Heyyyyy, look at that. I'm not as hopeless as I thought.
;)
And, since this is the wonderful world of fanfiction, I'm going to pretend that Orihime has had lots of English classes in school, and can speak English. Or, you can not even pay attention to the fact that there would be a language barrier? Since the anime I watch is in English that's what I like to do ;) And I chose America because 1. It's far from Karakura…like way far. 2. I live here so I can comfortably write about it and not feel like I am probably breaking 98298742974 rules for that culture.
2nd note- I'm not describing her relatives a lot because I don't really like OCs. They're old and nice and wanted someone to take care of.
3rd- I hope this chapter may clear up some questions, and raise some new ones to be explained later. I like a little mystery to keep people excited to see more, but I don't want anyone lost. There's a difference. So if you are lost or wondering why certain characters do/don't to certain things, let me know!
And here we go,
Chapter 6
Orihime was tired, even though she had slept most of the ay on the flight home.
Home? I guess it is, it's just weird to see it that way, but I guess it is better than staying.
Anything would have been better than that.
Her relatives were waiting for her, and came walking towards her with warm smiles as they saw her at the baggage claim.
Orihime was just thankful she had paid attention in English class.
Orihime found her relatives were nice, and Connecticut was a nice enough place. In fact, if Orihime were honest, it was perfect. It was very different from Karakura.
It was spring and everything was very green. The trees, plants, grass, even some of the houses.
Orihime was finding herself…very much not herself.
She felt as though she were outside of her body, unaware of what she was really doing. Her mind felt numb, as if it had already accepted her abrupt decision to leave. Or maybe it was just that things hadn't hit her yet.
It was almost comical, in a darkly humorous way, how the once bubbly and energetic girl up and left all her friends with only a note and effectively cut all ties with them.
But they'll get over it. What were you to them really?
The dark voice had a point.
Orihime's attention refocused to the big cape house they were approaching. She would have her own room on the second floor. There were three bedrooms to choose from, each with its our color, because, as her great aunt admitted, she had an affinity for sewing and liked to change what color she was working on.
There was the first at the top of the stairs, which she affectionately called the white room.
Definitely not that one.
But she wouldn't tell the smiling, gentle woman that. Orihime just forced a small, appreciative smile, listening to the woman as she talked excitedly how the room reminded her of clouds.
The second was the orange room. With a sad, affectionate smile, the woman conveyed that her son had loved the color orange, but had drowned in a river up in New Hampshire about 30 years ago. When she worked with orange, it made her feel closer to him.
Orihime had no problem skipping that room as well, for obvious reasons.
Then came the rainbow room. It held all the outrageous fabrics that her great aunt could fins absolute no use for, but loved the fabrics regardless and so put them all into this room.
Her great-uncle murmured something about the room being "trippy."
A genuine giggle erupted from Orihime, as she decided this room would be perfect.
Maybe the future won't be so bad, she thought as she drifted to sleep in her new room.
He was vaguely aware of a sharp pain in his side, which he was guessing was one of the Quincy's damn arrows, but at the moment he didn't care. He was focusing on strangling the little, frozen bastard that dared to try and hurt his princess. He was battling with his King and trying to force his hands to constrict around the throat of the high and mighty Soul reaper captain, and he was so close, until that weird Mexican clubbed him with his stupid magenta armor.
Ichigo awoke to a lot of pain and panic coursing through his veins. As his eyes cracked open, he immediately shut them against a blinding, blue light. It was then that he realized the pain in his body was painfully…cold.
"Oi, you bastard, let me out," Ichigo cursed, not fully remembering what had provoked the captain to contain him in ice.
"Ichigo? Are you back?" This came from the low, rumbling voice of Chad, who's worried eyes were hidden behind his chocolate bangs.
Figuring he had lost control once again Ichigo replied with a quick yes.
"Open your eyes," Toshiro commanded.
Ichigo complied.
"Why did your eyes turn black? Why'd you attack him, Ichigo? Ichigo!" Tatsuki had no patience left and any she might have had was gone with worry for her friend.
"Arisawa-san-" Ishida started, but was cut off by the champion blackbelt and second strongest girl in Japan.
"NO! I want answers! And I want them NOW! Orihime's missing AGAIN! And now all of a sudden Ichigo's back after being gone for MONTHS! He didn't even have the decency to tell us WHERE he was and if you hurt Orihime I'm going to KILL you!" It was amazing at how therapeutic yelling could be, though her rage only decrease slightly.
"I didn't hurt her Tatsuki, you know I wouldn't," Ichigo started, but was cut off by Tatsuki again.
"No, I don't know that. I thought I knew you Ichigo, but apparently I don't. Orihime went missing and then you went after her and then she came back and was different and YOU were missing and now you're back and she's gone again. What in the Kami is going on?"
