A/N: I meant to update this last weekend but I didn't have a chance. I wanted to update My Espada Boys first, and that wound up taking way longer than it should have because I was torn about pairings. :) Read it, you can see what I'm talking about.
Anyway, I decided to update today, because it's Orihime's birthday. Yesterday was MY birthday, and I turned fourteen. Okay, now we HAVE to sing the birthday song: Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Schne-and-Orihime, happy birthday to you. Okay, I admit, you all did pretty terribly. Speaking of pretty terribly, everyone who subscribed to author/story alert but did not review, this chapter is NOT dedicated to you. It's dedicated to all my lovely reviewers. –makes raspberry noise-
Disclaimer: Bleach and all its characters and property belong to Tite Kubo and Viz Media. Erase belongs to MIKA, and I think he's self-published, correct me if I'm wrong.
Responding to some reviews here…
himelove22: Right on! Orihime's healing powers will definitely be sorely missed…I'm also hoping that anyone who happens to be reading this and thinking Good, Orihime's dead, she's so weak and useless anyway no one will notice she's gone, YOU ARE WRONG.
Magdalena88: Glad you're interested. No promises on the happy ending.
nypsy: Yeah, I realized that there probably should have been more people there after you said that. BUT, I thought that this was probably like a family thing, and since she really didn't have much family (except those distant relatives and crap) I decided that there was probably a big funeral with all kinds of people there but only really close friends were invited to the burial, plus Renji with Rukia since Renji and Orihime weren't that close anyway. When Aizen was hunting them and they could see him, I kind of wrote it off as since they were in the Soul Society, they were better able to see Hollows and stuff because of all the reishi and stuff. I don't know. And about Ronin and the Abarai stuff, I'm publishing a oneshot that explains everything soon.
Chuain: You know, I gotta say, you don't really seem to like this story that much. I would advise you (again) to stop reading it if you're just going to give me negative feedback.
makaykay15: Thank you, thank you, thank you! –bows- Oh yeah, someone told me how to do linebreakers and I tried it on the last chapter, but it failed epicly! :) So this time I'll just go back to my usual linebreaker.
whitechan16: yeah, I try. Now, to the story!
Everything's cool, the rent is paid. The house is clean, your bed is made…but it's a ghost town in your mind. You never had time to go to sleep, we'd wake up tangled in the sheets on a bed that we called home. And when the pain won't go away, you might as well put your finger on the trigger…Erase my love. I bet you can't erase my touch. You're trying to replace the feeling without a name of somebody else's face…erase.
"Spread your wings, Rubitori!"
As Sadako watches, Ronin's blade splits in two, down the seam. Each part folds into two metal hawks, accurate down to the last detail, one slightly smaller than the other. Their eyes are ruby red. Ronin lifts his hands, palms out, and uses them to direct the birds to attack a nearby tree. In moments sap is oozing from gashes in the side of the tree and branches and sticks are littering the ground: the birds have literally razor-sharp talons as well as lethal beaks. A single slice could easily remove someone's arm.
Ronin grins and picks up his zanpaku-tô, the hilt glowing before the birds disappear and the blade is restored. "Wow," he says. "This is going really quickly."
Sadako doesn't say anything. It's been about a week since she saw the vision of the woman. But why? It's still a mystery. She assumes that the woman is the materialized form of Rubitori, Ronin's blade, but this has never been confirmed. In fact, Ronin hasn't said anything about the beautiful gypsy-like woman.
One thing has changed since that day, however. Even Ronin, who is a ten on a scale of one to ten of awfulness at detecting reatsu, has to admit that Sadako is oozing power out of every pore. Eiko says that they need to enroll Sadako in the Academy as soon as possible, and that she may even be able to pass with just a single year of study and rise straight to the rank of a seated officer. There's just one problem: a zanpaku-tô. Sadako can't detect any sort of "inner power" within herself and it's definitely worrying all of the Abarais.
She doesn't really mind. Soul Reaper Academy sounds really cool. In fact, they're waiting for Eiko to get back from her journey up to the Academy with the word. Sadako is content to just sit and watch Ronin train his shikai, trying to catch up with the others in his class.
