Back to Square One

Chapter 2 – Well This Sucks

'And the Super Cool Rescue Rukia War Council is now in session!' A bubbly voice cried thought out the room.

In said room, were seven people and a cat. Two were human, until about three weeks ago and were still getting used to their new powers. One was a Quincy, Two were Shibas. The other two happened to be time travellers, and as mentioned the last was a cat.

'So, tell us again how the two of you got here, because I think you lost me at the epic fight part.' Uryu started off.

'And as my son told you, he was meant to have an epic fight to death, but something happened, and we ended up back here where it all began.' Explained Isshin, waving his hand in a way that said this should obverse.

'I thought it began on the hill. You know, where everyone could see Aizen pull that dam rock out of her chest.' His son Ichigo replied.

'That is true, but if you had wearing that charm your mother gave you, you would have been able to do something about it'

'So it's my fault now is it' Ichigo replied angrily.

'Of cause not, you should have just been able to get my third daughter out of the danger zone and brought her home. That way the two of you would be able to settle down, and I could have my grandchil-' Isshin could finish that sentence however, because he was sent flying out of the room, in the wall. Now remember these walls are made of paper, so instead of one wall Isshin when flying though. He sailed though five, and landed on his face to boot.

Ichigo standing with his left arm still extended, his fist smoking.

'And here I thought you would have grown up considering all the times I've had to hit you.' His outfit had not changed. The reason he had used his left arm instead his right, was because there was certain black sword still attached his hand, as he had not been able to "power down."

'I'm proud of you, my son. I'm have nothing left to teach you.'

'Sure you have nothing left.' He replied Ichigo, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 'But if you want to teach me something, then tell me how to power down so I don't have a sword swinging around all over the place.'

'Don't you think that I should be the one to teach you that, Kurosaki-san' A strangely cheery voice called out for the door.

'It's you' A shocked Ichigo replied.

Mean while at the centre of the Seireitei. One Kuchiki Rukia is sitting in absolute confusion. One moment she can feel Ichigo's spiritual pressure vanish into nothing, followed by a mental message that she knows she was not imagining at the time.

Now she can hear his voice again, but this time, it seems as if he is slightly older, and it also sounds as if he is arguing with a group of people.

'But that's impossible, I felt his pressence vanish. Even though I should not be able to, I was able feel him, even from here. Maybe I if I concentrate hard enough, I might be able to sense where he is, maybe even hear more.'

She defiantly was not expecting the result.

'Not bad Ichigo, I honestly thought it would take you longer to seal your sword. Much less being able to power down.' The sword in question was still a nodachi, but was no longer completely black. Instead, the blade was now a sliver colour, the grip coloured red, a pair of three inch knoted string tassle coming of the hilt, coloured blue, and the cross guard, now a golden rectangle, with tear drop like carvings in the short sides. The whole sword now straped to his back.

'Thanks, Urahara-San, but you still haven't said anything, about how you got back to this time line in the first place.'

'My son's right Kisuke. What are you doing here, or more importantly how did you get here.' Isshin asked in a serious tone.

Urahara, now missing his trade mark bucket hat, (Possiblily losing it after fighting Aizen in the previous time line) looked forward with a smile.

'Now, now Isshin-kun, there's no need to be so serious about this situation. All that happened is that the three of us, all came back in time to when you were just a little doctor at a clinic, Ichigo was a brash and handsome young man, trying to save his young love. And to when I was a mere honest, handsome, perverted businessman.' replied Urahara, waving his fan in a non-caring manner.

Rukia could not believe hear ears. She had just heard Urahara call himself, Ichigo and his father time travelers. Plus Isshin was a Soul Reaper! She would have never guessed, that the father of the boy she stayed with for three months, was a soul reaper himself. Although that would explain how Ichigo have a massive amount of Spirit Energy in the first place.

'And he feels so much more powerful now. What must have happened in the future, for Ichigo to need to gain such power? Did he learn bankai? Did he save me in his time line? There are so many queastions I have to ask him. Maybe if I concentrate hard enoungh, I might be able to see though I eyes too.'

She did not know how she was able to do such a thing, being able to hear though another person. She was still in a prison cell, he was outside the Seireitei, possibly within the Rukongai. So she tried not to think about it, and try to open a conection between herself, and Ichigo.

And she succeed! But not in the way she thought it would.

Instead of leanring more information using Ichigo's eyes and ears, she found herself standing in the middle of a city. Said city contained skyscrapers with blue glass. Not only that, but the world happened to be set on it's side!

Her first instinct, was to quickly jump on to her back to avoid falling to the ground. Looking at what seems to be the ground, Rukia could only wonder in confusion she ended up in such a strange place.

'What is this place, and how did I get here. I can't see any snow, so this can't be my inner world, but if this is an inner world...'

Rukia suddenly found her self very, very uncomfortable. She know that visiting someone's inner world was a very personal experience for both parties involved. The process for allowing entry into someone's inner world, meant that the poeple in question had a level of trust and acceptence that rivaled lovers.

'Should I tell you that you look stupid laying around like that.' A voice called from behind her.

Realising that the voice talking to her, Rukia turned her head around, and saw a man standing on the side of the building she was lieing on. The man was wearing a pair of yellow shades, a short unkept beard and mustache, long brown coloured hair that went down to his shoulders, and a red and black coat that was pick up by a non-exsitant wind.

'Who are you? And how can you stand around like that without falling?'

'Who am I? My name, is Zangetsu.'

'So, let me see if I understand everything you said. You say that me, my dad, and you have all come back in time, to the point were Aizen has not taken that dammed rock from Rukia yet.'

