Chapter 2: Meeting the Bow-Slinging Quincy!

"Wh.." Ashley tried to speak, but her mouth felt so dry that she couldn't even move her mouth. She was also exhausted. Very, very exhausted. She tried to open her eyes away from the sudden darkness around her, but her eyes couldn't move either.

I...I was...dreaming again, wasn't I? First about that hollow that was chasing me in the Forest of No Return. Then, Uryu was there. He was just...staring...staring...at...me...

At long last, Ashley could feel her eyes slowly, slowly fluttering open. But she squinched her eyes back at the rising sun that reflected off of the window and on her face.

"Ugh, stupid sun..." Ashley muttered under her breath, as she shielded her face away from the sun with her arm over her face. "Now's not the time..."

"Oh, you're up again? Let's hope you won't pass out on me again." An all too rememberable voice spoke softly a few feet away from Ashley. Ashley turned her head to where she heard the voice: There, she saw Uryu Ishida beside the open door way, one hand on the door knob, the other stuffed in his pant pocket.

"Oh, no," Ashley grumbled under her breath, eyes shut, while holding her head with her hands. "Dangit, I'm dreaming again...! When will it end?!"

Ashley kept on rambling about things about how she dreams too much and something about watching alittle bit too much of Bleach every night. While she was, Uryu pulled up his desk chair back, and placed it infront of the bed which Ashley was sitting in. Uryu quietly sat down, as Ashley continued with her constant ramblings.

"Ugh, maybe I should start watching Bleach every other Saturday instead of every night before I go to bed..."

"Hey," Uryu called for Ashley, hoping she would finally stop mumbling to herself.

"Huh?" Ashley looked over at Uryu--or 'Dream Uryu' as she would call it--dumbfounded.

"I don't know what you're going on about, but you're not dreaming," Uryu explained. "Yesterday, I found you, bloody and unconcious, by the high school. You were near death by then, and if I hadn't of come by, you would have certainly died."

"So, I'm not dreaming? This is real? And I'm really in Karakura Japan? Seriously?" Ashley asked. Uryu nodded, but stopped short, as he raised his head up at her; he stared at her with wide, sea blue eyes.

"Wait a sec," Uryu began; he never took his eyes away from Ashley's blinking face. "I never told you what town this was. Judging from your clothes, I know that you're not from here. So, how did you know this was Karakura?"

Ashley was about to tell him 'lucky guess', but Ashley knew Uryu wasn't dumb enough to fall for that cheap trick. Unable to think of any good excuse she knew Uryu would fall for, she decided to go with the truth.

"I know you don't know who I am, but I know who you are," Ashley began; Uryu watched Ashley very closely with unblinking eyes. "You're Uryu Ishida, age sixteen, you live alone, and you're a Quincy."

Uryu didn't shout with shock like Ashley thought he would. Instead, Uryu looked up at Ashley once again with those same wide blue eyes. "How did...?!"

"Like you just said, I'm not from here. I'm not even from this world, to be exact." Uryu opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it, waiting for Ashley to continue. "Where I come from, this world is all apart of a very popular anime and manga named Bleach. All the adventures in the Soul Society to save Rukia, and in Hueco Mundo could be watched and read there. I always watched it every single night before I went to bed," Ashley paused for a moment or two, before she continued. "I think that's when the dreams started."

"Dreams?"

"Yes," Ashley nodded, taking a quick glimpse of Uryu from the corner of her eye. "Ever since I started to watch it, I've been having these weird dreams. About a couple. I know that they love each other very much since they embrace, kiss, and show any other kind of emotion all the time. But...I never see either of their faces. I only see their body language for some reason. But I think the reason why they show emotion so much is maybe something's about to happen to one of them, or maybe one of them's about to die...I don't know. It's all so confusing to me."

"Hm," Uryu hummed, as he thought over what he just heard. "Did you have any trouble with something or someone back in your world? Any enemies? Rivals?"

"No, none," Ashley shook her head, as everyone who was so kind and polite to her started to fill up in her mind. "I was loved by everyone. My parents, my friends, my classmates, my teachers...everyone. No one ever caused trouble for me. Ever."

"What about boyfriends?" Uryu asked. "Did you ever have a boyfriend who was...abusive?"

Uryu grounded his teeth down when he said, 'abusive.' Ashley knew that Uryu just hated guys like that who attacked on innocent, unarmed girls like Ashley.

