A response to Shadowrosell's challenge.

Neither of us own Bleach or Harry Potter. At least I think he doesn't.

Orihime was humming happily as she stood behind the stove in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for her brother. Everything was so perfect. All the hardships she had endured seemed so far away, like they happened in a different life time; which she supposed they did.

The girl knew that sooner or later she would have to return to the reality that there was now a clock counting down to when she would have to face those tragedies again in order to protect her best friends. Friends who didn't even know her anymore.

But for that morning at least, she would let herself feel happy. She would bask in her fortune and hold back the darkness. Every few seconds she would glance at the puzzled face of her Nii-san and give a short giggle.

"Orihime-chan, are you sure you wouldn't rather I make breakfast?" Sora asked for what must have been the seventh time.

"No! I've got it. I want to thank you for everything." Orihime said giving her cheerful smile, silencing the young man yet again. Those smiles weren't playing fair. Even without the mature body of her older self, she was cute as a button.

Finally finishing, she pulled her special pancakes off of the skillet and placed them on a plate in front of her brother. She hadn't had any jelly-beans, so she had to use taffy instead, but it still had soy sauce, fish paste and mustard, so the taste should have been about the same.

Sora looked a little uneasy as he took his first bite, not wanting to seemed ungrateful when his little sister had tried so hard. "Its... every good, Orihime-chan. Thank you." He said with a little bit of a lop sided smile as he slowly kept eating, taking time to enjoy each bite.

"You're welcome." Orihime said proudly. She had always been happy with her cooking skills. Rukia and Tatsuki had always complemented her on her interesting tastes.

"The girl is completely oblivious." Tsubaki grumbled as he flew around with the others. Tsubaki was the most aggressive of the six spirits, and was the only one able to preform attacks. He looked like a bad guy from a cowboy movie with a all black outfit and a sort of bandana in front of his mouth. He was a bit harsh at times, but Orihime knew he was only trying to look out for her. All of the spirits just wanted the best for her.

Orihime had wanted to give them some freedom to stretch their legs. While she had been a prisoner, they had only been let our when her captures had demanded it, and it have been unpleasant for all involved. Though Tsubaki insisted that she was wasting energy, they had all accepted the gesture.

The spirits flew around right in front of Orihime's brother, who was completely unaware of their presence. Normal humans couldn't see the spirits, her brother would probably never be able to see the guardians he had given her. He'll never know just how great a gift he had given her.

It was for the best. She didn't want to worry him. She didn't want to worry anyone anymore. She was going to become the one who protected them. Not just the one who licked their wounds.

"Um, Nii-san." Orihime mumbled, trying to get her brother's attention. When Sora looked up she started to rub her hands behind her back and looked towards the ground. "I was wondering if we could do something together today. Like go to the park, or maybe see a movie."

Sora gave a small smile and reached out to pat his little sister on the head. "Sorry Orihime-chan, but I've got to go to work. You know that." He said in a apologetic voice.

Orihime's shoulders dropped a little. "Oh yeah, that's right." She said, sounding a bit glum about it, but then she smiled again. "Ow well, we can do it some other time then. We have all the time in the world now."

Sora laughed. "I suppose we do. Now I'll be back by five, while you be alright by yourself, or do you want me to asked Arisawa-san to check up on you?" Sora asked her. Arisawa-san was what Sora called Tatsuki's mother, even before Sora had died, she had looked in on Orihime from time to time to make sure she was alright when her brother was out.

Orihime shook her head. "I'll be alright, you don't need to worry. I'm be here when you get home." Orihime said cheerfully. She kept her smile on until her brother had packed his lunch and picked up his briefcase, then after a good hug, he moved out and started on his walk to work.

Orihime watched him go with a heavy heart, but she quickly pulled herself together. "No time for that, Orihime! You need to start getting yourself back into shape!" She said to herself, clapping onto her checks.

"That's the spirit! You keep moving forward!" Lily shouted as she did spins in the air. The pink haired spirit had a futuristic look about her, with a skin tight suit and bright yellow visor over her eyes. Her hair was pulled up into three seperate buns and she gave off a good deal of energy.

