Prologue: Despair and falling through the void.
SHUNK!
Ichigo stared down at the sword sticking out of his chest, disbelief prominent in his eyes. He could feel the sword grinding against his flesh and bones when he struggled to breath with his now pierced lung. Slowly tracking the length of the blade Ichigo stares at the man he had come to think of as a friend with a questioning look.
"…why?" he barely manages to croak out.
Kūgo Ginjō smirked at him with malevolence and a hint of sadistic pleasure dancing in his eyes.
"Why?" he taunts the hint of sadistic pleasure growing as he continues. "Why what? Why did I stab you? Why are you dying? Or did you mean to ask why I finally stopped grew bored of this charade?"
Ichigo just stared blankly in disbelief at the man who he had once seen as an older brother all but admit he had been playing with him. His gaze was drawn to the smirking man standing behind Ginjō watching the scene with pleasure evident in his gaze. An idea popped into his head and he was filled with a faint amount of despair.
"…he…got to you too." As soon as he forced the words out of his mouths he coughed up some blood.
Ginjō looked at him with a bit of surprise before he quickly adopted an expression that conveyed the amusement he felt at Ichigo's explanation.
"You just don't get it do you Kurasaki?" Ginjō sighed. "Tsukishima didn't use his Fullbring on me."
"THEN WHY ARE YOU HELPING HIM!?" Ichigo screamed.
Pity briefly showed on Ginjō's face before he sighed once more.
"Because we've been allies from the beginning. Strictly speaking we didn't need to go through with this elaborate farce but well we've picked up some bad habits and we just wanted to see those cute expressions of despair on your face."
Ichigo felt his heart break just a bit more after hearing those words while his vision continued to grow blurrier as blood continued to pump from his wounds. Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult but he still continued the dialogue.
"You used your fucked up power on my friends and altered their memories just so you could enjoy watching my world crumble around me!?" Ichigo half yelled half cried.
"Well you're right and then you're wrong. The main goal was for you to regain your powers so we could steal your powers, messing with your head was just a fun side project." Ginjō replied nonchalantly.
Ichigo nearly threw up some blood at the statement and was about to let out an angry retort before Ginjō's next word's caused the response to die in his throat and his blood to run cold.
"Besides you've got another thing wrong, it wasn't your friend's I had Tsukishima use his Fullbring on…it was you."
The words caused Ichigo's mind to go into turmoil as a look of horror and confusion appeared on face, causing both Ginjō and Tsukishima to adopt looks of sadistic glee.
Tsukishima continued where Ginjō stopped with the explanation. "You see the Hollow that attacked my mother was a bit special, not only did it nearly kill her but it also affected her very existence. You see, after the attack it was like no one could remember her and if not for the few physical records that proved otherwise no one would think she existed. Apparently the nature of the hollow can effect a Fullbring quite a bit."
"You see when my Book of the End was first awakened its powers were much like you've been led to believe. However, much like you and your friend Chad it was not in its true form. When it was finished it no longer simply put me in another's memories but let me manipulate all memories connected to the person I cut as well. Whether that is merely adding myself to them, removing/replacing someone in them or even changing details. Of course the downside is if I choose the latter option I can't affect that person's own memories but the benefits out way that little demerit don't you think?" Tsukishima finished his speech with a smile that seemed amiable but contained an almost infinite amount of maliciousness.
Flashbacks of a time when Rukia was forgotten by all but him flashed in his mind while his horror continued to grow. The mental blow proved to be too much for him when combined with his injury and Ichigo lost the strength needed to continue standing and sunk to his knees.
"...H…How?" The words barely a whisper in wind.
Smirking Ginjō and Tsukishima shared a brief glance before Ginjō finally pulled out his sword with a loud squelch. Flicking the blood of his Fullbring he stabbed it into the ground before leaning against it. An amused look appeared on his face before he decided to answer his question.
"You don't think we taught or even shown you everything you can do with a Fullbring did you? Our powers use Reiryoku and come from Hollows and while we may be human some things carry over, such as the ability to not be seen by those not spiritually aware." He finished with a hint of both amusement and smugness in his voice.
