I don't want any power!' He screamed. 'I just want Orihime!'

Prices to pay

Bleach Fan Fiction

Setting: far future

Plot: Orihime and Ichigo are married and expecting there first baby. There life is happy, though not peaceful. Soon there bound will be put to an other test, and they have to shatter fate again with his sword and her will...

Warning: If you have read my prequels to this you already know that English is not my native! (Reading the first two stories is not necessary, for all stories make seance on there own too.)

I think this will be the darkest part of the trilogy, but don't worry, the ending is good...

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I only own a huge crush on it...

Prologue

/quote from canon Bleach/

"... If fate is a millstone..."

He found himself in the rain again. A bad kind of anticipation was squashing his heart. He watched from afar as the pair approached the riverside: the tall slim figure of a long soft brown haired woman, and a little boy with spiky orange locks, holding hands under the umbrella.

He was rooted to his spot. He knew well, that there was nothing he could do except watch the inevitable conclusion unfold before his eyes once more...

"...then we are the grist. There is nothing we can do."

Then the woman looked up. Gentle hazel eyes...not the ones he expected...and the features... His heart beat wildly in his chest.

'No!' he cried out, unheard by anyone but him. He tried desperately to move, to ran to them, but his legs seamed to be made out of lead... the harder he tried the less he could proceed...

"...So I wish for strength."

A figure appeared on the banks of the river. His bat like wings shone in the pail moonlight. He lifted his hand, and a green cero started to form on his fingertip.

'No!' Ichigo shouted again, trying to run all the time. 'Orihime!'

The green light of the cero blocked everything from his sight. When he could see again, she was on the ground, her body broken, and covered in blood. She got the full blast, her body shielding the little boy.

"If I cannot protect them from the wheel..."

He finally reached them. He searched for his sword, but it was missing from his back. So he faced the Espada empty handed.

'Ulquiorra... Now I know this is a dream! I've already destroyed you! You can't be here! It's just a dream!'

'That my be so...' Green eyes bore into his while he answered in his monotone, emotionless voice. 'But even if it's just a dream, the despair is real!'

Ichigo was breathing heavily. He closed his eyes firmly, willing his mind to be relished from this torture. But it didn't work.

'Let me show you true despair now...' Ulquiorra said. He lifted his hand again, but not for cero, it was an inviting gesture. And Ichigo saw the little boy walk forward, and take that hand. His orange colored head snapped up, and reviled a pair of pitch black eye...

And Ichigo screamed. Screamed, like he never screamed before.

"... then give me a strong blade, and enough strength... to shatter fate."

Chapter 1

Orihime was busy in the kitchen, making dinner. She stirred the contains of the pot absentmindedly, as she felt a sharp poke on her roundish belly. She smiled, and caressed the same spot tenderly with her free hand.

'Ah... you miss your father too!' she cooed. 'Don't worry... he'll be back in no time! You'll see... '

Ichigo had rushed out half an hour ago, when his substitute badge signaled... For just a moment Orihime reached out through space to find his sweet spiritual pressure, and sighed relieved when she found it. She knew it was silly, but she couldn't help being worried every single time he went out on soul reaper duty. And now he won't even let her come... she knew it was reasonable, but it made her worry to be far from him.

But now she needed to concentrate on her work, if she didn't want to end up adding some random ingredients into the sauce again... She smiled, as she remembered, that for there first mouth living together Ichigo had never let her near the kitchen. But afterwords he learned to trust her, and surprisingly enough his favorite dishes now were some of her own designs, which he wouldn't have thought of eating before... Of course she always held herself back from making "totally weird stuff" for him, as Tatsuki always referred to it. Her black haired friend helped her much with that in the beginning.

She was lost in her happy memories, when suddenly she heard a shout from outside. She went to the door, and heard it again, this time distinguishing the voice of Uryu Ishida.

'Orihime! Open up! Quick!'

She went to the door with a sinking feeling, and struggled with the key. She looked outside. Her heart skipped a beat. Uryu and Chad stood in the doorway, holding the unconscious Ichigo who was covered in blood all over...

His two friends carried him inside, and laid him on the crouch. Orihime followed them with dizzy head, and she felt that tears were already running down her face.

'Santen Kisshun! I reject!'

The yellow light of her shield surrounded Ichigo's body.

