A/N: I've been playing with this idea for a while now but finally managed to sit down and actually write it. This will be a long Story, potentially very long. Anyways I hope you enjoy what I've written. Please R&R, helps me to know what you enjoyed and honestly alos keeps me motivated.
'Thoughts.'
"Speech!"
"Soul King Speech."
Disclaimer: I own Nothing.
Now, without further ado: Enjoy!
Ichigo looked on as the man that he once feared heaved and coughed, fighting against the inevitable as the Hogyoku in his chest strated to poison him ever so slowly from the inside out. His gaze wandered to his green clad mentor – and dare he say – friend, his usual green striped hat was missing as he watched on with sorrowful grey eyes as Aizen Sousuke raved and raged against the Kido Seal that was slowly covering his body.
The Hogyoku in the middle of his breast gleamed, a trail of blood traveled down the expanse of Aizens neck dripping down upon the object that had been the cause to all their misery. Student and teacher stood and watched as Aizen screamed at them, his formerly brown eyes having turned a disturbing purple color; the eye that had split open his forehead was swirling around wildly, blind and out of focus as the 'master of the Hogyoku' lost all control of his powers. Kisuke only raised his hand, blocking the strong winds that were being emitted from the power struggle between Kido and Hogyoku, between will and man.
Ichigo didn't do anything, watching on as Aizen – his enemy, slowly lost himself to the seal taking over his body.
And just like that, with the same suddenness it had started, everything was over. Were Sousuke Aizen, former Captain of Division 5 once stood now sat a cross-like rod, it was white and brittle, yet not a single sliver of Reiatsu was being emitted by the Seal. With a small 'ping' the orb that had sat in Aizens chest and poisoned his mind fell to the ground, small cracks build along it's sides. A purple glow started surrounding the small marbel, the Hogyoku shudderened and trembled small pieces of debird rose into the air defying gravity and the earth shook.
Ichigo didn't even have the time to turn his head as Kisuke gasped before the world was being painted in a glowing white light before going completely black in the next instance.
.
.
.
His body felt heavy, bricks were weighing down his chest as he struggled to suck in air, his ears were whistling, his arms, legs and head were straining. Everything was too much. Breathing hurt. Moving hurt. He couldn't open his eyes. It was like they were glued shut, only darkness was surrounding him. Darkness and the impending sense that something had gone very, very wrong.
He wasn't sure what exactly it had been, but something – something must have gone wrong. With growing dread Ichigo remembered the startled gasp that had come from Kisuke, the purple and then white light thee Hogyoku had emitted before everything had just…ceased…Before everything had become dark.
Kisuke, Yoruichi, Byakuya, Rukia, Renji, Ishida, Chad, Orihime, Toshiro, his father, Yuzu, Karin…
Their faces flashed in front of his as he gritted his teeth. He had to move. Had to see what was going on. Had to check that they were okay.
That they were alive and uninjured. If. Only. He. Could. Move.
A loud groan left his lips, followed by several hard gasps as he tried to lift his arms. They were trembling, he could feel it, could feel the heavy shakes that seemed to rattle even his shoulders and torso as he fought against some invisible force, pushed back against a brick wall. With more trouble than he would have liked he lifted a trembling hand to his face, touching it to his eyes and rubbing.
They were still there, he should be able to see. With a few more shaking breaths he pried his eyes open, the struggle almost as bad as when he had lifted his arms. He winced as light pierced his pupils, seeming to stab trough his eyes right into his brain. Another groan left him. Lifting his trembling hand, he shielded his eyes from the light.
He slowly pushed his body forward, each inch another victory as his entire body seemed to tremble and shake with the extortion. He slowly blinked his eyes open and look downwards. To his surprise he was sitting in water, it was cascading his body from his chest down. He slowly turned his head, which had seemingly rested on a rolled-up towel, that was sitting on the rocky ground around him. Not just water no – hot water – a hot spring. Uraharas hot spring?
He looked around frantically, wincing as his neck cracked loudly at the movement, still he continued to look for the familiar green striped hat and atrocious clothing, he even cleaned out his ears in hopes of hearing the familiar clanking sound they made on the ground. Still nothing. He took stock of his surroundings.
It looked nothing like Uraharas underground training area. The ground seemed just as rocky and dusty but that was as far as the similarities went. There seemed to be a pair of overly large windows looking out into the sky. The room he was in had many doors and he had no doubt that he would have an easy way getting lost in this place if behind every door leading from this room another room with similar amounts of doors was waiting for him.
