Touched

Disclaimer: Creator Tite Kubo owns the manga and anime Bleach and its characters. No offense or infringement is intended.

A/N: Thank you to those of you who left reviews for the first chapter- so awesome! Wonderful reviews are the best motivation to get on the computer and write. It also looks like some are re-reading 'Afterthought' too; glad people are still enjoying the original. Been busy working on this update so I hope you like it. I have most of this store mapped out in my head, but getting it in print is proving to be challenging. Hope you don't mind but I want to take my time with this story since it's going to be longer and more involved than 'Afterthought'. So let's see how the second chapter goes!

Chapter 2: Passage

That night, under the Shoten…

'Here we go again…' Ichigo thought to himself.

The entire group had gathered quickly in the massive training space under the Shoten in preparation for an immediate departure to the Spirit World. Ichigo and Tatsuki had paused just long enough for her to tug something over her admittedly abbreviated outfit- a black zip-up hoodie that he'd left at the shop a few weeks ago. Effectively covering her top half, Ichigo couldn't help but notice the inordinate amount of leg left exposed; unfortunately Jinta refused to lend the girl a pair of his pants (likely resenting the fact that they'd probably fit a girl to a tee). The youngster did begrudgingly hand over a pair of worn-out sneakers- Tatsuki at least had something on her feet. The two teens were as clean as a thirty second scrub-down with a damp paper towel would allow.

Everyone congregated around the spot where Urahara would open the portal; anyone who could have left behind a gigai or body had done so. And Yoruichi had joined them. Oddly enough, Ichigo found that Tatsuki wasn't as weirded out by a talking cat as he figured she should have been. Pretty much par for the course where this group was concerned. The portal, it seemed, was another story.

He watched her closely from the corner of his eye as everyone moved into position. Once the air parted into blackness and wind began rushing into the vacant hole he noted the telltale stiffening of her limbs as the corner of her lower lip slipped between her small teeth. It was a nervous habit that he recognized only from years of reading the slightest of her subconscious gestures- she'd already done it a few times earlier tonight. Despite the firm stance of her feet, he could sense her trepidation.

Amidst the turbulent noise from the portal Urahara gestured to the orifice like a side-show barker, "Step right up for transport to the Spirit World! Stay close together- I recommend holding hands for you new-comers! And be careful, the ride may get pretty bumpy along the way!"

Orihime quickly snagged her best friend's right hand as the first few travelers passed through the gate- Kiego under distinct protest alongside Chad and Renji. Ichigo watched Rukia turn around to look for him, an inquisitive eyebrow raised as he intentionally hung back. Then her gaze slid to Tatsuki and softened; with a slight nod she turned forward and took Mizuiro's hand, guiding him forward.

Somewhat confused, Ichigo instead turned his attention back to Tatsuki, who was blinking rapidly against the rushing air of the portal. As he watched her continue to worry her bottom lip, something in the back of his brain compelled his arm to reach for her- before he knew it his fingers were slipping into her palm. Startled, she stared up at him but he firmed his grip and stepped in closer. Dropping his head down to her ear to be heard over the din, he asked, "You ready for this?"

She'd already turned her face toward his, her eyes sliding shut in the shadow of his taller form. Her lips were slightly parted, almost as if she were expecting him to…

"Come on, slowpokes! It's now or never!" Kisuke shouted.

In a blink it had passed. Her eyes were open and guarded, her mouth tight until she answered him, "Let's go." Ichigo could only nod numbly as Orihime pulled them all to the gate's threshold.

Ichigo turned back to glare at Urahara only to see the shopkeeper waving animatedly at the last of the travelers,

"Bon Voyaaaaaage!"

With a single wary step forward Tatsuki was sent hurtling- careening towards a bright flashing oblivion at a speed bordering on insanity. Pulled from nearly every direction, she felt forces tugging not only against her limbs- against her very skin- but on something deeper, as if some invisible entity had wrapped an icy claw around her hammering heart and was trying to rip it out through her spine. Matter dissolved and energy shifted, morphing the physical into something else-something thinner and less tangible. And it hurt. Between the dizzying lights, the energy whipping through her body and the growing pain, her nausea rose until she was very near to vomiting-

-when suddenly everything stopped. Firm, grass-covered ground was beneath her feet, clear night sky above her head. The moon caught her eye- instead of the slim glowing crescent she'd seen earlier that night a round, nearly-full complement hung in its place. It was like looking into one mirror at the reflection from another- she wondered just what sort of journey could have put them in such a place. In any case, warm bodies were shoulder to shoulder with her and thankfully the world was no longer spinning.

