Upon the Wingbeat of Butterflies

by Undying Soul98

CANCELLED:Being a Self Insert is harder than the fanfics suggest, especially when Fate itself is out for your blood, threats beyond canon refuse to leave you alone and you have the sneaking suspicion that your experiences are scarily familiar. "You're not the Special Snowflake you think you are, Marcus. But even the smallest of butterflies can leave devastation in their wake"-OC SI

1. Something About Tusedays

Chapter 1: Something About Tuesdays

AN- Hello all, both new readers and old. This fanfic is a rewrite of an older story I wrote called 'A New Reaper', which I was not completely impressed or satisfied with, so I decided to rewrite it. Admittedly I intended to post this some time ago, but I wanted this done right. Those of you that have read the original version (Which is on my profile, by the way) should notice some changes to the original, many noticeable, others not. Regardless, this version should in theory be superior, and I hope that you enjoy it too.

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. Bleach belongs to Kubo... for now. One day though... one day. My eventual long and complicated master plan should finally overcome him... if I'm lucky.

Beta: SadAngel262

In my experience, there is but one thing worse than mornings. That thing, is Tuesdays. Don't ask me why I hate these two things so much; I would just end up ranting for far too long. In a nutshell, I am everything but a morning person. I have never been, and never will be. Spending far too long on your computer, streaming anime and reading TV tropes into the wee hours of the morning has that affect on you. I don't like mornings and mornings don't like me. I require regular doses of caffeine just to ensure that when I get to school I do not resemble a zombie.

As for Tuesdays, there is just something that I really hate about that one day of the week. Mondays are fine, Saturdays awesome and Friday's manageable, its just TUESDAY that eternally screws me over. Bad things always occur on Tuesdays! Its like a rule, or something!

Take today for example. I am currently lying on the floor of my small room, tangled within my duvet and cursing whatever deity governs mornings and/or Tuesdays. Also, my alarm is roaring in my ear and I can't turn it off and the display seemingly tells me that I'm late. Yep. I'm late.

Shit.

I'm late. I'm late.

That alarm is really pissing me off!

THUD!

Ouch... I just rolled into the side of my wardrobe, and a box filled with god knows what crap on the top of said wardrobe decided that today was a perfectly nice day to try and crush me.

BEEP, BEEP! BEEP, BEEP! BEEP, BEEP! The bloody alarm went on and on. Just how the hell did I not wake up from all that racket?

Actually, don't answer that question. It's Tuesday. Never question Tuesdays…Just like anime logic… questioning it just makes the day ten, no, twenty times worse.

Finally, with herculean effort, I managed to free myself from my captor and throw the alarm against the offending wardrobe. I think that I must have broken it, but screw it. Its Tuesday.

"Oh, hey bro." The door to my room slammed open, revealing the petite form of my younger sister. "You do realise that you're late again? Schools in ten minutes."

"Yeah... I know. I'm late." Hang on... I'm late. School in ten minutes. "SHIT! SCHOOL IN TEN MINUTES!"

"Quite. Tut, tut, tut!" Lily rolled her eyes in a superior manner and grinned her Cheshire Cat grin. If that damned cat was a human with blonde hair, green eyes and a shit attitude, it would take the form of my twelve year old sister. Lily Drake was truly a terror upon the world; I pity whomever marries her in the end. "As a big brother you should set a good example for your darling little sister!"

"Shut up Lily!" I threw off the rest of my duvet, tore into the wardrobe for my uniform, and hurriedly started tossing on my various garments. Shirt, tie, pants, trousers. Okay. Thank the lord that I have practice at speed running mornings. Lily, used to my antics, merely turned her back on me while I changed. "I don't suppose you saved me some toast or something?"

"No. If I ever had, would you have learnt anything?"

"Yes. I would have learned that my sister wasn't some sort of malicious harpy."

"Calling your little sister names? Double tut! Just because you're fifteen means nothing."

"Piss. Off." I told her eloquently. I slipped on my blazer and checked my appearance in the mirror upon the inside of my wardrobe. Uniform's fine, my long brown hair is in its usual unruly state, so I applied a comb and hoped to god that it would be suitable. In the end, I managed to flatten it a bit, so it just happened to barely cover my eyes and my ears. Regardless of my hair or uniform, I was as physically fit as ever, by which I meant as thin as a rake with the fragility of china plates and the ability to be snapped like a twig if someone ever thought to pick on 'em.

"No. You piss off!"

"You suck." I sighed. "Just go to school."

"Hypocrite."

"Sadist."

"Otaku!"

"I'm not a god damned otaku! I just like anime and stuff!" which was true. I may like anime but I was hardly an otaku. For one thing, an otaku is from Japan, and do I look like I'm from Japan, or live there? No. I'm as British as they come. Anime was just one of those things I started to like watching after seeing Dragonball Z as a kid (when I didn't even associate it with Japan) alongside Pokemon and Digimon. The hobby grew in secondary school, as my friend James showed me some cool shows like: One Piece, Death Note, Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fate Stay Night and Fate Zero; y'know, the good stuff.