Not knowing what to do he slowly reached for the towel his head had rested on and stepped out of the water. Drying himself of as he went. He pushed down the sudden embarrassment he felt as all he could cover himself with was the small white towel. The room around his did not provide with anything else to wear.
Confused and slightly exasperated and with a still tired body he walked towards one of the doors leading from the room. With sure steps he chose the door on the far right, deciding to check the adjoining rooms one after another if he found nothing inside them. He gently pushed down the door handle and pulled at the door, it didn't bulge. Just to be sure he pushed against it. Still nothing. With a sigh he continued to check every single door one after another. He found all of them locked. Now feeling some sense of panic rising in his chest he looked around.
'Zangetsu!' He realized belatedly, knowing how futile it was to search for his Zanpakuto in this room that held nothing but the hot spring and locked doors. He ran a hand through his hair and over his face. His mind raced from one end to the other. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, to make out the consciousness within his own, the brush of his sword at the edges of what he knew was his own mind.
He found nothing. No calls for his name, no reassuring whispers, no sudden surges of feelings of support and love and pride that only his Zanpakuto could provide. He swallowed against the lump forming in his throat, he had thought that it would take longer for his Zanpakuto to vanish once and for all. It seemed like he had been wrong.
He directed his gaze skyward but saw nothing but the ceiling with an array of low hanging lamps strewn across. He shook his head and walked toward the windows. He had ignored them so far, finding it by far more pressing to figure out who had saved or captured or kidnapped him than where exactly he was.
A mistake maybe, but he had never been known as the most patient person. He stood staring out of the window in disbelieve. The sky. He was in the middle of the sky, or at least that it what it seemed like. The ground was so far beneath the building he was in that houses and trees were nothing more than specs of dust on a lens. He took a shuddering breath.
He was in the sky. In a room. Someone had placed him in a healing Onsen, similar to the one Urahara owned. He doubted that he was with the blond shop keeper. As much as Urahara enjoyed one upping him and jumping surprises on him he somehow knew that the blond had nothing to do with this. Squinting Ichigo stared hard at the ground, trying to make out any familiar shaped. There seemed to be a larger 'blob', or patch of brown earth in the middle of a circle of tiny houses.
'The Sougyoku.' Ichigo recognized. Of course, he was in the Soul Society. And from what it looked like, miles above the Seireitei. He slowly reached out pressing a hand against the 'glass' in from of him.
Only it wasn't. Whatever was shielding them from the harsh outside winds and weather it seemed more similar to one of Hachis barriers than it did to actual glass, it wasn't smooth, it's wasn't rough either. It just was. A barrier, a wall, something that was most likely very hard to break. And even if he did he doubted that it would be a good idea to jump from this height. Even as a Shinigami his body would accelerate too much, he would be dead upon arrival on the ground. Given that he even managed to breach the strange barrier.
With another sigh Ichigo stepped away, leaving the barrier alone. He took a seat at the edge of the water. His body was still protesting every single one of his movements. His head felt heavy and he could feel the beginnings of a migraine forming in his temples. Running another hand over his face he started massaging his temples with small circular motions and breathing in and out evenly. After a while his headache subsided. He shook his head.
There was nothing he could do at the moment. With that thought in mind he let go of the towel and slid back into the Onsen. No need to run around with an aching body if the cure was there, was effective and had already been used on him before. He forced his body to relax. Whoever had taken in, seemed uninterested in seeing him die. At the moment. If they were stupid enough to heal him before attacking he was not going to stop them. Still clothes would have been appreciated.
He had no idea how long he spent floating in the hot spring, he could feel the pain slowly ebb away, his skin knitting together were a few scrapes were still left. His breathing came in even intervals, from the outside he looked like the picture of tranquility. In truth he was trying to concentrate on even the smallest wisps of a Reiatsu signature, familiar or unfamiliar to him. He felt nothing. Frustrated he had taken to simply concentrate on his surroundings, filtering the noises and smells and vibrations in the air.
He was glad he did as he noticed a slight change in the room after a few seconds. He sat up and stared at one of the doors, he was sure he had heard steps coming from that direction. Sitting up farther he stepped out of the Onsen, wrapping the towel around his hips as he went. He continued to stare at the door. Willing it to open, to reveal his…captors? Saviors? It didn't matter. He had questions. A mountain of questions. Anyone that could answer them even remotely was welcomed to him at the moment. And truly the door opened slowly.
