Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach in any way.
Ichigo stood in a vast, dark space.
"Where am I?" he asked himself as he realized he stood into nothingness.
"You are truly persistent, Kurosaki Ichigo," a laughing voice echoed through this mind.
His eyes locked onto a golden pin-prick of light that started to slowly glow brighter and brighter until it covered his whole sight.
On the edge of consciousness, Ichigo opened his eyes to a determined female voice calling out to him. Weak and confused, he struggled to focus his vision, only to meet Orihime's concerned face above her golden dome. As soon as he did, she enveloped him in a tight hug.
"I thought I lost you…" Ichigo heard her in his mind, her tears falling on his shoulder, "I found you lying unconscious on the ground, you were in a trance while Aizen kept telling me my attempts were useless…"
"I-I tried to heal you first, then Kamiko told me that you were probably trapped in an illusion…I couldn't break it easily so instead of rejecting it completely, Kamiko had to release her smoke to break it from the inside…" Orihime rattled on, "please tell me there's no side effect… We had to use a lot of our Reiatsu to bring you back, she told me it started to break thanks to something you did so normally you won't be damaged-"
A large amount of auburn hair covered his sight as she rested her forehead against his. He blinked, forcing his brain to restart.
"O-Orihime… Where am I?" he interrupted her rambling, not quite following her.
An instant later, flashes of his nightmare played out in his mind like a horror movie and he felt anxiety eating his heart. Quickly, he wrapped his arms around Orihime, returning the hug.
"Orihime…" his arms squeezed her tighter as he felt Orihime's breath slow down, her body melting into his as her every muscle lost their tension to the air. This was life, real life.
"You can talk now?" he pulled away, still holding her hands.
"I brought you back from where?" she wiped her tears, confused by her husband's words.
"You can only hear me in your mind. I managed somehow to take over Kamiko's soul and merge our powers, probably because my will was strong enough to protect Kazui… but now it's your turn to be protected,"
Ichigo sadly smiled, raising a hand to gently reach for his wife's face. He felt like crying, but the nightmare was over, even if it felt too raw, and his heart was still broken to pieces. Most of all, Aizen was still alive. He leaned into her and placed his nose next to her nape. He felt her scent, and her warmth invading his senses. "I'm really back…"
A moment later, he was back on his feet, shaken to the core but determined to end this fight, especially since his wife was by his side.
Orihime gave him a quick squeeze and gently smiled at him, encouraging him.
"You are way too stubborn… Kurosaki Ichigo," The sound of his enemy's voice echoed through the battlefield. "I'm happy to see the sun shining back, Orihime Inoue. Even if black clouds are in the way…I have to say I'm also amazed by your progress, thanks to Kamiko's presence within your soul,"
Ichigo fought against the tremor in his hands and clasped the hilt of his Zanpakuto, only to notice Orihime's figure standing before him.
In one swift motion, Orihime summoned her sword in front of Aizen's floating form, pointing the tip towards him. Tendrils of black and golden energy erupted from her as her sword merged with her body, creating an image of a blinding black sun as she drew in residual Reiatsu.
"No mercy for the sinners," Orihime's double voice echoed, calling out for Aizen.
"She merged her powers with Kamiko again, this is truly wonderful…" Aizen mocked.
Ichigo stood by his wife's side, holding her hand as his body was covered in black, red, and blue flames. Tiny particles of a scorched ground slowly began to disintegrate under the force of the heavy Reiryoku, widely gushing out of both of them.
"Get ready for your death, Aizen!" Ichigo yelled.
"Getsuga Tensho!"
Ichigo disappeared in a flash only to reappear above a smirking Aizen. He swung his Zanpakuto upwards, a wave of yellow Reiatsu roaring towards the man as Ichigo shouted.
His attack exploded into a cloud of smoke but Ichigo didn't give him a moment to breathe, shooting off after him with more energy.
Aizen couldn't completely avoid Ichigo's attacks. His eye's narrowed into a glare as the gash in his torso stitched itself together.
