I've been far too obsessed with this ship more so than normal recently, and so I decided I'd start on a fanfic of a what if scenario, trying to keep some canon storlines in place while also adjusting certain events to my person preference. The story takes place after Aizen's fall. I hope it's well liked and reviewed (as reviews are what encourage me to write more). Without further ado-
Chapter One
Time had seemed relatively slow in her time within the walls of Las Noches. With nothing to do but ponder what if scenarios and pray for the safety of her friends, time seemed to move slowly. It was as if someone had a remote controller to her life, and set life to move in slow motion. At least, that's what time had been like before Ichigo had taken down Aizen and the world had changed once more around her.
Now she stood in the classroom, grey hues turning through the students she'd nearly forgotten the faces to. It was weird seeing familiar faces of her peers, yet feeling so withdrawn from them all after she'd been taken hostage to Hueco Mundo.
However, they hadn't forgotten her. Quite the contrary. They were all very enthusiastic to her return, chattering filling her ears with their high enthusiasm.
"I hear you went on a vacation! I can't believe you didn't tell any of us you would be leaving for so long. How was your trip?"
"Did you meet anyone interesting?"
"Did my precious Hime fall in looooove~?"
Questions continued to roll out of curious peers. Orihime felt flustered, not knowing how to answer any of their questions. Fortunately for her, luck was on her side, and that luck was named Tatsuki.
"Come on guys, sh got back. Give her some space to breath. After all, she has so much homework to catch up on, and she doesn't need any of you badgering about her trip. When she's ready to share, she'll share." Dark concerned hues belonging to the black haired woman turned sharply towards Orihime, a single hand clasping to the females arm, tugging her towards a seat in the classroom.
It was almost as if nothing had ever happened.
But the fact of the matter was that something did happen, and there was no changing that, not that she'd ever want to. Despite the negativity that came from her time in Las Noches, she felt as if she had returned a different person. She'd undergone stress she never thought was possible before. She'd witnessed death upclose, and to this day she still wasn't sure how she was supposed to handle it. It still swarmed her once peaceful dreams at night, reminding her that a man before her very eyes turned to dust, with nothing of a goodbye. He asked a simple question, a question she'd never forget.
"Are you afraid?"
What did that exactly refer to?
Was she afraid of life? Afraid she would do? Was she afraid life would never be the same? Was she afraid a valuable person in her life would be lost? Was she afraid of him? Or… was she afraid of losing him?
"Earth to Orihime." A single hand waved before the young woman's face, pulling her back from her thoughts, turning her attention back to Tatsuki. A smile lit up her face, offering a soft laugh. "Sorry, I was daydreaming again, Tatsuki!"
"That's odd. Usually when Ichigo comes in, you greet him," Tatsuki mused. The male was in a small circle of Keigo, Chad, and Mizuiro. She shrugged her shoulders, "Well, he's with his friends. I don't want to interrupt them."
It was a small lie, but at the same time, it held some form of honesty. Ichigo wasn't the same person that he had been before. His Soul Reaper abilities were long gone. He was just a normal teenage boy attending school. The only reminder that his past ever existed with Soul Society was the memories that he held tight to. This was what he wanted though, right? To live a normal life? Or did he simply give it up for the sake of defeating Aizen.
She wouldn't bother voicing that question. It didn't matter.
She wasn't a normal teenage girl, and Ichigo Kurosaki was a normal teenage boy. There was a rift that had developed between the two. Of course, she still loved the other dearly, but since the defeat… Ichigo was different, much like Orihime was. She had witnessed a side of him that made her afraid. Seeing his hollow eyes… And seeing him dead was the worst of all. She was powerless and unable to do anything about his death.
Was she afraid?
Before she even had time to contemplate her question, or even register what Tatsuki had continued saying to Orihime, the bell to the class rang. Student's settled into their seats. Ichigo moved swiftly towards his seat, giving a quick nod towards Orihime, "Yo, Orihime, I need to see you after school."