"Right, check around then; let's make sure everyone made it." The cat was talking again. Tatsuki fought hard to conceal how utterly bizarre she found it to hear that voice coming from such a tiny, four-legged creature, especially when it barked orders with such authority. Something about the feline's curt tone warned her that crossing the diminutive animal might be a more dangerous prospect than she realized.

Glancing around as directed, the young fighter began counting heads. Sure enough, Ishida and Rukia had a queasy-looking Mizuiro sandwiched between them while Chad and that annoying Shinigami with the tattoos tried to wrestle down a wildly screeching Keigo just beyond. Bodies on either side of her brought her attention to the last two members of their party-

"T-T-Tatsuki? Um. My f-f-fingers..." gasped the soft-spoken voice on her right. Tatsuki looked over at Orihime, then down to their joined hands which she realized she'd been squeezing with all her might since they'd 'traveled' from the tiny shop.

"Oh! Sorry 'Hime…" she rasped quietly. She snatched her hand away as if Orihime's palm had caught fire, but the girl only smiled goofily as she massaged her aching appendage against her hefty bosom.

That's when Tatsuki noticed the strong grip of her other hand and whipped her head to her left, wincing audibly. Ichigo was staring down at her, concern etched in his tight features. He'd been holding her hand the whole time, his grip almost as strong as hers. She knew she hadn't hurt him, couldn't hurt him. Still she relaxed her grip in his, embarrassed. His lingered- he didn't seem to want to let go…

"You ok?" Ichigo asked her, his voice low yet firm. His tone seemed to imply more questions than such simple words could express. His gaze felt so haunting that Tatsuki finally averted her eyes.

"Fine," she murmured, slowly pulling her hand from his. Something about the loss of contact made her fingers tingle at the tips; she grazed her thumb over them absently just to ensure they were still there.

"Everyone accounted for? Good. Let's get going; I believe they're expecting us," Yoruichi commanded, taking the lead of the party. Keigo had finally passed out from either exhaustion or hysteria (she wasn't sure which and with Keigo it didn't much matter); Chad had obliged to shoulder the boy's now-limp body like a sack of potatoes. Mizuiro, apparently gaining his bearings, still looked as pale as a cloud. The whole group slowly started moving behind the sleek feline as it led the way.

A chill rippled through Tatsuki and she shivered down to her bones. She couldn't quite figure the reason- the fresh air around them seemed warm and there was no breeze. She absolutely refused to consider any other factors, firmly pushing the night's prior events far from her mind. Despite their presence in the Spirit World, she wasn't dead- dwelling on how close she'd come was pointless. That's what she kept repeating to herself as they made their way towards the dim lights of the nearby city.

…later, in Rukongai…

She couldn't quite fathom why that crazy shop-owner- with all of his crafty powers and seemingly infinite wisdom of the spiritual realm- couldn't have transported them into this 'Soul Society' place a little closer to their destination. The entire group of them- classmates, Soul Reapers and feline guide- had been trudging silently through run-down streets in what Tatsuki could only describe as a purposeful 'wander'. She saw no sign of this 'Seireitei' place they were supposedly heading to, only bunches of run-down dwellings piled on top of one another in what she imagined must be a shadier part of town. Of course, she was near the back of the pack.

And despite her best efforts, Tatsuki was slowing down. Walking was becoming difficult. Her head was swimming. With great effort she held up her hands, examining them. Her physical body was supposed to have changed upon passage through the portal- it was why the Shinigami needed gigai and why Ichigo left his body when fighting in Spirit Form. Perhaps there was a delayed effect- some sort of short term conversion fatigue that could reduce a well-conditioned fighter to a sluggish neophyte. She couldn't work out any other reason why it felt as though her energy was somehow being steadily bled away, as though it was evaporating off of her like vapor into the night air. She was fading…

Her feet stumbled. Then a small hand wrapped in hers, warming her skin. The warmth seeped into her veins, waking her body. It was like breaking a trance- she suddenly remembered where they were. The hand was Orihime's, closing around hers and gently tugging her forward to catch up to the rest. "We're almost there, Tats-chan. Are you okay? You don't look so good…"

"It's okay, Orihime," she rasped. Her neck still hurt and with an involuntary shudder she recalled the sensation of enormous claws clamped firmly around her throat. Tatsuki continued reassuringly, "I think I just need to adjust to being in this different world is all." Voice still hoarse and muffled, she watched worry cloud the pretty girl's face. But eventually Orihime nodded. Hand in hand, they slowly caught up to the others.

