It's the Fear
Chap 1~Release into the Light
Author: Hello Bleach world! After reading the most brutal, beautiful, and bodacious of all the Orihime fics had to offer during her time in Hueco Mundo, I am proud to say that I have finally come out of my shell to write my own version of our Life Princess.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the merchandise or fame that has been created during its inception; however, that doesn't mean I won't have my say of OCs that will appear-for posterity only.
Enjoy!
Blood and white sand all around was the final battle that surrounded the flame-haired child. Fragments of bone made from the creatures of this world mixed with the grains of white sand of Hueco Mundo. Her dress, once pure and white accessorized with black boots, now ripped and bloodied beyond recognition of its previous design.
The ginger turned her dull silver irises to the disaster affected by her 'decision'. On one side, she watched as the Sereitei captain of Healing process and examine her friends, Chad and Renji and Rukia Kuchiki, while on the other, she glanced at the infamous mad scientist and his 2nd in command pulling out body parts of the fallen Arrancar and Espada from the blood drenched sand and debris.
"Inoue, you're safe now and it's all over," assured her Quincy friend, but the girl did not feel comfort in his words. Images of large bat-like wings and saddened green eyes haunted the forefront of the flamed haired youth's mind.
"Woman, are you afraid?" solemnly asked the Fourth Espada. 'Afraid? The very image of you does not frighten me in the slightest; rather what I truly am afraid of is the judgment that awaits me, Ulquiorra-san. And this time, I won't have the protection of my 'beliefs' to shield me like before,' the girl silently conceived, and with that she turned her attention to the injured and began her usual ritual of healing; the same ability which led to many in power to question her worth during this war; only this time, she has noticed that it has become powerful over her containment.
"Soten Kisshun, I reject!" cried the auburn-haired girl as her Shun Shun Rikka transformed into a tri-fold of a healing containment around the injured captains.
To say that her friends were surprised was an understatement, as they witnessed her healing shield in a lager form and felt the effects of her powers. The orange lass continued her ritual, ignoring her bleeding wounds and fatigue from her 'stay' in the desert-like world. Finally, when she saw everyone looking better than before, the healer recalled her Rikka and watched the shield shatter.
"Inoue, you shouldn't have done that! You're bleeding and look dead on your feet!" cried the newly healed Rukia; but the orange-haired child did not pay her any heed, for her attention was in the midst of her mind.
'How many times has this power been used, yet seems to be of no use to me except to keep me closer to my friends and bring psychopaths who want to use it for destruction? All this time, I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping a positive attitude and supporting my loved ones, but my stupidity cost many their lives! Who knows how many more have suffered due to me?' mentally berated the girl. She felt the hands of her friend, Rukia, who led her to Capt. Unohana to be healed, but she couldn't respond to anything they were saying. Then she saw the woman's hand glow with a green aura and heard her say something about her throat being damaged. 'Well, when you scream for your friends to come for you in your head, I wouldn't be surprised if my mind affected me physically.'
The child watched as her friends crowded around her as Capt. Unohana calmly explained the effects of laryngitis occurred within Inoue's throat and that after a few days rest and an herbal remedy she'll be able to talk to them.
'Huh, so that's how she explained my inability to speak. What if I don't want to speak, ever thought about that?' silently contemplated Orihime. She felt light headed and closed her eyes while her friends shouted her name.
Several hours later, in a recovery room in Soul Society, a young girl opened her stony-grey eyes to gaze upon a white room. 'White is such a plain color that holds such memories of my 'stay' in that world, a world made of black and white…except for the hint of green and sky-blue that I recalled there.' The door opened to reveal a tall woman with short silver hair and a quite disposition. In the medic's hand was a tray of herbal tea and some food.
"Hello Inoue-san, this should make the dizziness and fatigue go away, plus you must be hungry after your ordeal," cheerfully said the medic as she placed the tray on the table near the bed. Orihime lifelessly looked from the woman to the cup of 'healing liquid'….the same liquid that could end her pain and fatigue. She looked from the cup to the woman and saw that the nurse would not leave until she touched the cup, so Orihime did just that and pretended to drink the hot liquid while enduring the burning pain inflicted upon her lips.
