Hello old readers, new readers, and readers who decided to start on this chapter for reasons I will not be able to understand! Thanks for stopping by/returning! Please, for my sake . . .
Enjoy!
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Auburn Strands and Red Threads #10
He remembered being very, very . . . ticked.
He watched as she glanced into that gaping light.
He watched as she gave him that half-assed smile.
And, of course, he watched as she turned her back on him and walked away.
He was just ticked.
Very, very ticked.
He said he was coming back, and he had proved it, so why wasn't she staying? Why did those people appear out of nowhere like they were trying to slight him and the decisions he's trying to make? It bothered him more than anything in his life, which caused him to act as he would to any other irritant in his life: Impulsively.
He ran into that light after her.
There was a brief moment where he felt that warping, rushing sensation of passing through dimensions—something similar to going to and from the Feudal Era—only there was no sense of weightlessness. Again, it was brief, and he was not sure of all he felt because the very next moment, bright, artificial light bombarded his eyes. He was in an enclosed room with tatami mats and sliding doors. It looked a lot—a lot—like the Feudal Era, but that was impossible. The only way to get there was through Kagome's well.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Inuyasha looked at the three people in the room. There was a short, white haired kid standing directly in front of him; the kid's icy blue eyes were glaring at Inuyasha, and he was in a battle stance, gripping his sword. Behind the kid was a woman with long, golden hair, and that's when he saw her.
Orihime.
She was alright, but she was looking at him as though she was petrified. It would have been startling if he had not been relieved to see her—and then embarrassed that he almost lost focus.
"I'll ask you again," the kid in front of him threatened. "Who. Are. You?"
"Who are you," Inuyasha countered. "And why'dja take Orihime?"
"That is none of your concern."
"I think it is." Inuyasha braced his hand on his own sword. "See, she's a friend of mine, and I don't intend to lose her to a kid."
"Kid?" He crouched lower, slowly drawing his weapon, a vein pulsing in his forehead. "Prepare to die-"
"Wait!" Orihime darted in front of Inuyasha, shielding him. "He's not here to cause trouble!"
The kid scowled. "Then why is he here? Miss. Inoue, if you're trying to make an escape, then your punishment will increase tenfold."
"Wait." Inuyasha frowned. "Is he part of this society you were telling me about?"
"You told him about the Soul Society?!" The kid's face flushed with anger, the vein in his forehead throbbing more. "I can stand this no longer."
Inuyasha pulled Orihime out of the way, readying his sword. "This could get interesting."
The two glowered at the other, gripping their weapons. Orihime looked on in confusion and fear. The blonde woman took a step forward from her position, one hand extended as if she could halt what was happening with her hand alone.
"Inuyasha," Orihime whispered, taking half a step closer, "don't-"
"Reign over the Frosted Heavens-!"
"Have a taste of my-!"
"Captain!"
"Inuyasha!"
"-Hyōrinmaru!"
"-Wind Scar!"
Ichigo stood in front of Kisuke's door.
He felt something.
It felt like a rift opened up somewhere, but it was gone now. There was no presence of a Hollow or any other being.
He shrugged. There was no threat, so he could check it out later.
The substitute Soul Reaper pressed the doorbell and waited. After thirty seconds, he pressed it again. He waited a while longer before his irritation got the best of him. Kisuke rarely left his house, and he knew he wouldn't change that tonight.
"Hey!" He pounded on the door. "It's Ichigo! Open up!"
"Ichigo?"
The carrot top turned around to see Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu walking through the gates. Tessai was carrying a lot of suitcases for some reason.
"Hey, guys," Ichigo greeted, not at all fazed they saw him assaulting their door. "Is Kisuke with you?"
"He should be home," Ururu said, her mousy tone almost unheard.
"He better be home." Jinta stormed to the door, roughly pushing Ichigo aside to use his key. "He better be jumping for joy when he sees that we're back." The rowdy red-head thrust the door open and promptly announced their arrival. Ururu followed, bowing as she passed Ichigo.
"So, is it new equipment you are looking for?" Tessai asked as he hauled the luggage inside. Ichigo followed awkwardly and shut the door behind them.
"Something like that. I need to have a talk with Kisuke about a," Ichigo made a sound from the back of his throat, "troubling issue."
"Ah. He over-stepped his boundaries, I see."
Ichigo smirked. "Something like that." He paused, listening. "Is he asleep or something? He's usually ready to pounce on anyone who walks in."
Tessai walked to the living room and set the bags down. "He must be in his study. Allow me to get him." The muscular man exited the room without waiting for a reply.