Tatsuki was unsure of how much longer they walked, but through the rest of the trip she seemed to have shaken off the fatigue that had plagued her earlier. Still hand-in-hand with Orihime, she found it cute how her friend kept swinging their joined arms as she swayed her head- Tatsuki found it reminiscent of a child about to break out into a skip. Except the farther they progressed the more frequently Orihime seemed to let out these huge, face-scrunching yawns.

"Tired?" she inquired of her friend.

Mid-yawn, Orihime vigorously nodded. "Mmhm! Not sure why, though. I took a nap in 5th period World Studies," the girl shrugged. "Must be all the excitement. And the walking."

"And the arm swinging?" Tatsuki smirked, earning a blush from her friend.

"Oh, sorry! Habit, I guess," and Orihime finally releasing their joined hands. Warm and clammy from the prolonged grip, Tatsuki noticed once again how the loss of contact felt odder than it should have- like she'd just been unplugged or detached from something vital. It created an odd sense of isolation that was both unsettling and absurd.

Attempting to shake it off, she nearly bumped into Chad who'd halted right in front of them. Trying to peer around him, she was reminded of how gigantic the guy was.

"Alright, we're here," Yoruichi announced. Looking up they all took in the sight of a large inn tucked rather conspicuously between the shanties surrounding it. Two towering cylinders topped with giant fists rose from either side of it.

"Well this ain't Seireitei," Renji said, rubbing a finger under his nose.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Lieutenant," the cat scathingly replied. "Due to our hasty departure, admission into Seireitei for our living companions has not yet been granted. This is our stop-over until such matters are settled. But don't worry- some familiar faces should be awaiting our arrival…"

This seemed true enough, for shortly after they halted two giant men dwarfing Chad's height walked out onto the building's porch to greet the travelers. Identical from their massive biceps down to their matching robes and hakama, Tatsuki found them to be the oddest-looking pair of twins she'd ever seen.

However, a good number of her friends recognized the pair. Orihime began an excited bounce, "Ooh! Koganehiko-san and Shiroganehiko-san! That must mean we're-"

"Come in, young travelers," the one on the left stated as they both bowed, gesturing towards the massive front doors. "The butterfly carrying news of your journey only just arrived," without missing a beat the one on the right finished the sentence, "…but our mistress has endeavored to provide adequate accommodations. Please, everyone, step inside."

The interior of the inn proved to be simple yet cozy, and the party was again greeted by an odd-looking character. The spot behind the front desk was occupied by a rough-looking man with a bandana on his head and a knowing smirk on his face. Tattered and a bit dirty, he looked far from any typical desk clerk.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in…" the man drawled as the group filed into the lobby.

Tatsuki's eyes widened in disbelief- every person she'd met so far seemed to revere and even fear the dark and mysterious feline known as Yoruichi…

Up until that point Tatsuki could safely say she'd never seen a cat raise an eyebrow. She wasn't aware cats had eyebrows, actually, but why put anything past one that could talk? The man's comment, however, seemed directed not at Yoruichi but at the others.

"Oh, Ganju! I knew it!" exclaimed Orihime excitedly, oblivious to the golden stare directed at their host. Other murmurs of recognition buzzed through the group.

"Welcome to Shiba Inn, everyone! Glad you all made it!" he replied jovially.

Tatsuki watched the dark feline jump deftly up onto the counter where he sat directly in front of the man and formally addressed him, "Ganju Shiba, is your sister here? I have matters to discuss with her."

The gruff man shook his head, "Sorry, Yoruichi-san. But she's actually out handling that other thing for Urahara-san," Ganju replied. "But she told me to get you guys some rooms- easier to accommodate everyone since we got the inn. Especially since there are a lot more this time, eh?"

