It's been a little over a week since Orihime came to Fairy Tail. She's fit in nicely and has gotten along pretty well with everyone. Right now, she's joining Rukia and Ichigo in a small lunch.

"This food is amazing." Orihime said.

"You can say that again. Mirajane and her sister Lisanna are pretty good chefs." Rukia said. "You might like Mira. She's super nice and gets along with everyone just like you do."

"Yeah, but she can also be super scary." Ichigo said. "You never want to get on her bad side and I think she has a naughty side to herself."

"Mirajane? That sounds a little silly when she seems so nice and sweet." Orihime said.

"Her nickname is the She-Devil." Ichigo said and that idea kind of scared Orihime a little.

"Rukia!" Renji came running over to their table and skidded to a stop by them.

"What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost or something." Rukia said.

"I've got news for you. Byakuya is heading back to the guild." Renji said.

"Byakuya is?!" Rukia said.

"S-Class: Petals and Ice"

"Who is this Byakuya? Is he a big deal around here?" Orihime said.

"He ain't that special."Ichigo said.

"Not that special? Byakuya is one of our S-Class wizards." Renji said.

"S-Class? Rukia, didn't you mention something about that when we went to fight Black Talon?" Orihime said.

"That's right. I guess you should know." Rukia said. "S-Class wizards are the strongest of the strong in a guild and we've got some pretty good ones."

"That's right. We've got guys like Natsu and Gray as S-Class wizards. Of course, we also have members that have been S-Class for a long time." Ichigo said. "Erza was long before she became master."

"Is being S-Class difficult?" Orihime said.

"You're still new so I wouldn't worry too much about it." All of them looked to see a muscular guy with blonde hair and had a bolt shaped scar over his right eye.

"Laxus!" Renji said.

"Laxus?" Orihime questioned. "I've heard about you in Sorcerer Weekly. You're considered the strongest in all of Fairy Tail."

"Not only that, but his great grandfather was one of Fairy Tail's founders and the third master was his grandfather." Rukia informed.

"I couldn't help, but overhear your conversation." Laxus said and looked at Orihime. "You must be the new girl I've been hearing about. You really shouldn't worry too much about reaching S-Class. You just need to work hard enough to earn that."

"Thank you. Since you're here, can I ask you why you're not the master? From what I've heard, it would seem obvious that you would be perfect." Orihime said.

"Orihime, he probably doesn't want to talk about it." Renji said.

"It's fine. I'll tell you about it some other time." Laxus said. "As for right now, if you want to know who Byakuya is, look." All of them turned to the open doors and saw Byakuya walked in. Everyone noticed him and was glad to see him around.

"Hey, Byakuya!"

"How's it going?" Byakuya just seemed to walk pass them and seemed like he didn't give a care.

"Wow, he's actually pretty handsome." Orihime said. Byakuya looked over to the table. To be more accurate, he was looking at Rukia.

"Rukia." Byakuya greeted.

"Hello, Byakuya. This is Orihime. She's new to the guild." Rukia said as she showed him Orihime.

"Greetings." Byakuya said and walked off with him heading up stairs.

"Anyone else feel a little inadequate?" Orihime said.

"That's just how Byakuya is." Ichigo said. "He always has the cool and calm look on his face. He holds the title of S-Class and being a Fairy Tail wizard strictly. He probably thinks he's better than everyone or something."

"He doesn't." Rukia said. "He just holds a firm grasp on his tightly. He feels that being an S-Class, he has a great responsibility to uphold the guild's reputation. Though, he does appear to not have much of a care." Orihime noticed that Rukia seemed more affected than the others.

"I know, but that's just how it feels." Ichigo said.

"I think I'm going to head home." Rukia said as she got up to leave and Orihime felt sorry for her, but she wasn't sure why. Rukia stepped outside and Orihime was about to go after her, but stopped when she saw someone else come into the guild.

"Whoa, look who else is here." Laxus said. Everyone noticed the same person that didn't seem like the rest of the guild. He was pale with black hair and had green lines running down his eyes. He was dressed in all white with a white top and baggy white pants. (AN: His outfit is the same as the bleach show.) He also had a sword hanging by his waist.

"Ulquiorra?! He's hardly ever here." Renji said. Ulquiorra walked past everyone was going up staris.

"If Ichigo thought Byakuya is bad, Ulquiorra is worse." Laxus said. Ichigo got up to try and talk to Ulquiorra.

"Ulquiorra!" Ichigo called out.

"What do you want?" Ulquiorra said as he turned his head.

"I thought you would like to meet Orihime. She's our newest member." Ichigo said.

"I'm busy." Ulquiorra said as he continued to walk upstairs.

"It wouldn't kill you to be nice!" Ichigo shouted with frustration.

"Who was that guy?" Orihime said.

"That was Ulquiorra. He's another S-Class wizard we got, but he's the most mysterious." Renji said. "He doesn't open up to anyone. No one even knows what kind of magic he uses."

"That's strange." Orihime said.

"Ichigo just tried, but that's Ulquiorra for you." Laxus said.

"That's too bad and everything, but right now, I need to go help Rukia." Orihime said as she got up and ran off.

"Wait, I'll go with you." Renji said.

"It's alright. I'll help her." Ichigo said as he went to help Orihime.

