This chapter is a little rushed, and I can't say I'm super happy with the pacing, but I did get across what I wanted for it in the end. The content is heavily inspired by "Twin Soul" a fic by Liralen Li, which is one that you should definitely check out if you're a Shunsui/Ukitake fan, or are just a fan of Bleach lore like I am.
Enjoy!
130 years ago
Orihime placed her meager bag of belongings onto a small table. She felt…apprehension? Excitement? She honestly wasn't sure. The only thing she could be sure of was that she was finally here.
"Here" was a cramped room with two small tables, two closets, and two futons stowed away in those closets. This was a first-year dorm within Shin'ō Academy, and this was where she'd be staying for the foreseeable future.
Even just thinking those words sent another jolt of something through her stomach. It had taken a lot of nerve to leave her old home, to even try taking the entrance exam, but somehow, against all odds, she'd made it in. The fact that she hadn't made it in alone made her feel even twice as lucky.
With that thought, and a nervous smile on her face, Orihime began unpacking her bag. She undid the knot holding it together and with much care picked out each item one by one.
She had brought two of her nicest kimonos (though they weren't quite as nice as the brand-new uniform she was currently wearing), an old wooden hairbrush with long-faded paint, a block of sweet smelling soap, and finally, wrapped securely in a scrap of silk, a pair of hairpins decorated with crystal blue flowers that sparkled when she held them to the light.
Orihime loved those two little pins more than anything else she owned, and staring down at them cradled in her hand, she felt a deep ache in her heart. Without fail, every morning she would place these pins in her hair right before heading off to work. She would catch herself in the mirror just as she left, look at them, and think of her brother.
Letting out a sigh, she wrapped the pins back in the silk, tying it securely before placing them back in her bag. A Shinigami Academy was no place for such things.
(And as long as she knew they were here when she needed them, that would be enough.)
Just as the girl finished stowing her items in the closet, the front door opened and closed behind her.
"Ah! Hello," Orihime rushed out, closing the closet door. She turned around and with a smile bowed to this stranger. "You must be my new roommate! I'm Orihime Inoue."
"Hey."
Orihime held her bow for a moment, smile faltering, waiting for the other person to introduce themselves. She waited a little longer, hearing a heavy suitcase being plopped on the floor before finally straightening up with a blush. Well, that was a little rude.
Still, if Orihime was anything, it was persistent.
"I hope we can have a great year together," she pressed on. "What's your name?"
"Arisawa," she said simply, already rummaging through her bag near the window. Orihime frowned. It seemed this girl wasn't one for manners, but looking at her, Orihime was starting to understand why.
Everything about the way the girl carried herself screamed "Rukongai brat". The aggressive way she held herself was something that Orihime had yet to see in a clan child, especially a daughter. It wasn't much to go off of, more of a hunch, than anything, but it was a hunch that Orihime hoped was right. It would mean they had something in common and would hopefully be at least one reason for them to be, if not friends, friendly.
She thought of asking about it right then and there but looking at Arisawa now and the way she's gazing out of the window, a blank look on her face and melancholy coming off her in waves, she decided against it. Maybe tomorrow, then.
…
"Hi, Arisawa!" Orihime beamed. "It looked like we have the same first period."
Orihime had missed Arisawa during morning wakeup call. It was quite a relief to see her now, sitting at a desk in the very back of their first class, "Introduction to Reiryoku". Arisawa's already present frown deepened the moment she heard her name being called.
Well, that was no good. You couldn't start the morning off with a frown!
Orihime sat down at the empty seat right next to Arisawa.
"Did you sleep alright?" Orihime asked quietly. Arisawa shrugged, eyes on the front of the room, and Orihime nodded sympathetically. "I completely get it. I always have trouble sleeping in strange places, too."
The other girl grunted something unintelligible and barely audible. Orihime felt her smile strain a bit. She really wasn't getting anywhere, was she?
Before she had the chance to try and say something else, the teacher stood up from his desk at the front of the room, cleared his throat, and begun the lesson.
At first, Orihime found herself listening to a pleasant introduction to Shinigami powers and the kinds of things that could be achieved with them. Within minutes she's scrambling for parchment and trying to write down the differences between Reiki, Reishi, Reiryoku, Reiatsu, and did he mention there was going to be a quiz on these tomorrow?
"They all sound the same," Orihime whispered to Arisawa. "They have to be making these up, right?"
Arisawa glared harshly at her.
Orihime's mouth snapped shut in record time, her eyes going back to her notes. Okay, maybe the girl wasn't a fan of jokes.
She kept her mouth shut for the remainder of class in the end. She tried again in the next class, but when she got a similar response, she started considering giving up entirely.
"What do you think, Chad. Am I trying too hard?"
"Maybe," he supplied right before taking a long sip of his miso.
