The Sunset of Hope

by Neko4DKawaii-desu

The Soul King is dead, but all hope was not lost. The Shinigamis believed in him. He had their trust. What would happen though, if that one last ray of hope also slipped and fell right away from their hands? What if whom they believed in all this time turn out something more underneath? Would their twilight fade away? Quincy Ichigo, IchiXBambiXMeni AU

1. Ch1 The Fall and Betrayal

Hey Guys! HelL4DAluCarD with a new fic for you people. I've been stuck this year with schoolwork so it's been really hectic to write a fic or new chapters for you guys, but I had this idea for a 'Bleach' fic in my head for a very long time after the 1000 year blood war arc in the manga and I had to take this out.

So without further adieu, I give you 'The Sunset of Hope'.

"Hey."- Normal speech

'Hey.'- Thinking

"Hey."- Hollow or Entity speech

"Yo."- Technique or Entity names

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. If I did, Ichigo would've turned out a Quincy in the Xcution arc.

Chapter 1: The Fall and Betrayal

What is betrayal?

People say betrayal is when one person breaks the trust of another without any knowing of the latter.

But, if a person breaks the trust of that same person with the former knowing of the latter's maniacal and despising act against the former. Would it still be called betrayal?

Humanity has always hung on the precipice of a fickle bond that is stuck together by the trust between two persons that it has become a sign of dependence for the human race.

It has always been taught and fed to us by birth, that creating bonds make us stronger. Makes us, creates what we become. They say, your future always depend upon the company you choose to have. And surely it has become a sign of weakness for the weak-willed oppressed over by the ones who try to break it.

Such is this dependence that it never leaves us, even in death.

And such is the thing that led to Yoruichi asking this question to herself again and again as she fell along with Chad, Orihime and Ganju from the palace of the Soul King.

"Where did we went wrong, Ichigo?"

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"We're getting closer to the palace everyone! Everyone brace yourselves!", Yoruichi shouted as Ichigo and his rag-tag group of saviors made their way to the Soul King Palace in the ever classic Urahara way, through a reishi cannon.

Brought back old Seireitei memories.

"Nearing ground!" was all the warning they got before they impacted against the solid reishi walls of the Palace.

BOOOOM!

There was dust and debris everywhere and slowly figures emerged from the dust. Slowly, a silhouette seemed to appear and it gave way to the appearance of Ichigo Kurosaki with his rag-tag group. He turned and looked around in the dust concerned and asked, "Everyone OK?"

A series of 'Yeah!' was heard and he seemed o smile at that. He looked at the direction of the Palace halls and said, "Then let's go save the Soul King!". Telling that he started to run at the direction of a seeming conflict happening, if the big blast of reishi was any indication to it.

A nod and everyone started to run with him towards their destination and everyone had Worry written all over their faces. Why won't it be? It was the Soul King's life after all. So everyone picked up their paces and ran with Ichigo towards the Palace indoors where they thought the Soul King was trapped.

As they passed a huge hall they took note of the lack of any presence in the vicinity. It started to worry them. After a while, Ichigo started hearing something. It was faint to his ears.

"..ame."

"What?" He stopped and looked around for a second. Yoruichi and the others too stopped and Yoruichi asked, "Ichigo?"

"Did you hear something Yoruichi?"

"What?"

"..is name.."

"There again. Can't you hear it?" he asked the others too. They just looked at him weirdly and shook their heads.

"Ichigo you…"

"Shush, Yoruichi."

"Say this name."

"There!"

"Ichibe Hyosube. Say this name."

"Ichibe Hyosube." Ichigo whispered.

Suddenly out of nowhere, a black silhouette started emerging from the shadow of Ichigo and eventually started taking form of a very fat man with a round head. Ichigo seemed to recognize him and said, "Ichibe!"

"Hello there boy."

"Wha-wha-how did-y-?"

"Eveything will be answered but first I have to tell you this Ichigo." the heaviness in the voice of Ichibe didn't go unnoticed by the others so they let him continue.

"We, the Zero Division, have failed to stop Yhwach, Ichigo. Everyone of us are dead now except for me. And that is thanks to you."

