Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Overpowered and Overwhelmed ❯ Less Nicknames ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Tite Kubo owns Bleach.  I just borrowed the characters.  I make no money from this work.

"I don't know what to do." The words were spoken by the person pacing up and down in an agitated manner.  She was tall with tanned skin, long dark hair and an impressive presence.  "Nothing like this has happened before."

'What hadn't happened before,' the girl wondered.  Nothing like this had happened to her before, that she could remember but her memory was a little unreliable at the moment.  She noticed she was sitting with her feet raised by a stool so she could sleep or recover from her faint, or whatever it was.  Someone had said something to her and she didn't remember what it was.  She knew it was important but couldn't recall anything about it, and was unsure if she wanted to remember.

She didn't know where she was and couldn't recall how she had arrived here.  She was in a room with a desk, some chairs.  The walls appeared to be made of paper and the room reminded her of some of the places she had visited with what she thought was some type of school group.  To one side of the room was a small table with a simple, yet perfect flower arrangement and a scroll with some calligraphy and a picture of a stream flowing down a mountain, created by masterful brush strokes.  The walls were white, the floor appeared to be tatami matting but the desk and chairs seemed to ill suit the rest of the room.  There was even a filing cabinet with one drawer partially opened.  A sort of modern office created in a traditional Japanese room.  It made no sense.  Then again, very little had made sense since she awoke.

"No, it hasn't.  Which is why we are involved as we are meant to be capable of handling unusual situations," the person sitting at the desk replied.  He was leaning back staring at her as if expecting her to do something.  

Lowering her eyes she hoped one of them would tell her where she was and what was happening but their words indicated they were as confused as she.  Perhaps even more confused, if that were possible.

"It interferes with my afternoon snooze but Yama Jii insisted, as he always does," the man at the desk said with a sigh and shrug of what seemed feigned resignation.

"Rukia Kuchiki has a memory of her from her time in the real world, but it is sketchy at best and limited to some events which overlap others, but  she cannot recall a name.  The Assistant Captain of the 11th Division remembers her very well but no one can corroborate her memories," the woman pacing back and forth said.  "For a moment, I thought I remembered her but other memories of the same time indicate that I must be wrong.  Both memories cannot be correct."

The man standing in the corner who hadn't spoken until now finally said, "And the line of people waiting for admission to Soul Society has increased beyond any expectations.  The number of Hollows has fallen significantly, or so our sources indicate and we have no explanation of that.  There is some concern there may be a distinct imbalance between the number of Hollows and souls.  We all know what that can mean."

Orihime didn't want to remember standing in the line.  The thought of it upset her.

The man behind the desk made a face and sighed again.  "This hasn't happened since..."

"A long time," the woman cut in quickly with a glance at the girl.  "And the number of people who claim to be Captains has increased, though we have no record of any of them even being considered for Captaincy as  there have been no vacancies.  Even my Assistant Captain has some vague memories of being in charge of my Division.  Captain Unohana has confined Assistant Captain Aizen  and will not allow any contact, as he appears very confused.  Confused and violent.  Captain Ichimaru was called in to assist in restraining him.  Even my former third seat is experiencing difficulties with his memory and the memory of a creature he believes he released from the Maggot's Nest.  I wonder if it is due to the amount of time he spends in the human world running that strange little shop.  He really should relocate here permanently.  The creature in the Maggot's Nest is also claiming he should be released."

The three 'strangers' stared at each other, as if waiting for one of them to offer a solution.  

"Retsu couldn't attend as she has too many people experiencing problems.  4th Division is in turmoil as too many people appear to have identity confusion," the quiet man said.  "She may be able to shed some light on this, or maybe not."

"For some reason all these memory problems appear to originate from the time of all these new arrivals, but why?  What makes this girl different from the others?  Why do some of us have such strange images and partial recollections of a different life?"  The woman shook her head and then sat in another chair, facing the desk, draping her legs over the arm.  "I seem to recall living in the human world for a long period of time, but that isn't true.  I only visited."  

The man sitting at the desk, tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling.  "Mass hallucination?  Drugs in the reiatsu?  The collective unconscious is disturbed by the planetary alignment?"

"None, or all," the quiet man said with a chuckle.  "Or something else.  What can we do?  The Seireitei is not functioning at full efficiency with so many people having problems.  We cannot draft a number of mental health specialists to assist us urgently but I think we should talk to both Rukia Kuchiki and Yachiru Kusajishi.  This young lady may be able to assist us with an answer."