"Okay then, nerd boy!" I couldn't deny that one. I was, in fact, a nerd. I was somewhat proud of the title. Us British nerds have a long and rich, complex history, filled with much suffering and strife. Even so, our race forever plunges onwards into geekdom! We shall never give up in our pursuit of good video games and anime series, therefore I am happy to take on the metaphorical mantle of a nerd! I would rather like video games and avoid sports like the plague, than be one of those sports nuts who can only seem to talk in an odd dialect of grunts (Or as those wacky Americans call them 'The Jocks').

"Go away damn it!" Lily obliged. She always got to school on time, so would rather get her mark than throw some friendly banter at her brother. Bitch. I can't say that we're the closest of siblings, but I do enjoy our occasional banter. This didn't decrease the weight of sadism in her soul though. Next step, my bag. I picked my well worn out school rucksack and fled the room, abandoning the mess on my floor left behind by the damned box that tried to crush me tipping over. I'll clean it up when I get home.

I reached the downstairs kitchen and greeted my mum. I checked my watch. Still a minute or so until I reached the MTL (Maximum Time to Leave. James was the one to coin the term, for when the absolute time to leave the house before you would be later for school was needed).

"Late again Marcus Drake?" Mum glanced at me calmly while sampling her cup of tea like a British pro. Mum was used to my Tuesdays, so barely bothered caring nowadays, knowing full well it would almost always end the same.

"Yes?" I threw open the cupboards and quickly chucked the last packet of Walkers and the final bottle of Dr Pepper into my bag.

"What's your excuse this time, young man?" Shit, she pulled out the 'young man' comment.

"In my defence, Tuesdays hate me?"

"Nope." Another sip.

"Mornings hate me?"

"Nope."

"Oh! Look at the time! MTL reached! Bye Mum!" I gave her a quick and awkward hug (Since I was at the awkward age of 15, so hugs were uncool apparently) and sprinted for the door, ignoring mum's complaints.

Now then, I'd better catch up with James and barter with him for some of his damned lunch... again. He makes a killing out of my messed up mornings. Truly, Tuesdays hate me, as do mornings. Those two teaming up against me is certainly foreboding. I just knew that today was going to suck.

XXXXXXXXXX

School was normal. Let's leave it at that. Normal for me means sucking like hell, since mine and James' school was rubbish. Bad teachers, filled with bullies, no proper equipment, occupied by chav's and drowning in its lack of funds.

Lessons were fine (i.e. were rubbish) and I managed to survive double P.E, which was a miracle in on its own rights (Up until a football nearly gave me a black eye), so I could consider the morning barely successful. This was worrying. It was a Tuesday and it was in the morning, so I couldn't have a 'good' morning.

I shall be on my guard, Tuesdays' gonna sneak up on me and bludgeon me with bullshit. I just know it.

Next was Maths and English. Supply teachers, enough said.

Don't even get me started on lunch! One word. Burritos. Say what you will, but I believe that the offending food should be well up there on the list of banned weapons, alongside the atomic bomb, chemical weaponry and the dreaded blue shell from Mario Kart.

Finally, after a long afternoon of Physics, me and James were able to leave the school and begin our long walk home.

"You know, I hate school sometimes." I remarked to James off handedly as I sipped the Dr Pepper I had just purchased in my left hand slowly.

"I completely agree." Decided James briskly. "What I wouldn't give to be free of this hell hole. Mark my words, once I get my GCSE'S I'm leaving education and joining my dad's company." James' dad worked with a programming company, which develops various small apps. I could see why James would want to work with them.

"I don't really know what I would do if I left school. I mean, I'm not ready to be an adult. I couldn't survive on my own, and I don't think I'd really want to. Being a salary-man wouldn't suit me, since there would be nothing more miserable than going about a regular desk job only to go home to no girlfriend or family."

"Tell me about it. Oh well, bottoms up." James finished the rest of his own bottle and threw it into a nearby bin on the high-street. "What I wouldn't give to have no worries, to have an exciting life."

I couldn't agree with James' words more. The thing about life is that more often than not, it sucks. You climb the corporate ladder and become part of the nameless crowd, or you become a NEET and live a disappointing life to both yourself and your family. Even worse, in life you'll probably die without any sort of legacy, Save for any children that you might have conceived along the way.

Its sort of sad.

I don't want to be like that. Its stupid to say so, but I want to be remembered. I don't want to just be part of a crowd, a nameless person who is no different to anyone else in the world.

"I sometimes wish that I could just go live in a book or a video game, or something." Joked James. "I mean, you could do worse than spending your life as a pirate looking for One Piece, or an Alchemist working for the military."

