Corroded Spirits

Corroded Spirits: 23

Chapter 23: Waning Sunlight
 Toshiro and Byakuya were the first to leave the Commander after their discussion with Kisuke. Ukitake and Retsu, the Commander's personal students, stayed behind. "Was that really necessary, Sensei?" Ukitake asked. He didn't answer, and so Retsu spoke up. "I confide with Ukitake-taichou. Was it really needed for your to have taken this that far, Commander?" The doctor's tone was more demanding than Ukitake's in a way. It was hard to point on, but it was there, and it was enough to make the elder captain speak. "Because that is the truth."

 Ukitake almost flinched. He had known the Soutaichou way back. Since his days in the Academy. The old man had been his teacher. He has witnessed him take drastic measures as their Commander. And by 'drastic', it meant having to issue and relay orders, that often times, if not all the time, lead to fatal consequences. And yet, he never questioned it. At least until the matter with Rukia and Ichigo happened. He had thought, that his stone-cold sensei's viewpoint of things had changed, but it seemed he had been proved wrong.

 "How can it be true? You and I, as well as Unohana, Byakuya and Hitsugaya, know that Inoue-chan is alive and well!" Ukitake said, his voice raising an ocatave higher. The Commander momentarily opened his eyes. "And you and I both know that she is confined in the Maggot's Nest." Ukitake reeled back a bit at that. He did knew. He knew that fact. He and his other 3 companions and the Commander knew. Only the 5 of them, held the knowledge, that Orihime Inoue, the human that they had willingly given refuge in Seritei and hospitable care, was in one of the dark, drafty cells of the Maggot's Nest, doing God-knows what.

 "You saw what happened to her, Jyushirou. You were there." The Commander said. Ukitake lowered his head, instantly reminiscing the said incident 11 months ago, when Orihime had rampaged Soul Society. His two acting  vice-captains, were injured fatally that day, trying to protect him because he had been bed-riddenly sick, and unable to protect himself. Had Rukia not come to their aid, all three of them would've been dead. "Yes, I was. I saw her. We all saw her." Ukitake said. "You captured her, sealed her powers, locker her away, and made everyone else believe, that she has died from her insanity."

 The tone in which Uktiake spoke explained enough for the Commander. "Are you accusing me of committing a crime, Jyushirou?" He asked. Retsu stepped back, as Uktiake let out the pent-up frustration he'd been harboring. "She is a human! A human! More importantly, Kurosaki Ichigo's friend!" The Commander made no comment, so the white-haired captain went on. "You just said so yourself at the meeting earlier that Soul Society owes Kurosaki-san! And that it would be shameful to trample over the debt you owe him. Those were your words!" "Ukitake-san.." Retsu whispered, but went unnoticed. "By doing this to his friend, aren't you already trampling on that debt, Sensei?" And for once, the Commander could not answer.
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 While the arguement between student and master went on in the 1st Division's Barracks, a certain-someone, had snuck under the noses of all the Shinigami, present or near the area of the 2nd Division's detention building. This certain-someone, came in the form of Urahara Kisuke, who had sent a Portable Gigai in his stead back to the Human World, and was now snooping around the place that he could, almost, once call home.

 Even after all the years of his exile, the ways and corners of Soul Society never faded from Kisuke's memory. In fact, since he had more knowledge on it, and the other chaps not even having a clue, the shady man had easier access to Soul Society without being caught, thus enabled him to sneak in whenever he which. Prior of course, if it was truly important. And his purpose as of tonight, was the very meaning of importance.

 It was late in the middle of the night, so Kisuke continued on his dark path, knowing that the entrance to the Maggot's Nest would be unguarded, and that the prisoners it held would be in their cells. "And that she would be in her cell." He thought to himself, entering the chambers that confined the worst of the worst in Soul Society. The familiar smell of chains, and rock filled Kisuke's nostrils as he walked on, the sound of his clogs, echoing in the dark.

 While Kisuke silently looked in on the cells, trying to see if its' occupants was the one he was looking for, he pondered on why the Commander was covering up Orihime's time in Soul Society. He was usually the man who was well-informed, and would undoubtedly had known any activity that the Gotei 13 would take, exiled that he was. "I guess there are some things that can slip my mind." Kisuke said. It wasn't in his normal joking sense. Even his voice had changed due to the state his mind was in. "Not here." Kisuke said to himself.

 It disturbed him to have to do it, but seeing as she wasn't in the first levels, Kisuke went deeper into the Nest. All of the other cells were empty, almost making Kisuke deduce for a moment that what the Commander had said hadn't been a lie at all. When he finally reached the last cell of the underground, though, all doubts of his intuition went away. He had been right. There she was, inside the cell, encased in 4 walls.

 She wasn't asleep. She was sitting on a chair, with her back facing him, looking at the wall as if it was some sort of television. He didn't need her to turn around to assure that it was Orhime. The orange hair cascading her back was enough proof. It looked different, though. It looked ragged, and disturbingly dark.  Kisuke took a moment to survey her, and found many other things that seemed different. Her upper back and the back of her shoulders were exposed, and if he squinted, he could see faint marks of scratches here and there. The same was with her legs, dangling infront of the chair and falling limp on the floor.

 The most odd thing that he saw, was that there was a set of chains. 4 of them to be precise, all linked and locked at each corner of the room. "Kisuke Urahara." The shady man was snapped to attention at the sound of his name. He knew there wasn't anyone else there, which meant it was... He saw Orihime stand up, and involuntarily, Kisuke took a step back. "You're the last person I'd expected to come..." Slowly she began to turn around, rattling the chains that held her wrists and ankles. "Then again, I didn't expect anyone to come at all."

 What Kisuke saw, made his eyes widen in shock. Orihime. She looked like a complete stranger. Her skin was ghost-white in the dark. Her dress, the one that he recognized that was a replica of her Arrancar's uniform during her captivity in Hueco Mundo, was torn to shreds all over. The tips of her hair, it almost looked black now. Brown for the most part, but it looked so dark, one would've mistakened it for black. But above everything else, it was her eyes that stood out. 

 They were still grey, but the sclera, the sclera was a deep black. It was like looking into a pool of defiled water, that only had a small speck of innocence left in them. And as if that wasn't disturbing enough, there was a black trail of what looked like liquid rendering from her left eye down to her cheek. When Kisuke had recomposed himself, he slanted his eyes at... the person before him. Was she still a person? "Inoue-san.." He began and then trailed off to mull over something in his mind, and then corrected himself. "Or rather...."