Yusuke followed Rukia out of the funeral home and through the streets of Karakura Town in silence. She was too focused on her cell phone to talk while Yusuke was too focused on what he had just seen. He'd been to funerals and wakes before, so he was no stranger to mourning. But seeing the grief on someone's face and knowing that he was the cause was something else entirely. Figures, he told himself, all my life I've been causing people pain. Why should my death be anything different?
Rukia stopped suddenly, and Yusuke walked right into her. The two of them toppled to the ground and landed in a heap. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rukia yelled, shoving Yusuke off of her. "Don't you ever look where you're going?"
"Where I'm going?" Yusuke shot back. "What kind of person just stops in the middle of leading someone without warning?"
"Nobody said you had to walk directly behind me, you moron!" Rukia shouted.
"You're lecturing me about looking where I'm going and meanwhile you're staring at your phone while walking! Hypocrite!"
"Hey, without this we wouldn't be able to safely reach the Soul Society!" Rukia shouted back. Yusuke stopped yelling as she held up her phone. "Traveling between the Soul Society and the World of the Living is dangerous," she explained, her voice now calm. "We're going to be moving from one plane of reality to another, and if anything goes wrong, we can be left trapped in the limbo between dimensions. And it only gets more complicated when you add more than one travelers' spirit energyto the equation."
"But what would that have to do with your phone?" Yusuke asked.
"Most humans have negligible amounts of spirit energy, but there are a few in your area that have more substantial levels," she answered. "This device enables me to, among other things, track strong sources of spiritual pressure. That way, I can find an area to safely create a portal away from their complicating influence."
"All right," Yusuke said, hiding his embarrassment with a nonchalant tone. "But do you have Goblin City?"
"Very amusing," Rukia said, not sounding amused in the slightest. Yusuke, half expected her to punch him again. But instead she said, "Stand back." As Yusuke took several steps backward, she held up her hands and started muttering something under her breath that Yusuke couldn't make out. When she finished, she slammed her hands to the ground impressively.
Nothing happened.
After a few seconds, Yusuke awkwardly asked, "Are you sure you're not pulling some kind of prank on me? Because if you are, it's not funny."
"Shut up and watch," Rukia snapped. "Summoning the portal takes a while, especially in areas with low spiritual pressure like this one. It's the trade off for safety."
Before Yusuke could make a retort, bright blue light erupted from the ground in a ring around Rukia. Light also appeared in front of her as a large doorway that looked like it belonged in a feudal palace rose out of the ground. Yusuke gasped, open-mouthed, the very tall door rose up and slowly slid open. Nothing was visible inside the doorway other than blackness. "I take it that's the portal, then?" Yusuke said, trying to sound casual.
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Rukia asked playfully. "A bit of advice," she added, her serious tone returning. "Stay close to me if you don't want your soul to be destroyed." With that, she ran through the doorway before Yusuke could come up with a clever response. Yusuke grumbled under his breath and ran after her.
The passage beyond the door was pitch black. When the doors slammed shut behind him, Yusuke was left unable to see anything around him. The air around him felt heavy, as if it might crush him at the first sign of his muscles relaxing. Rukia was long gone. As far as he could tell, he had been abandoned in the dark abyss. "Typical," he muttered. "She gives me a warning and then leaves me for...well, not exactly dead, I guess, but still!"
"If you're done whining," Rukia's voice echoed around him. "You need to focus. Your spiritual pressure is fluctuating wildly. Unless you calm down soon, you'll end up crushing yourself with your own energy."
"Thanks for the pep talk," Yusuke said. "That's very calming." Rukia said nothing as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. After a few minutes, he felt his heartbeat return to normal. Feeling as relaxed as he'd ever be in this oppressive air, he opened his eyes to see Rukia standing in front of him, the only thing visible in the darkness. "How come I couldn't see you before?" Yusuke asked.
"Because your spirit awareness is subpar," Rukia explained. "And with your panicked emotional state earlier, the little awareness you do have couldn't be channeled properly."
"Is that right?" Yusuke asked, consciously ignoring the insulting way she had answered his question. He was beginning to suspect that she couldn't help it. "Well, I can see you now. Lead on."