Orihime was still drawing in her Reiatsu, trying to gather as much energy as she could. Her body glowed in a golden color, covering it like a second skin. She vanished, only to appear behind Aizen while Ichigo was still sending his attacks.
"Orihime!" her husband cried out, noticing her small body behind the smoke. Panic filling his chest as he realized the damage he could've done to her.
"My shield is activated right against my skin, you can still fire your attacks, it won't scratch me," Orihime assured him as he watched her wind up a swing at the distracted Aizen, beginning a string of rapid strikes on the man.
The auburn-haired woman exchanged a series of blows with Aizen before blasting him away. She was moving fast enough for each hit to connect with his skin.
Taking advantage of the situation, Ichigo powered a Gran Rey Cero from his horn, aimed towards Aizen.
Aizen coughed as he stood up, glaring at the determined woman. He bled profusely from the gashes Ichigo's attacks had carved in him, only dwarfed by the chunks Orihime had punched from his rapidly healing body.
"I see. Using rejection abilities with your body," he wiped the blood from his lips, "and counter-attack my hits with your powers… very interesting,"
Landing beside Ichigo, their eyes opened wide when they noticed a bright light erupting from each cut on Aizen's skin. His body was being slowly reconstructed again, causing the bleeding to stop.
"I'm immortal. Even your rejection powers are useless on me," A chuckle escaped his lips, "The Hogyoku won't allow me to die,"
Ichigo didn't react to Aizen's statement while Orihime bit her lip, thinking about how they could end this fight.
"Ichigo, you need to use Kido," Orihime's double voice mirrored in her husband's mind. "I need you to trust me on this,"
Ichigo turned back to watch his wife's face. She frowned back at him, showing how serious she was. He learned Kido after the Quincy war but he didn't like to use those technics, thinking swords fights were fairer.
The orange-haired man vanished and appeared in front of Aizen, plunging his yellow glowing sword in the man's chest. The cut was deep enough to pierce through, making his Zanpakuto emerge from his back. He didn't restrain his powers, his Reiatsu erupting from Aizen's wounded chest.
Ichigo watched Aizen gasp, blood spurting from his mouth. He glanced quickly at his wife who was still floating, waiting for the right moment to make a move. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, concentrating. Taking his hands off his blade, he slammed his fingers into the ground and released a white spiritual energy, coalescing into white fabric.
"Bakudo 99: Bankin,"
The tissue wrapped around Aizen, covering him from head to toe. He was impaled by numerous bolts before being smashed with an immense metal cube from above.
"Bakudo 75: Gochutekkan,"
Ichigo clasped his hands together, five small yellow orbs with skinny tails emerged from between his clasped hands and moved above his head. He slammed them downward, sending the orbs into the ground. A bright light was generated from the sky above Aizen, five tall and thick pillars connected with chains pinning him to the ground.
"Bakudo 79: Kuyo Shibari!"
From Ichigo's position, massive eight black holes formed and surrounded the man. A ninth one manifested on Aizen's chest, right in the middle of his wound, immobilizing him even more. A drop rolling down his temple, Ichigo noticed Orihime appearing before Aizen who was trying to break through the spells.
Orihime softly smiled to her husband before summoning her shield in a dome that covered her and Aizen.
What are you doing Orihime?" He shouted, watching as she turned away, "Orihime!" Ichigo suddenly started to bang on the shield, calling out for his wife that ignored his calls.
"What is she going to do?" Ichigo hissed,
He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. She wasn't stupid and she was powerful. He decided to honor his earlier promise and trust her with her plan.
Inside the dome
Hate colored Kamiko's the soul. It spread throughout her entire system, shutting down all her other feelings as it became central to her life and intent. The object of her hatred gasping before her, she imagined many words and hostile actions against him but now that her wish came true, she felt paralyzed.
The wave of ill thoughts returned to her with vengeance. All the negative energy that she mustered was thrown into the imagined ill will racing wildly around her head. Hatred became a sickness of her mind, completely poisoning her soul. Tainting her wrath on Orihime's soul, she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms turning them white.
Orihime's eyes fell on Aizen's figure, her heart drenched by Kamiko's anger did not throb any longer. Everything fading into abyss, it was like time had stopped. She kept gazing at him, Kamiko's memories invading her brain, thinking about what happened to her.
