Five Lifetimes, One Love
Five Lifetimes, One Love
Disclaimer: I own nothing!!
Word Count: 5237
Rating: M 15+ (some angst, minor graphic description of violence)
Summary: Orihime and Ichigo learn of a past lifetime they shared together.
Author’s Note: Written for H e a r t as part of the FLOL Holiday Exchange.
"Why did I agree to this?" Ichigo wondered out loud.
"But it'll be fun, Kurosaki-kun," said Orihime, "I have never been to a onsen! I am really excited!"
"Why don't you want to be here?" wondered Isshin, suddenly turning around to glare at his son, "I am being so generous! Taking the whole family to a winter onsen vacation and to a Ryokan famous for being haunted!" Behind the wheel, Karin sighed as Yuzu, who was sitting on the other side of Orihime in the back seat looked exceedingly excited.
That just served to irritate Ichigo more, "So what if it is haunted! It just means you have to Konso something!"
Isshin sighed, "You are such an idiot," said Isshin, "Plus that are just waiting to be Konsoed can't "haunt". You should know that better then anyone. It takes a lot of energy for Plus to make themselves be seen by humans and if a Plus was regularly materialising themselves in front of the living, their konso would become top priority for Soul Society. Likewise, if it was a hollow, which being made of denser reiatsu can interact with the living environment, then not only would it have been causing a violent disturbance but again, Soul Society would be dispatching it asap. No, what's at the Ryoken is something a Shinigami cannot deal with."
Ichigo was shocked, "What... what sort of thing can't a Shinigami deal with?" he wondered.
Isshin gave him a serious look and replied, "An imprint."
Ichigo blinked, "An imprint?" he repeated.
"What's an imprint?" wondered Orihime.
"When a person dies. they often leave behind imprints. Imprints are the memory that a soul has experienced in their life but for one reason or another, don't want to carry with them to the next. They... separate themselves from these memories at the point of death, so that the Plus that results has imperfect memory of their lives as a human. When they are konsoed, they often arrive in Soul Society in the body of children, remembering little - if anything at all, from when they were alive. Choosing, if you like, to lose even more of their memories," explained Isshin.
"Why... why would they do that?" wondered Ichigo.
"That depends on the life they led, the memories they experienced," replied Isshin, "Alternatively, they just wanted a fresh start. But sometimes, it is the will of the Soul King at play. I mean, haven't you ever wondered why Shinigami who come from Rukongai, never speak about their life as living human beings?" asked Isshin.
Both Orihime and Ichigo were stunned speechless, "Rangiku-san," started Orihime after a bit, "Said that she was a child in Rukongai and didn't really count days before she met Gin-san. She said days before meeting Gin-san all bleed together but she didn't have any memories before Soul Society. So I assumed that she was like Kuchiki-san and came to Soul Society as a baby. So it would make sense for her not to remember."
"No, Rangiku and Gin both, choose to cast aside their memories when they died and were reborn as children when they got to Soul Socity," said Isshin, "I should know, I am the one who konsoed them," revealed Isshin, much to the shock of both Ichigo and Orihime.
"You are talking as if they were together when they died," exclaimed Ichigo.
Isshin didn't answer directly, instead he said, "Remember something Ichigo, souls with strong bonds are bound to find each other and the only way to get rid of an imprint is to reunite it with the soul that cast it aside. But that in itself is very dangerous because the imprint can take over and control the individual. That can cause a chain reaction and lead to other imprints in the area, which don't have host souls, to find host and recreate that which the individual most wanted to forget."
"Why are you telling me this?" wondered Ichigo, "Is there something I should know about the imprint that's in this Ryoken?"
Isshin smiled a goofy smile, "No clue! Actually I don't even know if there really is an imprint at the Onsen. Since I don't know if the hauntings are real."
A vein popped-up on Ichigo's forehead, "Then why the hell did you tell us about it!"
"Just broadening your knowledge," replied Isshin, "At any case, if the Ryoken really is haunted, then it is haunted by imprints. The cast off memories of some long ago event that are waiting to be reunited with those that cast them away."
"What beautiful mountain scenery?" cried Yuzu as she jumped out of the car.
Orihime followed her out, smiling broadly. Orihime had not taken two steps when suddenly she distinctly heard a voice that sounded exactly like hers cry out in delight, I have found you!
"I booked us three rooms," declared Isshin when they arrived at the onsen, "One for Karin and Yuzu, another for Ichigo and my soon to be daughter-in..." Orihime lurched forward.
"Orihime!" cried Ichigo, grabbing hold of her, "What's the matter?" he demanded.
"Sorry," she whispered, "I just got a little dizzy for a moment. Sorry to make Kurosaki-kun worry."
"Don't say that," chimmed in Isshin, "You'll be his wife soon! Wives are suppose to make husbands worry! That's their job!"
"Just shut up already," said the exasperated Ichigo before returning his attention to Orihime, "Are you sure you are okay?"
"I am fine, I just got a little dizzy for a moment," she said with a smile.
"Dizzy you say?" said Isshin, "Any other symptoms? Like morning sickness, cravings..."
"She's not pregnant and since when is dizziness a sign of pregnancy?" demanded Ichigo.
"Fatigue is a sign of pregnancy," protested Isshin.
"Fatigue is also a sign of a five hour drive," Karin pointed out sarcastically as she grabbed her bag and headed inside.
"What she said," Ichigo barked, "Come on, Orihime," said Ichigo with a smile, "Let's see if this place is really worth what they are making dad pay."
This really was a nice place, Ichigo thought as he soaked in the hot spring. He was glad he came. It was good to have a chance to be with his family. Afterall, following his marriage, he and Orihime were going to move to Okinawa. That was quite a distance away and would mean he would see his family far, far less. But the opportunity he was offered was good and the job Orihime had secured was also great. They would both do well in Okinawa. Ichigo just wished he could pack-up his family and move them there too! That, however, was not possible. His sister had just started University and his father had no intentions of closing his clinic and starting over. It was a little sad but all this was part of the process of growing-up. All he could do was...
"Excuse me sir," said a man dressed in the uniform of the Ryokan, "I am sorry to disturb you but are you Kurosaki Ichigo-sama?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Ichigo, wondering why the Ryokan employee was asking for him by name.
"I was told to pass this message to you by your sister Karin-sama," he said and handed Ichigo a piece of paper. It contained only one line, Ori-nee has fainted.
