Story Title: This Twisted Fate
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Bleach.
Warnings: None.
A/N: Hi! Hope you all have been doing well - missed you all dearly! Short update, but hope you can forgive me for being MIA for two years! This chapter was really difficult for me to get out, for a variety of reasons, but mainly I've had a huge writer's block for this story, but I finally settled on which avenue I wanted to take the plot. I would suggest rereading the story from Chapter 1 to get a refresh of the events that have taken place thus far. By all means, this isn't my favorite chapter, but I believe the developments are essential for the events that will take place later. But without further ado.
Enjoy!
Chapter 5: Halcyon Days
Orihime couldn't stand it anymore.
As soon as the bells of the Academy went off, signaling the end of another school day, she booked it straight home. It was as if her feet were moving on auto pilot, blitzing through the halls to get to the exit, not letting even the slightest of distractions divert her attention.
If it were any ordinary day, she'd be casually heading to the backside of campus, where her friends would often meet for their daily after school activities.
Either that, or head over to the main library for some extra study sessions.
But today was no ordinary day, so Orihime concluded that there was definitely going to be no time for socializing with her vampire friends who were itching to know more about her connections with their 'guest lecturers' from earlier that afternoon.
For such a simple, easy-going individual, her current impulses to escape from this very place went against every fibre of her being.
After all, temper was an emotion that Orihime learned to tame long ago.
But today it seemed to have went loose from its chain because all she could see now was red.
Per the ordinary, her chauffeur was right where she messaged him to be, ready to escort her to the Urarhara and Yoruichi Estate on the other side of town. It didn't take long for her to get home, but the lack of patience she had made the ride home feel like eternity.
The large mansion, decorated with lush gardens and marbled fountains came into view, but the place she associated as her 'home' has now turned into her battlefield and not a second was wasted, as she stepped through the entrance, ready to commence war.
Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi Shihoin had barely emerged from the corridors when rage slipped through the fractures of Orihime's self-composure.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Her voice echoed off the high ceilings with a slight edge to her tone that hinted distress.
"This has to be some sick joke, right?" she asked menacingly. "I mean the entire Academy is going absolutely insane about this 'four-year internship' that I apparently signed up for. Care to explain?" She could not mask her disbelief at the statement as she paced between the spaces of the main entrance and the living room sofa, where the three of them had eventually congregated.
"Orihime, would you please calm down for a second."
Urahara-san spoke gently, a feeble attempt to relax the enraged human-girl.
Calm?
Orihime ran a hand roughly through her hair in clear frustration and let out a loud, sarcastic scoff. As much as she didn't want to be rude about the whole situation, her attempt was rendering useless as it was clear as day from her voice that she was in no mood for casual conversation.
"We're sorry we didn't inform you of the details earlier, but-"
Orihime decided she waited long enough.
"I want an explanation."
She interjected coldly.
"Now."
A few seconds passed by, and she could hear a heavy sigh come from Urahara who gave Yoruichi a concerned glance before nodding to continue. Yoruichi's eyes turned to Orihime's, face dropping slowly at her next words.
"I'm afraid that you're no longer safe here, Orihime, and you must leave as soon as possible" she started.
Orihime remained silent at this.
Something in the way Yoruichi phrased that sentence made it so that she wasn't able to push back until she finished what what she had to say for herself first.
From what Orihime could tell, Yoruichi was nervous. Her golden eyes wavered, as she surveyed her. She noticed how she uncrossed her arms and rubbed her forearms anxiously. Watched as she mulled over something, then after a few seconds of deliberation, she finally continued.
"Sousuke Aizen has taken notice of you, Orihime." Voice thick with concern, "You must leave before he finds out about you."
Orihime straightened, eyes narrowing in question.
"What do you mean 'he's' taken notice of me."
Urahara ordered the two of them to sit on the living room sofa. From the looks of it, this didn't seem like it was going to be a quick conversation.
"Society has been keeping a close eye on you, Orihime." Urahara spoke, serious as he could be, "Ever since you enrolled in the Academy and started to mingle with your peers, especially with Kurosaki Ichigo of all vampires, many corporations have started to reach out to the Academy for future prospects to their company, and of course you've made it to the top of their lists."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Urahara took off his green and white striped bucket hat and ran his fingers through his tousled blonde hair. Clearly the news was going to be tough to break, and there was simply going to be no easy way around it.
