Well this chapter was fun to right. I especially like how we now can get the hell out of that hospital and finally get the plot somewhat moving. Hope you all enjoy it and as always feel free to leave a comment or question.
I do not hold ownership to any of the characters nor places in this chapter other than my OC Young Man.
...
Once more the young man and Orihime traveled to the third floor, however this time they did not stop to look at the destruction and instead headed for the third floor stairs which would lead them down to the second floor and then repeat the process which led them to ground floor.
However upon reaching the ground floor Orihime and the Young man found their way blocked by a large pile of debris.
"Guess we'll have to climb over" the young man sighed pulling up the sleeved on his sweater so not to get tangled on any of the debris.
"Wait I can get rid of it, hold on" Orihime explained once again trying to use her Shun Shun Rikka powers.
"..." nothing happened which caused Orihime quite a bit of annoyance and stress.
"Oh why won't it work? Come on, Tsubaki!" Orihime called out, trying with all her might to summon the fairy of said name.
"Maybe you need these?" the young man asked, digging into and removing something from his pocket.
Wait those are..."
"..Your hair pins? Correct. I had to remove them from your hair in order to perform the surgery. Sorry I didn't tell you earlier. You can have them back if you want?" the young man explained holding out two light blue colored snowflake shaped hairclips.
"Hey give those to me" Orihime demanded, getting a bit flustered that the young man took them without her permission! Orihime quickly tried to snatch the hairclips out of the young man's hand however the young man quickly closed his fist and raised it into the air just out of Orihime's reach.
"I don't really see why you need them. Does this Shun Shun Rikka ability of yours really have that much power?" the young man asked as Orihime continued to try to get back her hairclips.
"GRR! Give the back" Orihme yelled "They're really precious to me!"
"Alright than, here" the young man explained, dropping the hairclips right into Orihime's hand. "I still don't see what the big-"
*NUTSHOT!*
The young man soon found Orihime's foot firmly kicked into his groin area. However, and to the surprise of Orihime, he did not show much of a reaction. Orihime quickly pulled her foot back and tried once again but again the man showed little to no reaction.
"What the...? You're a boy right" Orihime gasped surprised to see that her kick had done nothing when normally it would've been very affective to any normal human male.
"Are you trying to kick me in what you humans call testicles?" the young man asked which sounded rather awkwardly when he said it.
"Wha...yes, you stole my hairclips" Orihime exclaimed unintentionally shouting in the young man's face.
"And you clawed me and in eye. Anyway I do not have need of such trivial things as a penis or testicles" the young man's answer made Orihime flash bright red.
"OhmyI'msorry" Orihime exclaimed at such a speed that even the young man had a hard time understanding her words as she collapsed to the ground on her hands and knees. The young man simply shrugged and placed a gentle hand on Orihime's shoulder.
"Do not worry. I am not angry. Come let's get out of this place" the young man explained. Orihime averted her eyes but the man simply smiled and gave a small chuckle. "So amazing you humans are. One minute you're enraged and the next you are on your hands and knees apologizing. I can only hope the rest of you are like that."
Orihime continued to blush but not quite as much as before as she got too her feet. The young man nodded and began to climb the large debris pile before the two, only stopping for a moment to double check that Orihime was making her way up as well.
"Hurry up, you don't want to be left behind do you?" the young man joked.
"Not funny" Orihime pouted as she put her hairclips back into her hair.
"Relax; I would never leave you alone." The young man explained bowing slightly "Especially not a princess like you." This made Orihime blush slightly especially since when the young man said it he seemed to glow with some sort of warm radiance that Orihime just found heavenly. "Here take my hand, I'll pull you up" the young man explained reaching out his hand towards Orihime. She gladly took the young man's hand and the two transversed the rest of the hospital like that, holding each other's hands.
...
A few minutes of walking later the two stopped atop a very large sand dune. The young man had pulled out a small cyan blue colored cell phone while Orihime decided to rest her feet and sat upon a smooth rock that was poking out from the seemingly endless sand dune.
"So...what exactly are you doing?" Orihime asked taking an interest in the cell phone that the young man was fiddling with. "It doesn't look like there are any cell phone towers around here."
"No, I am merely checking my mail" the young man replied uttering a quick chuckle.
"Mail, wait someone has been text you?" Orihime ask surprised that there was another person out there that had a working cell phone.
"Yes, it's one of my...friends" the way the young man said friends made Orihime a bit suspicious but she decided not to push the subject.
Before long the young man had finished checking his mail and the two continued on their journey. This was when a sudden yet very important question popped into Orihime's mind as the duo came to the end of the large sand dune which over looked the surrounding area.