The mess hall may not have been the best place to have this conversation, but it was all Orihime had. At the moment it was moderately populated with students from all years, as well as a few full-fledged Shinigami. She could even see Arisawa, just a few tables down, eating quietly.
"That's not much of an answer," Orihime grumbled. "I was really hoping that this would work out. I mean I'm from Rukongai she's from Rukongai…"
"She's not from Rukongai," Chad said matter-of-factly.
Wait, what
"Wait, what?" Orihime shook her head. "How do you know that?"
"My roommate mentioned her," he said with a shrug. "He and Arisawa grew up together. He's a Shiba."
"Really," Orihime said with a frown. "Did he say anything else?"
Chad shook his head. "He didn't like talking about Arisawa."
Orihime's frown deepened. There was probably some troubled history in between them, then, one that she wouldn't feel comfortable trying to pry into, and that was assuming they were talking about the same Arisawa. Still…
"Then her old friend doesn't even want to talk about her?" Orihime asked quietly.
Chad nodded stiffly. Though it wouldn't be obvious to others, Orihime could tell he was just as sad about this realization as she was.
Looking back to the table Arisawa was at, Orihime saw that the girl had finished eating already. She saw her get up, gather her things, and leave her corner of an already sparsely filled table empty. It was about then that Orihime made a promise to herself.
Until Arisawa genuinely told her to buzz off, Orihime would not stop trying to make her smile.
…
The rest of the week ended up being pretty interesting. Having entire lectures filled with words and concepts that Orihime had never even heard of was overwhelming to say the least. Still, she memorized it all as best as she could. Practical classes wouldn't start for another week or so, so at least she had some time to take it all in.
Somehow, during all this, she found time to think about the "Arisawa Situation".
It turned out the two had the exact same schedule. Quite a few of the first years did, actually, and Orihime planned on using that to her advantage. Trying to stay away from outright pestering the girl, Orihime made sure to slip in a few words every once in a while, crack a joke every so often, and sit next to Arisawa whenever possible, basically.
Okay, maybe she was pestering her just a teeny tiny bit, but Arisawa didn't seem to mind all that much. Her glares had stopped about mid-way through day three and eventually so had her grumbles. She was responding much more often now, albeit with hums, gestures, or the rare one-word response. Their conversations may have been very one sided, but Orihime could confidently call them conversations, now!
It was progress, and that was all Orihime cared about. The largest bit of progress, one that shocked even Orihime, happened at their second kendo lesson.
Even from those two lessons alone, Orihime had noticed certain things about the girl in that class that she hadn't in others. She seemed to curl in on herself more there. She went from answering questions rarely to not at all. At first Orihime thought the girl was annoyed at her, amending that later to her roommate just having a bad day.
Now, she thinks she understands.
At the beginning of their last kendo class, Orihime had been whispering some joke to Tatsuki about the color of the training mats. It wasn't a very good joke, in retrospect, but it had been enough to keep her from hearing the roll call that day. Today, watching Arisawa quietly, she heard the roll loud and clear.
"Morikata Kujō… Tohru Satō… Ichigo Shiba…"
Orihime's eyes snapped to the front of the class. She saw a student stand up at the mention of his name, a student that she'd last week but thought she hadn't thought anything of him. He sat back down.
Ichigo Shiba. This was the only class the two shared with him. No wonder Arisawa looked so…sad.
Orihime didn't say much during this class, just wracking her brain for ways to turn this situation around. She took notes during the lecture, filling the margins of the page with possible ideas. About fifteen minutes in one came, and so did the opportunity.
It was improper, impolite, and in literally any other situation, Orihime wouldn't have said it, but the instructor was asking if anyone knew the basic stances, and since Shiba seemed to know the answer to just about everything…
"I wonder if he knows this one, too?" she asked Arisawa sarcastically.
For a moment the girl's eyes widened, and she choked out a giggle. Orihime broke out into a grin.
"Excuse me?" asked the instructor. Oh no, she was talking to them.
"Yes, sensei?" Orihime asked back, hands gripping the edge of her paper nervously.
With a deep scowl, the instructor said, "You two can see me after class, whenever you finish giggling, that is."
Orihime face fell, but she nodded anyway.
She really had to say that joke, didn't she? She felt so stupid! Gods, she didn't even want to look at Arisawa, now she felt so guilty.
An hour of so later, the class ended. Everyone filed out, and she and Tatsuki were brought to the front of the room. This was one lecture Orihime was not looking forward to.
She didn't listen to it, not really. The instructor was saying something about the training of Shinigami being "invaluable" and how the two girls should try and take their studies more seriously. She also told them that they won't be getting any demerits over this, but that they do have to dust off all the mats for the next incoming class.