"No, not at all," Ashley chuckled, making Uryu look at her with confusion. "Actually, I've never had a boyfriend in my whole life."

"No?" Uryu blinked by Ashley's suddenly cheery attitude. "No boyfriends at all?"

Ashley shook her head, that same wide smile still plastered on her face. "Nope. I've never been kissed either. So, I don't know what it's like to have a first kiss. I think I don't even want to know."

"Why's that?" Uryu asked, his eyes locked on Ashley's face. It was then that Ashley's uneraseable smile faded away into a small frown.

"It's because I hear some girls at school talk about having their first kiss with a guy, and that they're suddenly ready enough to get into his pants, that's what I mean." Ashley said in such a meloncholy voice. "I hate those kinds of girls. The kind that think that all that's important in life is looking good, and having sex with the hottest guy they see. They don't even consider the consequences it brings. The only time that they would consider it would be when they're knocked up with a kid inside them."

"I can see how that can be troublesome," Uryu said, as a long silence followed by after Ashley finished. "Anyway, do you remember what happened to you before you came here? Anything in particular that would leave you in such a gruesome state?"

Ashley gasped then, as memories of her running frantically away from the hollow in her world started to flow back in. "I was attacked by a hollow..."

"That explains it," Uryu said, as he shifted his eyes at Ashley. "But, wait. You ran from a hollow and survived? Does that mean that you saw it?"

"Uh, yeah," Ashley said in such an obvious tone. "If I didn't then I wouldn't be here."

She must have immense spiritual pressure to do that then, Uryu thought in his mind, while staring at Ashley's thoughtful face. Silence followed by after that, as Ashley could only hear the ticking of the wall clock in the next room over.

"Well, if that's the case," Uryu began, as he stood up from where he was and took his silver cell phone from his desk. He flipped it open, looking at Ashley once more. "Then I'll call Rukia and see if she can help you--or even Kurosaki for that matter."

Ashley nodded in agreement as she also stood up away from the bed. "That reminds me," Ashley wondered, as she digged through her pockets for her cell phone. She pulled it out of her pants pocket flipping it open. "I've got my phone, too."

"You think you'll have service in another dimension?" Uryu asked as he finished dialing the number while pressing the phone against his ear. A clicking sound was heard, as someone picked up from the other line. "Hello? Ichigo? It's me, Ishida. Yeah. Hey, is Rukia there? I need to speak with her."

As Uryu started to conversate with Ichigo or whoever he was speaking to, Ashley pouted as she stared at her small phone screen. "Aw, shoot. I just have two bars? But, I have service, even alittle bit of it, all the way here in this world. I guess that's something."

"Do you have service?" Uryu asked Ashley as he flipped his phone closed and tucked it back into his pocket.

Ashley sighed. "Yeah, I do, but it's not enough for me to call someone. Even if I could, I doubt it would get through."

"I see," Uryu nodded, as Ashley closed her phone and put it back in her pocket. "Oh, well. There's nothing I can do about it," Ashley then looked up at Uryu shyly. "So, what about you? Were you able to contact Rukia?"

"Um, well, I got in touch with Ichigo," Uryu sighed, as he scratched the back of his head; his other hand was stuffed in his pant pocket. "He said Rukia wasn't there, that she had some business to do in the Soul Society; He said that she wouldn't be back until tomarrow."

"Ah, just my luck," Ashley grumbled under her breath. "First boring old school, then it rains on a Monday, then a Hollow attacks me, and I nearly die. Someone must really have it in for me."

"Calm down," Uryu said with impatience in his voice, which sounded more like an order. "Kurosaki said that we could talk to him about this, so we need to head over to his house. That all right with you?"

"No prob. Let's go over there now." Ashley nodded her head, eager to meet the 'Deathberry' in person.

Uryu and Ashley walked toward Ichigo's house in utter silence, with a big open space inbetween them. Ashley walked timidly behind Uryu, with his back facing her. Ashley just really wished she could talk to Uryu about anything--anything at all--without being too forward about it. But unfortuneately, Ashley knew that that will be the only part that would remain in her dreams. She was way too timid and shy to just speak out to anyone--even to someone whom she has known for a long while; she still has trouble speak so outright to her friends.

"Oh, that's right," Uryu stopped in his tracks which made Ashley stop behind him as well. Ashley looked up at him skeptically as she asked, "What is it?"