The first thing Ichigo saw was hair, black hair that was made up to stand in front of the persons head, like a bad imitation of Elvis Presley. He was hard pressed not to laugh, forcing it back down his throat as he stared at the man that had made his entrance seconds ago.
"Who…are you?" Ichigo finally asked. The man in front of him looked to be in his fourties and was wearing some white open shirt and black trousers that looked similar to the trousers of a Shinigami uniform. A long wooden straw was dangling from his mouth. He looked up at Ichigo. Twirling the straw between his fingers before he answered.
"The name is Tenjiro Kirinji. Welcome, Kurosaki. To the Soul Kings Palace." He said, a sneer adorning his face as he rolled his eyes at Ichigo in mockery.
"Soul Kings Palace?" Ichigo whispered, confusion clear in his voice as he stared at the man. "Why…How did I end up here?" He asked, bewilderment obvious.
"Hahh?!" The man – Kirinji – answered. "How you got here? How do ya think ya did, huh? Soul King pulled ya out of there for some reason. Really don't know why, all the rest blew up." He said.
"…blew up? Fake Karakura?" Ichigo whispered, growing paler by the minute. "What about the Shinigami there, the Humans and Hollows?" He asked, his desperation bubbling up, echoing in his voice.
Something akin to pity reflected in the mans eyes as the settled back onto him.
"Sorry kid, you're the only one that made it out…Well that was pulled out anyway…You would have blown up to…Almost died if we hadn't put you in my hot spring as quickly." He said.
Ichigo swallowed. Dead. Everybody was dead. He was the only one left.
His sisters, his father, the Visored, Urahara, Yoruichi, Rukia, Byakuya, Renji, Chad, Orihime, Ishida, his classmates, Kenpachi, Ikkaku, Yumichika, the kids at the Shoten, Tessai…everybody dead.
"But why…? What…happened?" He whispered, looking at the man that seemed to hold all the answers to his questions.
"I don't know kid…Seems to have been some bad reaction of that Hogyoku thingy…We are the Royal Guard, normally we couldn't care less about what's going on down below…but had we known it would end like this we would have done something…" He said. Ichigo nodded. There was white noise in his head, vibrating through his entire being.
Everybody.
Dead.
Survivor.
Alone.
Dead.
And he wished his legs didn't tremble and he wished he could be stronger than he was, strong enough not to break down in front of a stranger. But his legs gave out, still straining from his fight with Aizen, buckling under the weight of the knowledge that he was alone in this world. That he had nobody left. That they were all gone.
Forever.
His knees met the hard ground, he could feel the small rocks boring into his skin, breaking it and drawing blood yet he couldn't bring himself to care. Couldn't bring himself to feel the physical pain he was in as waves upon waves of grieve and despair washed over his head. He didn't know when he had started to cry he only knew that he had, by the salty taste that was tanging his tongue at the feeling of water on his cheeks. Not a sound left him, not a single sound. As he kneeled on this dirty, rocky ground and cried silent tears in front of a man he had never seen before.
Kinjiro was staring at the boy in front of him. 15 years old. He had gathered that much from the annoying chatting his fellow Royal Guard members had indulged in. 15 years old, the only hybrid being between a Shinigami and a Quincy that has been infected by a Hollow. A powerful boy, with exceptional growth.
A boy that had been ignorant to his heritage not a few months ago and had still stood in a war that had cost the life of many of those that were decades, centuries older than him.
Yes, he was strong. Yes, he was powerful. Yes, he had defeated a huge threat to the Seireitei…and yet he was still a boy.
Kinjiro walked towards him, kneeling in front of the orange haired kid. He gently reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, pulling him forward into a hug while his other hand stroked over his hair. Reassuring, gentle, understanding. He couldn't remember the last time he had shown this amount of care to anybody…if ever.
"It's okay." He said.
Knowing full well that it wasn't but trying his best to calm down the boy in front of him. He trembled slightly in his arms and Kinjiro noticed that he still wore nothing more than the towel they had placed his head on when they first brought him in.
Senjumaru wanted to sow him something when he woke up, she had blatantly refused to make any clothes for the boy before speaking to him. The trembling stopped, just as suddenly as his break down had come it had subsided. He let go of the orangettes shoulders, his other hand still buried in his surprisingly soft hair.
