-Eden, Garden of-
Orihime ate her tuna and peanut butter sandwich with mechanical disinterest. It was a Tuesday again. She had really hoped that the meeting with Ichigo a few nights ago would have made her world feel right again. If anything, it had the opposite effect. She felt off-kilter, like her whole word was listing heavily to one side.
Her sleep had been troubled, the images playing behind her closed eyes sent a cold dread through her veins. The nightmare was a familiar one: The roof of Las Noches under the moon of Hueco Mundo, black wings and emotionless emerald eyes looking at her— into her— peeling back her skin, looking to drink the humanity from her blood. Wanting to scream except her lungs were gone gone gone— ripped out along with her heart. And Ichigo had a hole punched straight through him like that and— oh gosh... is this what it felt like?
She shuddered and choked down another bite.
She was going to be sick.
Her half-eaten sandwich was packed away quickly. Sitting back, she forced her attention away from her wayward thoughts, taking note of the small collection of people finishing their meals and returning to their seats for the start of afternoon lessons. Orihime had opted to stay in the classroom. Being on the roof seemed like a capital-b Bad idea with how unsteady on her feet she felt.
Michiru said something to her on the way back to her desk. Orihime didn't really hear it but sent a smile as a response. Keigo was energetically telling some story. Mizurio was very blatantly ignoring him, tapping away on his phone. Behind them, Kuramoto was—
Huh?
Not here?
She blinked. Maybe he would suddenly appear if she focused past her own swimming vision.
Still no Kuramoto.
He wasn't the kind of person to miss school.
A sudden panic settled in her mind. She had been poking at the tangled web of reality, undoing little pieces of it. Ichigo had even confirmed that she had been doing so. What if she had begun to unravel this world more than she had planned? What if her meddling had undone the work Ichigo had done? What if... what if she had somehow removed Kuramoto Haruki?
Her stomach rolled again as another thought hit her: Sora. Was Sora gone as well? Did she just lose her brother without saying goodbye for the second time? Her chair clattered to the floor as she stood and ran out the door, uncaring of the various shouts of "Are you okay?" trailing behind her unanswered.
No, she was not okay.
What if? What if? What if? Echoed in her head with each heartbeat.
She finally stopped at the bathroom, leaning against the cool mirror and fighting to hold back tears.
Deep breaths.
You're jumping to conclusions.
Shaking hands nearly dropped her phone as she pulled it out of her pocket and fumbled with the lock screen. Her fingers punched in Sora's number on autopilot, bringing the device up to her ear. She waited. One second. Two. Dreading the idea of a robotic voice that would say "We're sorry, the number you're calling doesn't exist. We're sorry, the number you're calling doesn't—"
"Hello? Orihime?"
That familiar voice.
Relief.
"You okay, Orihime? Don't you have school today?"
"Ah, Y-yeah, Sora. I'm... I'm fine, I just... I really missed you, that's all." Orihime did her best to inject as much cheer into her words as she could muster. It probably wasn't enough, but she hoped Sora wouldn't prod too much.
"Oh! Is that all?" Not prying. Good.
"...Yeah."
Their discussion was short because Orihime was, as Sora had said, "a smart cookie who could probably ace all her exams with her eyes closed" but "should get back to class anyway." She stared at the phone in her hands for a long while. Leaving that space meant leaving the moment. Orihime wasn't quite ready to do that.
The bathroom door swung open. "Orihime? You in here?" Tatsuki's voice called softly.
"Yeah."
Tatsuki stepped the rest of the way in. "Ah! Are you okay?"
Orihime plastered a smile on her face. "Of course I am! I just... Kumamoto-kun w-wasn't here and I got scared that... that everyone was gone." It felt silly to say it aloud.
"Oh. Keigo said he was out helping his aunt move to a new apartment today." Tatsuki supplied
Was that all? She felt doubly silly for getting upset over it now. A tissue was pushed into her hand. Huh? Oh. She was crying.
"Orihime..." Tatsuki leveled her friend with a concerned look. "You... you don't have to be okay. You know that, right?"
She blinked. What would she be if she wasn't okay?
Tatsuki knew her well enough to trace her thought process. "What I mean is, a lot has happened. I'm still trying to figure out what all happened that night. So just... take it easy alright? Please? For me?"
Orihime nodded.
"Good." Tatsuki said, flashing a smile. "You can start by going home and taking a nap."
"Huh? But there's still classes left and I'm a smart cookie. It's not time to go home yet!"
"For you it is." Tatsuki placed her hands firmly on Orihime's shoulders. "I already told sensei that you weren't feeling well. Go home." Persisting through sheer stubborn will, she used her holds on Orihime to push her out into the halls.
Maybe Tatsuki was right. Maybe some sleep would be good.
