Chapter II
Setting Out
The day is almost over. The sun is setting, illuminating the schoolyard with a bright orange glow. Ichigo is sitting on the gates of the Karakura High School. Chad, Rukia, and Orihime are with him.
“So that’s it then,” Ichigo stated. “We’re going to Silent Hill.”
“I’ll go,” Chad announced.
“Me too,” replied Orihime.
“Then it’s settled,” Ichigo said. “So, Rukia, tell me. How much does the Soul Society know about this place?”
Rukia sighed, “Virtually nothing. We only know where it’s located, due to the constant overflowing spiritual pressure.”
“When do we leave?” Orihime asked.
“Tomorrow morning,” Rukia answered. “the rest of our group will meet us halfway.”
“Who else is in it?” Ichigo asked.
“I don’t know. They didn’t tell me either,” Rukia said, regretfully.
“So how do we get there?” Chad wondered aloud.
“We walk,” Rukia said, matter-of-factly.
“What?” Ichigo exclaimed. “Can’t we use a Senkaimon?”
“That only transports you to and from the Soul Society. That can’t take us to Silent Hill from here,” Rukia answered.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Ichigo said.
Confused, Rukia asked, “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Ichigo started. “Why can’t we take a Senkaimon to the Soul Society, and then use another Senkaimon to get to Silent Hill?”
“Because,” Rukia answered. “The massive amount of spiritual pressure is interfering with the Senkaimon, disabling us to take it to Silent Hill.”
“But I thought that doesn’t matter,” Orihime asked.
“Normally, you’re right,” Rukia said. “However, this spiritual pressure is,” she paused. “Twisted.”
“What do you mean twisted?” Ichigo asked.
“It’s not normal!” Rukia snapped. “I’ve never been to Silent Hill, so how would I know?”
The sun is getting lower, and the sky became darker, causing the air to become chilly.
“It’s getting late out,” Chad pointed out. “We should get a good night’s rest before we leave tomorrow.”
“He’s right,” Rukia agreed. “We’ll meet here tomorrow morning. Kisuke will tell you when.”
“All right,” Ichigo said, getting up. “See you all tomorrow.”
They all withdrew to their respective homes, and slept peacefully until the dawn awoke them.
* * *
The dawn crept through Ichigo’s window. Even so, that could not wake him. His window was open, letting in a cool breeze. Kon was sleeping on the windowsill, quite contently. From out of nowhere, a red, water balloon like object flew through his window, slamming into Ichigo’s closet. As the red liquid exploded on the closet door, words formed:
THE TIME IS NOW
Ichigo continued to sleep. A few minutes went by with no sound emitting from the outside. Ichigo tossed in his bed, turning over and finding a more comfortable position in bed. Another balloon slammed just beneath the last:
GET UP ICHIGO
Still, he slept on, completely ignoring the instructions that dripped from his wall. Finally, a third ball flew in, at a much lower velocity, slamming into Ichigo instead. He awoke with a jolt, sitting straight up in his bed, which was covered in red glop. “What is this crap?” he yelled, wiping the red stuff off of his face and out of his hair. It was sticky and thick, like blood. Not even Kisuke would do something as weird as that, right?
Ichigo got out of bed, staring at the destroyed, red mess that used to be a bed. He scratched his head, unsure what to do next. Finally, he noticed the messages on his closet door. “Wait,” he thought out loud. “How does he know if I’m awake yet?” he looked out his window, which Kon was still sleeping calmly. “Is this guy stalking me?”
Even so, Ichigo grabbed Kon from the windowsill, holding him from the leg, upside down. “Wha?” Kon said, drowsily. His eyes blinked open as he stared at Ichigo. He grumbled as he was forcibly woken up. “What do you want, carrot-top?”
Smirking, Ichigo replied, “Yeah, well, guess what? You’re going to be a carrot-top for a few days.”
Now interested, Kon asked, “What do you mean? Are you going somewhere?”