A rare thing for Ichigo to request her company. But if he was requesting it, that must have meant something was up.
Compared to her life in Hueco Mundo, time here seemed to fly by all too quickly. One class led to another which led to lunch, and then led to the remaining of the school day. She tried her best to keep up with the classes, but her time away proved that she had quite some catching up to do. Each teacher gave her the assignments she had missed while away and offered her after school help if necessary. Finally, they suggested that she and her friends get a tutor to catch up on their work. However, of course, Orihime had a few extra days missing versus her friends. It might have been nice if they all worked together, but something told her that'd be more of a waste than anything. Besides, she doubted that Ichigo wanted to be around those that would remind him of his missing female companion, Rukia.
She stifled her sigh at that thought, but made no move to request studying with others. She'd probably be better off alone. She could get more done if she worked alone.
As the final bell rang, signaling the release of the students, Orihime made way for her locker, watching for Ichigo to appear, in which he did. He offered a small, warm smile to the shorter female. "You have some spare time?" He questioned, slugging his bag over a single shoulder.
"M'hm," she nodded. "What's up?"
"Well... " He began, almost seeming unsure of himself. She could see the confliction in his eyes before scratching the back of his head. If anything, he seemed reluctant to share with her whatever it was. "Perhaps it's just better if you see for yourself. Maybe Kisuke can give you better insight on the matter. I'm not quite sure how to explain it to you."
They were going to see Urahara? That was odd. She expected Ichigo would have already cut his ties with the male. But perhaps Ichigo wasn't ready to be a normal teenage boy quite yet. It surely had some adjusting to do.
"Will others be joining us?" She questioned.
He gave a single nod, "They'll be meeting us at the shop. I wanted to walk with you alone. Y'know, see how you're doing and what not."
It seemed slightly out of character for him to blurt it out the way he had, but it came as no shock to her. Everyone viewed the female as weak and as if she couldn't handle her own battles. She decided not to argue against it and just take it as she would.
The walk to the shop was simple enough. They knew the area far too well. They chit chatted about the missing homework and how life felt almost strange to be returning to their normal school life as students and that their biggest concern was catching up with homework. The mood was light an easy, as it always was when it came to Ichigo. It was always so easy. Even with the grumpy look permanent on his face, she still found herself at ease, chuckling at comments here and there. Their conversation never delved deeper than him simply asking how she was readjusting to life back home.
The walk had been nice and so did chatting with Ichigo. Although he had never exactly been dismissive towards the female, he never really went out of his way either to converse with her. Of course, it had been his idea to go to Hueco Mundo after her. He refused to believe that she was a traitor. But others had insinuated that the real reason he had gone was because he wanted to battle, not because he wanted to save her. A part of her had dismissed that far too quickly, figuring they were just trying to manipulate her. But now, the thoughts returned momentary, questioning if that had been the true purpose of Ichigo having gone to rescue her.
Without giving it a second thought, telling herself she was being ridiculous, and obviously a horrible friend for even questioning his motive, they arrived at the small shop. Urara in the front of the shop opened the doors, welcoming the duo within its confines. "Kisuke is in the back with Uryu and Chad already." She explained quietly. Before even muttering their thanks, she was back to sweeping the front of the shop.
There was a strange aura that Orihime felt after entering the building. It felt partly dangerous, and partly nostalgic. She didn't know what exactly to expect.
"Wait here." Ichigo said before she continued passed the back door. He gave a quick knock before walking into a room, leaving Orihime behind in the hallway to imagine the worst. Perhaps they had found some robotic dog that needed someone to give maintenance to it (hence why they'd be at Urahara's place) and they wanted Orihime to adopt the young pup. However, life wasn't that rewarding for her.
A creaking sound registered as the door opening, and the blonde male stepping out, fan covering his eyes, giving a soft chuckle. "Orihime Inoue, it's splendid to see you again. I'm glad to see you all in one piece."