"What?!" it was Yoruichi this time. "The Zero division was defeated." she said with wide eyes.

"But how come you are alive Ichibe?" Ichigo asked.

"It is thanks to you boy. When you called my name, I took a portion of your reiatsu and formed myself back with it. Although I'm weaker than before but I'm still alive."

"But how-?"

"Names have power boy. Remember it well."

"What do we do then Ichibe-sama?" Yoruichi asked.

Ichibe turned towards Ichigo and said, "It is all up to you now Ichigo. I'm desperate, so I can't help but place this burden upon you to defeat Yhwach. I'm sorry Ichigo."

"It's ok Ichibe. I'll carry this burden because it is all of ours to bear, not one. We will defeat Yhwach Ichibe. We will."

"Thank you."

Nodding to the man, the group of Ichigo started running towards the inner halls of the palace.

'The road will be hard for you Ichigo. I can just hope that you don't fall like us. You are our only light through this terrifying darkness that has overcome the spiritual world my boy. I pray for your success.' Ichibe thought to himself as he sat in the cold floor of the palace.

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It was said that the King of all Quincies (Monks of Destruction) was once the son of the Soul King himself.

Banished for being incompetent. A mistake as they said.

He couldn't even speak or talk a few words. Always confined to a single place due to not having any power to move his feet or legs.

So he was disgraced. Left to die as an abomination when he was nothing but a toddler.

"How do you like it now Soul King? All alone, no one here to help?" Yhwach sneered at the figure shrouded in a glass like slab that stood stationary and unmoving. Yhwach watched at it with sheer disgust.

"But it doesn't surprise you does it? You already knew that I would come here one day. That I would be standing here right in front of you and you would be watching me sprout out this words to insult you." He slowly trudged up closer to the Soul King and said, "Today you die. By the hands of your own son. Ironic to think that the son left to die is the one killing the so called ruler of the spiritual world."

He formed a European styled rapier from the reishi around him and pointed it at the Soul King's figure.

"Goodbye. Old man."

And Yhwach thrust the rapier through the mirror like cover and into the handless figure beyond the cover. A certain kind of silence befell over the whole of spiritual world. Like a veil covering the face of an object or person, the feeling of emptiness and despair slowly spread and covered the whole of the Soul Society underneath.

And so began the coup of the spiritual world.

The revenge of the fallen beginning from now.

Just then Yhwach felt some new arrivals in his vicinity. "You have come…" he turned and looked at the arrivals. "….Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Yhwach! We've come to stop you!"

"Yes. I saw it all… you've come to stop me so I wouldn't kill the Soul King no?", Yhwach asked in a nonchalant way.

"You saw? What are you trying to say?" Ichigo asked. "Look at his eyes Kurosaki-kun.", Orihime said from behind him. Ichigo nodded when he saw them too. Yhwach had multiple pupils in his eyes which irked them to no end.

"Those eyes of yours…. What are those? What's wrong with your eyes Yhwach?" Ichigo asked apprehensively.

"These are the eyes that see through everything and anything." Yhwach replied. "This is the mark and proof of a true Quincy."

Yhwach turned to face him and explained, "You met Hyosube on your way. Put him together, revived him and followed his advice to come here." he sighed. "I saw everything. You appearing here and also, what will happen next." Yhwach side stepped a bit and showed them a sight that shocked them to the core.

"You are already too late. The Soul King Is No More.", he fixed his gaze upon them. "You have no more moves to make."

In an instant, Ichigo dashed forward in a fast motion, flying past Yhwach to where the Soul King had a sword pierced through. 'Kurosaki-kun!', 'Ichigo!' were the respective shouts of Orihime and Chad.

Reaching near the Soul King, Ichigo tried pulling the sword out.

"Will drawing that sword out of King save him Ichigo? Is that what you think?" Yhwach asked. "Do it then, that's the only thing you can do. But the moment you take it out…."

He ominously warned, "…Be prepared to destroy the entire Soul Society with your own hands then."