“Yeah.” Ichigo took out his combat pass and pressed it to Kon’s head. A small, green pill fell from the now lifeless stuffed animal, and to the floor. The plush toy hung limp from Ichigo’s hand. Ichigo picked up the pill from the floor, and swallowed it. His soul was forced from his body, leaving Ichigo in his Soul Reaper uniform, called a Shihakshô. Ichigo’s body was not limp; however, as Kon’s soul now inhabited it.
“Make sure you attend all my classes,” Ichigo instructed, moving towards the window. “And if I find out you harassed any of my classmates, like last time, you’re in a world of plush toy hell when I get back, you got that?”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Kon asked, slyly.
“Kon!”
“All right, I get it!” Kon raised his arms to show no hostility. “Where’re you going, anyway?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Kon replied, irritably, “What do you mean ‘don’t worry about it’? I’m part of this team too! Rukia may be gone, but that doesn’t mean it’s all you! I need time to shine too!”
“Would you settle down?” asked Ichigo. Sighing, he explained, “If it’ll make you feel better, then fine. I’m going to a town called Silent Hill.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have time to explain it to you right now, Kon.”
“And why not?”
“Because I’m already late,” Ichigo replied as he jumped out his window, landing safely on his feet down below. He then began running to school through the dimly lit streets. The grass smelt like fresh dew as he ran past his neighborhood. His own house faded away into the darkness behind him.
When Ichigo arrived, Rukia, Kisuke, Orihime, Chad, and Uryu were all there, waiting for him by the gates of the high school, like last night.
Kisuke Urahara is a tall man with shaggy blonde hair, with stubble on his chin. He was wearing a green hat that shaded his eyes completely, along with a long, dark green robe that was left open. He also wore a tan gi underneath his robe. He carried a long cane beside him.
Uryu Ishida is also tall, but skinny as well. He has dark black hair and glasses, which he continuously repositions with his index and middle fingers.
“Uryu,” Ichigo started. “I didn’t know you’d be here. Are your Quincy powers returning?”
“Well,” Uryu said, with a hint of depression in his voice. “Not exactly. They don’t return as easily as a Soul Reaper’s would.”
So what good are you then?” Ichigo asked.
“Wha?” Uryu replied, angrily. “I can put just as much to this team as you can, Ichigo!”
Shrugging, Ichigo replied, “Okay, whatever you say.”
“Actually,” put in Kisuke. His voice was calm and intellectual. “Uryu may not have his powers anymore, but he’s right, he can still contribute greatly, which is why I thought it would be wise to take him along.”
“How so?” Ichigo asked.
“For instance,” Kisuke replied. “Uryu is clearly the most strategic and intellectual person in this group. He can compose battle plans and think clearly in a difficult situation and assess it with confidence.” Kisuke paused. “Everyone here contributes in their own way.”
“All right,” Ichigo admitted, irritated. “Let’s just get going.”
“I must warn you,” Kisuke began. “This is unknown territory. Silent Hill is an unexplored area. Not to mention the undeniable amount of spiritual pressure emitting from it.” His eyes became visible underneath his hat. The glared at the group with a felling of apprehension. “You don’t know what awaits you.”
Smiling, Ichigo replied, “Don’t worry, Kisuke. If things get too bad, I still have my Bankai.”
“I’m not doubting your abilities, Ichigo,” Kisuke continued, his eyes still visible. “But you don’t know what’s there.”
“Wait,” Uryu began. “The way you’re saying this, it’s like you’re not coming with us, Kisuke.”
“Unfortunately, no,” Kisuke answered. “I do have my shop to look after. Besides, the Soul Society may not appreciate me being there.”
“I see,” Ichigo said. “In that case, we’ll see you soon, Hat-and-Clogs.”
His hat now shading his eyes again, Kisuke replied, “Why do you call me that? You just called me Kisuke, so I know you know my name.”
“It just stuck,” Ichigo replied.
“Let’s go,” Rukia announced, beginning to walk away.
“Wait up,” Ichigo said, chasing after her. The others followed.