"Just where exactly are we going?"
Orihime would soon get her answer as they neared a very familiar yet badly damaged building.
...
"It's the..." Orihime's mouth dropped open as she saw the broken down home of which she used to visit frequently "...Kurosaki Clinic!" Indeed this was it, the home of Orihime's love Ichigo Kurosaki! However the clinic had seen better days. The normally blue sign that usually stood above the glass entrance now was sticking out of the sand at a 45 degree angle. The glass entrance showed signs of destruction as well, the glass window besides the glass door was shattered with only a few remnants staying due to not having been lost in the sand. The glass door on the other hand, besides having a few cracks in it, remained relatively undamaged.
"Shall we go in" the young man asked Orihime to which she gave hesitantly nod in response; she was honestly scared to go in. She had been here multiple times in the past, good or bad but this...this was different! The young man nodded and walked up to the door. "Oh forgive me, ladies first" the young man apologized as he opened the door and gave a slight bow. Orihime nodded, accepting the young man's gesture of modesty.
"Thank you" Orihime said doing a curtsy before proceeding inside followed quickly after by the young man.
...
Inside the Kurosaki clinic was oddly light, well compared to the dark corridors of the hospital that is. Frankly the house was lit just like it would be normally, though Orihime was the only one who knew this.
Soon however Orihime ended up accidently running into someone or rather something.
"Ooh sorry" Orihime apologized only to realize that the very person she ran into was that of a large glowing blue ball.
"Huh? Who are you? Are you here for the shelter? Well there's not enough room so go away" the glowing ball of energy growled.
"Easy, we aren't looking for a room. Just taking a look around" the young man explained waving the blue energy being off.
"Well, hurry up. This clinic doesn't have a waiting room." The blue energy being grumbled as Orihime and the young man stepped away.
"What was that about?" Orihime asked turning towards the young man just as they were out of ear shot.
"That was a spirit" the young man explained. Orihime gave the young man an odd look of confusion, she had seen spirits before, hollows sure no problem, but giant balls of glowing energy, that was a new one! The young man let out a small sigh and spoke once more. "You see those who were not amongst the ones I pulled into the hospital, more specifically all the humans I didn't pull into the hospital, became that which you just saw, spirits. However I assume that this isn't the type of spirit you have seen before, correct?" Orihime nodded.
"No, when I see spirits or at least when I used to see them, they were much more human. In fact they looked just like they looked when they died. At least that's what I think they looked like when they died." Orihime explained recalling the last time she had seen a spirit.
"I see...hmm" the young man began "...anyway back on topic. You see those spirits are the last remnants of the humans that once lived and so in turn it acts just like it would when it used to be alive, however sometimes a spirit has enough spiritual power to manifest themselves in a more human-esk form."
"Wait a minute is that...Orihime?!" called a voice from somewhere close by. Orihime turned around just in time to see a bright white glow of a spirit as it pass right through her!
"Huh, no way, could it be? Yuzu-chan" Orihime gasped quickly spinning around to see that of the glowing white image of none other than that of Yuzu Kurosaki only with fewer legs than Orihime remembered.
"Orihime, it's so good to see you again. How are you" Yuzu asked taking Orihme's hands in her own.
"I'm fine, but you-"
"HEY!" shouted a voice from the same direction that Yuzu had come from.
"Dad, its Orihime!" Yuzu shouted back down the hall.
"And entered father" the young man narrated to himself as Isshin Kurosaki bolted down the hallway and accidently collided with Orihime sending the two to the ground.
"It is good to see you again Isshin" the young man explained helping up his somewhat old friend.
"Ah, Abel, long time no see." Isshin said with a laugh "I see you are the same strange mysterious being as before."
"Abel?" Orihime asked raising a brow.
"That was my former name. I prefer Naoya now." The young man explained finally revealing his name.
"I see is that because of your br-"however before Isshin could finish the young man aka Naoya covered his mouth with his hand.
"Now now, you know I don't like to be talked about." Naoya explained in a somewhat threatening voice causing Isshin to smile warmly underneath Naoya's hand.
"Okay Naoya, so what brings you to the clinc?" Isshin asked putting unnecessary force on Naoya's name. Frankly it almost sounded sarcastic but Naoya ignored that.
"Anyway, I'm here because of the girl" Naoya began.
"Orihime" Isshin asked?
"Yes that is correct" Naoya replied nodding.
"So I'm guess you need me to check out you know what" Isshin asked speaking in a serious tone.
