Chapter 9: The Soul Society
"Have you ever seen a zanpakuto like this before? It's massive! What kind of reiatsu does this guy have?" I hear a voice say.
I groan as I open my eyes, It looks like I'm in some kind of old Japanese style room with those paper screened sliding doors. I see beds to my left and right as I slowly sit up.
"Captain Unohana! He's awake!" a woman to my left shouts out. I lazily look left and see some people in Soul Reaper clothes staring at me.
I blink a few times before I recognise that name. 'Unohana!? The squad four Captain!? The hell's going on here?'
"It would seem we were taken to the Soul Society," Zangetsu tells me. I'm surprised as he's standing to my right, earning gasps from the medics and other people.
"Zangetsu? What's going on?" I ask him.
"The shinigami detected the Menos as well, but only arrived just at the end of the battle. They brought you here for questioning I would assume," he tells me.
"So I'm a prisoner?" I ask and look around; I can see my Zanpakuto on a table hooked up to some wires. "HEY! What are you doing to Zangetsu!" I yell at them and try to get up, but only succeed in falling off the bed. "OW! BUGGER THAT HURT!" I yell in pain as I don't seem to have the energy to move.
A couple of the medics pick me up and put me back on the bed again. "Please keep still, you're still suffering from the strain you put on your body," the young woman tells me.
"What are you doing to my zanpakuto!" I demand and try to get up again.
"Nothing harmful I can assure you, we're just trying to get some readings from it, please just lie down, you're in no danger I assure you," a woman to my left says. I look and see Unohana herself walking over to me. "It's just that in all our records... we've never encountered a living shinigami before," she tells me... So I'm not a spirit then?
I just frown and relax, my muscles are burning and I can't bring myself to move them. "Alright, so why was I brought here? I think you know I'm not from here," I ask her.
"That is why we brought you here, shinigami are born and trained here, how you managed to become one in the world of the living in another world and still be alive is a mystery," she replies.
I sigh and look at the ceiling before a horrifying thought enters my mind. "Oh Jesus Christ! Don't let Mayuri anywhere near me!" I yell in panic and try to get up again.
The medics hold me down as the Captain speaks up. "How do you know Captain Mayuri?" she asks me with a raised brow.
I just stare at her wide eyed with thoughts of what that sick bastard would do to me. "I know a lot more about this place then you would think or believe," I tell her.
It seems she understands the reason of my fear. "Do not worry, I will personally guarantee he will not touch you. Now, I need you to swallow this pill and drink some water, it'll help your reiatsu to recover," she tells me and glances at Zangetsu. "I take it you are his zanpakuto?" she asks him.
"That is correct," he replies.
"And I take it since you can materialise on your own that this young man has achieved Bankai?" she asks next.
"Yes, though he still needs more training," he replies. I just groan, it's like I'm not even here.
"Now then, I've been told to help you recover and once you're fit to walk, to bring you to Head Captain Yamamoto," she tells me.
Wait... Yamamoto wants to see me... That'll be interesting or terrifying.
"Fine, but I want my zanpakuto back when I can get up," I tell her.
"Alright, so long as you behave yourself, you are a guest while you're here," she tells me and holds the pill to my lips.
I sigh again and open my mouth where she places it on my tongue and then gently tips a glass of water to my lips. I drink the cool refreshing liquid and lay my head back down.
"Now then, please just relax while the medicine takes effect, I'll be back in an hour," she tells me and walks away.
"So... You can just pop up whenever you want now?" I ask Zangetsu.
"Yes, but I shall not do so often," he replies and fades away.
I look around again and notice they're all still staring at me. "What?" I ask them with a frown.
They seem to shake themselves out of their stupor and go about their work. I wince as my body feels sore, but I can feel it lessening as the medicine begins its work.
Twenty-Three Minutes Later
I move my arm around noting only a dull ache remaining, the medics have been mumbling to themselves ever since they hooked me up with wires fifteen minutes ago.
"This makes no sense, how can he be alive yet dead at the same time? It's not possible..." a skinny looking man says and glances at me with a sheet of paper in his hands. "He can't be both, it isn't possible."
I grumble to myself as they talk about me like an experiment, the door to the room opens and I start shitting myself.
'Oh shit... it's Kenpachi! No no no no, so much nope.' I think to myself and hope he's not here for me.
"Where's this shinigami I've heard of who took down five Menos?" he asks the medics.
'What're you taking about? It was six dammit! I still could have finished the last one off myself... I think.'
"He's still recovering, Captain Kenpachi sir," a medic tells him.