"Hopefully, it will give you some time to consider what you are truly here for," she finished. Just as she said that she opened up the storage closet in the back. Orihime counted ten mats over the woman's shoulder. It certainly could have been worse.
"When you are finished," the woman added, "you are free to go off to lunch." She left after that, shutting the door quietly behind her.
The second the door shut, Orihime let out a long sigh. She took a second look at their workload, and grabbed the top mat, dragging it down with some difficulty.
"Sorry," was the first thing she said. "I probably should have kept my mouth shut."
Arisawa snorted, grabbing a second mat. Orihime was sure that would be all she would get from the girl.
"Teach' needs to pull the stick out of her ass."
Orihime gasped, dropping her mat immediately. "Hey! You talked to me!"
Arisawa frowned. "I was talking to you before."
"Saying one word and then letting the other person talk at you isn't 'talking'," Orihime said with a half-smile. Arisawa's ears turned pink at that.
"Well, maybe I just didn't have much to say. Now I do, and I thought your joke was funny."
Was it the way Orihime wanted Arisawa to start talking to her, no, but hey, it seemed to work. Hearing her roommate actually speak to her just put a smile on Orihime's face, and since the girl seemed to be in a talking mood, finally…
"I'm Orihime Inoue! It's very nice to meet you, and I hope we have a wonderful year," she said with a deep bow. Out of the corner of her eye she looked at Arisawa expectantly.
The girl cracked a smile, giving her own bow. "I'm Tatsuki Arisawa. I hope we have a pleasant year, together."
Orihime felt giddy when she grabbed the broom from inside the closet. Never had she been so happy about cleaning before! She'd never cleaned a training mat before, but she'd beaten her fair share of rugs. She knew from experience two could finish the job pretty quickly. So, with a bit of maneuvering, and a lot of collaboration, they worked at the pile, gossiping about various teachers to pass the time.
The conversation was still more one-sided than most but having lived with a very quiet person for many years in the form of Chad, Orihime knew the difference between someone not responding because they want you to leave and someone just being on the quiet side while still enjoying your company. This was the latter, definitely.
They got through the mats in record time, and with a sigh of relief, Orihime said, "Finally, we can go to lunch. Chad's probably wondering where I am by now."
"Chad?" Tatsuki asked with a raised eyebrow. That was the reaction his name usually got. Orihime nodded.
"He's an old friend." Then, as if a lightbulb went off, Orihime clasped her hands in front of her, eyes practically sparkling as she exclaimed, "You should come meet him! You'd two would get along so well."
Tatsuki rubbed the back of her neck, considering, and for a moment, Orihime thought she was going to turn the offer down. Instead, the girl smiled.
"Sounds great."
…
Things went a little differently after that day. To the outside observer, not much had changed. Orihime was still following Tatsuki around like a lost puppy, chatting non-stop and getting excited over every little thing, but the two of them felt the difference with every little returned smile, casual touch, and shared lunch. For this first semester, the two saw each other every day, all day, and they found they didn't really mind.
If Orihime were to guess, she'd say that Tatsuki liked the company. (Which made sense. No one liked being along all the time.) Orihime knew she could get a bit grating at times, but her roommate really didn't seem to mind.
Orihime, on the other hand, just liked Tatsuki. She found the other girl a joy to be around. Tatsuki was funny when she wanted to be, aggressive when she wanted to be, laid back when she wanted to be, and so many other things, just when she wanted to be. She was strong in a way that Orihime was…well, not. (She was working on that, though.)
It certainly helped that Orihime had quiet a few things she could learn from her, more than she had realized, even.
"Goooooods," Orhime groaned into her hands. Her eyes were strained, her back ached, and she had been staring at these diagrams for hours. "How do they expect us to learn all these by the end of the week?!"
She wasn't even sure what all of these kendo stances were for. Weren't they supposed to be fighting real Hollows soon or something?
Looking over her shoulder, Tatsuki winced at the page. "Yeah, those. I feel pretty bad for you guys."
"You're in the same class. What do you mean 'you guys?'" Orihime asked with a pout.
"I already know them."
Orihime looked at Tatsuki, brows furrowed. She looked back at the diagrams, scrolling through. There were like thirty of them.
"…Really?" she asked.
"Really," Tatsuki said. "I had a tutor back in the day. I learned these ages ago."
Without any warning Orihime turned to Tatsuki, hands clasped, a pleading look in her eyes.
"Please teach me!" she begged.
Tatsuki glanced up at her, snorting as she turned to the next page of her own workbook. "Sure. Just bring that scroll to the training grounds tomorrow."
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she cried out. Then, she replayed Tatsuki's words with a frown. "Wait, we aren't starting now?"
"We can't really go to the grounds in the middle of the night," Tatsuki said with a raised eyebrow.
"No," Orihime agreed, "but I mean, I've got the scroll right here."
