k. so i was supposed to update at 4:30 pm in my area of teh world. clearly that didn't happen. and now I"m running out of time. thanks for all the reviews! don't forget to go check out DTR because that chapt is aizen freakin awesome

ME NO OWN ANYTHING!

CHAPTER 7

Dear _,

I had the most amazing day yesterday! I was in the kitchen making the special Christmas dessert that Sora-nii taught me how to make when I was little. I was singing our special Christmas song that we sang too. It's been such a long time since I sang the song, that I forgot the lyrics for a second :O! But, but, but BUT THEN! (please cue suspenseful music! XD) the guy that I think is my secret admirer came and started singing with me! He wrapped his arms around me and helped me to knead the dough. I wouldn't have even guessed that he'd know about baking! He told me that he goes to the World of the Living, oh! I wasn't supposed to tell you that, shhhhhhhh, promise you'll keep it a secret? That's when he went to the fridge, and surprised me with a Yule Log that he made! Isn't that so cute? Heeheehee! I think that that's one of the most adorable things about a guy, you think that he's all cool and athletic, but then you find out that he has a really unexpected and cool talent. We stayed and chatted a little, we even had a food fight! At the end he helped me to clean up so all's when that ends well, ne?

It was kinda strange though _, while we were eating the Yule Log, I saw one of Grimmjow-nii's fraccion out of the corner of my eye. Have ever I told you about them? He has three of them. Two boys and one girl. The girl reminds me a lot of Yuki-chan, (don't forget, that's Anómino-chan's new nickname!) she has a similar mask fragment as her, but her personality is the complete opposite to her's. She actually reminds me of me! Her name is Emiko. His other male fraccion has a personality like that too. His name is Daisuke. But his third fraccion is the one who I spotted while I was in the kitchen. I knew that it was him because I spotted the tips of his tail coats disappearing behind the door. I know that I didn't keep my promise to Nii-san, I feel really bad about it :S I didn't mean any harm by it, it's just I didn't have time to tell him. I-it wasn't like it was planned! ARRGHHH! Why do I feel so guilty about this? I didn't do anything wrong! I didn't, did I?

When I think about it, it's like someone keeps punching me in the gut. Guilt, sadness, shame. Why do I feel this? Do you know_? Yuki-chan and Ggio-nii have been asking me about it…and I've been acting happy for them. I mean, I don't want to inconvenience them, why should I make them worry about something silly like that? I've burdened them enough as it is…But, you'd be mad if I kept something like that from you, wouldn't you? I can imagine how mad you'd get at me, if I hid something like that from you, wouldn't you? Bleeehhhh, I can imagine your pouty face, the face that you give me when you're about to scold me but know that it was a silly thing that I'm worrying about.

It's a lot different from Kurosaki-kun. When he worries, he scowls, more than usual. Like this ):C …heeheeheeheehee, look at it right to left, because the other way around it looks like a guy with moustache XD. Hahahahahahaha! Now that I've said that, it makes me wonder what Kurosaki-kun would look like with a moustache. Actually, forget that, moustaches aren't for Kurosaki-kun, ne _? I'd love to see that though. I bet that he'd look so cute with a little moustache don't you think? :3 Speaking of Kurosaki-kun, the way that Grimmjow-nii was acting was a lot like him. A little over protective, but only with good reason. They both have the older brother complex, don't you think? Well, you might be able to tell with Grimmjow-niisan, but I don't remember if you've ever met Kurosaki-kun. Ugh, another thing that I don't remember…but yeah, off topic ne?

Orihime pauses and rests her chin in her hand and twirls her shark pen in her other hand. She sighs-dreamily almost- as she recalls the bright haired youth. She bet that whomever would receive her letter would love to hear about him. About what made him Kurosaki-kun, what made him the special person that he was. Taking a second to think about it, she reassumes her writing her letter.

I bet that you'd like Kurosaki-kun. He's loyal, protective, courageous, noble, selfless, and he's just such an amazing person. Sado-kun once told me about why he'd always follow Ichigo is because they made a deal about how one would fight for the other. As in if Sado-kun needed something, Kurosaki-kun would fight for him, and vice versa. He does everything for his family, for his sisters, for his friends even. That's what I adore about him the most. Did I ever tell you about the time that we saved Rukia-chan? It was one of the coolest things I'd ever…done…A-actually, maybe I'll tell you that story some other time, this letter is really long as it is any way, hahahaha…

Write back soon promise?