Ichigo's eyes would have widened with the realization of what those words meant if he wasn't currently lying in a pool of his own blood slowly dying. Tsukishima seeing that Ichigo was close to death decided to offer him a few final parting taunts.
"Don't worry Kurosaki-kun, I'll make sure they don't even remember your existence so they won't be sad. Instead they'll have me, who for various 'past' events and reasons will see me as the one person they adore to the point they'd do anything to please."
Those word's stirred Ichigo's mind as the implications stirred feelings of rage in his very soul.
"Hmm, you know I haven't been able to enjoy a cute girl in a while as I've been too busy enjoying messing with you."
Ichigo was no longer breathing but he still retained enough awareness to perceive his words and they stirred something dark in him as his rage mounted.
"Now that I think of it, your sister's are pretty cute aren't they? I think I'll enjoy them first after we absorb your soul when you finally die." Tsukishima stated simply with a cold smile on his face.
"Man, you're a pretty fucked up bastard, have to go for the cheap shot while he's already out." Ginjō said with a dark chuckle.
Rage instantly turned into incomprehensible amounts of fury and the darkness lurking in his soul latched onto it and exploded. Ichigo's Fullbring, long since dispersed, exploded in black shadows which quickly engulfed his now moving body. Ginjō and Tsukishima stared at him in surprise as Ichigo struggled to stand up as he was covered in shadows. With his face currently wrapped in dark flame-like shadows it was impossible to see any features until blood red eyes slowly became visible in the dense blackness.
Ichigo appeared to be staring at the ground briefly before he looked up and focused his gaze on Tsukishima. Tsukishima couldn't help but take a small step back when he noticed the pure amount of malice in those eyes and was about to chastise himself when 'it' screamed. The scream sound like multiple voices all overlapping each with their own prominent emotion. Once was fury, one was despair, one was anguish, and one was simply the cry of a beast.
Following the cry, the shadows engulfing Ichigo's body exploded, which combined with the shockwave produced by his roar pushed both Ginjō and Tsukishima back several feet. When the dust cleared what was standing before them was no longer human, it was a demon in human form. Where Ichigo's Fullbring once had white cloth-like strips now had the bones of a human, and what was once an ordinary short sword was now a tool of torture and malice. Now over a meter long with the edge replaced by sharp jagged 'teeth' with a handle of bone and the guard replaced by a human skull. The tip of the sword seemed to have an illusion of dripping blood as it disappeared when it his, now clawed and boney feet.
The changes didn't stop there as now Ichigo's face was now covered with a white hollow-like mask, with red stripes down each eye, forward facing horns and long blood red hair pouring out the back. The only reason they didn't think Ichigo had actually fully turned into a hollow was that instead of the normal black eyes and gold irises his were all red with only a faint hint of black along the edges.
Ginjō by this point had taken up his sword while Tsukishima showed the true form of his Fullbring, that of a black and red scythe. Before they could attack though Ichigo disappeared from their eyes and before he could react Ginjō was beheaded. Tsukishima watched the seen in shock as Ginjō's now headless corpse fell to the ground next to the malevolent form of a growling Ichigo. Once more the thing that was once Ichigo screamed, this time even louder, and the air pressure combined with the Reiatsu caused Tsukishima's knees to tremble as he struggled to stay upright.
Before 'Ichigo' could attack once more a few things happened. The first was the appearance of the remaining members of Xcution behind Tsukishima, all ready for battle but apprehension showing in their eyes. The second was the arrival of Ichigo's spiritually aware friends off to the side (including Uryū who had been earlier released from the hospital) who, after briefly looking at Ginjō's body in horror, adopted angry looks and faced the hollow (in their eyes) standing next to the body. The third and final thing was the opening of the Senkaimon and the subsequent arrival of Ichigo's former friends from Soul Society, all of home stared apprehensively down at the transformed Ichigo.
'Ichigo' didn't seem to notice the new arrivals at all as his eye's never stopped boring into Tsukishima's, a fact that caused said man to involuntarily shiver. He was about to open his mouth to speak when quicker than he could blink Ichigo hunched forwarded and a glowing red ball appeared in between his horns. This action caused everyone present to widen their eyes in surprise and prepare to attack/defend themselves. Before they could fully react however the red Cero fired towards Tsukishima (and the members of Xcution).
