"Goodbye, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto." He heard before reishi blasts started to destroy his body. 'I leave the rest to you my sons, Jushiro, Shunsui...Kurosaki Ichigo, for some reason, I feel as if the Soul Society is safe with your hands.' Were his last thoughts before darkness consumed him.

'Where...am I? How am I still thinking? Ywach killed me, his blasts should have destroyed my soul from the cycle of reincarnation, so why can I still think, yet not feel. Is this the fate for those killed by Quincy? How deplorable...an existence of nothingness...'

'Awaken my master…'

'Ryujin? Is that you Ryujin Jakka? Where are we?'

'In the precipice between worlds, but not the dangai. There is an ability, that I have not told you of that I possess. Using the fires of creation at their purest state, I have bonded to your soul on a different level and allowed you to survive, at a cost.'

'A cost, why not tell me of this power earlier Ryujin?'

'This cost, is that you will be separated from our true dimension, our true home, instead you will be sent to a new world one I do not know of, and I do not know if there is a way back.'

'You say me, what will happen to you?'

'As observant as ever master, truthfully because of what I have done, I, in a sense, will cease to exist, in my place my power will become yours. So you, will become Ryujin Jakka.'

'Is there no other way, old friend?'

'There is not, but do not fret, this...is my decision, I have done this so that you may live again my master, the way things work in the new world may be different however, so expect the unexpected.'

A light in the darkness, and he could see it was faint, but he knew that his time in this space was nearly over, as well as his time with his oldest friend.

'Very well then, goodbye, Ryujin Jakka, thank you for being at my side for over a thousand years.'

'And goodbye to you, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, truly I could not have asked for a better person to wield me than yourself.'

The light was blinding now, and two old friends parted as Yamamoto stepped into this new world.

In another world, a young boy named Natsu Dragneel was fighting Erigor the Shinigami, as he was fighting however, a strange feeling of power washed over him, it felt ancient, and burned, and it filled him with a sense of excitement, then the feeling went away as he dealt the final blow to Erigor.

Inside the boy's mind however, the old soul of Yamamoto watched, confused at the turn of events, but not unwilling to adapt. Yamamoto was not one to believe in fate, but there must be some reason that he was now in the soul of the child who could use fire so easily. Granted, it was nowhere near the power of the flames that he could use, but in time, who knows, maybe the boy could learn to use his power. 'Not before he learns some self-control first.' He thought as he continued to watch and wait.

'Certainly an interesting inner world, a volcanic island, and in the lava lies that sleeping beast. As it is, I am now Ryujin Jakka apparently, and it will be a while before the boy can listen to my name.'It's been so long of the same thing happening over and over again, Soul Society was on a cycle of stagnation, if it hadn't been for Kurosaki and the Winter War, along with the current one I doubt that things would've happened the way they did. Let's see how this world works.'

And so he dived into the boy's memories, and what an interesting world it was! A world of magic, where humans could use such different and powerful varieties, idly he wondered if he could teach the boy to use kido. 'He's not as powerful as Kurosaki is, and he actually has a great deal of control, necessary to avoid any loss of life, the boy understands just how dangerous fire is and unless he's in battle, reigns it in.'

He could appreciate that, unlike Kurosaki, he knew how to control his power, fire was an temperamental force of an energy not meant to be contained, yet he was able to do so. 'Time to see what this boy will do.'

And for the first time in centuries, Yamamoto felt excitement at the unknown future.

It was later on after Natsu and his friends had defeated the demon Lullaby that Natsu remembered the sudden rush of power, but could not for the life of him remember how to make that feeling return.

Later on in the night, when he finally fell asleep, he dreamed of fire, far more powerful than his own, of white against black, a beautiful sword, wreathed in the fires of creation, and he heard a slight whisper. "Can you hear me, Natsu…"