Chapter Twelve:

Slowly she sat up and grabbed her friends face with a grateful smile on her own.

"This time I will protect you Tatsuki-chan; Izumi-chan has always been our protectors. Now let me be yours on my own." suddenly power began surging through the hair clip Orihime's brother had given her. Then all at once the hollow was suddenly cut down causing it to panic. Once the smoke clears Orihime steps forward, her hair now completely free flowing in the wind and her hair clip no where to be seen.

"Tatsuki-chan told you that you mistook the person you were fighting but that's not true; you mistook your victim. I will not forgive those who hurt Tatsuki-chan!" she declared her eyes filled with nothing but confidence and hate.

"You won't forgive me you say? What's with you? Where did this confidence come from all of a sudden?-" he took in her appearance as she stood strong, her demeanor completely different then before. "What's with those eyes you brat!? And what's with those small things flying around you?" he growled when she looked confused and began trying to see the beings flying around her body.

Suddenly one landed on her shoulder surprising her but for some reason she didn't feel afraid.

"Nice to meet you Orihime." the little bird like thing transformed into a small person dressed in old fashioned Japanese clothing. Before it could speak again a figure dropped down surprising her and the hollow. The woman stood silently as Orihime stared at her with wide eyes.

"What's this!-" the hollow screeched taken aback by the sudden appearance of a soul reaper. "How did you call in reinforcements!? This has nothing to do with you Soul Reaper!" it bellowed becoming agitated but also thinking of ways to escape.

Tears threatened to spill over Orihime's eyes as she looked at the woman beside her but the figure just smiled kindly and put her hand on Orihime's other shoulder that didn't have the group of little figures gathered on it.

"They are the shield of six dancing flowers.-" Orihime lifted her hands up to her face as tears began poring down her cheeks at the sound of her voice. "And they, are your power Princess." the woman smiled widely for a second nodding her head toward the little persons.

"Izumi-chan!" she cried and threw her arms around the girl as she patted her back lovingly. When she had jumped all the small persons also did and now hovered in the air. One hovered directly in front of her crying face and when she opened her eyes she jumped away and panicked.

"It's a flying midget! Izumi-chan flying midgets came out and are talking to me!!" she screamed throwing her arms up in defense as she panicked. It seemed that with Izumi there Orihime began acting more like herself.

"Oh? That's a good response! I'm glad! Though there is one small mistake, we're not midgets, we are your very own spiritual power that was awakened from outside influences!" the small one that seemed to be the leader smiled but Orihime just looked at it confused, then turned to Izumi for a better explanation.

"In other words, they are your own self, like I told you; they are your power." Izumi smiled while standing there keeping her arms crossed and watching all of the others fly around them. Suddenly Orihime smacked her hands together trying to catch the small leader in front of her like a bug startling Izumi and they five other small people.

"Don't just try to catch me because you don't understand the meaning of my explanation! After all even if you do catch us you're the only one who can see us!" the small one yelled out as it gripped a hold of the tips of Orihime's fingers. After this was said she slowly drug her eyes over to Izumi who was watching the whole scene play out with a nervous smile on her lips.

"But Izumi-chan sees you!" she protested as the small creature smiled slightly and looked over to the older girl.

"At most some people can see us, like Yamamto Izumi, or Kurosaki Ichigo and those like them. They were the reason we were born!" it said happily but just then one of the other small people kicked it right out of her hands. "That hurt Tsubaki!" it cried rubbing its head.

"Of course it did! That was a painful kick! Now is not the time to be speaking so timidly!" Tsubaki scolded his supposed captain before switching his gaze one to Orihime. "It's not necessary for you to know what we are or where we came from! What you have to know is how to handle us! That is all." Orihime stared at the small male in confusion but looked completely surprised when the other small figures began to chime in too.

"Our power is the ability to build a 'shield' and 'repel it!' What we need to invoke is your mind and the incantation!" the other males of the small team called out making her head spin slightly. All the while Izumi just stood in silence with a small smile on her face; she was happy for her friend for finally awakening her power. But that didn't mean she wasn't aware of the threat still lurking just a few meters ahead of them.

"You need to focus on what they're telling you princess; that guy is becoming impatient." she said as she nodded toward the beast and all the others looked over at it too.

