Chapter 20: And the Gang's all Here Part 1
I lead the two of them to my place which the ponies in town stop and stare with surprise as two new humans are walking through Ponyville.
"So, how are you two related?" I ask them. I guess I should be calling Ishida Uryu instead as I remember Ishida is his surname.
Uryu is still having a panic attack while Chad answers. "Oh erm, we're brothers... It's strange that I can remember all we've done together to some degree, but not his name..."
"I see, well Orihime and I also can't remember our names or our past before the convention. While you two just arrived, Orihime has been here for a few weeks now while I've been here for a millennia," I tell him.
Chad looks shocked that I've been here that long while Uryu looks like his brain finally took a vacation as he passes out. Chad sighs and lifts Uryu up over his right shoulder and continues to follow me.
We make it back to my place without trouble and I open the door for them.
"Follow me, we'll put your brother in the guest room for now," I tell Chad and he nodded in reply.
I open the guest room door but stop and stare at what it has become... 'What the fuck has Rukia done!?' I shout out in thought.
The room is now pink with Chappy the bunny wallpaper on the walls, the bed quilt also has the bunny on it and she even has stuffed animals all over the place.
'I'm going to have a few words with her... I never gave her permission to do this! It's like she's moved in here for good!' I think to myself and sigh.
"Erm, Ichigo? Why is the room pink?" Chad asks.
"Rukia is my partner for this area and I let her have the spare room while she's here, this is the first time I've looked in here since then and I had no idea she'd done this..." I reply. "Just put him on the bed," I tell him.
He carefully puts Uryu on the bed and we head back down to the lounge.
"You want a drink? I have tea, coffee, soda, and plain old water," I ask him as I head to the kitchen.
"I'll have a soda please," he replies.
I grab two colt'a colas from my fridge and pop both the caps off, I give him one and then sit in my favourite armchair while he sits on the couch.
"Alright, so here's the low down. You and your brother are now in a world called Equus and are in the country called Equestria which is run by as you saw, cute adorable little pastel coloured ponies. I'm taking you both with me to Canterlot tomorrow to meet the Princesses and Urahara as something dangerous is on it's way here, we just don't know what and when exactly. So I'm going to get you and Uryu both trained so you can at least protect yourselves," I tell him.
He remains quiet for a few seconds before sighing. "And there is no way back home?" he asks.
"None that we know of... there's just too many worlds out there and no way of knowing which is ours or even our universe. We're stuck here for the rest of our lives, but I'm making the most of it, I can barely remember the convention anyway after being here for nearly a thousand years," I reply and take a swig of my drink.
"How are you still alive after so long then?" he asks sounding a bit depressed.
I tell him about my hollow's rampage and the stoning I got by the Princesses, the Displaced and everything up to now. "And that's my life so far," I tell him.
"We're not the only ones this happened to then?" he asks me.
"Nope, as I told ya, I've met a few of them already, one was even a Quincy and gave me my bow," I reply and finish off my drink.
"So where are we going to stay then? I doubt we can stay here at your place forever... and what about food and clothing?" He asks me with worry.
"I'll buy a couple of extra large mattresses for you both and set them up in my room until you can find your own place, rent for these houses are pretty cheap. I get paid by the Princesses to fight hollows here and I did get paid at the local apple orchard but the harvest is done till next season. Rukia works at a local café to help pay for rent and food, you could look for a job at the townhall, I'm sure a big strong guy like you could get into construction," I reply and tell him.
"I guess so... but... I guess our names are now Sado and Uryu huh?" he wonders aloud.
"Yup, just like Orihime and I took our characters names."
"Well, Uryu was good with computers, though I don't know if he even remembers anything about that now," he says.
"Yeah well, you better get some sleep, we're getting up early tomorrow as I'll have to carry both your asses up the mountain," I tell him and stand up stretching my limbs.
"Okay, so I take it I'm sleeping here?" he asks pointing to the couch.
"Yeah, hold on," I reply and use my shunpo to get a spare blanket and pillow for him and then open the couch into a bed. "Here you go, goodnight, we'll get breakfast in town before we leave," I tell him and walk up to my room.
"Thanks! Goodnight!" he calls back to me.
I pick up my phone and dial Luna.
"Ichigo? Is something the matter?" she asks.
"Hey, Luna. You could say that, we have two new displaced humans with us, they're both from the same anime my character is from and they also can't remember their names or much before the convention. They're both with me at my place and I'll be bringing them both to Canterlot tomorrow so you and Celestia can meet them," I tell her.
"We see, are they a threat or a danger to us?" she asks.
"Not that I can tell, they don't know how to use their powers. They're also confused and upset about being dragged here, Uryu passed out from a panic attack and Chad is depressed a bit but seems to be doing better than his brother," I reply.
"Very well, we look forward to meeting our new friends and allies. I shall inform our sister of this. We thank thee for informing us, as the foals say these days 'we'll be seeing ya later,'" she says and hangs up.
I put my phone on the bedside table and strip down to a pair of pyjama bottoms and go to sleep.
The Next Morning
I yawn and look at my phone, it's six twenty-three in the morning and time to get up and get ready for our trip up to Canterlot.