-Orihime

Orihime hastily puts down the pen and paper and slams the drawer close, then rolls over so that her back faces it. Sword. A cat. A gate. The same small, dark-haired girl from her memory before. Kurosaki-kun. She was linked to Kurosaki-kun. She was sure of it. And she was important to him. She was…was…the one that she went to the Soul Society to save. Save because she was the one who gave Ichigo…his shinigami powers. Orihime clutches her head and squeezes her eyes shut. No. NO. it didn't make sense. The Shinigami were evil. They were the ones who attacked and kidnapped her, erased her memory. That's why even now, she can only remember bits and pieces of her life. That's what Chichi told her. Aizen was the one who told her. He'd never lie. He said that she'd be safe with him. He wouldn't do anything bad. He wouldn't betray her like how he did to the Soul -!Orihime let out a wail, and clutched her head as pain ripped through her mind.

"Orihime-chan! What's wrong?"

"Nee-sama? Nee-sama? Nee-sama!"

Orihime vaguely registers Ggio and Anómino bursting into her room, and standing around her bed.

"Make it stop, make it stop, MAKE IT STOP!" She screams, the noise ripping through her throat, "YAMERO, YAMERO, YAMEROOO!"

"Orihime! Calm down! You! Do something!"

Orihime screams as images of Yammy tearing Sado-kun's arm off, a short white haired boy in strange clothing battling an Arrancar. Ichigo standing in front of her, blocking a strike from a snake like Hollow with dark hair. A dark haired man wearing a white tail coat calling Kurosaki-kun trash. A man with no face. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Vanish, Recuerdos Perdidos!"

Orihime freezes for a split second as two tentacles with suction cups on the end rise up and wave around her face, brushing against face before latching onto her temples. Thrashing around, she claws at them, shrieking madly trying to pull them away from her face.

"Nee-sama, calm down! Onegai! Nee-sama! Onegai, yamero!"

Orihime meets a strange pair of clear eyes that change from a light blue to warm gray before she hears a single word whispered softy in her ear.

"entumecido…"

"!"

:-:-:-:-:

Orihime blinks as a bright light causes the back of her eyelids to light up bright orange. Trying to move a hand over her eyes she nearly freaks out again when she realizes that all of her limbs have cuffs on them.

"Thank God, you're awake."

"Nii-san…"

Grimmjow's face is creased with worry and it's painfully obvious that he hasn't slept for days. "Damnit. Damnit, damnit damnit, damn you Orihime!" He snarls angrily, and Orihime cringes as his reiatsu spikes angrily. "Do you know how much everyone's been freaking out? Christ Orihime! Aizen-sama's been hounding me about what happened!"

Orihime feels fear fill her body as the name leaves his lips. "O-oh. Aizen-s-sama's been worried about me? Gomen." She stammers, remembering the terrible images that ripped through her mind as she thought about the horrible things that she remembers about him.

Grimmjow's eyes widen and his eyebrows rise a fraction. "What did you just say?" he asks, as if he can't believe what he's hearing.

"Chichi! I mean, Chichi!"Orihimee quickly changes her statement but by the look on Grimmjow's face she knows that he caught her slip up. She stares at him with an open mouth for a split second then tackles him, her arms in a vice grip around his neck. "Don't tell. Nii-san, please don't tell. Please!" Orihime begs, whispering frantically into his ear.

Grimmjow gives her a curious look, then throws back his head and laughs loudly. "Awww, having nightmares without you're Nii-san? How cute." Orihime stares at him in disbelief, but then notices the warning expression he has on his face.

"N-nii-san, don't tease me!" She pretends to pout, crossing her arms childishly. Grimmjow ruffles her hair and snickers. He's so much better at this than I am… Orihime thinks unhappily. What if I slip up again?