They walked together through the dark void in silence. At first, Yusuke struggled to keep up with Rukia's brisk pace. The air around him felt so dense that he might as well have been trying to walk while submerged in gelatin and was wearing shoes made of cement. Every inch gained was a victory in an arduous battle of will. Yusuke was certain that he was going to get left behind. But still, he pressed on, too stubborn to give up. Keeping Rukia in sight, he fought through the forces that were holding him back. Soon enough, he found that the pressure he had been feeling on him had long since ebbed away, and he was eventually walking side by side with Rukia.
"Good," she said approvingly. "Your body is adapting to the high spiritual pressure of the senkaimon. You'll have no problem at all dealing with the atmosphere in the Soul Society now."
"What's gonna happen when we get there?" Yusuke asked.
"I'm taking you to meet Head Captain Genryusai Yamamoto," Rukia answered. "He is the one in charge of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads that all Soul Reapers are enlisted in. You could say that he is the Soul Society's most prominent military officer."
"So why would such a big shot give a damn about me?" Yusuke asked suspiciously. "Shouldn't he have more important things to worry about than me trying to earn my life back?"
"One would think," Rukia agreed. "But it seems he's taken an interest in your case. When I received my orders to collect you just after your death, they specifically stated that I was to bring you directly to the head captain in the event that you chose to undergo the ordeal."
"I get it!" Yusuke declared angrily. "The whole thing is a charity case to him. Just a chance for him to earn some quick PR points to show off what a great job he's doing so he can suck up for a promotion!" He grit his teeth angrily. "Guys like that just piss me off."
Rukia turned on the spot and punched Yusuke in the jaw. "That's awfully presumptuous of you," she scolded, "considering you haven't even met the head captain yet."
"That's the second time today you've hit me," Yusuke grumbled. "I'm starting to think you might not like me very much." Rukia snorted and rolled her eyes. She turned and continued walking through the void. Yusuke followed her, adding, "Is this the part where you tell me what a stand up guy this head captain really is?"
"Why would I?" Rukia asked. "Nothing I say is going to convince you. You hate authority so much, you'd rather assume the worst of any official with no regard for any other possibility."
"You've never met him either, have you?" Yusuke said.
Rukia blushed and stammered, "W-what does that have to do with anything? Everyone knows that one cannot rise to the position of head captain without proving to be a model of integrity and strength."
"Yeah, they used to say that about politicians in the World of the Living," Yusuke deadpanned. "Those words don't really mean much, you know." Rukia didn't say anything. She looked like she was close to exploding with anger. Yusuke smirked. She thinks I'm right, he thought. Content that he had shaken her blind faith in the system for at least a little while, he shrugged and said, "Well, whatever. It doesn't really matter why your head captain is offering me an ordeal for my life. I'm still gonna take the chance to come back to life. Everybody wins, right?"
"Uh, yes," Rukia said, sounding distracted. "Well, prepare yourself," she added, coming to a stop. She reached out and pulled open a door that Yusuke couldn't even see. Light was filtering in through the doorway. "We've arrived."
Rukia had described the Soul Society as some sort of utopia where lost souls lived forever, wanting for nothing. To hear her tell it, one would even believe that the residents of the Soul Society didn't even have to worry about food or drink, they were so content. When he finally saw it up close, however, Yusuke was less than impressed.
He wasn't sure what he expected, really. Pearly gates and halos, maybe? Or perhaps a jackal-headed god with brass scales and a feather? He'd even once imagined the afterlife as a game show host with a roulette wheel that determined your future life. But he never imagined he'd be led through a city. It made sense, he supposed. Billions upon billions of souls all need to go somewhere, why not a mega-city? But why did it have to look like it came straight out of a history book? Everyone was wearing old-school robes, and he couldn't see anything resembling modern technology no matter where he looked. He wasn't sure what period it reminded him of – Keiko would probably know, but to him they all sort of blended together – but he knew it definitely had a pre-electricity vibe to it. Which probably meant no video games. "Some paradise," he muttered to himself. "If there's no Goblin City, then what's the point?"