"You okay?" He asked, knowing the answer he got would be a lie.
"Fine." Lie.
"Good, there are a few people you need to meet. First thing first…Clothes. Senjumaru will probably make you something. Well if you're healed enough to go."
"I am." Ichigo answered. Already making to stand up as Kinjiro did too.
Without any warning Kinjiro pulled his fist back and aimed it at the teenager's face, Ichigos eyes widened slightly before he dodged the fist narrowly and glared at the man that was standing slightly taller than him.
"What the hell?!" He yelled.
"Well, looks like you're healed enough. Come on."
Ichigo stared after him in bewilderment, having expected another attack. The suddenness of it all had reminded him of Isshins surprise attacks, in retrospect they had been his fathers deranged sense of training for his son. And eventhough no amount of surprise attacks would ever live up to ture practice with a sword he was still thankful for what Isshin had done, even if it had been a pain most of the times and a sign that his father truly was crazy all the others.
Ichigo followed Kinjiro closely, looking around the rooms they were passing, almost all of them seemed to have some sort of hot spring inside. He chose not to ask, having embarrassed himself in front of the man once already he had no desire to do so again in the near future. They stopped in front of what Ichigo could only describe as a…catapult. He looked at Kinjiro with confusion, his usual scowl already harrowing his face as he looked at the man.
"Well, climb on in." Kinjiro said. Crossing his arms over his chest and staring back at Ichigo unimpressed.
"Climb…in?" Ichigo responded. "Why? What?"
Rolling his eyes Kinjiro grabbed Ichigos shoulder and pushed him onto the catapult.
"Hold on tight!" He yelled, a grin stretching across his face as he held his wooden straw with his teeth and pulled back the handle of the catapult.
"W-Wait a second? What do you mean hold oooonnnnn-?" Before he could finish his question, he was already being catapulted across the sky. He saw the houses and trees down below, tiny ants to him as he sailed to the sky across to another plateau as it seemed. He was gripping the towel to his body with one hand the other trying to find some semblance of balance.
"UUUuuuaahhhhhhhhhhhhh-Omppf…" He landed, in a net. He held on for dear life with one hand the other occupied with keeping his modesty covered. Slowly he climbed down the net, staring at the ground with something akin to revelance. His knees were shaking slightly.
"Never again…that fucker…" He mumbled.
"Ahh, so you are finally here." A female voice pulled him out of his mutterings. He stood up straighter, pulling the towel a little closer as he looked into the direction the voice had come from.
"Uhm, hello?" Ichigo asked, looking at the black-haired woman in front of him. She was wearing a beautifully made Kimono, her hair was made up and a crown was adorning the back of her head, giving of the feeling of a halo. She looked unnaturally beautiful.
"Hello, Kurosaki Ichigo. I see that you have finally healed. I will provide you with some clothes. But, I fear you will be incapable of wearing them until you have finished your training. Alas – "A golden arm, that seemed to grow out of her back threw something at Ichigo. "You will have to do with this until I have something else made for you. Carry on to Ichibe for now. Oetsu after that I believe. Come back to me at the very end…only then will I be able to provide you with clothes of some use." And with that see walked away, her feet were almost silent on the wooden floor.
"Uhm, thank you!" He called after, her staring at the standard Shinigami outfit in his hands. "O-one moment! How do I get to – uhh Ichibe?" He called after her.
Instead of answering one of the golden arms that was prodding from her back pointed at a long bridge that seemed to connect this…plateau to the next.
"Thank you." He called after her again, she made no responded but vanished around the corner. Ichigo sighed, he quickly got changed and decided to leave the Shihakusho hanging open at the front, the cut was a little different from his own, he felt slightly restricted in the clothes.
He drew himself back up staring at the bridge that was hanging over the deepest fall Ichigo could imagine.
Not one to pull away from a challenge he took hold of both ropes that were meant as handles and made his way across, he had to stop and take a breath several times, the wind was blowing heavily, making the bridge swing from one side to the other and giving Ichigos heart a stutter every single time. He finally made it across.
"I just said…never again….and now this…" He mumbled, staring back from where he had come from.
"Ahh! You're here! Splendid!" Ichigo turned. A huge, bald man with a black beard was staring back at him. His brown eyes seemed to pierce Ichigo to the core and he could help but stand up straighter under the scrutiny of those eyes.