The cat sighed with obvious disappointment, "Very well. I shall hopefully meet with her in the morning."

Ganju offered, "You'll have a bit more company than that soon enough- I sent a message asking Hanataro to come by in case you had wounded. He'll be here once he's finished his work for the night."

Ichigo finally spoke up, "Hey that's good, he can look at Tatsuki- we left in such a hurry that we never got a chance to get her injuries treated."

Tatsuki felt all eyes settle on her again as she was nudged forward. She frowned silently as the bandana guy gave her a quick once over before nodding. "No problem, I'll send him up to her room when he gets here."

The mention of a room along with the unspoken promise of a bed had Tatsuki ignoring the scrutiny to instead take note of her current fatigue. She felt as though she was wilting again- at the moment sleep was an attractive prospect. Maybe she'd get her strength back after a much-needed rest.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Ganju!" Orihime piped in, "I can take care of Tatsuki right away!"

The petite fighter tried to swallow her groan. Another obstacle to her slumber. However, she quickly perked up at the thought of seeing her friend's power first hand.

Ganju merely shrugged, "Works for me. But he'll be here if ya need him." Then he said the words Tatsuki had been waiting to hear since they'd arrived in front of the inn, "So who wants to call it a night?"

In the girls' room…

Orihime concentrated as the shield of the Shun Shun Rikka hovered over Tatsuki's supine form on the bed roll. After they'd been given a room to share with Rukia, she'd set right to work on healing her injured best friend. The boys had been split into a couple of rooms down the hall- the young healer was glad they weren't underfoot to hamper her work. Despite Tatsuki's intense curiosity at the beginning of the ritual, the exhausted girl had easily drifted off to sleep as the Sōten Kisshun commenced.

Orihime had been quite surprised once she'd gotten a closer look at her friend's injuries. While neither Tatsuki nor Ichigo had shared the details of her attempted abduction, it was easy for Orihime to see that the attacking Arrancar had gotten a piece of the girl. The neck wounds were the most troubling- the puncture marks and depth of bruising alluded to severe soft-tissue injury beneath the skin. Despite Tatsuki's repeated hasty dismissals of her wounds that night the girl guessed her friend had been suffering in silence.

'It's not fair. Not Tatsuki, too.'

To Orihime, it was bad enough that Aizen had overtaken her own life. After kidnapping her and threatening her soul, her safety and her sanity, after twisting and perverting her spiritual gifts into tools for his own malicious plans, and after nearly taking the lives of the dear friends who had fought to save her… No. She couldn't stand the idea of him harming even one more person, especially someone so dear as her best friend.

Despite Orihime's successful rescue from Hueco Mundo, Aizen still had a firm hold on the girl. His voice occupied her thoughts; his face haunted her dreams. Even the most mundane of tasks had been distorted by her experiences as a prisoner. She hadn't thought that any part of her existence was left that hadn't somehow been corrupted by the heartless man…

…Except for her human existence- the living world and her friends in it, her school, her home. Tatsuki was the quintessence of her living world, the best of everything in it. Orihime knew her friend was frustrated at all of them for disappearing without explanation, but she could live with that. Because she at least thought that Tatsuki had been safe.

'Not anymore…'

Tatsuki was no longer safe. In fact, Tatsuki was now a target. And for Orihime it was another raw violation because- despite all evidence to the contrary- she couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, it was somehow all her fault.

'Oh Tatsuki… all I ever wanted was to be for you the amazing friend you've been for me! I never wanted this for you, to be dragged into all of this horribleness…'

Orihime's bronzy-orange locks reached all the way to her lower back… and that was because of Tatsuki. At a time when she'd most needed strength her friend had been there to give it to her. On that fateful day in their schoolyard when the slim tomboy had fearlessly faced unwinnable odds, her inspiration pushed Orihime to find the inner power she'd never known she possessed… that was the day the Shun Shun Rikka had emerged. Orihime had discovered her own power to protect.

'I'll protect you again, Tatsuki. I know I can do it.'

Their power- her power- would shield her young friend from any danger that might threaten!

