Boy, oh boy, am I exhausted! It is currently 4:40am and I have not yet gone to sleep and I have to be up in four hours. Yuck.
BUT I have been meaning to finish up this chapter and I was determined to post it before going to sleep!
So here it is, with all my sweat and sleep deprived tears. I hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of its characters.
A flash in the dark.
The moonlight glinting on the steel of a dagger.
At least that's what I thought I saw as I left the vomit smelling home, Vladimir already clean and strapped across my back.
Sam, Devon, Juanca and the unknown recruit were already outside, huddled together while they waited for me. All of their backs turn from the alley across from the front door. The alley that was once again pitch back. No sign of life anywhere in it.
Devon threw me a pondering look, his eyes following the path of my own, as they searched in the darkness for another strike of light. Finding nothing.
Without a word, we all turned towards the High Court, becoming nothing more than whispers in the wind, not even the sounds of lingering footsteps trailing in our wake. But I couldn't help myself from looking back, just once more into that dark alley, and i could have sworn I saw a streak of red before I turned away again.
.
.
I was dragging my feet, Vladimir suddenly feeling like a crushing weight on my back. The Courts were dark as I made my way through halls made of marble. And the world, for once, sounded quiet. I cherished that sense of solitude, let myself relax slightly in its comforting silence.
"They are becoming uncontrollable. Your reach may be long but they will never fear what they can not see." A males voice bounced off the walls, breaking into the quietness as I made my way past the council room.
"The Inbetweeners can do as they like in their trenches. Their turf wars mean less than nothing to me." Came Clarks smooth response. But it was his tone, edged in ice, that made me linger. I leaned casually against the wall besides the door, as the first voice countered, "It will matter a great deal once they've blocked trade routes from Bellator."
Clark's muffled laugh sounded out, "You of all people should know how much I despise Bellator, Kisuke. If not for your immense supply of Silver Armor selling at such high rates, I would have torn that city apart myself." Kisuke was quiet long enough that Clark sighed heavily. "If it means that much to you, you can take my Heir into The Inbetween. Let her frolic around in her shiny armor and fight some thugs, remind them what I have created."
Vexation, not at the words but at the truth that rang clear inside them.
"But Clark, you know the hatred they have for all Bellatonians. If Orihime set one foot into The Inbetween, she would never return. At least not all of her." Kisuke's voice sounded strained, almost distraught. And I wished I could see his face, so I could know how honest his feelings truly were.
I'd picked up many things in the rotten under belly of the Courts, Truth Telling only one of them. A twitch of the eye, a small fidget of the fingers is all I'd need to know the truth. But the voice was trickier, the sound of feelings are easier to forge.
"All the more reason for her to go." My head snapped sideways. "On one hand, she could completely desolate every opponent foolish enough to take her on headway. Which could only benefit us both, you get back your territory, and my iron hold on The Inbetween only strengthens." He paused, a swish of liquid- then a satisfied sigh. "And on the other, Orihime Inoue, beautiful Heir to the Golden Throne, the last hope to the survival of the Inoue name, dies a cruel and brutal death at the hands of Bellators biggest enemy. It would be enough to get your people to take matters into their own hands, to avenge their lost princess that they have never even met. It appears that, either way, you come out on top."
My breath swooshed out as I waited, most impatiently for Kisuke reply. Though, I knew already what his next words would bring.
Death.
Either to those in the forgotten lands of The Inbetween, or to myself. There was too much to gain, too much for either male to ignore.
"And you would just let her die?"
"If need be." My father answered, unbothered.
"But she is your Heir."
The laugh that echoed sent an icy chill coursing down my spine. "Heirs, Lord Kisuke, are very easily- and very pleasantly- made."
I didn't want to hear another word. But my body was tired- heavy. And it refused to move a single inch. I was frozen in a state of relaxation, my body nonchalantly slumped against the stone bricks, even while an overwhelming hatred pumped its way through my blood. Hatred for my father, hatred of myself, and a burning, searing hatred of the world.
The world that birthed me to my father. The world that left my skin covered in scars. The world that only gave me a rock while I drowned in a sea of sand and broken bones.
I heard a slam and then the shattering of a glass. "I will not allow her to die for your selfish needs. Orihime may be your daughter, but she is also my niece. She is not only yours; she is an Inoue, and she belongs to my people, and to me. Never forget that she should be wearing the Flower seal." His words were deafening. They shook the ground beneath my feet and set the wheels turning inside my head.
In a voice wrapped in silk, the king merely said, "Oh I have not forgotten, Kisuke. For I have punished her for it every day of her life."
After that, the words were hushed. But that didn't matter, I was already half way down the hall, leaving before the words could bring up old wounds.
A week passed before I saw Kisuke again.
He cornered me, literally. He caught up to me after training, while I caught my breath. Leaving me with no opportunity to flee.
"Still here, Kisuke? Stay much longer and I'll begin to think your love for Bellator is all but worthless words." I finished by taking a large slum of water and swishing it in my mouth before spitting it at our feet; the liquid turning a slight pink in my mouth.
He smiled tightly, "Oh, believe me, my dear, I wish to leave here and never see a speck of marble again. But, unfortunately, my business is not yet concluded. So- here I am." I felt no need to respond, and that became clear when seconds turned into minutes. "But, if you really wish for my departure, I could use your help with something."
Tensing only slightly, my mind slammed into thoughts of The Inbetween conflicts. "What can I do for you?" I wondered, smoothly. Always better to forge ignorance.