Ichigo sat at the table in the middle of the room. This was starting to bother him; this room was bothering him. He ran a calloused hand across the wood just to verify suspicions that wouldn't be eased. He wasn't sure, but there were faint traces of Orihime's spiritual pressure.
Why would she come here?
Why would she come to Kisuke?
Tessai and the others seemed to have just gotten back from a trip, so why would Orihime come here to be alone with Kisuke? She wasn't the type to engage in . . . inappropriate behavior, so could she really be cooking for him? Was that all there was to it?
"Ichigo!"
He looked up to find a frantic Kisuke slumping in the doorway. The man wasn't wearing his hat, his hair was in a disarray, and his robe wasn't on right.
"What's the matter with you?" Ichigo asked, more perplexed than worried.
"I need you to go to the Soul Society right now."
"What? Why? I came here to-"
"It has to wait!" Kisuke's voice was strained. "They took Orihime!"
Ichigo stared at him, breathing evenly despite how hard it was to keep his chest from inflating more than usual. "What are you talking about?" he finally ground out, hands balled into fists.
Orihime found herself in a very troubling situation located in a very unsettling environment.
When she followed Rangiku and her captain, she expected to be taken to some kind of prison cell right away. She did not expect to step into a room that vaguely resembled Kisuke's living room, and she was mortified to feel that familiar presence behind them—or perhaps that familiar blockage of presence. Rangiku instinctively pulled the auburn girl behind her, but Orihime's hand softly gripped the protective arm. Rangiku shot a questioning glance at the girl; however, Orihime's eyes fixed themselves on the intruder.
There wasn't a reason in the world that could accurately explain why Inuyasha stood before them. Inuyasha had said that she was his friend, and that was a surprising statement that she had gotten stuck on for a few seconds. She concluded the night before that he didn't hate her like before, but to realize the alternate for him is friendship was something she didn't expect to happen right away. Guilt washed over her as she realized this was yet another bad situation she got him involved in for no other reason than bad timing. This wasn't the type of friend she wanted to be, and she hoped he was not getting the wrong impression about her lifestyle. Through all the confusion and panic, Orihime hadn't even considered Inuyasha followed them here of his own free will.
She had been petrified when Captain Hitsugaya and Inuyasha lunged at each other, each yelling an impending attack. She knew each male had a short fuse, but to see them fighting when not a full five minutes had passed was mortifying. Orihime was ready to throw up a barrier, not yet decided to whom it would protect, when another attack was yelled that bound both brawlers to opposite walls.
Rangiku walked in between the two and sighed heavily.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Hitsugaya demanded.
She pouted defiantly, her hands on her hips. "Engaging in combat in a place like this is no way for a captain to act! Furthermore, you had no reason to resort to this."
"What are you talking about? He infiltrated the Soul Society and knows our secrets thanks to-"
"No, hold it right there, Captain!" Rangiku pulled Orihime in around the shoulders. "There is no evidence that Orihime did anything traitorous against us. If she did, in fact, tell this . . ." She looked Inuyasha over. "Well, him about us, I'm sure she had a sensible reason."
Hitsugaya shot the girl an icy glare. "An explanation would be most welcome."
"Before that," Rangiku interrupted, "can you promise to behave? I would very much like to have a more civilized way of conversing."
He grumbled before giving an insincere assurance of his behavior.
Rangiku turned Orihime around to face Inuyasha. The high school girl couldn't help but feel flustered as she locked gazes with him. She could only assume she felt this way because, somehow, someway, she put her new-found friend in a very unfriendly situation.
"Orihime," Rangiku whispered, "you seem to know this . . . him. Can you please make him promise to act appropriately?"
Orihime blushed. She looked at the ground before looking up again. Inuyasha stared at her; he hadn't stopped staring. He continued to stare at her despite the fact that she was uncharacteristically bashful. "Um . . . Inuyasha . . . ?"
"What is it?" He spoke low, intimate, indifferent to their surroundings.
She huffed softly, almost like she was laughing, but a funny mood could not be given to her at the moment. "Promise not to fight with the captain anymore... Okay?" Her eyes had wandered to the ground at some point during her request, but when he didn't answer immediately, her quivering orbs sought his again. The intense glare she'd known him to have was no longer present. He looked at peace, and it made her uncomfortably warm.
His gaze held for another moment before he finally replied with a soft spoken, "Okay."