"Good, well now I'll leave you to rest while I go tend to my other patients, but I'll be back to check on you," said the tall medic and with that Orihime was left alone. The girl quickly got out of her bed and went to the bathroom sink to dump the contents of her cup.
'I don't want to eat or drink anything in this white room, too many memories and none of them pleasant,' bitterly thought the girl, 'I have a feeling that my troubles are coming soon.' Orihime quickly got into her bed and pulled the covers over her feet before the doors opened to reveal 3 soul reapers in black and a woman with short dark hair wearing the same attire but a white coat on top that hid a missing arm.
"Inoue Orihime, you are to come with the Onmitsukido to your trial referring to your involvement with the traitor known as Aizen Sousuke." The tomboyish Capt. Sui-Feng ordered as her guards approached the silent auburn-haired girl.
Orihime nodded in affirmation to the order and went with the 2nd Squad Captain to the infamous Central 46 Compound, where it all started with Aizen Sousuke's plot to gain the power of the Spirit King through the destruction of the Central 46.
The group arrives to the Seijotokyorin and enters the large doors that lead to the underground assembly hall. Orihime gazes upon the six judges and the forty wise men along with the Gotei 13 and her friends sitting on the sidelines of her trial. The Captain of the 2nd Division backed away to join her colleagues in the stands, as the guards tell Orihime to kneel before council of judges.
"Inoue Orihime, you have been charged with high treason toward Soul Society and the Human World. You have conspired with Aizen Sousuke and helped with his plot to bring down the order of the universe," delivered one of the judges, "your sentence shall be to remain within the ruins of Hueco Mundo for 4 years and powers are to be limited to only healing during attacks as your punishment. Dismissed."
"What! You can't do that! Inoue had nothing to do with this!" shouted her friends on the stands. Orihime numbly stood from her kneeled position and looked upon the steeled faces of the judges, then she turned to see some of the captains unnerved and unwilling to comply with the judges' ruling.
As her friends shouted and started to fight with the bodyguards of the Central 46, something within Orihime snapped. 'Heh, looks like I go back to that stark region once more…and yet I did it all for them! I Did It All For Them! I wanted them to be protected! Sure, I was naïve to think my friends couldn't take care of themselves, but to punish me after using my powers to help your people! Bastards, you're all ungrateful dogs!' And while Orihime continued to brood on her unfair trial, the guards pulled her away from the Central 46 and whisked her to the open portal that led back to Hueco Mundo.
Pushed through the portal and watching the opening to Soul Society close, Orihime walked toward the austere landscape of Hueco Mundo, the dry wasteland of the misguided souls of the dead where all her memories resided.
She fell to her knees at the sight of the large, open doors of the great palace of Hollows and then Orihime did something that she hasn't done since her brother died…she cursed the world and spewed out her hate.
"So, this shall be my Hell for the next four years…how did it come to this? My powers are for healing and helping, yet all they did was lead me to Purgatory! I did everything I could to help everyone and this is my reward! It's not fair, this can't be my end!" pounding on the white sand while pulling at the white clothing from the hospital, "I wanted to do so much more! I COULD HAVE DONE SO MUCH MORE! But no! I had to be the good girl! I had to help everyone and care for everyone and be there for everyone! Now that I think about it, no one really needed me! In the end, I became the weak link and just like that I'm cut off! Banished to my previous prison where all sorts of Hell became my everyday norm! It's not fair….It's Just Not FAIR!" screamed Orihime; within her soul, something that has been hidden and buried, finally broke out and released an omnipotent power within the young flame-haired girl.
"Well, it's about time I was revealed. Soon, those damned spirits of the Otherworld will wish they never messed with us, eh Queen?" spoke a malicious spirit as it cast a dark shadow over the pure heart of Inoue Orihime.
Author: Okay people, tell me what you think! I want to try my hand at the angst of Orihime and I just want to form her as a true human being. For we all know, that the nature of humans is to be noble and condescending at the face of danger. It is in the face of horror that humanity shows their true colors, and no one is an exception; not even our Orihime. And don't worry, there will be some pairings with our girl, but that will be in later chapters.
Until then, REVIEW! I truly hope I get some instead of the silent readers.