You know what I never understood? How someone can believe a girl who identifies with the rain, who says she's the rain (that's canon!) can be the perfect love of a boy/man who hates the rain with his whole heart (also canon!). I don't hate Orihime, never have, never will, I just don't like IchiOri, hope people will like what I do with each of them and their respective pairings here.
From the first time I read a certain monologue of Orihime, about the rain, I wanted to do something with that, because I couldn't help but feel that she was expressing herself, the core of herself, so beautifully, it said so much about her, and about the way she knew herself... I needed to do something with that. Hope I won't disappoint.
A bit of a 'warning' here (don't want to call it that, but don't know how else to put it. If you, any of you, are fans of canon, and more specifically, canon Orihime, you'll find her extremely OOC here... then again, if you prefer that I'd have to ask how you've managed to get to this point considering we threw canon by the wayside, especially where Orihime's involved a long time ago... Still, I hope you'll enjoy it. I certainly enjoyed writing it.
It's almost funny, because the first half of this chapter, is the last I wrote when I first began this fic, around a decade or so ago; while the latter half, is the first I wrote when I finally decided to sit down and finish this once and for all. I like how it came out, even if it means that a lot more happens in a single chapter than I initially expected.
There was a comment made about Coyote calling Orihime 'señorita' (miss) and how that never happens in canon. No, it doesn't, then again, Aileen doesn't exist in canon either, Orihime spends a very short time in Las Noches and never gets to meet most of those there, and she definitely doesn't have the interactions with the Espada she does here.
I've been asked before what some of the main characters sound like. I've no idea, the best I've been able to do is to tell your their nationalities, hoping that might help. This time, it's different. There's a song in this chapter. You can find it here: watch?v=iF9uvk0x4_w I'd suggest you keep it close and play it once it's being sung, it'll help get you in the mood for what happens then, and in the rest of the chapter.
More info on the song in the end notes, don't want to spoiler anything.
On with the chapter!
Chapter 38. The Rain that Binds
Amekimi woke up gasping, her hands grasping air as if trying to hold onto something. A second later, as her breathing began returning to normal, she began sobbing softly.
"Hidenka-sama?" A voice asked in a low tone.
It was Utokui, they had gotten a slip, that some spies from the current 'Lord' were dangerously close to the area, still searching for the missing princess. She'd been declared dead by her step-mothers and half-siblings many years prior; yet they were still looking for her, though she didn't have the slightest idea as to why. Still, Utokui and Giichi had been keeping guard on her quarters around the clock, even Shaolin was helping; Giichi was helping her learn how to fight, though she had the basics in a Chinese style that looked quite dangerous, if a lot less refined than what the young princess was used to seeing.
In that moment Utokui had been doing his rounds, he was going around the porch that surrounded three sides of the hidden quarters when, as he was passing by a window, he couldn't help but hear his princess's sobs.
"Are you alright, Hidenka-sama?" Utokui asked, standing by the window.
"No." Amekimi admitted quietly.
Slowly, she got off the futon, dragging the blanket with her, then went to sit beside the window, right where she could sense Utokui beyond the wooden wall, there she sat and, enveloped by the blanket began talking again.
"Hina-chan was assassinated, wasn't she?" The princess asked with no hesitance.
"What makes you say that Hidenka-sama?" Utokui was surprised by the question.
"A dream I just had." Amekimi answered honestly. "Of that day, a few months before I turned six. I noticed some things I didn't back then… like how nervous she seemed to be, how afraid, though never for herself, only for me. Then when she fell… everyone told me she had fainted, that it was because she was sick… that she took such great care of me she forgot to look after herself. And yet… Chichihue was furious, and Kyoshi-san too, everyone was running around, and I wasn't let out of Haha's old room, and even then there was a full escort in the room. Everyone was so afraid something would happen to me, like it had happened to Hina-chan… my nana… She was killed wasn't she?"
"Yes, Hinagiku-san was killed that day." Utokui admitted.
"And she knew, she knew it was coming." The girl gasped even as she said it. "It was why she stayed so close to me, never letting me get even a few feet away from her. She knew they would try to kill me, she was protecting me… Even when she knew she could very well die, she still did it. And in the end she died, for me."
"Yes." Utokui didn't see any reason, or way, for him to deny that.
"How did she know that?" Amekimi wanted to know, and yet, her heart ached, as a part of her already knew the answer. "Haha…?"
"It was never confirmed." Utokui said quietly. "But some people suspected, that Ayame-dono might have been murdered, poisoned."
"How many?" The princess asked in a broken voice. "How many have died, will die for me?"
There was no answer, she had known there wouldn't be. It was obvious others had died for her as well, but somehow, her mom and nana hurt the most… maybe because it was those 2 women, besides her father, from whom the young princess had known true love. It really wasn't fair…
"I need to learn how to fight." She announced unexpectedly.
The comment came out of nowhere, and seemed quite insane: a princess learning how to fight… and yet, she had already made up her mind, and no one would be able to make her change it.
xXx
As Orihime walked a couple of steps behind Ulquiorra to the morning training session she kept taking long, deep breaths. She knew that what she was going to do would seem crazy to most, it seemed crazy to her! But still, it was the only way, Lilynette's and Coyote's words had finally gotten through to her, and after spending an hour before breakfast talking to her Rikka she believed she could actually pull it off.
When Ulquiorra had gone to deliver her breakfast, though she had no idea what exactly had changed to make it so the Espada himself was the one delivering her meals again. Still, Orihime had asked him to deliver a short message to Aizen, refusing to give any details. In the end, Ulquiorra had sent Grimmjow, who looked at the human girl as if he had an idea of what she might be planning and couldn't quite believe it. Though considering she was the one doing it, and couldn't quite believe it herself…
The training session began as always, with Yammy beating some unfortunate Adjuchas to an inch, or even half an inch, of its life. The one from that particular day survived when Yammy, along with everyone else in the room stopped in surprise at Aizen's and Gin's unexpected arrival, neither of the former shinigami ever bothered attending the training sessions.
"Aizen-sama…" Harribel was the first to speak. "What brings you here at this time?"
"I was asked to be here as a favor." Aizen replied with a smile.
Murmurs rose all around, as the Arrancar wondered what exactly that meant.
Orihime rolled her eyes, she hadn't exactly worded it like that, but she supposed at least Aizen was there, and it seemed like he approved of her choice, either that or he thought she was crazy and didn't care. The human sighed, and right then her eyes caught Aileen's, who nodded once strongly at her; she too realized what was coming, and she supported Orihime. Behind her, Coyote and Lilynette too nodded at Orihime.
"But please, continue with your activities." Aizen made a motion to it.