Kisuke stood by himself. Good luck. He thought. You’ll need it in Silent Hill. I don’t know what lies there, but if it’s got the Soul Society this alarmed, than it’s not good.
The group began their walk in the dark streets of Karakura town. An occasional bark was heard, and the constant sound of crickets filled the air. The sky was dark, with few clouds in the sky, promising good weather for the later part of the day. The repeated footsteps pounded on the ground.
The group traveled for miles as the sun got higher and higher into the sky, and the world around them became brighter. The air became thicker and hotter and the day drew on. They talked, shared stories, and played travel games to pass the time. Now they had moved out Karakura town, and been traveling on the highway. Some passengers in the passing cars would glance at the travelers, but no one really thought that anything out of the ordinary was going on, considering that the Soul Reapers could not be seen, and the others which could be seen, were dressed normally. Finally, they left the highway, and were on a long roadway, with vast land, and few houses. Every so often they would pass a farm with either a young boy would be chasing chickens, or a grown man would be plowing.
“Okay, Ichigo,” Orihime said cheerfully. “Keep going!” She smiled, clearly enjoying herself.
Sighing, Ichigo replied, “All right,” he paused. “Is it bigger than a house?” He was slouching and dragging his legs.
“Nope.”
Thinking briefly, Ichigo asked, “Can you eat it?”
“Yeah!”
“Is it a steak?”
Laughing, Orihime answered, “Nope! That’s nineteen questions. You get one more!”
“Come on, guys,” Ichigo addressed the rest of the group. “Am I the only one playing?”
After a short pause, Rukia said, “Looks like it.”
“Some help you guys are,” Ichigo grumbled. “All right, one more guess, right?” He paused, thinking again. He sighed. “Is it a cookie?”
“No, Ichigo,” Orihime giggled. “It was bean paste!”
With a look of surprise on his face, Ichigo asked, “What the hell is bean paste?”
“You put it on bread and things like that,” Orihime answered. “You’ve never heard of it before? It’s really good.”
“I guess so,” Ichigo replied. “Only you would think of something like that, Orihime.” She giggled.
“Do you want to play another round, Ichigo?” Orihime asked politely. “I’ll pick something easier this time!”
“Heck no!” Ichigo answered sharply. “You think of the weirdest things, Orihime.”
“I’ll play,” Uryu announced, pushing up his glasses to fit snugly on his nose.
“Yay,” Orihime cheered. “Thanks, Uryu!” She thought for a moment. “Okay,” she said. “You can start guessing.”
A pig was heard snorting in the distance, as a tractor engine was started. It roared fiercely as it was brought to life.
“Is it a person, place, or thing?” Uryu asked.
“A place.”
“Can you eat there?”
“Yes,” Orihime answered, slightly shocked.
“Do you go there regularly?” Uryu was becoming more confident with each question.
“Yes.”
“Is it the cafeteria at school?” Uryu asked, finally, sounding completely sure of him self.
Shocked, Orihime replied, “Yeah! See I told you that would be easier!” She laughed, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Staring in disbelief, Ichigo asked, “Uryu, how the hell did you guess that? You didn’t ask a single useless question!”
“Easy,” Uryu answered. “The first question you should ask is ‘is it a person, place or thing’? Then, once I found out that it was a place, I needed to know what you can do there, to get a vague idea of what it was. Knowing that she eats there, I asked how regularly, because there are a lot of places around town that you can eat. She said she goes a lot. That meant it couldn’t be an expensive place, considering Orihime relies on relatives for her food. Then I really took a guess. My next question would have been ‘is it your house?’”
Taking in all the information, Ichigo replied, “I get it. But,” he paused. “Don’t you think that was a little over the top for a game of Twenty Questions?”
“That’s why I’m the smart one in the group,” Uryu replied smugly.
“Anyway,” Ichigo continued. “I thought we didn’t have a cafeteria in school.”
“That’s because you are completely oblivious,” Uryu replied.
