Chapter 14: Strength
Orihime had tried to explain, she had started out simple. "Ichigo, please, calm down. He's not going to hurt-"
He hadn't listened. "Like hell he isn't!"
"Ichigo, please! He's not here to do anything bad! I just brought him back. I-"
"You what?!" A fire had light in the man's eyes, roaring with a fierce and unbridled anger. "You brought this bastard back from the dead?! Orihime, he kidnapped you! He tried to kill us!"
"Ichigo…" Rukia had tried to step in. "Listen to her."
"What the hell did you do to her?!" He had ignored them both, though it seemed that Rukia's words had stopped him for a moment. Instead of backing down, he just went straight ahead and started to attack the one person in the room he wanted to. "She's not your prisoner anymore!"
Of course, Ulquiorra hadn't really helped much either. "You are a fool, Ichigo Kurosaki. You cannot see what is clearly presented to you, and cannot hear what words are spoken to explain. It is a wonder that trash like you was able to get into Hueco Mundo, much less out of it."
Ichigo hadn't understood what Ulquiorra was trying to say. In his mind, all that the former Espada had said was that he was indeed still the captor of Orihime Inoue, though in reality it was not what he had implied at all.
So, Ichigo had done the brash thing. He had drawn his sword, ready to attack, sweeping down the blade in an arch over the Espada's head.
Only to be stopped by a glowing golden shield.
For a moment everyone was silent. They all stared at the girl with the powers of a god, in amazement, none understanding. Great rolls of tears dripped from the girl's face, falling silently to the floor.
"S-sorry, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime looked up, smiling weekly at the boy her heart had used to long for. He looked on in confusion, truly not understanding. "I… I can't let you two fight again. Because then…" She hiccupped, her tears coming faster. "One of you might be taken away again."
Ichigo looked like he was going to object, and say something to get Inoue away from the demon standing behind her; stoic as ever. But Rukia quickly stepped forward, grabbing his arm.
He looked back at her, waiting for an explanation.
Rukia was looking at the floor, her eyes hidden by the shadow her hair cast across her face in the week light of Orihime's shields. "Ichigo."
"R-rukia?"
"You really are a fool."
"H-hey! What is that supposed to mean?"
She shook her head, smiling slightly. "Can't you see it? He hasn't made a move to attack yet. He's not here to do anything, Ichigo. And Orihime… well, Ichigo, your friend Tatsuki was right." She looked back at the girl, dead to the world and sprawled out on the carpet. "You can't be everyone's hero. I should know well enough that you're a little thick, but think for a second." She said these words softly, and carefully, as if she was being overly cautious about her words. "She's protecting him. And if the past is anything to go by, then I'd think that because she chose to protect him… he'll protect her from anything and everything." She looked up at him, her eyes shining brightly with the thought of their past. In her eyes Ichigo could see her protection of him leading up to him saving her from execution, and finally he got it. He understood.
"Inoue."
The girl jumped, startled. "Y-yes?"
"I don't know what you're planning… but if this freak matters to you… I guess I don't have to kill him just yet."
"Nani?"
"You better have a plan, okay? I mean-"
Bang!
Orihime vaguely wondered when people would start calmly opening her doors, rather than trying to kick them in.
"Orihime!"
Chad and Uryuu ran in, weapons at hand, with hard gazes.
"We came as fast as we could." The quincy said, pushing up his glasses. "Are you-"
"I'm fine, really!" Orihime laughed weekly, waving her hands in the air. "Please, just drop your weapons. This is a big misunderstanding!"
"But-"
Rukia turned, giving the Quincy a glare. "You heard her! Come on, hurry up so that she can explain."
They begrudgingly returned to the powers of a regular human, staring expectantly at Orihime in hopes of finding out what was going on.
"Uh…" She laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Well, um, the thing is… I don't really have a plan! This just sort of happened." She smiled brightly, laughing a little.
Ulquiorra just stood there, stoic as ever.
"Well?" Ichigo barked, sending Uryuu a glare when the man nudged the unconscious Tatsuki with the tip of his boot. "Are you gonna say anything?! She's standing up for you and-"
"Unlike you," The Espada intoned, "I do not speak when it is unnecessary. You heard the woman. I am back simply by her will. I am not trash to hurt her, and am grateful for her resurrecting myself, though I do not yet understand it. As I see it, she holds my life in her own hands. It is up to her what I now do."
Orihime just laughed again, though it was a nervous laugh.
Rukia, sighing, stepped forward. "We need to get down to Urahara's shop and sort this all out. I'm sure soul society will send someone down here to investigate his reiatsu soon anyway. Just…" She shook her head, looking over at Orihime and Ulquiorra. "Can you go back to your… uh, other form."
He blinked, and then looked over at Orihime.
"That would be a good idea." She said in a small voice, biting the corner of her lip. "But you don't have to if you don't want to."
He looked out at all of the people in the room, scowling. Suddenly, he stopped, looking directly at Ichigo. "You will repair the woman's door now."
He spluttered. "W-what?! You can't tell me what I-"
"He's right, Ichigo." Rukia grabbed him back the neck of his robes, pulling him along as she walked towards the door. "You broke it down."
"I did not! I closed behind me!"
Rukia looked over at Uryuu and Chad. "You two, come on. You helped break down the door. You get to help fix it, too."
"B-but Rukia-san!" Ishida protested, though he and Sado followed along anyway. "You're just going to leave him in here with Inoue, all alone?!"
Chad was silent.
"She's not alone! The door is still open! Besides," Rukia looked back, smiling at Inoue. "She can handle herself."
Orihime dipped her head, smiling, happy to see that someone else believed in her strength.
"On top of that, I don't think the Espada wants to power down in front of so many people. That would be… odd."
"The only odd thing here is you, shorty!" Ichigo yelled, twisting around, trying to break her choking grip on his collar.
She gave his robes another sharp tug. "Quiet, Ichigo!"
As they passed, Chad carefully picked up Tatsuki, saying he would put her on the couch.
With everyone but Orihime finally out of the room, Ulquiorra allowed himself to relax a little. "Your nakama are unnecessarily loud."
"Yeah. I guess they are." She smiled, looking at the place they had been only moments ago. She turned back to him, smiling brightly. "But that's one of the reasons they are my friends."
Though not even she, as forgiving a girl as they came, was starting to wonder just how great of friends they all were. Because now that she remembered, she knew that they had been lying to her all along. It hurt deeply, knowing that they had hid the truth from her. She was aware that they did it to keep her from hurting, but still…
What kind of friends would think her so weak?