"Would I feel anything if I were to kill this monster?" Orihime wondered, influenced by Kamiko's strong vengeance feelings.
Aizen's grin formed from behind his straps, trying to untie himself.
"You should tell me what you have on your mind, Kamiko. I feel your presence invading Orihime's body," he paused. "because once I'm out, I'll turn you to dust. Who knows, maybe you'll join White," Aizen spoke with a coldness she'd never heard before, his anger becoming more evident.
"I don't just want to kill you, Aizen," A double voice echoed in the man's mind, "I want to cut you in pieces. I want to put you in a pit and add the shovels of dirt slowly until your damn mouth is full of muck," She took a step forward, "I want to hear the suffocation of your cries. I want to know the second you don't exist anymore so I can savor it,"
"You took what was beautiful in me and made it into what it is today. I hope you're proud, it's all your handiwork," She continued, her eyes wide and unblinking from anger, "You won't be able to get free because nothing pleases me more than to see you trapped like a rat," she smirked, "we're both going to end your life!"
"It's amazing how you managed to contain such powers and strong Reiatsu in a single human body. We'll see who's going to die first," Aizen mocked, the Hogyoku starting to shine brightly from behind the straps.
"Orihime, use your powers first and leave the rest to me," Kamiko spoke in Orihime's mind, "you know what to do to protect your own...you already tried years ago but you're strong enough to succeed now…"
Concerned at Aizen's note, Orihime glanced quickly at Ichigo and smiled at him. Her face probably betrayed her uneasiness seeing the confused look he gave her back.
She turned back facing Aizen, thinking that Kamiko would have certainly told her if any of them was truly in danger. Aizen was probably messing with her again.
If she had to die, she would die with pride, knowing that her husband and son were protected until her last breath. She already accepted her death a long time ago and she'd be glad to give her life to save all those innocent people that were caught in this fight.
"I'm sorry if I don't make it, Ichigo, Kazui…" Orihime mumbled and took a deep breath, preparing herself. She took another step forward, her body still covered with her golden shield, a black energy erupting from her body, making the box slowly fill with a cloud of black smoke.
"Ichigo, I love you. Please take care of Kazui in case I fail…" she whispered in her husband's mind, "please tell Tatsuki I love her too…"
"Orihime! What the fuck are you doing? This is no joke!" Ichigo shouted, banging on the dome.
Slamming his fists harder against the dome that darkened, the orange-haired man stressed out, even more, wondering what his wife was planning to do. And that damn hollow within her didn't make the job easier…
Ichigo's thoughts all but slowed to a halt. Realization struck him like a truck, he clawed at the golden dome in a vain attempt to stop her, to break her damn barrier and pull her out of this coffin she created, but with all the energy radiating from it, he knew even the most powerful Kido won't break it.
The dome didn't even shake a bit from his violent banging. He should be inside with her! He couldn't even summon his sword as it was still impaled in Aizen's chest. Calling it may fuck up her plan too… his head was going to explode, thinking about how he could help his wife.
Orihime could feel Aizen's Reiatsu starting to rise, groaning in anger. She rested her hand on his chest, removing Ichigo's Zanpakuto. She closed her eyes, feeling the Hogyoku pushing her away. Concentrating more, she clenched her teeth, trying to detect the orb's powers first. She suddenly felt the shield against her skin drawing power from the device like a magnet before rejecting it.
Aizen studied her, his hysterical laughs filling the dome, trying to decipher what she was about to do. He felt the first tug against his bond with the Hogyoku. His eyes widened as he recoiled against her touch, trying to break down the spells that held him back.
"Do you really think this is going to work?" Aizen yelled at the top of his lungs. "A poor human like yourself, trying to kill a god!"
Orihime ignored his yelling and pushed her palm with more determination, rejecting the Hogyoku's powers from the orb. The woman began to pant, pouring her Reiatsu as much as she could to succeed in the extraction. She noticed small cracks appearing, the shield on her body slowly covering the whole device in the man's chest.