"ORIHIME-NEECHAN!" Orihime squeals as someone tackles her around her middle, knocking Grimmjow off his chair. Grimmjow sits up and Orihime can already feel the waves of rage and indignation radiating off him, when a firm hand presses down on his shoulder. Looking up to the person, Orihime's eyes widen in surprise.

"Halibel-neechan, what are you doing here?"

Halibel gives Grimmjow a warning look, then goes to sit at the foot of Orihime bed. "Visiting of course. You hadn't visited in sometime Orihime-chan. My Fraccion were getting worried. As well as I." Halibel adds. She then turns her gaze to the young girl who's arms are still wrapped around Orihime's torso. "And Lilynette-chan wanted company when visiting."

"You're a bigger boke than Starrk Orihime-neechan." The arrancar girl mumbles into Orihime's clothing. "W-we could hear your screaming from our wing. Even Starrk acted serious for a second."

Orihime gently runs her fingers through Lilynette's short blonde hair. "I'm sorry that I worried you. And everyone else." She says, looking up sheepishly at Grimmjow and Halibel. "D-did I really worry everyone that much?"

Halibel doesn't answer, but walks back over to the door and pushes it open, revealing the hesitant faces of Mila Rose, Sun-Sun, and Apache, as well as Ggio, Yammy, (who's standing against the far wall with his arms crossed) and surprise .

"Answer. Hell yeah you did." Grimmjow comments sarcastically, standing and moving to stand at the head of Orihime's bed as all the other people enter the room.

" We let you hang with that idiot Sexta, and this is where you end up." Apache comments, shaking her head. "I knew that it was a bad idea to let you out our sight."

"WHAT WERE YOU SAYING ABOUT THAT 'IDIOT SEXTA' HUH?" Grimmjow is about to lunge forward and decapitate Halibel's fraccion when Orihime latches onto his sleeve. Looking down at her in surprise, his angry gaze softens and he stands back where he was previously.

"Now, now, what did I say about visitors?" Orihime hears the sound of someone clicking their tongue. Looking up, she sees Syzel entering from a door built in such a way that it disappeared into the wall when it's closed. "Orihime-chan has just healed, from the results of the testing, it is imperative that she is left to rest in peace and quiet for perfect recovery." He says shooing everyone out of the room.

"'Tests'?" Grimmjow snarls angrily snapping in Syzel's face.

"Calm down Grimmjow. You must learn to control your temper." Halibel says firmly. "However," she continues, glaring dangerously at the scientist over her jacket collar, "If any of his 'testing' had harmed Orihime, and it were to come to my knowledge…he will be sorry that he had done it in the first place." She says in a dangerous voice. Syzael laughs nervously, his usually cool and superior demenoir cracking under the pressure of the two killing intents.

"Don't knock your masks off, Aizen-sama approved all of the testing that I preformed on her while she was unconscious." He assures them as he leads them out of the room.

"He did?" Orihime squeaks, her hands fisting in the bed sheets.

Syzael nods. "He did, so no one has any reason to, ah, kill me." He says with a wave of his hand. "If anything, the tests enabled me to perfect your healing process. Now everyone. Out."

Orihime watches Halibel, Grimmjow and the others exit, the first two more reluctuently than the others. "Orihime-samaa, Syzael-sama has told us to make you lie down." One of Syzel's round Fraccion, (Orihime can never remember her name) says to Orihime, tapping her shoulder. "You have ta rest Orihime-sama~!"

"O-okay." Orihime lies back into her sheets and blinks rapidly as the lights turn off. "O-oyasumi."

:-:-:-:-:

"Have you lost your mind? He will kill her."

"Shut your mouth emo-spada, you're the one who wanted to see her so badly."

"Not at the expense of her life!"

"Didn't you hear me bat bastard? Shut you're freaking mouth! Halibel said that she'd give us a half hour. A. Half. Hour. Unless you want to wake her up, keep your voice down damnit."

"…My apoligies."

Orihime sighs deeply as the two voices break through her dreams of little blue men, gummi bears and a fountain of eternal wasabi sauce. It was quite an amazing dream actually. But, she didn't remember these voices belonging to any of the woodland animals that had appeared out of the fountain.

