-watches warily as tumbleweed rolls past-
um...hi...Well then...this was long overdue...I suppose I owe anyone who was looking for this chapter and didn't see it until now...well...let's just say that the will to write had vanished for a fairly long time. My deepest apologies TT_TT.

On another note, this is the final official chapter of "Cursed to Forget" the sister story to TheCatWithTheHat's "Doomed to Remember" It was an awesome experience writing this, and I can definitely say that this was an awesome experience, learning and collabing wise too. Thanks to everyone whose been reading/following/reviewing this story, I really appreciate it :)

and now, ONWARDS!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 16

"There's a hole in the sky…" the Quincy remarks in muted awe, staring upwards at the small hole revealing the dark outside of Hueco Mundo, "That sky was really a fake then."

Orihime studies his face out of the corner of her eye, as vague memories of him run through her mind. Him telling a brash looking man to take her and run. Of him repairing a lion shaped doll.

"Inoue-san." He says, but then doesn't complete his thought, despite the unfinished words shining clearly in his eyes. Orihime feels the same irritation from before rise up in her again. He is withholding information because he thinks I am too fragile. Uryu looks into her eyes and gives her a small smile. "It's okay. Kurosaki will win." He assures her, and she gives her own small (fake) smile. His gaze returns to the sky, when Orihime feels the whole tower begin to shake violently, and Orihime's eyes widen as she recognizes the power that can only belong to that cero Grimmjow had told her about once-Cero Oscuras.

"Ishida-san. Would you be able to carry me to the top of the dome with your power?" Orihime asks quietly, turning her gaze onto the Quincy, and steeling her resolve.

He stares at her without saying a word, indecision clouding his eyes. "Please." She adds, and with a sigh he relents. Looking out the hole in the wall, Orihime watches a platform of reshi form in midair. He steps onto it and offers a hand to her, which she takes before stepping on beside him. When she firmly plants her feet onto the platform, they begin rising upwards, gaining speed as they ascend.

Orihime watches the ground become farther and farther away, "This is pretty cool." She comments, before an awkward silence can descend onto them.

Uryu nods, "I remembered it when we were passing through the Garganta. I realized on the way here I could use it in Hueco Mundo as well." He explains.

Orihime nods thoughtfully, "It would be pretty useful in battle, ne? I mean, if your opponent wasn't on solid ground and you could use that-!" Her sentence is cut short when a massive wave of dense, black reiatsu envelops them, showering down from the hole above them.

"W-what the?! It came from above the dome?!" Uryu stares upwards in shock, "What is this? Is it reiatsu?" he murmurs to himself.

Orihime doesn't acknowledge him. The sheer weight and power of the reiatsu won't let her think of anything else. It rivals Halibel-neechan…no, maybe even Starrk-niisan's power! She thinks in horror, as they continue to rise. How? How is that possible?!

When they make it to the top of the dome, Orihime leaps of the reshi platform, immediately running the moment her feet touch the ground. Behind her, she can hear the Quincy's frustration as he searches for the strawberry, but the man with viridian eyes is the only person on her mind.

Orihime legs freeze suddenly, and she comes to a grinding halt at the foot of a tall pillar, the moon hanging ominously in the background. At its top stands Ulquiorra, fur covering him from the waist down, and wings, (glorious, darker than black, obsidian wings) sprouting from his shoulder blades. He looks like an angel….

Her eyes follow the lithe tail sprouting from his behind, and up to where it strangles the man who had come to rescue her. "K-Kurosaki...kun?" She breathes.

Despite the great distance between them, Orihime clearly sees the cuatro's viridian eyes lock onto her own. "You're here, woman," He murmers, his gaze quickly flicking back upwards to the fallen shinigami. "You're just in time. Watch closely." he says in a completely bored and neutral tone, "The man you pinned all your hopes on is about to die.

"Cero."

"NO!"

BOOM

The smoke cloud that exploded just as the cero fired clears, revealing Ulquiorra standing alone at the top of the tower, his arm still raised, but the end of his tail cut off. Orihime intakes several shuddering breaths, and in her peripheral vision, she sees Uryu glancing around frantically as he tries to locate the shinigami.