She gave a smile towards the shop owner. She felt something close to nervous- But what did she have to be nervous about? She supposed she felt some anxiousness because she was out of the loop with whatever was going on. She could hear yells behind the door, "We should just kill him!"
"I don't know, Ichigo. He's different."
"I don't give a damn. And dragging Orihime into this? That's the worst possible thing!"
The yells between Uryu and Ichigo only grew louder in sound, alarming the female that something was most definitely going on, and she had to find out what it was.
"Now, now, why don't we go somewhere else more private and quiet?" Kisuke offered, holding out an arm, suggesting she walked in the direction he was pointing. A pout planted over her lips. She figured it would have been easier to just step into the room and see what was going on, but instead, he insisted on speaking privately with her, for whatever reason.
And so, without arguing, she did as he proposed and walked towards a different room, feet nearly dragging her there. She was beyond curious at this point and it was gnawing at her brain. She couldn't register what was happening and she had to know right this moment. Her children inquisitive behavior made it difficult to go to the room rather than moving past Kisuke and marching into the room immediately.
"No worries, you'll know everything soon enough."
As if he could read her mind and register how uneasy she felt about the situation. As they walked away with soft clitter clatter of his sandals, she could hear the uproar continue behind the door. It only seemed to increase. The further they stepped away, however, the less they heard. One word however struck her- arrancar.
Finally entering the quiet room, Kisuke hot on her trail, he took his seat, a soft chuckle of the curious look upon her face. Her eyes were widened large, lips parted in confusion and prepared to throw a million questions at him.
"Kisuke- why did they mention-?"
"Orihime," He interupted, giving a soft chuckle. "Do you remember anything about how you got your abilities?"
The question threw her off. Her brows furrowed in confusion. His face remained the same; patient and waiting.
"Of course. The hogyoku gave them to me."
"Correct'o!" He explained, clapping his hands together. "Now tell me, do you believe in the powers it contains?"
"I suppose I don't have much of a choice but to believe.." She responded, fingertips tracing the outline of her hairpins. The answer seemed to appease him, because he nodded curtly, mouthing the words, 'Right'.
"What's this all about?" She questioned him, her patience never having always been the best.
"Well, do you believe in second chances?"
"Second.. Chances?" Now she was extremely confused, and what did second chances have to do with the hogyoku?"
He gave another laugh, the expression crossing her face nothing less than comical. Of course she was confused. He was giving question after question, but no explanation behind them whatsoever.
"The hogyoku is able to grant a person's most wanted desire," He explained, placing the fan on the table, and pushing his hat further up his face so he could make eye contact with her.
"Right." She replied. She was keeping up so far.
"Well, what if a the hogyoku were able to grant a person more than one wish, per say? What if it could read the person's heart and know what they wanted most, and perhaps grant them that desire. I'm not quite sure myself of this hypothesis, but it seems plausible. So, let's see it gives an innocent heart multiple things. What would you think of that?"
"Honestly?" She spoke, going into thought for a moment before really answering the question. "I'm not quite sure. I mean, you're more familiar with the hogyoku than I am. But either way, the hogyoku is gone now, so it's not as though it could grant wishes or desires anymore. That would be impossible."
"What if, so to say," he continued, offering a lot of 'what if' scenarios in this short conversation, "before it's disappearance, the hogyoku offered one last desire to one single person whose desire was stronger than any other.
"I wouldn't know anything of it." She knew nothing of the sort. She hardly even understood the hogyoku, much less what if concepts that Kisuke seemed to have revolving around the certain object. It was no longer an item of existence in this world, so any what if scenario shouldn't exist.
"Orihime, what if I were to tell you that someone that was once dead is no longer dead?"
She stood, eyes wide in complete shock. Was he teasing her? He did like to tease. But the question that lingered even more was the who rather than what. Who was alive again?
The first thought that crossed her mind was Sora. He had been away for so long, but if he had returned, why would anyone keep it a secret from her? Furthermore, why would he be here at the shop over any other place?