"Orihime!" cried Ichigo has he barged into his room with his father in toe, "What happened?" he demanded as he knelt down next to the still unconscious Orihime.
"We are not sure," said Karin, "We were having fun in the hot spring when she suddenly got a distant look on her face. She got out of the hot spring and almost ran out naked! By the time Yuzu and I got out to follow her, she had collapsed in the dressing room!"
Ichigo turned to his father, "What's wrong with her?"
As Isshin started to examine her carefully, Orihime suddenly woke-up and gazed at Isshin with unfamiliar eyes, "Who are you?" she demanded in a voice similar but still different from her own, "Where am I?"
"Ori... Orihime," whisphered Ichigo, "What..."
Orihime turned to Ichigo and her eyes widened in surprise, "No!" she cried, "No! Why are you here?" she wondered, "I returned to protect you! To free you from my burden! Then why," she asked as tears filled her eyes, "Why is Kurota-kun here? Why have you fallen into..." Orihime wavered, "...trap..." was the last word she said before fainting again.
"What's going on?" demanded Ichigo, turning to his father, "What's wrong with Orihime?"
"Well," replied Isshin in a measured tone, "It would appear that the imprint that haunted this place belonged to Orihime-chan."
He didn't really want to leave Orihime's side but he had to get away and think. His father had unloaded a lot of information on him. I swear I didn't know the imprint was Orihime-chan's. His father had assured him. If I had known, I never would have brought Orihime-chan here.
She seemed to recognise me, Ichigo had pointed out, Does that mean, my imprint is here somewhere? Ichigo had wondered.
Assuming that in your past life, you had chosen to cast aside your memories and leave an imprint, the moment you were born, the imprint would have been annulled. Explained Isshin, Because you were born as my son. When a soul is reincarnated through Shinigami parents, any imprints they might have left behind are all cleansed and destroyed. This is because the very nature of the Soul changes forever. Before it was a human, now it no longer is.
Karin had then asked what Ichigo wanted to know most. She had asked how Orihime could be freed from the imprint. It's complicated, was all Isshin had said.
Ichigo sighed loudly, as he angrily kicked away a pebble, "Damn it all! How am I going to help her?" he wondered out loud.
"Umm..." Ichigo turned around to find the attended that had handed him Karin's note standing behind him, "I am sorry to disturb you," he whispered, "But... if it's not too impertinent a question, can you please tell me if you wife is okay? Should I call the local doctor?"
"It's fine," replied Ichigo, "My father's a doctor. Orihime is in good hands."
"I am glad," said the man, "My... my deepest apologies for being forward but in truth I am a history student at the local university. I work here part-time during semester and full-time during holidays. The money helps me support myself but the real reason that I took this job is because of the tragic history of this place," he explained, "It's such a sad love story and your wife has the same name as the princess involved in the story" he said in mild excitement, "That's why, that's why I find myself more curious then I should be. So... my deepest apologies for being forward," he added with a bow as he noticed Ichigo's gaze getting darker and darker.
"Tell me," said Ichigo, as the man started to leave, "About the princess," Ichigo instructed the man in a tone he couldn't refuse.
During the Kamakura Period
"Kurota-kun," cried Orihime, "We have new guests! They said they would stay for two nights," she said excitedly, "I hope they will like our inn!"
"I am sure they will," whispered Kurota, "Have they paid?"
"For the first night yes," replied Orihime, "They said they will pay for the second night when they leave."
"Well, I'll have to keep an eye on them then, to make sure they pay," said Kurota off-handedly.
"You are so suspicious Kurota-kun!" said Orihime, "It'll be alright, they seemed like nice people."
"You think everybody is nice," said Kurota, "But the world isn't a very nice place Orihime and if we don't watch-out, it will consume us."
"Kurota-kun..." whispered Orihime, "I am sorry. I must seem very naive to you."
Kurota smiled, "Not at all, Orihime hasn't had anything bad happen to her... well except for that," he said, without specifying what that was, "That's a good thing and I am glad, Orihime is the way she is," he said as he softly kissed her on her lips.
Orihime smiled, "I am happy," she said, "I am happy to be here with Kurota-kun. So happy that I glad everything happened the way it did. If it didn't, then I wouldn't have met Kurota-kun. So I am happy, that that happened"
That which had brought Kurota and Orihime together was the marriage of Orihime to Kurota's lord master. Rather, his former lord master since Kurota was now most definitely a Rōnin - having renounced his service to his master when he had opted to run away with his master's bride. Kurota had no regrets however. He would have had more regrets if he had honored his duty to his master and let him practise his sadism upon the poor girl who had been handed over to him by her clan in exchange for wealth and power.
Kurota liked to think that Orihime's parents didn't know what kind of brutal man his master was. But from little Orihime had told him of her parents, he suspected that even had they known what awaited Orihime, they would have still handed her over. As it was, thou Orihime and Kurota were currently being hunted by her husband's clan, she could not turn to her own. Even if her clan had the strength to oppose her husband's clan, which they most certainly did not, she did not expect a welcome from her clan - not even a cold one.
No, she and and Kurota were on their own. They had gathered together what money they could and sold what jewellery Orihime had dared to take with her the night she escaped and bought this inn. It had fallen on hard times and was sold dirt cheap. It had been a stroke of luck that Orihime was certain heralded the coming of good fortune for them both and foreshadowed a quiet life spent forgotten in a part of Japan that was far from the stronghold of both her clan and her husbands. Little did she know that she had herself, invited trouble into their house that very afternoon.
"Are you sure it's her?" asked the man of his companion as they sat in the room they had rented.
"I am sure," replied his companion, "I was given a very exact description and she fits it perfectly. Besides which, if her so called "husband" isn't that bastard Kurota then I'll gauze my own eyes out!"
"Wait, do you know Kurota? More importantly, does he know you?"
"He doesn't know me but I do know him by reputation and sight. Don't worry, I have nothing against him and he doesn't have anything against me but he is a ruthless, blood thirsty bastard of whom we should be very careful. I mean, he was Lord Hayami's favorite for a reason!"
"It won't come to that," said the third occupant of the room, who had hitherto remained silently staring out the window, "We will not have to deal with Kurota at all. Orihime-chan is going to come quietly with us. She's going to sneak out of the room she shares with Kurota, walk out of the inn and meet us at the near-by town the day after tomorrow."
"How can you be so sure about that, Daisuke?" demanded one of his two companions.
