"P-please I-"

A hard slap silenced her in a heartbeat, and sent her to her knees.

Her hand rose to her cheek, cupping the pink skin with a wince. Tiny tears appeared at the corners of her eyes, but she did not allow them to fall as she gazed up, lost, at the woman who had been her caretaker for many years.

"Brat! I've done what was needed of me." The old woman scoffed, pulling her old thick scarf tighter around her wrinkled neck. She sneered, grasping the collar of the girls coat and dragging her up from her kneeling position in the snow.

"For the last ten years, I have fed you, clothed you" the grey-haired woman gave the girl a yank, dragging her toward the large iron gate at the front of the property, "and allowed you a place under my roof."

In the grey building children watched with their faces pressed to the glass. The younger ones with tears in their eyes, and the older ones with trepidation. They watched, as the girl dressed in clothes three sizes too large was drug to the front gates by the surprisingly strong old woman. The same woman who ironically often claimed she could not do tasks such as put her shoes on in the morning, for fear of throwing out her back.

"I have arranged a job for you - you should thank me," she scoffed, relinquishing her hold on the girl to draw a key from her apron and unlock the iron gate. "many girls have to work their way up to the position you'll be in. But they have heard of your... assets... and have assured me you will be cared for."

The girl turned wide grey eyes on the older woman, uneasy as to what this job might be.

"Now," the old woman drug the fence back, and the girl stumbled out of the way. "you'll be working at the Red Herring... go left when you reach the fork in the road, and follow the signs."

"I expect a part of your monthly earnings, after all these years I've cared for you. Ungrateful pest." The hag sniffed, shoving the flustered looking girl forward. She stumbled, nearly falling flat in the snow before quickly turning around.

"But-"

The iron gate swung shut with a loud clang, and her hands reflexively moved to cover her ears at the sound of metal slamming against metal. She watched through hooded eyes as the old woman staggered up the path, never once glancing back even as she slammed the front door of the orphanage shut.

Then, she was alone.

Orihime glanced up, offering a tired smile and a tiny wave at the little faces still pressed up against the old glass windows. And she kept smiling until one by one they left, until the last few who continued to peek out long after the others also disappeared.

"Then I suppose... that's it..." Her hand dropped back down to her side to become fully emerged in the sleeve of the too-large coat she wore. It was raggedy, but thick and sturdy. It was a man's' coat in fact, but it suited her just fine. It kept off the cold, and that was all she could have asked for. Especially now that it was her only barrier against mother nature.

She cast one last look toward the only home she could remember, before turning to face down the snowy path before her.

Thankfully the Peoples Orphanage was not in the deep woods. But it was still far enough in that traveling through the snow banks and over the hills would be unpleasant.

Even knowing this, she straightened her shoulders and began to trek forward. She managed to avoid the deep patches of snow by walking in the ruts made by old carts and carriages. The wind continued to sting at her cheeks, and she wished desperately she had a scarf to cover her face. Or at the very least, a larger collar on her coat.

She stopped as the road began to branch off into three different directions, and she gazed at the weathered old sign with uncertainty. The elements had buffed it so much, she could only barely make out letters.

"She said... left..." She murmured to herself, glancing down the beaten road. She knew what lied just over the hill, and past the trees. She knew what that path would bring her. And none of it was at all appealing.

Her hand rose to her chest, fingers trailing over the silver chain of the tiny blue flower pendant she kept tucked under her clothes. The shape, so familiar to her, acting as a comfort while she gathered her thoughts.

She had had it for years. Ever since she could remember really, and it had been her anchor. The one thing that reminded her that somewhere out there, someone had indeed loved her enough to give her such a beautiful and expensive gift. The thought alone kept her warm on the coldest of nights.

Though it was beautiful, she had never openly displayed it to anyone. The precious jewel would surely fetch an extraordinary price and could potentially offer several months' worth of food. She had always been terrified it would be taken away. And in all her years on Earth, there had only ever been one person who knew of her precious necklace.

Tatsuki-chan... Her lips turned into a fond smile at the memory of the dark-haired girl. They had met under unfortunate circumstances, but this only made their relationship stronger. Tatsuki was a girl raised on the streets, and when she was eventually caught by the local constable and tossed into the orphanage, she had refused to step a foot inside.

.

She had been out there for hours; that girl with the wild hair. The girl they had called Tatsuki.

It was dark, and it was cold, and Orihime knew the poor thing had not eaten in days. The constables that had brought her, kicking, and shouting, had claimed her to be wild but not without promise. She had been caught in an elaborate hustle, per them, involving no less than three other accomplices who had scattered into the wind.

She had claimed to be the mastermind behind it all.

Orihime didn't care why Tatsuki had been brought to the orphanage. She only cared that now, she was outside cold and alone.

It had taken no hesitation on Orihime's part. And for the first time since she had arrived in the People's Orphanage, she broke a rule. She rose out of bed, and snuck down the stairs. She opened the large front door slowly, wincing as a cold wind blew directly in her face. But she could only imagine how fierce that same wind seemed to the young girl shivering out on the stoop.

The girl in question managed to turn her head a fraction, her eyes wide in question. And though they still kept that stubborn spark Orihime had seen earlier that day, that spark was dimmed by the shivers raking through her body.