"My name is Ichibe Hyosube, it is a pleasure to meet you." He said, his smile was stretching from one cheek to the other. Unsettling was how Ichigo would have described the man.
"I will be your trainer for the next few days…Or hmm let's say first you have to manage to continue standing upright…If you do, then you will be ready for your training." Ichibe said, his smile never leaving his face.
"What do you mean? Why wouldn't I manage to stay up-?" He didn't get any farther before an enormous spiritual pressure forced him to the ground, the breath was knocked out of his lungs, tears were gathering at the edges of his eyes, sweat pouring down his forehead as he forced his head up to glare at Ichibe.
"Hahaha! Yes, that's the spirit. Well if you do manage to get up, come to me!" And with that the man walked away.
Ichigo cursed in every language known to him. His legs shook with the force he was putting into them, his biceps were straining as he forced his body upright. He was still seated on the floor, arms on the left and right side of his outstretched to balance himself and keep him from falling.
The pressure was forcing him down, making every breath in his lungs stutter, his throat constricted, forcing knifes into his chest, still he continued to fight against it. Finally, he stood, he was hutching over trying to forced his body up and to stand straight Ichigo gritted his teeth, and pushed. And then he stood. He lifted his foot. It was like somebody had poured cement over his entire body, like he was trying to walk under water only the water weighted as much as a house. He did not know how long it took him to follow Ichibe. Each step took more strength, more power. His muscles were straining and yet he kept on pushing back.
"Ahh! You made it! Not bad, there have been quite a few that took considerably longer than you did." Ichibe said. He was seated in front of him, his unsettling smile still on his face.
"Why…why do you train me? What is the reason for all of this?" Ichigo forced out, his throat was burning, chest heaving with the power it had taken him to move his tongue.
"I'm afraid I do not know. We have only been told to heal you, train you as much as we can and then bring you to the Soul King." Ichibe responded, shrugging his enormous shoulders as he looked at Ichigo, his head tilted to the side.
"He seems to have taken a liking to you…or well rather an interest. As for your training. It is very simple. I am guessing that you do know your Katas?" Ichibe asked. Ichigo nodded, already dreading what was to come.
"Go through them. When you are done, continue with the wooden sword over there. Repeat that 100 times. And if you managed that, my part of the training is fulfilled." Ichibe said. "I will be leaving you to it. Best of luck!" He called over his shoulder before he vanished inside of the building behind him.
If Ichigo had had the strength he would have sighed. As it was he did what he was told. He was sure it had taken him days, hours at the least that he spend standing there going through his Katas, and yet it seemed to get easier and easier. He would have questioned himself once, why he was doing all of this, why he was even putting in the effort if he didn't know what it was for yet. But not anymore.
Right now, he enjoyed the burning and screaming of his muscles, loved the way his feet swayed with exhaustion because it kept him from thinking. There was only the next movement, the next step in his head, the reassuring sound of his own heart racing in his head and throat, nothing else.
No deaths. Not his little sisters as they came into his room and asked him to help them with their homework. Not his father's antics. Not Rukias drawing and Renjis yelling. Not Uraharas fan and Yoruichis boisterous laughs. Not Chads comforting strength and Uryuus open disdain.
Nothing. And he welcomed it.
The sword clattered to the ground, the sun was setting, it's last warm rays falling upon Ichigos form as he stood there, sweating from head to toe but standing upright easily.
"Well done!" A voice to his right called, he turned only to see Ichibe walking towards him a broad smile on his face.
Ichigo met him halfway.
"That's it?" He asked, looking up at the man.
"Yes, you have passed. I imagine Hikifune-san is already waiting for you. This way, this way." He beckoned him over and showed him another bridge, this one not hanging luckily but made of solid stone. Ichigo turned towards him and nodded at Ichibe once.
"Thank you." He said over his shoulder and left the place he had spent more time in than he would have liked. Ichibe watched him go, his scrutinizing brown eyes following every one of Ichigos steps.
'Incredible…he is the fastest student I ever had…I think I know why you are so interested in him.' Ichibe thought as his eyes settled upon the building that held the Soul Kings rooms. 'He is quite…interesting.' Humming to himself Ichibe turned and vanished back into his rooms.
Ichigo carried on walking, for once enjoying the travel from one plateau to another. The breeze seemed less strong than it was before, and the sun was setting beautifully. A small smile graced his lips as he landed on the next plateau looking around at the building in front of him.
