A/N: Hello again! Yes, that's right, chapter ten is finally here! LOL I don't have much to say, other than that more progress is definitely forth-coming (which was probably kind o' obvious :P). So, please enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: Nope, nothing has changed since the last chapter.
After Life
Chapter 10: Final Farewell
Everything was set for Orihime's move to Soul Society, and now all that was left was the move itself. The date was fast approaching, and with each new day, Orihime got a little bit more excited. She planned to leave on the fourth day after graduation.
So on the morning of graduation, she was so excited that she woke herself up over half an hour early, and she opted to use the extra time to make herself a fancy breakfast.
When she was done eating, she took a relaxing bath before wrapping herself in her robe and moving to kneel before the shrine.
"Good morning!" she greeted the photos. "I'm so excited this morning; graduation's finally here! It's going to be a long day, but I'm sure it'll be worth it. Uryuu's even going to be giving a speech!"
She paused, and her smile softened, becoming dimmed ever-so-slightly by sadness. Focusing her gaze on Ichigo's picture, she said, "Ichigo…heh, it's getting a little easier to say your name now…. Anyway, I-I'm really sorry you aren't able to be here today…but, then again, you never really liked big celebrations and large crowds very much, did you? Although, I'm sure you would still have liked to be here. And we all miss you."
Her smile turned bright again and she added, "But I'll do my best to enjoy today for the both of us!"
With a few final words, directed to the both of them, Orihime pushed herself to her feet and headed for her room. She still had to get properly dressed, and she had to be at the school earlier than usual, as she had volunteered to help set up.
Ichigo was sorely confused. He was absolutely sure that something was going on, but he had no idea what it could be.
Yoruichi had been by again the day before – it was the fourth time she'd been to talk to Yamamoto in as many weeks, and that was only from what he was aware of – and when she had left, she had been grinning like a Cheshire cat. She still wouldn't tell him what it was that kept bringing her back.
Still, he supposed as he signed another paper, I'm sure she'd tell me if it was something important. Maybe I'm making too big a deal out of it.
The feeling still nagged at him, unappeased by his rationale, but he did what he could to ignore it. Even if it was something important, he couldn't do anything about it if he didn't know anything about it.
Soft knocking sounded at his door, dragging him from his thoughts. "May I come in, Captain Kurosaki?" a vaguely familiar female voice called from the other side.
Setting down his pen, Ichigo replied, "Yeah."
The door slid open, revealing Nanao Ise, who adjusted her glasses quickly as she stepped into the room. A slim envelope was tucked beneath one arm. "I'm sorry to bother you, sir," she said politely as she approached his desk.
"You're not," Ichigo assured her, quirking an orange eyebrow. "What've you got?"
Extracting the folder, Nanao held it up and said, "This is actually for Lieutenant Kira. But I do have a message for you from Captain Kyouraku."
Ichigo nodded vaguely. "Of course you do. Shoot."
Nanao sighed as if aggravated by the message she was about to convey (which was certainly not out of the question, given her Captain's eccentricities), and said, "He's invited you to join him and Captain Ukitake tonight at the tavern. He says if you decide to come, they'll be there by eight o'clock."
Reaching up to rub one of his temples, Ichigo asked, "And, in your opinion, if I go, is he gonna shove a bottle of sake down my throat?"
"I wouldn't think so," Nanao replied, turning to deposit the envelope on Izuru's desk. "But I'm sure he'll do everything short of beg to get you to drink at least one cup."
"I thought you'd say something like that," Ichigo grumbled, leaning back in his chair. Of course, it'll give me something to do for a few hours tonight. "Alright, when you see him next, let him know I'll probably show."
Nanao nodded. "I will. Thank you, Captain Kurosaki. If you'll excuse me."
She left without another word, and Ichigo turned his attention back to the papers on his desk even as his door slid shut again.
He knew today was what would have – should have – been his graduation day, and that detail was making it especially hard for him to push aside the almost-constant sense of nostalgia he lived with. He'd never been big on ceremonies, but graduation had a purpose, and he had actually been looking forward to it.
So he was definitely in the mood to have a few extra hours of his time occupied by someone other than himself. Even if it meant dealing with a drunk Shunsui Kyouraku.
Orihime had been right; the day had been incredibly busy. From the moment she'd arrived at school, she met up with Uryuu and several others and together they set up for graduation. Then they all split up to get themselves ready, and in no time the ceremony was in full swing.
Uryuu gave his speech before the names were called, and he did so flawlessly, as he looked out over their audience.
A handful of others gave speeches as well, and before the ceremony was over, the principle called everyone's attention one last time.