"A Magus' life would kick ass." Trace On, UBW for the win! "And could you imagine being a Pokemon trainer?"

"Hell yeah! Nearly as kickass as being a Shinigami in Bleach, or even just being an orange clad ninja! Anything would be better than continuing in eternal monotony."

Yep, you could do worse than being a Shinigami. "Do you ever think that maybe we get a bit too philosophical when drinking Dr Pepper?" I asked.

"Nah! You can never blame the Dr Pepper!" James laughed, as did I. It was nice just to stand there in the afternoon sun and talk with a friend.

Its a shame some things never last. After all, things change. They always do.

It happened a few minutes later, a moment that would be perfectly clear in my memory, no matter what would ever occur. Looking back, it wasn't even that exciting or memorable moment. It just happened.

I was waving bye to James. He had just said a joke, which I couldn't remember, and was leaving me to go down a separate road, since we lived in different locations.

Anyway, I waved goodbye and took a large gulp of my drink.

I stepped off the curb to walk across the necessary road, still waving.

James called out to me, so I focused in on his surprised face. It was weird, I don't think I'll ever know just what that expression was trying to convey.

Then it happened. The one moment where everything changed for me.

The glaring sun on my bony shoulders, a not so comfortable heat warming me through, my friends voice calling out inaudible words, a nearly empty street, the bell on a corner shop ringing as someone entered it, Dr Pepper a tang in my mouth, the bottle falling from my loose grasp, a large Tesco lorry just out of the corner of my eye, a driver bobbing his head to an unknown rhythm, headphones on and eyes off the road, the feel of the bag on my back, damned ache in my forehead and a momentary disorientation.

Silence.

I stepped forwards, and then the entire world seemed to blink.

You know that feeling when you wake from a dream, only to imagine that you're still asleep, or that the dream itself was reality, and that you had instead fallen asleep? Or perhaps the feeling when on a cloudy morning the sky parts and the sun reveals itself, the temperature soaring, giving you the impression that you're in a completely different place, would be more appropriate to what I was feeling.

One moment I was on a busy street walking home from school, the next I was elsewhere. There was no portal or multicoloured light show, no flash or sudden drop. Nothing. Just a mere step. I walked forwards out of nothingness into a new, unfamiliar location.

The place seemed foreign. No, it was foreign. The building style was completely alien to anything you would normally find in England. I can't really explain or describe them. I was a bit too confused to note the details.

"Japanese," I think. Rather, an isolated part of my brain tells me this.

I took a few more steps before I registered my surroundings completely. Then, I tripped over in surprise.

"OUCH! WHAT THE HELL!?" I got up, cussing loudly and re-analysed my surroundings.

I blinked once.

Twice.

Oh look, some people are wearing kimono's, I think.

Thrice.

And then…I did the rational thing…

"WHAT THE LITERAL FUUUUUUUUUUCK!?"

…And panicked.

Okay Marcus, lets think things over rationally. Where the hell are you? Not England, that's for sure! You're in some sort of foreign location through unknown means. First, lets check to see if this is some sort of elaborate dream.

Pinch. No. I'm definitely awake.

Next, is this a hallucination? No idea how to check that one, so I'll push that thought to one side.

Maybe someone knocked me unconscious, then left my unwilling body elsewhere?

No. I have no recollection of blacking out, nor do I have any blank spots in my memory. I came here standing up, so that idea was pretty stupid. Back to the drawing board.

So for now, I guess I have to assume that I've somehow teleported or something as equally conceited as that. It makes little sense, but what else is this Japanese style estate doing here? A location like this couldn't possibly be near my place of residence, therefore it probably isn't.

Three major issues to deal with. One: where am I? Two: what am I doing here? Three: how did I get here?

Well, I can solve number one quite easily. I'll ask one of the various people that are going about their daily businesses. Hopefully, one of them will be able to speak English.

"Hey." I walked up the street and approached a man stood at a stall of some sort selling fruit and vegetables. "I don't know if you can understand me, but can you help me? This is a stupid question, but where exactly am I?"

The middle aged man looked me over once or twice, paying attention to my clothing in particular. "No, it's not a stupid question. Based on your choice of clothing, you're probably new here, right?" I nodded, not really knowing what else to say. "You're in the Rukon District, East 32."

Hang on, I think I've heard that name before. "Right thanks."

"So that's the current trend in the human world eh?" The man pointed to my school uniform.

"What do you mean by 'human world'?" I have a really bad feeling.

The man sighed irritably, his patience wearing thin. "Shinigami nowadays, useless I tell you. They don't even bother giving basic details now."

"Shinigami?" Okay then, this is REALLY starting to sound familiar, but not in a good way. Rukon District and Shinigami... it can't POSSIBLY be that simple... can it? Hell, me and James even mentioned the subject earlier today, it couldn't be quite that simple or unrealistic!

