The story behind Orihime and her brother was steeped in tragedy, a tale of suffering that shaped them both. Her brother, lost in his own agony, began his story with a simple truth that twisted into something dark.
"I was fifteen when she was born," he began, his voice rough with emotion. "She was closer to a daughter than a sister." His eyes darkened as he remembered the horrors of his childhood. "Our mother was a whore, and our father... a devil. Whenever a child cried, they would hit it until it stopped. That's the kind of people they were."
The pain was evident in his eyes as he spoke. "To protect her from them, I took care of her. And when I turned eighteen, I couldn't take it anymore. I took my sister, who was only three years old, and ran away."
The Hollow, consumed by years of sorrow and rage, lunged at Orihime, its monstrous form driven by a twisted sense of ownership over her. It moved with speed and malice, its claws reaching out to tear into her. But Ichigo was quicker. His sword slashed through the air, cutting off the Hollow's arm in a flash.
" First of all, who asked " I'm just kidding.
"So you want to kill her to end your suffering, huh?" Ichigo shouted, his voice filled with disgust. "Just because you raised her doesn't mean you own her! She's her own person, not your tool!" His anger surged, and he stepped forward, sword at the ready, the fire in his eyes telling the Hollow that he would stop at nothing to protect Orihime.
Orihime, stunned and tearful, watched Ichigo's words hit the Hollow like a physical blow. She stumbled back, her voice shaky. "Ichigo, stop..."
Ichigo paused, looking back at Orihime. There was a fleeting moment of confusion on his face, but he quickly turned his focus back to the Hollow. He knew she was about to do something that might change everything.
Orihime walked toward her brother, her feet heavy as though each step carried the weight of a lifetime. She embraced him, her arms trembling around his monstrous form.
"Ori... hime," her brother's voice cracked, his tone filled with disbelief. "Why aren't you scared of me?"
Orihime closed her eyes, her heart aching. "I'm sorry, brother. I wanted you to hear all the fun things that happened at school, the things I like, the people I like. At first, I just prayed every day, but you thought that wasn't enough... That I shouldn't just show you my sadness. You'd worry if that's all you saw."
Her voice broke as she spoke. "That's why I wanted to show you that you don't have to worry about me. But I see now that it made you sad, and I didn't even realize. I'm sorry, brother, for making you sad. I love you."
With those words, Orihime collapsed into unconsciousness, her body giving way to the overwhelming emotions that had been building up for so long.
"Orihime!" Ichigo shouted, his voice filled with panic.
Rukia quickly reassured him. "Don't worry. Her chain of fate is still connected to her chest. She'll be fine."
As Orihime's brother gazed down at her, the sorrow in his eyes deepened. "In truth, I knew that you stopped praying so you wouldn't worry me. But even so, I wanted you to pray for me. Because only during those moments when you prayed for me... your heart was all mine."
He turned his gaze to Ichigo, his eyes hardening with a mixture of grief and resignation. "And you... What are you looking at?"
Ichigo looked at him, his voice unwavering. "Her hairpins... weren't those a present from you? Orihime told me they were the first gift you ever gave her. That's why she always wears them."
The Hollow's face twisted with pain, the memory of those hairpins an echo of the love that had once existed between them. "I thought she had thrown them away," he muttered, his voice breaking.
Ichigo took a step forward, his sword gleaming in the moonlight. "If you love your sister so much, then end your own suffering. Take off the mask."
The Hollow's expression softened for a moment, a quiet sadness creeping into his eyes. "I was already going to do that," he said, his voice almost tender. "Orihime, my sister, I'm sorry that I had to leave you so soon. I wish I could have seen you become the beautiful girl you've become. Today, this is goodbye. You don't have to pray for me anymore. Goodbye, Orihime."
As Orihime stirred awake, she watched her brother disappear into nothingness. Her heart ached with the weight of his farewell, and the words she had never said began to surface.
"There's something I've always wanted to tell you..." she whispered to herself, her voice filled with regret. "On that day, I really hated the hairpins you gave me. We had our first fight, and for the first time, we didn't talk at dinner. I slept facing the wall, and when you left for work, I didn't say anything. Why did it have to be that day? It's not that anything would have changed, but I've always regretted not saying it."
Her eyes filled with tears, but she forced a smile as she whispered, "Brother, goodbye."
As her brother withered away, Ichigo stood solemnly, watching Orihime say her final goodbye.
"He's gone," Ichigo said quietly, his voice tinged with both sadness and relief. He was glad Orihime had gotten the chance to say her goodbyes, but the tragedy of the situation weighed heavily on him.
"Yeah..." Orihime replied, her voice soft but cheerful, as if the sorrow had somehow lifted from her shoulders.
Ichigo smiled at her, and for a moment, Orihime blushed, the warmth of his smile bringing a sense of comfort she hadn't known she needed.
With a sly grin, Ichigo thought to himself, ' Now that he's gone, I can make her mine.'
Rukia rolled her eyes as she healed Tatsuki with her demon arts.
"Ichigo, I didn't know you were a swordsman, and why are you wearing those clothes? Are you a Shinigami or something?" Orihime said.
Rukia's thoughts swirled in confusion. ' Why does this girl's brain only work now?' She sighed, using a gunlighter to erase her memories and replace them with something random.
"How's Tatsuki?" He asked.
Rukia nodded, glancing up from her work. "She's alright. Just a couple scratches and this small wound. She'll be fine."
"Good," Ichigo said, his voice easing with the news.
"After you're done, want to grab some ramen with cucumbers?" Rukia said.
Ichigo blinked in surprise, his brow furrowing slightly. ' Always wondered why she likes cucumber... One day, I'll give her some cucumbers myself.'
They left the scene, the aftermath of the battle fading as they made their way to a ramen shop. The street was quiet, with the soft clink of their footsteps echoing. Inside, the warmth of the shop welcomed them, the aroma of broth filling the air.
Ichigo immediately sat at the counter, his casual demeanor betraying nothing of the earlier chaos. Rukia followed, sliding into the seat beside him.
The ramen worker, an older man, eyed at her curiously from behind the counter. As he prepared their orders, he couldn't help but think to himself,
'This generation is nuts.' He thought.
As he watched Rukia speaking alone while eating Ramen.
TO BE CONTINUED