"So? I want to meet the guy," he says and then looks at me, and grins.
'Shit shit shit shit,' I keep repeating in my head.
He walks over to me and grins. "So... You're the one who took out the Menos?" he asks me.
I chuckle nervously. "Erm... Yeah, that's me," I reply.
"Huh, you don't look like much, but I can tell you have potential. So how about it? Once you recover, you join my Squad? I'm sure we'll have lots of fun together," he offers with a grin.
"Yeah! Squad eleven is the most fun!" his lieutenant Yachiru says over his shoulder.
"I'll think about," I reply. 'Nope nope nope.'
His grin is still there. "Huh, what's your name?" he asks me.
"Ichigo Kurosaki..." I reply. Jesus am I close to pissing myself.
"Ichigo, good name. I'll be seeing you later, Ichigo," he tells me and walks out the door.
"See ya, Ichy!" Yachiru says to me just as they leave.
I shiver once I release the breath I didn't know I was holding. 'Not even a week out of stone and I've gone through more then I did as a rock...'
'I like him!' Bob says with glee.
'Of course you would,' I reply. 'I just hope no one else walks in...' I reach down and open my bum bag and get my phone out... That's strange, there's a number on my contact list.
I press dial and hold the phone to my ear, it's ringing.
"Hello this is the Urahara Store, my name is Tessai Tsukabishi and how may I help you today," a deep voice answers.
"Urahara!?" I shout stunned, why do I have his number!?
"You wish to speak with the owner?" he asks and his voice sounds fainter. "Owner! There's somepony on the phone for you!" he shouts out, somepony?
I hear the sounds of wood on wood, probably Urahara's wooden sandals. "Hello? This is Urahara speaking, who may I ask is calling?" Holy shit, it really is him!
"Erm hi, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki," I reply.
"Ichigo? Well, what can I help you with Mr. Kurosaki?" he asks.
"Oh nothing really, I just found your number on my phone and called to see who it belonged to..." I tell him.
"I see, might I inquire your profession sir?" he asks.
My profession? Like my job? "I'm a Soul Reaper," I reply.
"Ah I see, then I may have some products that just might interest you. Should you ever find yourself in Canterlot's market district, look for my store and I'll offer you a good deal. I'll be looking forward to your visit, goodbye for now," he says and hangs up.
I just look at the phone with a grin, oh I am sooooo gonna visit him. I look around and notice they're all staring at me again.
"Now what?" I ask them. A woman walks up to me and tries to take my phone away. "Hey! Hands off!" I tell her.
"You will return Rukia's Soul Pager right now, I don't know how you got it, but we will not tolerate you stealing," she says.
"Oi! This is mine actually. Go find Rukia yourself and see, It may look similar but it's not hers!" I tell her with a frown and defiantly put the phone under my back and lay on it. 'Ha! Try and get it now!'
She frowns back and leaves, I'm guessing to go and confirm it.
Great, I was ecstatic finding out I could meet Urahara... but she just soured my mood again.
I quickly put the phone back in my bag and sit up, I'm feeling much better now, so I stand up and stretch.
"Sir, please lay back down," a medic tells me. Good god is this getting annoying.
"I feel fine now," I reply and roll my neck. "Just slightly sore is all." I say and sit on the edge of the bed.
"Fine, but please just wait on the bed until the Captain returns," he tells me.
"Yeah, sure... So, what are the results of the data you got from me?" I ask with curiosity.
They all look at each other, debating on whether or not to tell me. "Well..." a young woman starts. "It appears your body is unstable. You're half alive yet half dead..." she tells me.
"And is that a bad thing?" I ask with worry.
"Yes, if it continues to decline... You could die, or even cease to exist," she tells me.
'Oh that's just peachy.' "So how long until that happens?" I ask.
"We're not sure, a year? Maybe two?" she replies. "But we may have a solution," she tells me.
"And that is?" I ask.
"We... Erm... 'Kill' your living half and turn you fully into a spirit and give you your own gigai or..." she says.
Well I'm not ready to 'die' just yet. "Or what?" I ask.
"We could super charge your spirit and try to force your body to repair itself, making you human again," Unohana replies as she walks in, her lieutenant right behind her. "Though the process is quite painful," she tells me.
"So, I can either die and be a full spirit, or get painfully zapped and be human again... but would I be able to use my Soul Reaper powers as a human?" I ask her.
"If we give you a mod soul that would keep your body safe while you became a spirit, then yes," she tells me.
"What about a Substitute Combat Pass?" I ask.
Her eyes widen for just a second before her expression returns to normal. "That could work as well, you wish to be a substitute Soul Reaper then?" she asks.
