I know that I said that I would only be writing one-shots for a while, but this is a story that I have been working on for the past few months. To avoid any errors, I decided that I would simply write the entire story before posting it in chapters. This also allowed me to change any of the previous details to fit the rest of the story and avoid confusion. I will be uploading one chapter per day. I hope you enjoy it. P.S. May contain OOC-ness at same points.

...

"Okay! I'll see you later! Bye!" said a girl energetically as she left the building where she worked. Closing the door, she finally let out the sigh that she had been holding in.

"Oh, I can't believe I worked so late! But I had to take that shift because no one else would... Oh, it's so dark out!" she said as she began to walk along the sidewalk. Suddenly, she gasped as an idea struck her. "I know! I'll call Kurosaki-kun and talk to him until I get ho- But wait, he's probably asleep... And even if he's not, I don't want to disturb his family anyway..."

She sighed. "Maybe Ishida-kun or Sado-kun? Oh, but what if they're asleep?" She sighed once more and continued walking. As she continued on her way, however, she thought that she heard footsteps following behind her. Finally gathering enough courage, she spun around and asked, "Who's there?" But all that greeted her was the darkness and silence of night.

"Okay! Calm down, Orihime, it's just your footsteps echoing, that's all!" she said nervously to herself. Continuing down the sidewalk, she began to hear the footsteps again.

This is bad! What if it's a stalker? Oh, please don't be a stalker!

Placing both hands on her hair clips, she turned around once more.

"All right, listen up! Whoever's there had better come out now! I- I'm not joking!" she said with as much force as she could, although she clearly sounded frightened.

Quiet laughter came from a nearby alley. "How humorous- you're attempting to defend yourself. Orihime Inoue, right?"

"Who's there!" Orihime yelled, frantically looking around.

"Don't worry; this will be quick."

A piercing scream rang through the night air before everything went still once more.

...

Chad stuffed his hands in the pockets of his coat as he tried to get home quickly. The temperature had been dropping recently and he had no idea that it was going to get so cold that night. Suddenly, a sharp scream pierced the air.

What? That sounded like Orihime! he thought as he began to run towards the source of the cry. Reaching his destination, he found only two small, blue objects on the ground.

What? Those are Orihime's-

"Yasutora Sado, I presume?"

He gasped and turned around, but in only a moment his entire world suddenly went black.

...

Renji had no idea what brought him to the world of the living so late at night, but he had sensed something coming from there that he didn't like.

But why did I have to come here? Why couldn't I just let Rukia handle it instead of dragging myself out here...He sighed as he continued to walk through the streets. And it's so cold!

He shivered slightly and pulled his coat tighter around him. And of course I'd be wearing my Gegai, which gets even colder than my real body!

Suddenly, he heard something running in a nearby alley. "Hey, someone there?"

Peering closer, he realized he couldn't see anything in the darkness of night.

Probably just some kid who sneaked out of his house.

"Hey, if someone's there, you should go home. It's too cold to be playing games out here," he said as he continued to walk down the street. He groaned as he continued to hear the steps behind him.

"Listen, kid, you'd better get out of here or I'll-"

"You must be Renji Abarai."

Renji gasped and turned around. " Wait- What! Hey! What are you doing! Let-"

The struggle was scarcely heard by anyone as a figure ducked back into the alley, carrying an unconscious red-head over his shoulder.

...

Rukia gasped slightly as she awoke from her sleep. Peeking out of the closet door, she noted that Ichigo was still asleep.

What was that? It felt like Renji's spiritual pressure, but it's gone now. Hmm, I'd better go check this out.

She put on her shoes and proceeded to quietly open the window and jump out. Making her way across the town, she tried to figure out just where she had felt her friend's spiritual pressure.

Hmm, I'm sure it was in this area... she thought as she began to walk a little slower and survey her surroundings.

Wait... Is that-? She stooped down to pick up a piece of white cloth from the ground.

"And Rukia Kuchiki..."

She gasped as she felt a large spiritual pressure behind her... and then knew no more.

...

Geez... Prices are just climbing higher and higher, aren't they? I really have to consider getting a job or something... thought a bespectacled teenager as he left the crafts store with a small bag in his hand.

Wait! What was that spiritual pressure? he thought as he abruptly stopped and looked towards where he had just felt a large spiritual pressure. It didn't feel like a Hollow... But whatever it is, it can't be good.

He loosened his left sleeve and allowed the Quincy cross inside to fall out. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he flash-stepped towards the area.

"What the- Rukia?" he yelled as he saw a large, dark figure picking the Soul Reaper up and slinging her over its shoulder. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Uryu formed his bow, but before he could fire any arrows, he felt something pierce his neck. He quickly reached up and pulled it out.

What- a dart?

The Quincy's eyes widened considerably as he realized that the figure was now standing right beside him.

How did he move so quickly!

He gasped slightly and fell to his knees. What? That dart... It must have been... a sedative...

"K'so..." he whispered harshly before he fell forward onto the ground.