Hurriedly, she stepped outside and carefully took Tatsuki by the shoulders. It took only a small amount of coaxing before she finally brought the chilled girl inside and away from the harsh elements. She snuck her into the kitchen, the warmest room in the orphanage, and sat her beside the still faintly glowing embers.

"R-remove your clothes," she stumbled over her words, blushing brilliantly as Tatsuki blinked slowly in her direction. "please… they are far colder than you are."

There was a moment of hesitation, and Orihime half feared the girl would not comply, before she slowly began to strip off the stiff ice covered garments. As she did, Orihime hurried to strip off her coat and drape it over Tatsuki's thin shoulders. She prodded the embers a few times with the iron poker until a tiny flame licked at the last bit of that day's firewood.

It was as she was searching in the darkness beside the fireplace in hopes one log hadn't been used that day, that the girl finally spoke.

"Why?"

She was so startled she almost hit her head on the wall.

"E-eh?"

"Why did you help me?" Tatsuki asked again, her voice only slightly stronger now. "You don't know me. I don't know you. Why would you help me?"

Orihime sat back on her heels, smoothing her dirty old dress over her thighs. For a moment, she seemed unable to understand what the girl was asking exactly, her eyes blinking owlishly before her lips parted in understanding.

"I-I couldn't bear it."

This time, it was Tatsuki's turn to be confused.

"Couldn't bear what?" She asked.

"Seeing you in pain."

.

Their friendship began at that very moment. The next day the two were found by another young orphan sleeping on the floor of the kitchen, covered in ash and soot. And from then on, after the fierce scolding they both received, they were inseparable. There were few times you could find one without the other, from doing their daily chores to washing up for dinner.

And on nights where they couldn't sleep, they huddled together under their shared blankets and Orihime listened as Tatsuki told tales of her erratic little family.

.

"We flipped the entire cart over." Tatsuki snickered quietly, seeming to relish in the wide-eyed look of horror and awe Orihime gave her. "The old cabbage man didn't know what to do. We ran as fast as we could after that! And oh, that Pineapple head Renji smelt like the stuff for weeks!"

"All of those cabbages! How funny!" Orihime whispered, covering her hand with her mouth to muffle a giggle at the thought of the poor cabbage man and his outrage. Her friend's large fond smile faded slightly, her happy gaze turning bittersweet as her memories carried her away.

"Yeah…"

.

Selfishly, Orihime had often found herself choosing to ignore the longing in Tatsuki's voice. She missed her friends, her chosen family. So, it was no surprise when a month before her 18th birthday, she delivered the news.

.

"I'm going to St. Petersburg, Orihime. I have my friends there... When you can leave, find me. Promise me, you will."

.

Torn, the young woman squatted down on the side of the road, resting on her heels as she went over the options before her.

There were two different paths to choose from.

The first, being that she went left just as she had been instructed to. And her life as a woman of ill repute began. More so, she would be making the words of every mean adult she had met true. She would become a whore.

The second choice, was far more appealing. Though it had its risks. She could travel to Karakura, and seek out her friend. She had little doubt her friend would help her. However, if she was unable to find Tatsuki, she would have made a long walk for nothing. And that would leave her penniless on the streets.

Her eyes turned downcast once more, focusing on an indentation in the snow.

"If I knew where my family was..." She sighed to herself, fiddling with the hem of her coat. "Maybe I..."

Even alone, she hesitated. Years in the Orphanage had wrung out the most of her childish fantasies, but even now she couldn't stop entertaining such ideas.

Absentmindedly, her fingers began to stroke the six-petal flower pendant resting against her chest.

"They must have loved me." She murmured, the faintest trace of hopefulness in her voice.

There were times, more frequent than she would admit, where she imagined faceless but familiar searching for her. Calling her name, and opening their arms wide once they found her.

Her lips pursed as she stood up straight.

She cast a glance down the path to the left, biting the inside of her cheek before taking a hesitant step forward. As though she expected someone to suddenly pop out of a snow drift and declare that was not a path she could take.

When no one stopped her, she continued forward.

And not once did she look back.

She walked, and walked. And then walked some more. Until the trees slowly began to become fewer and fewer, and houses began to crop up. And even then, she continued to walk, until soon she was climbing over a steady hill, the wind whipping at her face.

.

"They left me something precious…" Her hand grasped the necklace under her clothing, drawing the dark-haired girls curious gaze to her chest.

"Precious?"

Orihime nodded.

"I know they wanted me Tatski… I just wish I could remember..." The auburn-haired girl sighed softly, her eyes drifting down to gaze at the old floorboards solemnly.

"Orihime…"

"Tatski… I want to find them when I get out. And…"

A hand clasped itself over Orihime's shoulder, and she looked up to meet her friend's large grin.

"You helped me, remember? Of course, I'll help you. We are family."

.

When she reached the top of the hill, the sun had risen over the horizon. And blow, the large bustling city of St. Petersburg waited.

"I'll be there soon, Tatski!"

Not as long as I'd have liked for a second chapter (same length as the first/prologue) but I think I managed to give some good information here.
Please, don't forget to comment your thoughts and favorite! It helps my motivation to continue!