Still trapped in the Kido spells, Aizen couldn't move but kept spatting obscenities at her. What a humiliation to be killed by a human! He wasn't going to let her win. He couldn't let her win!
Ignoring him, Orihime slightly smiled when she noticed the Kido cracking under her energy, revealing his angry face. She started to feel tired, drops of sweat pouring down her face but she wasn't going to give in. Drawing even more in her Reiatsu, her muscles started to ache in pain.
The Hogyoku was slowly tearing out of Aizen's flesh, his screams filling the dome like a roar of pure anger. Orihime felt that the orb started to protect itself, refusing to be subdued again.
Watching Aizen twitch and squirm in pain, he was spurting more blood from his mouth, his Reiatsu slowly lowering. It was the first time she saw him speechless, unable to react. He just stared back at her with a blank expression.
Aizen tried to lift his head, a malevolent grin on his face as he watched her struggle.
"I-I would have never thought that you were going to meet Kamiko Hidemi one day… You're a magnificent accomplishment, would this have been what Masaki would've been like if she hadn't passed on White to Ichigo?" he paused to cough crimson, "I can't even imagine the display of power your son will show later…unfortunately, you won't be able to see it, your body is at its limits,"
Orihime's eyes opened wide for a moment at the man's words but she decided to ignore him again as he was probably trying to distract her.
"I'll fully merge with the Hogyoku again while I step on your body, dead from exhaustion," Aizen snarled at her.
She refused to believe in his words, her will and Kamiko's were strong enough to annihilate him and his evil powers. She wasn't the naïve teenager that he manipulated once. She was a woman strong enough to protect her loved ones and keep her promise to her husband.
Focusing more on her powers and energy, she cut the last few threads of power that tied the orb to Aizen's flesh.
Orihime stared straight at the bright orb that was partially out of the man's chest. She kept pouring her Reiatsu, rejecting the floating device from existence. She screamed in pain as she felt like her body was being pierced by thousands of needles, the orb still trying to protect its existence and defending itself.
She added a second hand against Aizen's burned chest, directing more of her power into the Hogyoku. After a tense moment, the Hogyoku was rejected in a colossal wave that shattered the dome. The pain of separating such a devastating power from his own flesh, Aizen's body fell on the dusty ground with a dull sound. He groaned, trying to get on his feet.
"Orihime!" Ichigo shouted, worry filling him as he dove into the waves of black-gold Reiatsu, wondering what happened inside the dome. He used Shunpo and appeared by her side when her body erupted a dark-colored energy wave. Her hair was floating and she was standing above a limp body on the ground.
Orihime felt Kamiko's Reiatsu all around her, feeling her excitement. She concentrated, giving her more place to use her powers, she had to trust her to finish Aizen. Just as Kamiko did to her, she closed her eyes and tried to revisit the Hollow's memories. Her eyes opened wide, finally understanding what was going to happen.
"And do not fear those who kill the souls. Rather fear who can destroy both soul and body in hell," Kamiko mumbled with a double voice echoing thought Aizen's mind.
Trying to forget the throbbing pain in Orihime's body, she extended her hands before clasping her hands together.
"Queen of hell is my name, I'm calling for your flames to tame,"
An eerie atmosphere slowly formed around her, her black-gold Reiatsu washed over the surroundings with a suffocating and dark energy like a wave of dusty wind. The sunlight became dimmer, until the day turned into night, everything standing becoming a shadow.
A terrible rumble shook the earth as the gates of hell slowly rose from the ground, sliding through the rubble and stone like a boat on the ocean. The gates of hell slowly emerged from the ground, making it move as if it were a wave on the sea.
Roaring waves crashed toward them, making them shelter under a churning mass of dull grey clouds. The air was heavy with the smell of burnt flesh and smoke hung in a haze that partially obscured the blood-red sun.
The chained door adorned with two bandage-headed skeletons ceased its assent, white smoke receding against the cracked ground. The doors opened, a violent gust of wind swept across the battlefield, roaring a smell of ash and death. The face of a large demoniac creature was waiting on the other side, grinning widely.