"And finally Uryu Ishida; the preparation is complete."

And those were the last words he heard before he felt himself roughly hauled up onto a shoulder, finally losing the battle to stay conscious.

...

Ichigo Kurosaki stretched and yawned loudly as he sat up from his bed.

"Oi! Rukia! You awake, yet?" he asked... to an open closet door. "Huh? That's weird... She must have gone Hollow-hunting early..."

"Nee-chan!" cried a voice as it ran into the room. "Oi! Ichigo! It's horrible! Nee-chan's gone missing! I woke up, and she was gone! Nee-chan! NEE-CHAN!"

The tiny stuffed lion's rants were cut short as a pillow hit it in the face.

"Shut up, Kon! Do want everyone to hear you! Good grief! Rukia probably just felt a Hollow and went to kill it.

"But I woke up in the middle of the night and she still wasn't here!" cried Kon, lifting the pillow up and throwing it back at its owner.

"Really? That's weird..." Ichigo replied as he caught the object and put it back on the bed. "Oh, well. If there's one thing I know, it's that Rukia can take care of herself. Trust me, hasn't she proven it to you by now after all the thousands of hits and kicks you've taken from her? Honestly, Kon!"

Kon started to fume and looked as if he was about to start yelling when the door suddenly burst open.

"Nii-san!"

"Yuzu! What are you doing in here?" asked Ichigo, stuffing Kon into a drawer before his little sister would notice.

"Look, nii-san! You got a package!" she replied, holding up a medium-sized box. "I wonder what it is... It's really light..."

"Well, time to find out! Thanks for stopping by, Yuzu! I'll see you at breakfast, ok?" Ichigo said as he smiled and started to push her out of the room.

"But it's lunchtime already-" she stated before the door shut.

"Hmm, he's probably just really busy... I know! I'll go fix a really good lunch for him!" said Yuzu to herself as she made her way down the stairs.

Meanwhile, back in Ichigo's room, he had just gotten scissors to open the box.

I wonder what this is... I haven't ordered anything recently... Tch, it's probably something Rukia ordered under my name! he thought as he cut off the tape and opened the box. His eyes widened as he viewed its contents.

What! These are- he didn't finish as he lifted the five objects on top into his hands. These are cell phones... But that one looks like Orihime's; it even has the little sticker on the back... And this one is Chad's... And Uryu's... And these are Rukia and Renji's! What the heck is going on!

He was almost desperate as he threw the phones down on his bed and peered once more into the box. He pulled out all other objects one by one.

"This is Chad's medallion! And these are Orihime's hair clips! Renji's headband... Uryu's Quincy cross... And a piece from Rukia's skirt!" he said out loud, raising his voice with each new item he found.

"Nee-chan's in trouble!" Kon cried.

"You don't think I realize that?" Ichigo yelled to the mod soul. "And it's not only her... Everyone else is out there, too... And both Uryu and Orihime have lost their main weapons! Just what is going on!"

Suddenly, he noticed one last object at the bottom of the box: a note. "Please let this be some kind of sick joke they're playing on me..." he murmured as he grabbed the note. His eyes widened as he began to read.

Welcome to my little challenge, substitute Soul Reaper. I created it just for you to participate in... Of course, you really have no choice since by now you've noticed that I have all of your friends; you will participate if you wish to save them. There is one rule, however- you cannot use your powers at all, unless you want your friends to die prematurely. I will give you only one clue about each of their whereabouts; you have until the end of this day to save them- starting now. See you at the finish line, Ichigo Kurosaki...

Ichigo was wide-eyed and filled with rage by the time he had finished reading the note.

"Who does this guy think he is!" he shouted to no one in particular. "To kidnap my friends and then force me to play his sick game!"

Kon stared at him before reading the note still in Ichigo's hand. His eyes went wide as he read before he jumped up and down. "Well, what are you still doing here? Go and save Nee-chan!"

Ichigo threw another pillow at him as he searched through the box. "I will! But right now I have no idea where she is! Kuso! He said he'd give me clues, but there's nothing else in here!"

He continued to search the box desperately, dropping the note in the process. As it fell, it flipped to the other side and landed softly on the bed, where Kon gazed at it. "Ichigo! Look here!"

Ichigo stopped his hysterical searching and looked back down towards the paper. "It's on the back? Why didn't I think of that before?" He grabbed the paper and began to read:

The cute one you'll find needs a hero to save her;

Lest no else can rescue her from danger.

The tanned one you'll find needs to learn how to fly;

Before it's too late and in the grave he'll lie.

The tattooed one you'll find simply needs more time;

Before he reaches the end of the line.

The small one you'll find may be used to the cold;

But perhaps now she will not be so bold.

The pale one you'll find needs to learn how to breathe;

Or else his situation will be dire indeed.

Ichigo put down the note and sighed. "Some clues..." He scrunched up his face and hit the wall as hard as he could. "But they're all I have, so I'll just have to use them... for the sake of my friends!"