"I haven't asked for your name yet, have I? Sorry." Uryu apologized, while Ashley looked up at his pale, fluorescent, blank face. Ashley sighed sadly from looking at his expression, knowing too well that he just asked her so he could introduce her to Ichigo and everyone. Ashley knew that he would forget her name and everything about her once she was gone.

"We haven't been properly introduced yet," Uryu explained to Ashley, as he outstretched his hand infront of her. "I'm Uryu Ishida, and you?"

Maybe...he does mean it... Ashley thought in her mind, while she stared down at Uryu's outstretched hand that invited her to shake it when introductions were finished. Ashley smiled by this, as she took her small, fragile hand in his strong one. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Uryu. I'm Ashley. Ashley Spencer."

"That's more like it, Ashley," Uryu said, a small smile lurking on his lips. He released Ashley's hand, as they both continued to walk toward the Kurosaki Clinic.

"So, Ashley," Uryu spoke, after a long moment of silence that followed by after introductions were made; Ashley was walking beside Uryu this time, the big open space denoted to a few inches between them. "Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Shoot," Ashley nodded as she looked up at the too clear blue sky with puffy white clouds here and there. In her world, Ashley could never see such a beautiful sky with beautiful fluffy clouds like this. It was hard to when you're locked up in a room with nothing but homework to do.

"What's your world like? Is it like this one?" Uryu asked, his gaze locked on Ashley's face which was still staring up at the sky.

"Actually, it is like this one," Ashley explained. "But this place is so much more beautiful and exotic and adventurous than mine. You guys have festivals, and all kinds of cultural activities here. We don't have any of that stuff. It's so lively and fun here. It's not so boring or deadbeat like mine."

"Have you ever been to somewhere outside of where you lived? Anywhere at all? Somewhere where you'd always wanted to go to?"

"No," Ashley shook her head in disappointment. "There are alot of places I wanted to go since I was little, but me and my family didn't have enough money for that. Actually, if it wasn't for my dad's job we'd be out in the streets, digging in people's trash for food. But, ever since middle school, whenever I finished high school and college, I would really want to settle down and move to Japan and start on my career. I wanted it more than anything in the world. Not all the gold in the world would change my mind. It was my one and only dream."

"Looks like your dream came true," Uryu smiled half-heartedly at Ashley. Ashley blinked her eyes wide, as if just realizing it. "Oh, yeah. I guess it has..."

"All you need to do is start on your career," Uryu explained. "By the way, what is it that you want to do?"

"I wanna be a Manga-ka!!" Ashley shouted determinedly as a blush formed on her cheeks. "I've been drawing for my whole life, ever since I was born. God blessed me with this artistic gift, as my Mom would say. And I really love to draw and design clothes, trademarks and all that stuff."

"Well, good luck on that," Uryu said as he stopped infront of a big building with a big blue sign above it that said 'Kurosaki Clinic' in big, bold, white letters. "Here it is."

Ashley looked through the glass doors to see not one soul was inside. "I don't see anyone inside. Are they home?" Uryu shrugged his shoulders at Ashley's question, not even knowing the answer. Uryu knocked on the door a few times with the back of his fist, both him and Ashley hoping that someone would answer. It was silent, with the exception of the cars and people going by, until Ashley could finally hear muffled foot steps from inside the clinic. Ashley could easily recognize the person inside as Ichigo Kurosaki, from that unnatural shade of his orange hair.

"Hey," Ichigo said as he opened the door to greet Uryu. Uryu nodded by his greetings as Ichigo looked over at Ashley, his chocolate-brown eyes filled with bewilderment. Ashley swallowed a lump in her throat, her shyness coming back again like an ocean's wave.

"Oh, yes," Uryu looked down at Ashley for a minute or two, until he looked back at Ichigo. "This is the reason why I called you. This is Ashley, and she has an interesting story to tell you. Don't waste your time telling her your name; she already knows it."

"Huh?" Ichigo blinked as he looked over at Ashley, who bowed politely as she said, "It's nice to meet you, Ichigo."

Ashley rose back to her feet, as she looked up at Ichigo's even more bewildered face. It seemed that Ichigo was going to say something, but he could not say a word out of his gaped mouth. Ashley ignored his frozen face though, as she looked over at Uryu and Ichigo back and forth. "I think we should talk about this inside."

Uryu looked down at Ashley and nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're right."

Inside, Ashley and Uryu walked through the living room: Which had a big white couch sofa that was against the yellow laced-colored wall and a medium-sized High Definition T.V was placed atop of a wooden made cabinet, and inbetween the couch and T.V. was a small coffee table which was cover with a pure white cloth.