And at the same moment Ichigo pulls out the sword. But the moment he does, something surprising happens. A line of vein like protrusions creeps up the sword and into his arms. Slowly spreading towards his face and shoulders. "Wha-what's happening?!" he asks panicked. "The sword is…"

And in a surprising turn of events, Ichigo's hand that took the sword out, moves forward and slashes the Soul King in half.

"That's right Ichigo..." Yhwach again enters the scene. "I forgot to tell you that the Quincy blood that flows through you would never overlook an existence like the Soul King."

Ichigo watched, as the Soul King fell in two pieces and he knelt down shocked beyond imagination.

"So Ichigo…" Yhwach continued. "Let's watch this together, shall we?"

The End of Soul Society.

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The whole of Soul Society was in panic.

Buildings were crumbling, the whole of the dimension was shaking.

Every Shinigami (Soul Reaper) who weren't lieutenants or captains in here were running around like headless chicken. There was absolute panic among the masses.

"The situation isn't looking good for us right now." one Renji Abarai said, looking into the distance.

"The shaking… What is causing this shit to happen?!" asked one desperate Ikkaku Madarame.

"Don't tell me…" were the shock filled words of one Ukitake Juushirou. "It isn't possible."

"What isn't possible Ukitake taichou?" asked Soi Fon.

"This shaking… The thing that has been causing this instability. It can only possibly mean one thing." was the wide eyed reply of Ukitake.

"The Soul King.", catching onto what Ukitake meant, Urahara worriedly looked up to the sky, or what was left of it. "He is dead."

Ukitake nodded, also looking worriedly up to the sky of Soul Society.

"Impossible.", Soi Fon said. The remaining lieutenants and captains present in the room also had worried and shocked looked on their faces.

"The Soul King is dead." was what most whispered and tried to make sense of the words. It was a huge blow to them, such that it destabilized the entire power structure of the shinigamis now. The Soul King was the lynch pin of their world. His death not only would crumble the Soul Society. It would affect the whole world too.

This was the significance of the Soul King's live.

Now that he was gone, they started to question their own powers against their enemies. Questions like 'Am I strong enough?' or 'Can we win now?' started to cater in their brains. Self doubt started emerging and plaguing the spirits of the warriors. What would Berenice not give to watch her ability take effect only after her death.

"No. We can't let this demoralize us now." Urahara said. But he was contradicted by Soi Fon saying, "What can we do now Urahara? Look around you. We're already low on moral. More than half of our troops have died. Our Soutaichou is dead. What more can we do anymore?"

"Ichigo is still there." Urahara replied.

"What can only he do?"

"No, we mustn't fight amongst us now. Ichigo is still up there and I believe in him. As does Urahara. I think it's time I play my part.", Ukitake said.

"Captain!" Kiyone and Sentarou screamed.

"It's time to use it."

"Use what Ukitake taichou?" Urahara asked.

Ukitake smiled slightly and said, "You know I've always had an uncurable lung disease from my birth. I was weak because of this and so I couldn't do any of my duties properly. So in my youngest years, my parents took me to a shrine and begged the deity named Mimihagi to cure me off my disease. The Deity did save me; it took away my lungs and saved me."

Urahara kept listening with the others. Ukitake continued, "I will replace the Soul King by sacrificing myself to Mimihagi-sama , it may stabilize the deteriorating condition of the Soul Society. This is…" he took off his shihakushou and haori and leaned forward kneeling. A black mass started covering his back and slowly spread throughout his back. "… Kamikake (Suspended God)", the black mass took the shape of a hand with an eye and slowly started ascending upwards to the sky.

Ukitake started praying, "Mimihagi-sama, take this soul that I have left and is connected to you." And the hand-like mass ascended beyond the visible crack in the reishi wall of the Soul Society and into the Soul King dimension.

Urahara kept on watching at the spectacle happening before him. This was the first time he saw a spell such as this and he was interested. He watched Kiyone and Sentarou worriedly watch their captain as the black hand slowly ascended up to the skies where they thought the Soul King was located.

"HOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Ukitake screamed at the top of his lungs. His whole body convulsed as the black mass slowly took everything from him upwards. 'Captain!' was the shout heard from Kiyone.

Urahara turned around and said to the gathering, "While Ukitake-san is doing this, why don't we work on the door?"

This was what was happening in the Soul Society. Elsewhere….

Shunshui Kyoraku had faced a heap of challenges and burdens ever since he was young. The death of Genryuusei, whom he saw as the grandfather he never had, was the heaviest blow he took to heart in this war. So now, as he took the mantle of his former teacher and superior, he realized what the Old man did. To protect the Soul Society that he created.

Shunshui now stood in darkness. In front of the cell of the most vile villain Soul Society faced in their present years, in the most vilest of places. The Muken.

"Hello old friend." he waited for a response. A while later.

"No response huh? Are you against conversations, using your reiatsu, hmm? Or could it be that even somebody with your power can't overcome this?" Shunshui said. He trudged inside his haori and brought out a box full of keys of different sorts.

"These are the keys to your seal. I've been allowed to use up to three of these keys." he said.

Walking close to one of the keyholes situated he said, "So, let's start with the mouth."

Meanwhile, as Ukitake kept up his technique, the shaking stopped. The chaotic atmosphere of the Soul Society started calming down a bit.

"How long will this last?" Looking into the skies Soi Fon asked. "I didn't think Ukitake would completely become the Soul King's substitute. But this stability will last only for as long as he lasts."

"Captain!" Sentarou exclaimed at her.

"Am I right Urahara?"

"I don't know." Urahara replied truthfully. "This is the first time I've heard of this whole Kamikake thing so I can't really tell you how long it'll last. But one thing's for sure."

He looked at the others, "We have to find another way to stabilize the Soul Society. Let's hurry making that door."

And so they all started to try and make the doorway to the Soul King's dimension. They saw the silhouette of an archaic door forming; it slowly started convulsing again and disappeared.

"What's happening?!" Ikkaku asked.

"The door is disappearing again, immediately after we make it!" Yumichika said, who was just beside Ikkaku.

"There isn't enough reiatsu!" one Nanao Ise shouted. "What?!" one Hisagi Shuuhei exclaimed.

"Ukitake taichou always used his reiatsu to continuously support his sickly body. That makes his reiatsu way stronger than the rest of us. The reason why the door was forming perfectly before." Nanao replied."Tch! At this rate..!" she was cut off by one Lisa Yadomaru who appeared, put her hand over Nanao and said, "What do you mean by that? There's no way we're gonna let things go 'At this rate' are we..."

"Yadomaru-senpai..."

"I'm in the damn shihakushou. Happy now?!" one Hiyori Sarugaki exclaimed coming out of nowhere. "So give me the damn bead Kisuke!"

As this happened, another arrival soon made his presence known to the people there.

"Popped in because I heard there was a gathering but Wow… look at what you've done to my lab there."

"Kurotsuchi taichou!" Kisuke exclaimed.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, alongwith his so-called daughter Nemu Kurotsuchi, entered the fray.

"I see, I see… gathering everyone and having them use their reiatsu for the door eh?" he said. "I don't get it though, if you needed a large amount of reiatsu, why didn't you…" Mayuri walked over to a computer analog and unlocked a door saying, "…just use my reiatsu amplifier?"

"You should've told us you had it then…" Kisuke remarked.

"Well, I didn't think we'd fall into this big kind of mess ever." Mayuri replied in his anachronistically jovial way.

After while, as they started up the reiatsu amplifier, they all poured in their reiatsu and saw the door forming this time.

"It's working! We'll make it this time!" Hisagi exclaimed.

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"Alright, now you won't need your reiatsu to answer me.' Kyoraku said. "Usually it would take a long time for someone who's had their mouth sealed for over 2 years to talk but..."

"Yes.", a gruff but smooth voice cut him off.

Kyoraku's eye widened. 'No way! I've unlocked only the seal in his mouth.', he thought. A figure slowly appeared out of the darkness.

'How did he manage to take off the rest?!'

And then he appeared. The darkness fading away as if making way for him.