"You've already garnered a lot of attention, Orihime. And we can't risk having you involved with the upper members any more than you have, at least not until we know what your blood does. It's far too dangerous, and we need more time."
Orihime bit her lips nervously. As far as words went, she recognized the circumstances.
Yet her less rational, impulsive side still had a bone to pick.
"I don't understand." she dissented, "Why is this a problem? I'll be careful to avoid Aizen and the other members from now on. You won't have to worry about-"
"Orihime, please." Yoruichi interrupted, deep concern setting into the lines of her face, "There is something you should know."
A few moments passed by before she spoke again.
Slowly and carefully, choosing her words wisely, considering how her next sentences should be phrased.
"You see, every human imprisioned at Las Noches is identified by a serial number, and it's branded on their left collarbone."
With every word that came from her adoptive mother's mouth, Orihime eyes lit in horror.
And then she reflexively froze.
Her face contoured in shock at the information.
And her reaction was instant.
"But I-"
"Orihime,"
Yoruichi replied, sharp and clear as a blade.
"You didn't have a number."
The human girl's eyes flickered in puzzlement.
Instinctively, she rose her right hand and ghosted her fingers across her left collarbone, knowing very well that there was nothing there.
"You were known as Test Subject X." Urahara finally confessed. "Neither Yoruichi nor I have details as to why you were called this, but something tells us that it could potentially have some connection with the Vasto Lorde."
"Vasto Lorde?"
The reply also came involuntarily.
And Orihime's eyes went wide at the name.
Orihime had heard of the Vasto Lorde many times during her childhood, but she had always thought this was just a made-up fantasy, purely for entertainment like The Grudge or Bloody Mary.
Story goes, once a century, a Vasto Lorde is reborn amongst the purebloods. Something like a deity, the Vasto Lorde was prophesized to be stronger than any vampire, faster than any creature with indomitable speed. With godlike senses, the Vasto Lorde was known to operate on instinct alone and could kill in the blink of an eye. With the ability to massacre an entire nation, he was said to be the weapon that every man wanted, but could never control. Only a particular type of blood could unlock its true potential, which is why there has never been one identified to date.
"But I thought that was just a rumor. A tall tell to scare little children from going outside alone at night." Orihime responded, having a difficult time processing the information at hand. "It's not possible that I have any ties with a fictional monster like that."
You could see Orihime visibly shudder, and Yoruichi had to pull the auburn-haired girl close to calm her.
"We can't confirm our theory, but we can't afford to take our chances either." She replied as she ran her hand through Orihime's soft orange hair in slow, gentle motions, taking a moment to realize how fast this young girl had grown up. She took the time to also appreciate how such a delicate soul had blossomed into a beautiful, mature lady.
"But sending me abroad for four years?" Orihime finally questioned.
Yoruichi sighed, heartbroken to have shattered the news to her adoptive daughter in such a cruel way.
"We had no other choice. It would give us enough time for Aizen and his men to halt their speculations. By the time you return you will be forgotten and the hope is that everything will return to normal again."
Forgotten.
Orihime repeated the word in her head.
The thought bounced off the walls of her mind like an echo chamber.
She would be forgotten by her friends.
Her life at the Academy will be nothing but a mirage.
And by the time she comes back, everyone will have moved on.
She would be forgotten.
"This…" She spoke, more to herself in disbelief. "This can't be the only way! There has to be something I could do to-"
"We understand your desire to try something, Orihime." Urahara paused, "Believe us, we wanted to do something as well, but now is not the time for that." Apparent that he was also disheartened by her daughter's defeated expression, he took a sharp breathe. "You're not ready, and it's far too dangerous."
"But!"
"Orihime, please. You mustn't." He ordered, "Your blood is far too special, and we do not know what kind of power it holds yet." He paused for a moment, eyes closed, fear slowly creeping in. "Power gives people the ability to govern. Put it in the wrong hands and there's no telling what could happen. I simply cannot risk that. I cannot risk losing you."
Orihime stayed silent, and it was finally in that moment, she understood why they were doing all of this.
It would only be selfish of her to be anything but understanding.
"I would stop at absolutely nothing if you ever landed in that man's hands." Yoruichi spoke up, distaste shrouded in the thought of that wicked man. There was more to be said in that sentence, but they were emotions that words could never do justice to.