"Because, Orihime-chan does not know me by sight but she will know my name and my mark," replied Daisuke, "She will know me to be a master poisoner and she will do all in her power to make sure my poison doesn't enter the veins of her beloved Kurota."
"But what about Kurota," insisted his companion, "He's not exactly going to stay quite about it."
"It would be rather dull if he did," replied Daisuke, "No, no, the plan is for Kurota to follow Orihime-chan. Follow her and fall into a trap from which even he can't escape. Lord Hayami plans to inflict such unspeakable torture on him that Orihime-chan herself will beg to put him out of his misery."
"Lord Hayami is one sadistic individual."
"He most certainly is," agreed Daisuke, "Why do you think that Kurota, one of his most loyal vessels, turned against him? Love alone probably wouldn't have been enough to turn Kurota into a traitor but the desire to protect the woman he loved, to save her from the cruelty and sadism of her husband, now that's enough to turn men more loyal then Kurota into traitors. Still," Daisuke went on to explain, "Kurota is a traitor and Lord Hayami does not forgive treachery. The biggest traitor in Lord Hayami's eyes right now is Orihime-chan. So he wants to make her suffer for years. Kurota on the other hand, he'll be happy simply giving a painful death."
Present Time
"The story gets progressively more bloody after that," explained the Inn attendant, "Kurota did follow Orihime and cut a river of blood to try and rescue her. They said that Lord Hayami's anger against Kurota finally out weighed the rage he felt against his wife for betraying him and instead of killing Kurota in front of Orihime, he resolved to kill Orihime in front of Kurota. To that end he had his poisoner Daisuke administer a slow acting poison to Orihime. He then let Kurota rescue Orihime and bring her back here. Lord Hayami even pretended to be in Kurota's mercy and agreed to live him and Orihime alone," explained the attendant, "It was all lies and Lord Hayami appeared here just as the poison started to take effect and Orihime lay dying in Kurota's arms. They said that in his rage Kurota turned on Lord Hayami, who had come prepared for just such a reaction and managed to subdue Kurota before he could do any real damage. He then let Kurota watch as Orihime died and then had Kurota's eyes gauged out so that the last thing Kurota would ever see is Orihime's lifeless body."
The attended sighed as he continued, "I don't know what happend to Kurota afterwards. The family who still owns this inn was given it by Lord Hayami, who of course took possession of the inn as compensation for the damage Kurota had done. There is a tale among the decedents that years after the incident, an aged and blind man came hobbling to the inn and asked to be taken to where Orihime's ashes were buried and begged to be buried with her when he passed-on, which he did a few days later," explained the man.
"There is of course good reason to believe that, that was Kurota - but he never said his name so we can't be certain," the attendant said, "Especially since Lord Hayami did regret his actions as the year wore on and attempted to repent. Rumour has it that he gave away all his possession and joined an order dedicated to the Buddhist deity: Aizen Myō-ō, in an attempt to turn his worldly lust into spiritual awakening. It is also rumoured that his sight failed him in his later years. So it is possible that he returned to this place to spend his last moments with the woman who probably would have made him happy, had he not treated her so badly that one of his most loyal vassal turned against him for her sake."
"No," replied Ichigo, "It was Kurota," he said with certainty, although he wasn't sure where the certainty came from. He also found himself walking towards a rock garden that stood not far away. Once in the rock garden, he walked straight to one of the taller stones. Crouching down, he craned his neck to gaze at some faint scratches at the base of the rock.
The scratches had once been kanji. Time and the elements had made the kanji illegible but Ichigo knew what it used to say. He just knew. He knew that once upon a time, they used to say, I failed to protect her, let me not fail again. In the next life and beyond, pleased don't let me fail again.
"Well, I can see why Orihime-chan choose to castaway those memories," commented Isshin once Ichigo had finished telling him what he had learned, "I am surprised you are beginning to remember things," said Isshin as the two of them stood at a small look out point five minutes walk from the inn, "The memory purge process is usually more through."
"I am not," replied Ichigo as he watched the sun slowly set, "Not really. It's more instinct. Just like I can instinctively walk, I instinctively knew where Kurota had blindly etched his last Kanji, while waiting for death to claim him. It's a little disconcerting, actually. But what I really want to know is how to get my wife back! How the hell do you get rid of an imprint?" demanded Ichigo.
"Fiance," corrected Isshin.
"Ha?"
"You aren't married yet," Isshin pointed out, "Are you sure you aren't being taken over by Kurota's imprint?" he asked.
"What the hell! You said that any imprints I left behind would be erased since I was born a Shinigami!" cried Ichigo, "Besides, Kurota and Orihime weren't technically married!"
"Well rules were more lax back in those days," said Isshin, "But they are very strict now! So no calling Orihime-chan your wife until you actually marry her!"
A vein popped on Ichigo's forehead, "I am going to kill you," he swore as he lunged at his father. As they two of them put-up a comical fight they were interrupted by Karin, who came running towards them.
"She's gone!" exclaimed Karin, breathlessly, "Ori-nee is gone!"
"Wha... what!" cried Ichigo, "What happened?"
"Ori-nee suddenly got-up from her bed and staggered out," said Karin, "Yuzu and I tried to stop her but she put-up her shield and we couldn't follow!"
"Put-up her shield... what does that mean?" demanded Ichigo, turning toward Isshin, "Does that mean, she's back to herself?"
"More likely, it was an instinctive reaction as the imprint tries to merge with her," replied Isshin.
"What! What will happen if the imprint merges with her?" wondered Ichigo.
"If she accepts the memories, then she'll return to normal and her memories of her past life would be like distant memories," said Isshin, "But if she fights against them, then the memories will fight back and call to other memories in the area. If there are no other memories then Orihime-chan will simply be driven crazy but if there are other memories in the area..."
"Mine... I mean, Kurota's has been erased, right," said Ichigo, "So that just leave Lord Hayami's but he didn't die here, so it should be okay. So we just have to..."
Isshin interrupted him, "What about the poisoner?" Ichigo blinked, he hadn't thought about the poisoner.
Orihime staggered through the forest, before finally coming a halt in a small clearing with a tidy pond next to which grew all sorts of plants and herbs, "Orihime-chan," whispered a man who was crouched over some of the plants, "How did you know I was here?" he wondered, "You must be so in love with me that you have developed the ability to sense my presence!" he suggested mockingly.