"Sure, if it means staying on your good side, then I'm all for it," I reply. No way am I letting a mod soul use my body, all the trouble Kon caused for Ichigo and the one Rukia has is just a nut job. Hell knows what kind of personality the one they give me would have.
Unohana and her lieutenant look at each other and then back at me. "We shall ask the Head Captain when we meet him, are you well enough to walk?" she asks me.
"Yeah, I feel fine now. That pill worked wonders," I reply and stand up.
"Good, then let us be on our way, the Head Captain has been anxious to meet you," she tells me.
"Alright," I say and get my zapakuto, it wraps itself back up and I place it on my back. "Let's go, I'm kinda looking forward to meeting the old man myself," I tell them.
They send out a hell butterfly first and lead me out of the building.'So, this is the seireitei?' I think to myself as I look around; Clear blue sky, clean looking buildings and Soul Reapers going about their business. We even pass by some practising Kido!
I even saw some ponies, gryphons, minotaurs, and zebras walking around, some with shihakushō and zanpakuto's as well.
It takes us thirty minutes to walk all the way to the Head Captain's room, I find myself getting nervous looking up at the doors leading to the old guy who could burn me to ash in an instant. 'Why did I agree to this?'
'It's because you're an Idiot,' Bob tells me with a chuckle.
'I won't argue with you this time,' I reply.
The door opens and Yamamoto's lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe greets us. "Captain Unohana, I see our guest is well, the Head Captain is ready to see him now," he says and lets us in.
I follow behind and freeze when I enter... all the Captains are here, even that creep Mayuri! Wait... Is that Aizen? "So this is the boy who stopped the Menos, that's a rather interesting looking zanpakuto he has," Captain Ukitake says.
"Erm... Thanks?" I say and glance at Aizen briefly. 'Did he put the hollows in Celestia and Luna?' I wonder.
"Where are your manners! You are only to speak when spoken to!" Mayuri tells me. "Unless you'd like to offer yourself for my research? I've heard about that oddity of a body you posses, it will be fascinating trying out figure out how it happened," he tells me.
'Oh fuck no.' "You can go fuck yourself you creepy bastard, no way in hell I'm letting you touch me!" I tell him and then clamp my hands over my mouth. 'Fuck! I forgot these guys are really strict with their rules and shit.'
"You insolent piece of trash! I'll enjoy taking my time pulling you apart," he says and draws his zanpakuto.
'Again, so much nope.' I still feel sore but I grip my own zanpakuto still on my back and hold my left hand over my face. I pull my hand down and summon my mask and glare at him, making the Captains go wide eyed and grip their swords. "If you think I'll just let you push me around, you better think twice," I tell him in a distorted tone. 'What the fuck am I doing!?' I tell myself.
A loud sound of wood hitting the floor gets my attention. "That's enough! The both of you!" Yamamoto tells us.
My mask instantly crumbles off and I stand up straight and look forward. "Yes sir!" I quickly say. Bloody hell, he's a lot more intimidating in person.
"While I am interested in that mask of yours, I've asked for you to be brought here because we have never heard of an incident like this before. What is your name?" Yamamoto asks me.
"Ichigo Kurosaki," I reply.
"And tell me, how did you become a Soul Reaper and get that mask?" he asks me.
"Well... It wasn't how you would normally become a Soul Reaper... I come from another world, not Equus... I was sent to Equus through means I don't understand and woke up as a Soul Reaper with a hollow in me, with no memories prior to that..." I tell him.
"A hollow? And how has it not devoured your soul?" he asks.
"I defeated him in my mind and I can now call on his power, he's also my friend now," I tell him.
"Oh? And tell me, how is it you achieved Bankai without us detecting you?" he asks me.
"Erm... When I arrived, I was lost and confused. I found my way to a small town or city of ponies and met their Princesses, but... I was possessed by my hollow and they had to seal me in stone to stop me. I was awake the whole time for the last thousand years while training with Zangetsu and Bob within my mind until I finally broke free," I reply.
"Bankai? This outsider who also plays host to a hollow has attained a Bankai?" Byakuya says with a raised brow at me. Oh great, is he going to give me lip just like on the Anime?
"Yeah, and? I may only be able to hold it for a minute or two, but I'm still training dammit," I reply.
The Captains all look around at each other. 'Yeah... I wouldn't believe me either.'
"That is quite the tale," the old man says.
I sigh. "Thought you wouldn't believe me," I say.
"Oh no, It's not that I do not believe you, we have seen the Princesses of Equestria seal another creature in stone before. His name was Discord if I remember correctly," he tells me.