The woman nodded firmly and swung her legs down as she prepared to rise to her feet, "After being questioned extensively on their own, it is believed they can tell us no more.  They are waiting outside, though Yachiru had to be bribed by sweets.  Is there anything she won't do for the promise of Konpeito?"

The quiet man laughed again.  "Many things, but occasionally she may promise to do them but immediately forget once she has received her sweets.  Her memory regarding promises is as long lasting as the sweet taste in her mouth."

While he spoke, the woman had walked to the door and opened it.  "Come in," she said to whomever was waiting outside.

The two females, one with short dark hair and the other, considerably smaller with hair almost pink in colour, who entered the room seemed slightly familiar to the girl, but also as if they were complete strangers.  The dark haired girl looked at her and frowned slightly.  The clothes she was wearing appeared  wrong.  Instead of the black and white costume in which she was clothed, the girl recalled her in a school uniform, a yellow dress, a t-shirt with a picture of a rabbit, but she questioned these images.  Were they real, or images produced by an overburdened imagination?

The small pink haired girl did appear to be wearing the clothes associated with her but she seemed to be lacking something... or someone.  A large man with spiky hair and an eye-patch.  She'd caught a glimpse of him earlier before she'd fallen asleep.  Why did she think they should be together?

"Big Boobies," the small girl said and ran to her hugging her while slyly pulling her hair.  "Why do I remember you and no one else does?  Ken-chan says he remembers you very well, but I don't believe him.  I'm sure he remembers you better than most others, but not as good as me.  He is very bad at lying and I hate it when he lies to me.  Why is he lying to me?  You remember me, don't you?"  She spoke very quickly with a strange urgency to the words.

"I think I do," she replied uncertainly.  "Is my name really Big Boobies?  It seems a strange name..."

The little girl pulled away from the hug and laughed.  "Of course it is..."

"Assistant Captain, please forgive my interruption," a deeper and huskier voice said, "But that cannot be her name.  It is a name you made up for her."

The 'Assistant Captain' stopped smiling and glared at the young woman who'd spoken, the girl with dark hair she nearly remembered.  "Stop acting like your boring brother, Rukia.  I call her Big Boobies..."

Even though she knew she shouldn't interrupt, the sense of relief in finding out her name wasn't 'Big Boobies' overcame her.  "Thank goodness.  What is my name?  Please tell me, Assistant Captain."

The young girl turned to her and grinned.  "Not Assistant Captain.  You call me Yachiru and you are Orihime."

Orihime?  It seemed to be familiar but she was sure there was another name she was sometimes called.  "Do I have a last name?"

A spark of mischief glittered in Yachiru's eyes.  "Inuit?  Imhotep?  Inoue? One of those.  I can't remember which."

The three names confused 'Orihime'.  The second one sounded odd, but the other two were slightly familiar.

The woman with the long dark hair came and stood next to Yachiru and smiled down at her with a similar mischievous glint in her eyes as she held out a paper bag.  "If you are not a little more helpful, Yachiru I will give the Konpeito to Omaeda.  He likes to eat."

Again a quick anger appeared on Yachiru's face.  "Not fair, Captain Cat.  That man eats everything and he'd eat all my lollies up, if he had a chance."

A gurgle of laughter came from the man sitting at the desk.  "Yes, we will ask him to come here now and give him all the Konpeito we have if you do not answer the question."

"Her name is Orihime Inoue, if you must know.  She is from the human world and is friends with Rukia and Ichigo.  Why doesn't anyone remember Ichi helping us out?  Or Potato?  Or Spectacles?  Now do I get my sweets?"

The lady handed over the bag and Yachiru exclaimed, "There aren't many here."

"If you don't want them..." 'Captain Cat began and Yachiru immediately stuffed a handful of sweets in her mouth and began crunching them noisily.

'My name is Orihime Inoue.  Who is Ichi?  I think I remember but I'd hate to be wrong,' the girl thought.  

The girl with the short dark hair who must be Rukia, spoke.  "Ichigo.  A noisy boy with orange hair?"

"Ichigo isn't noisy and he's nearly a man!" Orihime surprised herself by saying.   A wealth of emotion accompanied her outburst and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment and something else she didn't want to think about.