“Oh, yeah? Then why do we always eat our own food?”
“Because,” Uryu explained. “You never notice, but most people go to the cafeteria first, then come back to the classroom. A lot of people don’t even use it though. They either bring their own food, like Orihime, or buy food from other local markets, like you, Ichigo.”
“Damn,” Ichigo growled. “Why don’t I notice that kind of crap?”
The sun was now quite high in the sky, blazing down on the group, who had no protection from the hot rays. Orihime covered herself in Chad’s giant shadow. “Okay, Chad, do you want to play?” Orihime asked.
He remained silent. Then after a pause, said, “Not really. Sorry.”
“That’s okay, “Orihime answered happily. “What about you Rukia?” Orihime peeked over Chad’s side to get a glimpse of Rukia, who was leading the group, holding her cell phone, which made noises as it displayed a map on its screen.
Looking back, Rukia answered, “That’s not really my thing, Orihime.”
Sighing, Orihime replied, “Okay.” She paused. “So how much longer do you think we need to go?”
“Why, are you tired?” Rukia asked.
Interrupting, Ichigo said, “Think about it, Rukia. Orihime isn’t used to this kind of thing. She doesn’t have the same endurance level as the rest of us.”
Smiling, Orihime spoke up, “I’ll be okay. Honest.”
After another mile or so, the sound of the tractor had completely faded away. They traveled in silence, until Chad asked another question. “Do we actually know where we are going?”
Rukia held up her cell phone. “Of course,” she replied. “This little device has a map that will lead us to Silent Hill.” It blinked and made other electronic sounds.
“But what I don’t get,” Ichigo began. “Is why didn’t the Soul Society send that group to us first? Why meet up with us later?”
“They wanted to start the examination of Silent Hill as soon as possible,” Rukia responded. “So when they sent me to recruit you and the others, that group was already on route. They won’t begin until we meet up with them, but they can properly prepare while they’re there, and maybe scout out the outskirts of town.”
“What do you mean the ‘outskirts’?” Uryu asked. “I thought they were going to meet us halfway.”
“There’s more than one person in the group,” Rukia replied. “They have men that can mobilize. I’m sure they sent men ahead to scout it out, while others wait for us.”
“How many are going to be in that group?” Chad asked. “It sounds like a lot.”
“I’d imagine it would be,” Rukia replied. She stopped for a second, checking her map on the cell phone.
“What’s wrong?” Ichigo asked.
“We need to cut through here,” Rukia answered. “She that in the distance?” She pointed to the side of the road which was just vast land. When they looked closer, they could see in the far background was a shadowy forest.
“I see it,” Ichigo said.
“All the way over there?” Orihime groaned.
“It won’t be that bad,” Uryu reassured her.
The group walked towards that forest, quickly reaching it, although to them it seemed to take forever. No matter how many steps they took, it seemed like it wasn’t getting any closer. Eventually, they did actually reach it. They stepped through the first brush of trees, enveloped in darkness. Although it seemed that way at first, once their eyes adjusted, there was actually a surprising amount of light hidden within it. It glowed with a beautiful glow, shining beauty on every inch of the forest. Butterflies flew among each other, as leaves fell from the trees above. As they walked inside, the farm and the road quickly became invisible to them, as did the sounds of the farm.
“Now that we made it this far,” Chad began. “Why don’t we take a break? We haven’t even sat down since we left town hours ago.”
“He’s right,” Rukia agreed. “Let’s at least sit down.”
They found a small clearing, completely shaded, with nice, soft moss covering the ground. They all sat, relaxing. The sun’s rays could no longer reach the group at all. The trees fully protected them.
“It’ll feel good to rest,” Chad said, exhausted.
The group stayed under the trees for a while. A little longer than Rukia would have wanted, but their muscles were very much rejuvenated. Not fully, but they had some energy again. The cool trees made them all feel relaxed, as the rested their sore legs.