Kisuke clicked his tongue as he let his shoulder rest against the wall to my right. "I have an old friend I'd like to visit before I leave. But they reside in the lower rim, and I've heard of the decaying humanity that has been simmering there lately, so I was wondering if you'd accompany me."
"What's wrong with the body guards you brought with you from the East?"
"I'd prefer someone who knows the area, and someone the people know isn't to be trifled with. Plus, spending a little quality time together sounds nice, doesn't it?"
Absorbing his words, and every meaning that could be attached to them. I ran through the outcomes all within the seconds it took for me to wipe the sweat from my brow. And decided I really had nothing to lose. "Yes. Yes, it does."
The stench of the lower rim was something no one who has never lived in poverty could possibly understand.
Unwashed bodies and piles of Gods knows what littered the streets, and I had no doubt that one brush against the wrong person and I would come away with a black stain on my white uniform.
But, fortunately for my maids, they stayed clear.
In fact, they completely ignored me. Odd, considering the amount of wealth my armor alone could bring them. Yet they gave not even a glance in my direction as Kisuke and I made ventured deeper and deeper into the slums.
And the longer we walked, the worse the smell became. Until I almost couldn't remember what fresh air smelt like.
Even the sun seemed to be blocked out by the smog that gathered just above our heads. Thick and black. It turned the world inside the Rim into a dark grey place.
Kisuke walked beside me with a royal grace that was probably taught to him since his first steps. His style marked him as a clear outsider, his shiny sapphire tunic glistened within the ocean of dull colors, though it was half hidden beneath a deep charcoal coat that hung down almost to his knees.
He reeked of privilege. I wondered if he know how wise he'd been to ask for my help. No amount of Bellatonian guards could have kept the mob at bay.
"Do you spend a lot of time in this part of the city, Orihime?"
I opened my mouth to speak, forcing the words past the taste of filth on my tongue. "Not since I was young. Rim work is only for the less experienced soldiers, or for the unlucky ones who are stationed here permanently."
"Unlucky?"
I gestured around us, "No one wishes to be within the Lower Rim. Even the people who have lived here their entire lives, the people who have never lived any other way, know how terrible it is."
Kisuke sidestepped a particularly big pile of excreta, "So why not fix it? You know of the problems, you could find a solution."
"It isn't that simple. We would need countless soldiers to clear the Rim long enough to orchestrate the clean up- and even then there would still be fifty civilians to every one warrior. And nothing can be done if my soldiers are being torn apart by scavengers. Some problems can only be fixed by the people already within it."
"Then give them the tools to save themselves."
"And what happens then? If the lower rim doesn't exist, who will clear the fields? Who will wash the clothes and scrub the floors? Who will bring you Royals your breakfast, and bathe your children? The High Courts would not survive without the Lower Rim. None of you would."
Kisuke came to a stop in front of a large warehouse door, but did not move to enter. "You are royal too, Orihime. Even more than I am."
Idiotic. As if just the blood within me would be enough to make me like him- like my father. They were men who had forgotten what it is to survive. Who have let themselves forget the harsh reality in which we all reside.
He set his hand on the wilted wood, and gave me a hard, steady look. "I trust that you know how to be discreet."
I was not given the chance to respond.
The door led us into a very small entry room, hay and dead mice scattered over the ground. The room was dim, the only light streaming in through the double doors in the far right corner. And next to those doors, stood a small cloaked figured, barely visible in the darkness. The only thing that kept me from reaching for my weapons was Kisuke's relaxed stance as we made our way over.
"Orihime, I'd like you to meet Bonnie Carter, your biggest fan." The figure threw back her dark hood and I was instantly struck by her bright shoulder length red hair. Her eyes narrowed toward Kisuke and I noticed that they were a similar hue to my own and her skin was pale save for a creeping pink rising on her cheeks.
"That was not what we agreed on." Bonnie seethed.
"Sorry, B. I just couldn't bring myself to say 'Bonnie Carter, Bringer of Nightmares.' With a straight face." Kisuke mocked.
I studied Bonnie as they bickered, she was small in height and weight but she appeared to be steady on her feet. A long scar began along the left side of her jaw and traveled down the length of her neck then disappeared beneath her cloak, I imagined it went down much farther than that. I scanned her hands casually, the skin of her knuckles were scarred and bruised, her nails broken and dirty. A brawler then.
If I had to judge her age I would say maybe 17, but I did not make the mistake to judge her abilities on that alone. By 17 I had done unspeakable things, and I sensed a similar darkness in her that rivaled my own.
As if sensing my attention, her eyes snapped to mine. They were uncannily still; firm. Not even a glimmer of the carefree attitude she's used with Kisuke . No, this was a stare only used for equals. As if to say, 'I see your darkness too'.
Kisuke kept talking but I did not look away from Bonnie, even when she broke her stare and snapped back into their conversation as easily as she'd left it. They spoke casually, but his hand rested nonchalantly on his sword hilt. He may have trusted me enough to meet with one of his informants but he wasn't foolish enough to believe me an unquestionable ally.
But as I studied the hand resting on his sword, as I listened to their easy flowing conversation, I nearly laughed at how unprepared he was.
For Kisuke, truly didn't know, that I was not the only monster in the room.
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FINALLY, you guys have no clue how long I've been waiting to reveal this character!
And now, I can't wait for the next chapter!
I hope you have a similar feeling.
Please leave a review if you have any thoughts!
Till next time-