She gave a deep frown, pondering at her thoughts. There was so many possibilities. But perhaps this was another 'what if' scenario he was saying, as if suggesting the hogyoku still was an item that existed in this world, and he wanted to turn his hypothesis into a thesis.
"Perhaps it would be easier to understand if you were to see for yourself rather than for me to be asking questions that you don't fully understand."
She was stumbled by his suggestion. Why hadn't they just done that from the get go?
She nodded, quickly moving to the doorway, and making way for the room where the yells were no longer occurring. However, it was soft spoken words from the other side of the door. Her fingers itched to touch the door and open it, but something made her stop. It was that feeling again. That feeling that something bad was going to happen. If she were to open the door, everything she knew would change once more and there would be no turning back.
"It's okay, Orihime." The reassurance from Kisuke seemed to be all she needed to encourage her to open the door. Slowly, she opened the wooden door, and progressed to move into the room, Kisuke right behind her, watching her carefully to see how she would respond to what was going on in the room.
Before her, she recognized her friends, Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu. They all turned to look towards her, Uryu's and Ichigo's angry faces softening up as their eyes fell upon her face of confusion.
"Uhm..," she began to speak, before looking around the room. In the middle of the room was a table with cups of still steaming tea sat. Around the table were the familiar faces of those she knew as her friends. Ichigo had Uryu's shirt in a fist, about ready to punch the glasses right off of his face. But as Orihime looked around the room, Ichigo released his hostage and inhaled sharply, as if some form of fear stepped on his heart.
"Orihime-," Uryu began before quieting down.
Under the cups of tea was a single dining mat of red and green, somehow matching the theme of the shop. As her gray eyes continued to search the room, the finally stopped on someone sitting quietly at the table, eyes closed, as if uninterested in the situation at hand.
His skin held a more human like hue than it once had, but was still pale in comparison to her own. And in contrast to the pale color, his hair was a dark, silky ebony framing his perfectly sculpted face. The frame of his body was still skinny, yet she knew better than to question his capabilities and strength. He was a very strong male. Still, perhaps it wasn't who she assumed it was. Maybe it was someone else that held a striking resemblance. There was no hollow hole in his chest where it once had been, and there was no remnants of a hollow mask shielding his head.
"Is that…" Could it possibly be, "... Ulquiorra?"
The question hung in the air. The atmosphere seemed to have changed drastically. She felt a lump form in her chest just from looking at him. No wonder the others were in such an uproar. Before them was one of Aizen's highest ranking Espada's in his army, and one of his most trusted, loyal beings.
And yet he seemed different.
Her lips pursed tightly together, waiting for the male to respond. He did no such thing. He didn't answer to his name being spoken by the gentle healer. Instead, his lashes flickered before finally opening, bright green pools staring towards her, as if seeing right through her.
It was, without a single doubt in her mind, the man that had held her hostage for so long. It was the male that had taken her from her home, and taken her to the odd world of Hueco Mundo. He was the one that had induced so much mental trauma and questioning of her own existence.
Why? Why was he here?
He was supposed to be dead. She had SEEN him die before her very eyes. She could still recall the feel of dust and ashes in her fingertips as his dark hues watched her, almost curiously. And yet, now here he sat before her. Although, his appearance was different, it was still him.
"Is he in a gigai?"
That was her first thought on the large change towards the male before her. She didn't sense any spiritual pressure in him.
"No.. He appeared looking just as he is before us. I'm not sure what he is, to be quite frank," Kisuke explained. "You see, he's not a soul, he's not an arrancar, and yet I don't think he's human either. He's something else. Something we've never stumbled across before."
She could feel darkness looming over her as he said these words. No one knew what he was or why he was here?
"So, for now, I'm just considering him as Lost."
"Lost?", Orihime, Ichigo, and Uryu all questioned simultaneously.
"What better word to define his situation?" Kisuke questioned, chuckling under his breath. "He doesn't seem to have any recollection of his past, either."
"No. memories?" Ichigo asked. "How the hell is that even possible?!"
"Your guess is as good as mine. But for now, I will continue to investigate it. If you guys come across any information, please, let me know."