Kaori leans against another tree, the sun glaring off her square-framed glasses. Her short red hair gleams in the light as well, the colored beads clanking around her ears, her eyes narrowed as she watches her adopted brother. Her gaze occasionally shifts to Sadako, watching the girl brush her hair back yet again. Sadako wonders if she had some kind of hairpins or something in life, because the constant shaking away of the auburn strands is kind of irritating. She still doesn't know what her face looks like; there are no mirrors in this district. But she thinks she's probably at least kind of good-looking. If Ronin's reaction whenever she walks into a room is any indication, she's probably very good-looking. But, the problem is she can't tell if he thinks her face is attractive, or her too-large chest.
She draws her knees up to her chin and rests her cheek on them, looking distantly at the small house. Her eyes glaze over, and for the millionth time, she attempts to remember…
A small tap on her shoulder scares her, and she jumps a little, her heart pounding. Ronin is standing over her, blocking the sun, his body framed by a yellow aura. She can see every bit of frizz on his head, all the tiny hairs that were too short to be pulled back into his long braid. He smiles, removing the sheath of his zanpaku-tô from her shoulder and swinging it over his own bare arm. His training tunic is folded down around his waist, and his muscled upper body is glistening with sweat. Her heart trips in her chest, and her own forehead breaks out in sweat. Ronin's smile falters for a second as he catches her gaze and holds it there. But then it returns full-force and he holds out his free hand to help her up. She unfolds her arm and accepts his help, his hand lingering in hers for just a second too long after she's on her feet.
A bird lands on Ronin's shoulder, and he brushes it away impatiently. Birds have been flocking to him ever since his powers were awakened. He catches her eye again, and she can't help but giggle a little as he grins despite himself.
"Win some, lose some," he murmurs, meant for her ears only. She giggles again. "Let's see if Eiko is home yet, yes?"
He takes her hand and pulls her into the house. Laughing, she trips along, allowing herself to be pulled on by the ruby-haired man. They disappear into the dark hut.
Behind them, Kaori's eyes fill with angry tears. She clenches her fists, her knuckles whitening. A drop of liquid silver runs down her face and drips on her lavender tunic, making a darker purple circle. It's joined by another, then two more. But she keeps her tears silent and personal, letting her heart thump painfully but not emitting even a single cry of pain.
**!**
"AAGHTPBTH~!"
Ichigo's fingers located the small green Mod in the throat of the stuffed lion and closed around it, yanking the pill past the plush lips and into the air. The animal fell limply into his hand as Ichigo, no emotion crossing his face, popped the pill into his open mouth and swallowed it. His soul separated from his body, and Kon stumbled, slipping in his sock-clad feet on the wooden floor before losing his balance and falling, landing on Ichigo's bed.
"A little warning would be nice!" Kon muttered, picking himself up. "Plus, what's with the harsh treatment? You could have used your special Deputy Badge or whatever the hell it's called!"
"I told you, I lost it," Ichigo muttered. He took a look around his room. "Be ready to act. I might be away for a while."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to get Orihime."
Kon sat up straight on Ichigo's bed, his expression panicked. "Whoa. Wait. Orihime's dead! Plus, you never preformed konso on her! Her soul's still wandering around the park somewhere!"
"It's not," Ichigo said flatly. "We checked. We think maybe 'Fro dude preformed konso on her, because we can't detect her Spiritual Pressure anywhere. Can't even find her soul ribbon. She's definitely in the Soul Society. Just gotta find her."
"Dude. You're insane!"
"What did you say?" Ichigo said, but there was no threat in his voice. Somehow, this was even more threatening to the Mod, who drew back in fear.
"I said you're insane," he said, a tremor running through his voice. "What are the chances of finding Orihime in a place like the Soul Society? You have to whole Rukon district to search!" He drew his eyebrows together. "The Thirteen Court Guard Squads aren't going to support you, either. Get a grip, moron! We get that you're upset, okay? You don't need to broadcast it to everyone! Don't make it so obvious that your brain is dam-"
Ichigo drew back his fist and punched Kon in the jaw, knocking him out cold. The boy keeled over on his bed, silent.
"I have to do it now," he whispered. "While Rukia's down. I can't have anyone else getting hurt." He looked down at his body, unconscious with his butt in the air.
"Take care, Kon," he said.
Then he was through the window and gone.
**!**
The next morning finds Sadako and Ronin at the door, saying their goodbyes. The Academy decided that they wanted to see Sadako as soon as possible and could take her right away with the new recruits. So she was accompanying Ronin back to school for the start of the new term.
