This is an IchiHime fic (although it won't seem like it in this chapter) that starts after the Lust chapters in the manga. It follows the trials and tribulations of Orihime and Ichigo after the events on the dome. It probably won't make much sense after chapter 409, but whatever. Suspension of disbelief, my friends. Anywho, I hope you enjoy it, please let me know what you think. If I get a lot of interest I'll try to update weekly. No promises though.

Rated T for swearing and blood.

Disclaimer: I am obviously not Tite Kubo, nor do I own Bleach or any of its characters (although I'd love to own Renji and Shuuhei XD).

Uryuu watched the pieces of his obliterated left hand fit together seamlessly, as if the damage had never occurred.

Inoue-san's healing ability has really improved, he thought.

He'd half expected some sort of pain but there was no sensation whatsoever as his hand reverted to the state it had been in before Ulquiorra severed it from his arm. Uryuu tried to push the memory of those malicious green eyes from his mind. He had no desire to remember the Espada or his fate but the events of the last half hour continued to play over and over in his head. Ulquiorra pounding him mercilessly into the ground. A white and red horned beast, who was apparently Ichigo's hollow, dueling and destroying Ulquiorra in an uncivilized fashion. Zangetsu piercing Uryuu's stomach. The mournful look in Ichigo's eyes when he saw his friend lying on the ground with his zanpakutou protruding from his body. Aside from losing his grandfather, this day had been the most devastating in Uryuu's life. Although the worst was over- at least for the time being- he had to contend with the empty eyes of the girl healing his hand.

Orihime hadn't said much since Ichigo transformed into a terrifying hollow, aside from trying to assure him and Ichigo that she was alright. Uryuu didn't believe her, but now was not the time to press her for the truth. His once bubbly friend had reached a breaking point, and he feared asking more questions would cause her to shatter. She hadn't looked at Uryuu once since Ichigo left, instead staring intently at the golden shield that encased his body. She was exhausted and pale, and the moonlight in Hueco Mundo made her look ghostly. Uryuu studied her face. He'd thought she looked OK after Ichigo and Ulquiorra took their fight to the top of the dome, but now he realized he'd been wrong. Something in Orihime had been amiss since they reunited.

"Inoue-san, I think that's good enough," Uryuu said once his body was back to normal.

Orihime nodded, her fairies releasing him and melding into her hairpins. Uryuu wanted to say something to comfort her but could think of nothing, as he himself was still shaken from what had happened. Suddenly, a blast of reiatsu nearly blew them off their feet.

"What the...!" Uryuu shouted. He turned to Orihime. "Please stay here, Inoue-san. I'll find out what's happening."

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Orihime grabbed his arm.

"No, Ishida-kun! Please.." Orihime said as tears began pouring down her face. "Please. I don't want you to get hurt again. I'm tired of people getting hurt!"

Uryuu sat down as Orihime curled into fetal position and sobbed uncontrollably. He never imagined he'd see her like this, his friend who had more strength and compassion than most people he knew. He wanted to gather her up in his arms and find a way to make her pain vanish, but he knew that wouldn't be right. Orihime's heart did not belong to him and he was too chivalrous to hold her as if it did.

"This is all my fault," was all Orihime managed get out. Uryuu was shocked.

"How can you say that, Inoue-san?" he cried. "What happened to Kurosaki was not your doing. If that arrogant bastard had stuck with his training..."

"No," Orihime interrupted, as she tried to sit up. "Kurosaki-kun became a hollow because I screamed for help. I made a promise to myself when I went to Soul Society, that I wouldn't rely on Kurosaki-kun- or anyone- to protect me anymore. That I would be strong enough to fight with everyone instead of being a burden."

Uryuu's eyes widened as she spoke. Is that how she felt about herself all this time?

"If I had kept that promise to myself, none of this would have happened."

Uryuu wanted to argue with her but kept his mouth shut. He'd never believed she was suited for battle, however he didn't want to make light of her efforts to get stronger. Another blast of reiatsu shook them, followed by two smaller blasts. Then all was still. Uryuu and Orihime sat in silence, waiting to see if anything else would happen. Uryuu felt two reiatsu moving toward them and stood front of Orihime to shield her from whatever it was. He saw a small silhouette fly through the opening in the dome and land on the surface. The outline of a much larger person climbed over the edge of the hole and made its way toward them. Uryuu relaxed as he realized it was Chad and Rukia.

"Ishida! Are you and Inoue alright?" Rukia called.

"That depends on how you define 'alright'," Uryuu answered. "We're alive and in one piece, if that's what you're asking."

Rukia gave Uryuu a knowing look. She was simply relieved the two of them survived that insane blast of Ichigo's reiatsu. Her indigo eyes fell on the quivering girl at her feet.

"Inoue," she said softly, crouching down and putting her arm around Orihime's shoulders. "Please let us get you down from here."

Orihime nodded silently as Rukia helped her to her feet. Chad picked her up and the four friends made their way to the base of the fifth tower on Uryuu's Hirenkyaku. The interior of Las Noches had been reduced to rubble. Vice Captain Isane Kotetsu and Hanataro were busy tending to Byakuya Kuchiki and Zaraki Kenpachi, both of whom had minor injuries. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and his lieutenant Nemu were lording over a wagon filled with who knows what. Renji stood on the outskirts of the rubble, waiting for Rukia and Chad to return.

"What happened here?" Uryuu asked.