She looked away, unaware to the fleeting glance Rangiku pinned between the two. She patted Orihime on the shoulder, and released the red cloaked boy, lightly landing him on his feet. Rangiku left Orihime to tend to her impatient captain.
"Um," Orihime walked closer to Inuyasha for privacy's sake, "are you okay?"
"I'm fine." He looked her over. "You seem to be, too." He hesitated as he looked at her. "How come you left like that?"
It was Orihime's turn to hesitate. "I . . . didn't really have a choice. Those two people came to get me because of . . . the trouble I'm in." She frowned slightly as she looked at him, ignoring a compulsion to be viewed as truthful by him. "I had to go."
Inuyasha glanced at the Soul Reapers. "They feel weird."
"You can sense their spiritual pressure?"
"Their . . . what? I mean they have a weird sort of energy."
"That's because . . ." Would explaining help him understand? The jargon used to explain it all, even in its simplest form, may not correspond well to what he knows. "They are—different, yes. Even to me. Just like you're different to them. You're different to me, too."
Inuyasha's brows furrowed, almost like he was hurt.
"But! I . . . I'm different to them, too. I must be different to you . . . Right?"
Inuyasha huffed, briefly averting his eyes. "Different in a . . . different way."
She nibbled her bottom lip. "Why did you follow us?"
"I . . ." He snorted, resuming his usual mannerisms. "I promised ta come back to eat with you so ya wouldn't get lonely, didn't I? That's hard to do when you decide to run off."
She blinked repeatedly. His sudden change surprised her, but she couldn't help cracking a smile. "I'm sorry," she giggled.
"Really? Then can we get back to your . . . time? Place? Whatever."
"Well-"
"You two!" Captain Hitsugaya walked towards them. "You have one minute to tell me what the hell is going on."
Orihime feverishly relayed why she told Inuyasha about a few particulars of the Soul Society, and why she thought he was here. She finished within her superficial time limit, noticeably gasping for breath once it was over.
The captain looked Inuyasha up and down. "You actually believed we would recruit someone like him?"
"Give her a break." Rangiku smiled. "To her credit, we do know some very eccentric people."
Hitsugaya grunted. "You're right. After looking at you, he seems perfectly normal." He gave Inuyasha another quick inspection. "He looks more Hollow than Soul Reaper."
"He's not from around here," Orihime said shakily. She's never had interactions with Captain Hitsugaya, and she was displeased to find she was more intimidated by him than anyone she knew.
"Oh?" His next question was for Inuyasha. "Then where are you from?"
"What's it to you?" Inuyasha spat.
"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
"It doesn't make a helluva difference. I don't have to know you ta not like you."
"This is getting us nowhere," Rangiku sighed. "Not to mention we're wanted in the Seireitei soon." She looked at Orihime and Inuyasha. "We can't just take him with us, but we don't have time to send him back either."
"Just bind him to the wall until we're through," Hitsugaya muttered.
"Tell me," Rangiku said to Inuyasha. "Is there a reason you followed us? Orihime gave us an explanation, and I'm guessing it's safe to assume you and my Hime are close."
Inuyasha continued to glare, but he couldn't put his heart into it when the woman before him didn't appear to be hostile. "If Orihime's in trouble for savin' my life, then I'm not just gonna sit back and watch her take the blame."
"Oh?" Rangiku's eyebrows rose. "You mean you're the one whose soul passed through here? This is interesting . . ."
"Rules are rules," Hitsugaya reminded.
"It's a funny rule to be enforced all of a sudden, don't you think?" She frowned. "This is not the first soul we've seen taken back to the human world or any other world. That doesn't bother you, Captain?"
"Whether or not it bothers me isn't the issue; it's not like we've never enforced this rule before now. The issue is we've been given direct orders, and personal feelings are the least of our worries."
"Fine. But let's take him with us."
Hitsugaya noticeably gaped at Rangiku. He turned towards Inuyasha and Orihime, both thoroughly confused about their personal standing in all of this, and gave them unnerving stares as well. "You can't be serious," he finally said to Rangiku. "The last outsider to make it into the Seireitei has become a pain in my side that continues to work for us!"
"So, you'd rather condemn this poor girl for an act that has been nothing but honorable all because Ichigo Kurosaki is on your mind?"
"Look-"
"No, you look, Captain. We don't know to what degree Orihime is being charged, but we have a chance to free her from a harsh punishment. We protect souls, don't we? Does it really make a difference whether or not the soul has left the body?"