"Did you say something?" Rukia asked, stepping aside to allow a group of running children to run past. This place is nothing if not busy, Yusuke thought to himself as he moved over as well. People were everywhere. Old ladies were gossiping on one stoop, a group of young men were gambling on a street corner, and a couple was sneaking around trying to find a place to make out privately.
"Nothing, really," Yusuke said hurriedly. He'd rather not get punched again, and badmouthing Soul Reapers and the Soul Society seemed to be one of her pet peeves. "I was just saying that the Soul Society wasn't quite what I expected."
"Few things in life are," Rukia answered, continuing their journey through the city.
"Did you just make a joke?" Yusuke asked, dumbfounded. "I didn't think you had it in you."
"Whatever," Rukia said wearily. Sick of me already, huh? Yusuke thought. Maybe I need to work on my people skills before I come back to life. "Did you expect a palace with a group of angels waiting on you hand and foot, granting you anything you desire?" she added. "Don't answer that. I don't need the mental image of your desires."
"What kind of guy do you think I am?" Yusuke said defensively.
"Weren't you the one that lifted that girl's skirt today?" Rukia said smugly. Yusuke didn't give her the satisfaction of answering. "The point is," she continued, "people are happy here. They have nothing to fear from disease or starvation. The only thing that could possibly harm them are other souls. And with everyone so content, nobody has a reason to hurt anybody."
"Super," Yusuke said. "I can't imagine why people are so afraid of dying. Who wouldn't want to be trapped in a living history museum for all eternity?"
"Well, when the alternatives are wandering the earth as a ghost, which is just inviting the Hollows to devour you or getting dragged into hell, most people would rather choose the Soul Society," Rukia responded.
"I bet that hell at least has internet access," Yusuke retorted. Rukia ignored that comment, and for a while they walked through the streets in silence. When Yusuke couldn't take it anymore, he blurted out, "You couldn't have dropped us off right outside the guy's office or something? My feet are killing me."
"We could have come out closer," Rukia answered. "But I wanted to give you a chance to see what life in the Soul Society was like."
"You thought I would back out of this ordeal if I got to see the Renaissance Fair here?" Yusuke asked incredulously. "You do realize that I'm not trying to go back to my life for me, right? You were at the same wake I was, weren't you?"
"Look, it's just..." her voice trailed off. What was that look on her face supposed to mean? Was she nervous? What would she have to be nervous about? "I just wanted to make sure you were certain, alright? The process is called an ordeal for a reason, after all."
"Whatever it is, I can handle it," Yusuke said stubbornly. "This is just something that I gotta do, Rukia. Now are you gonna take me where I need to go, or am I gonna have to get to this Head Captain guy by myself?"
"No," Rukia said, giving a small smile. "I'll take you to him. Follow me."
According to Rukia, Yusuke wasn't even in the right area of the Soul Society if he wanted to meet Head Captain Yamamoto. Rukia had taken him to the city where souls that had moved on live, a place called the Rukon District, albeit it was near the center, where the Soul Reapers lived. That area, apparently, was called the Seireitei, and served as the seat of government for the Soul Society. The Seireitei was a giant walled-off circle, and, once they were allowed inside by a giant – like taller than Tokyo Tower – Soul Reaper named Jidanbo, impressed Yusuke even less than the Rukon District outside.
"It's even more boring on the inside," he deadpanned, as Rukia led him through the maze of streets. He had no idea how she knew where she was going. Yusuke tried to keep a mental map of where he was going – left, right, right, left, middle fork, left – but it was no use. He was getting very dizzy very quickly. As far as he could tell, every street was identical. The roads were always made of neatly arranged cobblestones. There were always high walls on either side of them, occasionally broken up by old looking buildings.
Every so often, they passed by a group of Soul Reapers, all wearing black robes and carrying swords just like Rukia, heading in another direction, or standing around and talking. Yusuke noticed that some of them were wearing badges on their arms that had different symbols than the one on Rukia's arm. "The badge indicates which squad they belong to," Rukia explained when he brought this up. "I am a member of Squad 13."
