Babylon's Guardian
Monologue theme: Babylon 5 Season 1 opening title
Season 1 Monologue: "It was the Dawn of the Third Age of Mankind: 10 years after the Earth-Minbari War, and 250 years after the Winter War. The Babylon Project was a dream given form. It's goal: to prevent another war by creating a place where humans and aliens could work out their differences peacefully. It's a port-of-call: Home away from home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs and wanderers. 250000 humans and aliens rapped in 2.5 million tons of spinning metal, all alone in the night. It could be a dangerous place, but it's last, best hope for peace. This is where I came to be after my battle with Aizen. This is the story of the last of the Babylon Stations. My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. The year was 2258. The name of the place is Babylon 5."
Opening Theme: Bleach Opening 3
Dramatis Personae, Season 1:
Ichigo Kurosaki, 16 years old: Sent into the future to Babylon 5, and resident substitute shinigami; main character of the story
Rukia Kuchiki, approx. 160 years old during the Winter War: The one who got Ichigo into this mess in the first place, and has a deep crush on Ichigo, while Ichigo also has a crush on Rukia; shinigami assigned to Babylon 5 in 2258
Orihime Inoue, 16 years old during the Winter War: Friend of Ichigo, has ability to bend space and time to her will; joined Gotai 13 in 2087 after her death and the formation of the Earth Alliance
Renji Abarai, approx. 160 years old during the Winter War: Friend of Rukia and Ichigo; assigned to Centauri Prime in 2247
Commander Jeffery David Sinclair, 40 years old: First Commandant of Babylon 5; (2257-58) has link to the Minbari that is revealed in the later stages of the series
Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova, 29 years old: Second Executive officer of Babylon 5; (2258-61) has uncanny ability to know everything about what's going on on the station
Chief Warrant Officer Michael Garibaldi, 35 years old: First Chief of Security on Babylon 5; (2257-61) Becomes Ichigo's first friend on Babylon 5 due to Ichigo's comfort in the 20th and 21st Centuries
Delenn of Minbar: Babylon 5's Ambassador of the Minbari Federation; (2257-62) has knowledge into the operations of the Soul Society and befriends Ichigo
G'Kar: Ambassador of the Narn Regime; (2257-62) has some spiritual awareness, and learned of the Soul Society during the Earth-Minbari War when he was attacked by a Hollow
Londo Mollari: Ambassador of the Centauri Republic; (2257-62) knows nothing of the Soul Society except legends from the ancient past of his people
Kosh Naranek: Ambassador of the Vorlon Empire; (2257-60) knows more about the Soul Society then even Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto did, and has more spiritual power then all of Babylon 5 combined, excluding Ichigo (simply because NO ONE has more then he does)
Prologue: In the Beginning
Rukia Kuchiki sighed.
It had been 250 years since Ichigo Kurosaki disappeared after the Winter War.
Aizen was dead, but Ichigo was just gone.
They assumed Ichigo was killed by his own technique.
Not likely, but it was the only explanation.
"Rukia!"
The Kuchiki girl turned to face her captain, Jūshirō Ukitake.
"Captain."
"Don't look so glum. I've got good news for you! You're being sent on an assignment!"
Rukia raised one of her eyebrows.
She hadn't left the Soul Society in over a century, so why assign her the world of the living?
"It's a long term one, too."
After humanity went to the stars, they made first contact with a race called the Centauri.
As soon as that happened, shinigami were given long term assignments on other worlds.
That nearly came to an end in 2245, with the Earth-Minbari War.
The war ended two years later, but thousands were dead, including all of Ichigo's living relatives, who served in Earthforce, the Earth Alliance military.
As soon as she heard about that, Rukia tried forcing her way into the world of the living.
It took all of the 13th and 11th Divisions to keep her from leaving.
"Where am I going?"
"That new Earth Alliance station."
Rukia sighed. She had heard of that station: the last one built under the terms of the Babylon Project.
"Babylon 5. Why me?"
Ukitake sighed.
"This is your last chance, Rukia. If you can't do your job, you'll have to resign. I know you're still depressed over Ichigo's...disappearance, but he's gone. Even if he survived, he's long dead now. I'm sorry, but there's no other way to say it."
Rukia nodded.
"I'll never get over him. But I can't throw myself into my work. It's how I met him in the first place."