'What happened, Ishida-kun?' she asked the Quincy quietly after a few minutes silence.

'We have lost a soul...'

'What?'

'Yes... There were many hollows, and it was in the middle of this stupid concert... crowded with teens... we just couldn't protect all of them at once...and the soul of a girl was taken by one of them. Of course he was so mad...' Uryu glanced down at the substitute soul reaper's form under the yellow shield. 'We were all there, but I bet he thought again that it was his fault alone... He rushed in without thinking, blinded by his rage... got ambushed from behind... the stupid idiot...'

Chad continued the story:

'He was pretty injured, but made it worse by wanting to continue the fight, so I figured it's best if I just punch him out...' The big giant of a man was looking at Orihime sheepishly, as though waiting for her forgiveness. She smiled at him briefly.

'Thank you... Sado-kun!'

'Hey!... I've heard that!' Complained Ichigo weakly from under the shield, as he opened his eyes. He sat up slowly looking Orihime in the eyes with his familiar scowl. She only smiled with relief.

'How are you?'

'Fine! Now just remove this shield already before you'll overexert yourself!'

Her face suddenly clouded over. She pursed her lips in disapproval, looking very much like a small child sulking.

'Not until you're completely healed!'

'It won't hurt me to have a scar or two from this one... I'd deserve it! It's completely my fault...'

Luckily Orihime's powers were not disturbed by her current predicament, but she got tired after using them more quickly. They were not sure why that was. But it made sense, after all carrying a baby was a grate job in itself...

Finally Orihime removed the shield. They embraced, and shared a brief kiss. Ichigo held her face in his hands and gently wiped the remains of her tears away.

'I'm so sorry... I made you worry...'

Uryu cleared his throat.

'Well, I think we should be going now, Chad.'

They said goodby and the two left.

Later that evening, when they already ate dinner and Orihime was coming out of the bathroom wearing her pajamas she found Ichigo standing by the window, looking out and apparently lost in his thoughts.

'Ichigo?'

As she came closer she saw that his expression was pained and his eyes narrowed...

'She was only a child... couldn't be more than 11...her poor family... '

'I'm so sorry...' said Orihime quietly.

This was the one thing even her unique powers could not undo. The limit of her rejecting ability. Bringing back a soul once it was taken was impossible...

'No matter how strong I get... It's just not enough...' Ichigo's fists balled up and his nails dug into his skin.

Orihime wanted to comfort him, but she knew nothing she could say would make him feel better. She could tell him like Ishida-kun, that it was not his fault, that bad things sometimes happen, no matter how strong you are, but he wouldn't listen anyway. So she did the only thing she could think of... she reached up on tiptoes and kissed lightly on his tightened jaw... on his scowling mouth...

That night Orihime had "the dream" again. This dream kept returning to her from time to time. Not very frequently, but when it came, it was always so solid and colorful, that it almost seamed real. She usually had vivid and crazy dreams, but this one was different.

The weirdest thing about this dream was, that nothing ever happened in it. She was just in this strange place, with huge buildings like skyscrapers, but everything was turned on it's side, like somebody flipped it 90 degrees... even the clouds moved vertically on the blue sky. She didn't understand it at all.

This world was not exactly frightening, but it didn't feel good either... It was an uneasy feeling, intimidating, like being naked... but she was all alone there.

Usually. But tonight she thought she heard faint voices for the first time, calling for her softly...'Orihiiimeee...!'

She woke up with a start, breathing rather quickly.

'Just a dream...' she told herself.

She looked around, and found Ichigo's place empty and cold next to her. She couldn't feel him anywhere close. He must have went out again in the middle of the night without her knowing. She felt uneasy, worried, and she couldn't help being a little hurt. At least he could have left a note...

Just then, she heard a ringing voice. It was not her phone. It was Ichigo's. He had left it behind. But not the normal one, it was his soul pager. Orihime looked at the number, than picked it up.

'Hi, Rukia-chan!'

'Orihime? Hi! Can I talk to Ichigo, please?'

'… he's not here... he's...'

Rukia heard that her voice was somewhat higher then usual, a betraying sign... She sighed.

'Oh no!... Just what did he do again?...' She could hear Orihime sobbing now. 'Should I come over? I could be there in 10 minutes...'

'Oh, Rukia-chan!'

AN: Reviews are as welcome as ever!