at the police officers who had huddled together, discussing options. "We've got to help him," Ichigo said firmly, his eyes glancing once more to the man trapped against the building.

"Son, let us handle this," one of the officers spoke.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ichigo asked, aware that a few other people had also stepped up behind him, chiming in that they were willing to help as well.

The police officers exchanged looks, before nodding. "Is anyone here a strong swimmer?"

Ichigo raised his hand immediately, ignoring the ache in his ribs that resulted from the motion. He had done more with more severe injuries. His ribs would forgive him later.

One of the officers nodded at him, and dug through an emergency equipment bag that they all carried, the neon orange fabric rivaling Ichigo's hair in brightness. He produced a rope, long enough to go the length of the bridge and back probably, and held it up tentatively.

"We'll need a volunteer, someone willing to swim over to the man and secure this rope on the building, or perhaps one of the dispensers. You'll use it as a life line once it is secure." He looked to the others behind Ichigo. "You would need to pull them back if the rope breaks. And once they get to safety they'll need these blankets." He held up the emergency heat blankets that were also in the kits as he spoke, waiting for the others to nod in understanding before he continued. "We do not have much time before the water becomes too high to get across safely, so we will have to move fast."

His eyes went back to Ichigo, his expression betraying his nerves as he addressed the orange-haired man. "Are you sure you are okay with doing this?" The look in his eyes spoke of another question, left unspoken. Are you sure you want to risk it?

Ichigo looked to the water below, to the man against the wall, and then over his shoulder to at Orihime. She was watching him silently, gripping the rail tightly where he had left her. Her eyes went to the man in danger before returning to him, and to Ichigo it felt like a silent acceptance, almost like she was approving of what he planned to do to help. He didn't know why that eased his ability to make his decision, but when he turned back to the police officer, his jaw had set in determination, and he gave a firm nod.

"Yeah. I'm sure."

With the rope in tow, wrapped around his arm a few times before making sure it was held tightly in his hand, Ichigo began his way down the stairs and into the water. Each step led him further in, until his feet touched the pavement of the road. The water was still only at his chest, but he could feel the tug it had and he immediately ground his heels down into the concrete below, hoping that the grip on his running shoes would not fail. The water was colder than he expected, and he could feel the chill creeping underneath his skin at the prolonged contact, soaking every inch of material on his body. It stole his breath momentarily, his lungs seizing in his chest, but he quickly brought his body under control.

The other volunteers allowed him to have some slack in the rope, and he started towards his target. It was only about thirty feet, but Ichigo knew this was about to be the longest thirty feet of his life. His steps were slow, measured as he tested the strength of the water rushing around him, but he kept his pace steady.

Ichigo could see the man watching him as he neared, his gaze nervous as he held onto the wall behind him. The orange haired man focused on his steps, but was keenly aware of the other's fear. It was contagious, and Ichigo could almost feel his heart quicken as he got closer and closer.

When he was close enough to reach out, Ichigo lifted his free hand, grasping a hold of the man's outstretched arm and letting the man help him the rest of the way. He pushed his body against the newspaper dispenser that now stood completely submerged in the water, giving himself some leverage as he looked for a place to tie the rope.

"Are you alright?" he asked the man, who returned a nod.

"Better now that you are here," the man admitted, his voice shaking as he spoke. "I didn't realize how quick the water would rise. Thank you so much for helping me out. I didn't know what I was going to do."

"It's no problem. We're going to get you out of this water and dried off once we get back to the others," Ichigo assured him, looking around the building that they stood next to. "Once I tie this rope off somewhere, we will use it as a guide to get back across. Got it?"

"Yes," the other man said quickly, nodding frantically as he spoke.

Ichigo gave him a small, yet confident, smile. "Let's get you over to that bridge, yeah?"

Tying the rope off proved to be easier than he first thought, as the newspaper dispenser was nailed down through the sidewalk. Ichigo looped the rope through the handle before tying it in a knot to hold it in position. Once he was certain it would hold, he ushered the man in front of him.

For a moment, the man hesitated, unsure of getting further down into the water. He realized the man probably wasn't as sure of his swimming abilities; otherwise he probably would have tried to make his way over without the help of the others on the bridge. But fear was a funny thing sometimes, and he couldn't overcome it to get across the current alone.