"Tatsuki-" Ichigo started, but didn't know what to say, so he started with what he could explain-sort of. "My eyes turned black because my 'other' side didn't want Hitsugaya leaving and hurting Inoue."
Damn, right he's not hurting the Princess. Ichigo didn't have the energy to argue with him.
Tch, pansy.
Choosing to ignore that point and focus on more important aspects Tatsuki demanded, "And why would he," her finger jerked to indicate Toshiro, "want to hurt her? Tell me the truth, Ichigo!"
Is the whole truth the right thing to say? Ichigo's brown eyes flashed to Toshiro, who had stayed back watching him like a hawk, especially since he'd let him free again, but seeing no black in his irises shook his head in the affirmative at the unasked question.
Ichigo let out a breath. "I went to save her Tatsuki-"
"Great job you did of that," the fighter sneered.
"He did, Arisawa-san. I was there," Toshiro supplied, figuring out that there was much more to this situation than the Head Captain had let on.
But if Toshiro had been honest with himself, he knew Orihime Inoue was not a danger to Soul Society. He may be bound by word to Soul Society and to his duty, but in his heart and gut, he knew this was wrong, and he was trying to formulate how he was going to keep true to his duty and his heart.
"When it was over, I had to go back to Soul Society," Ichigo said.
"I figured as much," Uryuu stated, his predictions correct, but he was still unsure as to why, and hadn't wanted to ask hat and clogs, if he even knew. Soul Reaper business was none of his.
"Why didn't you tell us Ichigo?" Chad wondered. He would never admit it, but he had been hurt Ichigo had not told him he was leaving, but Chad had hoped it hadn't been serious or else Ichigo would have.
Hearing Chad's question reignited the fury inside of Tatsuki, who had assumed Ichigo had told the boys his whereabouts.
"YOU DIDN'T TELL ANYONE!"
"TATSUKI! I didn't have time-Soul Society-not him, Tatsuki," Tatsuki's head had whipped to glare death at Toshiro who felt his own spine chill with fear at the human, but kept his face impassive nonetheless.
"The Head Captain thought Inoue was dangerous to them. They thought she betrayed them, because she went there and-"
"What? How in Kami did they come to that decision?" Ishida demanded, feeling his hate for Soul Reapers grow with a new fervor.
All eyes suddenly shot to the captain in the room.
"It was not my decision, but-" Toshiro was cut off with the appearance of a new Hell Butterfly.
Toshiro's eyes downcast as he received the message, the situation was getting worse by the moment.
"What did it say?" Ichigo inquired, although he felt he knew the answer.
"It said I have been gone enough time to make a report. I was only on leave for two hours. I have to report back, and say what I observed."
"And just what are you going to say?"
Sighing a very tired and defeated sigh, "That I need more time to make an adequate conclusion."
"And if they ask why?" the Quincy asked.
"I was unable to ask all the questions I had wanted to ask to make a decision." In truth it wasn't really a lie, for he had not gotten to ask any questions, he just needn't clarify on that point.
"Why are you buying us time?" Ichigo asked. He knew this was uncharacteristic of the stoic, rule-abiding captain.
"Because my conscience cannot survive condemning an innocent girl to death," he replied.
"Is that what they're going to do?" Tatsuki asked, only fear showing in her voice.
"If they find evidence she is not as Kurosaki implicated she would be-then they will find her a threat to Soul Society's wellbeing, and the threat would be exterminated immediately."
"Then we'll find her and prove she's not," Ishida concluded, knowing that task was a hell of a lot easier said than done.
As Toshiro turned to leave, he looked at Ichigo, "Do not mistake this, Kurosaki, I am not confident this will buy you much, if any time, and I cannot lie to the Head Captain if he asks for specifics."
"I know," Ichigo murmured.
"Find her, Kurosaki, and make sure she is as I remember her, or this will not end in your favor."
We will, Soul Reaper, we will…..
Two chapters in one day? I think I needed some time to write, and that's what is working out in this story's favor.
I should be doing college work, but I wanted so badly to update and now I'm on a roll. Let's see how long it lasts.
Thank you all for reading, I sincerely hope you are enjoying it? Not so much as in what is happening, but by the style or writing itself?
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I appreciate it so very much. It doesn't have to be long, I just like to hear feedback. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to leave a review.
***I was asked why there is no Rukia or Renji, my answer is because the Head Captain probably wouldn't want them to do the report, knowing they would never say anything to condemn their friend, plus Byakuya would not risk his sister or Lieutenant in a mission he know would hurt them like that, or at least that's what I think, although he would never admit that ;)*** Any questions as to why I do what I do? ASK ME! I don't mind questions at all!