"Heelloohooo!" A welcoming voice called. Making her way out of the house was a very corpulent woman with light brown eyes and swirls on each cheek. She exhibited a motherly aura as she made her way towards Ichigo and pulled him into a suffocating hug.
"I've been waiting for you dearie! My name is Kirio Hikifune, a pleasure darling. Come on in, come on in! Dinner is almost ready." Ichigo watched her in disbelieve as she chatted at him happily and bounded back inside with energy that could have paralleled Nels.
Cautiously he stepped inside, stopping short as he saw the long table in front of him.
"Sit down and eat! I can't even imagine how hungry you must be, Ichibe's training always makes you feel like there is a black hole in your tummy don't you agree?" He heard her voice calling from another room, the clatter of pots and pans accompanying the sound of her voice.
He sat down in one of the seat. It was true, he was quite hungry, but he had pushed it aside in the wake of his training, putting all of his focus onto his next step and not letting a single thought stray away from his task. But now, as he sat, incredible amounts of mouthwatering food in front of him, he couldn't ignore the loud rumbling of his stomach. Hikifuen reappeared in the door, setting down another dish with a bright smile.
"Eat, already!" She told him, making a shooing motion with her hand. "Can't have your stomach rumble like that while you're in my home." She said and laughed before vanishing back into what he assumed was the kitchen.
A disbelieving smile still lingering on his lips Ichigo put some mashed potatoes and beans on his plate, accompanied by a slice of meat. He put the first bit into his mouth and his eyes widened. It was the best food he had ever tasted. Nothing like what mashed potatoes, with beans and meat should ever taste like in the real world but still the best he ever had. And once he started he happily continued to eat.
He didn't think he had ever eaten quite as much in his entire life as he finally stopped and leaned back into his chair. A motion to his right alerted him and he turned, in the door a voluminous woman stood, she had an hourglass figure and light brown hair with a swirl on each cheek. Ichigo almost chocked on his own tongue as he stared at her.
"H-hikifune-san?" He asked. Hikifune started laughing.
"Ohh that will never grown old! Don't you worry dearie you see I use my Reiatsu to cook, the more you eat the more you recharge! I must be that big in order to put everything I need into my cooking, but it seems I am done for today. I hope you enjoyed your meal!" She said, smiling at him brightly. Ichigo nodded, a smile also gracing his features.
"Thank you for the food." He said. Hikifune only giggled at him happily.
"Well, on you go! I'm sure Nimaya-san is already waiting for you!" With that she shooed him away towards another…catapult. Ichigo groaned while Hikifune laughed.
"It's not that bad, I'm sure you'll do fine. On you go and hold on tight~!"
Ichigo went flying once again. With a loud 'Ompf' he landed on his knees on the next plateau, he was slightly surprised by his own ability to land on his feet after such a flight. Slowly he got up and looked around.
"Yooo!" Someone called. Ichigo turned to his left. There was a man with black hair and sunglasses, sprawled over a rock and looking at him. "Nimaya is the name. Kurosaki Ichigo isn't that right?" He asked, as he got up and jumped down from his perch. Ichigo nodded as the man walked towards him.
"I'm here to help you attain your Zanpakuto." Nimaya said, pointing at himself with his thumb.
"Don't you mean re-attain?" Ichigo asked back. He missed the weight of Zangetsu on his back.
The other man sighed. "Ahh yes…you're a special case…You see…The sword you've been carrying, that was never Zangetsu."
"W-what are you saying?" Ichigo asked, staring at the man. It couldn't be ture. Zangetsu was…Zangetsu. His Zanpakto, his partner, his friend, the old man that always knew what to say to kick him into gear.
"It's such a shame that I'm the one that has to do this…You don't even know who you are…" With that the man turned at waved at Ichigo to follow him.
'Don't know who I am?' Ichigo questioned in his thoughts. 'I'm Ichigo…What the hell is he talking about?'
"I'm sure you're wondering what I'm talking about, give me a minute this might take a while, so it'd be better if you could sit down." So Ichigo swallowed down any of his questions or remarks and followed him inside.
There were girls. Everywhere. All of them pretty and Ichigo stared in total bewilderment. Nimaya only waved him along, ignoring the girls around them for the most part. He led them to a small room, tatami clad floor and small table included, it looked a lot like one of the rooms in Uraharas Shoten. As soon as the thought came Ichigo pushed it away. Nimaya sat down motioning for Ichigo to do the same.