"It's coming." Tsubaki warned as the Hollow's irritation finally boiled over.

"What are you up to little girl!?" it screeched preparing itself to launch out more seeds. It couldn't understand what was happening; why a soul reaper had appeared and hadn't attacked it yet, or what exactly was happening with the weak school girl he intended to kill.

"Alright! Let's go Orihime-san! Now call our names! Mine is Hinagiku!" one small male screamed as the next then called out his name. He appeared to have long elf like ears and a structure covered his left eye stretching across his whole face.

"I am Baigon!" the next call resembling a large man with a mask on his face. The next was a girl who wore little protective glasses.

"I'm Lilly!" she called happily. But Orihime was nothing but confused, she didn't understand why they wanted her to call their names. Izumi smiled wider as she grabbed her shoulder once more.

"It's okay princess, calm down. It's their incantation they were telling you about." Orihime looked at her in surprise but then nodded and looked back toward the captain who smiled at her patently.

"It's okay. Just repeat after me. Hingiku, Baigon, Lily!-" the little captain said and Orihime repeated. "Combined shield of the heavenly trio! I repel thee!!" Orihime called out as the hollow launched the seeds aimed to kill her. But as she called she hadn't noticed Izumi step in front of her as an extra procastion with her duel Zanpaktos drawn. However just before the seeds could hit either of them a large orange triangle shaped shield formed protecting them. On instinct Orihime had thrown her arms up to block her face and only noticed that Izumi had been in front of her when the shield was in full view.

"Ah so that's what your power is Orihime! I always knew when it awakened it would be something amazing like this!" Izumi smiled at her friend over her shoulder as Orihime looked nothing but confused but she smiled at the praise she had gotten from her childhood protector.

"That's right! Their ability is to repel the outer shield; meaning that a shield is raised between you and you enemy and they repel the attack you receive." the little captain crossed his arms proud of his companions and proud of her for being able to complete the incantation. "Also, both our abilities are to repel the 'inner shield'; meaning the shield is placed and we repel any damage done within the limited area." the captain said as they flew over toward where Tatsuki laid covered in her own blood. Orihime and Izumi looked at Tatsuki sadly for a moment in silence.

"Princess, they're saying that they can return Tatsuki to the way she was before she got hurt." Izumi commented turning to look back at their target.

"Now call out our names. I am Shonou! And she is Ayame! And then take up the incantation!" Shonou, the Captain called as Orihime repeated their names then copied as the captain called out "Return Shield of the heavenly duo! I repel thee!" after that both girls watched as an oval shaped shield formed around Tatsuki's body and began healing her. They watched as the wounds she had taken began to disappear along with the gruesome seeds that had pierced her body. While they watched Izumi felt three familiar spiritual pressures; two of which she was avoiding.

"Okay princess, you're the star on stage now." she started off getting her attention; Orihime looked over to her confused tears already streaming down her face in relief since Tatsuki was going to be okay. "You don't need me; you did this all on your own. I was late to the party and you protected Tatsuki with your life. You did that princess; with your own power." Izumi grabbed hold of both of her shoulders while giving her best smile. "You got this." she whispered giving her a tight hug before disappearing from sight leaving Orihime to stand on her own.

"No time to cry woman. Next is my turn." Tsubaki all but growled out to get her attention away from her friend. "My ability is to repel both side of the shield; in other words I break through the enemy, put up a shield inside of them, then repel the combined substance. In short I split the enemy in two! So say it woman, my name is Tsubaki!" between her friends encouraging words and the word of Tsubaki a new power began to build in her heart.

"Tsubaki! Cutting shield of the heavenly one! I repel thee!" she screamed putting the last amount of effort she could into her last attack watching as the small man flew directly into the hollows flesh and sure true to his word he split the monster in two. She breathed heavily as she watched the hollow begin to evaporate. "I did it?" She questioned bewildered and impressed with herself. A happy feeling erupted in her heart as she thought about her victory until her eye sight became black; causing her to pass out.

A few seconds later Urahara and Tessai, who is carrying Chad on his back, walk into the scene. They both stop momentarily to look around trying to locate a certain soul reaper who they had sensed just a few moments earlier but she was no where to be found. Both men looked at each other with heavy hearts for a moment before sighing.