~Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo~

AU/slightly OOC

Pairings: IchiHime

IshiNemu

RenRuki

The Ward

CHP 1: The Tragedy

My aunt Rangiku Matsumoto raised my brother and me ever since the death of our parents. It was a tragedy, but that didn't mean I still never talked to them. I grew up listening to the sound of my moms voice while she sang, my fathers corny jokes, their happy image, and their breath taking smiles. My aunt told me their death happened a few days after I was born.

According to my family the story went like this…

Mother had gone into labor and late one night gave birth to her second child, a healthy baby girl at 6.4 pounds, named Orihime Inoue, that's me.

My brother Sora, who at the time was seven years old, said that was the happiest day of his life. He had a little sibling to raise and protect. After staying at the hospital for another two days of recovery, my family was able to drive back home, taking there new child with them. My parents had a nursery for me built months before my actual birth and were apparently thrilled to take baby pictures the minute they stepped into the house. Waiting there at the house was my aunt Rangiku, the younger sister of my mother who at the time was nineteen. She was also a few weeks pregnant but not married. Planning to raise her first child alone, with occasional help from her sister.

Father had stayed by mother's side and held her hand ever since she went into labor. From family stories, my mother and father were high school sweethearts and were truly in love. The day they graduated high school, my father proposed and they moved in together. My parents also went to the same college and there wasn't a second they weren't apart. My father was an only child while mother had a little sister.

My parents were very close and told each other everything. My father knew she was a keeper when he told my mother his darkest secret when they were younger and it didn't change the way she saw him. When father was a child, he saw things. Things normal people didn't see, things that weren't alive, and before he knew it, he was diagnosed with insomnia. His parents thought it no big deal since he was so little, but when it got worse they didn't know what to do. The doctors thought he was crazy, so they put him in a mental home for a short part of his life. He was afraid and was only a child at the time, he wanted to be next to his parents once more so he lied and said he felt fine. Showing improvements and being cautious he ignored the "things" he saw. He didn't talk about them with the psychologist that saw him everyday and said he felt normal, claiming that the "people" no longer showed up. He was released the next day but was given a medication he was required to take everyday for the rest of his life. Ever since taking the medication, he no longer had "hallucinations".

Father was with mother the entire time she was in the hospital after giving birth. He was so happy and busy with all that was happening so fast around him, he didn't remember to take his medications for the first time in twenty years.

On the drive to our house, the rain was heavily pouring from the sky. Thunder vibrated throughout the otherwise quiet atmosphere for it was late at night and everyone except father was asleep in the car. Sora and I sat in the back while our parents in the front. Father was driving by the forest a few minutes away from our house, attempting to suppress a yawn; his efforts were futile for he couldn't subdue it. Closing his eyes for a fraction of a second and yawning, he quickly concentrated on the road once more. Opening his eyes, something or someone was standing in the middle of the road. My father panicked and attempted to dodge the object, but he ended up crashing into a nearby tree. Mother and father died on the spot but Sora and I lived. The cops came shortly after the incident and they called my aunt who ran to the area. Ever since that day, she had full custody over me and Sora, raising us both like her own.

When I was younger, only a few months old, I always saw my parents. They would talk and smile at me, telling me about there dreams and such, but only when we were alone. They were never able to physically hold me. As I grew a little older, they didn't show up for a while. When I was only a few years old I brought it up with aunt Rangiku, and that's when she told me, with pain written over her face and wiping a few tears away, that my parents were no longer alive. I knew they were still there but I never told anybody else after that because I wouldn't have known how to prove it. From a young age I knew I was the only one able to see them. The next time I saw them, I was still pretty young and my father was the one who told me about the day he and mom died. As the years went on, it wasn't just them I would see. The things or what they once were, people I think, were always around. I could never get used to it but I learned how to ignore it. Sometimes when I would be alone, I would talk to the kind ones and they would tell me there stories.

One night, when I was around the age of six, both my parents visited me. They told me that they were leaving, to a better place. They said they were always watching over me and Sora, aunt Rangiku and her baby boy Toshiro too. They said they would always watch over us, but from a different place and they wouldn't visit me anymore. Before they left, my father apologized to me. I was confused because he did nothing wrong. But then, he made me make a promise. He made me promise that I could not tell anyone about how I have seen and talked to them and all the other people like them, he said I was the only one who had the ability to "see" beyond the living. That was the last day I saw my parents and I never told anyone. I had kept that promise to this day.

Growing up, when my parents weren't there, it was aunt Rangiku who supported us. Aunt Rangiku was pregnant while I was still an infant and she raised me like a mother. Sora was always there to help too. We were with aunt Rangiku when she had her son, Toshiro. Aunt Rangiku had blonde hair, blue eyes, and smooth pale skin; she was tall and had a curvaceous body that caused many people to look her way whenever we went out. She looked exactly like my mother. They were both beautiful too and could have passed as twins. But Toshiro had blue eyes and silver hair. I was eight months older than him; Sora and I treated him like our little brother. We never knew who Toshiro's father was, nor did we ever ask and Toshiro seemed to not care.

