Come Back Alive to This Place – Chap. 8
A/N: Thanks to nypsy, who helped me fix a plot hole regarding Orihime's pregnancy in chapter 6. I've edited and reposted chapter 6.
Warning: minor-character death.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All characters are 18 or older in this story.
(Originally posted 11/1/11.)
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The morning dawned overcast and chilly, with a brisk and fitful wind tumbling over the ship's deck. Orihime emerged on deck and shivered even though she was wrapped in several woolen shawls. Aizen was already standing at the lookout's station, a spyglass to his eye, slowly scanning the horizon to the west. If she strained her eyes, she could see faint specks against the dark sea. Were they Aizen's ships, those of the Seireitei, or those of the invaders? And would the Seireitei consider them an enemy or ally? Orihime shivered again as a fierce gust of wind tore at her shawl, and she hugged her arms tightly around herself.
Aizen was training the spyglass on one particular location; following it with her eyes, she saw that a single ship had detached itself from the fleet ahead and was sailing to meet them. At the same time, she saw the lookout begin to climb the ropes to the crow's nest, carrying a lantern flaring with unusual brilliance, attached to an oddly shaped mirror. As she watched, the man aimed the lantern toward the west, and began signaling with it, closing and opening the shutter on the lantern in an arrhythmic pattern. She had never seen such a method of communication, and watched in fascination, trying to figure out the pattern.
She was counting the beats on her fingers when Aizen came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Have you figured it out yet?" he teased.
She smiled up at him, relaxing into his warm arms without thinking. "No, although I have seen this one repeated pattern of three short flashes in a row several times. And there are pauses between combinations of short and long flashes, that makes me think they might form a kind of alphabet."
He arched an eyebrow at her. "I'm impressed that you could deduce that much merely from watching." He smiled. "Unless, of course, my code is quite simple to figure out, after all, and the cleverness I prided myself on was a mere delusion."
"What is it? A new means of communicating between ships?"
"Yes. Actually, it can be used over any distance," he explained, sounding almost like her old tutor. "Letters and common words are encoded as sequences of short and long flashes. I have a communications officer on each ship who has memorized the code. The lanterns and mirrors provide an exceptionally bright, focused light that can be seen over a precisely measured distance. I have conducted experiments to determine the maximum range. Thus I can deploy my ships in an array separated by this optimum distance, so that messages can be relayed from one ship to the next and thus can reach the entire fleet. In that way I am in full contact with my fleet."
It was Orihime's turn to be impressed. "With such a communication system, you have an advantage over any other fleet on the sea, where each individual ship must operate without direct orders."
Aizen smirked at her. "It is part of what has ensured my superiority over all other ships I have encountered. Every one of my battles has been fully coordinated."
She frowned, thinking of the lives of her countrymen that had been lost to Aizen's pirates. No wonder so many ships had disappeared, if he had such a substantial military advantage.
She eyed him with displeasure. "Are there any other secret weapons you have developed?"
Amusement flared in his eyes. "Now, Orihime, you would not have me give away my every military advantage, would you?"
"I thought I was your ally," she retorted.
"And indeed you are; perhaps this will convince you I am on your side now," he said, spinning her around in his arms and drawing her face to his for a long and passionate kiss. When he finally released her, she staggered, her knees weak, overcome by her attraction to him. His arm steadied her as he gazed at her with heat in his mahogany eyes. Then he sighed, and released her with a look of deep regret.
"I so wish that we had time to spend together in relaxation this morning, my dear. But no doubt you will be more interested in the news I will tell you: I have received a message relayed from Gin, who has reached the mainland."
She drew in her breath, her eyes fixed on his.
"He says that the capital is in disarray with the king's death. Ukitake has been named king, but he is gravely ill and has not appeared to the public. Soi Fon has seized the reins of government, but not all of the domains are accepting her rule." Orihime's eyes were wide as she tried to take in all this new information. "Nevertheless, there is so much chaos in Seireitei that it seems to be folly to oppose her for the nonce. Half of the waterfront is on fire from some new flame throwing weapons the western continent has been launching. I have told Gin to make Soi Fon the same offer of alliance against the invaders that I offered Yamamoto." He raised his eyebrows at her, a look of tolerant bemusement on his face.
"Do you think she'll accept your offer?" Orihime asked, clutching her shawl around her once again.
Aizen's glance remained on her. "It would be in her best interests to do so. She is in a position of weakness. If she refuses, all I would need to do is hold off on attacking the invaders until they have completely destroyed Seireitei's fleet, then move to attack them after anyone who might contest my rule of Seireitei has been killed. Then I proceed to annihilate the invaders, and finally, walk into the burning ruins of Seireitei and take the throne for myself."
"But you wouldn't do that, would you?" asked Orihime, outraged.