“I guess I should have worked harder in physical education,” Ichigo laughed. “Man, I hate to say it, but I’m not too hyped about getting up again.” He paused for a moment. Then stared at Uryu. “Hey,” he began. “Give me one of those sandwiches.”
“Huh?” Uryu asked, confused.
“I know you’re carrying one of the backpacks with food in it. Give me some, I’m starving!”
“No way,” Uryu replied, sharply. “You became a spirit being once you left your body. You don’t need food to survive, like the rest of us. So save it for the people who actually do need it.”
Angry, Ichigo snapped, “What’re you talking about? Soul Reapers need to eat too!”
“Yes, but,” Rukia interrupted. “That’s because we are in our normal bodies. We have no need to use our spirit beings, unless we are in the world of the living, so no one else can see us. So we do need food, but you, Ichigo, need to become a spirit being to be a Soul Reaper. So you don’t actually need the food.”
“Oh, I see,” Ichigo replied. “So only I don’t get food? Whose side are you on, Rukia?” His voice rose, and got angry. “Well that doesn’t seem right to me! Give me some food, dammit!” He reached for the bag next to Uryu, which Uryu managed to grab before Ichigo did.
Scowling, Ichigo said, “Would you just give me the damn bag?”
“Ichigo,” Uryu scolded. “Don’t you listen? We just explained this to you!”
“Like I care!”
“I can’t take this,” Rukia said, getting up. She began to walk away, as Ichigo chased after her.
“Wait, Rukia,” Ichigo pleaded. “Where are you going?”
Angry, Rukia snapped, “Why do you need to know?” After a pause, she answered. “I’m going over here.” She began to walk towards a large tree.
“Why?”
“Do you really want to know?” Rukia asked.
“I guess, why not? It’s kind of suspicious, if you ask me,” Ichigo replied.
Blushing, Rukia answered, “If you must know, I’m going to the bathroom!”
Ichigo blinked, embarrassed.
“Do you want to know any other personal information about me? Want to know my birthday? Or maybe you’d be more interested in my bra size?” Rukia walked off in a fit.
Returning to the rest of the group, Ichigo thought to him self, damn, she gets so angry. I was actually worried about her, but I guess she just needed to use the bathroom. He paused. Then started thinking again, this time out loud. “Actually, I never hear her talk about herself, now that I really think about it. I could care less about her bra size, but I do wonder what her birthday is.”
“It’s January fourteenth, okay?”
Ichigo turned around to see Rukia, tightening her white cloth belt to her Shihakshô. “Oh,” Ichigo said, softly. “I was actually just kidding, you know. That was quick, by the way.”
Rukia brushed past him, ignoring his comments, returning to the rest of the group. “Man,” Ichigo thought. “I guess I shouldn’t go camping with Rukia anytime soon.”
He also returned to the group, hearing Rukia say, “We’ve stayed too long, let’s get moving.”
Unwillingly, the group gathered their belongings, and continued their journey. The walk was rather uneventful, with a few birds chirping in the distance, or the quick sound of a squirrel climbing a tree. They traveled in silence most of the way, with Rukia still leading. The trees seemed to become thinner, as more light penetrated the forest.
After around an hour of walking, the group halted when Rukia put her hand up, signaling for them to stop moving. She listened into the forest for any sounds. No one else heard anything, and apparently, neither did Rukia, as she continued to listen.
Ichigo stepped forward. “What’s up?” he asked. “Is something wrong?” He spoke calmly.
Rukia remained quiet for a second. Then she said, “Someone’s here.” She glanced from tree to tree, studying them individually.
“Maybe it’s the other group,” Orihime suggested.
Rukia shook her head. “No, we would have sensed their spiritual pressure.” Leaves rustled faintly. Rukia’s ears listened intently, as her eyes narrowed. An awkward silence filled the air. It was unnerving, just standing there with a potential enemy just around the corner.
“Should we be just standing here?” Chad asked.
Suddenly, a sharp object flew through the air. Rukia nimbly dodged this, as it swiftly brushed past her face, digging itself deeply into a tree just behind her. There was no time to study the object, so Rukia just yelled, “Get down!”