I slip out of bed and take a quick shower, I then head down stairs and start up a pot of coffee, I personally hate the stuff but Rukia drinks it and I'm sure these two might want some.
I walk into the lounge and gently shake Chad's shoulder. "Chad, time to get up, come on," I tell him.
He yawns deeply and stretches his arms. "Huh?" he says and looks up to me. "Damn, I was hoping that was all a dream," he mumbles.
"Nope, welcome to reality. Get up and go get your brother and tell him everything I told you over some coffee, I have a pot of coffee going and then after that we'll head out for breakfast after you both have a shower," I tell him and head back into the kitchen.
I watch through the doorway as he gets up and heads upstairs. 'It's Saturday today, I wonder if Orihime has the day off to join us in Canterlot...' I think to myself.
"AAAAAAHHH!" Uryu's scream echoes throughout the house.
'Holy crap! He screams like a girl,' Bob says.
'Good morning, Bob, Zangetsu... you to Hogyoku,' I say to them.
'Yeah yeah, good morning, but damn that Uryu guy has a set of lungs,' Bob replies.
'Good morning, Ichigo.' My Zanpakuto says.
'Yes good morning, thank you for considering my feelings,' the Hogyoku tells me.
'I've been wondering, do you have a name or is Hogyoku your actual name?' I ask him.
'I have no name, the Hogyoku is just what I am,' he replies.
'Hmmm, would you like your own name?'
He remains silent for awhile before answering. 'I would like that, I'd like to be called Jatsura.'
'Jatsura huh? Alright sure,' I reply.
'Thank you,' he says before going quiet.
I hear Chad and Ishida coming down stairs and into the kitchen. "Good morning, the coffee is ready so help yourselves. I'm going to go and see if Orihime would like to join us. Don't leave the house or answer the door," I tell them.
"Alright," Chad replies while Uryu just sits at the table with an upset expression.
I put my zanpakuto on my back and head out to Fluttershy's cottage.
I arrive in no time and knock on the door.
The door opens and Orihime smiles at me. "Oh Ichigo! What are you doing here so early?" she asks me.
I smile back. "I was wondering if you'd like to join us for breakfast and then go to Canterlot to help us train with Urahara, that is if you don't have work at the Hospital today," I reply.
Orihime hums in thought and then shakes her head. "Nope, I have the weekend off," she tells me.
"Great, so would you like to join us? We can get to know them better and help them get settled in," I say to her.
"Sure, just let me tell Fluttershy quickly," she replies and closes the door.
After a few minutes the door opens again and Orihime steps out. "I'm ready to go," she tells me.
"Awesome, then hold on tightly!" I warn her and pick her up.
She yelps but then giggles as I run back towards Ponyville. I arrive at my house and put Orihime down and then open the door.
"I'm back!" I call out.
Chad and Uryu are still at the table drinking coffee, Uryu is at least looking not as upset as before, I just hope we don't run into Pinkie Pie on our way out, she'd try to cheer them up with a party and that'll derail our schedule.
"That was quick," Chad replies and Uryu looks up at me.
"Well shunpo has its benefits," I say and sit at the table with them. "Well, Orihime will be joining us for breakfast and training, she'll be able to heal any injuries you might get learning how to use your new powers," I tell them.
"So we really do have Chad's and Uryu's abilities?" Uryu asks me.
"Yup, and now it's just a matter of learning how to use them and how strong you are already. I see you have his Seele Schneider sword arrow thingies already," I say looking at Uryu's waist.
He pulls one out and sets it on the table. "Yeah, these were just plastic when I ordered them, but they're metal now," he replies.
"Same with my hollow mask, it was plastic before but now it's real," I tell him and pick the Seele Schneider up. "We just got to get you to learn how to use these. I can help teach you how to control your reiatsu and channel it through you, maybe even how to form your bow like I do and unlike Ichigo from the anime, I've learnt a few kido attacks," I say and hand it back to him.
"Do we have to learn how?" Uryu asks me.
"If you want to stay alive? Then yes. Even though you don't know how to use your powers right now, I can sense strong reiatsu coming from you both, you're going to attract the attention of hollows and you'll need to defend yourself," I reply.
Uryu gulps but Chad nodded in understanding. "So why are we going to Urahara's to train? Wait, are you talking about that underground place of his?" Chad asks.
"Bingo, It's where I've been training for the last few weeks. Ten bits an hour but luckily it's not per person," I tell him.
Uryu then looks at Orihime. "So what do you do here?" he asks her.
"Oh... I work at the Hospital using my power to heal the badly injured that come in," she replies and takes a cup of coffee for herself.
"I see, that makes sense," Uryu says and sits up straight. "I apologise for my slight panic yesterday... we can say that we were not expecting this to happen to us," he says to us.
"Don't worry about it, at least you weren't dumped in a forest where a manticore tried to eat you," I tell him.
He looks at me wide eyed. "Right..." he mutters and his stomach growls.
"Well, let's go get breakfast then. I think we'll be needing to take the train to Canterlot as I don't think I can carry all three of you up there comfortably," I tell them and get up.
"Yeah, I don't think I like the idea of being dragged high off the ground thank you," Chad replies.
I chuckle and we head out into Ponyville.