Orihime ignored him, "What did you do to me!" she demanded, "Everyday my body weakens. The medicine men in the village don't know what is wrong and Kurota-kun... Kurota-kun..."
"Is planning on charging into Lord Hayami's estate once again and demand answers, foolishly believing that he'll succeed in penetrating that place a second time," said Daisuke, the master poisoner, "What an arrogant and foolish man Kurota-kun is. He doesn't even realise that he only succeed in getting you back because that's what Lord Hayami wanted him to do."
"What did you do to me?" asked Orihime again.
"I am a poisoner, what do you think I did to you," he commented sarcasticly.
"But why? If my death is what Lord Hayami desired then..." started Orihime but Daisuke interrupted her.
"If Kurota-kun arrived in Lord Hayami's estate to find you dead, it would have driven him to rage in anger but now that he's taken you back, spent many peaceful, happy days with you. Has started to believe that Lord Hayami spoke the truth when he said he would leave the two of you alone..." Daisuke paused and turned to Orihime with a cold, cruel smile, "If he were to watch you slowly whither in agony now, watch you slowly die in his arms, as he stood powerless to do anything about it, that, that would drive him mad!"
Orihime drew back with a look of resolution on her face, "I am not going to let Kurota-kun watch me whither away in agony!" she said.
"Too late," said Daisuke as Ichigo came sprinting into the clearing.
"Orihime!" he cried out, "What are you doing?" he asked grabbing hold of her.
"Kurota-kun," she cried, "No! Not again! I don't want you to see this! I don't want you to get hurt!"
"What, what are you talking about?" he said, it was then that it registered in his worry filled mind that there was someone else there with them. He turned to face the man and was shocked to his core to see who he was faced to face with, "Ulquiorra!" he cried out but no, the man in front of him was not Ulquiorra. For one, he was clearly not a hollow but then... he must have been the man who became the hollow whose identity was most dominant as the menos that become the Espada Ulquorra was created.
Still, the man shouldn't be here. As Ichigo focused more carefully on him, it seemed to him that his mind began to clear and he realised that the man standing in front of him was just the attendant from before. His mind worked to put two and two, together. The imprint of Daisuke had taken over the body of the inn attendant, reacting to Orihime's imprint from her past life and was about to play out that which Orihime from back then most wanted to forget.
Because Ichigo had been born from Shinigami parents, Kurota's imprint - assuming Kurota had left behind an imprint was no more. There was no evidence that Lord Hayami left behind an imprint, so whatever is going to happen, will happen between the three of them. But what is going to happen? What did Orihime from back then wanted to forget so badly that she cast aside her memories?
"Orihime," said Ichigo, turning his attention to her, "What are you doing here? What are you trying to do?"
"I..." whisphered Orihime, "I want to protect you!" she cried as tears stream down her face, "Kurota-kun is always protecting me. Risking his life for me, suffering and suffering! Kurota-kun, Kurota-kun even had to kill his comrades, warriors he had fought besides for years and years so that he could come rescue me from Hayami-sama. I had only returned to Hayami-sama to protect Kurota-kun! Protect him and keep him safe but... Kurota-kun... I don't want Kurota-kun to get hurt anymore! I don't want Kurota-kun to fall prey to Hayami-sama's game!"
"Too late for that isn't it," commented Daisuke casually, "He's here and by my calculations, you will be suffering pain and agony about..." Orihime screamed as her body contorted in pain, "now!"
"Orihime!" screamed Ichigo as he held Orihime's whithering body, "You bastard! What did you do to her!" he demanded.
"Once again, I am a poisoner, what do you think I did to her," wondered Daisuke sarcasticly, "Both of you ask such redundant questions."
Orihime screamed, "Orihime!" cried Ichigo, turning his attention back to her. He felt so powerless! What could he do? What should he do? Should he try to force "Daisuke" to give him the antidote? Was there even an antidote for this poison? If there was, surely Kurota would have forced it out of him... unless Kurota was stopped by Lord Hayami and his men, maybe... but no, that wasn't it. Why did Orihime want to forget this? Was it just because of the pain she suffered?
Ichigo looked into her eyes and saw that they were focused entirely on him and that's when he realised what THAT Orihime had wanted to forget, "Orihime," whispered Ichigo, "We are not helpless anymore. You are not helpless and you have protected me. Shielded me, healed me. So shield me again Orihime and protect me, protect me from the pain of watching you die!"
At Ichigo's words, Orihime's hairpins triggered. Ayami and Shun'ō materialised and enveloped Orihime and Ichigo with their shield, "The pain is fading," exclaimed Orihime.
"Do you want to forget me, Orihime?" asked Ichigo.
"Of course not!" cried Orihime.
"Then remember me," whispered Ichigo, "Remember me and our time together, not only in this lifetime but all the lifetimes we have spent together and I know there has been more then one. No matter what era I am born in, no matter in what form. I will always love you. Won't you always love me?" wondered Ichigo.
"Kuro... Kurosaki-kun," whispered Orihime.
Ichigo smiled, "Welcome back, Orihime," with that he kissed her.
Suddenly, a man's scream rent the air and forcefully drew Ichigo and Orihime's attention to the other person in the clearing, the person whose presence they had forgotten. The inn attendants body crumble to the floor as a translucent image of the Daisuke hovered in the air for a moment before dissipating. "What..." started Ichigo.
"That particular imprint was merely reacting to Orihime-chan's," explained Isshin, who took that moment to make his presence known, "With Orihime-chan's imprint safely absorbed back into her soul, it didn't have the necessary catalyst to maintain itself."
"Is that safe?" wondered Ichigo.
"Not really," said Isshin, "It couldn't do anything this time but I wouldn't call it safe. However, we can't do anything about it."
"Can I do something about it?" wondered Orihime, "I can reverse events."
"You still need something to work-off," said Isshin, "The most dangerous things about imprints is that they don't exist in a manner that is tangible."
"So we have no choice but to leave it be," whispered Orihime.
"For the time being yes," replied Isshin, "When we return from our holiday, I'll contact Urahara. Shinigami cannot destroy imprints but there are kido spells that'll ensure that the imprint can't possess humans easily. That should limit the damage it can do," he explained, "Now, shall we return?" he asked. Ichigo and Orihime nodded, and the three of them headed back.
"So," asked Isshin after a bit, "Did you learn anything?" he wondered.
"Yes," replied Orihime, "I learnt that no matter how many lifetimes I have, I will always have one love!"
