THE HEART

Chapter Five : Rebirth

"If I were the rain.....that binds together the Earth and the sky,whom in all eternity will never mingle.....Would I be able to binf two hearts...

Inoue Orihime..........

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Chapter Five : Rebirth

Ashes to ashes

      Maybe it was a major fault of hers to be so forgiving, the kind of emotional person to be so easily attached to others, even if it was her less-than-compassionate captor.

     But those sad, vulnerable emerald eyes and the subtly soft, surprised way he said, "Really..." made Orihime Inoue a believer. A believer of the inherent good in others; of second chances. A chance Ulquiorra Cifer wouldn't be able to have, because he was gone, now lost to the desert winds of Hueco Mundo. Why couldn't life be fair?

     The wet blur in her vision told her that his demise affected her more than she anticipated. There was a strong feeling of remorse in her heart, but she had to move on. Her friends' rescue couldn't be taken in vain.

      Suddenly came Ichigo's voice. Orihime had only gotten the tail-end of his words when she wandered out of her thoughts. But she couldn't formulate a proper response just yet. The image of Ulquiorra's thin, pale hand disintegrating was burned into her mind. It kept playing in her head like the ending to a tragic movie.

"Hey..." struggled another male voice. Orihime suddenly remembered Uryuu, who was gravely injured from both Ulquiorra and the mysterious, but much more dangerous side of Ichigo. She turned her attention to the Quincy, giving him the utmost apologetic expression.

     "Ishida-kun!" she gasped, rushing to him as he gingerly moved toward their resident healer. Without wasting any time, she got to work, casting the familiar golden-yellow barrier over her friend and reversing the injury.

     She then wondered just how much she could reverse. Like say, someone's life. Ulquiorra had told her she couldn't, but what if he was wrong?

     Ichigo, who was too caught up in the battles of war, hastily shot them both rueful looks before taking off.

       He didn't even stick around to let her thank him. But in the end, it didn't even matter, did it? Orihime didn't feel like she should thank Ichigo for the death of the one Espada she didn't hate. The one Espada she was willing to hold her hand and her heart out to. Instead, she should apologizing to him. After all, she was the one with compassionate emotions toward someone who had once beaten her beloved Kurosaki-kun to a pulp.

     But just how beloved is he to me now...? she wondered somberly.

     "Inoue-san..." Uryuu spoke up, catching her attention. He was completely healed.

    "Ah, hai!" Orihime squeaked, hastily dismissing her powers. "Gomen..."

     He shook his head as he sat up. He rolled and stretched his newly healed arm, making sure everything was completely intact. "Don't apologize. I'm sure Kurosaki's fine now. He's going to catch up to Kuchiki-san, Sado, and Abarai."

    Ah, so that was what Kurosaki-kun was saying, she thought absently.

     But Ishida's guesses weren't why she was distracted, or why the tears remained in her eyes. However, Orihime didn't bother correcting him.

     She should forget about Ulquiorra. All in all, he was the enemy; her emotionless captor. She shouldn't put so much trust in an Espada. He would have killed her if Aizen wanted.