Everyone nodded. Yammy grumbled when he noticed the Adjuchas had taken the chance to run away before it was killed. That meant his training was over for the time being. With that, Zatara got on her feet, however, before she could talk to one of Harribel's Fraccion, who usually helped her for those sessions, someone else interrupted:
"I, Inoue Orihime, Nakama and wielder of the Shun Shun Rikka, with Aizen Sousuke, Ichimaru Gin and the rest of the Espada and Fracciones present as witnesses, challenge Novena Espada, Lei Zatara to a one on one fight." The teenager spoke in the strongest and most formal voice she could. "Right here, right now."
The silence that followed that declaration was deafening.
Almost everyone was looking at the human teenager as if she were crazy, except for four particular individuals, who all looked at her very seriously, knowing that she wasn't quite as fragile as she appeared at first sight.
Silently Orihime took off her tight jacket and her over-skirt, leaving her in her top and pants. Aileen called her attention briefly, throwing her a white ribbon, which the human used to tie her hair after twisting it several times to keep it up. Once she was ready Orihime walked down the steps where those not sparring at the time sat and went to stand in the middle of the arena.
"Please!" Zatara called in a mocking tone. "You must be joking."
"I'm being very serious Zatara." Orihime's eyes narrowed as she tried her best to stare Zatara down. "Or what? You can only face me when my guard is down and there are no witness stronger than you? Are you that much of a coward you can attack someone from behind and not from the front? I expected better from a pseudo-Espada."
All her words were intended to rile the silver-haired Espada, and they worked.
Aizen just kept smiling his creepy smile as he took a seat in a big, ornate chair several Arrancar carried into the room. Gin was content with sitting cross-legged on the floor beside him, eyes actually open as he observed everything attentively. The young human teenager in that moment brought him strong memories of his former best friend… or was Karasu, Karin, still his best friend? In any case, it all made him quite melancholic.
"Very well, I will fight you." Zatara practically snarled as she went to stand in the arena. "Just don't go crying to Aizen-sama when I sweep the floor with you."
Orihime just rolled her eyes, before falling into a very basic karate guarding stance.
"I won't go easy on you just because Aizen-sama favors you, pet-sama…" Zatara smirked. "That's a good name for you. I'll show you why I'm an Espada…"
Orihime rolled her eyes again, would the Novena never stop her posturing? It really served no purpose, except inflating her own ego…
The battle commenced, in a way that most had expected, yet some knew couldn't be completely right. Orihime was fighting, she was evading most of the hits, but wasn't managing to get many in herself either. She was using her Rikka, the Santen Kesshun in the Nibankyuu level, modified to create a film right over her skin, it was meant to act sort of like an Arrancar's Hierro, giving more strength to her attacks, and in general, more endurance to herself. However, it obviously wasn't enough. Something in the way she moved, hesitantly, jerkily, something was off.
"This is wrong…" Aileen moaned as she pulled at her own hair.
"Why the hell isn't she fighting right?!" Lilynette demanded. "I know… we know that's not all she can do? What the hell is she playing at?"
"The style she's using right now, it's not the one she's most comfortable in." Coyote pointed out, surprisingly enough he wasn't trying to sleep, not even yawning. "That's why she stumbles so much, she's not as familiar with those moves as she is with the ones she used last Sunday."
"And why the fuck isn't she using the right style?!" Lilynette snarled.
No one had the slightest idea.
Orihime finally managed to connect a punch to Zatara's head, but she over-extended her arm, leaving her open for a kick to the ribs, which threw her to the ground, painfully.
"Ha!" Zatara snorted at her. "I knew you were nothing more than a stupid little girl, pet-sama…"
Orihime gasped slightly as she fought to get her breath back; she had known it was crazy to fight Zatara, especially in hand to hand; until then she had only fought hollows and Arrancars using her Shun Shun Rikka; while hand to hand combat wasn't something completely new to her, she had only ever gone against humans, and that was in simple training… still, she couldn't give up, not yet, not if she wanted to get her point across: she wasn't a weak human, she wasn't an insect, or a piece of trash… and she certainly wasn't a pet!
"Oy, little princess!" Grimmjow called loudly, unexpectedly. "Stop playing around! You wanted to fight didn't you? Now be serious about it!"
Orihime couldn't help it, her mind was briefly taken over by a short but powerful scene:
The tatami mats beneath her felt strangely comfortable, it must be because of how tired and sore she was already; she never thought learning to fight would be that hard…
"Oy, Hime-chan!" A snarky voice called her. "Break time's over, no more playing around. It was your choice to learn how to fight. Now take it seriously!"
With that, the human teenager took one more deep breath, before pushing herself to sit seiza. There she placed her hands on her lap, closed her eyes, and focused.
"What the hell is she trying now?" Several voices began questioning behind.
"The fight will truly begin now." Coyote stated, satisfied.
Aileen and Lilynette smirked, things were about to get good.
"Time for a good old-fashioned ass-kicking." Grimmjow muttered under his breath with a smirk. "Get the bitch, little princess…"
Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed, his eyes straight on Orihime, like they'd been since she'd first made the shocking and unexpected declaration. Something was going on, he had no idea what yet, but his instincts were screaming at him that it was so very important…
"Idiot!" Zatara snarled at Orihime. "I don't care about your theatrics. I'll kill you!"
Some expected Aizen, or Ulquiorra, or at least Gin to react somehow to Zatara's declaration and follow-up rushed attack, but neither of them did anything, they just continued watching in silence; so the rest did the same:
Zatara made a move to deliver a crushing kick at Orihime's head, only to have the teenager move both arms in the last moment, blocking her. Zatara, unsure and mostly uncaring of how the girl had managed that made a second attempt for a kick with the opposite leg. Orihime moved again, this time actually catching Zatara's foot.
"Wha…?" The Novena began.
However, the silver haired didn't get to finish her complaint, as right then the human jumped onto her feet, pulling Zatara's foot along, causing the surprised Espada to lose her balance completely and crash against the floor on her back.
Aileen and Lilynette snickered, while Coyote nodded approvingly; Grimmjow's loud guffaw echoing all around, while the rest of the Arrancar just watched, mostly in shock.
"What the hell was that brat?!" Zatara demanded as she jumped back onto her feet.
Orihime didn't answer, simply adopting a rather neutral stance, this time while standing, as she waited for Zatara's next attack.
Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed even more.
One after another, Zatara kept attempting a series of kicks and punches, all of them either missed, or were blocked by Orihime, it was as if suddenly nothing could touch the human teenager.
"Stop playing!" Zatara practically screeched as she got livid. "Fight me!"
For all answer, when Zatara's next kick came, Orihime evaded by getting closer to her instead of farther; then the teen took hold of the Espada's wrist when the follow-up punch came, giving a step back and pulling harshly. The Novena went sprawling to the ground with a twisted wrist.
"Stupid brat!" Zatara wailed.
Livid, the Espada jumped onto her feet and moved to attack again.