Ichigo couldn't move, He was unable to process what was before him. The ground was moving, and the noise was like an extended thunder. He watched his wife lifting up Aizen's body in front of the door with one hand, while a laughing demon violently thrust its Zanpakuto into the man's chest. Aizen's screams filled the battlefield, making the demon laugh even more.
"You can count on me, Kamiko-san!" Orihime assured with a determined voice, taking the control of her tired body.
Orihime turned around and smiled at her husband while fleeing towards the entrance. Ichigo summoned his sword and appeared by her side, holding her hand.
"We're in this together," he assured, squeezing his wife's hand.
"Welcome back, rulers of Hell," the demon roared. The creature shut the gates of Hell behind them, making the structure crack and crumble back into the ground. They smirked to the couple and vanished in a swirl of black and red, carrying Aizen's limp body.
Ichigo raised an eyebrow at their words while Orihime slightly smiled, holding her husband's hand and vanishing with him.
The couple appeared in the 4th level of Hell that was composed of a black landscape, with many irregular columns covered in veins of lava jutting out from the ground. It was filled with withered trees composed of bones littered across the landscape, from which hung dead bodies.
"It's the lowermost level of Hell," Orihime pointed out, leaving her husband's side to stand before her enemy. "I'll explain everything once it's all finished…" she sighed, concerned about her husband's reaction. What if she scares him now?
Ichigo's eyes were still as immobile as the rest of his face as if the news was impossible to absorb any faster. His wife had summoned the gates of Hell for God's sake! He kept staring at the area, still not believing what was going on. Everything happened so quickly …
He was frozen many seconds before the corners of his mouth resumed their usual softness and his eyes quit staring. He turned to Orihime, every part of his face in a soft smile reassuring her. He kept staring until his eyes rested on a certain form.
Aizen was bound into chains, laying on the ground. Clouds of dark smoke erupted from his strings, burning his skin. His throat gurgled as he struggled to breathe, spitting blood. His body was shaking, sweating from the heat of the lava.
Breathing hard but slowly, he dragged himself into a sitting position. His hands clutched at his lap as he felt a pain throbbing in his chest. It felt like an electric shock from the hole left by the Hogyoku as it went through his body. He grimaced, the pain being merciless without escape.
"I have thought of many ways of killing you, even Hell is too good for you," Orihime spoke with a double voice, panting heavily from all the Reiatsu Kamiko used to summon the gates. "And you don't even deserve to be trapped in an illusion, you'll figure out how to break from it,"
"You're going to die first, Kamiko," Aizen laughed mischievously, spurting blood from his mouth. "White won't come back even if I'm dead,"
Orihime felt Kamiko's darkness creeping in her, urging to put an end to the man's life although she felt that her Reiatsu was very weakened. She turned around and gave her hand to Ichigo.
"You said we were in this together, so let's put an end to this fight together," Orihime smiled, nodding her head to her husband.
Ichigo's eyes were trained on some invisible specter, his heavy eyelids a fraction too slow to blink, his irises too stationary. It was as if his brain was suffering a massive short circuit and was struggling to compute. His wife was going to kill Aizen?
Orihime moved into his line of sight, touching his cheek with the side of her thumb, her lips forming an anxious grin. Ichigo's head tilted down to her face, his eyes sliding into focus. He decided to trust her and he resolutely closed his eyes. He noticed a golden light clinging to him as it formed a skull armor on his body, resembling Orihime's.
He gripped his Zanpakuto with both hands and raised Tensa Zangetsu high, pointing it above him. A yellow light erupted from his body, his Reiatsu soring into the dark area, forming a blue and red column around him. He opened his eyes, making sure Orihime was still protected by her shield, then he slammed his shimmered sword against Aizen's body.
Looking like an executioner, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Getsuga Tensho!"
Trapped inside Orihime's body, Kamiko felt like she was howling alone, on the verge of something to happen. She felt hatred and vengeance creeping into her body. Her mind was on fire and her thoughts were burning. She could hear the rustling of Aizen's chains and smell hell ashes. Her shoulders were tremendously heavy, weighing her down, leaving her paralyzed. What an agony she had become too... No! she had survived, and she was going to take her revenge. Aizen had to die by her hands!