"Yammy," Chad said gruffly.

"Yeah," said Renji as they landed. "Turns out he was the Cero Espada."

"Cero Espada?" cried Uryuu. "Their numbers go from nine to zero then?"

"According to Yammy," said Rukia, as she helped Orihime over to an area where she could sit down.

"How did you guys defeat him?" Uryuu asked.

"We didn't!" Renji said angrily. "Taicho and Kenpachi fought him, but he somehow opened a Garganta and escaped. We're not sure where he went."

"Where's Kurosaki-kun?" Everyone turned to the shaken, pale girl sitting on the ground, surprised that she'd spoken.

"He went to the fake Karakura town that Urahara-san created," Rukia said. "He's going to fight Aizen." Orihime looked confused so Rukia sat down and explained what had been going on. Orihime thought of Tatsuki as Rukia told her how Urahara moved Karakura Town to Soul Society, and hoped she would be alright. As Orihime began to relax, Rukia made eye contact with Renji and motioned to Uryuu and Chad with her head. Renji nodded and suggested that the two humans accompany him to speak to Byakuya, leaving Rukia and Orihime alone.

"Orihime, do you feel comfortable enough to tell me what happened on top of the dome?" she asked tentatively. Orihime looked down at her feet, her face losing its color.

"I..." Orihime began, as her eyes flooded with tears. "Ulquiorra... killed Kurosaki-kun."

Rukia's eyes widened with disbelief. "But... how is that possible?"

Orihime began sobbing uncontrollably once again. Rukia held her until she had calmed down enough to continue.

"I tried to bring him back, I tried to be strong. But... I didn't know what to do!" Orihime cried. "He was dead and I couldn't heal him, so... so I asked Ichigo for help. I asked him to save me, even though I promised myself I would never rely on him for protection again!"

"Inoue.." Rukia didn't know what to say to her friend. She was extremely confused by everything Orihime had just told her and wished she could say something to comfort her. But she decided to stay quiet and listen to the rest of Orihime's story.

"When I asked Kurosaki-kun for help," Orihime continued, "he... became a monster. He killed Ulquiorra and stabbed Ishida-kun when he tried to stop him from cutting Ulquiorra into pieces. He.. he.."

Orihime couldn't get the rest of her sentence out. Her grief choked the words out of her throat as she thought of what Ichigo had become to protect her. Rukia embraced her once more, amazed that Orihime was still sane after witnessing what she'd just decribed.

"It's ok, Inoue. You don't have to tell me anything else," she said gently.

"Yes, I do, Kuchiki-san," Orihime said, as she remembered the horned masked and the eerie voice pledging to help her. "I'm responsible for everything he did. He became that monster because I asked him to."

Rukia grabbed Orihime's shoulders and looked into her dull brown eyes.

"Listen to me, Inoue," she said furiously. "I don't ever want to hear you blame yourself for what happened today. Ichigo's hollow is HIS responsibility, HE is the one who needs to prevent it from taking over. If you're angry at yourself for breaking your vow, I won't begrudge you that. But what happened was not your fault."

Orihime stared at Rukia with wide eyes. No one had ever been so blunt with her before, not even Tatsuki. Rukia continued, her angry indigo eyes looking out over the vast desert.

"If you want to be stronger, make your vow to yourself again. Keep it at all costs. I know in my heart that you have the strength to do that, Inoue. Don't forget all of our training. Remember the reason you came to Soul Society with me in the first place."

Orihime nodded, and followed Rukia's line of sight across the desert. The two of them sat in silence for a long time, both processing their conversation until Renji came for them. Lieutenant Kotetsu and Hanataro were finished healing Byakuya and Kenpachi and the decision was made to send the three former ryoka to Soul Society with Rukia and Hanataro, while the Captains and lieutenants would go to fake Karakura Town to help Ichigo defeat Aizen. As they prepared to leave Orihime suddenly remembered something.

"Wait just a minute, please!" she said as she ran toward a pile of rubble a ways off. She peered behind it and found Nel, lying fast asleep where Orihime and Ichigo had left her before Stark took Orihime back to the tower. She gathered Nel up and brought her back to the group.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to take that Arrancar back to Soul Society, Inoue," Byakuya said. Orihime was crestfallen.

"But she helped us," she protested. "She fought Noitra and tried to save Kurosaki-kun. I won't leave Nel-chan here alone!"

Byakuya was surprised at the normally polite young woman's tone of voice. But he would not relent. There was no way he would allow an Arrancar into Soul Society. It was bad enough that it had been infiltrated by humans. However Orihime stood her ground. Arrancar or not, Nel had proved herself to be a friend and ally. The least the healer could do was bring her to safety. Rukia stepped forward.

"Inoue," she said softly. "Nel has two brothers who are most likely looking for her. It would be unfair to them if we took her away where they can't find her."

Orihime's eyes dropped to the small Arrancar in her arms and nodded. She knew all too well how cruel it would be to separate Nel from her family. She found a secure nook in the remnant of a wall and carefully laid her down in it, hoping her brothers would find her soon. As Mayuri prepared to open the Garganta it opened on its own and a hell butterfly fluttered through the opening, landing on his shoulder. Mayuri's sinister eyes gleamed as he listened to its message.

"Well, well, what an interesting opportunity this presents," he muttered to himself, before turning to the group. "The plans have changed. It appears Aizen Sosuke and Ichimaru Gin have entered Soul Society."