Ukitake patted her shoulder.
"You have to leave tomorrow morning. The only flight from Earth to Babylon 5 in the next week is leaving then."
Karakura Town, Japan
Rukia walked through the Senkaimon and onto the street leading to the spaceport.
Rukia did not want to be in Karakura Town, but the Hell Butterfly brought her there, and it was the only place with shuttles going to the Asimov.
Too many memories of her time with Ichigo were here, despite changes to the town.
"All passengers boarding the liner Asimov, please report to Gate 2. Repeat-"
"That's my flight."
Epsilon Eridani Sector, Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5: 3 days later
Rukia stepped out of the shuttle with an Earthforce doctor named Steven Franklin.
He was assigned to B5 as its' new Chief Medical Officer, and as Rukia still looked extremely young, he escorted her onto the station.
She didn't complain, as she wasn't really in the mood to care.
"Commander Sinclair! It's good to see you again."
Rukia noticed who Franklin was greeting: a man with graying brown hair and a woman with brown hair, both wearing Earthforce uniforms.
She assumed they were the commandant and his executive officer.
The man shook Franklin's hand.
"And you. It's been a while."
He gestured to the woman.
"This is my first officer, Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova. Susan, this is Dr. Steven Franklin, our new medical chief of staff."
Ivanova, the woman, shook his hand.
"A pleasure. I followed your work while I was stationed back home. We're honored to have you on board."
"Thank you. Ran into Dr. Kyle at the transfer point on Io. He sends his regards."
"He's really looking forward to working with the president. It's a great opportunity."
"Well, with so many aliens migrating to Earth, we need more people like him back home."
Then they noticed Rukia.
"And you are?"
"Rukia Kuchiki. I came here from Karakura Town, Japan."
Sinclair nodded.
"I've been there: spent a year and a half there during my first years in Earthforce. Small town, but being so close to the ocean, it's a perfect spaceport."
Then he saw the look in her eyes.
"Lost someone there?"
"An entire family. My family were friends with the Kurosakis."
Everyone winced, especially Sinclair.
The Kurosakis practically founded Earthforce.
It was like losing your parents, grandparents and the rest of your family at the same time.
Sinclair's link beeped.
"Sinclair. Go."
"Commander, we got someone from Downbelow here. I think you're going to need to see him."
"Why?"
"Earthforce's first Chief Of Staff was...?"
Sinclair and Ivanova looked at each other.
"On our way."
His link beeped again.
"Sinclair."
"Something's coming through the jumpgate, Commander. You'd better get up here."
Sinclair shrugged.
"Find out what Garibaldi found."
Babylon 5: Medlab
Rukia had to admit, someone was good at beating the shit out of people.
Twelve people were in beds, badly hurt but alive.
"Who the hell did this?"
"That's the good part."
They then noticed a man in an Earthforce security uniform.
"Steven, this is Michael Garibaldi, our Chief of Security."
Franklin shook his hand.
"He used Earthforce's basic hand-to-hand combat manual on them. And who wrote that manual?"
"General Karin Kurosaki."
"And no one outside of Earthforce is trained to use that style except for...?"
"Get to the point."
Garibaldi looked hurt.
"But I'm getting to the best part!"
Rukia kicked him in the balls.
"The point. MAKE IT."
Garibaldi sat in a chair, then someone flew over his head.
"Get the hell off me!"
Rukia gaped.
'No way. It's not possible.'
A boy no older then 16 walked in with five orderlies on his back.
He had amber eyes and orange hair.
It was none other then Ichigo Kurosaki, the hero of the Winter War who disappeared during its' final battle.
He was in his human body, no less.
It was impossible.
Then again, impossible and Ichigo don't mix well.
Impossible usually dies.
Painfully.
"GET OFF!"
He threw them into the bulkhead.
"He's a Kurosaki. Has to be."
Rukia ran at him and jumped on him.
Her speed and his surprise knocked him to the deck.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
Garibaldi looked at Ivanova.
"Do I want to know?"
"She said she's a friend of the Kurosakis. Maybe she knows him."
"Rukia, what the hell are you-Get the hell off me!"
"They know each other."
Ivanova's link beeped.
"Ivanova."
"Lt. Commander, you're needed in C&C."