Tatsuki scoffed, closing her book. "You can't learn forms from a piece of paper. You've gotta actually do them if you want to get anywhere."
Looking down at the scroll, Orihime let out a, "Huh." Learning from the paper had been what she was trying to do this whole time. It had worked pretty well for the spells they were given, but…
Orihime rolled up the scroll and stowed it away. She'd been up for long enough, anyway.
…
As it turned out, Tatsuki was right. The next day they practiced, going slowly through each form one by one, saying the names as they did each pose. She didn't get it immediately. Actually, it took most of the week for her to memorize it all, but it wasn't nearly as hard as she thought it would be.
This was hardly the only course Orihime struggled in, though. All the teachers expected the exact same from each student, whether you were a clan's child with training like Tatsuki, or were some random kid like Orihime, who's previous experience with Shinigami began and ended with "I met one once and he told me to go here."
Still, she improved over time, and there were some that she was even pretty good at.
Orihime really liked her Kidō class. Sure, the terms were confusing at first, but the spells themselves, those actually made sense to her. Controlling Reiryoku came easily to Orihime and adding the spells on top of that was about as straightforward as it got.
It helped that the spells themselves were absolutely fascinating. What one could do just a few words was amazing. She finally felt like a real Shinigami! The instructors only had them working on the first few, but Orihime couldn't help but read ahead.
The first term went by startlingly quickly, and during it Orihime learned plenty about both being a Shinigami, as well as her roommate. However, through that entire term, Tatsuki never mentioned Ichigo Shiba even once.
Orihime didn't really meet him until the second term.
…
With this new term came loads of new changes. As grades went through and recommendations came in, the giant first year class started to be divided up accordingly. People were given different advanced classes, different choices in electives, and in some rare cases, different projected graduation times. There were no names for these distinctions. They were simply handed out and promptly gossiped about.
Orihime, much to her surprise, was given a few of these distinctions. Her new schedule looked very different from her old one. More than a few things have the words "Advanced" or "Accelerated" in front of them, and after checking with Tatsuki, she found out she was apparently put into some Kidō class that her roommate hadn't even heard of yet.
It was…overwhelming, to say the least.
"Hey, you should feel proud!" Tatsuki insisted.
"I do…" Orihime trailed off. It wasn't like the first term had been easy, like she needed to be challenged suddenly. Her teachers thought otherwise, though. "You're right," she finally said. "I do feel proud!"
Tatsuki grinned.
Comparing schedules, it seemed that the two wouldn't be together all the time anymore. They shared a Hakuda class, and that was it. It was yet another change to add to the list but hardly the most major one.
"This," Orihime's new Zanjutsu sensei said, "is an Asauchi. You are to keep it on you at all times, and with enough luck and skill it might turn into a Zanpakuto one day."
Each of them was handed a plain Katana that day, each completely indistinct from the other. Holding it, Orihime didn't feel anything in particular. It was cold and felt heavy when she attached it to her hip. Experimentally she decided to send a little jolt of Reiryoku its way, but it did nothing in response, like the cold hunk of metal it was.
(Orihime dutifully kept it on her person at all times, even putting it by her bed when she slept, making sure it was the very first thing she grabbed when she awoke.)
Maybe a day or so after getting an Asauchi, Orihime had her first class with Ichigo Shiba, no Tatsuki in sight.
The class was a relatively advanced Hohō class. (Relatively, because Orihime knew that Tatsuki had been placed into an even better one.) There were eight students, and in the classroom, there were eight seats for each of those students. Orihime was the last one in the door.
She saw one seat left, at the far end of the class, right next to Ichigo Shiba. With a heavy gulp, she took the seat silently.
Orihime had never seen Shiba up close before. Despite all that Chad said about him, she'd never met the boy. He assured her he was a nice person, but right now, Orihime felt intimidated.
He was a few heads taller than her with orange hair, not unlike Orihime's, that hung wildly around his ears. He had a closed off expression, one that made him look angry, even sitting at his desk casually as he was. If it weren't for what Chad had said, she probably would have just run out of the room the second he looked at her.
She didn't, of course. Steeling herself, she opened her mouth to try and say hello, or something benign like that. The teacher chose then to walk in and start class.
The class was entirely uneventful after that. Some questions were asked. Some demonstrations were done, and it was over quickly. However, she had more than just one class with Shiba, as it turned out.
With each class, Orihime learned a little more about Shiba.
He was quiet, really only speaking when spoken to. Like Tatsuki, when he did speak, it was curt to the point of being rude, even when addressing a teacher.
Still, he knew a lot about Shinigami, but despite that, never came off as arrogant. He never touted his knowledge or name around, and accepted correction without even batting an eye.