Tsukishima and the rest had just barely enough time to adopt a hasty defense before being engulfed in the violent red energy. Their figures faded under the intense energy and their Reiatsu disappeared causing those not in the blast to cry out in fear. Of course this action provoked a response and Ichigo's friends and allies swiftly started a counterattack with their full power (Bankais included). The beast roared in response and a brutal fight started.
While this was going on Orihime was rushing to the spot she last saw Tsukishima all the while crying and calling out his name. She found his body and was at first stunned by the horrible burnt state of his body before quickly rushing to heal him after noticing a faint movement from his chest quickly enveloping the body in her power's signature orange shield.
Meanwhile the fight between Ichigo and his friends was going poorly thanks to their excellent coordination, numbers and due to the fact Ichigo was running fully on hollow instinct. As such Ichigo's body was covered with deep wounds which while healing (thanks to his hollow powers) were doing so at an increasingly slower rate as his energy continued to be expended. It was after he beat back Renji and taking a hit across the back from Rukia that the smoke from his early blast faded and the sight of Orihime healing Tsukishima appeared before him.
This caused him to unleash his scream for the last time, knocking back his opponents for a brief moment and enabling him to rush out of his encirclement. His friend's barely had time to react before he disappeared in a burst of speed next to Orihime and bated her away. It was as he was bringing down his sword to finish him off under the horrified gazes of his former friends that Tsukishima (who was somehow still conscious) said his final words.
"Even if you kill me the changes in their memories won't revert back, they'll be permanent. So enjoy your revenge monster as regardless of what happens I'll make sure they know both you're faces as the worst evil they've ever known."
With his final gloating words still in the air Ichigo brought down his sword and decapitated Tsukishima, killing him once and for all. It seemed like this final action depleted him of all energy however as he was unable to respond when his former friends, roaring in anger and pain, launched attacks at his unmoving form. The results were a large explosion that engulfed his body and temporarily blinded their senses.
A small amount of time passed before the air cleared and the scene of a horribly injured Ichigo appeared on his knees before them, his mask half gone and his eye's no longer red. Despite not being aware or in control of his actions for the time after he transformed he was still able to recall Tsukishima's dying words and after suffering the enraged killing attacks of his friends he knew them to be true. With despair filled eyes he managed to move his mangled body just enough to look at his friends and what he saw crushed his heart, leaving him feeling dead inside.
Sometime during the last attacks and now his remaining friends and family had shown up to the scene of the battle and were staring at him with looks of pure rage. But it wasn't until he saw the forms of his sisters with tears in their eyes while they stared at Tsukishima's body calling desperately for their 'Tsuki-nii' that he lost all hope.
Ichigo couldn't bear the pain he was feeling and immediately turned to flee but was quickly set upon. Reacting purely on instinct and using the last of his hollow power he opened up a Garganta and jumped through. He didn't make it unscathed however as he was run through from behind, an injury which nicked his heart and lung. The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was the voice of his own father (who had just stabbed him) yelling at him.
"ICHIGO YOU MONSTER, I WILL HUNT YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE IF I HAVE TO! YOU WILL PAY FOR KILLING MY SON EVEN IF IT TAKES ALL OF ETERNITY!"
Those were the words that carried Ichigo into unconsciousness as the Garganta closed and he was cut off from the world. However, just because he escaped by entering the Garganta doesn't mean he was safe. Due to his first attempt at opening a Garganta himself being done in such an extreme state for him (both mentally, physically and with next to zero energy) it was inherently unstable. Add to the fact that he wasn't conscious he couldn't form a Reishi platform to be on and thus Ichigo fell in the dark void in-between worlds.
AN: So I currently have a few story ideas just floating around in my head (well they've been there for a while but I haven't been able to write them yet) and this is one of them. Personally I'm a bit sad by the small number of Fullbringer Ichigo stories (especially crossovers) as most people tend to focus on his soul reaper powers even in worlds where they don't mesh as well. So I thought why not write a story with that, and then I've been on a Champione crossover binge lately so I decided to merge the two and this story is the result. Hope you enjoyed the story. P.S. I also have a Harry Potter/Fate crossover and Mass Effect/Gundam Seed crossover story ideas that I'm working on.
-Ren