"Very well, my dear ally: what would you have me do?" His voice was reasonable. "If Soi Fon refuses my alliance and attacks me, what should I do?" He paused and waited for her answer, one eyebrow lifted quizzically.
"Well," said Orihime, taken aback at his request for counsel. She had not expected that. "Perhaps she will accept your alliance. Then you should honor your word."
"Of course," he said, nodding. "Done. And what if she does not?"
"Uh," she said, temporizing as she tried to think rapidly, "You could still fight the invaders and not attack the Seireitei fleet."
"And if she sends ships against us?" He cocked his head to one side and raised his brows.
"Uh," said Orihime again. She looked up at him, then smiled suddenly. "Surrender?" she asked, matching his teasing look with one of her own.
He chuckled, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "I will remember that you are a superb ally in peacetime, but I will take your military advice with a grain of salt."
"But—" she began, trying to think of a way to keep him from attacking her homeland.
"Sir!" Tousen had approached from behind her. "We have received a message that the vanguard of our ships has encountered the invaders at the far northwest edge of quadrant D."
Aizen's expression became thoughtful. "Quadrant D, eh? Do you have word on the invaders' numbers, or what their primary actions have been?"
"Their fleet is estimated at two hundred sailing ships, sir. They have not yet taken any action against our vessels. Which orders do you want relayed to the captains?"
Aizen reflected for a moment. "Tell Harribel to execute order Bravo 5, Starrk order Bravo 2, and Barragan Bravo 4."
Tousen bowed so that the tiny braids all around his head fell in front of his face. "At once, sir!" He spun on his heel and headed to the quarterdeck.
Orihime opened her mouth to ask what all those order codes meant, but then the words died on her lips at Aizen's expression.
He had turned back to her, his face grim. "And now, my dear, it begins. I must ask you to go below for your safety." He placed a hand on the small of her back. "I do promise that I will do my best not to attack the Seireitei fleet, and will assume an alliance with Soi Fon until I hear otherwise. Will that suffice to please you?" he inquired.
She stared up at him for a moment, then nodded. Then she opened the hatch and descended to the relative quiet of the cabin.
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It was difficult to remain belowdecks, knowing that the battle was about to be joined above her. Orihime sat on the bed, nervously twisting the fringe of the shawl around her fingers. They had been sailing for hours, and she knew that it was almost time for them to encounter the enemy.
Then she heard shouting from above. Looking out the porthole, she saw only the few ships of their escort. But she noticed they were heaving to, crewmembers scurrying about on decks to adjust the sails. So something must be happening.
Again there came ferocious shouting and clanging, and this time it did not stop. She could only imagine what was going on topside.
Finally she could bear it no longer. She threw her darkest shawls around her, hiding her bright hair. Then she cracked open the door, slipped out, and crept cautiously up the stairs to the hatch.
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She emerged warily into a raging melee. Another ship had pulled alongside them, its starboard rail nearly touching their port rail. Men were fighting all over the main deck and up on the quarterdeck as well. Swords were flashing and she heard screams and groans as people fell to the deck, mortally wounded. She shrank back, scurrying to hide behind a bulkhead, a dark, still figure, only her horrified eyes visible.
Her eyes sought the press of men for one in particular. The tall, brown-haired pirate was crossing swords with a dark-haired man with an ugly, scarred face. Orihime held back a gasp as Aizen got under his opponent's guard and ran his enemy through with a single stroke. As the body slumped, Aizen pulled his sword free and whirled to face another attacker, but then her view of him was blocked as a slender man with straight, shoulder-length blond hair moved in front of her. His teeth were bared in a grimace as a taller, dark-skinned man she barely recognized as Tousen made a powerful thrust at him with his blade, only to be blocked by a huge man with one of the ugliest faces she had ever seen. He looked more like a wolf than a man.
The wolf-man growled. "Tousen, after all the years we served together, I never thought that the time would come when I would have to protect someone from your sword."
The dark-skinned man threw back his head and said, "Komamura, I suppose I always knew that one day we would cross blades. When you joined Soi Fon as her general, I knew it would be inevitable." He slashed at Komamura. "Just as it is inevitable that one of us will die."
The large man blocked. Now looking sorrowful, he said, "Whatever happened to the friendship we shared? How could you have stooped so low, Tousen, to follow that traitor and become a pirate?"
"You do not understand," said Tousen. "I had to follow the path of least bloodshed, no matter the cost to my own honor." He raised his sword and attacked.
Komamura blocked it with a sweep of his powerful arm. "You had no need to betray Seireitei. You have been corrupted by the lure of power. What has he promised you?"