"Who should we proceed, Orihime-sama?" Ayame mumbled in her usual withdrawn voice. She was pretty much the oppossite of her sister spirit, very shy and quiet. Her long brown hair was worn straight, like a princess from the old fairy tales and she wore a kimono dress that was bigger than her body, letting her hide away completely inside of it when she was too startled.

"Well, I think for now I need to get used to my body again." Orihime admitted. She had already fallen over several times that morning. She had trained long and hard with Rukia to learn to move faster in her old body and almost everything about it had been drilled into her subconscious. So now with the melons that had been pulling her center of gravity forward gone, she had to lean how to stand up straight again, let allow fight or run anywhere. "I'll go over some of the forms that Tatsuki taught me and try to see if I can't adjust myself."

"Alright, but tell us if there is anything we can do to help you, ok?" Shun'ō said with a smile. Shun'ō was actually a guy, though it was hard to tell with the way he was clothed. His slender body and bright clothes with his long blond ponytail really did make his seem like a girl, and his gentle voice also gave that impression. Sometimes even Orihime forgot that Shun'ō was really a guy, but he was good spirited and forgiving about it when she slipped up.

"I will." Orihime said with a smile. The spirits started to fly around the small apartment where Orihime had lived with her brother, just killing time as they watched for Orihime to need something off them.

Eventually, they decided to try to clean up a little bit in Orihime's room, since she had made a bit of a mess when she had been looking for them that morning, with the exception of Tsubaki who had stayed with the girl to oversee her training and to yell at her whenever she got off balance.

Working together, they managed to lift up the clothes she had pulled out and folded them. Laughing together whenever they messed up or caused an embarrassing situation because of their size. They were glad for Orihime to be home, to have a chance to be happy again.

"Well that's the last of it." Shun'ō said after they had put the last article of clothes back where it belonged.

But the victory didn't last too long before Ayame gave a squeal of panic. "Huh, wasn't the matter, Ayame-chan?" Lily asked as the other flew over to were their sister was flouting. But the girl spirit didn't answer. All she did was lift up a finger at point towards the digital clock.

The others stared at it for a few seconds before what the girl was saying clicked. Then they all went into a panic. "Orihime!" They screamed as one.

The girl was surprised by their shout and fell down onto her butt from a complex yoga pose. "What's the matter?" She asked as she rubbed her already sore but, which seemed to only be getting sorer as the day went on.

"Orihime this is bad! Look!" Shun'ō shouted as the five spirits worked together to carry the alarm clock over to her.

Orihime took it from them so that they wouldn't have to strain themselves for too long before looking down at the clock. It took her just a second longer than her spirits to realize why they were in a panic, and when she finally did, she dropped the clock as she ran towards the door as fast as she could, quickly putting her shoes and rushing out the door before even ten seconds had gone by. "Nii-san! Nii-san!" She shouted as she ran.

The clock's face had broken when it had hit the follow, but the reading hadn't changed. 10:24 a.m. SUN. JULY 21st. The day Sora had been hit by a car and died on his way to work.

Orihime cursed herself for not realizing it sooner. It should have been obvious. Her brother had given the pins to her the day before it had happened. She had remembered them fighting about it. She had felt horrible because it had been the last conversation they had with each other. Why hadn't she realized it sooner?

"Nii-san!" She cried again and again, getting odd looks as she ran through the streets, occasionally tripping, but pulling herself up before she could even fully hit the ground in order to continue to run.

But as she can closer to where it had happened, she saw that she was too late. She saw the people watching, the groups whispering to each other as they stood about, knowing that their was nothing to be done. Orihime pushed herself through the crowd. "Nii-san!" She shouted as she rushed forward into the street.

Sora's head was cracked open from where it had hit the road and blood was everywhere. His suitcase had broken open and papers were everywhere, blowing around in the breeze, flowing away, just like what was left of his life. His arms were twisted and his eyes were unfocused. He couldn't even see her. He was dying. He would die, just like before.