-0-
It was cold.
Cold and dead here.
Orihime wasn't exactly sure where 'here' was, but it seemed to be some large, spacious room. The stone walls rose into a dim oblivion overhead. A surprising amount of candles lined the floor's perimeter, but their combined glow couldn't reach through the smothering darkness.
A deep unease settled on her thin shoulders and she resisted the urge to curl in on herself.
Another dream.
Another nightmare.
Movement in the center of the room. Her focus snapped to a stone table— was that there before?— and surrounded by five figures clothed in black and white. A sixth figure was laid out in front of them. Thick ropes and chains coiled around the person on the table. One of the figures shifted and Orihime caught a glimpse of orange. Ichigo.
One person produced a sword from somewhere and angled it towards Ichigo's chest. A second joined close by. Then another. Another. Another— Five sword points in a strategic ring around his heart— was it even still beating? She couldn't tell. The blade tips were hooked and barbed in a way that was made to stick in and not come out. Incomprehensible runes blazed to life on the walls, the floor, everywhere. The five drove the swords down in unison.
Ichigo started screaming.
The strength fled from Orihime as she crumpled to her knees in horror. One hand cupped over her mouth as she couldn't tear her eyes away. Helpless. Just like with Ulquiorra. Her own chest ached.
'It wasn't supposed to be like this'
Orihime gasped as, even through the screaming, she could hear Ichigo saying something. Thinking something?
'After everything I've done... why?'
She was wondering the same thing. Ichigo had done so much for Soul Society. He had never betrayed them, never let them down, asked for nothing in return.
So why?
'Why are they doing this to me!?'
There was a horrific snapping, tearing sensation as the pressure finally gave—
Something sharp flaring beneath her own sternum—
An explosion of undiluted, untamed energy—
Make it stop! Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!
She wasn't sure if it was her or Ichigo screaming anymore.
Her vision flashed white, then black.
Orihime stayed like that for a while, simply drifting in semi-consciousness. How can you be unconscious in a dream? She wondered. A warmth spread over her slowly, like a summer sunbeam in the otherwise cold, tar-like waters. Without thought, she followed it, gripping that golden thread like a lifeline; dragging herself forward. Each step shot ice through her veins, more visions appearing in front of her.
Step.
Trapped in a cage of light while the voices of hundreds of shinigami begged to be saved.
Step.
Lying on her back in the rain with something cold and heavy pressing down on her.
Step.
Aizen, looking like a monster with claws and teeth and way too many mouths.
Step.
Ulquiorra.
Always Ulquiorra.
Step.
Breaking the surface was like breathing for the first time. She was fuzzy. Warm. Comfortable. Like she had just been sleeping for ten years and could very easily close her eyes and doze for a dezon more. It was nice to be free of that horrific nightmare. Instead secure and surrounded by the soft caress of a light breeze—
Wait.
She was sure she had closed all her windows last night.
She opened her eyes to a hazy and unfamiliar place. Blinked twice. Huh. This wasn't her room.
Still dreaming.
She sat up, noting the unfamiliar white yukata she was clothed in.
Warm light filtered down through a crystalline ceiling of a glass and metal gazebo, scattering rainbows and refractions everywhere in the open-air room. The area outside was awash in brilliant sunshine; too bright to make out any details, but somehow not glaring enough to hurt her eyes. Gold dragonflies fluttered in from the ethereal clouds beyond the room, silently slipping into view for a second before disappearing back into the overwhelming light. Orihime had the distinct impression that there was a lush garden of sunflowers beyond the veiled windows, but had no idea how she could have known that.
Overall, It felt like a half-remembered memory of her early childhood; some impossibly beautiful summer morning that never actually existed except in her own mind. Despite the jarring confusion of "waking up" in such a bizarre place, Orihime couldn't find it in herself to be concerned. The very air whispered, 'You are safe here. There is no need to be afraid.' So she wasn't.
Just as she was about to sink back into sleep, something shifted just outside. A shadow passed the entryway and Orihime was suddenly on alert. It... felt like Ichigo standing just outside; that gently humming protective power that she had grown so used to associating with him, but it still ran a chill up her spine. Though it felt similar, it wasn't Ichigo. She didn't know who it was.
Either way, there wasn't supposed to be anyone else here.
The person stopped, just on the other side of the thin gauzy curtains framing the doorway, a dark shape cut against the overexposed background.
"You are awake." a soft masculine voice said.
Was she? This all still had to be a dream.
"I apologize for my intrusion." he said.
"It's..." It's okay? Is it? Her heart pounded uncomfortably in her chest. A soft wind blew the curtains and she got a better view. It was a young man— maybe a year or two older than herself— with shoulder-length dark hair and a pale face. His expression was carefully neutral, but sharp emotions swam in his cold blue eyes. A ragged, black coat was draped around his shoulders. He was unarmed. That seemed important somehow. "Who are you?" What are you doing here?