"Before we go," he said, "as much as I hate to dampen a day as significant as this, I feel it's important that we take a moment to remember the students who could not be with us today. We lost two students from this graduating class before they had the opportunity to truly begin their lives. So I would like to ask you all, parents and graduates alike, to remember your fallen classmates with love."
Uryuu, ever prepared, dipped a hand inside a hidden pocket and extracted a tissue, discreetly handing it over to Orihime as the principle spoke. Orihime took it gratefully, murmuring her gratitude as she lifted it to her eyes.
"…and Ichigo Kurosaki," the older man continued, oblivious to their exchange, "who was tragically struck down by a drunk driver only a little over two months ago. May they rest in peace."
After the moment passed, the principle congratulated the graduates and, just like that, the ceremony was over.
The students surged forward, rushing to meet family and friends and take pictures. Orihime and Tatsuki hugged before the champion disappeared in the crowd, off to find her own family. She wasn't overly surprised when Chad stepped up behind her, but she was a bit surprised when Uryuu remained at her side.
"Uryuu?" she asked with a slight head-tilt.
Adjusting his glasses, he replied, "Ryuuken's not here. And I most certainly wouldn't go running to him if he were."
Orihime laughed softly, knowing the strange relationship between the parent-child Quincies was one she would probably never understand.
As they moved through the crowd at a casual pace, they were surprised to hear a familiar voice call out to them, almost in a sing-song.
"Oh Orihime! Chad, Uryuu! Over here!" The voice belonged to Kisuke Urahara.
When they looked over, they saw the shop-owner waving his fan over his head and grinning broadly. Standing with him were Yoruichi, Tessai, Shinji, and Isshin.
The group automatically adjusted their course, each rather confused. "What are they doing here?" Uryuu asked quietly.
Chad only shrugged in response.
"Do you think they came to congratulate us?" Orihime mused.
They were standing in front of their unexpected visitors before they could discuss the possibilities further.
"Congratulations, kids!" Isshin bellowed as soon as they came to a stop. He was grinning crookedly and looked genuinely proud of them. A single tear shone in his eyes, but he wiped it away before it could escape, and said, "We didn't want you thinking no one around here was proud of you, so here we are! We'll be your family today!"
"Yes, that's right," Kisuke seconded. "We just thought we'd come out to share your special day."
"Thank you so much," Orihime said with a smile, clasping her hands together and bowing. "It was very nice of you to come all this way for us!"
"Don't be silly, Orihime!" Shinji cried dramatically, moving forward and giving the girl an exaggerated hug. "Why wouldn't we want to come cheer you on!"
Scowling at the Vizard's behavior, Uryuu commented, "You know there isn't actually anything to 'cheer' anyone 'on' for, Shinji."
Releasing Orihime with a grin, Shinji shrugged and said, "Details, details! You should learn to take life a little more lightly, Uryuu."
Before Uryuu could retort, Tessai spoke up. "We really are so proud of all of you; we'd love it if you could come back to the shop. We've prepared a special dinner for you!"
Excitement shone in Orihime's eyes and she clapped her hands. "Oh, I'd love that, Mr. Tessai!"
"That would be nice," Chad agreed, inclining his head slightly.
Uryuu reluctantly agreed upon seeing that his friends were going, and soon the group was headed toward Urahara's shop.
The day after graduation, Orihime worked her final shift at the bakery. When her work day was done, she gave her manager a hug and tearfully wished him well, lying and saying that she hoped to come back the following summer. He wished her luck as well, and sent her off with a gift-basket of fresh goodies.
After she'd gone home to change and clean up, Orihime decided she wanted to share her treats. She had already decided she wanted to thank several people before leaving, and the gift-basket seemed like a sign. So she slipped into her sandals, grabbed the basket, and let herself out of her apartment.
It was early evening, so she hoped she wouldn't be interrupting, but she bravely walked toward the warehouse anyway.
Soon she stood before it and, taking a deep breath, she slipped again inside the barrier.
The Vizards were watching, waiting for her, when she descended the steps. With eight pairs of eyes on her, she suddenly felt very self-conscious. Lifting one hand to scratch the back of her head, she said, "Um, hi, guys!"
Hiyori crossed her arms. "What're ya doing just droppin' in on us?"
Shinji rapped his knuckles on her head. "Shut up, Hiyori. Orihime can come visit us anytime she likes!"
Ignoring them both, Hachi looked to Orihime again. "What brings you by, Orihime?"
"Yeah," Mashiro added, suddenly popping up beside the healer. "And what's in the basket? It smells yummy!"