With a little coaxing from Ichigo, he finally slipped into the current, holding onto the rope for dear life. It was another minute before Ichigo could convince him that the rope would hold, but that they would have to move quickly. The water had continued to rise, reaching Ichigo's neck now, and it was becoming increasingly more difficult to hold his ground against the rushing water. But the rope was providing the extra stability they needed, and he was confident that they would make it back in time.

They were only half way there when Ichigo's eye caught movement on his right side.

In hindsight, he should have realized that there were more dangers to the water other than the swiftness of the current or the height of the waves. Yes, the speed of the water was a problem, and having it up to your neck restricted your movement, but what caused more issues was what could be carried through the water at that speed. Ichigo remembered this too late to react.

He should have thought about debris.

The man in front of him was hit first, the heavy pieces of a broken wooden fence ramming into him with a great deal of force in the shoulder. Ichigo watched in horror as the man's grip was broken, and the orange-haired man reached out to grab a hold of him only to have the man's shirt slip through his fingers.

"No!" Ichigo hollered, flailing out to try and grab any part of the man, but it was too late, his movements too sluggish in the chilly water. The man had lost his footing with the impact of the planks, and the water quickly swept him away, his head disappearing beneath the current.

For a moment, Ichigo could only yell at the water, a string of curses leaving his lips as his eyes scanned the brown liquid that crested and fell around him. His ribs burned as his chest heaved, his eyes frantically searching to no avail. He could hear the others on the bridge, shouting, but he couldn't make out what they said. He didn't have long to dwell on the disappearance of the man he had volunteered to save, however, as the rest of the fence was still being swept through the water. Ichigo couldn't move fast enough to dodge it.

Heavy wood hit his side, directly above his broken ribs, and Ichigo felt his vision go white with the amount of pain surging through his body from the blow. But that was not what made his grip falter. In his pain, he had closed his eyes and allowed his head to fall back, willing the pain to subside. He never saw the next board flowing along the surface of the water towards his head. It rammed into his forehead, slicing the skin above his eyebrow easily. The blow left Ichigo disoriented, and he felt his hands open on reflex, his feet sliding along the submerged pavement below him, and he knew he was going to be carried away. He opened his mouth to yell, only to have it filled with water when his feet were swept out from under him and sent him completely in the water. Coughing and sputtering, he reached out for anything to hold onto, but the water moved him too fast.

He was carried away from the bridge in a matter of seconds.

X

Orihime could recall stories of people sensing danger. Dread stirring in their bellies, bubbling up to cause the person to feel uneasy or distressed. The quickening of a heart, the hitch of a breath. All signs of the doom that was to come.

But as she watched her newly acquainted friend travel across the water, she hadn't felt anything close to those accounts. There was no sickening feeling of things going horribly bad. There was no indication of something being…off, or just not exactly right. Maybe she had been distracted by the trauma that she had already experienced, or perhaps she had slipped into shock when she wasn't paying attention. Either way, she had been confident in Ichigo's rescue attempt.

He had looked at her before he had gone, one last fleeting look, and it felt as if he was gaging her reaction. In all honestly she was terrified for him, afraid of what would happen when he stepped into that water. But when she saw the look of sheer horror on the other's face, clinging to the wall as his feet slipped and faltered on the newspaper dispenser he had taken refuge on, she had returned his gaze with a look of confidence. The look of determination that crossed his face was enough to ease her worries. She may not have known him long, but he seemed like the type of person who went out of his way to protect people around him. She had experienced that firsthand within the last hour. And she was not going to stand in his way when he may very well be the only person able to help.

It had been smooth. He had gotten to the man in record time, attached the rope, and started back with the man in front of him, as if to assure his safety before his own. And throughout that time, Orihime watched, gripping the rail of the bridge in anticipation but never doubting he'd make it.

So when the fence was swept into them, she had lost her breath.

She watched, wishing to close her eyes but unable to look away, as the first man was swallowed by the water, swept underneath in a single blow, planks from the fence knocking him away from the rope he clung so desperately too. The orange-haired man reached for him, had a hold of his shirt for a brief moment before he slipped from his grip and further into the water. In a second he was gone, Ichigo left to grasp at open air. She followed the flowing water with her eyes, hoping to see the man resurface, but he never came back up.

