The thousand year blood war. That's what they were calling it. Or at least, those that had remained. Not that there were many. Lifefless brown eyes stared out over the destruction caused by those who believed themselves to be bearers of righteousness. The Quincy who served under Yhwach. The Wandenreich.
Buildings reduced to rubble, landscapes inverted, mountains flattened, and plains raised up or sunken down. But nothing could compare to the loss of those who fought valiantly to protect their sacred home. Everywhere he turned his pain filled eyes, thousands upon thousands of soul reapers lay. The corpses piled up like small hills of black cloth and flesh. Many were now completely unrecognizable due to the damage done to their bodies by the enemy. Worst of all, each and every one had been slain by a Quincy, whose spiritual weapons were nothing like the shinigami's. No, to be slain by a quincy, meant your soul could never return to the cycle of reincarnation. All of these great warriors, who sacrificed themselves to protect the balance, would never get another chance to live.
It didn't seem fair really. All of the quincys that had perished, would simply be reborn. With another chance at life. Perhaps the cruelest irony ever known to the young man now seated at the top of a ruined pillar. He appeared to be around the age of eighteen, though rather tall. He was muscular, as evidenced by his almost completely destroyed clothes. He didn't have a mass of muscles, rather his body appeared to be made of bunches of piano wire strung throughout. One of his most outstanding features of course was his bright orange hair. Such an unusual color for someone of japanese descent, that most assumed it was bleached.
This was Ichigo Kurosaki. Substitute Soul Reaper. Hero of the Winter War. And now, one of the few survivors of the war against the Quincys, and the killer their of Emperor, Yhwach. His once warm and fiery brown eyes were now dimmed with the knowledge of what had been lost. Standing behind him and slightly to each side were two more unusual figures. The first appeared to be a carbon copy of Ichigo, but completely white. His skin, hair, even his clothes, were all the white. The other difference was that the whites of his eyes were the color of the darkest black. And his iris were a rich golden color. The other figure was appeared to be a middle aged man, with long dark hair. Dressed in a heavy dark coat, that seemed to move with a mind of its own, he also wore a pair of semitransparent sunglasses.
These two were the spirits of his zanpakuto, Zangetsu. Both inherited from his mother's blood. The old man, her quincy blood. The white copy of himself, the hollow that had lived inside her. Both had materialised themselves in an unspoken agreement to try and comfort their wielder. Even if only with their silent support.
"Was there anything I could have done? Could I have changed something", Ichigo's deep, baritone voice would have normally made any woman tingle and swoon. However in this moment, it was so filled with sorrow and pain, it would be a fight to not cry for the suffering young man.
"We did everything we could Ichigo. We saved everyone we could", the gruff voice of his Quincy Aspect answered.
Ichigo only nodded in response. He knew that his zanpakuto was telling him the truth, but inside he felt the pain that he could've done more. That he should've been able to save his friends. That he should've been able to save his father. That he should've been able save his sisters. The rough and tumble Tatsuki. The ever serious Uryu. The silent but loyal Chad. The bubbly and cheerful Inoue. His ridiculous and perveted father Isshin. The rock of his family Karin. And their ray of sunshine Yuzu.
All had become victims of Yhwach vengeance against the substitute. As Ichigo had arrived from the King's dimension, he had all but decimated the Wandenreich army. And in an act of rage and lunacy, the quincy emperor had attacked Ichigo's hometown of Karakura Town. Targeting anyone who had even a speck of Ichigo's reiatsu signature on them, Yhwach had been merciless. To be blunt, there was nobody left in Karakura Town whom Ichigo knew. All of his friends, his family, and even most of the students at his highschool had been slain by the enraged Quincy. In short, Ichigo had nothing left. He had won the war, but at a price he had always fought to avoid.
Of course Ichigo hadn't escaped unscathed. Besides his shihakusho being all but destroyed, his body was a mass of cuts, bruises, and any other injury possible. He had loss more blood than certainly was anywhere near healthy. But thanks to his quincy aspect's blut vein, the blood loss had been all but stemmed. This gave his hollow aspect the chance to regenerate the more lethal wounds. But because he had used almost all of his massive pool of reiatsu, he wouldn't be able to heal most of his wounds. So he took to sitting still, not to aggravate his wounds anymore, while waiting for one of the surviving squad four members to come and heal him.
All three of the beings watched the setting sun in the distance, doing what they could to stave off the depression trying to settle in. After some time, Ichigo didn't bother keeping track, they could feel a powerful reiatsu heading to them. The teen turned his head ever so slightly, confused by the approaching signature. It was unlike anything he had ever sensed before.