"But he is noisy.  I like him being noisy," Yachiru said as she crunched some more of the sweets she'd been given.  "And he keeps falling over his feet, and doing silly things."

A small frown showed on Rukia's face.  "I remember a noisy orange haired boy who can see spirits in the human world.  He was mainly annoying as he seemed to attract Hollows too often.  What about him?  He seemed to like fighting, other boys, mainly."

Yachiru sat on the desk and sighed, her chin resting on both fists.  "You really don't remember?"

"None of us remembers everything, Assistant Captain.  Most people are confused by their memories, including me," the man sitting behind the desk said.

"It's because you're not trying, Shunsui," Yachiru said, pertly with a wicked expression on her face.

"Captain to you, squirt," he said agreeably.

"Don't call me squirt of I'll think of another nickname for you," Yachiru threatened.  Orihime did not doubt that she would carry out her threat.

The man went slightly pale at the threat, making Orihime aware that perhaps 'Big Boobies might not be the worst nickname she might be given.  "Worse than Rçsu no pechikôto?"

"Hey, I shortened it to Resu," Yachiru replied, with a show of concern.

"Which is certainly 'Less'.  I liked that name, Lacy," the quiet man said with a small smile.  A long look from the other man didn't quell him and his smile grew.  "Who would know that a simple name would have such an effect."

"My sweet Nanao didn't like it.  She said it was undignified for a Captain to have the nickname 'Lace Petticoat' and 'Less' is not more," the man at the desk seemed very unhappy.

The woman with the long dark hair laughed.  "Your sweet Nanao doesn't like your cheap ladies' kimono, your laziness, your drinking, your womanising, your hat and your many other bad habits and her reaction to your nickname upset you even more? Or her reaction to her nickname?"

"Yoruichi, you don't understand.  I'm used to her disapproval of so many of my habits.  Most of the time I can ignore her comments and continue sleeping but add one more to the mix and she becomes slightly irritating.  She furrows her brow and purses her lips at me.  I even did some paper work to placate her!"  the man sounded sincere in his statements.

"Paperwork!" the quite man exclaimed with mock surprise.

"Oh, be quiet Jushiro.   Just because you're a paragon of all the virtues a good Captain is meant to have doesn't mean I have to be like you," Shunsui said, his formerly laid back persona evaporating.

Orihime only paid partial attention to the conversation as she began to piece together some of the recurring images and words in her memory together.  There were some things which didn't seem to fit.  Some of the images seemed fuzzy, like barely remembered dreams.  Others were in a place she had trouble placing.  Had she ever visited the moon, or a desert?  Had there been a series of group dates which went horribly wrong?  No, those were very fuzzy and must be a long, very detailed and involved dream.  Her head sunk down further as he cheeks reddened even further at the memory of being alone with 'Ichigo' in a bedroom.  Or even worse, living through the same few hours over and over again.

"Big Boobies, wake up.  Resu is asking you a question," startled at the tugging on her arm, Orihime raised her head and looked at 'Shunsui'.

"Enough of the 'Resu', Yachiru or I will tell your Captain," the man threatened.

Everyone else laughed.  "That won't help," Yachiru said, grinning widely.

"Think of a better threat," Jushiro added as he nodded in agreement.

"Ken-chan likes my nicknames," the girl said proudly.  "He says they make people seem less important than they think they are."  

The dark hair man groaned and ran a hand over his stubble.  "Stop making jokes about it.  Lace Petticoats and Less.  It's demeaning."

"You think you're more important than you are because Banana is always reminding you of your position," Yachiru said.  

The girl wondered who was Banana and why she had such an unfortunate nickname.  Was she yellow, bent or what?  The conversation was amusing but she still had no idea where she was or why she was there.

"Yachiru, be quiet.  Let me ask my questions without your constant teasing.  Any more teasing and no more sweets," the dark haired man said firmly.

"But..."

"You can tease him later, Yachiru," the woman with the long dark hair said with an amused smile.  "I have another bag of lollies here if you agree."

"Lollies?  Give them to me.  Ooooh, there are lots more," the pink haired girl said, snatching at the sweets and immediately filling her mouth.

"Now she is quiet, would you tell me what you remember?" the dark haired man asked.

Orihime looked at him in wonderment.  "What do I remember?  About what?"

"Everything," he asked urgently.