"Orihime, please forgive me…" Kamiko's voice echoed in Orihime's mind.
The weakened girl raised an eyebrow, confused by the Arrancar's words. "what are you trying to do?"
The auburn-haired girl felt Kamiko taking control of her body forcibly and she watched the scene like a spectator. She turned her gaze towards Aizen's carbonized frame and looked straight into what used to be his eyes. His face was twisted into a grimace and he was spitting blood, surviving once more at Ichigo's attack thanks to his powerful Reiatsu.
"I reject!"
Darkness exploded into the sky as Kamiko poured a large amount of Reiryoku into her final attack. She hit the man with a black-golden smoke with as much punishment as she could muster.
A scream escaped from Aizen's mouth and his eyes bulged out of his skull as his flesh slowly turned into dust.
"You're next Kamiko…" Aizen's body slowly vanished into thin spiritual particles, leaving his chains empty on the ground.
Feeling his wife's Reiatsu rapidly drop, Ichigo held her close to him, helping her stand on her feet. He noticed tears unbidden down her face, her eyes remained open, unblinking.
"We did it Orihime!" Ichigo softly smiled at his wife, kissing her forehead.
"Let's get out of here, Ichigo," Orihime sighed, taking back the control of her body. She held her husband's arm to get balance and tried to walk on her own even if she was completely drained of energy. Fire in the form of water stung her eyes as she felt Kamiko's presence starting to slowly fade away. There was a sudden silence to her soul and that emptiness sent a chill through her body.
The paralyzing hurt spread through Orihime's body like liquid metal. She clenched her fists as she hesitantly took each step. She noticed her feet tremble and her legs twitched, fighting the impulse to whirl around and fall on the ground. Her throat closed in threat of screaming and her jaw became tight. She had to draw on her last bit of strength as she was the only one who could take them out of that place.
She scrunched her teeth over her lip harder than she ever had. Slowly, her brain picked up her feet in an unbalanced gait, carelessly dropping the lead weights to the ground with each harrowing step.
Ichigo looked at Orihime, trying to understand where she was heading to. "Hime', it's over now. Let's go back home," he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, stopping her tracks, "You don't want to make Kazui wait longer than he already did, don't you?"
"Orihime?" Ichigo called out for her again, concerned by his wife's pale face as she didn't answer him.
She squeezed Ichigo's hand and covered both of their bodies with a golden light.
"I reject," she mumbled looking down, tears falling on her face.
They landed near the battlefield where they fought Aizen. As the full realization and the consequence of Kamiko's final attack finally sank in, Orihime's stomach stirred as she collapsed to the ground.
All her emotion flowed from out of the very depths of her being, and as the groaning flow passed her lips, it became a cry of confession, a wail reaching out for forgiveness.
She felt a hand gently probing her body and she could hear spoken words from afar but their meaning was lost on her. She lifted her eyes and her golden dome covered her body. Ichigo was rejected outside of it as she saw him banging outside again. She weakly smiled at him, unable to even move a finger.
She felt Kamiko's solitude dominating her heart, clinging every thread, catching them. The betrayals of the people she loved the most left her heart abandoned but still lived there, the cobwebs billow like curtains inside her heart. Sadness was hovering over her heart and her mind.
"Kamiko…" Orihime's tears fell down her face. "what did you do…"
A white light erupted from the woman's chest; her hollow hole closed, and her clothes changed back to the Arrancar suit Nell gave her back in Las Noches. Her hair turned back to their auburn color and she felt a hand holding hers.
"Hey, we finally meet each other in person, Orihime…" Kamiko's body formed from the same light and she smiled at Orihime's limp body, squeezing her hand. She sat on the ground and lifted Orihime's head, placing it on her lap.