The fight continued like that for several minutes: Zatara would attack with kicks and punches, Orihime would evade some, block others, and eventually get into the Novena's guard, grab a hold of her wrist, upper arm, or even leg, twist and send her sprawling. The more times it happened, the more the Espada's fury grew, and the more those watching couldn't help but see the human 'guest' in a different light.
Eventually, something changed. Out of patience, Zatara used sonido to get behind Orihime and made an attempt to grab the girl by her neck.
Aileen jumped up, about to scream a warning, but Coyote was faster than her and pulled her back down, slipping his hand beneath her mask, to cover her mouth, before a single sound could pass her lips. Aileen didn't like that.
"Easy, bonita…" Coyote whispered into her ear. "The señorita will be alright. She's strong, and smart. This is nothing."
He was right, a fraction of a second before Zatara could touch her Orihime leaned to one side, the Espada only managing to touch a few loose strands of auburn hair. In the next second Orihime raised her opposite leg high, folding it slightly before twisting her whole body around. The result was a kick that hit Zatara's temple, throwing her back and down harsher than any other move.
The Novena jumped back up immediately, but before she could do much, Orihime's open palm hit her right in the middle of her chest. It shouldn't have been much, an open palm hit from one who was younger, smaller, who was supposed to be weaker, human, yet Zatara couldn't help but cough blood as she was pushed back harshly against the nearest wall. There she continued coughing, blood splattering on the white floors, it was obvious Orihime's last kick and strike had truly injured her, somehow.
"Enough!" Gin ordered getting on his feet.
Orihime turned to bow slightly at her opponent, bowing then in Aizen's direction, as was expected in a formal duel. Then she turned her back on both and began walking back to where she'd left her things.
What followed happen all in a matter of seconds, or less: Zatara jumped back onto her feet and, with a loud, screeching battle cry threw herself at Orihime. Ulquiorra used a burst of sonido to appear in between the two females, an order had been given, and he would make sure it was followed. Zatara didn't seem to care he had gotten in between, she was too far gone in her fury, she roared, and fired a powerful Cero. However, before the attack and the Cuarta could connect, a soft, yet steeled voice, broke the silence.
"Shiten Koushun!" Orihime called, her back still turned to what was going on.
For an instant it looked as if some kind of orange-tinted dust separated from Orihime's body, making her skin look more creamy than before. Then that same dust took form again, right in front of Ulquiorra, a triangular orange shield, which was then joined by another spark that came off the human teenager's hairpins.
The Cero connected with the shield, and for a moment there was no sound; no one moved, no one spoke, some didn't seem to even be breathing. Then, in a rush, the Cero disappeared, the spark in the middle of the shield glowed brightly, and a concentrated beam of light came from there, hitting Zatara straight in the chest and throwing her back with enough force she crashed against the wall again, this time ending up half inside it.
"I didn't need your help, onna." Ulquiorra murmured in a low but hard tone.
"I didn't do it for you." Orihime replied simply.
With a wave of her hand, the shield dispelled and her hairpins became complete. Then she continued walking back to where she'd been sitting before; every single Arrancar in the room moving away from her as she passed. She had gotten what she wanted: everyone in Las Noches would know now she was no weak little human…
xXx
That evening the meeting of the highest ranking members of Las Noches was particularly tense, but no one dare move or so much as speak against Orihime and what she'd done earlier. They were seeing her in a whole new light. Of course, none of them knew Orihime had chosen to forsake all training for the rest of the day and had spent the whole afternoon sleeping almost non-stop, having used almost all her reiatsu in the fight, besides, there was also the fact that she had ended more than a bit sore, and with no reiatsu she couldn't heal herself.
Orihime spent most of the meeting in a half meditative state, fighting to keep herself in complete control so she wouldn't show any weakness to those present. It took a great deal of effort, but by some miracle she managed it. It wasn't until she was halfway back to her quarters, with no one but Ulquiorra accompanying her, that she began to sway slightly and half closed her eyes as she yawned, her exhaustion beginning to take her over.
In the end Ulquiorra had to help the teenager get into the room and to the sofa.
"You should never have done what you did onna." Ulquiorra stated in a strangely chiding tone as he laid her on the couch.
Orihime opened one eye slowly, with some effort, wondering if Ulquiorra was really worried about her. Then he spoke again and ruined it all.
"You won't be useful to Aizen-sama if you get yourself in this state." He added.
"Oh please, please stop saying that." Orihime moaned, too tired to even sit up. "I'm just so tired about hearing the same all the time…"
"Aizen-sama…" The Espada began.
"Shut up already about that Aizen-sama!" She somehow found the strength to scream that. "I cannot stand it."
It looked like Ulquiorra was about to say something else, probably another useless platitude, at least as far as Orihime was concerned; but she didn't allow it. Even though the human teenager couldn't get up, she could barely even stay awake and fully focused, she still pushed on. Even laying down, and looking as exhausted and weak as she did in that moment, the girl managed to exude a sense of power and authority Ulquiorra couldn't help but pick up on.
"Why do you even follow Aizen, Ulquiorra?" She asked tiredly. "Do you really not see the kind of monster he is? He does not deserve your loyalty."
"I exist only to serve." Ulquiorra replied simply.
"Even if that were true, have you ever considered the fact that you may be meant to serve someone else?" Orihime asked, voice soft again and eyes half-closed.
"You have no idea what you're talking about onna." Ulquiorra stated as he spun around and turned to leave the room.
"Oh but I do Ulquiorra…" Orihime whispered, beginning to fall asleep already. "Better than you could ever imagine…"
Just outside the door Ulquiorra stood, a hand clenched tightly into a fist, an expression of emotion he would have never allowed himself just a week before, one he didn't even notice at first, and he couldn't really understand. He had managed to hear Orihime's whispered words as he left the room and that, along with everything she'd said before had hit him, hard, in ways he didn't understand, and that didn't sit well with him.
"The little princess driving you crazy already?" A voice asked from the side.
Ulquiorra turned unsurprised eyes to see Grimmjow laying against a well, not too far from him, he'd obviously just turned the near corner. The Cuarta was about to say something when he noticed Grimmjow's exact wording…
"Why do you call her that?" He couldn't help but ask.
"I guess it seems like that's what Aizen wants her to be, a little princess." Grimmjow shrugged nonchalantly. "And anyway, it somehow feels… I don't know… natural…"
Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed, everything about the human teenager seemed so strange; and not just her, but also in the ways everything and everyone related to her. Even him, she made him react in ways he knew he shouldn't…she was just going to drive him crazy one day!
"You don't what you're talking about Grimmjow…" Ulquiorra muttered.
"Yeah well, neither do you, but I'm not thrusting accusations at you for it, am I?" Grimmjow replied petulantly.
"You are so idiotic… I really don't know how I stand you." Ulquiorra began walking away.
"Neither do I, or 90% of the inhabitants of Las Noches." Grimmjow quipped with a smirk. "They were shocked enough when you offered me a place as your Fraccion, and even more so when I accepted… particularly after rejecting the place of Novena…"
"There are questions not even I have the answer to." The Cuarta commented.