"Were to start…You are aware your father was a Shinigami, yes?" Nimaya asked. Ichigo nodded staring at the man.
"Well your mother was a Quincy. Their first meeting was quite interesting from what I've been told…" And Nimaya told him. How his parents had met, how they had fallen in love, how Aizen had orchestrated it all, how Ichigo had gotten into contact with his powers…
"And you see the one thing nobody ever handed you was an Asauchi. You never never been given one, so how would you materialize a Zanpakuto? The powers you were using were sorely your Quincy powers and the man you met was a manifestation of those…But you have met your true Zanpakuto spirit before…"
"I-I have? But I…Who? I don't think I have ever…" And that's when he remembered. The part of himself that he had always hated, always pushed away and treated with disdain. "….my Hollow?" He whispered, staring at Nimaya. The other man nodded.
"Zanpakuto aren't easy you know? When there is an infection such as one from a Hollow it doesn't simply infect your Soul, it infects your Zanpakuto. And you were born with that infection, so your Zanpakuto was never anything else but a fusion of your Hollow and your Zanpakuto. Do you know what I mean? I'm sure you must have noticed it too? All the times your Zanpakuto has helped you?"
And Ichigo did. All the times he had asked who had thought to be Zangetsu for help and the other had called upon his Hollows power to lend them to Ichigo, never once did Ichigo receive an extra surge of power directly from 'Zangetsu' it had always been…always been his Hollow. When he fought Kenpachi and Byakuya and countless other times he had nearly died if it hadn't been for his Hollow. But still…
"Both…" Ichigo mumbled.
Nimaya looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I think…both of them were Zangetsu…and for me both of them will stay Zangetsu. No matter who they truly were, we still fought…as one…So I believe both of them were 'Zangetsu'." Ichigo said, looking up into Nimaya's eyes with a fire in his own. Nimaya smiled at him slightly.
"Is that so…" He mumbled, bowing his head. "Well you still need a now Zanpakuto…So let's go." With the Nimaya stood up and led the way deeped into his home. Ichigo followed him until Nimaya came to a stop. Ichigo stopped next to him and stared down into a deep hole.
"Get in there and chose one of the Asauchi, and then bring him to me. Sounds easy right?" Nimaya asked, smiling at Ichigo as his eyes gleamed beneath his sunglasses. Ichigo nodded, already weary of what was to come. Nimaya passed him a wooden sword. "Keep them at bay for as long as you can." And with that he gave him a push. Ichigo stumbled forward, straight into the mass of Asauchi down below.
"You know the thing about Asauchi is…you first have to find the right one…and you see they can be quite nasty!" Nimaya said, grinning madly.
"You." He heared. He looked down into the hole, his grin slipped away as he stared at the boy with the orange hair one arm outstretched towards an Asauchi as all of them kneeled around him in a circle.
Nimaya couldn't suppress the smile that wormed its way onto his face.
'He truly is something else.'
"Quite impressive!" He said out loud, watching as Ichigo toughed the Asauchis hand and the blackness that was surrounding him made way for light from where their hands had touched.
Ichigo pulled the Asauchi along as they made their way towards Nimayas workbench. Wordlessly Nimaya took hold of molded the Asauchi.
"When I tell you to I need you to put as much of your spiritual pressure into the blade as you can." Nimaya said a glow already starting to form around his hands as he set to word with his hammer. Sweat was dripping down his brow as he molded the Zanpakuto in his grip.
"Now!" He yelled against the sound of steal on steal. Ichigo put his outstretched hands onto his blade pumping enourmous amounts of spiritual pressure into the blade that was forming and stretching underneath his hands. It hadn't taken them longer than an hour until Ichigo finally stood. Nimaya whipped the sweat of his own forehead before turning towards Ichigo who was standing with his back towards him.
"So? How do you like them?" Nimaya asked. "Those 'Zangetsu's."
In each hand Ichigo held a pitch black blade, one was formed similar to his old Zangetsu, a cleaver bigger than the second sword he held which had the form of a cleaver only it's thickness carried through the whole blade, there was no handle instead the blade had a long rectangular hole which had bandages wrapped around it at its end.
"They…feel right." Ichigo simply said, as he turned with his blades in hand.
