Reunion

(A/N: Warning-- I planted secret Onion Ninja's throughout this chapter.)

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Orihime flicked her wrist and the flesh on her sleeve was flung off and scattered on the ground. She had already been attacked by several sinners and none seemed to be keen on helping her find the way out. She had to dismiss Oetsu because after walking for an hour she had already been ambushed several times. Oetsu deduced that having her bankai active, even partially, was a beacon to the tortured souls here. Since then, she simply relied on her strengthened body and the special armor provided by Hell.

One thing she discovered from fighting is that once she weakened the sinners enough, Orihime was able to summon the Chains of Hell to drag them back to their cell. Wandering around for long enough she came to the conclusion that Hell allowed these sinners to slowly break free from their bindings and gain independence. Based on her think tank, Hell was most likely allowing them some 'hope' in order to crush it. If the souls were broken too quickly, it wouldn't be providing punishment.

Although, Orihime still couldn't figure out what Hell wanted from her. Sending these random sinners back to be tortured surely wasn't it. The guardians could do that just as well. Perhaps there would be a sign eventually. Thinking along this line, Orihime was frustrated. There was not a lot of time until Yhwach invaded, and she was wasting it here cleaning up 'escaped souls.'

Orihime sat down on a large rock and began meditating. The world in her Hakusui had recovered considerably and she noticed the progress of the mirror over her ocean had increased rapidly. This was likely connected to the hogyoku's attempts to preserve her life or simply being near-death stimulated her potential. She did not know exactly how long it would take until it finished since there was no clear limit to the glass shards, but she wasn't disheartened and continued improving.

While she was focused on her inner world, she sensed another soul wandering around near her. The soul gave off a familiar signature so Orihime assumed it was one of the souls she had already defeated coming back for her. Some of the earlier souls she took out weren't recaptured by the chains and were able to reform at some of the special locations around Hell.

"Alright, no need to sneak around, I know you're th—wha—h-how…?"

Orihime's heart dropped as she saw the soul come out from behind a rock formation. He was well dressed in a suit, had medium length brown hair, and a gentle look in his eye. When Orihime saw him, she began to hyperventilate. Tears began to flow from her eyes uncontrollably. The Hell Armor opened up instinctively as she stumbled forward falling to her knees in front of the man. She gripped at his pants and sobbed.

"B—big brother… I… how… hic—hic…"

Sora reached down and gently stroked her hair, letting her cry. The last time Orihime saw her brother was after he regained consciousness as a Hollow. He removed his mask, resisting the curse, and revealing his bare soul to the Authority of Hell. Due to his extreme obsession with Orihime, the portion of his soul that would ascend to Soul Society instead stayed fused with the energy core of his soul. Once Hell detected a soul in this state, it naturally opened up and brought him to the deepest layer to be wiped clean.

However, Orihime wasn't thinking of any of these things as she was simply overwhelmed with emotion. She did not realize it, but once she advanced with her true soul and began to gather the fragments of her true self, Orihime became whole. Her past lives became part of a single continuum instead of existing as two beings. She was in an incredibly vulnerable position, but had complete faith in her brother. After a long time, she was able to calm down and look up at her brother with glazed eyes.

"I didn't think I'd see you again so soon. It seems like a lot has happened. Why don't you tell me about it?"

Orihime sat with Sora and she explained to him all of the things that happened to her since they separated. She was mostly honest, only hiding her specific thoughts during certain events. Orihime tried to cover up the fact that she knew the story and the events that would have unfolded. While narrating the story, she felt a tang of guilt by indirectly lying to her brother. Sora noticed but didn't say anything. She eventually reached the part about her battle with Yamamoto and he touched her stub of an arm with a sad expression.

The guilt was building up in her seeing how earnest and gentle he was with her. Ever since arriving to this world and becoming one with Orihime, she always felt like an imposter. She was living in someone else's body, essentially hijacking it. Although Orihime's soul had told her this was a mutual deal, she always felt like the main consciousness and that made her guilty. Since perfectly becoming one, she still felt like the one 'in control.' She looked up at Sora and bit her lip.

"There's something you want to tell me, isn't there?"

"Nn. But I'm afraid…"

"You can tell me anything. You'll always be my little sister that I will protect no matter what."

"But… what if I'm not your sister…"

"What do you mean? Even if you became a monster, you would still be my little sister. Just like when I became a monster and you still recognized me as your brother."

Hearing that, Orihime couldn't help but feel her heart wrenching. This was her brother. If anyone could accept her, it would be him. Orihime felt the huge wall she built around herself to protect against commitment and relationships crumbling down brick by brick. She looked up into his eyes and felt his warmth. Orihime bravely explained her origins.

"I… I'm not from this world. I mean, I am Orihime, but I am also not at the same time. Part of me is from a place where everything that has happened and will happen was turned into a story for entertainment. That soul was a huge fan of the story, and then one day… Well, here I am."

"I see. It must have been hard for you."

Instead of asking her any questions or doubting her, Sora simply embraced her and pat her back. Orihime, who was ready for anything, could not have predicted this. One lost her brother at a young age while the other was alone most of her life. The two together experiencing this level of trust, understanding, and warmth broke down in tears again. This time, the tears weren't simply sadness, but relief and joy. This whole time she thought that Hell chose her for a mission, but perhaps Hell was simply protecting her so that she could meet her brother.

Some ideas popped into her mind about Hell's intention, but she suppressed it for now. Orihime wanted to fully take in the experience of reunion. In this world, she lied, schemed, murdered, and betrayed without question. The closest person to her was Yoruichi, but even then, they were only close on the surface with a one-sided yearning of a person that felt like an observer to this world. She collided with reality a few times and became aware of her position, but subconsciously everything was like a lucid dream to her.

Even though she had all of these thoughts and experiences, the feelings she had at this very moment were genuine and real. All of her previous life she felt detached from the world and delved into cosplay and anime as a form of escaping reality. But when the escape becomes your reality, where can you escape too anymore? Pure and genuine emotions filled her dead soul and connected her to a new level of awareness. There were many things she realized and needed to fix. The longer she ignored it, the worse it would get.

The relationships she had been burning and problems she had been putting off were festering issues in this world. However, her intentions to fix her past mistakes stemmed from a place of sincerity. No longer does she want to count her advantages and disadvantages. In order for her to form real relationships, she needs to reveal some vulnerability. With these chaotic thoughts floating through her mind, she unknowingly fell asleep in Sora's embrace. When Orihime woke, she saw a slowly fading Sora and she panicked.

"What's happening!?"

"It looks like my time is up. My only regret was not being able to protect you until now. Seeing how strong you are, my soul seems to have released all of its grudges."

"Does that mean I'll never see you again?"

"Haven't I always been with you? Silly."

Sora tapped her on the chest as he began to fade away. Before he was completely gone, he was able to leave her with one last message.

"The power in Hell told me to pass on a message to you. 'Destroy the empty throne, champion of Hell.' And, from me, no matter what you become you will always be you. Please find happiness, for me. I love you—"

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(Author Thoughts: I have a little sister who is separated by many years like Orihime and Sora, so this scene really hits close to home for me. I feel like perhaps I have projected some of my anxieties and insecurities to the MC when it comes to how I've lived my life with inter-personal relationships. I have a difficult time letting people in and will often present a false persona. Writing this has helped me recognize the people that I've shrugged off and helped my personal growth. Take care, everyone!)