It was one thing he really didn't understand, yet he would never actually ask the question either, whatever had made Grimmjow take him up on his already shocking offer…
"Don't ask me, not even I know." Grimmjow shrugged. "Much as I may hate it, following you doesn't annoy me nearly as much as following that bastard Aizen does."
"You do know I still follow Aizen-sama…" Ulquiorra spoke at the former Sexta as if he were half-insane, or maybe just an idiot.
"Of course I know, still, it doesn't change my perspective of the whole situation." Grimmjow insisted. "And in the end, I know if I do something idiotic, it's unlikely I'll end up killing you, can't say the same about others…"
Grimmjow shook his head before moving ahead from Ulquiorra and away, the Cuarta Espada just watching him go. The blue haired former Espada was beginning to act erratically, even for him, as if things weren't strange enough already…Ulquiorra was a feeling something was going on, something he couldn't fully grasp. It had begun with the arrival of Inoue Orihime to Las Noches, yet it went far beyond her…if he could just understand what it was…
xXx
The next morning Orihime knew her half-thought words had caused trouble when, once again, it was Ulquiorra's naga-like Fraccion who delivered her breakfast to her. She just sighed as she made the effort to sit up and pull the tray of food to her lap so she could eat. She was still somewhat sleepy, even if not as bad as the day before, but she also needed food if she was to recover her reiatsu as soon as possible.
The teenager ate her breakfast quietly and slowly, paying little attention to the half-masked half-veiled hollow standing a few feet from her, he'd never spoken to her, had never so much as said a single word in her presence. Which is why she was so surprised when he did…
"Are you alright miss?" He asked in a low, throaty voice.
"I am fine." She answered calmly as she drank some tea.
"Excuse me miss, but you do not look fine." The hollow commented.
"I am just still tired." Orihime admitted after a while. "I'm recovering, and will be completely perfect soon enough."
"Shouldn't you have recovered more by now?" The hollow inquired, confused. "Hueco Mundo is a spiritual world, that should help."
"It should, yet a good deal of Las Noches is made of sekkiseki, which doesn't help matters any." Orihime retorted blankly. "It's hard for my reiatsu to be restored, and it cannot be aided by just anyone. My powers are too… unique for that."
The hollow nodded, apparently understanding that.
"What is your name?" She asked out of nowhere. "I mean, I've seen you a few times, even if I had never spoken to you before, but I've never heard your name."
"Acidwire miss, you may call me Acidwire." He replied in a low voice.
Then, before she could ask any more questions, he was gone.
Hours passed, and when Acidwire returned with lunch and the change of clothes he could see the human teenager looked better, though she was obviously still not back to a hundred percent, that would take a bit longer.
Orihime ate her lunch quickly, having to replenish her reiatsu made her very hungry, and while the meals prepared for her were much more… tame, than what she was used to, they were still pretty good. The fact they were made from reishi also helped.
When the girl was finished she placed the tray aside and went to stand below the window, it helped her a bit. Then, to her silent companion's surprise she began humming; a low, haunting tune that seemed to somehow carry a meaning that went beyond words.
"That's some melody." Acidwire commented quietly when she was done.
Orihime didn't answer, just sighing, after recalling something so very sad…
"You like music." The hollow said, it didn't really sound like a question.
"I love music." Orihime answered with a melancholic smile. "I'm no good singing, but playing… I've liked it my whole life, my brother used to say it was like I was born from the music, like it was a part of me. Sadly, my flute was in my yukata when my old clothes were taken from me. So I cannot play, and humming just isn't the same."
Acidwire nodded silently, as if he somehow understood what she was talking about, or maybe he just didn't want to encourage any more talk on her part. In any case, seeing she was finished, he placed the change of clothes beside her on the sofa, then wheeled the cart with the empty tray out, closing the door behind him.
Hours kept passing. As Orihime did some meditation and the most basic of her training, just to make sure she would begin strengthening again. Then she took a long shower and prepared to attend the evening meeting.
Once again, there seemed to be nothing new, which for some reason seemed to make things more complicated than if there had actually been something to report. Aizen apparently didn't like how calm everything was, kept claiming it just wasn't logical for the Nakama not to have attempted another rescue already, Orihime just hoped it meant they trusted her, that they were giving her the time she needed to do what she wished; she also hoped their faith wasn't in vain. Too much depended on it…
Then, after the very long and extremely boring meeting was over, Orihime was escorted to her room by Ulquiorra, as usual, though he didn't say a word all through it.
Silently Orihime entered her room, she was already halfway through it when she became aware of the object laying right in the middle of her couch. At first look it seemed like a simple bamboo stick, long and polished; there was not enough light to see it clearly. And yet… Orihime knew exactly what it was: her flute.
She looked over her shoulder, right as the door was being closed already, one sole word leaving her lips full of heartfelt feeling:
"Thank you…"
That night, the same haunting melody from before echoed down the hallway, this time not a hum, but actual music, from a beautiful flute, and a nostalgic heart…
xXx
It had been stupid, and Amekimi knew it, even as Shaolin convinced her it was the festival, that it had just been her birthday recently and the young princess deserved to treat herself and have some fun. The princess knew it was a bad idea to escape the estate and go into town, particularly without even leaving a note to Utokui and Giichi of where they were going.
Of course no one could have ever expected what would happen. Who could have known that among the travelers of the festival there would be a group of slavers? They had noticed Shaolin and Amekimi, even when the girls had worn old yukatas and traditional masks to cover their faces. They had taken them off-guard and forced them into an old, rundown, hidden hut. Shaolin had fought with everything she had, getting increasingly desperate, until she was on the ground, all her visible skin black and purple, her clothes torn and dirty.
Then Amekimi's mask had been ripped from her face. The criminals didn't know who she was, of course not, very few people knew she even existed, but still, the princess was a very beautiful young woman. At sixteen-years of age she had skin like cream and peaches, soft and smooth, without the slightest blemish, her black hair was long, straight and shiny, and her violet eyes gave her an exotic air that made her seem as almost otherworldly.
"Now that's an exotic one…" One of the mercenaries commented. "She will get us good money on the black market…"
"No…" Shaolin moaned. "Not a slave… not her…"
She fought to move, but it was just impossible, she was too badly hurt.
"You will not get away with this." Amekimi informed her captors in a strangely calm way. "My protectors will come for me."
"Please," The leader didn't believe him at all. "No one even knows we're here. No one even knows we exist! That's what our job is about. Accept it girl, you're lost. Soon we'll sell you and you'll spend the rest of your life as a slave… however long or short it might be will depend on you. I suggest you make yourself to the idea, it will make things easier."
"You will not get away with it." Amekimi informed him, still quite calm.