Her attention was snapped back to Ichigo as he yelled, the sound full of agony, and frustration, and horror. He was looking to the water, searching for any sign of the man. She could hear the other men that had stepped forward as volunteers, all of them trying to figure out how to get the man back but finding themselves stuck on the sidelines. The rope had been left uncut against the fence, rendering them unable to pull Ichigo back to safety. They were left shouting in urgent voices at the young man in the water, hoping he would take the words to heart and increase his pace back to the bridge.

But Orihime watched as Ichigo was hit next, dangerously close to his broken ribs if Orihime remembered correctly. His head fell back to look at the sky as the pain spread across his face. Another board came right after the other, catching him in the forehead. She could see the blood drip from his brow before his head was forced under in the current, his hand releasing the rope, left shaking in the air as if to taunt the man who had held it as a lifeline. That hand reached out for anything to take a hold of, fingers wide-spread and tensed, but it soon sunk beneath the water as well, leaving nothing but the flowing water in its wake.

She didn't realize she had screamed until her throat began to protest, a hand coming up to cover her mouth as she watched the water. She was aware of others around her, some sparing her a brief glimpse, but all eyes were on the water. She stared longingly, pleading with it to give the man back.

Come up. Come on, Ichigo, come up for air.

Surely he would need to breathe soon. The words became a chant in her mind, repeated over and over, but it was trailed of as he didn't resurface. The water was moving too fast, too strong. No one knew what to do at first: not the policemen, not the volunteers, and not the other people on the bridge. It had happened so quickly, in a matter of moments it seemed, and suddenly people who seemed on the verge of safety had been reclaimed by the water.

Orihime stared at the water far longer than necessary. When others had turned away, she continued to watch, hoping a peak of orange could be seen within the waves below. But as the minutes passed by, she slowly began to realize just how useless it was to continue searching. Even if he did come back up, something that seemed very unlikely, the water would have carried him much further by now, out of sight.

With a heavy heart, she forced herself to turn back around, sliding down to sit against the railing once more as she pulled her jacket tighter around herself. She usually prided herself on her optimism, always seeing the brighter side of things when others gave up hope. Tatsuki always teased her in a light-hearted way for her cheerful disposition, claiming her friend could find the good in any situation. But right now, all she could think of was how Ichigo had literally been engulfed by the water below and she could not find anything good after watching him being drug under.

With a shaking hand, she wiped at the underside of her eyes, which she realized were moist with fresh tears. She had never seen death before, and she knew her nerves were shattered from the display that she had just witnessed. "Death" sounded like the wrong word within her mind, but there was no other word for it. She had seen it, the way both Ichigo and the other man were swept under and failed to appear again.

She hadn't known him for long, but her heart tightened within her chest at the thought of this man dying. He had been kind to her, and he had stuck by her side in this tragedy that had befallen the city, befallen the nation. He had even been brave enough to risk his life for another, a stranger, and had met an untimely death because of it. Orihime knew there was nothing that could have been done to save him, but she suddenly felt very useless.

Her eyes slid closed to stop the onslaught of tears, but the last image of Ichigo's eyes finding hers before he ventured into the water was awaiting her in the darkness of her mind, reminding her that this man had indeed been taken away, and he was not coming back.

The dread she felt in her gut seemed much sharper, she noted, when it was unexpected.

X

"Oi! Boy, are you okay?"

The voice was dulled, muffled as if by distance. Ichigo didn't know which direction it was coming from, nor did he know when he had left the cold embrace of the water. One minute, he had been submerged, and the next he was pulled out, coughing with great force to clear his burning lungs, his body singing as water was replaced with air.

His head was throbbing, the sea water stinging his cut and only adding to the growing headache that had developed from the blow. He was aware that he was on his back, staring up at the sky as he gasped for air, but he could only make out the changes in light and dark. Slowly, his vision sharpened, and revealed a man leaning over him. He was older than Ichigo, probably in his forties, his skin tanned and wrinkled from days in the sun, doing labor no doubt. Grey hair mixed within the black painted a humble picture, but his somewhat unimpressive appearance was redeemed by the intelligent gleam in his dark eyes. Those eyes were wide and piercing as he looked down at Ichigo, his mouth moving quickly as he spoke once more.

