Corroded Spirits

Corroded Spirits: 19

Chapter 19: Clouded Judgement

 "Excuse me!" Isane yelled frantically, almost colliding with another officer as she sped down the corridor. "Please, make room!" She roared, getting the other officers to step back and let her through. After several more live obstacles, Isane got to the Barrack's operating level. She practically slid her feet against the floor to stop herself from her unexpected speed. Just then, a nurse came out from one of the rooms, hurrying down towards her. "What happened? Is she okay?" Isane asked quickly. "She's fine.. Fine." The nurse replied.

 Five minutes later, Orihime was moved to the confinement room, very much safe, and very much sound. The sudden heavy weighing of the atmosphere in the Barracks, earlier in the day, was quickly noted by its' occupants. Ukitake, who was still present at the time, was the first to feel the decrease of Orihime's Reiatsu, and had gone to check on her. When he came back, he carried said girl in his arms, unconscious. She was treated right away, personally by Retsu. They didn't find anything out of the  ordinary, and had dismissed it as simply the girl's fragile durability to whatever had happened to the atmosphere.

 "Ukitake-taichou." Isane acknowledged to the elder captain that stood at the foot of Orihime's bed. Ukitake glanced at the new-comer and nodded, quickly turning his head back to Orihime. "How is she?" Isane asked. "She's fine." Ukitake replied without looking. The door opened and two more captains came in. "Kuchiki-taichou, Hitsugaya-taichou... I didn't think you'd come..." Ukitake said as greeting. "Nonsense.. The girl is still our responsibility as it is yours and Unohana's." Toshiro said. He and Byakuya both joined their fellow officers at the foot of the bed to look down at the sleeping human girl.

 Silence fell over them for a moment, before Ukitake spoke up. "Did the other capains found out about the change in atmosphere earlier?" He inquired. "Not one thing yet." Toshiro said. "I've sent my vice-captain and an investigation unit to accompany the 12 Division's vice-captain to inspect on it. We'll know something by tonight." Byakuya offered. "There'll probably be another Captains' meeting later." Toshiro said scornfully. A small sigh interrupted the captains and they all looked down, where Orihime was beginning to wake up. "Inoue-chan!" Isane called enthusiastically.

 The orange-head groaned as she sat up. "You're finally awake." Ukitake remarked in relief. Orihime seemed to still be quite disoriented, because her look was far-off, and she kept blinking her eyes. "Are you feeling alright now?" Toshiro asked. Orihime's head slowly turned to look at the group of Shinigamis gathered around her. "Where am I?" She asked. "In the 4th Division's barracks." Isane said. The human girl grew quiet and so did the Shinigamis. To ease the tension, Ukitake spoke up. "Inoue-chan.. Do you remember anything that happened before you passed out earlier?" He asked. Orihime shook her head a bit, blinking her eyes again. "I... I remember talking... to Ulquiorra.."

 At that, the Shinigamis around her looked at her oddly. "What?" Toshiro asked. "Ulquiorra.. he came to my room like he always did and.. he spoke to me..and all the sudden I passed out..." Orihime said, shrugging her shoulders. When she looked at her company,  their faces were a combination of shock and slight fear. "What?" She asked. The captains exchanged uncomfortable glances. "Inoue-chan, how long have you been communicating with the Arrancar here in Soul Society?" Ukitake asked. Byakuya and Toshiro both looked at him, finding the question a bit troubling. Orihime, however didn't. "Since I came here." Came the reply.

 Isane's face contorted in fear and worry as she looked at the darkened looks of the captains. "Inoue." Toshiro now chimed in. "It's difficult to explain this.. but.. the Arrancar... Ulquiorra..He's not here.." Toshiro said. Orihime's brows knitted together as she looked at the young captain. "He was never here to begin with..." Byakuya stipulated. "Inoue-chan.. Ulquiorra Schiffer..." Ukitake  said slowly, placing his hands gently on the near-panicking girl's shoulders. "He is dead." He said slowly. Orihime's grey eyes enlarged in horror, her mouth slowly gaping. "He is dead, Inoue-chan." Ukitake repeated.

 Orihime's ears began  to be filled with a loud gust of voices. The captains' words repeated in her mind over and over, until the voices became just one whole. She had no idea what to think, and just sat there, shaking under Ukitake's hands. "I'm sorry." Ukitake finished, releasing her and standing back up errectly. It had gone on for too long. They needed to stop Orihime in believing on what was long dead. And as much as they didn't want to, it was the only way to stop Seiritei's accusation of her.

  Just then, the door swung open, and Retsu entered the room. Everyone except Orihime, turned to look her way. "She is awake? She asked to them. Byakuya nodded. "Come and lo-" He was suddenly cut off when, Isane, out of nowhere flew across the room with a load shriek of pain. "AAGH!" She yelled, smashing hard through the wall. "WHAT THE!" All eyes went to the patient's bed, where the patient herself, now sat up in a crouch. Her eyes were wide, glowing eerily with a black tint. "I-In-noue.." Retsu whispered. The ginger-head stiffly craned her neck to look at the doctor-captain. Without warning, Orihime jumped from her bed and pounced on Ukitake. The two fell on the floor, with the human girl on top of the Captain, strangling him. "INOUE-CHAN!!" All of them yelled.

 Toshiro quickly went to their side and began to try pull Orihime's hold on Ukitake. "Stop it, Inoue!" He tried, incredibly surprised how strong her hands were. "He's not dead.. He's not dead.. He's not dead!" Orihime whispered violently under her breath. "Stop it!" Toshiro yelled again as Ukitake began gagging. Tohiro suddenly got swept away to the wall by a strong force. "AGH!" He yelled in pain, his back quickly aching. Ukitake eyed him as the boy broke down the floor catching his breath. Retsu goes to Toshiro, while Byakuya takes his turn to help Ukitake.

 Ukitake, with much effort, manages to push Orihime off him to free his neck. "Hold her like that, Jyushiro." Byakuya said. Ukitake does exactly this, and Byakuya raises his hand. "Bakudo no. 61. Rikkujo Koru." Six rods of lights shooted out of his hand and went to bind Orihime. The force instantly pushes Orihime off of Ukitake, and finally gives him a chance to breathe. "AAaghhhh!" Orihime roars, a powerful Reiatsu beginning to fill the room. One rod shatters and her arm is free. "Bakudo no. 63. Sajosabaku!" Retsu, and Toshiro (now recovered) both incantate, and golden ropes wrap around Orihime's arm. It just makes her more furious, and again she screamed: "He's not dead! He's not dead!"

 The Reiatsu gushed out of Orihime, making the Captains draw their Zanpakutous to shield themselves. "What is happening to her? Why is she like this?" Ukitake thought, lashing his sword to the side to swerve away the force. The others followed his example, overwhelmed by the powerful force. "He's not dead..." Orihime whipered. As quickly as he could, Byakuya Shunpoed behind Orihime, and knocked her out, using the hilt of his Zanpukutou. Instantly, the heavy atmosphere disappeared as the human girl collapsed. The four companions panted, looking down at the girl, whom they clearly had a difficult time restraining. A human girl. "My God..." Toshiro exclaimed breathlessly. "We need to report this to the Commander." Retsu said. And indeed, the other three captains agreed on that.