'Discord? I'll have to ask the Princesses about that later.' "If you know about Equestria, then why haven't I seen or heard of other shinigami in the area?" I ask.
"We tend to leave the Equestrians to their own devices with only a few pony shinigami to watch over them, hollow rarely plagued their lands due the the high amount of positive reishi on their world. Their Princesses have also removed the few hollows that attack them as well, except for today's incident, but their souls still find their way here for rebirth," he tells me.
"So what happens now?" I ask.
"That is still up for debate, will you pose a threat to us due to the hollow within you? Or become a unique ally?" he asks me.
Unohana steps forward and looks at Yamamoto. "Head Captain, Mr. Kurosaki has already told me he would like to be a substitute Soul Reaper with his own combat pass," she tells me.
The Captains talk amongst themselves again, Yamamoto taps his cane on the floor loudly getting the others to go silent. "I see, so you would come to our aid should we request it?" he asks me.
"Errr. Yeah, I guess so. I'm already slaying hollows in Equestria," I reply.
Silence, for a whole minute the room is silent. "Very well," he finally says. "We shall issue you a combat pass, I take it you have your own Soul Pager correct?" he asks.
I open my bumbag and pull it out. "Yeah," I reply.
Captain Ukitake then walks over to me. "May I borrow it for a second? I wish to add the communication centre's number to your list," he says.
"Err, sure," I reply and hold it out for him.
"Thank you," he replies and enters the number, he then calls it. "This is Captain Ukitake, I'm performing a test for a new substitute Soul Reaper... Yes... Yes... Thank you," he says and hangs up. "Here you go, should you need to contact us, just dial that number," he tells me. I take my phone back and the combat pass he gives me.
"Thanks, so I take it I'll just slay hollows and perform Soul Burials for now then?" I ask.
"For now, unless we'll require your assistance," he replies.
"Alright, I can do that," I say and put my phone and pass in my bag.
I glance at Aizen again and he's still looking at me... This time with intrigue, I really hope he's not a bad guy here.
"We will be keeping an eye on you, Ichigo Kurosaki. Do not disappoint us," Yamamoto says.
"Yes, sir," I reply with a bow.
Mayuri just glares at me while grinding his teeth, I look at the other Captains and see Kenpachi grinning even wider at me again...
I then notice Unohana walking over to me. "Follow me and we can go about fixing your body," she tells me.
"Um, sure, lead the way," I reply.
I follow her back to the squad four building and into a room with a chair in the middle and two large metal balls on either side. "I take it those balls will be what zaps me?" I ask.
"Correct, please take a seat and we'll begin," she tells me.
I place my zanpakuto against the wall and sit down on the chair as lieutenant Isane straps me in and holds a cloth to my face. "You may want to bite down on this," she tells me.
I just groan. 'Aw shit, it's really gonna be that bad?' I open my mouth and she places the cloth inside, I bite down and wait for the inevitable.
I watch as a pony walks in with a clipboard held in her magic as she picks up a folder from a cabinet and leaves.
"Alright, we're ready. Brace yourself, Mr. Kurosaki, this will not be pleasant," Unohana tells me.
I frown and get ready for whatever pain I'm going to feel.
I hear a spark at first, and then nothing but searing pain coursing through me. I bite down hard as I feel tears leak out of my eyes. 'Jesus fucking Christ! Aaaarrrggh, nnnngh. Fuck fuck fuck! Okay! I'm done now! Make it fucking stop!' I yell in my mind as I struggle to get out of this blasted chair.
After a minute of constant pain, it stops.
"What?" Unohana says in confusion while looking at a monitor.
I spit out the cloth and look at her. "What?.. What's... wrong?" I ask between gasps.
She looks over a piece of paper with data on it. "Well, the bad news is, you're not fully human," she tells me.
"Ooookay, and what's the good news?" I ask.
"Your body and spirit have somehow stabilized each other, you're now a human with Soul Reaper powers... Some foreign energy signature merged with the reishi we were pouring into you," she tells me.
"So I'm basically the same still, but stable?" I ask.
"Yes," she says.
I smile. "Works for me!" I say cheerfully. At least I don't have to go through the hassle of going in and out of my body like Ichigo himself has to.
"You're fine with that?" Isane asks with surprise.
"Sure, less hassle really," I reply.
"Can you please stay seated while I run some tests to make sure you are truly stable," Unohana tells me.
"Okay," I reply and just lean back and wait as Isane unstraps me.