Disclaimer: I own nothing!!
Word Count: 5237
Rating: M 15+ (some angst, minor graphic description of violence)
Summary: Orihime and Ichigo learn of a past lifetime they shared together.
Author’s Note: Written for H e a r t as part of the FLOL Holiday Exchange.
"Why did I agree to this?" Ichigo wondered out loud.
"But it'll be fun, Kurosaki-kun," said Orihime, "I have never been to a onsen! I am really excited!"
"Why don't you want to be here?" wondered Isshin, suddenly turning around to glare at his son, "I am being so generous! Taking the whole family to a winter onsen vacation and to a Ryokan famous for being haunted!" Behind the wheel, Karin sighed as Yuzu, who was sitting on the other side of Orihime in the back seat looked exceedingly excited.
That just served to irritate Ichigo more, "So what if it is haunted! It just means you have to Konso something!"
Isshin sighed, "You are such an idiot," said Isshin, "Plus that are just waiting to be Konsoed can't "haunt". You should know that better then anyone. It takes a lot of energy for Plus to make themselves be seen by humans and if a Plus was regularly materialising themselves in front of the living, their konso would become top priority for Soul Society. Likewise, if it was a hollow, which being made of denser reiatsu can interact with the living environment, then not only would it have been causing a violent disturbance but again, Soul Society would be dispatching it asap. No, what's at the Ryoken is something a Shinigami cannot deal with."
Ichigo was shocked, "What... what sort of thing can't a Shinigami deal with?" he wondered.
Isshin gave him a serious look and replied, "An imprint."
Ichigo blinked, "An imprint?" he repeated.
"What's an imprint?" wondered Orihime.
"When a person dies. they often leave behind imprints. Imprints are the memory that a soul has experienced in their life but for one reason or another, don't want to carry with them to the next. They... separate themselves from these memories at the point of death, so that the Plus that results has imperfect memory of their lives as a human. When they are konsoed, they often arrive in Soul Society in the body of children, remembering little - if anything at all, from when they were alive. Choosing, if you like, to lose even more of their memories," explained Isshin.
"Why... why would they do that?" wondered Ichigo.
"That depends on the life they led, the memories they experienced," replied Isshin, "Alternatively, they just wanted a fresh start. But sometimes, it is the will of the Soul King at play. I mean, haven't you ever wondered why Shinigami who come from Rukongai, never speak about their life as living human beings?" asked Isshin.
Both Orihime and Ichigo were stunned speechless, "Rangiku-san," started Orihime after a bit, "Said that she was a child in Rukongai and didn't really count days before she met Gin-san. She said days before meeting Gin-san all bleed together but she didn't have any memories before Soul Society. So I assumed that she was like Kuchiki-san and came to Soul Society as a baby. So it would make sense for her not to remember."
"No, Rangiku and Gin both, choose to cast aside their memories when they died and were reborn as children when they got to Soul Socity," said Isshin, "I should know, I am the one who konsoed them," revealed Isshin, much to the shock of both Ichigo and Orihime.
"You are talking as if they were together when they died," exclaimed Ichigo.
Isshin didn't answer directly, instead he said, "Remember something Ichigo, souls with strong bonds are bound to find each other and the only way to get rid of an imprint is to reunite it with the soul that cast it aside. But that in itself is very dangerous because the imprint can take over and control the individual. That can cause a chain reaction and lead to other imprints in the area, which don't have host souls, to find host and recreate that which the individual most wanted to forget."
"Why are you telling me this?" wondered Ichigo, "Is there something I should know about the imprint that's in this Ryoken?"
Isshin smiled a goofy smile, "No clue! Actually I don't even know if there really is an imprint at the Onsen. Since I don't know if the hauntings are real."
A vein popped-up on Ichigo's forehead, "Then why the hell did you tell us about it!"
"Just broadening your knowledge," replied Isshin, "At any case, if the Ryoken really is haunted, then it is haunted by imprints. The cast off memories of some long ago event that are waiting to be reunited with those that cast them away."
"What beautiful mountain scenery?" cried Yuzu as she jumped out of the car.
Orihime followed her out, smiling broadly. Orihime had not taken two steps when suddenly she distinctly heard a voice that sounded exactly like hers cry out in delight, I have found you!
"I booked us three rooms," declared Isshin when they arrived at the onsen, "One for Karin and Yuzu, another for Ichigo and my soon to be daughter-in..." Orihime lurched forward.
"Orihime!" cried Ichigo, grabbing hold of her, "What's the matter?" he demanded.
"Sorry," she whispered, "I just got a little dizzy for a moment. Sorry to make Kurosaki-kun worry."
"Don't say that," chimmed in Isshin, "You'll be his wife soon! Wives are suppose to make husbands worry! That's their job!"
"Just shut up already," said the exasperated Ichigo before returning his attention to Orihime, "Are you sure you are okay?"
"I am fine, I just got a little dizzy for a moment," she said with a smile.
"Dizzy you say?" said Isshin, "Any other symptoms? Like morning sickness, cravings..."
"She's not pregnant and since when is dizziness a sign of pregnancy?" demanded Ichigo.
"Fatigue is a sign of pregnancy," protested Isshin.
"Fatigue is also a sign of a five hour drive," Karin pointed out sarcastically as she grabbed her bag and headed inside.
"What she said," Ichigo barked, "Come on, Orihime," said Ichigo with a smile, "Let's see if this place is really worth what they are making dad pay."
This really was a nice place, Ichigo thought as he soaked in the hot spring. He was glad he came. It was good to have a chance to be with his family. Afterall, following his marriage, he and Orihime were going to move to Okinawa. That was quite a distance away and would mean he would see his family far, far less. But the opportunity he was offered was good and the job Orihime had secured was also great. They would both do well in Okinawa. Ichigo just wished he could pack-up his family and move them there too! That, however, was not possible. His sister had just started University and his father had no intentions of closing his clinic and starting over. It was a little sad but all this was part of the process of growing-up. All he could do was...
"Excuse me sir," said a man dressed in the uniform of the Ryokan, "I am sorry to disturb you but are you Kurosaki Ichigo-sama?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Ichigo, wondering why the Ryokan employee was asking for him by name.
"I was told to pass this message to you by your sister Karin-sama," he said and handed Ichigo a piece of paper. It contained only one line, Ori-nee has fainted.
