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Hueco Mundo,
June 2003
“Fucking hell, woman, what took you so long?”
“Stop cursing at her! Itsugo is gonna be mad at you~!”
“Well he better, I want to fight Kurosaki when we get there-“
“We are not fighting Itsugo, we are fighting the quincy guys – q-u-i-n-c-e”
“you’re stupid Nelliel, you can’t even fucking spell their names!”
“I CAN TOO! It’s q…u… wait, I forgot… I bet you can’t spell them either!”
“I don’t need to!”
“See, you can’t do it…”
“GAH, shut yer trap!”
Orihime sighs, partly amused, partly worried as the two former-espada banter at each other.
“… Urahara sent them over… but… he still needs to finish some things before we head to Soul Society”
Sado explains as Nel hops on her lap, making faces at Grimmjow
“… so we should use this time to further our training while the other Arrankars are re-grouping”
“I see… I’m glad you’re feeling better, Nel-chan” Orihime adds, placing a gentle hand on the small Arrankar’s head “… I’m glad you are all feeling better”
She turns to the odd group of Arrankars gathered around the ruins.
“Are you through with your shenanigans? we’re heading off now” Mila Rose announces
“And who the hell had you calling the shots?!”
“I hate to agree with Apacci, but I don’t remember making you our spokesperson…”
"SHUT it, you two, Harribel-sama is waiting for us!"
“Wait, wait, wait, if you’re going to rescue Harribel-sama we want to go too!”
“YEAH! Nel wants to save Harribel-sama!” The child jumps out of Orihime’s lap to join the ever-boastful Pesche and Dondochakka “we’ll ride on BawaBawa’s back!”
“That disgusting worm-thing that comes out of your body and you freaks run around the desert in? Abhorrent; I won’t allow Hallibel-sama to be around such a thing again”
“WADDA YA TALKING ABOUT SUN-SUN?! Hallibel-sama has always loved Bawabawa!”
“Where did you get that idea?!”
"She told us herself!"
"Harribel-sama yould never-"
“And Bawabawa is cute unlike that monster that comes off ya ladies’ arms!”
“Shut yer mouth about Ayon, brat!”
“…. For fucks' sake someone get me out of here already….”
“… ahm… can we help you rescue Harribel-san?” Orihime asks as Grimmjow looks as he’s about to fire a Cero, and the Tres Bestias turn towards her.
She only had a glimpse of Harribel during her time in Las Noches.
It happened soon after she left Aizen’s chamber and Ulquiorra led her back to the room she was assigned to.
From what Orihime gathered, there had been some sort of meeting, and a few Espada were still around, looming… making her blood chill in utter fright.
Back in Soul Society, the pressure from the shinigami powers all over the place was overwhelming, their appearance, the swords, the blood, it was all very intimidating… yet this time, it was something entirely different.
She was completely alone. It was if malevolence and danger filled the very air she breathed, and even though they still resembled humans, so much about them was more sinister than she could realize... from some of their horrifying or off-putting features to the fact that a few of their reiatsu felt more powerful than anything she had felt so far – and it hurt even more to realize that some if partly resembled those harsh peaks from Ichigo’s own spiritual pressure.
From all the times Orihime has felt cornered, exposed, vulnerable … this definitely felt like the worst.
Then she spotted her; the only woman among them.
She had seen some servants, and the two Arrankars by Aizen’s door, but not an Espada.
Orihime felt silly for probably deluding herself, but she couldn’t help to think…
... That she wanted to approach her.
The Espada didn’t look any less powerful or intimidating – on the contrary, Orihime could quickly tell that her power probably rivalled Ulquiorra’s and she must have been high in the ranks.
Yet amidst all that hostility…
… she really wanted to approach her.
Later, reality came through her door.
Of course, the two Arrankars targeted her – hasn’t it been like that throughout her entire life?
But just as the memories of the bullying girls in her school flooded into her as she stared into Loly’s eyes, she also thought of Tatsuki.
She thought of Yoruichi teaching her how to use her powers; she thought of Rangiku’s warming presence in her apartment, she thought of Rukia’s mentoring and incentive to train, and how it strengthened her.
She can’t do it; she can’t summon to fight them back.
But she is not powerless.
And as she heals them, she thinks of getting all of her friends out of there, out of harms’ way, and getting home. Again, she thinks of Tatsuki.
.
.
.
“Thank you for coming, Inoue-san”
“Of course… please.. how… how can I help…?”
Right after Ichigo fell on the ground, she was about to call Shun’o and Ayame on instinct, but Urahara stopped her, and explained what had happened.
It broke her heart to see him in pain and not be able to do anything.
As he fell asleep, Rukia called her – thankfully, with something she could do. "Inoue... they could use assistance to heal the injuries from the battle", and without even blinking, Orihime rushed to accompany her.
It was Unohana who received her.