"For the love of," The man prepared to swear, then stopped himself. He probably realised that getting angry wouldn't affect my ignorance in the slightest. "You're dead! Got it? Dead! Didn't you get the picture when you were wandering about unable to interact with the world until a man in black pulled a damn sword on you? This place is the land of the dead."

Yes. Apparently, it is that simple. This sounds stupid, even to me and my nerdish standards, but it seems like I must be in a badly written fanfic. Such a thing is the only conceivable idea that makes any possible sense, because people in real life just don't find themselves magically transported into an anime franchise!

No. I refuse to accept such a stupid idea. It's illogical and it's unlikely, its stupid and improbable! Such a thing just doesn't happen, no matter how much you might want it to! Real life doesn't work like that!

This is said with what is probably a large amount of denial, but I just couldn't have been systematically transported into the anime franchise 'Bleach'!

"Young man," Stated the shopkeeper sympathetically, his anger gone in favour of stopping a random teenager form hyperventilating in front of his stall. "Perhaps I should have broken it to you more gently. Some people can't accept the facts sometimes, you see."

"Oi! Reg! Someone giving you problems?" A muscular man came over from his own stall and sized me up... not that my size is anything to brag about, even if I am tall for my age.

"No. He's just a bit..." The newly named 'Reg' couldn't seem to find a word for me.

"Look." I told them. "I'm not upset, just really confused. So what you're telling me is that we live in a world where Shinigami whisk people away to the after life and have fantastical battles against evil, black monsters, and wield badass swords, and that we're all dead?"

"Yes." The two men told me at once, clarifying my theory. So yes, I am in a bad fanfic. So yes, Tuesday was probably responsible for this. That's it. I give up. I want to go home! This is stupid, improbable and illogical! Come on Tuseday, you've had your fun! I mean, throwing me into some sort of stupid Self Insert? Surely you have better standards than that?

Not sending me home? Fine. Apparently Tuesday doesn't have standards.

As such, there is but one course of action I can proceed on to ensure I get my sweet tasting revenge.

First, I'll join Team Aizen, help him become Soul King, then I'll use his powers to force the metaphorical materialisation of Tuesdays to appear before me in a male form... then I'm gonna knee him in a rather painful location. Following this, I'll sue Tuesday's ass for ruining my life. And I don't care if some witty jury says something stupid like: "You can't sue a day of the week.". I'll do it anyway, because screw it! Its a Tuesday! Nothing ever makes sense on this particular day!

"I call bullshit!" I snapped, glaring at the sky. "I," I pointed to myself. "am not dead! I have no memory or recollection of dying, and was breathing perfectly fine before I somehow ended up here!"

"He's in denial." Decided Reg. "he'll probably get over it."

"You don't understand." I told them.

"Yes we do. Now get the hell out of here and get used to it!" The large man shoved me, I fell over. Ouch.

"I. AM. NOT. DEAD! You hear me? I have not died, so I can't be in the land of the dead, damn it!" Seriously, I can't possibly be dead. For one thing, unless my afterlife is modelled after Bleach, I am unlikely to suddenly drop dead and not remember it! I don't even know how I got here, so I couldn't have been brought here by a Shinigami!

"Just what the hell is this racket?" Added an unknown voice.

"JUST SHUT UP!" I yelled.

"We didn't say anything!"

"Yes you did!"

"No they didn't." Responded the voice.

"RRAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!" A sudden call reverberated through the street. Various people screamed at the sound, and immediately turned their tails and ran. The two shopkeeper's looked behind me on the floor and followed suit, legging it.

I stood up and felt a presence behind me. I REALLY don't want to turn around.

"Just turn around." Remarked the voice from before, even though there is nobody around to say such things. "I've been sleeping for a while, so I want to know just what is responsible for waking me, since giant shouts and Japanese streets didn't seem to have been a part of your lifestyle when I first got here."

I ignored the voice for the time being, mainly because the only person here was myself, so I wasn't going to get in argument with myself, since myself was the only person that could have possibly said anything.

Instead, I turned around to see if my other suspicion was correct.

Yes, there was a giant frig' ass monster stomping towards me. Yes, it was made of a substance reminiscent of melted tar mixed into liquid shadow. Yes, it wore a mask of porcelain bone. Yes, it had big ass hammer like fists. Yes, it was huge. Yes, there was a giant hole going through its midnight stomach. Yes, it could only be described as a Hollow.

"RRAAAARRGGGHHH!"

It seems like I really am in Bleach. All the facts point towards it. Japanese buildings, Rukon District, Shinigami, a voice emanating from inside my head, the afterlife and Hollows… Yes, the only explanation is that I have fallen into Bleach.

So I have fallen into Bleach, I must accept this fact for the time being, and a Hollow is currently looking hungrily in my direction... and I'm not running when all rational men would have. Shit.