A sigh came from across the table, pulling them all from their questions and confusion, turning to face the black haired male. "What the hell do you want?" Ichigo demanded. He was cold and hard on Ulquiorra, despite Ulquiorra holding no memories whatsoever of his past. But that wasn't too much of a surprise, after everything they had been through. Orihime wouldn't expect anything less from Ichigo.
"I have business to attend," Ulquiorra's voice broke through, confusing them even more so.
"What the hell-" Ichigo began, shaking his head violently.
"Business?" Uryu questioned the male, raising a single brow in his direction.
"Must I repeat myself?" Ulquorra questioned, a hint of annoyance lingering in his tone."I have paperwork to fill out."
Paperwork?
"Uhm.. excuse me." Orihime began, looking towards her friends before looking back at Ulquiorra. "You said you have paper work. I was wondering, what is your paper work for?"
"If you must know, woman," Ulquiorra began, "I am enrolling for school."
Every person in the room seemed to have been shot with a stupid bullet because each of them held a puzzled look on their face.
"Indeed, that's correct!" Kisuke replied loudly, clapping his fan shut. "I suggested that for the time being, he enrolled in Kurakara High until we can figure out exactly what is going on. In the mean time, he will be a normal student with amnesia, and we will all keep an eye on him to try and figure out the matters. So until then, just act as if everything is normal, okay?"
"Like HELL!" Ichigo's voice seemed to roar in anger. "First he kidnaps Orihime, then he KILLS me, and now you expect us-"
"Ichigo…" Orihime spoke softly, under her breath. She could understand where he was coming from. In fact, the situation seemed beyond odd to her and she wasn't quite sure how to respond herself. But anger and violence wouldn't get them anywhere. "For now, maybe it's best that we do as Kisuke suggests."
The single voice of reasoning. Odd that it was coming from her, of all people.
"Wonderful! So, if you're on board, I have one more suggestion, if I may~" Kisuke offered up towards them.
"Haven't you offered enough already," Uryu questioned the man, clearly growing weary of the afternoon's event.
"Let's hear him out." A voice said, reminding them all that Chad was still in the room and listening intently on what was going on. No one seemed to argue with Chad. They all quieted down, and waited to hear what other brilliant ideas Kisuke had in mind for them.
"Orihime and Ulquiorra had spent the most time together during… well.. The situation. So I suggest he stays with her for the time being."
Before anyone had time to object, he cleared his throat loudly, and added, "If anything can bring back memories, perhaps it would be there time spent together. I wouldn't suggest this if I thought Orihime would be in any danger. However, I fully believe that Orihime will be perfectly safe."
"No." Ichigo spoke all too quickly. "He's done enough to her already."
"Ichigo," Uryu spoke, "I'm not too fond of the idea myself, however, he has a valid point. Perhaps Orihime is the only one that can spark any memory in him. They did spend a lot of time together. We don't know everything that transpired between the two while Orihime was a prisoner. So it may work. And if it doesn't work, you can kick our asses then."
It was beyond clear that Ichigo was not on board with this. However, he also seemed too tired at this point to even argue anymore. With a defeated sigh, he spoke to Orihime, "If he does anything to hurt you, let us know immediately. Got it?"
She nodded slowly, still taking in the circumstance.
Ichigo then turned towards Ulquiorra, adding, "If you do anything to hurt her, I swear to god-"
"I have no intentions of doing anything other than attending school." Ulquiorra spoke calmly and evenly towards Ichigo.
She couldn't even imagine how Ulquiorra was handling the situation. How would anyone handle having amnesia? This wasn't exactly something a person dealt with every day. Did they really have any other option than to go along with what Kisuke had suggested?
The conversation finally coming to a closure, they all decided to head off. Ichigo and Uryu both deciding they would walk Orihime and Ulquiorra back home before heading to their own places.
If she thought time had been slow before in Hueco Mundo, time seemed to last an eternity with their walk back to her apartment.