"Are you sure that it's safe to do this? Will they not sense my reiatsu?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, no? You're wearing that bracelet thingie that she wore when you kidnapped her from the Human world, remember? Geeze, and you tell me that I don't have a brain?"

"Silence Grimmjow, you are making too much noise."

"Oh. My. Kami. Why I outta…"

Orihime rolls onto her side and her eyebrows furrow minutely. Their voices are too anxious to be in her dream. And they are being too loud. They've scared off the animals. Orihime's bottom lip pouts slightly, and her eyelids flutter delicately.

"Hurry it up, we don't have much time left. From Halibel's stalling, and from the time left on that bracelet."

Orihime hears someone sigh tiredly, and feels a weight press down on the bed beside her. A hand begins to stroke her hair, gently caressing and letting her hair slip through their fingers. Orihime breathes deeply and leans into the hand subconsciously.

"Hello onna. How are you? I have heard that you gave everyone quite a scare. Are you alright? Heh. Silly me. That's what you'd say, wouldn't you Onna. Call me silly for worrying about you. What happened Onna? Why did you scream so?"

Orihime rolls onto her side and nuzzles into the hand. So gentle. So soft. She thinks as her dream begins to fade away, the wind blowing away the flowers and grass, pure white feathers floating in on the wind.

"Halibel thinks that her memories are coming back. Because she just lost her memory of you, and not of Berry-boy and the rest of her human friends."

"Meaning her memories of the inident are intact?"

"Yeah. But apparently, the memory wipe effects things related to whatever got erased too. So you know how you threatened her friends? That's why she hasn't remembered everything accurately. The memory wipe had to 'rewire' the memories so that you wouldn't be in them, but still make sense to her. Or something like that."

"What?"

"I'll fill you in on the details later, shouldn't you be doing something before, oh I don't know, we run out of time and get our asses caught?"

"...fine. I will wait for an answer. But you owe it to me Grimmjow."

"Nii-san…?" Orihime mumbles softly, the white feathers in her dream transforming into a blanket, the darkness turning from a deep black colour to a shade of blue-gray.

"Kuso, hurry it up will you, she's waking up, and we've only got five minutes."

"It appears that I've ran out of time Orihime. There are so many things that I wish that I could tell you. So many things that I want to share. I'll settle on this for now Onna."

Orihime feels a pair of gentle lips press lightly against her ear.

"I will always fight for you. I will fight for you to be by my side. To watch the sunrise together, like how we did before. Wake up. Please, wake up Inoue Orihime. I don't know what I will do without you…"

Orihime hears the voice waver for a few moments, but then it falls silent. There is a light pressure on her forehead, and the sounds of multiple footsteps walking out of the room. "Wait…don't go…" She mummers. "Don't go…"

:-:-:-:-:

"It is wonderful to see you up and eating with such energy, Orihime-chan."

Orihime blushes bashfully as she wipes her mouth. Looking down at her napkin, she feels her nervousness rise as a large smear of her favourite green condiment stares back up at her. "G-gomenasai. I know I'm a messy eater."

Aizen chuckles in a fatherly manner, taking his own napkin and wipes off a speck of wasabi that she missed. "You mustn't worry yourself, dearest musume. You will always be accepted here."

"H-hai!" Aizen sips his tea delicately as Orihime bites into another piece of her chocolate taiyaki covered in wasabi and red bean paste. "Eto, by the way Chichi. How are things doing in Las Noches? Syzael-niisan doesn't really tell me much." Orihime asks hesitantly, holding the half eaten taiyaki in front of her face, trying to hide her unease behind it.

Aizen senses her nervousness easily. "No need to be so nervous. Everything is fine Orihime-"

"But did ya tell her 'bout out little visitors?"

Aizen turns around and there is a touch of a deadly coldness in his voice. "Gin. What are you doing here."

The white haired man grins cheekily and shrugs, palms up in the air. "Ev'ryone's in a tizzy coz of Hime-chan here. I thought that I'd go and check up on her. Lilynette-chan is worried see, and Starrk asked me to go and look for her. Too lazy to do so 'imself."

Orihime looks between the two men. "What? Visitors? Who?" She asks in confusion.

