Yo this is Kari. This fic is going to be sad and I hope you hate me by the end of it.
A few years after the war, it was clear that Yhwach's corpse had begun to deteriorate, and was no longer able to be used as the replacement Soul King. Then again, it was hardly a surprise. Even sealed and dismembered as he was, the original Soul King was still alive in that crystal of his. The Soul King still carried out his duties from within it, and interacted with the world, however indirectly, through his sentient Heart and Hands.
Really, it was no wonder than Yhwach's corpse could not serve as an adequate replacement for long.
No real wonder... just a simple lost hope…
For with this… As it was now…
With Mimihagi, Pernida, and Gerard all having been absorbed by Yhwach... With Yamamoto dead… There were only two who had the capability to replace the Soul King, and with how untrustworthy Aizen was… There really was only one option… Only one who could become the next Soul King now... and the Soul Society knew how wrong and unfair... just how cruel it would be to ask that of him.
He was hardly more than just a kid... Hardly more than two mere decades in age... So young and the Soul Society had already robbed him blind again and again in their incompetence.
First by their failure to kill Yhwach the first time. Countless-both living and dead-suffered because of that mistake, they knew, but they'd never faced the guilt of that mistake before now. With that mistake, they robbed the boy and his friend of their mothers.
Next was their failure to suspect Aizen. Thousands suffered-shinigami, human, soul, and hollow alike-because they were blinded to the man's wicked deeds, because they were deafened by their own arrogance and pride in that which they thought they knew. They were responsible in that failure for the circumstances that led to the boy's creation. They robbed the boy of a chance at a relatively normal life.
Then was their failure to be honest with the boy. To be forthcoming. The boy suffered so much because of what they simply did not tell him of Ginjo. Of their attempts to restore his powers. Of anything. They left the child to suffer alone for nearly a year and a half. They robbed him of a chance at hope and peace of mind when all they had to do was simply say something. Simply let they boy know that they had not forsaken him. To show him that they were grateful for and worthy of his help... They robbed him of his health... and robbed themselves of a chance to fix their own mistakes for once.
Finally was their failure to be strong enough to fix their own mistakes. Their failure to take down Aizen on their own. Their failure to fight the Quincy on their own. Their failure to smoke out and deal with Ginjo on their own. With this, with all of this, they robbed the boy of his youth.
The boy saved them, time and time again. Fought two wars for them loyally. Trusted them though he had every reason in the realms not to.
They knew that... and yet they had no other choice than to rob him once more.
Rob him of the only thing he had left to give.
Kurosaki Ichigo was the only one who could possibly take up the mantle of the Soul King. The only one who could bear the burden of the Soul King. The only one who act as a vessel for the Soul King's power and not be burned up by it. Truly… as much as they hated to admit it... they had no other choice…
Thus it was decided.
Kurosaki Ichigo, the Shinigami Substitute, would become the new Soul King.
This would be the last thing the Soul Society ever asked of him, for once it was done there would be no going back. No way to undo this. The young man they owed everything to would have to give up his life in the human world. Give up his friends. Give up his family. Give up his very future. All to finally put an end to their thousands of years of mistakes.
There was no other way.
He would understand.
...
That's what they told themselves at least…
Thanks for reading, please review.