"Yes, her magasutchi levels seem to be in a bit of flux. So I figured who better to help her harness her powers than the very man who-"
"Hey you're not the only one who has secrets he doesn't want told" Isshin quickly blurts causing Naoya to grin a somewhat wicked grin.
"Heh excellent, then let the tests begin" Naoya said with a tone encased with wicked delight.
...
"AH! That's cold" Orihime shrieked causing the entire house to a vertical 360!
...
"Please hold still, this should only take a moment" Isshin explained as he removed the stethoscope from under Orihime's s shirt.
"Sorry" Orihime apologized "I didn't expect it to be so cold."
"Heh, such an interesting reaction from but a single touch" Naoya chuckled; his back leaned against the doorway while his head was turned to face Orihime, Isshin, and Yuzu. "You humans really are interesting."
"Don't pick on her" shouted a voice from behind Naoya as he was smacked in the back of the head with a shoe.
"Ah Karin-chan good to see you" Orihime said as a black haired preteen stepped out from the shadows, she was surrounded in a bright white aura, just like Isshin and Yuzu, as well as lacked any legs besides the small stump that was the upper calf.
"I see you are still here as well." Naoya groaned, showing a small hint of annoyance.
"Oh course I'm still here! It's my house" Karin explained walking pasted the still downed Naoya and up to Orihime. "Anyway I surprised to still see you again Orihime. It's been a while since your last visit. Too bad Ichigo's not around. But I'm sure he's off on another one of his crazy adventures."
This statement made Orihime's mode change dramatically; after all she knew what had happen to Ichigo, he had turned into a monster and ended up destroying a good portion of the hospital. Karin, upon noticing Orihime's reaction, quickly asked her what was wrong only for Naoya to interject.
"She's just tired from walk here. After all the hospital is quite a ways from here." Naoya explains.
"But I'm not-"
"No don't deny it. I know you're tired. Isshin, if you wouldn't mind lending us one of your rooms..."
"Oh sure, you can use Ichigo's room. After all it's the most spacious bedoom and-" Isshin was about to go on but Naoya stopped him.
"Thank you" Naoya said as he began to walk off only to stop at the doorway "Come along Orihime, it's time you got some rest." Orihime was quick to reply as she hopped of the kitchen table, which Isshin was using as a mock hospital bed of sorts.
"Oh okay" before the two of them quickly headed upstairs.
...
Upstairs Orihime had led Naoya to Ichigo's room; after all she had vistited Ichigo several times in the past and often times she ended up in Ichigo's room one way or another.
"Here we go! Open sesame" Orihime cheers as she pushes open a tall white door, revealing what lied within. Inside the room was rather well ordinary, there wasn't anything on the walls and the only thing that really caught the eye was that of the bright yellow bed sheets on a bed that looked like it just might fit two people.
"Yes this will do nicely, at least for the time being" Naoya explained as the two walked further into the room. Orihime quickly walked up to the bed and sat upon it as Naoya continued to explore the bedroom. He soon came upon what looked like a closet and quickly opened it to see that of a small yellow colored plushy that somewhat resembled an anthropomorphic lion of sorts.
"Oh Kon" Orihime piped up, getting up from the bed.
"This stuffed animal?" Naoya asked turning around and holding out the stuffed plushy.
"Yes but he's not just a stuffed animal, he's alive" Orihime explains as Naoya holds 'Kon' out in front of him so that Orihime could get a good look.
"..."
"Hey Kon long time no see" Orihime said with a wave as she looked the plushy in its eyes.
"..." nothing happened.
"Come on Kon, I know it's been a while but you don't have to be so silent" Orihime explained now starting to get concerned.
"..." again nothing happened.
"Come on Kon stop joking around, here I know what'll make you talk" Orihime proclaimed as she thrust the plushy between her breasts which even Naoya found a bit impulsive
"..." still no reaction.
"Sorry to put a damper on things but that stuffed animal does not possess the any form of sentience." Naoya explained.
"..." it took Orihime a minute to realize her blunder and upon realizing it she immediately dropped the stuffed toy and blush full red.
"Heh" Naoya chuckled.
"Oh shut up" Orihime growled embarrassed beyond belief. However before Orihime could continue to yell at Naoya a sudden pressure wave shot through the air which caused Orihime to speak a word she had learned to dread "...a hollow?"
...
Okay that's it for now folks. Tune in next to time to see what will happen when a hollow tries to invade the Kurosaki clinic. Will this be the opportunity Naoya has been waiting for? Or will the hollow devour them all?
Till next time your Zombie King
Alex.