"Okay." Said the voice."That is new! I'm pretty damn sure the world didn't have those when I went to sleep."

"Bugger your sleep." I told it.

"Bugger you. That monster is still coming for you, so I think that unless you've figured out how to use your various powers, we should run."

I ran. I turned my back on the thing... and got the hell out of Dodge!

XXXXXXXXXX

I don't know how long I've been running, or how I've had the energy to do such a physical task, considering my abysmal P.E record, but I did it anyway. I ran as fast and as far as possible, while the bastard decided to focus on me for some reason that AUTHOR ONLY KNOWS!

"Look, I am sort of confused. This isn't normal, is it?"

"NO!" I yelled back inwardly, panting frantically as I zipped down various streets, the beast behind me.

SMASH!

DAMN! Okay, I dodged it. I slowed down a bit and one of the hammer fists nearly clipped me, smashing a nearby wall instead when I ducked into an alleyway.

"So just to clarify, this is the first time a monster has been hot on your tail?"

"For the love of frig," I croaked out. "YES! So unless you have something useful to say, slither of my own sub consciousness, SHUT UP!"

"... Run?"

"NO SHIT!"

I ran. The alleyway manoeuvre bought me a bit of time while it was forced to go round, but I didn't know just how long it got me. My best chance is to outpace it or flee this town, and hope that a Shinigami senses the Hollow and comes to my aid.

Still panicking about this whole situation by the way. My mum is going to kill me! If the Hollow doesn't do so first.

"Then how did you get into this situation?" The voice, that I had decided was a he, asked.

"Look. You're a voice in the back of my head, consequently you should know exactly HOW this situation occurred! Just root through some memories and see for yourself!"

"I'm a hitch-hiker, not a miracle worker!"

I ignored the voice, once again. I have never heard this voice ever before, but he is certainly talkative once he gets going.

While I'm thinking, just where is everyone? Hiding, no doubt in that.

"LEFT! LEFT! LEFT!" I instinctively obeyed and turned down the stated street, narrowly missing a cart thrown down the centre path by Mr Hollow.

LOOK! This is the end of the town. Grass and a nearby forest, no buildings or people. Perfect. Hopefully the Hollow will stick around in town for an easier meal, since more people would be found in the town than in the forest.

"SPEED UP!" I tapped into my empty tank of gas and peddled onwards, grinding to a spluttering stop once I entered the safety of the woodland.

Damn, am I unfit.

"Yes, yes you are."

"Shut. Up. Before I reach in there and throttle you." I whispered darkly. I have no idea how I would go about doing such a thing, but it's an impossible day, even by Tuesday standards. I'll find a way!

"No... no."

"What?"

"Can't you sense it? No, of course you can't. ITS STILL COMING!"

I don't know how the hell this voice knew, but I had nothing to lose by trusting its judgement, for now.

With a bit of time to rest I continued to run. A roar alerted me towards the Hollow's damned persistence. It seemed a bit more distant, maybe I'm finally losing it?

"Just what are you going to do if that thing catches up with you?"

"I don't know."

"Will you fight? Will you die? Will you flee?"

"I don't know. Run, its safer."

"It will follow you. You're all alone... nobody will get to you in time. The boy called Marcus Drake will die, leaving no legacy behind him. Just when life starts to change from its normal monotony, he'll sadly die."

"SHUT UP!" Alas, he was right. If that thing caught up with me, I'd probably die. I don't think I could run away again, I'm knackered. Its like I've run a ten mile long race.

"You just can't handle the truth." He told me. "Running never solves anything... It merely delays your problems."

"So what do YOU suggest I do then!" I shouted out loud in annoyance and fear. I couldn't run away and I can't fight that thing as I am. All I have is my school bag, and an annoying voice in the back of my head, neither of which will help. I have no sword to swing, no power to fight with, no gun or Magic to fire. Just me, myself and I.

"If you can't fight it as you are, then just use something that will."

"CRAP!" I stumbled into a clearing and rolled, landing in the centre of the large expanse of grass. Trees circled around me in a wide ring, encircling this large shelter from the hazards of the forest. I was alone, for the moment. I lay there panting. Just what can I do?

"RRARRGGGHHHH!" Trees were knocked aside as the berserker charged into the makeshift arena. I was forced to roll once more to avoid him stampeding me.

Now, I was truly in the centre of the clearing.

"You're going to have to fight him now. By the time you get up, he'll be upon you."

"HOW!?"

The voice paused for a moment. "You are stronger than you think."

"Pardon!?"

"I chose you for a reason. You're strong, you have an amazing potential to change the world, even if you aren't consciously aware of it. I picked you because deep inside you have an ability which WILL do the impossible, if you desire it to! Don't ask me how I know... I just do. I believe you can push beyond your Mortality, just turn on your hidden powers!"