That being said, he did have quite the competitive streak. He took his lessons very seriously and relished in breaking his own records. His favorite person to compete with was one Morikata Kujō, who seemed to enjoy it just as much as he did, if not more.
He was also very handsome, if Orihime was being honest with herself.
Wait, that part probably wasn't important…right?
The second term passed much like the first, rapidly. Orihime found herself quickly swamped with work as the classes grew steeply in difficulty. It helped that there were a few things she could always look forward too, however. There was lunch every day with Tatsuki and Chad, and at the end of each week she got to go to her special Kidō class.
She was one of four to be in that particular class, and it was through that class that she was introduced to all of the unique jobs and duties you could have as a Shinigami. There were all the Divisions, of course, each with their own philosophy and duties, but then you had things like the specialized Corps, such as the Medics, the Kidō Corps, and the Onmitsukidō.
She was told that she could make it into the Kidō Corps, if she "kept up the good work". She tried to, desperately, almost.
The third term came quickly after that. It was the very last term of the school year, and it ended up being the most eventful by far.
It started off with a check on their progress with their Asauchi. A teacher interviewed each of them briefly, asking them some weird questions for a minute or two before telling them they could leave.
Orihime was asked about hearing strange voices, reoccurring dreams, or even just strong unexplained feelings. She couldn't really say much, in the end.
"Well," she finally admitted, "I guess I've been having a weird dream about butterflies lately."
The teacher paused in his notetaking.
"Butterflies?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Yeah," Orihime nodded. "See, in it I'm walking through a forest, and these bright blue butterflies start swarming around my head. I can never get them to leave."
The man wrote this down with a nod, seeming very interested. Orihime didn't quite get it. It was just a weird dream. She remembered being a kid and dreaming about umeboshi at least once a week for a good couple of months.
The very next day, the term officially started, and along with their new schedules, they were given a separate special document.
"Squad…Assignments," Orihime read carefully.
"We're getting these already?" Tatsuki asked, already tearing through hers. She glanced over it, a steadily growing grin on her face. "Michuru Oyama and Yasutora Sado! Sweet! Who'd you get?"
Orihime looked back down. "Morikata Kujō and Ichigo Shiba. Sensei is Ine Kuchiki."
Tatsuki's smile wavered.
"Kuchiki sensei, huh?" she asked. The excitement in her voice was suddenly strained. "I had her for my Hohō course. She's good, tough but good."
Orihime's heart broke a little at Tatsuki's change in mood, and sliding the document back into its place, she struggled to think of ways to change the subject. She didn't want her friend to be sad, but…
After a while, enough was enough.
"Hey…Tatsuki?" she asked gently.
"Yeah?"
"What happened, between you and Shiba, I mean?"
She didn't elaborate on the question, just stayed silent and waited for Tatsuki to say something on it, if anything. She wouldn't pressure Tatsuki on it, if the girl didn't like it, but… She needed to ask. She needed to know what her friend was thinking every time she looked this sad.
Tatsuki sat down on her futon. She fiddled with her nails, inhaled a few times, and didn't say anything for a long while. Orihime stayed silent.
"I…" Tatsuki started. "It's kind of complicated."
Orihime nodded. She'd figured that much out.
"We grew up together, but, you know, things change," Tatsuki said with a shrug. "Now, whenever I see him, I just feel…" She let out a sigh. "Gods, I don't know anymore."
"He…didn't do anything bad, did he?"
"No, no, no," Tatsuki shook her head furiously. "What happened wasn't his fault." The girl's shoulders slumped defeated as she let out a sigh. "He probably thinks I'm mad at him, doesn't he?"
Without a word, Orihime moved to Tatsuki's side of the room, sitting down next to her. "You really should talk to him. Whatever made you sad probably made him sad, too."
"I…" The words seemed to get stuck in Tatsuki's throat, then. She struggled with them for a moment before shaking her head again, and with her eyes on her feet, a tenuous smile crept up on her face. "You're a good friend, you know that?"
Orihime offered her own smile, tightly squeezing Tatsuki's hand.
She wouldn't ask about Shiba for a while after that, but she sure would be seeing him often. In fact, the very next day, they were supposed to report with their new squads to their assigned Sensei.
Ine Kuchiki, or Kuchiki Sensei, as she was to be called, was a no-nonsense type of woman. She was very pretty being younger than many of Orihime's teachers. Her hair was pulled tightly away from her face into a careful bun, a pair of half-moon glasses resting delicately on her nose. She moved towards the waiting group with quick and light steps.
Their meeting area was nothing special, just a sitting area right outside of the mess hall, one that usually went unused during this time of year.
"Damn, it's freezing out here," Kujō said with a shaky grin, hands rubbing his arms furiously.
"Hey, you could always turn back and try again in Spring," Shiba suggested with a sly smile.
"Ha! You wish."