"Why did you lie to me, Kamiko? You should have told me about this power of yours! How could you hide it from me?" Orihime cried, "that's why you trained me…to see if my body was going to handle all the Reiatsu you used…"
"I only wanted to protect you. I knew you would refuse if I told you I wanted to summon Hell…" Kamiko sighed and looked down, "I knew from the beginning that your body wouldn't handle to live with two souls, but I was never going to let you die for my sake,"
"B-but I couldn't protect you… I wanted you to stay alive... Urahara-san could have helped you to transfer your soul in a Gigai…" Orihime's features buckled just slightly before she spoke, betraying of her grief. "what's the point in avenging White if it's simply to vanish after?"
"I have accepted death. Don't be sad over someone like me," Kamiko softly smiled, "promise me that you'll live your life to the fullest. Don't ever let anyone underestimate you. That's what I tried to teach you, even if I didn't use the best ways to…"
"Thank you, I can leave peacefully thanks to you…" The Arrancar's eyes beamed with tears.
Kamiko broke her gaze, preferring instead to rest her eyes on the side. It was time. The time she knew would come sooner or later but dreaded. She had to say goodbye to the only person that she felt cared about her since she came back, to one of the few people that she felt happy with, even if she never showed it.
"At least we finally know how your soul ended in my body when I rejected the Hogyoku," Orihime sniffled, "I'm sad that you're leaving but I'm happy that you reached your goal,"
"I'm such a parasite for staying in your body for more than 15 years!" The Arrancar joked, trying to ease the situation.
How was she supposed to just do it without feeling like she had lost a part of her? When she had forgotten how to live, Orihime was the one who showed her the way. When she felt like the world was falling apart around her, she made her feel as though it wasn't so bad. When she felt like nothing could make her feel better, she somehow managed to put even the slightest of a smile on her face.
She wished she could go back to when she had a body on her own and meet her all over again. She couldn't help but feel so isolated and companionless. She had this feeling in her chest where it just felt empty but Orihime allowed her to feel a little better, to calm all her rage she gathered for years. She hoped she would get to see White again no matter what was waiting for her.
"I truly wish you'll be reunited with White again. Please be happy wherever you go…Thank you for making me stronger and allowing me to protect my family," Orihime muttered, "I never went out of my comfort zone but you helped me to know my strength and worth when it comes to fighting,"
Kamiko sadly nodded, brushing some strands of hair from Orihime's face "and tell your fairy shit to behave or I'll come back from the dead to kick his ass!"
"I'm too sad to laugh Kamiko-san!" Orihime chuckled, her tears still forming at the corner of her eyes and falling on her flushed cheeks.
Like a silent yet faithful companion, Kamiko waited, until at last, she could take her hand from Orihime's and leave the living. It dawned on her at the moment, although ironic for a dark being.
She knew that she felt... but what was this feeling? Pain? Regret? Despair?... Happiness…? Yes, she remembered. She remembered how it felt. The hand that had been offered was warm, familiar, and a giver of true happiness. But she could not yearn for that. It was forbidden because she had finished her task. But at last, she remembered what happiness and inner peace felt like.
But maybe that's the way it had to be, one light to follow, no choice but to walk toward it. Perhaps the road toward heaven felt like hell.
Sparing Orihime a last glance, she sped off into the comforting folds of darkness, cherishing the sweet smile she had bequeathed her as she stepped into a place of light.
Tears stained Orihime's cheeks, making her eyes glassy as she whispered goodbye to the Arrancar who seemed distraught. Her mind went haywire as she laid on the floor, her heart beating slowly and breathing too calmly. She felt like her soul was slowly and gently drained from her body.
Was Aizen right when he said her body reached its limits? Was she going to die too? She never wanted to, but that didn't mean she feared it nor that she regretted her decision of fighting. She would gladly do it all over again to save her family.
For the first time in a long time, she was feeling at ease and safe. Aizen was dead, and her family protected. The dome broke around her as she took one final glance at Ichigo while he was by her side, clutching at her body. She smiled an ambivalent smile before closing her eyes and walking into the deep abyss.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this one, I loved showing Orihime and Ichigo as a power couple! the ending was kinda sad to write though... and don't worry, there's still a chapter left and the story is finished. Time flies :(
*Thank you all for your reviews/fav/follow and thanks to my beta ScepticalOne for his patience!
*Take care all! ++ :)