Corroded Spirits

Corroded Spirits: 24

Chapter 24: Treacherous Lies

 "Whew... Finished.." Tessai sighed, moving back and leaning against the wall. Kisuke looked at his companion, with only the slightest shred of worry seen on his face. The glowing object that lay in the middle of the room became even more luminous, sending blue shadows across the walls. "Thank you, Tessai-san..." Kisuke said, stepping over to the translucent object and picking it up with his bare hands. "Now that the shop has given our share, Soul Society will now give us theirs." Kisuke said. The shop-keeper turned soundlessly, about to exit the room. "Hey, boss."

 He turned around briefly, lowering his head just a tad so that his eyes wouldn't be seen. "Yeah?" Tessai rubbed his hands as he spoke, keeping his eyes glazed on the ground. "You've been really enthusiastic on going to your trips to Soul Society... as of late." He stated. "And so what if I have?" Kisuke remarked. "I know that something's been bothering you since your last visit there..." It wasn't exactly dead-on right, but not wrong either, so Kisuke made sure not to give anything away.

 After a moment of silence, and intense consideration, Kisuke said: "Would you like to know?" Tessai sighed again, which proved that his assumptions were correct. Kisuke didn't need to worry about that. He knew that he could trust his co-workers/friends. They've been with him for as long as he's been alive. It would be all right to trust them with the info he had. But the question wasn't the matter of trusting them...but rather, trusting himself. "No." Tessai finally replied after a while. It wasn't that keen, but Tessai noticed Kisuke's shoulders lighten a bit in relief. "It must be really serious."

 "Oh and Tessai-san." Kisuke said, remembering something. "Yeah, boss?" "Round up Kurosaki-san and the others later here at the shop. There's something very urgent that needs their attention." The man in clogs and hat said wearily. "And what would that be?" Tessai asked. Kisuke gripped the object he was holding. "Just make sure they stay and wait here until I come back." He said in a deadly whisper, and left the room.

----At the Soul Society----

 "Is that all?" Soi-fon asked grumpily, straightening herself up and dusting her hands on her haori, as if it were contaminated with bacteria. Kisuke kneeled down to the glowing Zanpakutou on the floor and picked it up. "Yes, that is all. Thank you Soi-fon-san." He said. Despite his politeness, the petite captain shrugged and walked back to her place in the line of the Gotei 13. The whole afternoon of his visit in Soul Society had been a repetition of pouring Spirit Energy into the sword that he brought (or more specifically, the one that the Commander had 'ordered' him to make.)

 "All of our Reiatsu will be harnessed into one full power inside this sword." Kisuke said, hiding it back under the cloth in his other hand. "And it will work?" The Commander asked sternly. He was still a bit harsh and cold since the two's last conversation, and didn't seem to get any calmer as the days went by. "Yes. I guarantee it." Kisuke said. With that he was dismissed, and Kisuke, as he did before, had a portable Gigai of himself to return to the Human World, with the 'burden' instilled upon the doppleganger as it went.

 With haste, Kisuke snuck in the Maggot's Nest again. It took twice as much of his time and effort to sneak in because the inmates were out of their cells, but he managed. The memory of what he 'saw' from his last visit was what urged him on, and this time, he was positive to make progress by conversing with his designated target. He came upon the familiar cell, with its' familiar occupant, once again sat on her chair with her back to him. "So you've come back, like you said, Urahara." Kisuke stopped to stand in front of the cell and removed the hood of his Reiatsu-concealing cloak. "Yeah. I told you I would."

 There's the sound of a chuckle, with a tone of something forced and melancholy in it, that Kisuke almost mistakens it from someone else rather than the girl in front of him. "Cryptic, isn't it? Hearing me like this.." Orihime said, as she stood up and faced Kisuke. The former-captain had to strain himself from recoilng at the sight of her face as the human girl looked at him. "Hmm. Your reaction is pretty comforting going how the others' were. They didn't mind to show me how terrified they were of me." She said darkly.

 "How I feel regarding your appearance right now hardly matters. What I would like for you to tell me, though, is why Orihime has suddenly transformed into 'something' else." Kisuke said, getting his point across. "Something? Hmm. I was hoping you would say someone. Am I not considered as 'someone'?" She asked. "Apparently no." Kisuke said. Orihime chuckled morosely to herself sitting herself back on her chair, but keeping her torso half-twisted, and her arms on the support so that she was still facing her visitor. "What are you wasting your time here, Dr. Jekyll and Hyde-ing me for? Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for a funeral back home?" The orange-head inquired. Kisuke suddenly slammed one balled fist against the bars of the cell. "How dare you speak that way with her voice!" He whispered furiously.

 Orihime closed one eye, keeping the other, literally darkened one, open as if in mock. "I'm not speaking 'for' her, in 'her' voice. I think it's more appropriate to say, that 'we' are speaking for both of ourselves." She said. Kisuke exhaled sharply. "You're not one to lose your cool, Urahara Kisuke. Quite frankly, it doesn't suit you." Orihime said "This girl matters that much to you all.." She added, now mostly speaking to herself. "And that's why.. I'm not giving her back." The air had grown ominous and heavy, the same Reiatsu that he been haunting Seiritei, once again surfacing. Kisuke grabbed onto the bars of the cell and looked into the mistmatched eyes of his friends' dearly beloved healer. Of the girl he somehow felt, that he'd forsaken.

 "Mark my words.. You will bring her back. You will bring her back to us. And if you don't, I'll take her back forcefully. Intruder!" He grounded. With a silent flashstep, he was gone. But even without his presence, Orihime whispered into her cell: "Who's the intruder here?"

----At the Human World----

 "Noooo!!!" The agonizing scream echoed through the shop, making itself known to all of its' occupants from the up to down. Tatsuki, along with Ichigo and co. were in the living room, assembled by Tessai just as Kisuke had instructed. The group of teens had been waiting impatiently for the shop-keeper, wondering why he had suddenly called for them (especially with the fact that Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro had no direct involvement with the Soul Society other than Ichigo.)

 The black-haired girl, continued to lament on the floor, with Keigo and Chad trying to calm her down, or in the very least trying to prevent her from smashing anything in the shop. "NO! NO! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Tatsuki screamed. Mizuiro silently stood beside him, no tears or deep frown on his face, but forlorn and unhappy just the same as the others.

 Ururu and Jinta are behind the door with Tessai holding onto them, feeling sorry for the group of friends that had come to visit them, just to see a horrible sight on a beautiful afternoon. "I am truly sorry, minna." Kisuke said to the group where he stood before them. He was looking down at the coffin-sized wood encasement lying in the middle of the room. It was half-open, filled with white flowers... and the beautiful face of their kind-hearted healer, poked up from the flowers, in a peaceful eternal slumber.

 Kisuke momentarily looked up from his hat. Out of all the people gathered around him, it is Ichigo that he is looking at. His face was stoic and hard, but he could tell that he was crying inside. But no matter how real the situation looked, with hard evidence, he clearly looked unbelieveing. They didn't want to accept this turn of event, and neither did the shop-keeper. "I'll leave you all here for a moment." He said, exiting the room.

 He went upstairs to his room, where his master and creator stood with his back against the wall. "Thanks for doing that for me." The original Kisuke said, holding out a hand, and popping the fake gigai to non-existence. He'd had thought that using a Portable Gigai to stand in his place when announcing to Ichigo and his friends that Orihime had died would've made things easier (lie or not) but it seemed the guilt still wormed its' way to his body either way. Tatsuki continued to cry below the house, wailing now, like a mother who'd lost a child. It seemed that in this case, it truly was. Kisuke sighed, slumping down to the floor as the cries grew louder.