Kujō was a strange person, or at least Orihime thought he was. He apparently came from a smaller clan within the Soul Society. He had the mouth of a Rukongai brat with all the good breeding of a noble. He was a rather heavyset person, was maybe a little older than Orihime, and had a rather odd way of looking at things. Orihime quite liked him.
Kuchiki Sensei cleared her throat, gaining their attention in an instant.
"Many squads are meeting outside this year due to a shortage of space," she explained, "Now, if we may begin."
She gave them each a careful look that may as well have been a harsh glare. They each gave her a uniform, "Yes, sir!"
"I'm glad you all seem to know each other," she started, "as that will make the coming weeks much easier. You will be working together for the duration of your career here at Shin'ō Academy. You will practice together, you will go on missions together, and you will learn together until the day you graduate together."
"Wait, are we going on missions, already?" Kujō asked with a grin.
"…Yes," Kuchiki Sensei answered carefully. "Our first mission will be quite soon, actually. Though I warn you, you will quickly learn that the comfort of a classroom is far different from the uncertainty found in the World of the Living. The main goal of our time together is to unlock your true potential through time in the field. I will, of course, be with you to try and keep you safe, but you must remember to look out for each other as well. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir!" they all chorused.
"Good, then allow me to show you our first assignment."
As it turned out, "quite soon" meant, "next week." They were all quickly handed the pertinent documents, all organized the same way the Gotei Thirteen organized their own paperwork, apparently. Kuchiki Sensei walked them all through their first assignment.
They were to stay in a designated area in the World of the Living for exactly three days. They would be learning standard mission procedures, would do a bit of camping, and then come straight back. Orihime would have called it boring were it not for the fact that it would take place in the World of the Living.
Growing up in the Rukongai, almost everyone Orihime knew came from the World of the Living, including her late brother. They all insisted it was nothing special but Orihime wasn't convinced. She'd heard far too many wonderful stories about human cities and all the other amazing places there. Having been born in the Seireitei, Orihime had never been there, but she had made sure to glean every possible detail she could from Chad (though it seemed his memory of the place was growing fuzzier with each passing day).
The excitement must have been clear on Orihime's face. Kujō chuckled. Kuchiki Sensei just sighed.
"We'll be staying in a remote area on the human island of Hokkaidō. The weather will be harsh, so pack smartly but lightly. Any questions?"
Oh, they had a few.
…
The next week was spent in their regular classes, but hardly anyone seemed to be paying attention. The anticipation was palpable as everyone and anyone seemed to be looking forward to finally getting out there and seeing something amazing, maybe even doing something amazing. Then again, it might have just been Orihime, according to Tatsuki, at least.
This generally fast paced year seemed to drag on just for this one week. When the week passed and the day came however, it felt like it was well worth the wait.
The group of four met in a remote area of the Academy, a Senkaimon pre-prepared for them. Orihime was already wearing her extra needed layers, with an one more packed away, along with a few other necessities. She gripped her bag tightly, barely able to contain herself.
"Stay close," was the last thing Kuchiki Sensei said right before turning away and walking under the grand arch. Kujō followed, Shiba heading in right after, and with some nervous hesitation, Orihime went in as well.
The viscous dripping walls weren't really what Orihime had expected. Leaving the Senkaimon, however and stepping onto the soft snowy ground on the other side, that was amazing.
It was a colder climate than anything Orihime had ever felt, and it was gorgeous. Tall leafless trees surrounded them, going up the rough terrain. It was quiet, peaceful, everything covered in a thick layer of white snow, and just beyond the trees, Orihime could see mountain after mountain after mountain. It was wilder and more beautiful than what she thought possible.
"It's beautiful now," Kuchiki Sensei commented, "but the weather here can turn quickly, especially at this time of year. Finding shelter should always be the first priority for a mission such as this. I will show you how."
They walked down the mountain, quickly finding a reliable enough path. There were a few stumbles here and there, and occasionally Kuchiki Sensei would Shunpō ahead, scoping things out before either joining them again and continuing or steering them a different way entirely. All the way she spoke softly telling them as much as she could.
"Abandoned human settlements are ideal, but not always reliable," she advised. "They are often not as abandoned as they appear. Building a shelter is a good skill to have, but not one we'll be learning now. Today, we will try and find a cave good enough to block us from the elements, one that isn't already occupied."
"By…humans?" Orihime asked.
"Animals," Sensei corrected, "primarily bears. They aren't too difficult to deal with, but it's important to try and effect the World of the Living as little as possible, bears included. That's a part of the reason we hunt the Hollows that come here. They do not follow that rule."
She stopped her speech for a moment, looking into the distance. Her eyes narrowed for a moment right before she Shunpō'd ahead. She was back in a flash.
"I've found our shelter for the night."