Aunt Rangiku taught us to always be kind and to never take no for an answer, she taught us to be strong and independent. As the years went on and Sora graduated from high school, he became a handsome young man. Aunt Rangiku said Sora looked exactly like our father and from childhood memories I could see it. He was tall and had shoulder length brown hair, built and had grey eyes exactly like father. Sora graduated at the top of his class and chose to become a lawyer. I was only eight at the time and Toshiro was seven, Sora still lived with us and he began financially supporting the family. When aunt Rangiku said she could still work, he didn't let her. He said that she did so much for us, raised three children and two infants at the same time, also working three jobs, and supporting us all by herself. She worked so hard for us and even though Sora felt that he couldn't do anything to repay her, he would still try. So with all the money Sora made from his successful career of working as a lawyer, he bought aunt Rangiku a five bedroom house and a new car. Aunt Rangiku worked at a small boutique and had two other jobs while we were younger but when Sora started working she quit those jobs. Her soul purpose was caring for Toshiro and I. But Sora always knew one of aunt Rangiku's dreams was to own her own boutique, so he helped her fulfill her dreams. I remember she was so happy that day.

I grew very close to aunt Rangiku, she was a mother figure to me, but acted more like a sister and I was so thankful for her. She was there when I needed her and always gave me the best advice. Every time we went grocery shopping people would always mistake us for sisters, but unlike her I had long auburn hair and grey eyes. Aunt Rangiku said I had my mothers face and father's eyes, she said my hair was a mix of the two. She would always say that the one thing I had that was my own was my unique smile. I always loved school and learning, besides my ability of being able to see what the average person could not. Toshiro, who was like a little brother to me, was always very serious. Even though he didn't show it, he was a mama's boy and really loved aunt Rangiku. Toshiro was a kid genius, although he was a grade below me, growing up he skipped quite a few grades. Toshiro graduated high school at the age of twelve. I was only in the eighth grade at the time!

Toshiro double majored and he worked his way up to chief of police, sometimes he and Sora would work on cases together. Living under the same roof, even with there busy schedules, aunt Rangiku required them to have dinner with us ever night. I ended up graduating high school when I was 17 years old with honor roll. We were a very tight nip and close family. Toshiro and I were very close and I would question him about how his best lady friend Momo Hinamori, childhood friend of his, was doing, it was amazing because he would blush everytime!

I always knew, with the help of aunt Rangiku, I wanted to do something in my future that helped others and was a good cause. Like how Sora and Toshiro give back to there communities, I have always wanted that. That's how I made the decision of getting my major in psychology; I rushed my studies and worked hard, finally reaching my goals in only three years. I recently turned twenty and my family and I planned on celebrating it over dinner at a fancy restaurant.

I was to meet my family there after a few arons I had to run, checking the time on my phone; I saw it was 7:03 pm. Great I was suppose to be there three minutes ago. After throwing my phone in my bag I began to run to the restaurant but my heels did not help. Taking a short cut, I began to run behind the buildings and up a park path. I heard laughter but throughout the years I have learned to differentiate living humans from the ghosts I see. Taking a sharp turn around a corner, I saw a tall dark um thing. I screamed and stumbled back, I've never been so close to one. Its red eyes seemed to follow my every move. My face paled, I was afraid. I began shaking, telling myself, practically yelling at my mind to GET UP. But my legs didn't move, I was glued to the ground. I couldn't even speak. Best of all, there were no other humans around. Hey well at least now they won't see me have a mental break down. Lifting my gaze off the ground I saw it wasn't there. I tried to get my heart beat under control, and my breathing back to normal. With a shaky breath, I lifted myself of the ground and began to fast walk back to the restaurant. Little did I know, that same figure was watching my from behind a pole.

Finally reaching the restaurant I walk up to the front desk.

"Hi, I'm running late but I'm reserved under 'Inoue'."

"Of course, right this way 'mam!"

Following the short blonde waitress, we walked past a long dark hall. I couldn't prevent the goose bumps from forming. Finally reaching the end of the hall, I saw the long table that had the members of my family and a few other people.

"Orihime! You're late!" Aunt Rangiku exclaimed while she began to scold me.

"Haha, yeah I know, I'm sorry you guys!" I sheepishly apologized.

"It's nice to see you made it here Orihime, what happened? You look frightened, did you see a ghost?" Commented Sora, causing the other two people at the table to laugh while I quietly said, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you…"

"Aren't you tired of standing?" Tohiro questioned me, his comment containing a hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah," I smile and pull out the chair next to aunt Rangiku.

"We already ordered for you." Commented Toshiro. "And I asked for red bean paste so don't worry." He added.

"Thank you Toshiro!"

"Oh, Orihime! I'm so proud of you! When do you start working?" asked aunt Rangiku.

"In two days actually! I'm kinda nervous.''

"That's not a bad thing, but don't worry about it!" added Sora.

"Yeah, I've had enough talking about work today, lets just enjoy the rest of the night." Said Toshiro. Sora nodded.

"Or we could talk about your love life; tell me Shiro, how's Momo doing nowadays?" Aunt Rangiku questioned with a smirk.

We all laughed happily while there was smoke coming out of a red faced Toshiro. Enjoying the rest of the night like a normal happy family, I attempted to ignore the ghost that was making faces at Sora while the elder male ghost was openly ogling my aunt. Why can't I ever be normal?

Thankyou soo much for reading! Comments and reviews are much appreciated! Tell me if you liked the story or if theres anything you want me to add.

lovelots,

loverofliterature_111