Uryu sat down on the white couch, as Ashley pulled up a nearby wooden chair--which was beside the foot of the couch--and she sat in it, infront of the small table. Ichigo kept pacing left and right, from wall to wall over and over again; He was probably still wondering how he could comprehend it, Ashley wondered. It was silent for awhile, until Ashley decided to break it, "Um, so...should I start from the beginning?"

Ichigo stared at Ashley for the longest time--an eternity, it could have been--as Ichigo's brown eyes pierced into Ashley's. Ashley flushed from Ichigo's intent stare, as she shifted her eyes down at the wooden floor. Silence once again continued to flood the room, as Uryu stood up from where he was; his shoes clicked down on the floor. "I think that would be a good idea, Ashley," Uryu walked over to where Ashley was, his hand resting on top of the chair Ashley was sitting in. Uryu glared intently at Ichigo, "Listen to her story, Kurosaki; every word of it."

Ichigo nodded as he walked around the room, sitting himself on the coffee table, staring intently once again at Ashley who was infront of him. Ashley stiffened by Ichigo's continuous stares he inflicted on her, but Ashley was able to find a way to remain calm: Uryu's soft, calm stare on her made her feel at ease. It was as if Uryu was saying, 'Don't worry, just tell him what happened to you.'

So Ashley told Ichigo everything about her and her world, and what had came upon her in her world: the dreams, that rainy day, the hollow attacking her, and her suddenly appearing in this world. She also brang up the small subject about how he and everyone else came from the anime/manga Bleach.

It became silent after Ashley finished, as Ichigo once again stared at her with unbelieving wide eyes. "No way..." Ichigo finally said as he continued to stare at Ashley with disbelievement. Ashley heard Uryu chuckle from behind her, as if he was expecting to see him acting like such a bufoon. "Sorry to say it, but it's true, Kurosaki."

Whenever Ichigo heard Uryu laugh, Ichigo instantly became his calmed, frowny-faced self. "So....Ashley, right?" Ashley nodded, as Ichigo continued, "You say that a Hollow attacked you in your world? Not in this one?" Ashley nodded once by his question.

"That makes me wonder how a Hollow could end up in another world...." Ichigo muttered, probably to himself. Uryu nodded along with Ichigo's statement. "Yes, you have a point, Kurosaki. Do you think this is Aizen's doing?"

"I'm not sure," Ichigo shook his head as he looked down at the floor, his mind fluttering with all kinds of questions now. "I don't think Aizen has the power to create a gate to another dimension."

"I'm not so sure about that," Ashley cut in, as both Ichigo and Uryu looked at her with skepticalism. "Well, he is using the Hogyoku to make Vasto Lordes, Espada, you know. Who's to say that he can't make a gate from here to my world?"

"She's right," Uryu nodded. "Rhetorically speaking, what if he did use the Hogyoku to make the gate? What will he accomplish doing that?"

"That's a really good point, Uryu," Ashley complimented. "But Aizen has the top ten strongest arrancar--the Espadas--at his arsenal, and over hundreds and hundreds of arrancar that will bide to his every demand. He has all he needs to start an all-out war with you guys. What more does he need?"

"He needs something more than the arrancars and Espadas and the Hogyoku as his weapons," Uryu explained, tapping his slim fingers on the hard wood of the chair Ashley was sitting in. "He needs..." Uryu stopped midsentence, as he sighed desperately, dangling his head down in frustration. "God, I don't know."

"I got it!!" Ichigo shouted cheerfully, as he stood up quickly from the table he sat on. Uryu and Ashley looked at him with confusion. What conclusion has he come upon? Ashley wondered. "Let's hear it, Kurosaki." Uryu said, a hint of frustration in his voice; he was probably angry that Ichigo thought of something before he could.

"Well, Ashley's from a different world, right?" Uryu and Ashley nodded. "And she knows alot about us from that anime, right?" Again, Uryu and Ashley nodded. "Well, maybe Aizen needs Ashley to make her tell him all of our weaknesses and he'll tell all the Espadas and it would be easier for them to take us down! See?! That makes sense, doesn't it?!"

"Sorry to say, but you're way off line, Ichigo." Ashley sighed in disappointment; she had hoped that Ichigo would have come up with something more clever. "Wha-?! What are you talking about?" Ichigo gasped, staring down at Ashley. "If I was kidnapped by Aizen, there's no way I would tell him everyone's weaknesses. I'd rather die than risk your lives!"

