Fractured Mask
"Lady Inoue! Lady Inoue, get back here!"
Orihime was running. Her wooden sandals making quite the racket on the stone floor. She was out of breath, but she wanted to see. She wanted to know what was in that dungeon. She overheard guards saying there were hollows in there. She had only seen a handful in her life, and never this close. Just a peek. Even if it was for a second. Her childlike curiosity was all she was relying on now. She slowed to catch her breath as she stood in front of the large wooden door leading down to the first level of dungeons. The first level was for the humans. The second level was for the hollows. She inhaled sharply and held it, then ran down the stairs until she reached the first level. She didn't even glance at the prisoners as she halted in front of the second wooden door. She trembled as she pulled open the door. She slowly moved to the first step when a hand grabbed her wrist and held her back.
"Did you not hear me? I said get back here. Do you want to get killed?"
Orihime glanced over her shoulder to see her head maid and best friend Tatsuki giving her the most terrifying eyes she had ever seen.
"I just want a peak Tatsuki-chan. Please, let me just take a look."
"Are you crazy? Do you know what's down there?"
Orihime pulled her wrist away. "Of course I know. There are locked up hollows down there."
Tatsuki leaned in. "Why do you want to see them? You've seen them before."
"I know, but not this close. Please, just let me have a quick look and I promise I won't come back."
Tatsuki sighed. "I know you have your mind set on this and won't stop until you see them, so fine. Just a glance, and let me get a guard."
"Oh, sure, of course."
Orihime glanced down at her reddened wrist where Tatsuki had grabbed. She stood in silence until Tatsuki returned with two guards. All four went down the narrow steps and stepped into the second dungeon. This one had even less light and had a putrid smell. Orihime covered her mouth and slowly walked towards the cells. A guard handed her a torch and she slowly walked past the cells. The hollows' masks shined against the torch's light. Some gave the signature roar, though it was a lot softer than what she had heard before. The hollows all seemed to be aware of her as she landed on the last cell. The torch's light shined on something that wasn't white, but rather orange. Orihime walked closer to the cell and held up the torch. She put her hand on the bar to steady herself. Suddenly, it moved. She twitched and pulled the torch back. After a moment, she brought the light through the bar and tried to illuminate what was inside. She saw it was sitting on the floor and was smaller than the other hollows. Then, it raised it's head. She was in shock by what she saw. On one side of the face was a black and yellow eye with the distinctive white mask, but on the other side, a soft brown eye looked back at her with no mask. She was so stunned, she didn't hear the calls of the guards to get back. She snapped out of it and spun around.
"This one looks human!" She turned and faced it again. "Um, hello? Can you understand me? My name's Orihime Inoue. What's your name?"
"Come on Lady Inoue. That's enough." Tatsuki said.
"He has a human face though! Please let me stay and talk to him."
Tatsuki pulled on her wrist again. "It's time to go."
"Very well." Orihime sighed and handed the torch back to the guard. As she was starting to walk away, he spoke.
"Kurosaki." His voice was scratchy and deep, but the name was still clear enough. Orihime turned around, but was led down the hall. She looked back as he faded back into darkness. Who was this Kurosaki, and how did he get to be in such a state?
Back in the palace, Orihime decided to ask her brother, the King, what exactly was going on. She stormed into the throne room and met several startled maids along the way to the throne. "Nii-san! Why is there a human in the hollow dungeon?" The maids all gasped.
Sora sat up from his crouched position. "Maids, you may all go. I need to speak with my sister alone." All the servants flew out the door and quietly closed the door behind them. Orihime looked back and gave her brother her best scowl.
"So, why is there a human in the hollow dungeon?"
"He's not human sister."
She blinked. "Then what is he?"
"He's half human and half hollow. His mother was possessed by a hollow when she got pregnant, so when he was born, he was half hollow. I'm sorry sister. He is a dangerous creature and needs to stay down there."
"He's still half human! Can't we talk to him and reason with him? Maybe then he can at least go to the human dungeon."
Sora shifted. "Why are you so interested in him?"
"I...I don't know. I've never seen behind the mask of a hollow before. Did he have the mask his whole life?"
"No actually. He rarely has the mask. I'm surprised he did when you saw him." Sora sighed. "His name's Ichigo Kurosaki. His father is a nobleman, but after Ichigo's mother died when he was 9, he began to slowly show more signs of being a hollow. One day, he went on a rampage and killed many soldiers before being restrained. He's been in that dungeon since.
Orihime fell to her knees. "You mean he's been in there since he was 9?! How long ago was that event?"
Sora thought for a moment. "About 10 years I'd say."
Orihime's hands went over her mouth as she began to weep. "That's horrible. Can't we bring him to the other dungeon? Does he get enough food and water?"
"Orihime, you know that all the humans and hollows get enough to sustain them. They all need to be ready when the labs need to experiment." Orihime's sobs increased. "So you want Kurosaki to be moved to the human cells? That's all?" Orihime looked up. "We have to watch out for ceros, but the last cell in the dungeon is tested to withstand ceros. If that's all you want to have done, I can arrange that." Orihime leaped up and hugged her brother. He chuckled and held her shoulder.
"This is why the kingdom is flourishing brother. It's because you're so understanding and caring. I love you! Thank you!" She hugged him tighter until he had to ask her to stop. She thanked him again and skipped out of the throne room. Sora leaned back and summoned guards to enter. He asked that they move Ichigo to the last cell in the upper dungeon. All the guards were uneasy as he spoke.
"Is there a problem?"
"Well sir, Kurosaki is very intense and he may take us all down in the process of moving him. I suggest sir that we sedate him."
"Very well. Do what you need to." The guards all bowed and walked out. Sora wondered what was going to happen from here. He knew his sister would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. He thought for a second how technically Ichigo was a noble and could marry Orihime without breaking tradition. He shook his head and smacked his cheeks lightly with his hands. "No, no. He is a monster."
Sora groaned and leaned over. This was going to get interesting.