"What's wrong old friend?" he said sarcastically. "You've still got two keys left haven't you?"

With every sign of surprise erased from his face, Kyoraku unlocked two more keyholes. He said, "This makes three."

Looking up to the figure Kyoraku asked, "So how does your left eye and those ankles feel after such a long time. Aizen?"

Sosuke Aizen smiled slightly and replied, "I see… you haven't changed at all."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks." Kyoraku said. "Do you want to leave this place?"

"I don't remember asking you to let me out."

"Well, if you really didn't want to leave. You wouldn't have told me to use the remaining keys."

"Hmmm. Why would you go to such lengths. Bringing the keys in here, despite not wanting to set me free?"

"Good grief… you've seen right through me haven't you... its true though." saying this Kyoraku parted his shihakushou a bit and showed Aizen an X-marked scar over his chest. "I had to hide the keys inside myself but, the conditions given were only three keyholes."

"Hmmm, the doors to this place would forever remain shut if you were to be killed then, right?" Aizen replied. "So they predicted I could probably kill you for the keys also? Sigh, that lot in the 46 chambers."

"Well, you can think of this as doing it for the sake of the Soul Society, let's just leave things at that. Shall we?" Kyoraku replied. "Now..." he stood up and showed Aizen the way to a chair.

"Sit on this chair and we'll take you up. I know it's been a long time since you've breathed some fresh air."

Aizen just looked on with interest when a guard requested permission to detain him with his own hands. Kyoraku tried stopping him but he was too far gone. As the guard neared Aizen to bind him, to his horror, his fingers all but disintegrated in a shower of blood. Seeing this, the rest of the guards became horrified.

"How much of a fool do you take me for? Those binds only keep the reiatsu around me not erase it. It's embarrassing to know of your thoughtlessness.", Aizen turned at the rest of the horrified guards and said, "Take a good look at what will happen to you if you come near me.", he turned towards Kyoraku and asked,

"After I'm taken to the surface, I am to lend my powers to the Soul Society is it?"

"I didn't say anything sort of like that but, I'm sure you too can see the advantages and disadvantages for us are quite similar."

"You really are interesting Kyoraku taichou. Do I want to breathe some of that fresh air you ask?"

What Fresh Air Could I Possibly Get From The Soul Society, Now That Yhwach's Done With It?

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As Ichigo kept thinking back at what he did, Yhwach slowly turned to him and said, "Do not worry Ichigo. It's time you were reborn anyway."

Yhwach took out his right hand and a dark shadow-like tendril emerged and fell to the ground spreading behind him. Ichigo and the others watched as the shadow took the form of a human like figure. The shadows slowly receded back to Yhwach and now there stood a figure wearing a long white overcoat with the Quincy Zeichen drawn in the right chest. The figure wore the hooded version of the Quincy Schutzstaffel (Imperial Guards). The hood completely obscured his face and only his chin was visible. The figure stood for a while and then bowed to Yhwach.

"Your Majesty has called. Is it time already your Majesty?" the figure spoke in a smooth voice.

"Yes it is. Haschwalth is busy so stay with me."

"As you wish your Majesty." saying that, the figure went and stood alongside him.

Ichigo and the others looked at the new arrival with cautiousness. Yoruichi specifically. 'Why did I feel such an odd sense of omen when this guy appeared? Who is he?' she thought. Just then she felt another presence enter the Soul King's dimension.

"Wha-?!" Yhwach saw a black mass entering the dimension from right under the bisected Soul King.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yhwach asked. As he watched in anticipation, he saw the mass latch on to the Soul King. "What… is… that?"

Everyone watched with bated breath. A dark black hand-like mass seemingly latched upon the two pieces of Soul King and was now trying to piece them back together.

"You! The one that escaped these eyes of mine. The Soul King himself! You! Why?!", Yhwach exploded upon the mass. The figure beside him also watched on with interest. "Why do you the Soul King's right hand, get in my way! "

Saying that, Yhwach dashed into the proximity of the Soul King with another sword ready to kill the dark mass too along with the Soul King.