I focused intently, imagining a magical hellfire of doom or something equally powerful to vanquish my enemy. Nothing came, save for the new sweat nervously dripping down my face. I can't change the world, merely scowl at it. What exactly did I expect anyway? I'm listening to the advice of a voice in the back of my head, which is the first sign of madness anyway.

Enough moaning, I picked myself up. For some reason, the Hollow was content to stand there. It cocked its head sideways and roared once more. "RRRAAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!"

From around the clearing, ten holes or darkness materialised. "A Garganta." Muttered the voice slowly. "I remember it from that one time I watched... no!"

From inside the Garganta's, black figures emerged. They were small and imp-like, barely reaching my waist, but they were many. Pointed masks and edged teeth, sharp claws and a menacing aura promising a painful death via pack. They chortled loudly, and the chief Hollow that has led me here joined in.

That facial expression? Was it glee? Or was it sadism? No, it was a smug look.

These Hollows obeyed it, so it laid an ambush, to ensure its next meal could not escape it, considering its own abnormally slow speed. It would lead an unsuspecting soul into the forest, chasing the poor soon-to-be-meal to this very spot, then at his call the minions would appear and assist him in killing its next meal.

It was a bastard move, and I was stuck. Now I was certain to die. Eleven hungry monsters against one nerdy teenager without any sort of weapon... bad odds. VERY bad odds!

"You need to turn on your powers... NOW!"

"Come on!" I muttered tensely. "Trace on! Haddoken! Zangetsu! Persona! Caladbolg! Excalibur! Deus Ex Machina! Transformation sequence activate! Anything!?" Nothing worked! I literally don't have any powers, or at least if I did miraculously have some hidden ability, I can't activate them!

"Activate them now! Or we're both doomed!"

"I JUST CAN'T!"

The minions circled in slowly, taking another step towards their helpless prey.

"FINE!" The voice pondered. "You don't know how to activate your powers... and we don't have something to specifically help you turn them on... so... yeeaaaahh. That could work!"

"WHAT?"

Another step in. I spun round, eager to ensure that nothing struck from behind me.

"I have no idea if it WILL work, but it might... if we're VERY lucky! It's our only chance. You see, if you can't consciously activate your power, if you're too disconnected... perhaps I can do it for you? What if I acted as a buffer, or a pair of training wheels on a bike, or something?"

"WHO KNOWS!" I shouted. "Just do something!"

"Okay. I'll give it a try. To do this though, I need total trust... I'm gonna be delving into your mind and soul a bit too much for this to be performed unwillingly."

Why not? Fine. Lets let the mystery voice route around in your mind... nothing could POSSIBLY go wrong! "FINE!" I have no other choice anyway, so I might as well act on this slight possibility for survival.

"Basically, you'll try to visualise the form your power is to take, and I'll collect the power and shape it for you, before I give it to you to be released into the world. Hopefully this should forge enough of a bond between you and your 'power' that you're able to use it, albeit severely underpowered. This might blow up miserably though, so I'm going to have to delve deeper into that which makes you Marcus Drake, Marcus Drake. It should be irreversible if we do this. Our fates will be linked further than they already are."

That sounds ominous. "I'll have to be your sword and shield, there is no other choice."

Another step. One minion got impatient and leapt. I narrowly stumbled out the way and kicked the thing away from me. This only excited the others more.

"If not, you'll die, and me along with you. This could potentially stop you from ever truly accessing your full power, or it might prevent you from ever being able to control it fully by yourself. This is permanent. Are you willing to accept this?"

"YES! Just do it!"

"Okay. I'm starting now."

An odd sensation of falling, of drowning, of burning in a sea of unknown pain. I fell to one knee. The clearing swayed. It was... excruciating. I remained conscious... barely. I had to fulfil my end of the deal.

Memories surfaced. Some mine, others not. My dad's funeral, my mums tears. An unknown man in a white suit, in a mirror. Seeing Lily for the first time. Meeting James.Twelve others sat around the table with me, a council of absolute authority. They say my name and give me my next assignment. Year Seven, a boy punched me. A Christmas with the family all together, grandparents, cousins, aunties and all that.A boy at a funeral, he's crying. A Tesco van, I drop my Dr Pepper bottle. We sink into an endless, bottomless, sea.

Even so, I try to ignore these images, these thoughts, these memories. The voice told me to visualise something, something to slay my foe.

A burning sensation at my very centre of being.

Maths classroom, Year Nine. English, Year Eight. The council together once more, some of our members are sad. One of us left, I think. I want to follow him. Why is my mum crying? Why did he leave anyway?

I need to visualise something. How about a weapon? Yeah. A Shinigami could kill one of these pricks. A Shinigami would slay all these bastards!

James looks at me. I think 'You could do worse than being a Shinigami'.