Of course, she wasn't exactly alone in that endeavor; Tatsuki's 'Personal Protection Detail' already had one clearly conspicuous member… and Ichigo Kurosaki had a huge head start.

It made sense when she thought about it. One of the things Orihime admired the most about Ichigo was his unwavering loyalty to and defense of those he cared about. It made him a natural as a Shinigami, an honorable brother and son, and a reliable friend. And Tatsuki, well, she was his first after all. The scrappy fighter predated all the spirits and powers and craziness that had fallen into all of their laps. Orihime figured that, for Kurosaki, protecting her was probably like protecting a part of his childhood. In that regard, the healer could definitely relate.

What she was having trouble relating to, however, was the odd shift between her two friends. Over time, Orihime had gotten used to the strange fraternal dynamic between Tatsuki and Ichigo. Typically light and good-humored, at times comically abusive- there was always a certain simple ease in their relationship that the redhead secretly envied. Regardless of the topic or situation, there was always an undeniable sense of deep history hovering between the two that left Orihime wondering what they must have been like together when they were children.

However, from the first moment the two had burst into the Shoten, entangled and barking at each other, Orihime had sensed an unusual turn. It wasn't so much the bickering- that sort of thing was an everyday, even expected occurrence with those two. No, it was the distance- both physical and not- that Orihime had picked up on. Unable to disguise her wounds, Tatsuki had reacted like a porcupine with her quills up; despite his best efforts, Ichigo had ended up with a face full of barbs. He'd spent the entire night trying to have in-depth conversations with his eyes with the tight-lipped tomboy, only to have Tatsuki shut him and everyone else out at every turn. The girl was guarded and aloof, and Orihime worried that even after the physical scars were healed, Tatsuki might not let anyone get close enough to help with the emotional ones… not even her best friends…

The glowing energy field above Tatsuki pulsed drawing Orihime's attention back to the Sōten Kisshun. Only now did it occur to her that the ritual was taking much, much longer than usual. A visual inspection of the now sleeping subject showed no outward signs of her earlier injuries. Orihime sighed with relief just as the field dissipated. The two tiny fairies appeared before her- the redhead couldn't help but notice that they both appeared wilted and exhausted.

"Shun'o? Ayame? Are you guys okay? Didn't the rejection work for Tatsuki?"

Shun'o replied, "Our work is done, Mistress. However, certainly you noticed that it took us quite a bit more time to complete our task."

Orihime nodded at the little flower sprites, "I did. Was something the matter with Tats-chan's injuries?"

Ayame shook her head, "We aren't certain, Mistress, but something wasn't quite right with the energy surrounding her. We had trouble aligning our rejecting powers with her wounds- it was almost as if her spirit was drawing the energy for more than just her injuries."

This only puzzled the teen, "But Ayame, what does that mean? Why would that even happen?"

Shun'o tried to answer, "Mistress, we do not know. We've never encountered such an issue with the Sōten Kisshun before. Nothing like this has happened the previous times we have healed this girl. All we know is in the end we depleted more than triple the amount of energy typically required. You may feel the effects once we depart. We apologize, Mistress Orihime. But something just isn't quite right."

After a quiet contemplative moment, Orihime shook herself back, "Alright then. Thank you both for your help. I'm just grateful you were able to fix Tats-chan. Everything else can be sorted out in the morning."

"Of course, Mistress," and with a wink of light the two tiny fairies vanished into the girl's hairpins. The room seemed quite dark and silent now. Once more Orihime glanced down at her resting friend- she thought it was the most peaceful that Tatsuki had appeared all night.

'Everything will be fine in the morning…'

As if in answer to the unspoken words, Tatsuki suddenly let out an audible weary sigh. "Hey, 'Hime?" the girl quietly muttered, never opening her eyes.

Startled, Orihime tried to steady her voice before answering, "Yes, Tatsuki?"

"Thanks… for this." Then the girl finally seemed to drift off for good.

"You're welcome," the healer replied in a whisper. 'Tatsuki, I promise I'll do whatever it takes to keep that monster Aizen and his minions away from you.'

…Little did the girl know that, for the moment, Aizen was the least of her best friend's troubles.

A/N: Already working on the next chapter! Oh, I'm very excited for the developments I have planned coming up! Reviews are coveted and cherished like little rays of sunshine, so please don't forget to click the button. :)