"I didn't think you yourself would become an obstacle for me. I don't understand why a severed hand from the Soul King's body no longer follows his own will. Is that how it is?! Then I'll destroy both of you once and for all!" But before he could reach them, Ichigo blocked his way and also his sword. "Move aside, Ichigo." he said calmly.

At that same moment, Yoruichi dashed past both of them with sealing barrier tags and slapped in three of them around the Soul King, creating a protective barrier around them."Good work Ichigo, Hold him off!"

She kept putting up and maintaining the barriers all the while thinking, 'That black blob is the Soul King's arm. It managed to stabilize the Soul Society by latching onto the Soul King.' She smiled, 'He must be making the new Soul King.'

"Ichigo, why are you getting in my way?" Yhwach asked and at that same moment, a Heilig Pfeil (Sacred Destruction Arrow) suddenly hits Yoruichi at her shoulder. Everybody is shocked at the new arrival, none more than Ichigo.

"Ishida…"

That simple lapse of concentraton was all it took and Yoruichi looked back at the Soul King's barrier. "Damn it, the Soul King!" she exclaimed. A crack ran down the barrier and after a while exploded on its own, flinging Yoruichi away with the force, away from the King.

"Damn it Ishida! What have you done?!" Ichigo screamed. Looking back at Yhwach, he sees no one but the new arrival directly in front of him. He looks into the brown eyes of the Quincy and his eyes widen, "You're….!", that was all he could utter as the Quincy drove a sword resembling his old shikai through his gut. "Your work is done. Goodbye." Saying that, the sword glowed blue and the Quincy whispered, "Getsuga Tenshou (月牙天衝, Moon Fang Heaven Piercer)".

A pillar of blue reishi exploded and everyone watched the spectacle. Orihime and Chad, who witnessed this, screamed 'Ichigo!' or 'Kurosaki-kun!' As the light cleared, nothing remained except for the ashes and the zanpakutos. The sword the Quincy wielded dispersed into reishi particles. He bent down and slowly picked the two zanpakutos in the ground, observed them and nodded. After that, he slung one of the zanpakutos over his left shoulder and the other one on the right hip, just like Ichigo did. Yoruichi seeing this couldn't control her anger and dashed towards the Quincy. She threw two bombs which exploded even before the Quincy could act.

"Die!" she exclaimed.

As the dust cleared though, the Quincy was nowhere to be found. She turned but saw another hooded Quincy beside her. She tried to throw the bomb but her hands started converging and twisting. 'What is this power?!' she thought. She quickly jumped away after throwing the bomb though, which exploded and her hand was saved.

Right at that moment, Gerard Valkyrie, another one of the Schutzstaffel, who wore a fancy Norse legend helmet with feathers, a sword and a shield with typical Norse mythological dress wear appeared saying, "What's this? I come thinking a massive army has appeared to stop his Majesty. But this is some army." He finished smirking.

"I don't need your help Schutzstaffel." Ishida said as the Scutzstaffel members arrived one by one.

Just then the new Quincy quickly unsheathed the dual zanpakutos and swung them in a cross slash whispering, "Getsuga Juujishou (月牙十字衝, Moon Fang Cross-shaped Piercer)", in the direction of the group of Ichigo with Yoruichi too.

A tremendous explosion occured and the base underneath them shattered and all of them fell. That tremendous explosion also whipped up the hood of the new Quincy a bit and Yoruichi with her sharp golden eyes pick up the details of his face. 'No. It can't be. Ichigo, where did we go wrong?'

And the ragtag group of the former Ichigo Kurosaki falls deep under the cresses of the palace with the brown eyes of the new Quincy still watching them fall.

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Well, that will be all for the first chapter. I'm going on a hiatus after this Christmas week so I might just upload another new fic or another chapter for my other existing fics or none at all before these week ends. It's my final Highschool year so I'm pretty much busy with assignments. I'll see you guys later after three or four months I guess. I'll still keep reading stories through my phone though and review in some of them too.

And to all the readers, a very Happy New Year and belated Christmas Greetings.

And yes, as usual. Read and Review please.

Ja Ne.