Better Left Unsaid
Summary: Orihime had changed drastically in her time Hueco Mundo and everyone wants to know why. But somethings are better left unsaid.
Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach then Ulquiorra wouldn't have died, Nanao would be more kickass, and Ichigo wouldn't be so oblivious. That said, please read on.
They had all noticed the changes.
They'd have to have been blind not to.
They all noticed how the Orihime who had come back from the hellish nightmare known as Heuco Mundo was not the loud, naive, ditzy girl that had been abducted all those months ago. This new Orihime was quiet, calculating, and-dare they say it-jaded.
They all knew that logically, she had seen a lot in the war and they could only speculate just what she had been through in her captivity.
One day, they finally asked.
"I-Inoue?" Ichigo hesitantly piped up," What happened in Hueco Mundo?"
All at once Orihime stilled, she stopped chewing her leek and banana sandwich-at least one thing was still the same- and almost appeared to have ceased breathing, as a haunted, hollow look came to her eyes.
She flashed back, reliving the revulsion she had felt as Aizen's hands touched her body, disgust as another arrancar eyed her with lust, determination as she vigorously trained her powers so she would remain useful, despair as a little part of her died as she seduced another Espada into her bed. She hated herself for doing it, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
And her time of greatest desperation, Orihime learned what so many desperate women before her had; how to survive.
Hueco Mundo was a place where the weak had to learn how to be strong in order to survive; and if she was anything, it was a quick study.
She had learned how to make men crave her, how to use her body to ensure that she wouldn't be tossed aside and killed. She had figured out the rules to the oldest game known to man, and for a moment she felt like telling her friends. She felt like spilling everything she had done, how disgusted with herself that she was, how she felt like was trying to keep her head above water and was failing miserably, and worse, she thought about telling them how much she had liked it.
For a single instant she thought about telling them everything.
But the fickle thing about instants is; they never last very long.
Breaking out of her treasonous thoughts, Orihime just stared forward, eyes seeing nothing but a faraway horror, and with icy steel in her voice as she answered," I learned how to play the game."
And that, she decided, was all they need ever know.
AN: Okay, this has been in my head for a while now, I was just thinking about how all of those stories make Orihime out to be some little mouse after she comes back from Hueco Mundo, and if she is written as stronger it's always attributed to Ulquiorra. My idea was that she became stronger all on her own by using what she had-her looks, her intelligence, her powers-to keep herself alive. I understand if you don't agree with my perspective, but do yourself a favor and don't even bother flaming me, I won't bother reading it.