One of the criminals seemed to finally lose his patience, he backhanded the violet eyed teenager with enough force to throw her down. With her hands bound together Amekimi couldn't stop herself from falling, though she still managed to get in seiza position after some effort.
"Bitch!" The criminal who had hit her snarled, moving to hit her again.
"Stop it idiot, we won't get as good a price for her if we damage her beforehand." The leader reminded him in a forceful tone.
The furious criminal spat to the side, only the prospect of money stopping him.
"Now you have really dug your own grave." Amekimi whispered, as calm as ever.
Then, before any of the mercenaries could snap at her again, the doors to the small hut were broken down, as two figures stepped through, katanas already in hand.
The duel didn't last long, the mercenaries had no idea who they were dealing with, and not in vain Utokui and Giichi had trained to be the two strongest samurai to live.
The moment the criminals were dead Utokui went to break Amekimi's bonds, while Giichi rushed to the fallen half-unconscious Shaolin. He would never admit it, but the other two knew he loved Amekimi's handmaiden, had for a while, even before he'd taken her to the estate for the first time, badly injured, imploring his princess to save her.
"Are you alright Hidenka-sama?" Utokui inquired as he helped her up.
"Just fine Utokui-kun, you have nothing to worry about." Amekimi assured her with a smile.
"This should have never happened." Utokui reprehended himself.
He couldn't help it, his eyes strayed to the forming bruise on the princess's cheek. For all answer she rolled her eyes before brushing her hand over her own cheek, a golden glow forming on her fingers briefly before the bruise vanished. Then she did the same with the marks on her wrists, caused by the ropes.
"Thank you for coming to our aid." Amekimi said to her protector, still smiling.
"I should have been here sooner." Utokui stated, still angry at himself. "What's more, I should have never let you out of my sight."
The whole thing had been Amekimi's fault, and maybe Shaolin's, and they knew it. However, Utokui would never blame his princess, not when he saw her safety as his number one priority. He couldn't help but feel he had failed her.
"What happened wasn't your fault Utokui-kun, even if it had been worse, it could never be." The princess tried to convince him, even knowing it was useless.
"I have failed you, Hidenka-sama, but I won't do so again." He swore formally.
The girl sighed and nodded, knowing there was no way to convince him of the opposite. The best she could do in that moment was accept his unneeded apology and move on. Maybe one day she would be able to help him change…though it wasn't likely, his father, Kyoshi, had been exactly the same when it came to her father…
"I know, I believe in you, my protector…" Amekimi tried to transmit all her faith in him in her posture and smile.
"I am loyal only to you, Hidenka-sama, now and forever." He swore strongly.
Loyalty, it was the only thing that seemed to bring true passion to Utokui, his duty to her; if only he could see she wanted him as more than just a protector.
"Hime-chan!" Giichi's voice broke her thoughts abruptly. "Shaolin needs your help, please!"
It was almost funny, how proud Giichi could be, and yet when it came to Shaolin there was nothing he wasn't willing to do or say to make sure she would be alright… and he thought he could hide how much he cared for her.
With a sigh, Amekimi dropped to her knees besides her badly hurt handmaiden and began working on healing her right away. Then as she half-noticed the looks the two lovers directed at each other, she couldn't help at certain someone looked at her that way, even though she knew it was next to impossible that such a thing would ever come to be.
xXx
A week passed. Orihime wasn't really expecting anything to happen during that Wednesday's training session; seeing as nothing had happened on Saturday (she'd made sure to stay well out of it, just sitting by Aileen and chatting in low voices while the rest did their thing, not even rising to Zatara's jibes and barbs). She'd fought to make a point, that was all. She probably should have known that Aizen wouldn't allow it to end there, that he would take any possible opportunity to bind her as tightly as he could to him, and to the Arrancars. Coyote and Lilynette had just finished their spar when Gin arrived unexpectedly.
"Hello, hello!" He exclaimed in what Orihime was sure had to be the creepiest tone of voice she'd ever heard. "Ready, little lady?"
There was no way for anyone to misunderstand who he was addressing exactly, as he was staring straight at Orihime.
"Wha…?" The auburn haired girl was sure no voice actually left her throat, she was too shocked.
"Aizen-taichou said that since ya decided ta join our 'family' you might need a training partner, and I, being the kind man that ah am, offered ma'self!" Gin announced, too big smile so full of teeth it didn't look fully natural.
Orihime cocked her head to a side, because while every word and move from Gin seemed to have been carefully planned to show him as threatening as possible, the light in his half-closed eyes told a different story entirely. Orihime would probably never understand what pushed her into nodding and standing without a single complaint, but then again, she was used to following her instincts, so that's exactly what she did.
"Hand to hand, or something more?" Gin inquired.
For all answer Orihime raised a hand to one side of her head, mentally calling to Tsubaki, on the Nibankyuu level. There was a flash of orange light and a thrilled cackle of laughter Orihime was sure only she could hear before a small blade, size and shape similar to a kodachi or a tanto, took shape in her hand.
"Oh!" Gin sounded incredibly excited. "Very well, little miss, I suppose I shall use my own blade as well then."
Orihime decided in a split second that the time to hide was past. If she wanted not just to survive, but to have even the slightest hope to achieve her objective, then she would have to show them not just that she could fight, but that she was strong. So with that in mind, Orihime gave several steps back, before dropping into a stance, left leg with her knee bent in front of her, the right one extended behind her and pointing behind her, ready to either raise it in a kick or pivot on it as necessary; left arm curled in front of her in a defensive position, the right one extended to the side, kodachi held tightly and pointing outwards. It wasn't a most common stance, but then again, it wasn't like anyone would know… or so she thought.
For several seconds no one moved. Aside from some barbed comments from a couple of adjuchas who hadn't been around the day she defeated Zatara no one spoke, even the 9th Espada said nothing at all. Mostly she would guess there was a sense of curiosity. The Espada knew she could fight hand to hand, and they knew about her powers, they probably wondered if she had any skill with a blade as well.
In the end, things didn't go quite as Orihime had been expecting. While she hadn't practiced her kendo skills as much as her hand to hand, and she was expecting not to do well against someone like Ichimaru… it went better than she could have ever expected. He was holding back of course, and made no secret of it; and yet she couldn't help but wonder why he was holding back exactly. From the moment Gin had made his announcement Orihime had been bracing herself for a hell of a fight, for wounds that would be not just physical, but mental and psychological. Rukia, and all their friends in the Gotei 13 had shared as much as they could about all three traitor captains when it became evident that the Nakama would be facing them sooner or later. Wanting the humans to be prepared when the time came.