The newcomer frowned slightly, "I am—" Static.
"Eh? Sorry?"
He sighed, "As I suspected, you cannot understand. I expected as much. Do not worry, I mean you no harm." He shifted his weight, shadows moving impossibly in his coat; like looking through a window back into that dark, drowned place. "I am sorry for the discomfort caused by my arrival."
Orihime flinched, the memory of Ichigo screaming and pain— so much pain— all too fresh. Her hand absently moved to rub just beneath her collarbone. "You...? Um... Kurosaki-kun wanted me to... look after something... Are you..?"
"Yes." The young man nodded, a flicker of that familiar reiatsu slipping free. "I am sorry you had to see that. He was... unaware... that entrusting me to you would drag his memories along. I will try to prevent that from happening again."
Memories.
Not dreams.
Memories.
She felt sick all over again.
It wasn't fair!
"You must understand this is an unprecedented occurrence." The boy continued, "I am not too pleased at being separated from him, but there was no other choice. For the time being, I will reside here. I must ask that you do not speak of my presence outside."
"Oh. Okay." Outside? She looked around again, the landscape and light soothing her. Apparently this was't outside.
A shadow passed over the stranger's face and Orihime shivered at the sudden feeling of being watched. Her eyes were drawn to a spot off to her left, a clump of tall and innocent sunflowers. Nothing there. Nothing she could see at least.
The stranger glanced at the same innocuous bunch of flora that had drawn her attention. "You should be waking up soon." he stated.
The cold feeling had passed and sure enough, Orihime felt the calming tug of sleep again. Odd.
"I want to ask one more thing of you, if I may." He met her eyes, the raw emotion in those blue eyes taking her aback. "Please. Save him."
The darkness that swallowed her was welcome for once.
-0-
Wednesday morning, Orihime marched to school with determination. She felt... better. More stable despite all the confusion she was still feeling. The world was still full of unknowns. Her reality was hanging in a tentative balance. But she no longer felt like everything was about to topple off to the side.
Save him. The strange boy's words stuck with her, along with Ichigo's own words, I trust you.
It was as plain of a cry for help as he could send.
It didn't matter that Ichigo had said there was nothing to be done for him. Didn't matter that Orihime had no clue how she would even begin to form a plan. Her mind was made up: she was going to save Ichigo.
She wouldn't be able to do it alone, though. She sent out a quick text to the usual group: 'meet in the front courtyard after school.'
The day rushed past, Orihime barely paid attention to what the teachers were saying. When the final bell rang, she was happy to see that everyone was already at the designated spot. Even Rukia was there, chatting with Tatsuki. Ishida seemed to be listening with half-hearted attention. Sado stood as his usual stoic self. All of them turned to look at Orihime as she approached. Okay! Time to put on her game face! "Hey everyone! Thanks for agreeing to meet."
"No problem, Orihime," Tatsuki smile, "You wanted to do something about Ichigo, right?"
Orihime nodded. "Yes. I know it seems impossible, but Kurosaki-kun gave me—" She cut herself off, remembering that she was supposed to keep that a secret. "Gave me a message that he wanted to be rescued."
"Ah, Inoue..." Ishida began.
She cut him off. "I know he made it seem like he was all happy and okay, but I'm certain he was just doing that so we wouldn't all be sad. He saved all of us so many times. I can't sit idly by if he's in danger, you know?"
Rukia nodded "Yes, Orihime we—"
"I... I don't even know the first thing about going to rescue someone but I have to do this. None of you can stop me! I—"
Sado rested a hand on her shoulder.
Oops, guess she had started to ramble again.
"We're not going to stop you." Sado said.
"Yeah, we're all doing this together, you dummy!" Tatsuki lightly punched her shoulder.
"Really!?" Orihime couldn't stop her slightly teary-eyed smile. "Even you, Tatsuki-chan?"
Tatsuki laughed, holding up a fist. "Hell yeah! You think I wouldn't want to go beat up some old dead guys? I've been left out of this supernatural stuff for way too long. You all owe me this." No one dared argue with that.
Rukia cleared her throat demurely, "We were all talking about heading over to Urahara's when you arrived. We're gonna need his help to do this."
"His help and a lot more information." Ishida added.
Orihime honestly felt like she could cry. Her friends had her back! "Alright. What are we waiting for! Let's go!"
The group left the courtyard, a lively energy sizzling like electricity in the air. Just a day ago, Orihime had been drowning in despair and loss. Now, hope glimmered on the horizon.
All they had to do was break into the Royal Realm and find a replacement god.
Simple.