…

Orihime and Ichigo

The two of them went through town as they tried to find Rukia, but she wasn't anywhere to be found.

"I'm pretty sure I saw her head off in this direction." Ichigo said.

"Do you know what's wrong with Rukia?" Orihime asked.

"It's got to be Byakuya. She always feels a little down whenever he's around." Ichigo said. "I tell you more, but I don't think Rukia would like it and I don't need her hitting me for another reason."

"Okay. Let's just try and find her." Orihime said as the two of them kept looking. "So how do you get to be S-Class?"

"We usually hold a trial on sacred ground." Ichigo explained. "The master selects eight participants and the one who prevails gets to be S-Class. You just need to work hard enough and you'll get there."

"Ichigo, wait. There she is!" Orihime pointed down and they saw Rukia was heading into the forest.

"Rukia, wait!" Ichigo called out, but it didn't seem like she heard him. Both of them went up into the forest and tried to find her. "Rukia, get out here."

"Rukia, where are you?" Orihime said s they tried to get her to come out. Orihime looked and noticed that Rukia was sitting by a lake. She went over and saw Rukia was just sitting there and staring at her reflection. Rukia noticed her when she saw her reflection as well.

"Did you follow me?" Rukia asked.

"We were calling out for you." Orihime said as she took a seat next to her. "So what's the matter? You seemed upset when Byakuya came."

"Yeah. Things have always been hard between us." Rukia said.

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked.

"The truth is, Byakuya is my older brother." Rukia said.

"What?!" Orihime said as she was not expecting to hear that.

"That's right. We came to the guild together." Rukia said as she thought about the past. They traveled together out on the road and were happy even when they had nothing. "I would have to say about six years ago, I was left in Byakuya's care. Byakuya always smiled and was more opened about his emotions. He was stubborn and short tempered."

"Are you talking about the same guy that I just saw?" Orihime asked.

"Yes." Rukia said. "I know it's hard to believe, but he was once like that. However, he began to change after we joined. He mastered his magic and we began to grow distant. It started to seem like he just started caring, especially when he became S-Class."

"I don't understand how he could just change like that." Orihime said.

"I guess Byakuya became so engaged in work. He holds a high opinion on Fairy Tail and live up to the reputation like everyone else." Rukia said. "So I worked hard, but I never seemed to stacked up to him. I guess he and I grew apart."

"No, that's not how a brother and sister should be." Orihime said.

"Orihime is right." Both of them spotted Ichigo from behind them and was coming up to talk to them.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked for him to elaborate.

"Brothers and sisters are suppose to look out for each other." Ichigo said. "I don't know what Byakuya's problem might be, but he should know that. I bet that Byakuya does care about you somewhere deep inside. He's just being stubborn and won't show it." Rukia appreciated that these two came all the way out here to cheer her up and it was working.

"Thanks guys. I needed to hear that." Rukia said.

"That's good." Ichigo said, but soon caught a strange whiff of something. "Do you two smell something like rotten bananas?" Both of the girls smelled something strange. Then, something large crashed down right behind Ichigo and that something kicked him in the back and he flew all the way to the other side of the lake.

"Ichigo!" Orihime called out. The thing that kicked him was a forest Vulcan.

"Glad he's out of the way." The Vulcan said.

"Oh man. It's a forest Vulcan." Rukia said.

"Now, I have you two lovely ladies to myself." The Vulcan said.

"What?" Orihime said finding it strange.

"These giant monkeys always creeped me out." Rukia said. He reached out for the both of them with a creepy smile on his face. Rukia was ready to use her magic, but a few pink petal flew by and stopped her. "Those petals!"

"Let's go girls." The Vulcan said, but he was surrounded by shining pink petals that blew around him like a tornado.

"What's going on?" Orihime said as she tried to hold her clothes and hair back from the gust.

"I know this spell." Rukia said. When the petals cleared away, the monkey creature was completely shaven. He screamed and ran away in embarrassment.

"Rukia! Orihime!" Ichigo called as he raced over to the two of them. "Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, but what was that?" Orihime said.

"It was his doing." Rukia said. Neither of them understood until Byakuya came out from hiding behind a tree. "Byakuya!"

"How long has he been standing there?" Ichigo questioned.

"Rukia…" Byakuya said and got her full attention. "Cherry blossoms bloom when it's near winter. It's around that time of the year that helps them. Remember that." He left things at that and just walked away.

"What does that mean?" Orihime said.

"I know." Rukia said with a smile and nearly had tears in her eyes. "You guys were right. Byakuya does care. He's saying that as a reference with him being the cherry blossoms and I'm winter. He's saying, he needs me to help him grow stronger." That had Ichigo and Orihime smile as well. Despite what Byakuya shows on the outside, inside he does care for Rukia. The depressing she felt for all these years blew away like a snowflake or a petal blowing in the breeze.

…

Ichigo: Well Orihime, you've been at Fairy Tail for a long time. What do you think so far?

Orihime: It's still the best guild ever. I just need to know where you keep the dragons.

Ichigo: Dragons?

Orihime: And the gods, the demons, and the spirits.

Ichigo: What?!

Orihime: Next time: Story of the Slayers

Ichigo: Orihime, what goes on in that head of yours?