"Now Shunsui, don't be hard on the poor child.  Be specific.  Ask one easy question at a time so she has a chance to answer," the man with the grey hair said, gently chiding with a look of quiet amusement on his face.

"You ask the questions, then," 'Shunsui' replied falling back into a chair and closing his eyes.  "I didn't want to be here in the first place.  Nor do I like asking questions.  You get answers that lead to more questions."

The other man sighed gently and shook his head slightly.  "I agree to ask the questions but only because the girl looks worried and needs gentle handling.  Hello, Orihime.  I am Jushiro Ukitake, Captain of the 13th Division of the Gotei 13.  You are in the Seireitei, not that the name will mean anything to you."

Orihime bowed politely and said, "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."  She was unsure of the protocol of the situation but it seemed wise to be polite.  It seemed that this man might ask questions she may be able to answer.

The man bowed slightly in return, his long hair sweeping over his face.  When he was upright again he brushed the hair back.  "Orihime, what is the last thing you remember?" the question was gently asked.

She opened her mouth to answer and then stopped, confused.  "I don't know.  I think I remember things, but I am not sure."  

The man frowned and then tapped his finger on his chin.  "You didn't remember your name.  You don't recall anyone here.  What is the last vivid dream you had? It might seem like a dream but it might be a memory."

Orihime thought about the question.  It was a good question but very hard to answer.   "I remember being in a line..."

"I'm sorry.  I meant what do you remember before standing in the line?" he seemed slightly embarrassed at having to rephrased the question.

That was a lot harder and the memories kept shifting.  She closed her eyes, trying to focus on anything important. "I remember a white, dark, cold place. Many people, strange, unhappy people who seemed to hate life."

The man listened intently and seemed to consider her words very carefully before he said anything else. "How can it be white and dark?  I think I know where you mean,  but how did you get there?"

It was a good question and one she couldn't answer.  "I don't remember."  She didn't.  A vague idea of a room in a love hotel came to her mind and she blushed at even being inside one, but nothing else.  A flash of green but nothing more.  "Green?" she queried.

"White, dark and green?" the woman with the long dark hair laughed.  "Colours.  Why shades and colours?  Nothing more substantial than strange people."

Orihime felt her shoulders slump.  This made her think she was a fool but her memories or dreams were confused.  Colours were odd, but it had been cold as well: physically as well as emotionally.  She missed someone.  Someone important to her.  Ichigo?  She felt a touch of warmth in her heart when she thought of the name.

The dark haired man opened his eyes.  "Yoruichi, be kind.  All of us are having trouble with our memories but none, it seems, as much as our young friend."

"Why, her? We all remember our names, but she has trouble with remembering everything."    Yoruichi asked.

Until now the girl with the short dark hair had remained silent.  Now she spoke.  "Orihime.  Every time I hear that name I think of the human school and trying to act like a normal person but I never went to school.  In the dreams or memories, you tried to help me."

"Of course I did, Rukia.  You are my friend," Orihime said and then gasped.  She didn't really remember Rukia, or did she?  "You were friends with Ichigo, so you became my friend?"  Why was she questioning what she was saying.  It seemed true, but could it be false memories.

Rukia frowned, as if she were concentrating hard on trying to remember something.  "Ichigo again.  Are you like him?  Can you see ghosts?"

The question stumped her.  Ghosts weren't real, but for some reason she remembered seeing things other people couldn't, but they hadn't looked like ghosts.  They had been very strange; modified versions of the strange people who had been in the white/dark/cold place.  Yet that memory must be wrong because Tatsuki had been threatened and hadn't been able to defend herself.  Tatsuki was the strongest girl she knew, while she, Orihime, was weak and as her friend, Tatsuki had protected her.  She felt like crying.  Her memory seemed to have layers.  One which was the ordinary things like going to school, studying and doing the normal things a teenage girl did.  There were other memories which had to be wrong.  Orihime knew she was a normal teenage girl, but why was she here?

"Isn't the question a little redundant now?" 'Yoruichi asked.

Orihime wondered what she meant.  She remembered someone, a man whose eyes appeared to be shut, wearing a white coat telling her something while she was standing in line, but couldn't clearly remember the words.  It was very important but the more she thought about it, the less she could hear the words.  The man's lips were forming words, but his lips barely moved.

"I think my subordinate is asking does Orihime remember if she could see ghosts in the past," the gentle captain corrected.