Kaori is pressed into Ronin's chest, clutching her brother's chest. She obviously doesn't want her brother to go. Sadako gives Eiko a hug as well, pressing the older woman close, breathing in her scent. It smells like a mom. Sadako hopes one day she can think of Eiko as a mom. But not today - today she has a few more important things to worry about, like remembering who she is.
"I'm glad I met you, Sadako," Eiko murmurs into Sadako's ear, clutching the girl tighter to her chest. "Have fun at the Academy. And good luck."
At first Sadako thinks she's talking about finding out who she is, but then she draws away and sees Eiko's eyes sparkling with mischief. Sadako feels her cheeks heat up with the implied meaning behind the red haired woman's words. She grins involuntarily.
"Thanks," she says, though she doubts she'll need it.
Then it's time to leave. Ronin shoulders his pack and slips his zanpaku-tô through his belt. Then they leave, setting off down the dirt road toward the Academy.
At first the silence between the two is awkward. The only sound is the crunch of their feet on the rocks, and the swish and rustle of fabric on skin and hair swaying back and forth. Once they reach the market, Ronin offers to buy her some breakfast and/or lunch for later. She declines, her stomach in knots from anxiety at meeting new people. To distract herself, she asks about his friends.
"Oh, right! Heh. Well, I have a few, but I'll tell you about my closet ones. There's Yuuki, who's like….I don't know, really…calm. And then there's Seiji, his twin brother, who's just…not. And then there's Mai, who's just…amazing. Mai's like a goddess, just…amazing. Her boyfriend is Ryuu. He's like, really protective of her. But he's pretty cool. And then there's Ui, I think you'll like her. But I mostly hang with Mai and Ryuu. You'll like them a lot."
Sadako nods. She hopes she will like them.
They stop for lunch a few hours later. Bellies full, Ronin urges her to nap if she wants to. Sadako gratefully accepts and falls into a deep slumber.
The white zanpaku-tô flashes in the air, reflecting its own glow. A trailing white ribbon flows from the end, forming a perfect circle around the pointed blade, the color of snow. The hand that grips the handle is small, delicate; each finger perfectly formed, each nail a smooth oval, not a scratch marring the beautiful pale surface. The light from the zanpaku-tô falls on two huge indigo eyes somewhere above it, but the eyes are the only thing she is able to make out. Then, from below, there's a slight glisten as two perfectly formed lips move.
"Tsugi no Mai."
The ground lights up as four points pierce the ground and flow upwards. dissolving into white flakes. She can now see the sandaled feet of the wielder of this beautiful blade. The indigo eyes lock onto her.
"Hakuren."
The ice hits her then, freezing her whole body solid. The coldness stabs her from every direction, stopping her breath from shock, short-circuiting her brain. Her eyes widen and her last thought is: why, Rukia? Why?
Sadako shoots up, gasping. The dream is slipping through her brain equally fast as the last one, making her breath come short. Sweat slips across her forehead, and she can feel her heart beating in her chest, pounding her throat, her stomach everywhere. Her body is panicking over something that her mind can't remember.
Ronin glances concernedly over at her. "You okay? It's only been a few minutes. Did you have a nightmare or something?"
Sadako can only gasp in response, like a fish out of water.
What was happening?
**!**
"Psst. Ichigo!"
The boy froze, his ears detecting the urgent whisper. He whipped around. All he could see in the darkness was the silhouette of what looked like an oversized pineapple.
"Renji! What are you doing here?"
The pineapple grew shoulders and then got closer, so that Ichigo could make out some features. Renji's face was serious. "I decided I couldn't stand to see Rukia in so much pain – both from her legs, and emotionally. I'm coming with you."
Ichigo sighed. But he didn't argue. He needed a way to get to the Soul Society, and really didn't want to bother with Hat-and-Clogs. He pressed a hand to his forehead. "Well, we had better get going then. Do your thing."
Renji pulled out his sword and extended it in front of him. It slid into the air, the blade disappearing halfway to the hilt. He turned it clockwise, like he was unlocking a door. The doors appeared and slid open. Ichigo and Renji stepped through, the doors lingering open for just a moment before closing.
In that moment, a dark shadow slipped through the doors. Then they closed and faded, one at a time.
In their place was nothing.
I'm sorry it was so short, but I need to get this up before midnight! SO this is all you get! Plus I need a beta, if anyone's up for it!
-Schne