Orihime remembered all the warnings they had been given. About Aizen's charm, the way he could appear perfectly genial, almost like a gentleman of times gone by; but it was all just a facade. He didn't see people as people, just as pieces in a board-game, pieces he would use and discard at will. He cared for nothing except power, and for no one at all, one just had to see Lt. Hinamori to realize that. Tousen was extremely stubborn and self-righteous, the kind of man who believed that things must be 'his way or the highway' as an old friend of hers would say. He refused to believe he was wrong… and while no one was sure if he really couldn't see how insane Aizen was, or he just refused to back down from his own choices, it didn't change the fact that he'd thrown his lot in with Aizen, and that was that.
Ichimaru on the other hand… everyone had agreed he was more than a little creepy, extremely so in fact. One of the biggest geniuses to have gone through the Shino Academy in the last millennia (the other two being Shiba Kaien and Hitsugaya Toushirou). According to Shinji, who'd been both their captain about a century earlier or so, Gin had always followed Aizen around, almost like a puppy ('Or more like an attack dog… a rabid dog...' Hiyori had corrected darkly). In fact, no one but Matsumoto Rangiku had a single kind word to say about the man. She… it was obvious she loved Ichimaru, Orihime was sure no one could possibly miss that but… there was also something odd, in the way she spoke about him. Like she still had hope… for what exactly Orihime hadn't the slightest idea. Did she really think that Ichimaru would return to her one day? That he would leave Aizen's side and return to theirs and everything would be just fine? Wasn't it insane to believe something like that was possible? Then again, if that was the case, Rangiku wouldn't be the first to believe in impossible things, would she? It was the whole reason Orihime had made the choices she had thus far…
In any case, Ichimaru was holding back while sparring with her. While he'd fought, had even managed to cut her twice and bruise her a bit, there had been no barbs, no insults, not even half-veiled threats. He'd barely spoken at all! Aside from mentioning that he was, in fact, holding back, how strange her stances were, and how delighted 'Aizen-sama' would be that such a talented fighter had chosen to join them (always emphasizing that it was her choice… yet at the same time with a hint of something Orihime couldn't name, like the word didn't mean the same to him like it did to almost anyone else). As for the cuts themselves, the one in her arm had been long and it had bled considerably, though nothing she couldn't heal in seconds with little more than a thought. The one on her side though… he'd made a huge production of stabbing her, had even made Aileen half yell from her spot in the bleachers, and while Orihime had hurried to heal it fast as well, truth was that the blade had barely even touched her, mostly slipping between her tight top and the jacket she hadn't actually taken off this time. It had been fortunate and almost… convenient. It made the teen-aged human wonder…
"You're a bright star Inoue-chan!" Gin announced in the end. "A bright star indeed…"
Orihime's eyes narrowed, wondering if there might be anything behind Ichimaru's choice of words. He couldn't know about her past lives, she was quite confident about that, and yet he didn't seem like the kind of man not to choose his every word with care, so what might make him choose to call her a star of all things?
xXx
"Ame-kimi… Rain Empress… that is my name, that is who I am. I am the rain… I always thought it to be a beautiful thing, the rain was so beautiful, crystal-clear and almost magical, drops flying across the air, acting as a bridge between the Sky and the Earth… doing the impossible, and binding the two together. I wanted to be like the rain and be able to bind forces, bind hearts together. But if I am, indeed, the rain, going through the world, through life, binding other hearts, who is there for me?"
It had all finally come to a head, like they always knew it would. While all the spies they might once have had at court had long since died they still heard the news. Also, the recent wars weren't exactly a secret. While King Arashikensei had been a strong, capable man whom his enemies feared and his allies honored and respected; his sons had proven to be far from capable of either. Too hot-headed and with very little of a strategic mind; they spent many years waging war, thirsty for glory and conquest, all they had brought upon themselves and their people was death, famish, sickness… And then they died. The Court wouldn't accept the second wife's only son in power as it was an open secret that the boy wasn't Arashikensei's blood.
That last part was what caused the most recent chaos. With Arashikensei's blooded sons dead, and the remaining 'prince' wanting so much the throne yet not having any support for it, things had gotten even worse than before. There was no ruler to guide the armies, no banner for any of them to rally behind. Amekimi was almost sure she'd been forgotten entirely, been rendered little more than a fairy-tale. Even her father's old wives weren't looking for her anymore, probably deciding it was pointless.
And the war had finally reached them. The little palace on the mountains, where Amekimi had spent most of her life… she had been there so long some days she could hardly remember ever being anywhere else. She had managed to convince Utokui and Giichi to open the Estate to the townspeople so they might take refuge behind their stonewalls. They'd agreed, as long as the princess's rooms remained sealed. She and Shaolin only leaving them through secret passages and under disguises when Amekimi was needed to heal someone. But they wouldn't remain safe forever, not with the enemies marching upon their gates…
"Let them come!" Giichi snarled, recklessness in his voice. "We will kill them all!"
"We should run." Shaolin deadpanned. "What's the point of fighting a battle we already know we will lose? And don't be stupid Giichi, you know deep down this isn't a battle we can win. Not with just the four of us. We might have the better position, but we have no army. The people out there, they're no soldiers, they're civilians, frightened, hungry civilians who will be cannon fodder at best and liabilities at worst if we end up having to fight."
Amekimi cringed, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she heard that. No one could be as blunt as Shaolin, but they knew she was right. Giichi grind his teeth. He hated the thought of running away… but he loved Shaolin, no one doubted that, or that he would do anything for her.
"You should run." Utokui stated, voice as even and emotionless as ever. "Hidenka-sama, you and Shaolin-san should take off an hour before dawn, when it's darkest. We can expect the attack to come at first light, Giichi and I will ensure that you're not followed."
"What…? No!" Amekimi shook her head repeatedly. "Nonononono… I won't leave you!"
"I was given a duty, when Otou-sama left for the last time." Utokui stated, a hint of… something, in his words. "I was told to protect Hidenka-sama, from all that may wish her harm. To guard her to my last breath. That is what I will do."
"And what do you think will happen when you die, genius?!" Shaolin snapped. "Who do you think will protect her then?!"
She was all for running, but for all of them running. Not just Amekimi and her. Shaolin wasn't stupid, she knew that the princess loved Utokui. Though in that same note, the Chinese woman wasn't sure if the Samurai was indifferent to the young princess, or he was just afraid… she would bet on it being the second, except for how the man was just so good at apparently not feeling, anything, ever. It made her feel much better that she was in love with Giichi. As insane as the other man might be, Shaolin had never doubted his love for her.
"So… what are we going to do then?" Giichi broke the long silence eventually.
xXx
"High in the halls of the kings who are gone
Jenny would dance with her ghosts
The ones she had lost and the ones she had found
And the ones who had loved her the most"
"The ones who'd been gone for so very long
She couldn't remember their names
They spun her around on the old damp stone
Spun away all her sorrow and pain"
"She never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave"
Orihime spent the Sunday with Coyote, Lilynette and Aileen again… or at least what she assumed to be Sunday. It was hard to keep track of the time when there were no stars and no sun in Hueco Mundo, just a moon in the otherwise empty sky. Also, time didn't seem to have much meaning for most of the hollows, though Aizen and the other two traitorous shinigami seemed to be making an effort on keeping sense of the passing of time at least.
