AN: I am so sorry to everyone who has wanted to see how this story will end! I know it's been a couple of years but when I got the one nasty review after posting chapter 22, I didn't know what to do. It took me a year to delete the review but I couldn't bring myself to finish the story. However, the review I got last year made me feel nice. I will do my best to finish the story. I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.
Chapter 23 Orihime's Point of View
I groan as I come to. There is a pounding in my head. There's something sticky on my forehead and I'm lying on the ground. I open my eyes slowly and see nothing but darkness. I begin to panic internally. I slowly sit up and immediately feel faint. I wince as I touch the sticky spot on my forehead. That's when the sickly scent of copper fills my nose. It's not copper.
I try to stand but that's when I notice that my feet are chained together. "Where do you think you're going?" Senna's voice mocks. I grit my teeth, not giving her the satisfaction of a response. She comes closer, lighting a torch a few feet away from me. I look around and find that I'm in a dungeon cell. I ask, "I thought you told him to meet us at the river?"
Senna scoffs, "I did but that area is too open, too easy. So I left a clue that we'd be here instead. Besides, it's more fun that way, having them run around trying to find you." I tug at the chains angrily. "Why do I need to be chained up? I'm sure you could prevent me from escaping without them."
"I have my reasons. I can't reveal too much to you but I will say, it will be fun to watch them try to rescue you." I clench my fists as I retort, "They will rescue me." Senna laughs loudly before crouching in front of me. She takes my face into her hand, whispering in a sickeningly sweet manner, "Oh, Orihime. That's what all of you think. Don't worry, I requested a treat be brought for you. For when all of this is over."
She stands and leaves me alone in the dungeon cell. Something about her last words makes a pit form in my stomach. What does she mean?
Ichigo's Point of View
"Dammit! They're not here!" I yell as we reach the river. I start looking around, thinking about what to look for. Rukia shouts from several feet away, "I found something in the tree!"
I rush over and see that she's holding a note. Once Renji and Uryuu come up, Rukia reads the note aloud, "I've gone underground at the heart. Tick tock, Ichigo." "I know where she is!" Uryuu exclaims, "There is an old building at the heart of Karakura town, and I know for a fact that there is a dungeon underneath it." I arch an eyebrow at him, not needing to ask more to know that he knows all of this because he's a hunter.
"Well let's get going, we can't waste anymore time." Renji places a hand on my shoulder then, saying, "Ichigo, we need to come up with a new plan. This is a different location than we originally thought."
I shrug off his hand, trying to stay calm as I respond, "We don't have time, Renji. She's already had her for too long. I don't know what I'd do with myself if anything happened to Orihime because I arrived too late. If you and the other want to stay behind to come up with a plan that's fine, but I'm going ahead."
I run off, not waiting to hear their response. I need to know she's okay. I need to make sure I'm not too late.
Eventually I reach the heart of the town and that's when I see a building that looks like a really old court house. I head in and start searching for an underground entrance. That's when I hear the faint rattle of chains. I hold still trying to pinpoint where the sound is coming from. Soon after, I'm going down a hidden stairwell.
I quietly move forward, remaining pressed up against the wall. I see a faint glow further down. As I continue closer to the glow, the walls turn into cell bars. Orihime must be in the one by the glow. I walk more gently as I reach the last few cells. The glow is coming from a lit torch and beyond that, I see Orihime on the floor, leaning against the wall, her feet chained up.
"Orihime!" I rush to where she is to only be shoved back against the bars of the cell across. "I thought you'd never show up, Ichigo. Although, I see you're lacking in friends."
"Ichigo," Orihime says quietly as she turns to look at me. She's crying but she smiles when our eyes meet. "I knew you'd come."
Senna smirks, "I was hoping for a fair fight but I suppose this'll have to do." Three vampires appear at Senna's side, waiting for her command. Suddenly, an arrow scathes Senna's shoulder. She hisses and we both look over in the direction of where it came from. Uryuu is there, crossbow aimed in Senna's direction. Renji and Rukia appear beside him. "Who said this isn't a fair fight?" Rukia retorts.
I take the opportunity of the distraction and push Senna off me. She collides with her goons and yells angrily, "Don't just stand there, attack them!" The other vampires charge at my friends as Senna stands, holding her shoulder. She laughs maniacally, "What's a scratch to what I'm about to do to you." She lunges for me, I'm ready for her though and catch her before throwing her against the wall at the end of the dungeon. She groans, feigning injury. She notices I'm not falling for it and hisses as she stands, "Before, you would have been all over me, asking if I was okay. Now I see that you don't care about me anymore!"
My eyes widen as her eyes redden and she bares her fangs. "This is it, Ichigo. Our final showdown." We charge for each other, ready to end things, once and for all.
Orihime's Point of View
I watch in horror as my friends fight off against Senna and her goons. Ichigo is able to keep up with Senna but he hasn't been able to land a hit on her, whereas she's already scratched his face up. Rukia and the others seem to be doing fine.
My still pounding head begins to hurt more. The light from the torch is hurting my eyes but every time I close my eyes I see things I don't remember. Everything is hazy. I turn away from the light and see Uryuu loading his crossbow. He is able to shoot an arrow straight through one of the vampire's chest, killing him instantly. Rukia notices and exclaims, "Go get Orihime! We'll hold these two off!"
As Uryuu rushes to me, I see a blur whiz by. Suddenly, Uryuu cries out in pain while holding the side of his neck. "Oops, did I hurt you." Senna mocks as she licks the blood from her fingertips. Ichigo pins her down then, exclaiming, "Go get her and get out!"
Senna laughs wildly and her words from earlier echo loudly in my mind. I requested a treat be brought for you. For when this is all over.
The scent of Uryuu's blood reaches me before he does. He's saying something but I can't hear a thing he says as I stare at the wound on his neck. I find myself drawn to the blood. Uryuu is too busy trying to break the chains to notice me getting closer.
Ichigo's Point of View
When I pull out a stake from my coat, Senna sighs. As I plunge the stake through her heart, I hear the sound of teeth sinking into flesh. The smell of human blood growing stronger by the second. I look over and see that Orihime has her teeth sunk into Uryuu's neck.
I look down at Senna and see that she has a satisfied smirk on her face. She says as she coughs up a bit of blood, "I guess this is it Ichigo." "What did you do?!" I exclaim as I begin to stand. Senna clings to my coat, catching my attention, "I did the inevitable. You should be thanking me. It had to end this way, Ichigo." Her grasp on my coat weakens and her body begins to crumble.
"Orihime!" She jolts away from Uryuu, his body slumping to the ground. She looks up at me, blood staining her lips, chin and neck. Her eyes, a blood red shade. She looks terrified.
She looks the way I did when Senna changed me.
AN: I will try to update soon. Please review, even if I don't deserve them.