And then it broke her.
She's was a human girl living in a vampire society.
Where thousands of her people have been enslaved for their blood.
She's merely an imposter that had the privilege of living this fucked-up, fantastical façade.
And Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi Soifon didn't just save her.
No, they gave her everything.
They put their very lives on the line to give her a chance at a life that was never meant for her.
And for that, she can never get mad or be angry or be upset at them.
Not when the only thing they've done was protect her from the very forces that wanted her dead.
"You know, my dear, the biggest risk Yoruichi and myself have taken in life, was not only getting you out of that godforsaken place." Urahara said, as he was making his way over to the other side of the couch to take the empty seat next to Orihime, "But it was letting you start your first day of school."
She turned to give her adoptive father a quizzical look, but also her undivided attention, as she saw him reminisce fondly at a distant memory.
"You have no idea how worried sick Yoruichi over here was. I mean granted, in general, it was the first time we were ever letting you out of our sight and into the real world - where who knows what was ever going to happen." He chuckled softly, trying to take the edge off of the conversation, and then he turned back to give Orihime a small smile, "But it was a risk we were willing to take because we wanted to see you thrive."
From this, Orihime couldn't help but go speechless and stare wide-eyed in awe.
"You were always a bright, eager, and curious one. Even if it was just you all by yourself at home, you've always seemed to stay optimistic and restless for more." He shifted his eyes to Yoruichi, who understood exactly, "But God knows how much you were desperate for the opportunity to go out there and make friends and live a normal, teenage life. And even though it would cost us everything, we couldn't stand seeing you waste away, locked up in this large, empty mansion all by yourself, when we knew you had the potential to change the world."
That last sentence was all it took.
That was all that needed to be said for Inoue Orihime to break into a million different pieces, as tears started to stream down her pale face because she couldn't handle it anymore.
What have I done?
What have I done to deserve them in my life?
"Orihime, dear, believe it or not, there is a lot that we can learn from humans." You could hear the proud smile in Yoruichi's voice and then she waited a few moments before continuing, "At first, I thought vampires were an elite class of species and mere humans such as yourself couldn't come close to our grace and intellect." A cool hand rested on the side of the healer's face, "But I realized from you that humans are much different from us vampires. Humans are vulnerable, compassionate, and empathic. They are understanding to others and are able to use their emotions to reason. These are somethings vampires are hardly capable of."
Slowly she pulled her hand away, looking deeply and sincerely into her the auburn-haired girl's ashen eyes, making sure that her next words got across to her loud and clear.
"This society lacks empathy, Orihime. It lacks the care and consideration needed for individuals to have a chance at learning and growth. But you've shown us how much someone and somethings can change when you lead with passion. You've shown us the beauty in care, honor, and integrity. Time and time again, you have proven to us that humans are capable of so much more than vampires are if given the opportunity to."
"I- I don't... I don't understand what you're trying to say." Orihime responded quietly, tears covering her glistened eyes. The feelings started to overcome her, barely able to register any of the information.
"You've changed so much, dear. Take a good look at those around you, and you'll soon realize that your presence at the Academy has changed a lot of your peers, and I promise you, for the better."
And then in finality, they reminded her.
"No matter what, please don't ever forget that."
After a long and heavy conversation, the human girl finally made her way upstairs to her bedroom, head empty, eyes dazed, ready to retire for the evening.
After all, she was heavily torn by the feeling of gratitude to have been here in the first place.
But also the sorrow of having to part ways with the life she once knew.
And there was nobody else in the world who would understand where she's coming from.
Because nobody knew she was supposed to exist in the first place.
And amidst all this thought, she felt her phone vibrate in her hands, as she forced herself to wipe away the lingering tears to read the name that appeared on the screen.
But as soon as she saw the caller ID light up on her handheld device, her heart sunk even more at the thought of a certain someone, and left the call unanswered.
It was then she realized her Senior year at Karakura Academy would soon be over, and that there wasn't nearly enough time left to experience everything she had wanted in this lifetime, with the ones who made her feel lucky to be alive.
.
.
.
So goodbye,
Halcyon Days.
A/N: I absolutely LOVE AU fanfics that allude to canon Bleach themes. heh. There will be more of that coming in the future, so hope you look forward to them. :)