Uryu nodded with Ashley's statement. "She's right, Kurosaki. Even if Aizen hypnotized her into confessing, Ashley would probably break out of it easily. And if she ever did, she'd probably kill herself for betraying us like that."

"Urgh, good point," Ichigo sighed in defeat. "Oh, but that was a good point, too, Ichigo," Ashley said perkily, hoping not to disappoint Ichigo too much. Uryu let out a huff, as if he was stifling a laugh, while he placed a gentle hand on Ashley's shoulder; his touch brang chills upon Ashley's spine. "Don't bother lying to him Ashley. Kurosaki knows when he's missed an obvious point in things."

"Shut up, Ishida!!" Ichigo shouted; a sure signal that another Kurosaki-Ishida fight was about to begin...starting with round one! "It was just a theorem that popped up in my head! Not everyone can be so hot-headed and obnoxious as you!!" And just like all of their fights as Ashley had seen in the anime, Uryu remained cool and collected, but obviously annoyed by Ichigo's loud tone. "I am afraid you're way off point again. You've just called me hot-headed and obnoxious when it is you who is both of those and more."

"Oh, boy, here we go," Ashley sighed in annoyance as she plugged her ears away from the shouting and yelling with her fingers. I've just arrived in this world, and already they're going off like dogs? They sure don't waste time...they could bicker all day long, can't they?

Both Uryu and Ichigo, still bickering about meaningless things, were so close to Ashley shouting and yelling as loud as their lungs could take; it was like listening to that loud, indecent rap music that Ashley hated so much.

"So loud..." Ashley had her hands pressed hard against her ears, but she could still hear them shout louder than ever. "Shut up..."

"You know, it's so typical of you to accuse me of such things!!!" Uryu screamed with clenched fists.

"Typical? What are you, a girl?" Ichigo teased. "Well, you do sew--Hell, you sew better than any girl I know!!!!"

And that was when Ashley could not take it anymore. "SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!" Ashley screamed to the top of her lungs, while she stood up, her mind flooding with anger, fury and rage. Uryu and Ichigo nearly jumped out of their skin when she screamed; both of them sunk on the ground, suddenly fearful of Ashley's sudden outburst. Ashley stared down both Ichigo and Uryu, her anger just kept on increasing--she was even shaking from such anger. "You two never learn, do you?! You two are just so freakin' immature! The way you two act, it's so hard to believe that you're really in high school! Really! Urgh!!" Ashley paused a moment to release a sigh; Uryu and Ichigo hoped that she was done ranting but Ashley continued, with a more calmer tone, " You know, I expect this from Ichigo, but not from you, Uryu."

"What?! Me?! What did I--"

"Shut it, Strawberry!!!" Ashley shouted, pointing a demanding finger at Ichigo. Ichigo slid as far back as he could, far back that his back touched the table. Uryu looked up at Ashley bravely, wondering what she meant about that. "You're at the top of your class, Uryu! At the top! Things like this shouldn't bother you! You never let Ichigo get the best of you, so why now? Why? You always just say a smarty comment like you just did and shrug it off! Come on! Have some backbone!"

Uryu let out a long sigh when Ashley finished. "I...um, I," Uryu studdered, his first time having a loss with words. "I...don't know what to say...Th-Thanks, Ashley. I'll be sure to remember that."

"Okay. Good," Ashley sighed in relief as she looked over at Ichigo; Ashley's gaze made Ichigo flinch back. "And, Ichigo? Try not to let Uryu's taunting get to you, okay? You're a really, really strong Substitute Soul Reaper and simple stuff like this shouldn't bother you."

"Um, yeah," Ichigo, while he stood up with Uryu, smiled at Ashley. "You're right. Thanks, Ashley." Ashley chuckled cheerily as she nodded. "Sure! I just hope th--"

"ICHIIIIIGGGOOOOOOO!!!!!" A familiar and distant voice could be heard from upstairs, in Ichigo's room. It sound all too similar to the mod soul, Kon. "Uh...Was that...Kon?" Ashley wondered. "It was him, all right," Ichigo grumbled in annoyance while he scratched his dandelion colored head. "'Guess we should see what he's screaming about." Uryu and Ashley nodded, agreeing with Ichigo, as they rushed upstairs to where they could hear Kon whine relentlessly.