Her first stop was at Hinamori Momo’s bed, but she didn’t stay there long.
“… since our work at the 4th Division works with the shinigami’s reiatsu, I was wondering if you could take care of those who have different reiatsu… as well as life-threatening physical injuries, too, I hope this isn’t an imposition”
Orihime assumed she meant the other Vizored, as she was soon brought to Hiyori’s side to further assist the reconnection of her severed body, but as soon as she was done, Unohana took her someplace else, and Orihime recognizes the woman on the floor, and assumes the three others around her could be what she had learned to be the Fraccion.
“… those three were wounded in battle with General Commander Yamamoto…. The Espada was stroke by Aizen Sousuke”
“…. I’ll take care of them!”
Unohana nods.
“What the hell…. I told ya, we don’t want any Shinigami helping us…”
One of them speaks.
“… this is Inoue Orihime. She is not a Shinigami – she has abilities that will save your leader”
“Tsc, we don’t want help from humans either… also… aren’t you the damn thing that- hey!” The Arrankar complains as Orihime rushes forwards and approaches Harribel.
“… I can help her”
There is not a single gentleness in the Arrankar’s tone when she says “fine”, yet Orihime sees it: she did want the Espada to be healed.
“… hi…” She speaks, as Harribel opens her eyes.
“Harribel-sama!”
The Espada looks around. “… you are in Soul Society right now… I’m healing your injuries… I’ll also help your Fraccion as soon as possible… hm…. We… haven’t met, but… my name is Inoue Orihime”
She notices the woman scanning her, and looks at her clothes – she really wanted to get these robes off of her – and it makes her flinch a bit. But soon after, she meets her in the eye.
Orihime nods and focuses on the healing – and she doesn’t feel silly in the slightest when she interprets Harribel’s look as gratitude.
.
.
.
"... you don't need to thank me" Orihime tells Unohana as the Captain escort her towards the gate, a couple of days after
Her smile is gentle, and she hands her something. "... a cellphone?"
"Yes, please use this whenever you need us. I thank you again, we are truly grateful, Inoue-san... congratulations for your bravery, and for your kindness, you are an impressive young lady"
Once again, she feels silly, but after all she had been through, Unohana's words hit her like a wave - and it all pours down from her eyes.
“Oi, princess, we don’t need you-“
“Watch it, Apacci” Mila Rose interjected as the other advanced towards Orihime “You have healed Harribel-sama and us before and we won’t kill you for that, but don’t mistake this for a partnership” Sun Sun adds, turning her face away.
Orihime watches them get ready to leave, appreciating Chad’s hands on her shoulder.
“… we will rescue Harribel-sama, and you humans, Neliel and Grimmjow; be ready for when that whacked hat guy gives you the green signal to go”
“…. Fine, we stay here and play with the lady and the big guy…”
“not play – train! Fight! Huh, what do you say your name was again, Sado something? Come on, indulge me, let me get back for those damn trick you two played at me earlier!”
Orihime re-takes Nel on her arms as Grimmjow moves – she worries for Sado for two seconds, but he blocks the attack.
“… those two idiots didn’t come, they want nothing to do with ya… Stupid freaks still loyal to that bastard Aizen after all this time…. ”
Grimmjow says afterwards, as he caught her scanning the ruins.
“… it’s ok, I’m glad we got them to safety, at least… I’m also glad that you are all ok…”
He snorts
“Tsc…. You and Kurosaki… y’all really fucking stupid…”
She smiles “Grimmjow … can I ask you something?”
There is a grunt, so she proceeds. “… what will you do after the battle is over?”
“What do you mean? I’m gonna find your man and face him again, that’s what…!”
She dismisses the blush trying to rise up her cheeks as he says ‘her man’, and watches him cross his arms and look at her – irritated, for sure, but… it wasn’t the same hostility as before.
“What the hell are ya looking at at?”
“… hmmm, nothing… ”
There is another grunt.
“It’s just … if they manage to get Harribel-san back, and when the battle is over, I was just thinking… maybe Hueco Mundo will go through same changes…” She speaks, softly, and mostly to herself.
“… I don’t care what these bastards do, Neliel, Harribel, and those freakshows…”
Orihime sighs, resigned “… right, you only want to fight Kurosaki-kun…”
She expects him to grunt again, or lose his patience and charge at her, or at a rock nearby, but what she sees is a deep breath, and eyes…. that against all odds, seemed to indicate longing.
“…. There isn’t really anyone here that can challenge me to a fight anymore”
I see…
For the briefest of moments as she takes in Grimmjow’s words, the sand in her hands feel like the fleeting ashes from above that dome… as if it had just happened.
She breaths, too.
That was in the past now.
They had a future to look up to. And she wanted to believe - no, she did believe very firmly that the ragged-tag team of previous enemies would come back, and that things could change. From what she had seen… it looked like it might have started, already.