The words distracted her from her confusing and slightly upsetting thoughts. "I don't know," Orihime said.  "What does a ghost look like?  Does it have a hole in it somewhere?  Or some sort of bone plating?  Or is it a wispy see through thing? Or not?"

The dark haired man gasped slightly and Yoruichi looked at Orihime in surprise.  "Why do you ask if it has a hole in it?"

Thinking about it, she wondered.  "There is a strange, dream like image of a thing with a hole in it who was trying to hurt my friend.  But it was a dream."

The people in the room looked at each other, some with raised eyebrows, some with frowns.  "You only remember one?" Rukia asked.

Closing her eyes, Orihime tried to remember, but the harder she thought, the vaguer the memories were.  "I don't know.  Please, I don't know.  I am so confused.  When can I go home?"

Rukia cleared her throat and coughed slightly.  

"Did you wish to say anything," the older woman asked.

"She has to know sometime," Rukia suggested with some deference.

"What do I have to know?" Orihime wondered.

"Later, Rukia.  She was already told and we know how that ended.  We need to find out as much as we can as soon as possible," Captain Ukitake reminded her.  "Memories fade and it seems Orihime's memories are fainter as time passes."

"We need to find out as much as we can," Yoruichi said and bounced to her feet.  "We could try a modified kido to help her recover her memories and I know just the man who can help."

Without saying anything else she left the room.

"I don't know if it will work, Jushiro," Shunsui said slowly as he sat up a little straighter.

"Ken-chan doesn't trust Kido, or Kendo but I think he likes Karate," mused Yachiru.  "Is Kido any good?"

"If used correctly," Rukia offered.  "Why do I think of Captain Tessai using a broom?  I have never seen his do menial tasks."

"He will if there is need," Captain Ukitake said, "as should all Captains.  Being in an advanced position should not mean you forget that once you were like everyone else."

"I like sweeping but Baldy complains when I do, 'cause he always gets in the way.  He says I chase him with the broom, but he gets in the way," Yachiru said with a giggle and smile.  Orihime guessed that Yachiru did chase the man with a broom because she found it funny.  She wondered if the man enjoyed the game as well and used the complaints to make certain she kept playing the silly game with him, or if he was really tired of being teased in that manner.  

"Yes, Assistant Captain.  We are all sure that Third Seat Madarame purposely gets in your way when you are sweeping," Shunsui said dryly, his disbelief obvious.  "But we are straying from the point.  Orihime, try to remember things without forgetting anything you do remember."

How was she meant to do that?  Her head was beginning to ache behind her eyes and she wanted to shut them, for a moment only.  A moment to recover her calm and rest her eyes.  Then she would be able to keep trying to remember.  A few seconds of not trying to remember, not being questioned, not even being 'Orihime', but being a person in a moment without thought, action or fear, because that was the thing she was trying hardest to ignore.  She was scared.

It wasn't only the unfamiliar place, the strangers who she thought she might know and who thought they might know her, the strange events that had occurred since she found herself in the long line or the need/desire/want/longing she felt to see someone, one specific person.  

"I'm sorry, Miss Inoue, but now is not the time for sleep.  We need to make notes of as many of your memories as possible."  The quiet voice of the 13th Division Captain shocked her into opening her eyes, regretfully.  "I think I sense the arrival of  Captain Tessai and his usual method is to start work immediately."

"Work?  How does he work?  What is kido?" she asked, hoping for an answer but not expecting one.

"It is a talent that only some people can wield," Rukia said distractedly.  "Very few can master all the forms, but Captain Tessai has that ability."

"He is here now.  Let us see if he can assist us," Jushiro said, trying to make the furrow which had formed on his brow disappear.

It seemed the Captain was not as convinced by this solution as Yoruichi.  Orihime wondered how that made her feel.  Even more worried, it seemed.


Author's Note
This story was not dead.  It was resting after a long squawk and it did not fall off the perch... or if it did it will be hard to receive an admission of truth.

The translation of any English to Japanese was taken from Google.  If it is wrong, please let me know and I will make the correction.  

Rçsu no pechikôto is supposed to mean Lace Petticoat.  The only translation found for Resu was Less which amused me.

'Potato' in this case is Chad (Chad is from America.  Chat potatoes come from South America... Work it out from there.)

Please review.

MS