"Oh, nothing much. It's just a little Strawberry broke in with a burrito and toothpick." Gin says easily, as if he were simply talking about the weather.

Time seems to freeze when Orihime realizes what this means. "Ichigo, Chad and Uuryu?" She breathes, not willing to believe it. "They're here? How? When?"

Aizen sighs and turns to Gin with a disapproving look on his face. "I thought I told you not to say anything that might distress her." He says softly, glaring at the other man.

"Awww. Gomen ne. I thought it wouldn't do any harm in tellin' 'er." Gin's eyebrows push up and he pouts. Orihime would think he looked cute, by the way his eyes open slightly she knows that he's trying to be anything but.

"Please. Chichi. Tell me. What are they doing here? Where are they?" Orihime asks, eyes wide and pleading. Aizen doesn't say anything, just stares at her with neutral eyes. "Please. Please! Please Chichi, tell me!"

Aizen's eyes narrow for a second. "This is why I didn't tell you. I knew that you'd stress about this if I told you. That is why I kept it a secret." He explains, closing his eyes and kneading the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "And I was right. This news it too much for you."

"No!" Orihime exclaims. "E-eto, I mean, I can take it. Really!" She promises.

Aizen pats her cheek affectionally. "Alright. I'll tell you, as longs as you promise not to stress yourself." Orihime nods and when she stops, Aizen begins to explain. "You see, the Shinigami have sent Kurosaki Ichigo on a suicide mission."

"Suicide mission?"

"They want you, you're powers back. And they want to punish Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen explains. Orihime opens her mouth to ask another question, but Aizen holds his hand up to stop her. "Orihime, there is great amount of things that I want to tell you, but I'd like to tell you all at once, alright?" He pauses to get response from Orihime who nods immediately. "They are angry at him Orihime. Do you not remember, but Kurosaki Ichigo was the one who the Goeti 13 ordered to keep an eye on you. He knew you the best, so they assigned him as your guard. However, instead of fighting against Gin and Tousen when they rescued you, he turned a blind eye. Their fury against him…"Aizen shakes his head, as if he regrets the situation. "From what our sources say, they gave him this task in order to 'redeem' himself. He had no choice. He had to accept, because they fed him terrible lies about you. But what he doesn't know, what your friends don't know, is that the Sotaicho doesn't expect him to come back. The Sotaicho is sending him on a suicide mission.

"He knows that by sending Kurosaki to attack us without warning, he is declaring war on us. He knows that we would kill to defend ourselves. But Orihime, what he doesn't know is that he has made a fatal mistake!" Aizen's face breaks out into a reassuring smile, and he grasps Orihime's shoulders with his hands. "Orihime, we can save him from their wrath. If he returns without you, they will kill him. If we can convince him that you are innocent. We can convince him to come to our side and we can kill the treacherous Shinigami who have caused you all this misery!" Aizen pauses to let it sink in. Orihime feels her heart pounding madly.

It's true. It has to be true, doesn't it? He wouldn't lie. Right? Everything that has happened until now, it can't be a lie, can it? Orihime thinks, her breathing becoming shallower and quicker. What if it is? What if you have been living a lie all this time? What if they don't really care about you? What if they've just been putting on an act?

"Aizen-sama~! She's a hyperventilatin'." Gin's overly cheerful voice breaks through her internal argument. Blinking rapidly, she inhales, trying her best to calm down. "I-I see…"

Aizen stands up, and kisses her forehead. "I will let this sink in for now. Be aware, Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends are coming to 'rescue' you. You have to understand. If someone aside from myself, Gin, Tousen or you finds them first." He lets the sentence hand, the silence implying what will happen to them. "Rest now Orihime. There is an arrangar stationed outside waiting for you. He will be replacing Ggio as your escort."

"What happened to Ggio-nii?"

"Some special circumstances have made Ggio unavailable for some time. He asked me to send his condolences and apologizes that he couldn't tell you himself."

"Oh. Tell him that I hope that everything goes well Chichi." Orihime says, as Aizen nods and walks out the door.

Flopping back down, Orihime curls up on her side and stares at the blank wall. "Kurosaki-kun…"

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