Yeah, Shinigami are cool. Is there anything better than yelling 'GETSUGA TENSHOU' at the top of your voice? Is there anything better than the absolute confidence of owning a Zanpakuto, of knowing the very nature and name of your soul?

I think that I'll follow him. You know, I've always liked stories. I'm fed up of them dictating that which I can and can't do. Dad was a hero, a fireman. I wonder if, I too, could ever be a hero? I want to leave! To be free! I want to be a hero! It's childish, but I do! Who doesn't want to be free? Who doesn't want to be one of the good guys?

All directions point south. The voice tells me that I have an unseen power, sort of like Ichigo Kurosaki. Wouldn't it be cool if it turns out I was a Shinigami all along?

We approach the centre of our being. There! A power, unseen, untapped!

What I want is to kill these Hollows, so what better a tool than a Zanpakuto? If my power must take a form, I want a Zanpakuto! I have a voice in the back of my head, so why not?!

Christmas. Why? Why is he gone? Why did he leave me? Why did dad have to die? A funeral.

I need to focus. I feel like I'm repeating myself.

"GRROOAAARRGGGGHHHH!" The Hollow roared.

Pain. Lots of it. My hands feel heavy. They clench.

I want a Zanpakuto damn it! I want to have frig ass adventures and kill some Hollows! I want to fire energy beams, chuck fireballs, and have a damned beam sword!

We're there! I need to get it! I need to access that power! To control it!

There is but one form my power should take. A sword! I want one... now! A katana, or a broadsword, or a lightsaber! Something!

We're there! I've got it! I'm in control now! Deep inside, something tears away, something irreplaceable shatters, then is reattached in a new, fantastical, unforeseeable fashion. One may not interact with the power, but both might.

"VISUALISE SOMETHING DAMN IT!" The screaming voice tears through my delusions and the pain, reminding me that I have a job to do. The voice controls and shapes the power, I release it in the way I TELL it to!

The Hollows leap.

Okay. I want a sword. I'll have a damned sword. Long. Not too long. Strong. Black is cool.

An unseen tap is released. A steady drip, drip of power flows.

Like lightning, the pain stops, it numbs. In my hands, a sudden weight is dropped. I nearly stumble.

I look down and… I have a SWORD now! It's a thin blade, 24 inches long, definitely western in nature. No curve, it was straight and bladed on both sides, the fuller a slightly lighter shade than the rest of the metal. Sharp. Quite sharp actually. The colour of the metal itself was a pale grey, the sort of colour which reminds me of cloudy days in the Autumn, with an edge traced black, as if it had been dipped within molten darkness. The handle, the hilt? Anyway, it was black, with a plain guard and no pommel; a foot of cold, hard metal, engraved with a navy criss-cross pattern, to help the wielder grip it.

It was perfect, it was awesome, and it was all mine!

"Thanks." I told the voice, directly addressing it.

"No problem..." He seemed out of breath... if such a thing was possible for a voice occupying ones mind. "Call me Javan."

CUT! With reflexes I didn't realise I possessed, and probably don't possess, I managed to slice one of the small minions leaping for my back in half with my new sword, spraying Hollow blood onto the trampled grass as I did so.

A second bounded for my leg and latched on with its sharp teeth. I grit my teeth, the pain was less than the initial thing I had done with Javan (Still have no idea what it actually was that he had done). With sharp deliberation and an equally sharp weapon I angled my blade and attempted to thrust into the beast without accidentally stabbing myself in the foot in the process.

It leapt off at the sound of my weapon thrusting, so once my blade thrust into the ground I had failed to kill it.

Behind me, another minion leapt. Fearing pain and consequently death, I dropped to the floor. A WHOOSH alerted me to the fact that it had sailed over my head.

The entire Javan thingy and this all happened within 30 seconds. To me, it had seemed to have taken an age.

The hammer fisted leader stood back smugly, while his 9 remaining followers circled me.

I have no idea if I can win, but I will BLOODY WELL TRY!

"Bring it on... bastards!" I charged, sword in hand, at the leader. Kill the commander and the troops will flee!

Suddenly, a voice broke through the clearing. "Snap! Tobiume!" A fireball launched from the edge of the clearing, then smashed into the first Hollow about to attack. It impacted with its side and exploded, destroying the creature instantly.

A second and third blast of fire followed, directed at either side of me. I continued to charge. BOOM! BOOM!

Another Hollow dead. The one that bit me earlier to be precise.

SLASH! CUT! I swung my thin weapon at another Hollow to attack me and cleaved it in four. Adrenaline soaked me and assisted my aim, as this was my first time using a sword.

A flash to my side alerted me to the presence of my saviour. A petite girl in black robes, with brown hair tied up in a bun and a serious look on her face. I already knew her identity, based solely on the Shikai release. It was Himamori Momo, the lieutenant of Squad Five. More proof of being in the Bleachverse for me!