"Orihime!" cried Ichigo has he barged into his room with his father in toe, "What happened?" he demanded as he knelt down next to the still unconscious Orihime.
"We are not sure," said Karin, "We were having fun in the hot spring when she suddenly got a distant look on her face. She got out of the hot spring and almost ran out naked! By the time Yuzu and I got out to follow her, she had collapsed in the dressing room!"
Ichigo turned to his father, "What's wrong with her?"
As Isshin started to examine her carefully, Orihime suddenly woke-up and gazed at Isshin with unfamiliar eyes, "Who are you?" she demanded in a voice similar but still different from her own, "Where am I?"
"Ori... Orihime," whisphered Ichigo, "What..."
Orihime turned to Ichigo and her eyes widened in surprise, "No!" she cried, "No! Why are you here?" she wondered, "I returned to protect you! To free you from my burden! Then why," she asked as tears filled her eyes, "Why is Kurota-kun here? Why have you fallen into..." Orihime wavered, "...trap..." was the last word she said before fainting again.
"What's going on?" demanded Ichigo, turning to his father, "What's wrong with Orihime?"
"Well," replied Isshin in a measured tone, "It would appear that the imprint that haunted this place belonged to Orihime-chan."
He didn't really want to leave Orihime's side but he had to get away and think. His father had unloaded a lot of information on him. I swear I didn't know the imprint was Orihime-chan's. His father had assured him. If I had known, I never would have brought Orihime-chan here.
She seemed to recognise me, Ichigo had pointed out, Does that mean, my imprint is here somewhere? Ichigo had wondered.
Assuming that in your past life, you had chosen to cast aside your memories and leave an imprint, the moment you were born, the imprint would have been annulled. Explained Isshin, Because you were born as my son. When a soul is reincarnated through Shinigami parents, any imprints they might have left behind are all cleansed and destroyed. This is because the very nature of the Soul changes forever. Before it was a human, now it no longer is.
Karin had then asked what Ichigo wanted to know most. She had asked how Orihime could be freed from the imprint. It's complicated, was all Isshin had said.
Ichigo sighed loudly, as he angrily kicked away a pebble, "Damn it all! How am I going to help her?" he wondered out loud.
"Umm..." Ichigo turned around to find the attended that had handed him Karin's note standing behind him, "I am sorry to disturb you," he whispered, "But... if it's not too impertinent a question, can you please tell me if you wife is okay? Should I call the local doctor?"
"It's fine," replied Ichigo, "My father's a doctor. Orihime is in good hands."
"I am glad," said the man, "My... my deepest apologies for being forward but in truth I am a history student at the local university. I work here part-time during semester and full-time during holidays. The money helps me support myself but the real reason that I took this job is because of the tragic history of this place," he explained, "It's such a sad love story and your wife has the same name as the princess involved in the story" he said in mild excitement, "That's why, that's why I find myself more curious then I should be. So... my deepest apologies for being forward," he added with a bow as he noticed Ichigo's gaze getting darker and darker.
"Tell me," said Ichigo, as the man started to leave, "About the princess," Ichigo instructed the man in a tone he couldn't refuse.
During the Kamakura Period
"Kurota-kun," cried Orihime, "We have new guests! They said they would stay for two nights," she said excitedly, "I hope they will like our inn!"
"I am sure they will," whispered Kurota, "Have they paid?"
"For the first night yes," replied Orihime, "They said they will pay for the second night when they leave."
"Well, I'll have to keep an eye on them then, to make sure they pay," said Kurota off-handedly.
"You are so suspicious Kurota-kun!" said Orihime, "It'll be alright, they seemed like nice people."
"You think everybody is nice," said Kurota, "But the world isn't a very nice place Orihime and if we don't watch-out, it will consume us."
"Kurota-kun..." whispered Orihime, "I am sorry. I must seem very naive to you."
Kurota smiled, "Not at all, Orihime hasn't had anything bad happen to her... well except for that," he said, without specifying what that was, "That's a good thing and I am glad, Orihime is the way she is," he said as he softly kissed her on her lips.
Orihime smiled, "I am happy," she said, "I am happy to be here with Kurota-kun. So happy that I glad everything happened the way it did. If it didn't, then I wouldn't have met Kurota-kun. So I am happy, that that happened"
That which had brought Kurota and Orihime together was the marriage of Orihime to Kurota's lord master. Rather, his former lord master since Kurota was now most definitely a Rōnin - having renounced his service to his master when he had opted to run away with his master's bride. Kurota had no regrets however. He would have had more regrets if he had honored his duty to his master and let him practise his sadism upon the poor girl who had been handed over to him by her clan in exchange for wealth and power.
Kurota liked to think that Orihime's parents didn't know what kind of brutal man his master was. But from little Orihime had told him of her parents, he suspected that even had they known what awaited Orihime, they would have still handed her over. As it was, thou Orihime and Kurota were currently being hunted by her husband's clan, she could not turn to her own. Even if her clan had the strength to oppose her husband's clan, which they most certainly did not, she did not expect a welcome from her clan - not even a cold one.
No, she and and Kurota were on their own. They had gathered together what money they could and sold what jewellery Orihime had dared to take with her the night she escaped and bought this inn. It had fallen on hard times and was sold dirt cheap. It had been a stroke of luck that Orihime was certain heralded the coming of good fortune for them both and foreshadowed a quiet life spent forgotten in a part of Japan that was far from the stronghold of both her clan and her husbands. Little did she know that she had herself, invited trouble into their house that very afternoon.
"Are you sure it's her?" asked the man of his companion as they sat in the room they had rented.
"I am sure," replied his companion, "I was given a very exact description and she fits it perfectly. Besides which, if her so called "husband" isn't that bastard Kurota then I'll gauze my own eyes out!"
"Wait, do you know Kurota? More importantly, does he know you?"
"He doesn't know me but I do know him by reputation and sight. Don't worry, I have nothing against him and he doesn't have anything against me but he is a ruthless, blood thirsty bastard of whom we should be very careful. I mean, he was Lord Hayami's favorite for a reason!"
"It won't come to that," said the third occupant of the room, who had hitherto remained silently staring out the window, "We will not have to deal with Kurota at all. Orihime-chan is going to come quietly with us. She's going to sneak out of the room she shares with Kurota, walk out of the inn and meet us at the near-by town the day after tomorrow."
"How can you be so sure about that, Daisuke?" demanded one of his two companions.