"Hey, can you hear me?"

Ichigo tried to speak, but only managed a groan as he tried to push himself up, his movements sluggish and stiff. Pain shot up his side immediately at the small movement, and he hissed his discomfort, jaw clenching as he willed the ache to pass. A hand reached out to steady him, gripping his shoulder tightly and pushing him back down onto his back.

"Woah, don't push it," the man said firmly, his voice returning to a normal volume as Ichigo's hearing clicked in place. "That's quite a bump on the head. I doubt it is all you're hurting from, either."

"Where…?" Ichigo asked, his voice coming out as a croak. He let his head swivel to the side, trying to take in his surroundings. Where was he?

The other man spoke up at the question. "Near the Osaki Hachiman Shrine, sitting on the roof of what was my house. You're lucky I saw you, that you are. I was starting to think there was no hope once you got caught in the water. But you've proven that wrong, boy." He shook his head, a small smile on his face as he studied Ichigo. "That crop of orange hair was like a beacon in the brown water, riding on a wooden plank of some sorts. You were close enough that I could pull you out. I'm just glad you are breathing. For a while it looked like you weren't going to wake up."

Ichigo ignored the quip about his hair, his mind moving slowly through the words that the other had said. Osaki Hachiman Shrine? That was further inland than the Mediatheque, but his lack of knowledge about the city's layout had him questioning exactly how far he had gone in the water. He hadn't really known where they were with the bridge, following the mass of people without taking the time to take in his surroundings, so his orientation was even worse than usual.

The orange-haired man's head snapped back to the older man as his thoughts filled with the events at the bridge. The rescue attempt, the man being pulled under, all of it appeared in his mind in rapid succession. Ichigo reached out, grabbing the arm of the man who had drug him out of the water.

"There was another…another man. Did you see him? Is he safe?"

Ichigo watched in dismay as the older man's face fell, his eyes lowering as he answered. "Son, you are the only one I've seen come through here. Or at least, you were the only one who was at the surface."

Ichigo let his eyes slide closed as a heavy weight settled over his heart. He hadn't saved the man. If anything, he had probably brought him a swifter death. In the back of his mind, Ichigo knew the man would not have survived if he had been left on his spot against the building, clinging to the wall as he sat on that metal newspaper dispenser, but the fence wouldn't have hit him there. Ichigo had been the one to coax him into the currents, assuring him that he would be okay.

But he was not okay. He was probably dead.

Ichigo felt his chest ache, though he knew it was not from his injuries. This was deeper, more complex than a physical pain. He felt like a failure, but what was worse is he felt the inevitable pang of guilt. It was only by luck that he managed to hang onto one of the planks from the fence, and he couldn't even remember doing so. It was by chance that he hadn't drowned, considering he must have been knocked somewhat unconscious, or at the very least disoriented. Why had he been saved? Why had he deserved to live?

As if sensing his thoughts, the older man reached out to gently pat his arms. Ichigo half expected a word of comfort, but was relieved when none was offered. It was enough to have the man understand the pain he felt, without trying to justify it so soon. Any pretty words right now would probably only serve to send him over the edge and further into his pain, something he was already teetering on the edge of.

The man pulled away, probably not knowing what else to do to comfort the younger man, but he quickly picked up in conversation. "I reckon we will just have to wait it out now. No body's going to be able to get out here to help until after the water has settled down, so we might as well just sit tight."

Ichigo heard the words loud and clear, pushing himself up gingerly on his side with the help of the other before nodding his agreement. The man continued to talk, filling the silence with observations and estimates of when others would be arriving to help them off of the roof, but Ichigo's ear were trained on another sound. The sound of rapidly running water and the distinctive rhythm of his heartbeat, much louder and more accusing than usual. He had survived. Others, unfortunately, had not.

And right now, and he could think about was that unnamed man's face as he was drug under water and out of Ichigo's hands.

Oh, gosh that was a really long one. Twice the length of the first chapter, if you can believe it. I hope I was able to hold your attention and not have you clicking that back button before finishing the chapter. I get wordy, but I've learned to live with it. Not much sense in changing it now. I also hope I didn't throw too much at you, to the point of this update feeling rushed.

I'm drained physically, mentally and emotionally, so not much left to say here except for let me know what you think.

Much love,

Meg