That day seemed to be special though. Lilynette had shown an interest at crossing blades with Orihime, wanting something different than the training she always got with Coyote. The big surprise came when Aileen unexpectedly began singing halfway through the spar. Orihime was taken so much by surprise she missed a parry, ending with a small gash on her shoulder. She healed it immediately, even as Lilynette went into a rant for not protecting herself better, the green-haired Espada couldn't have known how rattled the auburn-haired human was by the words Aileen was singing in a low, haunting voice. The images the lyrics of her song conjured for her…
"They danced through the day
And into the night through the snow that swept through the hall
From winter to summer to winter again
'Til the walls did crumble and fall"
"She never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
She never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
She never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave"
In the end Orihime left a bit earlier than usual, giving feeble excuses before taking off. Lilynette grumbled under her breath. She had been having fun! Why did Orihime have to leave when she was having fun? And yet, while she had no doubt that Aileen's song was somehow connected to it, she wouldn't begrudge the redhead for it, not when she hadn't really sung in such a long time, decades really. Coyote so loved to hear her sing, and of course, that meant that so did Lilynette…
"High in the halls of the kings who are gone
Jenny would dance with her ghosts
The ones she had lost and the ones she had found
And the ones who had loved her… the most"
The song came to an end, Aileen whispering the last words so quietly the Arrancar could barely hear her, even with their enhanced senses and yet… somehow that seemed to give a greater intensity to them, and to the song as a whole. There was so much feeling to it all…
"That was some song, bonita…" Coyote murmured quietly, eyes only half-open as he stared at her without moving from his position, carelessly laying on the floor in a corner of the room.
"You could say I was… inspired…" Aileen murmured.
Through it all she'd never moved from her position, sitting on the other side of the room from Coyote, right underneath the room's only window. That made Coyote react, at least enough for him to open both his eyes.
"Orihime… her soul is old, so very old, and the burdens it carries are so heavy…" Aileen murmured, infinite sadness in her every word.
"What do you see?" Lilynette asked in a whisper, as if a part of her believed that speaking any louder would break some sort of spell that ought not be broken.
"Rain… Fire… Tears… Blood… a Heart Lost…"
"Sounds like the little señorita's story didn't have a happy ending…" Coyote murmured quietly, almost sadly, as he laid his head back down.
He knew all too well, all about stories without happy endings.
"That's just the thing..." Aileen's response seemed to take all of them, herself included, totally by surprise: "The story's not over yet…"
xXx
That afternoon Nel was more restless than usual, which prompted Orihime to get on with the story earlier than usual too. They were fast approaching the end, she knew, and what an end!
"The attack came earlier than they were expecting, and in ways none of them could have conceived of…" Orihime said softly, running a hand down Nel's green hair even as she told the story. "The outlaws attacking… they had no interest in conquest, all they wanted was to destroy. So they started a fire with everyone inside. And just like that, what was supposed to be a refuge, what had been a home for over a decade… became a blazing inferno, a tomb…"
"They died…?" Nel sniffed.
"No…" Orihime murmured quietly. "It was a close thing though. They had to split when a piece of burning timber blocked their way out before they could all get through. They agreed to meet by the sakura tree on the one hill that overlooked the castle. So Amekimi headed there. She was so afraid, for her people, but especially for her friends. And then eventually Giichi and Shaolin arrived, he'd gone to find his lover first, fought many of the outlaws to get to her, and to get the both of them out. The three spent the early hours before dawn by that tree, even when it began raining they wouldn't move, as they kept waiting for Utokui, refusing to leave without him. Giichi was even all for going back to get him, but Shaolin would not let him, too terrified of losing him if he returned to the horrible inferno that had become their once home. Amekimi, she only stood there, in the rain, praying." She closed her eyes, focused on something only she could see. "The sun was rising, its light being noticed even through the clouds and the rain, when he finally emerged. His clothes were dark with soot and a bit singed, and his once long hair was quite short, showing that things must have been quite dangerous, but he was there. They were all there. Amekimi threw herself at him the moment he was close enough and Utokui just held her. It was over, it was done, they were free…"
Nel giggled quietly, already more asleep than awake. Orihime just watched her, the smile on her face warring with the infinite sadness in her shadowed violet-gray eyes.
"Hey little princess." A voice called abruptly.
Orihime spun around, her hands instinctively going for her pins. Grimmjow didn't miss the way the protective shield materialized behind her instead of in front, while the blade she used to spar against Ichimaru was in her hand almost at the same time. It seemed like the little princess was becoming more and more a warrior every day… Grimmjow wasn't sure if he liked that or not… he wasn't even sure why he should have an opinion about it at all!
"Come on, time to go." Grimmjow ordered, even as he turned to leave the room.
"Go…?" Orihime asked, confused, even as she dismissed her Shun Shun Rikka and began following the blue-haired Arrancar. "Go where?"
"Outside." Grimmjow answered. "You've been authorized to spend an hour outside Las Noches every evening from today on."
"Oh…" Orihime had no idea what to say to that. "Why?"
"Is that not what you wanted?" He half-demanded as he turned to look at her over his shoulder.
"Well yes, but I don't understand…" She began, trailing off when she failed to find the right words to finish what she had in mind.
"Ulquiorra talked to Aizen about it." Grimmjow answered the unasked question.
Orihime actually stopped walking completely at that. Just a couple of steps away from the little door-of-sorts Grimmjow seemed to have opened, though she had no idea how, or how he even knew it was there, as to her the wall had looked perfectly plain. Still, her shock was great enough she wasn't even paying that much attention to that detail.
"Let me guess, you fought with the emo-bastard again." The blue-haired arrancar wasn't even surprised by that.
"He just… he drives me crazy!" Orihime blurted out.
"Doesn't he everyone?" Grimmjow deadpanned. "Come on, time's a'wasting princess!"
Orihime nodded as she stepped outside of the huge fortress. She could feel the difference the moment she set foot on the white sands, could feel the reishi-rich environment. While in the days since her fight with Zatara she'd recovered well enough that no one would be able to tell any different, Orihime knew she was at her 100%… or she hadn't been. Just a few minutes outside of the fortress and she could feel her reiatsu levels rising faster than before. Not full, not yet, but if what Grimmjow had said about her being allowed to take a stroll out every evening was true… She said nothing for a while, just walking around, enjoying her small degree of freedom. She knew better than to try anything of course, and it wasn't the right time yet… As she turned to look upwards she could see the dark sky, empty but for the moon high above. She couldn't help but think she must be lonely…
"What was the fight about this time?" The arrancar asked her after about half an hour or so. "The fight with emospada, what was it about?"