The three are led forward a ways to what amounts to a small hole in the side of the mountain that goes about to Orihime's knees, not too far from a stream. It doesn't look like much. In fact, Orihime was amazed that her Sensei found it at all.
She was also amazed by seeing her dignified Sensei crawl into the place on her hands and knees right before calling them in.
The inside of the cave was small (enough so that Shiba had to duck his head to keep it from hitting the top), unimpressive, dark, and cold, but Kuchiki Sensei insisted it would work. She immediately moved to assign them all various tasks like finding the right wood as well as a decent sized rock to act as a door. The spend a few hours assembling the shelter, and by the time they were done, Orihime was starving. Kuchiki Sensei promised to teach them how to get fresh food out here later, but for now, they had rations.
When they sat around their newly assembled fire, eating their stale prepackaged bars of "food", the group felt like they had really earned the break. They had turned this cave into something semi-livable, the temperature inside already being a great deal better than what it was outside. The World of the Living was beautiful, but it sure was dangerous.
This break, of course, didn't last long, and their tests only continued from there. Still, it wasn't so bad, especially with them working together. As it turned out, Kujō knew how to fish, even with very limited supplies, Orihime could start a fire in a pinch with a single Kidō Spell, and Shiba could sense danger almost as well as Kuchiki Sensei, which certainly made heading out without the woman less scary.
Case in point: Right now. Orihime and Shiba were heading back from the final patrol of the evening.
Despite being aware of each other for the better part of a year, Orihime and Shiba had never really talked. Conversations between them tended to be short and awkward. So, Orihime was looking forward to this little excursion ending quickly.
They'd barely said a single word to each other for the whole walk when suddenly, out of the blue, Shiba said, "I think I get it, now."
"…Hm?"
"My dad's always talking about how he wishes he were sent out here more often. I think I get why he likes it, is what I'm saying," he said with a shrug.
"Oh," Orihime sounded. Then, if only to be polite continued with, "Your dad, he's the Shinigami Captain, right?"
Shiba nodded, then paused in his steps for a moment. "Sorry, that was probably a weird thing to say."
"No, no," Orihime insisted, "I get it, too. This place is kind of amazing. The Rukongai is too crowded. The Seireitei is too clean. This place just kind of…is."
"Yeah, exactly!" he exclaimed.
Then, looking at her, his eyes widened. She grabbed Orihime by the shoulders and shoved them both to the ground. Over them, Orihime heard a great bone-chilling roar.
"Shit!" Shiba cursed, drawing his Asauchi. Orihime moved to do the same, but he shook his head. "You do Spells, right? Get a bit one ready. I'll hold it off."
Orihime nodded, mind flitting through the possible spells before she settled on one, muttering the words and gathering a dense energy around the tips of her fingers.
A Hollow. It was much more terrifying than she had imagined. Its energy sucked the breath out of her, and its horrifying form made it even worse.
It stood on two legs, a grimacing white mask on its huge head with long arms that ended in wicked clawed hands that brushed the ground. These claws were aimed right for Shiba, attempting to slice him in half. She chanted faster, quickly finishing the spell.
"Hadō Number Four, Byakurai!"
High density lighting shot out of the tips of her fingers, and just when she thought she had it, the Hollow moved forward, bearing down on Shiba, and the attack missed, harmlessly hitting a tree behind.
Orihime's hands were shaking. Were they shaking before or was this new? She couldn't tell.
(She'd done that spell perfectly in class just last week. What gave?)
Shaking her head, Orihime started muttering a different spell entirely. She could see that Shiba looked downright desperate as a fumble had the Hollow moving forward and tearing a deep gash into his upper arm. It looked like it was about to go for another when Orihime finally finished the incantation.
"Hadō Number Twelve, Fushibi!"
This one was much stronger Orihime having only learned it recently, and the second it released she realized something went wrong. It should have gone much faster, hit much harder.
It impacted with the Hollow right in the chest, pushing it back and keeping it from landing another hid on Shiba. Still, it was only singed, nothing more. It went in again, angry, and Orihime tried to think of a different spell.
"Tried" was the key word there. This was what she was good at, right? Then why was she messing up, now?!
Whatever half-baked spell was on her lips, Orihime stopped. With much frustration she drew her sword, moving in to help. Shiba looked both relieved and worried by this development.
Zanjutsu was never Orihime's strong suit. Tatsuki got her through the classes, but Orihime was always pretty clumsy at it. Her Asauchi always felt unbalanced and heavy in her hand, and now it was costing her. She struggled under the weight of every strike.
When Shiba got knocked down by a heavy swipe from the Hollow, she felt like sobbing.
What could she do? What could she do?
That question kept going through her head, sword trembling in her grip. Just when she thought she would die without ever thinking of an answer a bolt of lightning shot out above her going right through the Hollow's head.