The captain closed his eyes, twitching in place. Rangiku had an uncanny way of getting under his skin to make him see things her way. He didn't have anything against Orihime personally, but she was acquainted with Ichigo Kurosaki, and she did accompany him on their last visit here. Truth be told, out of that whole group, it was only Ichigo that managed to rub him the wrong way. If one of his friends were punished to the highest degree, then maybe Ichigo would blame himself. Of course . . . this way of thinking didn't sit right with him, even if he amped it up more than it already was.
He sighed, turning so he didn't have to face any of them. "Fine. We'll take him, but the next time something like this happens, I don't want to hear a word of protest coming from you."
"You have my word, Captain."
o0o0o
Inuyasha and Orihime were escorted to the Seireitei on foot. More accurately, Captain Hitsugaya carried Orihime while he and Rangiku leapt over rooftops; Inuyasha trailed a few feet behind.
"I'll admit he's fast," Hitsugaya muttered.
"What is he?" Rangiku asked vaguely.
"He's just . . . from far away," Orihime said. "Um, where are we going?"
"Captain Yamamoto wishes to speak with you personally," Hitsugaya replied.
Orihime's blood went cold.
Captain Yamamoto?
The Captain General himself?
What exactly had she done that she needed to see him? What did she do specifically that caused this meeting if this law was seldom enforced?
He was a very important man, so for him to take time out of his day to see her was nothing to brush off lightly.
Orihime began to worry about her appearance. A school uniform was no way to meet a man of his social standing. Furthermore, she didn't have enough time to come up with a decent apology for all the trouble she's caused. Although . . . no amount of apologizing would get her out of this . . .
They soon arrived at the doors of a towering building. Orihime was set down and Inuyasha was soon at her side. The group walked inside the building and navigated their way through many halls until they arrived at another set of towering doors. Hitsugaya knocked.
"Enter," the aged, bellowing voice answered.
The doors were pushed open, and the first thing Orihime took note of was the man on the opposite side of room.
She shuddered.
Inuyasha wasn't sure how he felt.
After the gargantuan doors opened, a long purple rug connected them to what lay directly across. On the other side of the room sat an old man with more wrinkles than even Kaede. He was bald, but the beard and mustache that pooled to the ground made Inuyasha wonder why only the geezer's head was so barren. Unknowingly, the half-demon brought a hand to tug at his own hair. This place held quite a few who had hair color similar to his. He's only seen two, the runt and the old man, but the only other person he's personally known to share this feature was his brother.
And he hated his brother.
The old man had two people on either side of him. On the left was a man cloaked in pink with a floral design; he wore a tatami hat that hid his facial features, but Inuyasha noted he had brown hair. On the old man's right, there stood a man with white hair (so, now it's three) who was cloaked in white, inverse colors to the majority of the people here. Inuyasha noted this man's eyebrows were dark, contrasting with his hair.
Could there be half-demons in this so called Soul Society?
Both of the men looked too . . . relaxed. The man in pink's head bobbed like he was dozing off, and the other smiled sympathetically, however, one thing was certain: They must be powerful or at least trusted by the geezer because the energy Inuyasha felt coming from all of them made him want to tremble.
"Captain," the runt said as both he and the woman next to him knelt on the ground.
Orihime looked conflicted, but there was no telling why. Heck, he was a bit conflicted himself. He didn't anticipate doing all of . . . this when he came here. Usually, rescue missions were a lot more clean cut with ambushes and fighting, so he had no idea how he ended up in this situation.
The old man opened his droopy eyes. Inuyasha knew right away when those aged eyes landed on him, and he knew full well what the geezer must have been thinking.
"Who is this?" the rumbling voice asked.
"He's with me," Orihime answered quickly.
"Is he?" The man let that process for a few seconds. "Why is that?"
"If I may," the woman on the ground lifted her head. "Pardon my interference in the matter, but I thought it wise for Orihime to bring him along, seeing how this young man is involved in her situation."
"In what way?" the geezer asked.
"The soul that was returned belonged to him. He claims Orihime saved his life."
A thick silence fell upon them. The two men who hadn't said a word since they arrived were now alert in the matter, though their demeanor didn't change. Inuyasha had no idea what to look or listen for, so he figured he'd wait until a fight was suggested before he said anything more.
"Approach," the old man commanded. The four closed the distance between them until they were no more than ten feet away from the trio. "You," he said to Inuyasha. "Come closer."
Inuyasha froze. He wanted to openly defy him, but he held so much . . . authority. Inuyasha didn't know how it was possible. Orihime gently nudged him and smiled softly. Whatever that was supposed to mean, it sent him into motion. He walked until he was five feet away from him; he refused to get any closer.