No.

Orihime wasn't powerless anymore. She had the strength now to stop this. She didn't care about the people who had gathered, who would see what she could do. She was going to save Sora. "Ayame, Shun'ō." Orihime called out to her spirits. They nodded and took up their positions on either side of Sora. "Sōten Kisshun, I reject!" Orihime commanded, holding out her own hands and giving the two spirits her strength. She watched as the orange glow spread over Sora's body.

The gathered crowd couldn't see the glow, or the spirits, but they all gasped in surprise as Sora's body started to nit itself back together. Without the presence of spiritual residue in the wounds, they were healing fast. The arm snapped back into place, his blood returned to his veins and his eyes quickly regained their focus and the injury on his head stitched itself closed and disappeared altogether. In just a few seconds, it was as if he had never been hit by the car in the first place.

"O...Orihime-chan?" Sora said, confused as life was pushed back into him. "What happened? How did you get here?"

Tears filled Orihime's eyes again as her older brother tried to push himself up, only for her to jump onto him, crying into his shirt. "Nii-san. I didn't let you die this time Nii-san." She cried, ignoring the whispers of 'miracle' and confused looks. None of them mattered. Her brother was still alive.

Orihime had followed her brother the rest of the way to work and stayed with him their until it was time for him to go home. She wanted to make sure that he was really alright. That fate wouldn't try to throw another curve ball at him in order to keep history on track. She had seen an anime where that kind of thing happened. Where the man character would keep going back in time to save his girlfriend, but she just kept getting killed in different ways.

Luckily, it didn't seem as though any more cosmic events were going to fall down from on high and crush the older brother. Orihime had managed to change fate. She managed to save someone who was going to otherwise have died. And if she could save her brother, then maybe, just maybe, she could save everyone else. She just needed to be stronger than she had been before.

"Are you sure you are okay, Nii-san?" Orihime asked her brother.

"For the hundredth time, Orihime-chan, I'm alright." Sora said with a short chuckle. "Even if I don't know how I am alright."

"Okay, but I'm still going to make you something special when we get home." Orihime said with a smile. This time Sora's chuckle was a little weaker.

But when they finally did get home and opened the door to their house, they were surprised to see an large barn owl sitting in the middle of their table.

"Nii-san! It's so cute! Where do you think it came from!?" Orihime asked excitedly as she rushed towards the table to get a closer look.

"Be careful Orihime-chan, it might be dangerous." Sora said as he quickly moved in to make sure she would be alright.

"But its so pretty. I think its nice." Orihime said, as she reached out and started to pet the owl. It gave the owly 'who' sound, causing Orihime to laugh before she started trying to copy it.

"Orihime, what's that on its leg?" Sora asked, pointing to an envelop that was tied to the owl's right leg. Orihime blinked in surprise before carefully untying the later. Once the letter was off its leg, the owl took to the air and flew out of the window. A window she didn't remember them leaving open.

Looking down, Orihime saw that the letter was addressed to her. She opened it and read the contents, only to be left confused.

'Dear Inoue Orihime,

We have received intelligence that you performed an unnamed charm at thirty-three minutes past ten this morning in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of several Muggles.

As this is a breech of the International Statute of Secrecy and the Reasonable Restriction of Underaged Magic, you have been hereby expelled from Tanukiba's School for the Mystic Arts. A member of the Committee for the Conservation of Magical Cultures will come by your residence within the next three work days to take your wand or scepter.

Do not attempt to use any further magic as this will only cement your situation.

We hope you have a nice day.

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk

Improper Use of Magic Office, CCMC.'

After reading the letter, Orihime could only think one thing. "I don't go to that school."

A random guy: Thanks for the fix.

Flame: I think you don't understand how flaming is supposed to work. You aren't supposed to say good job, you are supposed to tell me how bad I am. Saying things along the lines of 'there is a good reason people don't try original idea, because they aren't very good.' Thanks anyways.

OH GOD, its a COMMITTEE!