"Because, Orihime-chan does not know me by sight but she will know my name and my mark," replied Daisuke, "She will know me to be a master poisoner and she will do all in her power to make sure my poison doesn't enter the veins of her beloved Kurota."
"But what about Kurota," insisted his companion, "He's not exactly going to stay quite about it."
"It would be rather dull if he did," replied Daisuke, "No, no, the plan is for Kurota to follow Orihime-chan. Follow her and fall into a trap from which even he can't escape. Lord Hayami plans to inflict such unspeakable torture on him that Orihime-chan herself will beg to put him out of his misery."
"Lord Hayami is one sadistic individual."
"He most certainly is," agreed Daisuke, "Why do you think that Kurota, one of his most loyal vessels, turned against him? Love alone probably wouldn't have been enough to turn Kurota into a traitor but the desire to protect the woman he loved, to save her from the cruelty and sadism of her husband, now that's enough to turn men more loyal then Kurota into traitors. Still," Daisuke went on to explain, "Kurota is a traitor and Lord Hayami does not forgive treachery. The biggest traitor in Lord Hayami's eyes right now is Orihime-chan. So he wants to make her suffer for years. Kurota on the other hand, he'll be happy simply giving a painful death."
Present Time
"The story gets progressively more bloody after that," explained the Inn attendant, "Kurota did follow Orihime and cut a river of blood to try and rescue her. They said that Lord Hayami's anger against Kurota finally out weighed the rage he felt against his wife for betraying him and instead of killing Kurota in front of Orihime, he resolved to kill Orihime in front of Kurota. To that end he had his poisoner Daisuke administer a slow acting poison to Orihime. He then let Kurota rescue Orihime and bring her back here. Lord Hayami even pretended to be in Kurota's mercy and agreed to live him and Orihime alone," explained the attendant, "It was all lies and Lord Hayami appeared here just as the poison started to take effect and Orihime lay dying in Kurota's arms. They said that in his rage Kurota turned on Lord Hayami, who had come prepared for just such a reaction and managed to subdue Kurota before he could do any real damage. He then let Kurota watch as Orihime died and then had Kurota's eyes gauged out so that the last thing Kurota would ever see is Orihime's lifeless body."
The attended sighed as he continued, "I don't know what happend to Kurota afterwards. The family who still owns this inn was given it by Lord Hayami, who of course took possession of the inn as compensation for the damage Kurota had done. There is a tale among the decedents that years after the incident, an aged and blind man came hobbling to the inn and asked to be taken to where Orihime's ashes were buried and begged to be buried with her when he passed-on, which he did a few days later," explained the man.
"There is of course good reason to believe that, that was Kurota - but he never said his name so we can't be certain," the attendant said, "Especially since Lord Hayami did regret his actions as the year wore on and attempted to repent. Rumour has it that he gave away all his possession and joined an order dedicated to the Buddhist deity: Aizen Myō-ō, in an attempt to turn his worldly lust into spiritual awakening. It is also rumoured that his sight failed him in his later years. So it is possible that he returned to this place to spend his last moments with the woman who probably would have made him happy, had he not treated her so badly that one of his most loyal vassal turned against him for her sake."
"No," replied Ichigo, "It was Kurota," he said with certainty, although he wasn't sure where the certainty came from. He also found himself walking towards a rock garden that stood not far away. Once in the rock garden, he walked straight to one of the taller stones. Crouching down, he craned his neck to gaze at some faint scratches at the base of the rock.
The scratches had once been kanji. Time and the elements had made the kanji illegible but Ichigo knew what it used to say. He just knew. He knew that once upon a time, they used to say, I failed to protect her, let me not fail again. In the next life and beyond, pleased don't let me fail again.
"Well, I can see why Orihime-chan choose to castaway those memories," commented Isshin once Ichigo had finished telling him what he had learned, "I am surprised you are beginning to remember things," said Isshin as the two of them stood at a small look out point five minutes walk from the inn, "The memory purge process is usually more through."
"I am not," replied Ichigo as he watched the sun slowly set, "Not really. It's more instinct. Just like I can instinctively walk, I instinctively knew where Kurota had blindly etched his last Kanji, while waiting for death to claim him. It's a little disconcerting, actually. But what I really want to know is how to get my wife back! How the hell do you get rid of an imprint?" demanded Ichigo.
"Fiance," corrected Isshin.
"Ha?"
"You aren't married yet," Isshin pointed out, "Are you sure you aren't being taken over by Kurota's imprint?" he asked.
"What the hell! You said that any imprints I left behind would be erased since I was born a Shinigami!" cried Ichigo, "Besides, Kurota and Orihime weren't technically married!"
"Well rules were more lax back in those days," said Isshin, "But they are very strict now! So no calling Orihime-chan your wife until you actually marry her!"
A vein popped on Ichigo's forehead, "I am going to kill you," he swore as he lunged at his father. As they two of them put-up a comical fight they were interrupted by Karin, who came running towards them.
"She's gone!" exclaimed Karin, breathlessly, "Ori-nee is gone!"
"Wha... what!" cried Ichigo, "What happened?"
"Ori-nee suddenly got-up from her bed and staggered out," said Karin, "Yuzu and I tried to stop her but she put-up her shield and we couldn't follow!"
"Put-up her shield... what does that mean?" demanded Ichigo, turning toward Isshin, "Does that mean, she's back to herself?"
"More likely, it was an instinctive reaction as the imprint tries to merge with her," replied Isshin.
"What! What will happen if the imprint merges with her?" wondered Ichigo.
"If she accepts the memories, then she'll return to normal and her memories of her past life would be like distant memories," said Isshin, "But if she fights against them, then the memories will fight back and call to other memories in the area. If there are no other memories then Orihime-chan will simply be driven crazy but if there are other memories in the area..."
"Mine... I mean, Kurota's has been erased, right," said Ichigo, "So that just leave Lord Hayami's but he didn't die here, so it should be okay. So we just have to..."
Isshin interrupted him, "What about the poisoner?" Ichigo blinked, he hadn't thought about the poisoner.
Orihime staggered through the forest, before finally coming a halt in a small clearing with a tidy pond next to which grew all sorts of plants and herbs, "Orihime-chan," whispered a man who was crouched over some of the plants, "How did you know I was here?" he wondered, "You must be so in love with me that you have developed the ability to sense my presence!" he suggested mockingly.