"Your name?"
A moment of hesitation. "Inuyasha."
"You are . . . half demon, are you not?"
Inuyasha flinched. The two men on either side shot curious looks at him. "I am," he admitted.
"As I thought." The man nodded his head calculatingly. "You are not from the human world." He paused. "No, that is not accurate. If I am wrong, do not hold your tongue, but you are . . . the son of the Inu no Taishō?"
There were gasps—from the white haired man on the right and another behind him—one of which coming from Inuyasha himself.
"You . . ." Inuyasha had to pause to breathe. "How did you know?"
"So it is true. I had heard his heirs were two sons."
"Sir," the white haired man on the right said, "how is this possible? Any heir to the Inu no Taishō should not be alive."
"By standard logic, we should not be alive either."
Inuyasha didn't even try to understand the meaning of that.
"Yes, but . . ." The white haired man looked at Inuyasha before looking back at the geezer, "do you honestly believe this to be his son?"
"Do you not see the resemblance? Go on. Take a good hard look."
"Captain-"
"That is an order."
The white haired man's shoulders slumped. He closed his eyes and sighed before setting his gaze upon Inuyasha. The half-demon averted his gaze, but his eyes always fell on one of the three pairs of eyes in front of him.
"Well, I see your point," the man on the right finally said. "The resemblance is uncanny, but this does not dispute the fact that his heirs were born in Feudal Japan."
"Indeed," the old man agreed. He spoke to Inuyasha, "So, how did you find your way into the human world?" Another pause. "The current human world, that is."
Inuyasha found himself explaining his situation more than he thought necessary. He explained how Kagome's well connected across time (though he was not certain about all the particulars), and even explained his situation with the Shikon Jewel.
"That reminds me," the old Captain said. "Inoue Orihime. Step forward."
There was a squeak as she fidgeted her way to Inuyasha's side. "Y-yes, C-Captain General?"
The old man took a moment to release a long, exaggerated sigh. "You have caused quite a bit of trouble for me."
"I-I'm sorry!" She bowed deeply. "I never intended to be a burden!"
Inuyasha cocked a brow at her. Even he knew the old guy was just joking with her.
"Come, come, none of that. Indulge me, both of you. Explain the events that led up to all of this."
Orihime and Inuyasha looked at each other. They both told the story, filling in parts the other had no knowledge of, and even debated on the happenings of a few events they were both present for. Naturally, Inuyasha glossed over some parts and skipped events a certain girl didn't need to hear in a room full of people he didn't know. By the end, both the runt and the blonde comrade had joined the Geezer Captain at his side so they could see the expressions on Inuyasha's and Orihime's faces to determine validity.
"Most unusual," the old man said as he rubbed his beard. "Here we have one child coming from Feudal Japan and then we have you, Orihime."
"Y-yes?" she said, despite not being asked a question.
"You mentioned you are acquainted with Urahara Kisuke, did you not?"
"I did . . . I cook for him, and . . . he's my friend."
"That man," the geezer sighed. "There is a fascination with your family he cannot shake."
"P-pardon?"
The old man shook his head dismissively. "Now. What to do with both of you."
"If I may, Captain!" the blonde woman interjected once again. "Excuse my behavior, but Orihime is not to be punished after all of this, right? I mean . . . you heard their explanation and-"
The man raised his palm. "Please compose yourself, lieutenant. She is not in any trouble."
"She's not?"
"I'm not?" Orihime repeated.
"She's not?" both Inuyasha and Hitsugaya gaped.
"No. She's not." It was hard to tell if the man was smiling but he certainly sounded amused. "After all, this young man—Inuyasha, was it?—not only lives in the Feudal Era, but he has lived far longer than should have been possible."
"I was pinned to a tree," Inuyasha reminded blandly.
"Exactly. For him to live so long and to be put under these circumstances, well, it all seems to be destined." The man paused to take in all the confused expressions. "Besides, if we were to take in everyone who brought back these souls, then those fighters with the orange spheres should be standing before me right now."
"Pardon me," the runt said, "but if this is the case, why did you tell us to arrest her under false pretenses?"
"To rattle Kisuke, of course, but also to pass on a warning. Orihime," he said firmly.
"Yes?" she squeaked.
"Stay away from Urahara Kisuke. From this point onward, you are to never have contact with that man again." The man waited, noting her hesitation, "If you cannot abide by my request, I will give the order to have him executed."