Orihime just couldn't help the tiny giggle at Grimmjow's newest nickname for Ulquiorra, but then she took a deep breath and focused on finding the best way to answer him:
"I just… no matter how hard I try I just cannot understand why he would follow Aizen." She finally admitted in a low, heartfelt voice. "All that loyalty and devotion to someone who really doesn't deserve it…"
"Did you ask him?" He asked her. "What did he say?"
"That he was meant to serve. But even then! There are other options…"
"Like what?" Grimmjow shook his head, not actually giving her a time to respond before going on with his speech. "The thing you do not seem to realize, little princess. Is that we, all of us, owe everything we are, to Aizen."
"What…?"
"It's not easy, being a hollow. It's a constant battle for your own existence. It's kill or be killed. All day, every day. Not many can do it for long, and when their strength and conviction fails them, they're devoured. Being a Menos isn't much better. See, the higher you get in the chain, the worse the hunger gets. Adjuchas is the hardest rank of all, because you're always on the edge of reverting, of losing what little control and rationale you've gained. The hunger seemingly never abating."
"What does Aizen have to do with any of that?"
"It was Aizen who made us what we are now. With that jewel of his. He gave us this power, made us Arrancar. In this form we have better rationale, our minds control our instincts, and our hunger isn't quite so unending. We are not fighting all the time not to lose ourselves. We can do more than just fight and eat. I may not like Aizen, may not like following him, but I will, for now, because I owe him this existence. It's the same for all of us."
Orihime was so very quiet, like never before. What Grimmjow had just said… she'd never think of things like that. That there might be a reason, beyond power or Aizen's 'charm'. She'd thought it to be simple but it wasn't, not at all. It made her despair, she wanted so much to change things, but just had no idea how…
"So, how does the story really end?" Grimmjow's question took the girl completely by surprise.
"Huh?" Orihime blinked, not quite following.
"The story you were telling Nel." Grimmjow clarified. "I know you were lying when you told her that ending. So tell me, how does it really end?"
"Who says I was lying?"
"I know." There was a guarded look in his eyes, like he didn't want to explain his motives for some unknown reason.
For the longest time none of them said a thing, just stood there, on the white sands, with the dark sky and the lonely moon above them. Until it was eventually Orihime who broke the silence:
"They all died." Orihime answered after what seemed like forever. "The passage they tried to take to get out was on fire, and a piece of timber fell, forcing them to split. The girls managed to follow that passage to the end, but once outside… there were too many outlaws. So Shaolin told Amekimi to hide while she distracted them and then go to their meeting point. She was supposed to join her… but she never did. When Giichi got there Amekimi told him what had happened and he went to find his lover. Neither of them made it back. Time passed and there was no sign of Utokui, so Amekimi eventually broke, she returned to the palace. She knew it was insane, knew she was going to die, but she was probably going to die anyway! She made it back inside the palace, everything was on fire, the smoke so thick it was almost impossible to breathe… there were people screaming all around, crying, dying… and then she heard him calling to her…"
"Hime!"
There was fire, so much fire and smoke making her eyes water and her throat and lungs hurt. Amekimi knew, from the moment she stepped into the ruins of her once home that she wouldn't be making it back out alive but she just didn't care. What was she supposed to live for anyway? She was alone! All alone! Even when she'd lost her Father, and the life she'd known, even when she'd lost Kyoshi, she'd always had Utokui, and later on Giichi and Shaolin. But the latter two were gone, dead, she knew it with the same certainty that she knew her own death was inevitable. But she just couldn't go, not without Utokui, he was all she had left…
"HIME!"
She kept following his voice, but it was hard, the fire and smoke made it even impossible for her to see, and the debris and chaos made it so she wasn't sure where she was even going most of the time. Halls and rooms were mostly destroyed, dead bodies all around, and no matter where the young princess turned, she couldn't keep from seeing them. Her people, dead everywhere… Were they even her people? She hadn't been much of a princess, even a princess in exile, for a long while? Should she even consider herself a princess at all anymore?
When she stopped hearing his voice call for her, the tears finally brimmed over and began falling like rain down her face. She kept crying as she stumbled through ruined halls, still searching for him, when she found his bloodied form, one of many bodies abandoned in the blazing remains. She never stopped crying, not even when death finally claimed her…
"He died, and so did she." Orihime finished simply, doing her best to hold back the rears already clogging her throat and gathering in the corners of her eyes.
"And then?" Grimmjow prodded. "What?"
"What do you mean then what?" Orihime demanded, voice wobbly.
"Come on princess, you and I both know death isn't the end."
"Sometimes it is."
"It is not. Tell me what happened!"
"Why do you want to know so badly?!"
"Because I want to understand! I need to understand! To know why I keep seeing these things!"
"Things…" Orihime's eyes went wide in shock.
"Emospada, except he's not quite as apathetic as he's now. In robes and with a sword… and he's ordering me around! And I follow! There's this gorgeous girl with long midnight hair in a yellow kimono, and the way she'd look at me…" His eyes went distant for a moment, before he focused completely on Orihime again. "And you! I remember you hime-chan, in an elaborate pale pink kimono, your hair long and dark like the night, and your eyes, so much like yours now…"
"Giichi…" Orihime blurted out in a mix of excitement and horror.
"So tell me! Tell me what happened!"
"You left me!" Orihime shrieked, her voice sharp like a blade, breaking the stillness of the night. "You went and fought a losing battle and then you died and you never came to find me! I waited there, for years, I hid and waited, but you never came! You left me all alone!"
The reincarnated princess's voice finally broke as she burst into tears, dropping to her knees in the sand, her body folding upon itself, the grief taking her over.
Grimmjow just stared at her for what seemed like forever, unsure whether he should approach her or just let her cry. And then they were interrupted, by none other than Ulquiorra, who looked at each of them in turn, a mask of apathy on his face.
"Onna…" He said finally. "Come. Aizen-sama wishes to see you."
Orihime raised her head silently to look at him, infinite sadness in her starlight eyes. Grimmjow looked at her, wondering if he should do or say something, which she noticed. But in the end all she did was shake her head slightly at him, then she rose to her feet, blinked away her tears like she had so many times before, dried her cheeks with the back of her sleeves and quietly followed Ulquiorra back into the white fortress.
Grimmjow just stood there, in the sands, face to the empty sky, wondering what the hell he was going to do now. One thing was for sure though, he knew who he owed his loyalty to, and it wasn't Aizen…
So... crazy much? I'm always asking that... I totally loved this chapter, hope you did too. Did any of you see this twist coming? Can you imagine what else is coming? I would really like to hear from you on this.
The song! The song is Karliene's cover of "Jenny of Oldstones", originally sung by Florence + the Machine. I totally love that song, have since I heard the a'capella version sung in the tv show. And it fits so well with some of the backstories taking place right now... You've seen some of it now, and will see more later. And that's what I imagine Aileen's voice sounding like.
And that's that for now. See ya next week!