Orihime ignored him, "What did you do to me!" she demanded, "Everyday my body weakens. The medicine men in the village don't know what is wrong and Kurota-kun... Kurota-kun..."
"Is planning on charging into Lord Hayami's estate once again and demand answers, foolishly believing that he'll succeed in penetrating that place a second time," said Daisuke, the master poisoner, "What an arrogant and foolish man Kurota-kun is. He doesn't even realise that he only succeed in getting you back because that's what Lord Hayami wanted him to do."
"What did you do to me?" asked Orihime again.
"I am a poisoner, what do you think I did to you," he commented sarcasticly.
"But why? If my death is what Lord Hayami desired then..." started Orihime but Daisuke interrupted her.
"If Kurota-kun arrived in Lord Hayami's estate to find you dead, it would have driven him to rage in anger but now that he's taken you back, spent many peaceful, happy days with you. Has started to believe that Lord Hayami spoke the truth when he said he would leave the two of you alone..." Daisuke paused and turned to Orihime with a cold, cruel smile, "If he were to watch you slowly whither in agony now, watch you slowly die in his arms, as he stood powerless to do anything about it, that, that would drive him mad!"
Orihime drew back with a look of resolution on her face, "I am not going to let Kurota-kun watch me whither away in agony!" she said.
"Too late," said Daisuke as Ichigo came sprinting into the clearing.
"Orihime!" he cried out, "What are you doing?" he asked grabbing hold of her.
"Kurota-kun," she cried, "No! Not again! I don't want you to see this! I don't want you to get hurt!"
"What, what are you talking about?" he said, it was then that it registered in his worry filled mind that there was someone else there with them. He turned to face the man and was shocked to his core to see who he was faced to face with, "Ulquiorra!" he cried out but no, the man in front of him was not Ulquiorra. For one, he was clearly not a hollow but then... he must have been the man who became the hollow whose identity was most dominant as the menos that become the Espada Ulquorra was created.
Still, the man shouldn't be here. As Ichigo focused more carefully on him, it seemed to him that his mind began to clear and he realised that the man standing in front of him was just the attendant from before. His mind worked to put two and two, together. The imprint of Daisuke had taken over the body of the inn attendant, reacting to Orihime's imprint from her past life and was about to play out that which Orihime from back then most wanted to forget.
Because Ichigo had been born from Shinigami parents, Kurota's imprint - assuming Kurota had left behind an imprint was no more. There was no evidence that Lord Hayami left behind an imprint, so whatever is going to happen, will happen between the three of them. But what is going to happen? What did Orihime from back then wanted to forget so badly that she cast aside her memories?
"Orihime," said Ichigo, turning his attention to her, "What are you doing here? What are you trying to do?"
"I..." whisphered Orihime, "I want to protect you!" she cried as tears stream down her face, "Kurota-kun is always protecting me. Risking his life for me, suffering and suffering! Kurota-kun, Kurota-kun even had to kill his comrades, warriors he had fought besides for years and years so that he could come rescue me from Hayami-sama. I had only returned to Hayami-sama to protect Kurota-kun! Protect him and keep him safe but... Kurota-kun... I don't want Kurota-kun to get hurt anymore! I don't want Kurota-kun to fall prey to Hayami-sama's game!"
"Too late for that isn't it," commented Daisuke casually, "He's here and by my calculations, you will be suffering pain and agony about..." Orihime screamed as her body contorted in pain, "now!"
"Orihime!" screamed Ichigo as he held Orihime's whithering body, "You bastard! What did you do to her!" he demanded.
"Once again, I am a poisoner, what do you think I did to her," wondered Daisuke sarcasticly, "Both of you ask such redundant questions."
Orihime screamed, "Orihime!" cried Ichigo, turning his attention back to her. He felt so powerless! What could he do? What should he do? Should he try to force "Daisuke" to give him the antidote? Was there even an antidote for this poison? If there was, surely Kurota would have forced it out of him... unless Kurota was stopped by Lord Hayami and his men, maybe... but no, that wasn't it. Why did Orihime want to forget this? Was it just because of the pain she suffered?
Ichigo looked into her eyes and saw that they were focused entirely on him and that's when he realised what THAT Orihime had wanted to forget, "Orihime," whispered Ichigo, "We are not helpless anymore. You are not helpless and you have protected me. Shielded me, healed me. So shield me again Orihime and protect me, protect me from the pain of watching you die!"
At Ichigo's words, Orihime's hairpins triggered. Ayami and Shun'ō materialised and enveloped Orihime and Ichigo with their shield, "The pain is fading," exclaimed Orihime.
"Do you want to forget me, Orihime?" asked Ichigo.
"Of course not!" cried Orihime.
"Then remember me," whispered Ichigo, "Remember me and our time together, not only in this lifetime but all the lifetimes we have spent together and I know there has been more then one. No matter what era I am born in, no matter in what form. I will always love you. Won't you always love me?" wondered Ichigo.
"Kuro... Kurosaki-kun," whispered Orihime.
Ichigo smiled, "Welcome back, Orihime," with that he kissed her.
Suddenly, a man's scream rent the air and forcefully drew Ichigo and Orihime's attention to the other person in the clearing, the person whose presence they had forgotten. The inn attendants body crumble to the floor as a translucent image of the Daisuke hovered in the air for a moment before dissipating. "What..." started Ichigo.
"That particular imprint was merely reacting to Orihime-chan's," explained Isshin, who took that moment to make his presence known, "With Orihime-chan's imprint safely absorbed back into her soul, it didn't have the necessary catalyst to maintain itself."
"Is that safe?" wondered Ichigo.
"Not really," said Isshin, "It couldn't do anything this time but I wouldn't call it safe. However, we can't do anything about it."
"Can I do something about it?" wondered Orihime, "I can reverse events."
"You still need something to work-off," said Isshin, "The most dangerous things about imprints is that they don't exist in a manner that is tangible."
"So we have no choice but to leave it be," whispered Orihime.
"For the time being yes," replied Isshin, "When we return from our holiday, I'll contact Urahara. Shinigami cannot destroy imprints but there are kido spells that'll ensure that the imprint can't possess humans easily. That should limit the damage it can do," he explained, "Now, shall we return?" he asked. Ichigo and Orihime nodded, and the three of them headed back.
"So," asked Isshin after a bit, "Did you learn anything?" he wondered.
"Yes," replied Orihime, "I learnt that no matter how many lifetimes I have, I will always have one love!"