Orihime sweeps her gaze around her, and cries out in relief as she spots a mop of orange hair to her right. "Kurosaki-kun!" She dashes towards him, but stops dead in her tracks as a figure sonido's in front of him. Her mouth opens in disbelief, "Anónimo-chan?!" Orihime says in shock, as the young arrancar stares back at her blankly. After getting over her initial shock of her reappearance, Orihime's eyes immediately snap to the dark blood stains on her usually spotless uniform, and face. "What happened to you?"

"I was following Barragan-sama's orders. Just as I do now," Blue eyes that are impossibly cold bore into warm gray ones. Almost as if she's in a daze, her thin fingers wipe at a disturbingly fresh splatter of blood on her cheek. Holding her hand in front of her face, Orihime too feels a disturbing curiosity as the young arrancar stares at her blood stained fingers. "So curious. How the dead can bleed…It's funny. It's been so long since I've seen blood. I forgot how red it was. It's scent-"

Orihime grabs her wrist, pulling it down, and forcing the sextagesima-sexta arrancar to look at her. "Anó-chan. What's going on? That's not like you." She snaps, trying desperately to keep her voice under control.

"'Anó-chan'? Inoue-san, what's going on?" Uryu asks from behind her in a guarded voice, "Who is she? What do you mean '-chan'?"

"Vanish, Recuerdos Perdidos."

Orihime stares, torn between surprise and awe as she sees Anónimo's released state for the first time. Her attire does not change at all, but instead of behind held, her zanpakuto has now become a bracer, the blade extending from the underside of her wrist. Her circlet mask fragment has expanded, a single light blue jewel resting in the center of it. But the most noticible, and disturbing part of her release are the two tentacles that hang from the sides of her head, almost like two thick pigtails. They move slowly and hypnotically, unnaturally pale and with almost translucent suction cups at their ends. Orihime opens her mouth to say something when they suddenly lash outward, knocking her flat on her back.

"Inoue-san!" Ishida shouts from behind her, catching her before she completely falls. Clutching her stomach, the human girl fights to lift her head up, the wind knocked completely out of her. She watches as the arrancar whirls around and the tentacles latch onto Ichigo's head.

The previously unconscious shinigami wakes up with a scream, hands immidiatly going to claw at the tentacles suctioned to his head. Uryu fires an arrow at Anónimo, who easily deflects it away. "What are you doing?!" He demands angrily, drawing another arrow. Anónimo ignores him.

"Anó…chan?" Orihime chokes out as the girl she once called her 'little sister' stares emotionlessly at Ichigo's body writhing on the ground.

"Forget your mission. Forget her. Forget your reason, your logic. Forget it all, and unleash the instinctive beast within you." She murmurs, her ice blue reiatsu flaring around her. The tentacles suction-cupped to the sides of Ichigo's head remain there despite his desperate attempts to claw them off. The sextagesima-sexta arrancar stretches out a hand towards his face.

Eyes wide in confusion and animalistic fear, Ichigo weakly glares up at her, his eyes torn between chocolate brown and a cold gold colour. "What…the hell..are you doing to me?" coughs out before letting loose a howl of agony as her fingertips touch his forehead.

Struggling to her feet, Orihime shouts as loud as she can, trying her best to be heard over the substitute shinigami's screams. "Anónimo-chan, onegai, stop!" Breaking into a run, Orihime reaches out to her, but before she can reach her, another burst of reiatsu knocks her off her feet, followed by an unearthly wail that she's only heard one other time in her life.

"Nii-san!"

Slowly allowing her gaze upwards Orihime licks her lip uneasily as she takes in the pale skin, taloned feet, and a gaping hole straight though a chest, flanked by snaking, blood red tattoos and long orange hair. A skeletal mask flanked by two spear like horns, and the same blood red tattoes markings wrapping around the skull. "What?" she breathed.

"This…can't be," the Cuatro murmurs. "You can't be alive. What is that form? Who are you?" Ulquiorra stares at Ichigo in suspicious disbelief.

"Kill him. Serve me." Anónimo hisses dangerously, and Orihime can't even see any trace of the shy, uncertain girl whom had come to be her little sister in her. Ichigo's head slowly turns to face Ulquiorra, remaining completely silent.

"Can't you hear me?" Ulquiorra asks, "I am asking you who you are."

That's when Ichigo opens his mouth and lets out an unearthly wail, causing Orihime and Uryu to clap their hands over their ears as it rips through the air.