Ivanova sighed.
"On my way."
She looked at Garibaldi.
"Get them situated and him secret. If Delenn finds out that there's still a Kurosaki alive, she'll contact the Gray Council. And we know what they'll do."
"Damn right, I do. They'll kill him."
Alien Sector
Kosh Naranek watched the scene between Ichigo and Rukia.
Kurosaki would be needed in the War against the Shadows to come, which was why they used their spiritual powers to influence the Dangai to send him into the future with his powers intact.
They even made sure that the Quincies never returned.
Even the so-called 'Quincy Emperor' stood no chance against the might of the Vorlons.
Only one race stood on equal footing with them: the Shadows, and even then, they needed to corrupt a shinigami to make sure the Soul Society, the rightful ally of the Vorlons, was weakened.
Aizen was tempted with that damned question, and he answered.
They gave him power, but Kurosaki still cut him down.
The Shadows would have tried to kill him had the Vorlons not saved him.
If there was anyone they feared, it was Ichigo Kurosaki.
The boy had more spiritual energy then any Vorlon or Shadow, and that terrified them.
Even now, he gained power, and those he deemed his allies gained it with him while his enemies were weakened.
They didn't know why, nor did they care.
The Shadows would test him soon: after all, they technically ruled Hueco Mundo, even if that Arrancar woman was the Queen.
Babylon 5: Green 1, Level 5
Rukia was happier then she had ever been in the past two and a half centuries.
Ichigo was alive and she finally had the chance to tell him how she felt.
After he disappeared, she realized that she was in love with him.
Her adopted brother, Byakuya, wasn't happy, but after getting his ass whooped by the entire Shinigami Woman's Association, the boy's father and his own zanpakutō, he finally let her have her way.
He didn't want to be hairless for the rest of his days, nor be without Senbonzakura.
The first year wasn't pretty.
He couldn't even do Shikai.
"What the hell is going on? Where are we?"
Ichigo looked at the girl hanging off his back.
"AND WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WHAT YACHIRU DOES?! STOP IT!"
Rukia was too happy to care, and she had an iron grip on him.
"Rukia, you're scaring me! PLEASE get off!"
She complied, landing on one of the two beds with a smile on her face.
"You're still scaring the shit out of me, Midget."
He hoped that would earn him a kick in the shin or something he KNEW Rukia would do.
His hopes were fulfilled when she kicked him.
"Don't call me that!"
"Well, you scared the shit out of me! I needed to do something!"
She sighed.
"Do you even know what's going on?"
"No! I wouldn't've asked where we are if I did!"
Rukia sighed.
"Ichigo, the year is 2258. We're on the Earth Alliance station Babylon 5 in the Epsilon Eridani Sector."
Ichigo caught the year and location.
"We're ten and a half lightyears from Earth?! And I'm in the fucking FUTURE?!"
Ichigo wasn't known for being hysterical, but she knew why.
His family and friends.
They were all dead now.
"I need to get back!"
"Ichigo, there's nothing you can do! Please, just calm down and listen to me for a second."
Ichigo planted his ass in a chair, then put his head in his hands.
Rukia wanted to help him, but he needed to do this by himself.
"Ichigo, when you used that attack on Aizen, you killed him. When he died, you just vanished. We assumed you died along with him, with the Hōgyoku being destroyed along with him. It's been 250 years."
Ichigo looked at her.
"What happened?"
"17 months after you disappeared, there was a Quincy rebellion. Uryū didn't join it: said they were too extreme, even for him. After a few fights, they just up and disappeared. Someone told us that they were killed to the last man later on. After that, the UN dissolved and the Earth Alliance came in its' place. About 50 years later, the Centauri popped up. 10 years ago, there was a big war between the Alliance and the Minbari Federation. Thousands were killed over a mistake. That included your family. They're all gone, Ichigo."
Babylon 5: Command and Control
The entire room was bathed in what felt like dry ice vapor, crushing and choking everyone on the station.
'What the hell?!'
Ivanova barely propped herself up on a chair before she fell unconscious.
Babylon 5: Green 1, Level 5
"Ichigo, calm down! Keep this up and you'll destroy the station!"
She put on the glove that kicked him out of his body many, many times before and punched him with it.
THAT got the pressure off the station's denizens and B5 itself.