The three comrades didn't have to wait much longer. The being that appeared infront of them was one they had never before encountered. It seemed to be an amorphous mass of white energy, held in a shape resembling a slim and averaged sized human. Wisps seem to trail and wind around the strange being, and it seemed to emit a glow of power and authority, but of peace and understanding. But on top of that, Ichigo felt something off about this new creature. Not that it was evil, unnatural, or any such thing. But simply as though it were out of place.
"Ichigo Kurosaki", the creature's voice was soft and distinctly femine. But much like it's reiatsu, it carried both strength and command.
Ichigo raised a thin eyebrow, curious as to how this new being new who he was. And so he decided to make his question known.
"Who in soul society are you, and how do you know me", his voice lacked the energy and anger it had carried before. Both Zangetsus decided to take this unknown being as a possible threat, and each materialised their respective blades. The hollow aspect his larger khyber knife sword. The quincy aspect his smaller trench knife.
"Calm yourselves noble spirits. I bear neither your wielder, nor yourselves any evil intentions", 'her' reassurance however did not cause the zanpakuto to release their hold on their swords.
"If you're not here for problems, then tell us who the heck you are", Ichigo's voice managed to recover a small amout of emotion in the form of annoyance. The strange energy being smiled inwardly, knowing that this hero hadn't died on the inside after this tragic war.
"Of course young champion", 'her' aura became slightly more friendly, "I, Ichigo Kurosaki, am the Spirit Queen."
In a rather comical display of coincidence, all three, Ichigo, and both Zangetsu, tilted their heads in confusion at the Queen's declaration. Of course none of them had ever heard of the Spirit Queen. Only ever hearing of the Soul King who ruled over the many worlds.
If she had been any lesser of a being, she would've giggled at the expressions they wore. But as she wasn't, she decided to explain.
"I see you are confused. Not to worry, allow me to explain. As you know, the Soul King is in charge of all the aspects of this dimension. However as you know this is not the only dimension. I myself come from a dimension parallel to this one", the Spirit Queen answered their previous questions.
Normally most people would assume something of this kind to confuse poor Ichigo. But most people didn't seem to realize how intelligent he really was. After all, it wasn't with just his monstrous spiritual energy that he defeated his enemies. It was his ability to adapt, and out think his disadvantages. That on top of everything he had seen and experienced, made such a declaration, not very suprising.
"Alright", was all substitute decided to say.
"So if you are from another dimension, what in blazes are you doing here infront of us", his hollow aspect demanded the transcendant being.
"As I mentioned, my dimension is parallel to this one. That meaning it follows the events of this dimension very closely. With a few small differences, and a few years behind this one", the Queen was completely unperturbed by the zanpakuto's outburst.
"Kay, so why are you here again", Ichigo tried to remind her of the orignal question.
The royal spirit understood the desire to know her motives, "Ah. Yes as you look around the results of this war, it is simply put horrid. Especially for you Ichigo Kurosaki. Whether you know it or not, you are the Soul King's chosen one. And as he has you, I have my own chosen one. And I truly wish for mine's future to be different than your's. It isn't just, for you to have suffered as you have. But the Soul King is not permitted to interfer with the happenings of the realms. Such as it is for myself."
"Okay, up to here I can understand. But why are you here", Ichigo once again reiterated.
"I am here, dear hero of the worlds, because I need your help. I need you to help me prevent this future from coming to pass in my own dimension. I need you because you are the strongest being and belong to no one race. Your mix of blood and race will allow you to travel through dimensions. Though I cannot do anything to change my dimension's fate, you do not belong to it, and therefore are free to better it," seeing the suspicion on the two sword spirit's faces she decided to add some more, "and of course I understand I can't just ask you to do this. From within my dimension, I will reunite you with your family, those you love and care about. It can't ever be the same, but it will give that which you so greatly suffer for.
Ichigo lowered his gaze, his mind deep in thought. In this world he had nothing left. Nothing to live for. But could he really go to some other dimension, and live? Would that be disrespecting his family and friends, by replacing them? Would it be the coward's way out of the bleak future he was now apart of?
"Ichigo", his quincy aspect's gruff voice called him out of his reverie, "I understand your hesitance. Remember, abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate."
With his part said, the hollow aspect added his penny's worth, "There's nothing left in this world to fight for King. If you can't fight for them here, fight for them there."
Ichigo let the smallest of smiles grace his lips, now knowing his zanpakuto's opinion on the matter. And of course they were right, as they always were.
Turning his once more blazing will to this dimensional traveler he prepared his mind for his answer. He knew he couldn't have saved his family and friends. And he would always carry that burden and the pain it brought. But he could save that suffering from another Ichigo, in some other world. As he had always fought to protect others from suffering as he had, he could continue to do so.
"Spirit Queen," Ichigo's brown eyes burned with a new resolve, "I accept."
In response the Spirit Queen's aura seemed to brighten considerably, as she extended what was probably her hand, "Thank you Ichigo Kurosaki. Let us be on our way."