After a few minutes, she speaks up. "Well it seems you are perfectly fine now, Whatever this energy was, it stabilized you," she tells me.
"Wonderful, by the way, when can I go back?" I ask.
"Back where?" she asks me.
"To Equestria," I reply.
"Oh, we can go now if you'd like," she says.
"Yes please, it's not that I don't like it here, it's very nice, but I ain't hanging around for that Mayuri creep to dissect me or Kanpachi to start a fight," I tell her.
"I understand, since we are done here then, let us head to the senkaimon and send you back. I'm sure your friends must be worried," she tells me.
I'm standing in front of the senkaimon with a hell butterfly and two Soul Reapers, both ponies, as guides next to me.
"Thanks for all you did for me, Unohana. It was a pleasure meeting you," I tell her and hold my hand out.
She takes it and shakes lightly. "Likewise, Mr. Kurosaki. You've caused quite the stir around here, Mayuri has locked himself in his lab and is very unhappy that he couldn't experiment on you," she tells me and lets go.
I shudder violently at the thought. "Well I'm not sorry for that, that guy is sick and bloody creepy. I'm just staying away from him for as long as I can, I'd rather fight Kenpachi then see him again," I reply.
"ICHIGO!" ...Oh no...
I look behind me and see Kenpachi and Yachiru running towards me, still with that grin. "Nope nope nope SOOooo much nope!" I say as I start panicking. "Nice meeting you all! Lovely place you got! But I'm outta here! Let's go fellas!" I say to the two Soul Reapers next to me.
I run ahead through the senkaimon and the shinigami follow behind. "ICHIGO! COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME!" Kenpachi says already holding his sword.
"FAT CHANCE!" I yell back and run down the Dangai, the Parsing World. 'Oh god, this looks so nasty,' I think to myself looking at the dark purple almost black walls that look like they're melting. I follow the two shinigami and after a while, I'm back at the park in Canterlot.
"Thanks guys, see you around!" I say to them.
"No problem, goodbye," the mare says as they both go back.
I take a deep breath and sigh, well... that was an adventure. Hopefully not one I'll repeat anytime soon.
I return to the Castle where the guards let me pass this time and Luna is instantly asking me questions.
"Ichigo! Where hast thou been? After we evacuated the park and alerted our sister, we returned to find thee and the hollows missing!" she asks me. "We feared the worst..." she says with a sad expression.
I pat her on the shoulder with a smile. "I'm fine, I was taken to the Soul Society where they asked me a few questions and even fixed a problem with my body," I tell her.
"Soul Society? We have never heard of such a place... wait, what problem?" she says and asks.
"Really? Because not only were there other humans, I also saw ponies and other races there too. Also my body was unstable due to whatever brought me here, and they fixed it," I reply.
She looks at me wide eyed and then looks at Celestia. "Did thou know of this, sister?" Luna asks her.
Celestia looks a bit worried. "No, I did not. Ichigo, I need you to tell me as much as you can about this Soul Society," she tells me.
"Errr... Alright," I say and explain to her the purpose of Soul Society and what they do.
"I see, so they regulate the souls of Equus and your world while stopping the hollow, and you're now a substitute Soul Reaper?" she says and asks.
"Dunno about my world, I doubt Soul Reapers and hollows ever existed there. Maybe it's another version of Earth? Who knows," I say. "And yeah, I guess my job for now is slaying hollows and helping the dead pass on," I tell her.
"Well, in any case, I am happy to see you are safe and healthy. I believe we shall wait until tomorrow at three in the afternoon for our lessons, Ichigo," Celestia says.
I yawn and cover my mouth. "Yeah, I'm a bit tired after that fight and everything else, you have no idea how hectic it is over there," I tell her. "I'll be off to Ponyville then, I'm feeling a bit hungry, see ya later," I say and wave goodbye.
"Fair thee well, Ichigo!" Luna calls back.
I leave the Castle and make my way to the edge again, I fight back another yawn and jump off, much to the surprise of some ponies.
I increase my speed and make it back in about five minutes, I land near the orchard and jog to the farm house where I can feel Applejack's reiatsu.
I knock on the door and Applejack answers it. "Ichigo! Ah heard about what happened in Canterlot! They said ya just disappeared after some giant demons attacked!" she tells me.
"They're called hollows remember? And I kinda did, I'll explain later, but right now everything is alright and I'm hungry!" I state and my stomach rumbles just to make its point.
"Alright, but ya better explain it over supper!" she tells me.
I was about to head in with her when a small portal with some kind of void or space behind it opens next to my head.
"What the fu... OW!" I yelp as something comes through and hits me in the face.