"Hado No 30," She chanted, a hand already extended. "Sokatsui!" (Blue Fire, Crash Down) Bright blue fire erupted from her open palm and incinerated the next three in line. The lead Hollow finally figured out that his odds were low, with seven of his minions already dead by either my blade or Momo's fire.

I looked back at Momo as I continued to run, she gave me a solemn nod and gestured to her weapon. I could tell that she was probably saying something like 'I'll back you up!' or 'I'll spam fireballs!'.

Either way, she was bailing me out. Momo has never really seemed to be an up close fighter in the anime, so standing back and Kido-ing probably suits her better. As such, it seems like she trusted me enough to let me take the lead.

I just wish I knew what I was doing. I was sort of winging it, going with the flow, flying on a high of adrenaline and smugness upon the fact that I have a Zanpakuto.

"Tobiume!" Aaanndd another one bites the dust. The lead Hollow thrusts forwards, to he far side of the enclosure. A black tear appears, a Garganta.

"Oh no you don't, BASTARD!" I roar, using the last of my energy to speed up after him, to prevent his escape.

SLASH! The next Hollow to defend its master met by sword. I continued. A thin beam of lightning fired past my side, impacting with the final minion's skull. The leader was all alone now... no meat bags for him!

"DIE!" The Hollow turned to swing back at me with one large fist, as he attempted to escape. I wasn't gonna let him though! I used my miraculous moment of highness to dodge to one side, still charging. Momo showed her capabilities too, appearing besides me in another burst of Shunpo. BOOM! The right hand side of the monster exploded, destroying the second arm that had attempted to bludgeon me. "Finish it!" She told me.

I complied. "YAARGGGHHH!" In a reckless display of bravery, I somehow managed to get right up close to the stumbling beast's quickly regenerating side and throw all my remaining energy into stabbing the monster in the face.

Blood splattered everywhere. My Zanpakuto cracked through the mask obscuring the Hollow's face from the world, and destroyed it. Giving a final wail of terror, the thing that had bee trying to kill me for god knows how long died, and I felt rather glad that I had been the one to finish it off.

So now with all the demons gone, I was left alone in the clearing with Momo, who was studying me intently, a satisfied look on her face at the fact that she had managed to save me from total damnation.

Well, it seemed like total damnation, until I pulled out a Zanpakuto, that is.

This might be a bad thing. I distinctly remember that back in the Bleach anime, Ichigo got into trouble for taking Rukia's powers and wielding a stolen Zanpakuto. Considering I'm now in said anime, and that I have just pulled a weapon out of my ass, and that I'm an alive human, which sort of makes me a Ryoka, and that therefore I am a Ryoka with a Zanpakuto, I am probably in trouble.

Either way, I knew this morning that today was going to suck. You see, its a Tuesday thing. Tuesdays always screw me over.

Following this declaration, my legs gave way beneath me, rather suddenly might I add. Momo, lunged forwards and a great pressure fell on my mind. Sudden exhaustion and pain which I had been ignoring surged back into me, and so I was swept away by the repressed current of experiences, questioning just how and why I have ended up in the situation that I am now in.

XXXXXXXXXX

Its often said that all people in the world have choices, whether they notice they do or not.

Choice. It's the fundamental right of all of humankind, to decide their own fate and pursue the future that they desire above all else. Whether they reach their desired conclusion or not is an entirely different matter, one for another time and one that they make themselves.

Once a decision is made, it may not be changed. This is another rule of nature that runs alongside free will; history is unchangeable. Once you reach a point in your journey where a road branches off into two separate directions, and you select a single route to follow, you may not turn back and make the choice again, and you can't just skip between one road and the next.

Humanity must see their choices through to the end, they must accept that while the future is undecided, the past is set in stone.

Thus is Fate, a path that humanity has willingly picked. Not an undecidable future, but an irreversible past and a malleable present.

And Fate doesn't like to be changed. She's a sticker for the rules like that, as unmovable as the history she protects.

So when a bug does show up in her carefully constructed system, she ruthlessly attempts to squash it, to correct the errors, to return history to its natural destination... before any lasting damage may be achieved.

One bug escaping her was insulting enough, a second could not be allowed to grow. It had to be deleted, immediately. And maybe she knew just the right way to do it.

AN- Well, this first chapter is completed. I hope that its set a good tone for what will eventually come. I intend to write something similar to a self insert, only write it realistically and try to develop both canon characters and my own OC's that will start showing up sometime next chapter.

The start might be a bit slow to get up to canon, but once I do arrive at the SS arc onwards I intend to change some canon details. You see, I hate it when OC's never end up changing any details whatsoever; if I wanted canon I'd watch the anime, not read fanfiction. Bare with me, even if it seems like nothing is changing, it is. It really is.

So until next chapter, please tell me what you thought of this chapter. Any criticism or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Undying Soul out.