"Um, well," Orihime said, dropping her raised hand back to the handle. "I really wanted to thank you all…for letting me stay here that one afternoon. And, I know you've been watching sometimes, and I wanted to thank you for that as well. So, I brought pastries."
Shinji scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "So you noticed that, huh? Well, you certainly don't need to thank us for something you never asked for, but…we'd be glad to help you eat the pastries."
With a heavy sigh, Hiyori let her arms fall to her sides and she said, "Yeah, alright, get down here already."
Orihime smiled brightly and, with Mashiro following closely, quickly descended the final few steps.
By the time the basket was empty it was dark outside, and again Shinji insisted on walking her home. As they walked, he told her that they all wished her well, and she thanked him once more for everything he and his friends had done for her.
Again Shinji scoffed, waving it off as he said, "For the last time, you really don't need to thank us! But, since this is the last time we'll have this conversation…you're welcome, alright?"
Orihime smiled up at him. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off by the sudden arrival of a hollow.
The sky tore open almost right on top of them, and Shinji cursed as he grabbed Orihime and leapt backwards to keep them out of its reach. The hollow that climbed out was large, and awkwardly disproportionate. It roared loudly as it focused its attention on them.
"Good reflexes," it taunted as it slowly lumbered forward.
Shinji glared at the hollow. "This is a joke, right? You're not really coming after me, are you?" As he spoke, he took a single step forward, subsequently putting Orihime slightly behind him.
Orihime stared at the hollow with wide eyes. She was sure, with Shinji right there, she'd be fine; but this was the first time she'd run across a hollow since the incident that had shocked her into withdrawing from the world. And she didn't want Shinji to have to fight, when all he'd offered to do was walk her home.
"No," the hollow said with an echoing laugh. "I don't like eating men. It's the woman I want."
"Well," Shinji said lowly, "that could still be a problem."
The hollow took another step forward, but its next words were cut off by the arrival of a new addition.
"It's alright," the Soul Reaper declared as he landed between Shinji and the hollow, his back to Shinji and his hand on the hilt of his zanpakutou. "I can handle him."
Shinji tilted his head to the side, causing his hat to shift slightly. "Ah, so you're the new guy, huh? Well, you'll have to forgive me, but I'm gonna have to hold off on believing you until I see it for myself."
Quietly, Orihime asked, "What happened to the last one?"
"Not sure," Shinji admitted with a shrug. "He just stopped showin' up one day, and this guy got here a couple hours later."
The Soul Reaper in question ignored their conversation as he leapt into the air and drew his weapon. He didn't bother releasing his shikai as he swiftly sliced through the hollow's mask. By the time he'd landed, the hollow was gone.
Turning his attention to Shinji and Orihime, he sheathed his sword as he asked, "Are you both alright?"
"I'm insulted you'd even ask," Shinji replied.
Stepping up beside him, Orihime smiled and nodded. "Yes, we're fine. Thank you for your help."
"It's what I'm here for, Miss Inoue," the Soul Reaper replied with a polite nod.
"You know my name?" Orihime asked with wide eyes. She was sure she'd never met this man before.
"Of course," the Soul Reaper said. "Captain Kurosaki insisted I learn all of your names and faces, should the information ever become necessary, so it was one of the first things I did."
"I-Ichigo…?" Orihime mumbled, caught off guard by the casual mention of him.
Shinji seemed to have caught the unspoken explanation as he loudly declared, "Oh! So it was Ichigo who sent you here, was it? Well, that explains why you seem to be half-decent. Do me a favor, will ya? Next time you report in, tell him I approve."
"Uh, alright," the Soul Reaper replied slowly. "I'll be sure to do that, Mr. Hirako. Now if you'll excuse me, I should get back to patrol. Have a good night." He flash-stepped away before any more questions could be directed at him.
"Well, that was interesting," Shinji said. "How 'bout we get you home now?"
She spent the entire next day with Tatsuki, Uryuu, and Chad. The three of them wandered the town and enjoyed each other's company, doing whatever they felt like. They went to Orihime's favorite restaurant for dinner, and they all walked her home when the day was over.
The day had been bittersweet for Orihime (and probably for the others as well, though they never said anything). She was sad that she'd be leaving them in just a couple of days, but she was thrilled because in forty-eight hours, she would finally be in Soul Society. It went without saying, she was sure, that she could hardly wait to see Ichigo.
The third day after graduation, Orihime spent a lot of time wrapping up final loose ends and saying goodbye to her other friends. Chizuru was the only one, of her school friends, who knew the truth about the situation, and so Chizuru got the longest of the day's farewells.
When she was done with that, she spent a couple of hours going through her things and deciding which ones she would bring with her. Kisuke had told her that she couldn't, of course, bring all of her things. But she was allowed to bring a suitcase-full.