Ichigo instinctively reached for his sword, but his efforts were in vein. A thin rope, invisible to the naked eye unless sunlight reflected off of it, emerged from the tree behind him, wrapping itself around Ichigo, pinning him to the tree. “Damn!” Ichigo yelled furiously. He struggled to get free, but the rope was far too strong to be broken by brute force. The more he struggled, the more it dug deeper into his skin, drawing small drips of blood.
“Ichigo!” Rukia yelled, beginning to rush to his aid. Another object was thrown, this one spun continuously through the air, heading towards Uryu.
Uryu managed to see it before it hit him, so he moved as far to the side as he could, before the impact was made. It was still able to make a deep cut into his arm. Uryu grabbed his arm, to compensate for the pain. Blood flowed vigorously through his shirt, onto his hand, and down his arm. He clenched his teeth in pain.
A shadow appeared behind the tree that Ichigo was stuck to, leaping from its hiding place. It kicked in the air, making contact with Rukia’s face before she could assist Ichigo. She was taken by surprise, as she fell to the ground. The figure was behind her now, holding a large, knife like tool to her neck. Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead. She stayed there, frozen. Not out of fear, but out of helplessness. There was nothing she could do.
The shadowed figure was now clearly visible. It was a man, wearing a green vest with many large pockets, over a black under suit. There was a red circle shaped symbol on his right shoulder, with a spiral inside. He was also wearing a headband, with an insignia in the center. This insignia was another spiral, more open this time, with a curved “L” on the left side. His hair was in an upwards ponytail, with many split ends. He also had a scar across his nose.
Orihime, taking action, yelled “Tsubaki,” She paused briefly. “Koten Zanshun, I reject!” She yelled this while holding her hairpins. They illuminated a yellow glow, as a beam of light shot out from them, traveling at extreme speeds.
The man who had pinned Rukia moved to the side the best he could, but was still struck in the arm. The light disappeared, replaced by blood, erupting from a deep gash in the man’s arm. Blood splashed onto the nearby trees, staining them red. He howled in pain, as his arm hung limp at his side, completely useless. However, he held his grip tightly to Rukia’s neck, holding the knife fiercely.
Another wire came from nowhere, quickly tying Orihime to a tree as well. Smoke engulfed Chad’s arm, revealing a black, red, and white glove which suddenly appeared on his right arm when the smoke dissipated. This glove stretched to his hand, all the way to his shoulder.
The man who had Rukia pinned opened his eyes wide. He clenched his teeth in pain at his throbbing wound. Which was still pouring blood, and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon? Through clenched teeth, he said, “What the hell are these monsters?”
Chad cocked back his right arm, as it glowed with a white energy. Suddenly, his glove disappeared before he could use it. Chad’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell to the ground. Another one of the spinning tools was dug into his back. Blood flowed into a puddle around his body.
Uryu stood in disbelief. He was still holding his wound, which was also still bleeding. I’m all that’s left, he thought. He could see Ichigo struggling as hard as he could through the wire, despite the fact that it was cutting him quite deeply. Uryu was frozen, unsure what to do.
The figure that had pinned Orihime abandoned its hiding place. With a knife in hand, it charged at Uryu at full speed. All Uryu could do was stare in the face of his attacker, as he rushed towards Uryu, with the full intent to kill him.
Ichigo was still stuck to the tree, struggling. “Dammit!” he screamed. He let out a deep yell, attempting to break the wire, with fruitless results.
Rukia stared with complete helplessness as Uryu stood still, waiting to be killed.
Time seemed to move slowly for Uryu. He could see Ichigo struggling to help, Rukia lying down, a knife held to her neck, Orihime pinned to a tree, and Chad on the ground, blood spreading around his body. Still, he could not move his legs, no matter what his mind told them to do. I can’t move, he thought. What do I do? I’m going to die if I don’t move! What do I do? What do I do…?