"What the hell, Rukia?!"
"You were going to destroy Babylon 5 if you kept that up. Thank God you're like Captain-General Yamamoto now and need control of your reiatsu to make us feel it."
Ichigo was still extremely angry, but not at Rukia. He couldn't stay angry at her for long. No, his rage was directed at the Minbari.
"Those assholes murdered my entire family! I have every right to be pissed off!"
"Ichigo, when I heard they killed off your entire family, I wanted to kill every Minbari I could find. I couldn't control myself, and it took two whole Divisions to stop me! I know how you feel."
"Oh, no, you don't. My family is all I really had. Grandnieces and grandnephews, cousins: it doesn't matter if I knew them or not! You probably barely tolerate the Kuchikis, so I REALLY doubt you know how I feel, Rukia!"
While he was angry and he had a point about her barely tolerating her adopted family now, that was a low blow.
"Ichigo, I considered your family my family a long time ago. I understand that you're upset. But please, never say that again."
Ichigo sighed.
"I'm sorry. You know how I wanted to protect them, and I failed at that."
"Ichigo, I failed to protect them. It was my job to do it in your place and I failed. I STILL want the Minbari dead for that. But I would be no better then they were if I did. Your family wouldn't forgive me. No one would. I'd be worse then Aizen."
Then Rukia's Soul Pager went off.
"A Hollow? Already?"
She looked and her eyes widened.
"Oh, no."
Ichigo looked at the message.
"Soul Hunter? Doesn't shinigami translate into Soul Hunter as well as Soul Reaper and Death God?" (AN: It does. I checked)
Rukia looked at him.
"You don't understand. A Soul Hunter is an alien that captures souls for their personal collection. And they hate shinigami."
Ichigo's scowl returned, full force.
"That's worse then anything a Quincy could do."
"At least the soul dies quickly with a Quincy. With a Soul Hunter, they suffer for centuries. We've been trying to hunt them down ever since they started interfering with konsos."
"What? Why? I thought after the Quincy massacre, you'd've learned your lesson!"
"We did. But we didn't start this: they did. We don't kill the Hunters; we try not to. It's their collections we destroy, to free the souls imprisoned in them. After that, we konso the souls or kill them if they turn into Hollows. If they resist, we're authorized to kill the Hunters if need be. That's only happened once, and the one who did it was Captain Zaraki."
Ichigo shuttered.
"They're that dangerous?"
"They captured three shinigami once. They are extremely dangerous. And my job just got harder."
Ichigo looked at Rukia.
"Your job?"
"I'm on long term assignment to Babylon 5. It's my first actual mission since the end of the Winter War."
"Winter War?"
"That's what we call the war we had with Aizen."
She got out of her body.
"Come on. We need to get to that bastard's ship and find his collection."
"What about our bodies?"
"Leave them for now. We've got a soul hunter to deal with. Then the wall monitor activated.
"Message from Lieutenant Commander Ivanova. Will you receive?"
Ichigo got back in his body.
"It'll look suspicious if I don't answer."
Rukia scowled, but said nothing.
He had a point.
"Yes."
Ivanova's face appeared on the monitor.
"Ichigo Kurosaki?"
The Substitute Shinigami nodded. "
Yeah, that's me."
"Commander Sinclair will see you in an hour. He wants to talk to you."
"Right. I'll see him in an hour."
The screen turned off.
"You deal with this Soul Hunter thing."
Rukia scowled.
"Right. You get to talk to Sinclair while I get the hard job."
"Oh, no, I get the hard job. I have to deal with someone who wants to talk to me and I can't escape it. You, on the other hand, can get out and deal with the Soul Hunter's collection."
I can't believe that no one tried this before.
Everything in B5 points to the existence of souls and Bleach would be perfect for a crossover.
Again, this is a challenge story, as well: if you think you can do better, prove it to me.
Besides, imagine Ichigo dueling a Vorlon outside its' encounter suit to the death, or a massive Menos Grande fighting an Omega-Class destroyer.
...I clearly have too much imagination, but at least the idea is original.
Next Time on Babylon's Guardian: Ichigo meets Sinclair and Kosh, the Gotai 13 discovers that Ichigo is alive and the Soul Hunter breaks out to try and take Delenn's soul.
Ja Ne!