It fell and over it ran Kuchiki Sensei, face pinched with worry.
"Are you two alright?" she asked immediately, heading right towards them. Kujō was directly behind her.
Orihime couldn't even speak. She just stood there, swaying slightly as she lifted a hand and pointed to Shiba who had just started trying to pick himself off the ground. Kuchiki Sensei's eyes widened, and she rushed to her student's side.
"I'm calling this mission off immediately. There were not supposed to be Hollows here," she said, levering him up into a sitting position. "Kujō get out the field dressings. Do exactly as I say."
He drew out compresses, bandages, and cloths, looking near distraught. All the while, Shiba tried to keep a steady and calm expression. This effort failed miserably the moment Kujō pressed a disinfected cloth to the wound.
He grimaced, letting out a hiss, screwing his eyes shut. When he opened them, they settled first on Orihime. He forced a shaky smile on his face. "It's not as bad as it looks, Orihime," he said.
She couldn't even bring herself to be annoyed at the use of her first name. All she could do was think of that question.
What can I do? What can I do?
She sheathed her Asauchi and looked down at her hands. There might be just one thing.
Kneeling down, Orihime got a good look at the wound, not being able to hide her grimace. It was gaping and ugly, three parallel slashes going from shoulder to breast. He'd have to be taken back to the infirmary immediately and with night falling as quickly as it was, that was easier said than done.
"May I?" she asked hesitantly, hand reaching for the cloth and compress.
"Uh…go ahead," Kujō said.
When Orihime didn't hear Sensei object either she pressed on. She continued with her teacher's instructions, making sure to hold everything together properly. As she did this, she muttered something to herself, a Spell.
A blue glow emanated from the hand holding the compress. Within seconds the bleeding stopped. Only then did she allow whatever had gripped her heart to loosen.
That. I can do that.
"That's amazing," Kuchiki Sensei said. "I didn't think they taught first years those kinds of spells."
Letting out a breathless laugh, Orihime answered, "They don't, usually. I'm taking the accelerated Kidō classes."
Sensei nodded steadily. "We will discuss this incident later," she warned. "For now, bandage up the wound and keep him warm. We can leave tomorrow morning when it's safer."
Orihime and Kujō gave her a "yes sir", Shiba's coming out as a mumble, something that Kuchiki Sensei probably only let slide due to his condition. That spell of Orihime's did have a pain easing effect, after all. There was a fair chance he would feel out of it for a little while.
As Kuchiki Sensei started to direct them to the cave, a smile twitched on Shiba's lips.
"Knew you could do it," he said quietly.
Orihime's first instinct was to yell at him. He was literally on the ground a moment before because she couldn't do it, and now he's saying she could?
He really believed in her, the whole time?
In the end, all she did was nod. Kujō supported Shiba (no, it's Ichigo. If he's going to call her Orihime, she might as well call him Ichigo) all the way to the shelter. The bundled him up as best as they could and quickly made plans to leave at daybreak. During all that, Orihime had plenty of time to think.
She replayed today's events in her head. A lot happened in such little time, but then again, wasn't that just the theme of this entire year? (And the year wasn't even over yet.) Tatsuki would, of course, want to know everything about what had happened today, though Orihime would probably skim over the parts involving Ichigo.
Ichigo
Even thinking about using his first name made her blush a little, though it was entirely possible this was about more than just the name.
No, no, nope, just the name!
Then again…
She looked back to him, seeing as he flashed her a reassuring grin that made her heart flutter. She wasn't sure what to call this feeling yet, but she was sure there was something there.
…
However, that was a long time ago.
Orihime sat at her little desk in the Fourth Division sipping a cup of freshly brewed tea. It was a nice blend, fruity and with loads of caffeine. A second sip and her mind was back to the present and focused on the pile of work in front of her.
It had been a very long time since she'd last thought about those days. They seemed so distant, though she remembered them so vividly. Maybe now, when she had such a workload, wasn't the time to be reminiscing, but somehow, the memories brought her comfort.
She took one last long sip before placing her cup back, right next to an old silk scrap wrapped tightly around a pair of hair pins. She got back to work.
So…That's it! That's the end of the arc and with it comes the Hiatus. This was inevitable, and though it pains me to say it, it not be coming until late August, maybe later. I have a lot of REAL LIFE things to sort through as I am graduating with my degree within a week of me publishing this. Hopefully once I get through all of that we can be back to our regularly scheduled programming, but for now I need some TIME.
Until then, though, please send me your love. I write this fic mostly for myself and for my own love of the series, but it really helps when I see you all excited for more. Leave a comment. Take this baby to 100+ Kudos/Favorite while I'm gone. Find other people who still care about Bleach! I know we are still out there!
I will see you later.