"He promised me nothing but justice," retorted Tousen, dropping his sword suddenly to come in under the larger man's guard. His blade plunged deep into the other man's side and the man gasped, clutching his torso. Tousen moved forward to strike a killing blow, but suddenly he stopped. A blade was protruding out of his belly. He grunted and doubled over, and Orihime could see that standing behind him was a tall, lean man with short black hair and scars and tattoos on his face. His killer withdrew his blade, scowling, and allowed Tousen's body to fall to the deck.
Tousen gasped as he saw who had struck him from behind. "Hisagi…!" he cried. He coughed and blood sprayed from his lips.
Hisagi stood over him, his face working with grief and fury. "Tousen, my former captain would easily have evaded such an attack. What has happened to you? Why did you leave us for this?" He gestured around him angrily. "Why become a lowlife and criminal, when you once believed in honor?"
Tousen's head jerked and he coughed once again. "I… still believe in honor… You… are the ones who are blind and cannot see the truth…" Then his head lolled to one side and he was silent.
Komamura, standing over him, his face distorted by rage and sorrow, lifted his head. Across the deck stood Aizen, having dispatched his attacker. At the sight of Tousen's death, Aizen met Komamura's eyes with a faint ironic lift of one brow, his expression as calm as always. Watching Aizen's face, Orihime shivered. It did not seem to matter to him even if his own subordinates died for him. Could she really love such a cold-hearted man?
"Aizen!" shouted Komamura, clearly enraged by the brown-haired man's calm expression. "Your own loyal follower dies, and you feel nothing? You lured him away with your lies simply because you wanted to exploit him, and then you discard him when he's no longer of use to you! My friend deserved better than that!" In fury, he advanced on Aizen, blade held high.
It all happened so quickly that Orihime almost didn't see what happened. Aizen moved fast, so fast that his blade was almost invisible. With one horizontal stroke he had cut down the larger man, who fell to the deck with a resounding crash. Orihime sucked in her breath. There was a very brief moment of quiet around Aizen, and then another opponent had leaped over the body to face him, sword drawn.
It was the fierce, black-haired woman who Orihime had last seen in court dress. Soi Fon. Now the woman was wearing a black uniform, her hair bound back, her eyes vicious as she faced Aizen and their swords clanged together with ferocious impact. Her face was contorted with rage.
"Aizen, you traitor!" she ground out as she moved forward and made a horizontal thrust with her blade. Aizen parried and circled around her blade, his point aimed at her eye. His expression was serene and amused; had she seen it under other circumstances, Orihime would have thought he was about to sit down to have tea rather than fighting in a battle for his life.
"Soi Fon, I thought I had an agreement with the king," he said in a calm voice. "Why are you violating it?"
"I would never honor any agreement with a pirate… not that the new king would make deals with bastards and criminals like you!" She moved forward and attacked again.
He parried and withdrew as she attacked, meeting each one of her strokes with a clanging of blades. "I have expressed my willingness to stand beside Seireitei in the face of the invaders' attacks."
"Bastard!" she spat. "As though I don't know that you have somehow corrupted many of our people and probably made a dirty deal with the invaders! You are willing to destroy your own country in order to rule over the burning rubble. Well, I will die before I let you!" She pressed forward with a flurry of strokes.
"That can be arranged," said Aizen with infuriating calm as he parried her strokes effortlessly.
Her blade slowed for a moment, and in that space Aizen moved forward and laid open her chest in a long stroke. She gasped and her blade faltered; then as blood welled out from under her tunic, her eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed. Aizen walked forward, his face still showing only amused indifference. Bending to examine her, he casually wiped his blade on her clothing and then sheathed his sword. Orihime could only watch in shocked silence. All around her, she noticed people were falling silent. The battle was coming to an end. Seeing Soi Fon fall, her men were surrendering to Aizen's. Orihime could not tear her eyes away from Aizen's serene face as he began to give orders in a quiet voice and his men began moving among the wounded.
Shivering, she fled down the stairs back to the cabin.
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A/N: All right, we are approaching the end of the story. What do you think should happen next? Please answer this poll:
a) Orihime, devastated by Aizen's perfidy, somehow manages to find her way to Soi Fon's ship and rejoins the Seireitei forces. Then she helps bring Aizen down by feeding the Seireitei key intelligence that she has learned while on his ship.
b) Orihime, devastated, goes back to the cabin, where she has secreted a knife. Vowing to no longer be used as a pawn in Aizen's schemes, she fatally stabs herself. Aizen enters as her lifeblood is departing her body. He holds her in his arms, and finally, admits his true feelings for her as she expires.
c) Orihime and Aizen somehow get back together again, although it's not clear how that can happen from here.
d) Don Kanonji shows up and attacks Aizen. ;D
e) Other [YOUR IDEA HERE]
And even if you don't want to answer the poll, please let me know your opinion of this story so far!