Urahara nods.

'You also say the reason that my past self was distoryed, because that's the universe's way of trying to fix the time-space continueam, when we have already screwed up the dam thing anyway.'

He nods again.

'So now we are stuck in the past, I'm now a being that no-one understands, and Aizen has not fused thing the rock, so we can kill him.' Ichigo summeried.

'That about sums it up, Kurosaki-san.'

'Then does that mean that I could just walk it to Seireitei and kick his ass if I wanted to?'

'Yes and no Kurosaki-san. You see, we still need Kuchiki-san to play her role in drawing out Aizen.'

'What do mean Urahara-san' Asked Uryu. He had been listening to their conversation for the last two hours, and still could not understand what was going on.

'He means that we have to wait for Aizen to make his move first.'

Now Isshin had everyone attention, he continued.

'To go in and rescue Rukia-chan now is what Aizen wants us to do. He's counting on the fact that when you guys go in, you will be creating so much chaos, that he is able to manipulate the Gotei 13's most highest ranking officers, from behind the scenes.'

Uryu, Chad and Orihime, could not believe what they were hearing. They were up against a man who had complete control over the poeple they were fighting against, and they had no idea that they were be manipulated in such a way.

'But you should not have to worry about that.' Isshin carried on, 'Just leave that part to the three of us, and the rest of you should be fine.'

'Still, I think that this time around, we should try and warn poeple about want Aizen is up to?' Ichigo asked

'What do you mean son?'

'I mean, that if some of the captains were informed about Aizen before he betrayed everyone. Then maybe, people could be better prepeard, so that we can kill him when he does, and if we do kill him, he would have been finished of before he could become a problem.'

The idea got everyone thinking. If they could not deal with Aizen now, then they would wait, plan and gather alias. When Aizen made his move, they would move to counter him. So when he did make himself known as the man behind Rukia's execution. They would ready.

'Do you understand now Rukia. You play an important role in the events to come.'

still could not wrap her head around what Zangetsu had said. That she going to play a huge part in future events?

'I'm sorry Zangetsu-san, but i still don't understand. What could I have done to help? All I've done is make poeples lives worse, then what they are already.' Rukia replied, close to tears.

'It seems that I not able to explain anything more to you.'

'What do you mean'

'As I've said, I can not explain anything more. But my welder should be able to do so, he understands one such as yourself better than I. After all, the only being that I understand is my welder. That, and systems such as laws, and an understanding of human emotions. But if you want to understand the interactions between humans, I able the wrong being to ask.'

'I say we try to get some rest before you invade tomorrow. If I remember right, you had a long day ahead.' Urahara called out in a tone that clearly meant "discustion over."

'Thanks Urahara-san, though I think that I should speak to Zangetsu-ossan first. He has been very quiet about this whole time travel thing.' Ichigo called out, already walking out of the room.

'Kurosaki, were are you going to?' Uyru asked.

'Outside.' Ichigo replied. 'I feel that I would be more comfitable out there talking to Zangetsu that inside. As I'm not sure how long I will be able to keep this power for.'

'Kurosaki-kun, what do you-' Orihime started, but was interuped by Isshin.

'Go on ahead son, but don't wonder off to far, and make sure you are back before dawn.'

'Thanks guys.' And with one last smile, he set off.

'Kurosaki-san, why did you stop Inoue-san from asking Ichigo about what he ment?' Chad asked.

Isshin taking a deep breath 'Alright, but before I tell you anything. You must promise not to say anything to anyone outside this room, got that?' he asked in a serious tone.

Ichigo walked out of the Shiba family house, and into one of the fields close to the house. Close enough to get there quickly, but far enough so that he would not be disterbed.

Getting it to a sitting postion, he placed his Zanpakotu on his lap, and started concentrated. He focused on entering his soul. Entering the realm were his soul resides.

Soon his found himself standing on the side of a familier building. Finding no sign of rain and seeing a blue cloudless sky, he focused on finding the spirit of his blade.

'I see that you have come.'

Turns out he didn't need to find him.

'Good to see that you are still here, Zangetsu-ossan.'

'Yes, it is good that you did not have to use it. However, now it is not time to talk.'

'What do you mean?'

'What I mean, is I should not be the one you should be talking to.' Stepping for to a one side, he showed the person standing behind him. Said person had a look of shock on her face.

'Rukia? What are you doing here?'

A/N: First of, I would like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed my frist chapter, your fed back helped me alot when it came to editing some of the italics. I'm sure that they were not like that on Word when I uploaded it.

As for the ideas and reasoning behind my story. I thought that "God" Ichigo never got that much screen time, and even in fanfiction he hardly ever makes an apprearence. (Even just just the looks, there's hardly ever any mention of it) The time travel idea came from the fact that, I myself love a good time travel fic, (If it can be pulled of well, then why not?) and I feel that there aren't enough of them out there. Isshin getting lines that mean something, is just part of his character. He can be serious and insightful at times, and other times he can be a complete dumass. So you can expect him to be perverted and stupid at times.

As for the queastion of pairings, I do have one in mind (Otherwise why would it say romance at the top)so please don't ask me to write about a particuler pairing as, I am new new to writting, and that I promised a friend that she could write a special scene later on in the fic. So look out for that, and I will warn you when that time comes. I owe her that much for getting me to write in the first place.

Those of you that want Ichigo to kick some serious ass (Smiles at Vul) are in luck. I loved writting that fight scene between Ichigo and Tenza Zangetsu way to much. So expect more on the way. XD