"It seems…you can't understand what I'm saying," The other arrancar says monotonously. Orihime watches as a Cero begins to form at his fingertips, and just as he is about release the ball of energy, Ichigo lurches forwards, a great red ball of energy forming between the two horns of his mask. Almost simultaneously, the two beams are released and collide, causing an enormous explosion. Shrieking as she is blown backwards, Orihime is vaguely aware of Uryu's arms grabing her protectively.

Orihime lies on the ground in a daze, the world around her spinning and the sound of ringing metal echoing through her ears. When she finally composes herself she sees Ulquiorra throw a green lance at Ichigo, who easily dodges it. To their left stands Anónimo watching stoically.

"Anónimo-chan, stop this! Why are you doing this?!"

"Because this is all I am, Orihime." Anónimo says flatly, and Orihime flinches as she notices how she omits the honorific she had insisted on using up until now. "Did you know that even us Numeros each bear an aspect of death?" She asks quietly as the fight between Arrancar and shinigami turned beast continues, and intensifies. "Like Loly, Minho and Tesra. Envy, Vengance and Disobedience. My aspect of death? It is the void. Forgotteness. The loss of rational." She says, just as Ichigo slices Ulquiorra in half, throwing his upper body on the ground.

"Damnit…I can't believe I lost," Ulquiorra grumbles, "To a human turned hollow. How…comical."

Orihime watches in horror as Ichigo slams his taloned foot down onto his head, a cero forming again, and this time, only meer inches from the arrancar's face. "I see," Ulquiorra says, "No mercy, eh? How very Hollow-like." His viridian eyes move from Ichigo to Orihime. "Go ahead. My life has no meaning now that I've lost to you."

Horror closing up her throat, Orihime opens her mouth in a silent scream.

"Do it."

Her world exploded.

:-:-:-:-:

Silently thanking Grimmjow for training her mercilessly to summon her fairies instantly, Orihime looks up at massive smoke cloud through the golden tint of her Saten Kishun. Frantically, she searches for any sign of Ulquiorra. When the sky finally clears, the hollow that used to be Kurosaki Ichigo stands in the air with his back facing them. A soft and strangled cry rips through Orihime's throat as she realizes what the dark mass hanging from his hand is.

It's Ulquiorra.

Uryu stares up as well in disbelief. "Kurosaki…"

"Finish him." Anónimo whispers, extending a pale finger she points at the fallen Espada, "And when you are finished with him," her finger slowly moves to point at Orihime and Uryu. "Kill them."

The hollow slowly walks over to where Ulquiorra's body lies, and with a soft 'swsh' noise points the tip of its blade at the base of his prey's neck. Orihime hears Uryu grit his teeth from beside her before standing and running over to the two of them. Get up, get up! Orihime thinks to herself, but the only thing she can register is that his body has been utterly destroyed beyond repair, and the utter numbness that is enveloping her body.

Uryu grabs his wrist before he can plunge his sword into his body. "Kurosaki, enough!" He shouts, and Orihime can see his hand start to shake and strain as he tries to control Ichigo's arm. "Don't you hear me? Stop! I can't believe that that arrancar wiped away your whole being! Listen to me Ichigo!" Uryu's voice increases in volume as desperation and frustration begin to fill it, "If you do this, you really won't be human anymore!"

"Kill him."

Anónimo's quiet order finally snaps Orihime out of her inability to move. Her head snaps towards where Uryu is standing, just in time for her to watch as Ichigo impales him with Zangetsu.

"No!" She screams, scrambling to her feet and standing between them. She inhales sharply as Ichigo's head rises and the dark eyeholes seem to meet her own.

"Don't…want…"

Orihime's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and judging by the quiet gasp from Anónimo, this is something completely unexpected to her too.

"…Don't want…hurt them…Don't want…" The guttural voice that comes from the beast-Ichigo's-mouth sounds incredibly conflicted and strained.

Struggling to get the words out, it finally manages to slowly complete its sentence. "Don't want, to hurt…them."

Behind him, Anónimo's eyes flash dangerously, and with a choked wail he pitches forwards, the red cero again forming between his horns. "Kill them!" She screams, and in the eerie red light of the cero, Orihime swears she sees tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Kurosaki-kun, wait!"

Suddenly a black blur appeared behind the female arrancar, a green lance of light clutched in his hand. Ulquiorra viciously stabs Anónimo in the back, the lance's length causing it to pierce all the way through her body, and out her chest. At the same time, Ichigo's charged up cero seems to implode on itself, a small explosion engulfing his face.

