Inoue's Bad Ending

~Tatsuki~

Tatsuki had been utterly confused when Ichigo came back and stared her with a pure sadness. She stared back hard. He eventually looked away and went off to fight that strong man who was known as Aizen.

She fainted soon after...

When she woke up, she was at her home. She blinked slowly. It felt like a dream. A very distant...dream. She knew it wasn't too. She closed her eyes and sighed. Gods, how does Ichigo, Orihime and--- She stopped. Orihime! She must be back now. The main reason Ichigo and the others went to somewhere was to retrieve Orihime!

She felt relief and happily tried to detect the familiar reiatsu--- That's odd...

She still couldn't feel her presence.

Frowning, she got out of bed. She could feel everyone else. But not Orihime... Did they fail...?

Her expression hardened and she scowled fiercely. No. That can't be. Just then there was the doorbell.

"Tatsuki!" Her mother called. "Your friends are here!"

She went down immediately and saw Ichigo.

He looked miserable.

"Ichi--"

"Can we...take a walk?" He asked quietly.

"Er, sure."

And so they were walking down the street. It was silent. It was tense. It was fucking annoying.

"Hey, so... How did things go...? And where's Orihime? I still can't feel her presence."

She watched as his tense shoulder stiffened more, jaws clenching tightly. She narrowed her eyes.

"Answer me." She demanded.

He stopped walking. She did too.

".....I am...." He swallowed thickly. "...sorry..."

It was so quiet. But she heard it. Tatsuki stared Ichigo.

"What do you mean?" She asked testily. He refuse to look at her. All he was looking was his shoes.

"...The person who took her....was...too...cruel..."

Tatsuki stared him. Her blood went cold and she just froze.

"...Are you...Are you saying..."

He did not reply.

"...Don't...." She began to tremble, clenching his fists. "DON'T YOU FUCKING SHIT WITH ME!!!" She roared and aimed a punch but stopped right before she hit his face. She was shaking horribly. "...Don't fuck with me...!!!"

Ichigo finally raised his head and Tatsuki locked gaze with him.

He was crying.

She was too.

Appalled, she stepped back. Knees buckling, she fell down, her kneecaps hitting the ground hard.

"...Her body..." She began. "Where---"

"At Urahara-san's..."

"Take me." She snapped and Ichigo silently helped her up to her feet.

They got to the shop. As they entered, the heavy morose atmosphere was easily felt. And Urahara merely silently gestured toward room to the left. Tatsuki opened the door quickly and stopped in her tracks. A body was covered with pure white sheet. She fell to her knees and reached over with trembling hands. She never knew she could tremble this hard. She swallowed thickly and her throat hurt physically. She grasped the small piece and tugged it open. And whimpered.

There  lay her best friend; Inoue Orihime, looking peaceful. And horribly pale. She shook her head as she slowly traced her finger to her face. Then she broke.

Tatsuki screamed and clung to the body desperately.

She hope it was a nightmare. She hoped she would wake up soon and see her best friend's beaming smile again.

That didn't happen.

[Written by: Adm. Lady Victoria]