"Indeed she is," a voice said to their left. They turned, and saw a Soul Reaper walking in their direction. His long red hair went halfway down his back, and he had bright, piercing green eyes. His facial features, though, were fairly androgynous. If it weren't for his deep and clearly masculine voice, Yusuke might have thought he was a girl. "One of the best members of Squad 13, if you ask me."
"Lieutenant Kurama," Rukia said, snapping to attention almost immediately. She quickly and respectfully bowed low, though she wasn't fast enough to stop Yusuke from noticing her blushing face. Guess she appreciated the compliment, Yusuke thought, snickering.
"You can relax, Rukia," Kurama said, smiling awkwardly. "I've never been one to stand on ceremony, after all."
"Uh, right," Rukia said, straightening up. Her blush was gone now. "Lieutenant, this is Yusuke Urameshi. Head Captain Yamamoto wants to see him."
"Really?" Kurama asked. If he's surprised, he's doing a damn good job of hiding it, Yusuke thought. Kurama was still just smiling politely. "I was wondering what a civilian would be doing in the Seireitei. The Head Captain wouldn't see just anyone. I wonder what makes this one so special."
"I jumped in front of a car to save a kid," Yusuke said. "My death happened ahead of schedule, and now I get to try for a second chance at life." Rukia slapped him on the back of the head. Yusuke stumbled forward, before whirling around and shouting, "What the hell was that for!?"
"The nature of your case is classified, you moron!" she shouted back. "Why on earth would you tell the first person you see?"
"Classified?" Yusuke yelled. "You never told me it was classified!"
"Use your brain, dummy! If people knew that you were getting a second chance, then everyone would want one!"
"Yeah? Well, if you wanna keep it a secret, maybe you should stop shouting about it!"
"Yes, he brings up a good point," Kurama said, stepping between them and gently pushing them apart. "Let's try to remain civil, shall we? We're all friends here."
"Yes, Lieutenant," Rukia said, instantaneously returning to her calm, professional self. "My apologies."
"No harm done, Rukia," Kurama said. "I'll let you go on your way, then. And don't worry, your secret is safe with me." With that, he walked past Yusuke and left. Rukia gave Yusuke a dirty look before turning around and walking in the opposite direction. Mumbling angrily to himself, Yusuke followed.
"So was that your boss?" he asked as they continued through the maze of identical boring streets.
"Not exactly," Rukia answered. Her hands were clenched into very tight fists. She must still be angry about before, Yusuke thought. "Lieutenant Kurama does outrank me, but he is the lieutenant of Squad 8. Whereas I am a member of Squad 13."
"If he gave you an order, would you have to follow it?" Yusuke asked curiously.
"It would have to be exceptional circumstances for an officer to give commands to Soul Reapers outside of his squad," Rukia explained. "Typically, the squads handle their business internally. But if such circumstances were to arise that necessitated squads to work together, then he would be the one to take command if the captains of our squads were unavailable."
"What sort of circumstances we talking here?" Yusuke asked.
"An emergency," Rukia said. "Like if Hollows were to invade the Seireitei and I somehow got separated from the rest of my squad."
"Has anything like that happened before?" Yusuke asked.
"Not in my time as a Soul Reaper," Rukia answered. "The Soul Society is a safe place. Nobody would dare challenge the might of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads in their own territory. Not even the Hollows. But enough talk, Yusuke." She had stopped in front of a very large and important-looking building. "We have arrived."
Head Captain Genryusai Yamamoto looked old. Incredibly old. He was bald and wrinkled, and his long white beard was styled in a braid that nearly reached the floor. He was standing slightly hunched over, leaning on a carved wooden cane. Unlike every other Soul Reaper Yusuke had seen so far, he wasn't carrying a sword at all. Yusuke didn't think it was possible for a Soul Reaper to look so ancient and decrepit. Rukia had said that she was hundreds of years old after all, and she still looked like a teenager. Yusuke had figured that Soul Reapers just didn't physically age. But Yamamoto's appearance implied otherwise. Maybe they just age really slowly? Yusuke thought. But if that's true, then how old is this geezer?
Rukia bowed respectfully to the Head Captain, straightened up, and said, "Sir, I have brought Yusuke Urameshi, as instructed. He wishes to brave the ordeal."