The first things she discarded were the obvious: her cell phone, and pretty much everything else with batteries and the like that would be out of place on the other side. She knew they had electricity, but she wasn't going to take advantage of that to bring things she could live without, like her blow-dryer. Although she would certainly miss her music.
So she put her fancy kimono in the suitcase (there was no sense in going without it when it would fit right in), along with a couple of changes of clothes to sustain her until she could go shopping. She brought money, as Yoruichi had mentioned something about converting her money, and she thought it would be the least she could do to support herself as best she could.
After that she paused, trying to determine what else she wanted. Remembering the last time she'd seen Rukia, she decided she'd allow herself one photo album of carefully-picked pictures to remember everyone by. But she just as quickly decided that choosing the pictures was a good activity to share, so she called Tatsuki and asked her to come over.
While she was waiting for her best friend to arrive, she went into the living room and took out her brother's picture. That was the one picture she was absolutely sure she'd take with her.
Tatsuki showed up about half an hour later, with a photo album of her own to add to Orihime's options, and together the two girls spent several hours carefully filling the album Orihime would take with her.
Orihime was ready to go the following day. And it was déjà vu all over again as she met up with everyone at the front of Urahara's shop.
Tatsuki, Uryuu, Chad, Keigo, Chizuru, Mizuiro, and even Isshin had shown up to see her off. Together they all moved inside, quickly finding themselves down in the subterranean training ground and standing before the gate to Soul Society.
She deposited her medium-sized bag and the small duffel she had been given by Isshin on the ground beside the gate before turning to her friends.
"I…I want to thank you all for everything you've done for me," Orihime said, tears pooling behind her eyes. "I'm really going to miss you all."
"We'll miss you, too, Orihime," Tatsuki said honestly, not bothering to hide her tears. She stepped up to her best friend and pulled her into a tight hug. "But we'll be okay."
"You had better," Orihime replied, returning the hug.
Tatsuki stepped back and smiled at her. "You just promise to be happy on the other side, alright?"
Orihime nodded sharply. "I will!"
Chizuru sniffed loudly and cried, "You better give me another hug before you go!"
With a teary laugh, Orihime obliged and moved to hug her friend. When Chizuru released her, Orihime moved and hugged Uryuu tightly. She pulled Chad into a hug next before stepping back and facing the both of them.
"You two have been really good to me," Orihime said. "I just want you to know…thanks to you, I realized I don't miss Sora as much as I used to. You filled that void for me, and I can never repay that."
"Orihime," Uryuu said, eyes wide. He smiled faintly then and added, "We were glad to do it."
"Mm," Chad echoed. "Just take care of yourself, Orihime."
"I will, I promise," Orihime said softly.
She turned, then, and bade farewell to Keigo and Mizuiro, who both wished her luck. When she stepped back from them, she was pulled into an embrace by Isshin, who cried a little and said, "Good luck, Orihime! And don't take any attitude from that hard-headed son of mine! A sharp kick to the head always gets his attention, you'd do well to remember that!"
"He's right, Orihime," Tatsuki added with a laugh.
"Oh, I could never do something like that!" Orihime replied, eyes wide.
They all laughed and Isshin released her, stepping back. Seeming strangely serious, he said gently, "Thank you."
She was thoroughly perplexed by his words, but couldn't voice her curiosity, as Kisuke chose that moment to speak. "It's time, Orihime. And please don't forget about us; not that you could!"
Laughing faintly, Orihime smiled at the shop-owner and the group gathered behind him. "I won't, I promise! And I'm sure I'll see you again someday!"
Yoruichi moved and picked up the two cases Orihime was bringing, slinging them both over her shoulder. "Are you ready?" she asked even as the gate opened up behind her.
"Yes," Orihime said with a curt nod.
Grinning, Yoruichi replied, "Good, 'cause I can't wait to see the look on Ichigo's face when he sees you."
Orihime paused at the comment. Head tilting to the side, she asked, "What do you mean?"
Behind them, Isshin said, "You never told him she was coming, did you?"
"Wh-what?" Orihime stuttered, eyes wide.
Yoruichi's grin broadened as she looked over her shoulder at the group. "Of course not. What would be the fun in that?"
Orihime wasn't sure what to say to that, so she followed the Flash Goddess silently, thinking only to wave goodbye to her friends one more time as they stepped into the senkaimon.
Then the gate closed behind them, and they were running. Ichigo. I'll see you soon.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Woohoo! We're getting there! Ahem, sorry, I guess I'm just happy to be past all that sadness…(yes, I know it was all my fault). I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And I hope you read the next one!