Orihime stared out at the sea from the cliff she was perched. She couldn't remember a time when she has cried as hard as she was doing now. Every heave of her sobs felt like somebody was driving a stake into her heart. Yet she couldn't stop her sadness. Had she not have been wailing herself into borderline hysterics, she might have heard Tatsuki's footsteps as she walked up to her. But it wasn't until she placed her hand on her shoulder that she looked up and noticed her.

"You hate me don't you?" Whimpered the girl to her tomboyish friend.

"You hate me for joining Aizen's crew"

Tatsuki sighed as she sat next to her.

"Well I couldn't believe my ears at first" She agreed.

"But then I thought about it. The Orihime I know is way too smart to join a bunch of idiots like the Arrancar pirates. And the Orihime I know would never ever go to work for her brother's murderer in a million years. Unless of course she had a good reason." She placed her head on Orihime's shoulder.

"It's gonna be a cold day in hell before I ever let you have to go through anything alone, Orihime. So you might as well tell me what exactly Aizen did to you in Hueco Mundo. I know he didn't get you to join him before putting those bruises on your face. So out with it, already. "

Orihime took a shaky breath. She had vowed to bear the weight of her deal with Aizen alone, but she never really expected to be able to hide it from Tatsuki.

"At this very moment, I am the only one...who can save our town from the Arrancar pirates" She murmered.

Tatsuki raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I made an agreement with Aizen. I would buy Karakura town from his bondage for 65 million berries!"

Her best friend gasped.

"Orihime that's crazy! You don't have nearly enough money!"

"That's why I'm working for his crew. I'm going to save all the money that I can spare from living expenses for the next few years until...until"
She forced herself to smile and put her faith in the distant dream.

"Until I can earn enough money to buy freedom for our town!"

"But then how much are your 'living expenses'? How much is he paying you?"

"I... I get paid $400 berries every month. It costs me fifty berries every week for three meals a day. Since I can't live in Karakura town anymore, I'll have to board in Hueco Mundo. That will cost me at least 30 berries a week. So when I factor out the cost within each week plus the fifty berries for my uniform..."

Tatsuki jumped up in indignation

"That's about only thirty berries a month! That's daylight robbery! Unless you live to be older than Aizen, there's no way that you can scrape together 1 million berries much less 65! What on Earth were you thinking! You should call off the deal and leave this entire mess to the Shinigami forces! I'm sure that they can kick Aizen's butt up and down the entire ocean-"

"You don't understand!" Wailed the orangette sadly.

"In Hueco Munco, the Arrancar pirates sank three battalions of ships who had come to rescue Karakura town! It was like watching a show! He isn't called the warlord of the sea for nothing and there's no way that the Shinigami's navy will waste any more time and resources on us! We're not a fancy city! We're a tiny little village that's not even on most maps! Don't you see we're on our own!"

Watching her friend';s once-everlasting optimism deplete away for the first time in her life made Orihime's heart feel like it was breaking. It was up to her to put on a brave face and smile. She had to be strong. Not just for her but for every single member of the vilalge.

"Just-just you wait! I will get that money on my own! Even if I have to be the Arrancar pirate's doctor for the rest of my life, I will earn that money and save everybody! I have to!"

"But-but can't you at least tell the village. Maybe if we can all chip in together, we can put up a fund and-"

"I REFUSE!" Cried Orihime.

"Everybody is already going to have a hard enough time earning up the tribute for themselves and trying to make ends meet without trying to out aside cash on the side! This deal is between me and Aizen. If he finds out that anybody is helping me, he said that- he said that-"

Orihime bit her lip so hard that she could feel herself tearing off chunks of flesh. She dully sensed the taste o iron in her mouth. But she wasn't going to cry. She was never going to cry again. She refused to give Aizen the satisfaction of her tears. He had done nothing to deserve them.

"If anybody helps me pay for Karakura town, Aizen will slaughter them in front of the entire town in a public ceremony to make an example!" She blurted.

"It's bad enough that Sora had to give his life trying to pay for my wages! I won't let anybody else die for me! Never again! Never ever ever-"

Orihime's desperate attempt to suppress the waterworks was proven futile when Tatsuki engulfed her in her arms in a bear hug.

"You are so brave, Orihime!" She whispered.

"And if anybody ever tries to tell you otherwise, send them to me for a can of whoop-ass!"

Orihime sniffled gratefully before nestling into her friend's arms and resigning herself to one last bout of tears. This was the last time. She swore. Just this once.