"Thank you, Kuchiki," Yamamoto said. His voice sounded stern and gravelly. "You are dismissed." Rukia bowed again and exited the room, leaving Yusuke alone with the elderly Soul Reaper. Yamamoto looked Yusuke up and down in silence. Yusuke glared back at him defiantly. He was sure that the old man was judging him, automatically labeling him as a thug just like every other adult did. His hands slowly curled into fists as his outrage over being silently inspected by a stranger grew.
"Well," Yamamoto said at last, "you are quite the interesting person, Yusuke Urameshi. Your body is full of untapped spirit energy, yet your aura is hardened and withdrawn. An unusual combination, to say the least. It seems that even though you have a great natural affinity for the paranormal, you have never even considered-"
"I'm not interested in the whole 'you're not living up to your potential' speech, old man," Yusuke interrupted, crossing his arms impatiently and leaning against the wall. "You and I both have more important things to worry about, I'm sure."
"Mind your tone, boy," Yamamoto growled. As he said this, Yusuke suddenly felt a great amount of pressure pushing down on his shoulders. He stumbled briefly, but quickly stepped forward to hide his momentary loss of balance. He knew that the old man was somehow responsible for the force trying to push him down, and he was not going to allow himself to be pushed around by another authority figure abusing his power. After a few minutes of struggling against the unknown force, Yusuke smirked and yelled, "Is that all you've got, old man? I can do this all day!"
"Is that so?" Yamamoto asked expressionlessly. A second later, Yusuke felt the pressure on his shoulders double in intensity and his knees buckled. As soon as his knees hit the floor, the pressure subsided. Yusuke collapsed onto his hands and knees, panting heavily. He had never felt anything like that before. Was this what a Soul Reaper was capable of?
"Just so that you are aware, I would like you to know that that was just a small fraction of my power," Yamamoto said. "Maybe next time, you will refrain from interrupting me."
"Tell you what," Yusuke said, pushing himself up to his feet. "You just stick to the reason we're here and skip the lectures, and I'll keep my big mouth shut until you're done. That way, I can get my life back faster, and you can go back to being the big boss man without ever having to see me again. Deal?"
"You insolent whelp!" Yamamoto bellowed. "A brat like you with so little respect for himself that he does not even realize that he is being praised does not deserve what we are offering!"
"Hey, you asked for me!" Yusuke shouted back. "I didn't want to put up with your crap!"
"How dare-"
"How dare I? No, how dare you!? How dare you use your power to attack someone just because they're a little bit rude to you! You don't care about me or my case at all, do you? This is just a way to boost your ego, a charity case that shows off what a great Head Captain you are! Isn't it?"
"If that is truly how you feel, then why are you even here?" Yamamoto asked.
"That's easy," Yusuke said. "You have what I want. It doesn't really matter to me why you're giving me a second chance, as long as I get it. So, I'll hear what you have to say about this ordeal, but I'm not going to listen to you lecture me about my potential or my attitude when you don't even know me." He pointed at Yamamoto and finished, "Let's get this straight. You're just a tool to get what I want, just like I'm a tool to get what you want. So just forget about all the other stuff and let's get down to business!"
They stood in silence for a few minutes. Yamamoto looked stunned. Probably the first time someone ever talked to him like that, Yusuke thought. Good. People like him need to get knocked down a peg or two. Then Yamamoto turned away from Yusuke and faced a wall. "Did you hear all of that?" he said to it.
"Yes," a high voice said from behind the wall. "He is just like his file said he would be. Rash, short-tempered, disrespectful...a delinquent through and through."
"That's it!" Yusuke shouted. He ran toward the wall the voice was coming from. "I've had enough people insult me today, thank you very much!" He passed Yamamoto and kicked the wall as hard as he could. The wall shuddered, and large bits of wood fell out. A screen was mounted on a second wall hidden behind the first one, and on that screen was the image of a baby with a pacifier in his mouth and a hat that said "JR." on his head.
"I guess we can add 'violent and impulsive' to the list as well," the baby said calmly. "We're sure this is the one that saved that little boy?" he asked Yamamoto.