"I can imagine." Nimaya said, cracking his neck as he waved Ichigo along. "Come on, I'll show you the way to Senjumaru's place." Ichigo nodded fixing his blades onto his back as he followed Nimaya closely.
He was led to another bridge, luckily.
"Good luck, Ichigo." Nimaya said, waving after him as Ichigo walked the length of the bridge back to Senjumaru's realm.
"Welcome back." Senjumaru greeted him, one of her arms offering him a slight wave as the other beckoned him closer.
"I see you have grown stronger, you will be able to wear the clothes I have prepared for you now." She walked ahead and led him into a room with many fabrics and mannequins. Ichigo tried to suppress any thoughts of Uryuu as he imagined the others Teen's reaction at the sheer amount of fabric covering every surface available.
"Strip." Senjumaru called. Ichigo blushed.
"S-strip? W-what? Right now?!" He asked.
"Of course." Senjumaru only answered. "How else do you expect me to measure your body to perfection."
"WAAAaaaiiiitttt!" Ichigo's screams echoed in the Soul Palace as Senjumaru conducted her measuring.
"Perfect." Senjumaru said, a small smile crossing her features as she stared at the slightly traumatized but fully clothed Ichigo.
He was wearing a Shihakusho with black bands crossing over his chest, his neck and arms were clad in armor and gloves and both Zangetsus had been strapped to his back, wrapped in white bandages. Obscuring some of the view on his Shihakusho was the heavy cloak he was wearing, it was black with red lining and a beautiful stitching of blood red roses at its seams.
"Now then, on you go. The Soul King is sure to be waiting." Senjumaru said, waving him towards another bridge which seemed to lead to the middle piece connecting all the plateaus he had been on.
He walked through a heavy door at Senjuamrus probing and found himself in a long corridor leading towards the floating middle building. He grumbled a little at the fact that not simply every building is connected by such a tunnel but stayed quite as he drew nearer. The door in front of him opened on his own as he stepped closer. The room inside was enormous, the ceiling seemingly endless and no windows on any of the walls. There were guards every few meter and there in the middle in what looked like a gem and obscured by veils was the Soul King.
Ichigo walked towards him. Refusing to let the fact that he was in the presence of the most powerful being in the universe get to him.
"I greet you, Kurosaki Ichigo." A voice called. It seemed to echo of the walls and the endless ceiling right into Ichigos core. He stepped closer towards the steps leading up to the Soul King. Stopping at a respectable distance he looked up and waited. Silence greeted him back.
"Well…What do you want?" Blunt. Honesty was always the easiest way to get an uncomfortable situation to be over.
Laugher greeted him back, vibrating into his entire being at once as it seemed.
"Remarkable." The voice spoke again, and Ichigo could almost feel the amusement that seeped into those words. "You are a remarkable being, Kurosaki Ichigo. Truly one of a kind…and yet your grief…"
Ichigo swallowed.
'Don't think about it. Don't think about them. You will not break down…not now…' He told himself as he pushed down the surge of feelings at the Soul Kings words.
"I understand, you wished to protect them…it is why…I have decided to save you." The Soul King spoke.
'Why?...why?...Why? WHY ME?' Ichigo screamed at him in his thoughts. Everybody had died…but him. Because he had been saved, by the Soul King.
"I know child…I am…sorry…I saw you, I watched over you and I knew that you were the only chance they would have…If you had the chance to change it all…Would you do it Kurosaki Ichigo?"
'…Change…it all? Stop them from dying, protect them, protect their laughs and their lives and their happiness.' There was only one answer.
"Yes." Ichigo said, no hesitation in his words.
"And that is the reason why I have chosen you. You will go back, to the very beginning. I must warn you Kurosaki Ichigo, the world you will step into won't be easy to navigate. It will be strange to you. You will meet people you have loved, and people which you have hated, but don't let their future actions stop you from meeting them as you would have any other…It will be painful Kurosaki Ichigo…but I believe you to be the only one that can…change it all."
Ichigos thoughts were reeling as the Soul King stopped talking.
"Send me back…?" He asked.
"In time." The Soul King answered. "To when everything was still as it should have been. Before Aizen Sousuke became who he died as." The Soul Kings responded.
"Yes." Ichigo whispered. To a time when they are still alive.
"As you wish." The Soul King answered. "Heed my words, Ichigo. Love and Hate…don't let either blind you."
And the world vanished in a flash of blinding white light.