Attention torn between the two of them, Orihime decides to let her gaze fall onto her dying 'little sister'. Without really knowing herself, as she walks over to the dying arrancar, who has fallen onto the ground, tears begin to stream down her face.

Squatting down to touch the other girl's cheek, the pale blue orb in Anónimo's circlet pops out of its holder, and rolls to Orihime's feet. Cautiously, she reaches down to pick it up. But when her fingers brush against it, Orihime gasps as a burst of emotions, colours and sounds rip through her mind.

Instead of figuring out the answer to that question, you look down at your hands. "If you love someone, you want the best for them. You want them to succeed. You always want to be with them. You try to protect them and you would sacrifice anything for them. At least, that's what I've felt from my experience." You finish of the list in a sheepish voice, the image of an orange haired person, dressed in black coming to the forefront of your mind.

"I see. So, if all four of these urges were present, would that mean love was present?" he asks, as if he is making sure he is hearing things right.

"Well, yes, I suppose. Why are you asking?"

"I see. Well then, Onna, I think it would be appropriate to say that I am in this 'love' with you."

Heat envelopes your face, as a pale white hand reaches out and lightly grasps your jaw, pulling you towards his face. Your eyes are wide with shock, but also with something akin to happiness, as he brings you even closer towards him.

"I hope I am doing the right thing. I do not know about all of these things yet. If I am doing something wrong, stop me."

That's when your lips meet, and that emotion that was lying in your gut explodes through your body, just as its name registers in your mind. Love.

:-:-:-:-:

But, talking to you _, it makes me feel safe. I feel like, like I just drank a whole mug of hot chocolate full of melted marshmallows with wasabi and soy sause drizzled on top! That's how you make me feel :3 I love drinking hot chocolate like that, it's the best way to drink it, don't you agree? Anyways, I hope that you're doing okay where ever you are _. I really miss you! Write back to me as soon as you can, okay?

\(^3^)/

-Inoue Orihime

"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…"

Gasping, Orihime falls forwards onto her hands, her mind whirling as she realizes who exactly she had been writing to the whole time, who had made her that promise the dark night when she had almost lost her mind. Slowly, she stands up and turns around.

The scene in front of her makes her heart sink. Ichigo and Uryu are there, the former somehow unhurt, the latter worse for wear, but her eyes are only for Ulquiorra. He stands, body half regenerated, resurrection dispelled, and whose eyes, whose deep, vibrant green eyes, are just barely masking hurt, pain and hopelessness.

Slowly, he reaches out towards her, almost hesitantly. "Are you afraid of me, onna?" he asks softly. Her eyes widen in shock as she realizes that the particles in the air aren't dust. They're ash. He is dying.

Orihime opens her mouth to say something, when her emotion filter shatters, and she starts bawling like a baby. "Ulquiorra!" She screams, running forwards, tears streaming down her face. She ignores the utter shock that radiates off the three men watching her, she just runs towards the man she know, remembers she loves with every single fibre of her being. As she passes by the Zanpakuto that stick out of the ground, she yanks it out, bringing it along with her.

"Orihime?"

"Onna, what?"

Shk.

Arrancar, Quincy and Shinigami all stare in surprise and varying degress of horror at the zanpakuto that Orihime has thrust into Ulquiorra's chest. "You have to remember! Please! Please promise me you won't forget." Orihime pleads her arms wrapped tightly around Ulquiorra's neck, her tears running from her eyes, to her cheeks and down his chest. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so, so sorry! I swear, I won't forget you again! Not now, not ever!" She cries pulling away from him, just enough so that she can look into his eyes.

"You remember me?"

Orihime nods frantically, sniffling and hiccupping. "I do. I do. Wait for me, okay? Wait for me in the Soul Society, promise me, okay?" She whispers, licking her lips and pressing her forehead against his.

"The Soul Society is a big place."

Tightening her grip on him, she pulls him as close as she can to her body, not caring that Zangetsu's hilt is digging into her stomach. "I'll find you. No matter how long it takes, I'll find you." She vows fiercely through her tears, "I won't give up on you, just like how you didn't give up on me." Orihime licks her lips. "So promise me. That you'll wait."

"I promise."

Orihime smiles weakly, and presses her lips against his own in one last sweet kiss before his ash blows away on the wind, and his soul is sent off to the Soul Society.

I promise. And I will never forget my promise to you…

So what do you think? Send over a review!

See you at the epilogue :)