"Indeed." Yamamoto said. "Miss Kuchiki's report identifies him as the one, Lord Koenma."
"Lord?" Yusuke said incredulously. "You mean to tell me that the Soul Reapers get their marching orders from a toddler?" He laughed loudly. "That's hilarious! Has he declared war on broccoli yet? Or is he worried that nobody would be left to change him if he did?"
"Very funny," Koenma said over Yusuke's laughter, not sounding amused in the least. "But I assure you that in addition to understanding the vast mysteries of the universe, I am quite potty-trained."
This only made Yusuke laugh harder. "Lord Koenma, I must protest," Yamamoto said. "I see no reason to believe that this boy would change his ways once he regains his life!"
Koenma wagged a finger at the Head Captain. "Oh, but Genryusai," he said, "it's just like young Yusuke said. You don't know him. You're letting your first impression get the better of you. People are rarely what they appear to be. After all, there was no reason to believe that he would have given his life to save that boy either. He surprised us once. I want to see if he will surprise us again."
"I can't believe the toddler is the one who is being mature and open-minded here," Yusuke wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "So I'm guessing the ordeal was your idea?" he asked the screen.
"You guess correctly," Koenma answered. "And now that I am satisfied that you are committed to this ordeal, I will explain what you need to do. Genryusai?" Yamamoto nodded and stepped forward. He handed Yusuke a single golden egg, no bigger than his palm. "This egg is the key to your ordeal," Koenma said.
"You want me to make you breakfast?" Yusuke joked.
"Hardly," Koenma said. "The egg is the home of a spirit beast. All you need to do is carry it with you until it hatches."
"It can't be that easy," Yusuke said, narrowing his eyes. "Otherwise it would be the worst ordeal ever. What's the catch?"
"It's simple," Koenma explained. "The spirit beast feeds on energy. Specifically, it feeds on the karmic energy generated by your actions from this point forward. If the karma you generate as a Whole is good, the beast will become your guardian and guide you back to life."
"And if I have bad karma?" Yusuke asked.
"Then the beast will consume you and you will transform into a Hollow," Koenma said. "You will be a mindless creature of pure evil that swallows the souls of innocents." He described this horrifying prospect so casually you would think that he was talking about a picnic that was ruined by some meddlesome ants. Yusuke understood the gravity of what that would mean, though, and gasped loudly, thinking about Keiko and his mother. Koenma chuckled. "You needn't worry, Yusuke. Genryusai will assign a Soul Reaper to watch you throughout the ordeal in case the worst should happen. No innocents will be harmed."
Yusuke exhaled the breath he didn't even realize he was holding. That made him feel much better. "All right," he said. "So, if I pass, I get my life back. And if I fail, I turn into a monster and a Soul Reaper would have to kill me. Again. Does that about cover it?"
"Pretty much," Koenma nodded. "If the odds seem too daunting to you, there will be no shame in backing out."
"Not a chance!" Yusuke said, grinning widely. "Ghost stories don't scare me. I just gotta pass the ordeal. Piece of cake!"
"I appreciate your confidence, Yusuke," Koenma said approvingly. "But confidence alone won't be enough. Good luck."
Author's Note: Well, this took a little longer than I expected it to. And it's not as long as I originally planned either. I was hoping to include some more scenes after this about the beginnings of the ordeal, but as I wrote them, they felt like the beginning of a whole new chapter and they were ruining the flow of this chapter. Those scenes aren't getting cut, but they just need to be moved to the next chapter for the sake of flow and pacing.
I hate the Soul Society. Even when I was watching Bleach for the first time and getting caught up in how awesome the arc for rescuing Rukia was, I remember thinking, "My God, those backgrounds are so boring! Everything looks the same!" And I was a stupid 14-year-old when I first watched Bleach. The only good things that the Soul Society backdrops ever had going for them were the white tower where Rukia was imprisoned and the hill where the execution was going to take place. Nothing else was visually appealing. And describing such an environment was about the most frustrating thing I have ever done.
But hey, writing the chapter was still fun! And I hope you enjoy reading it, too. Don't forget to leave those reviews! I read every single one of them. Next time: The ordeal begins, and we meet a character that people have been asking me about.