So. I'm back and I know what you're gonna say but I'm about to take a long break in order to hunker down and write out more than 3 chapters of this length or longer. I tried to go for 8k but it seems that 4k was what this chapter needed and so each chapter will be as long as it takes to get the idea through. Some might be shorter or longer, kinda just depends on what happens.

But enough of me blabbering.

There will be spelling and grammar mistakes and that's because I don't have a beta reader. If anybody is interested then PM me or put it in the comments and I'll contact you or find a way to do so. I hope you enjoy and now it's time to get on with the story.

Presenting the Rewrite of Eternal Ballad.

Ichigo Kurosaki

How long had he been floating in the abyss? Days? Weeks? Years? It certainly felt like years. Ichigo stared into the darkness that was once his world. A world he had wanted to protect. And this was the fruits of his labor. An empty void that reflected the despair that he felt when his attack on Yhwach failed to kill the immortal being. It took the combined power of himself and his closest friend to kill the Quincy progenitor.

Closing his eyes, Ichigo remembered the final battle, as if it was yesterday. He had felt a wealth of emotion during those final moments before the universe was torn asunder. Rage, betrayal, sadness, loss, sadistic glee. To say that he wasn't confident in his sanity would be an understatement, as it could all just be some elaborate hallucination caused by some kind of sealing kido that the soul reapers had dreamt up. Not that it would surprise him any.

Soul reapers. They had been the cause of most of the strife in his life. A soul reaper that had let his mother die. A soul reaper that had given him the power to protect and a soul reaper that took it away. A soul reaper that had taken his family from him and a soul reaper that denied him the ability to find them once he had regained himself. In fact, almost everything that was wrong with his life could be traced back to a soul reaper. Hell it was their incompetence that led to Yhwach returning and his current predicament.

"Che." Ichigo bit out a huff of indignant frustration.

"It could be worse." A voice echoed throughout his mind, his zanpakuto was one of the few anchors that had kept him 'sane' after the collapse of the universe.

"How could it be worse? The universe is gone, everything we had hoped to achieve, our dreams, our hopes and desires. All of it was for nothing. It's all gone now…"

"All except for us." A purple glow from the center of his sternum responded in affirmation. A feeling of warmth flowed from deep within his mind and he couldn't help the smile from crossing his face. The spirit was right after all. It wasn't as if all was lost. He still had Zangetsu, his inner Yhwach and the Hogyoku. He wasn't alone, and for that he was grateful however that wasn't going to fix the already collapsed universe. Or would it?

"Don't discount me yet Ichigo" Smooth as silk with the strength of a spider. The Hogyoku had been his plot armor for many years. He chuckled to himself as he thought about all the times he should've died but something, somehow had always been there to allow him to survive. Something was watching his back as much as it was making him endure the torture that was his life.

"I never called your power into question my friend." He thought back to how, after his failed attack on the Quincy king, he had been able to use her might, the power of the Hogyoku, to momentarily subdue the nigh god's power of reality in order to create a timeline where Yhwach could die.

Ichigo let the darkness take him as he closed his eyes and fell into his inner world.

Opening his eyes once more, Ichigo was greeted with a beautiful sight. He stood on a gargantuan island floating high above the ground, chains connected to the ground below anchoring the island into a fixed position. The island itself appeared to be an upside down mountain with the peak of the mountain touching the peak of one right below it. Waterfalls that never ran dry cascading down to form vast canals below. Resting in the center of the floating island was a medieval European castle that watched over the expanse of rainforest below.

Approaching the castle, Ichigo settled his gaze on a trio of figures gathered around a low table, seated outside one of the main entrances to his inner dwelling. The first had a hole the size of a fist going through it's sternum. A mask of onyx with twin white tribal markings passing over the holes that were left for the eyes. It's eyes, a calculating white with black sclera. Staring into those eyes a reflection of the void that surrounded his physical body.

On the copy's right was a taller, European gentleman that held his gaze with eyes the color of rust. Not dissimilar from his original counterpart. Black hair slicked back and well taken care of, almost as long as the white locks of his zanpakuto that reached the small of his back. Mutton Chops of the same color connected by a thick, albeit, well kept mustache. He had been a faithful companion that held nothing back and was always there when he needed a pep talk.

The final figure is a woman with modest features. Full lips and sangria hair that cascaded over her shoulders like a river of silk. Periwinkle eyes shone black sclera, taking in details that Ichigo couldn't fathom. Hogyoku, what he had taken to calling her, the third and most recent inhabitant of his soul, motioned for him to join the three at the table. Settling down he shared looks with all three of his spirits before finally addressing the question they all had been avoiding since he arrived and could feel what was happening.

"Why is it that I feel all three of your energies fading?" The three spirits shared a look themselves before Yhwach turned his attention to his wielder.

"It's what we have put together to save you." Narrowed eyes of confusion and concern locked with those of the manifestation of his Quincy power.

"What do you mean?" Frowns settled on each of the three inner spirits.

"You're dying, King." Taken aback, Ichigo couldn't think of anything to say to that. How could he? They were telling him that not only was everything he had done, everything he had given to save everyone been for nothing but that his own life had betrayed him. Looking down at his hands, Ichigo couldn't help but notice the cracks appearing in his once smooth skin.

"We have a plan." They better very well have a damn plan! Ichigo wasn't just going to lay down and die like some kind of animal. He refused.

"Is that the answer to where your energies have gone?" Nods from each of the inner spirits were all the confirmation that he needed before calming down. They were smart, smarter and wiser than him, especially after absorbing his former mentor and Yhwach. He shouldn't have doubted his inner spirits. However there had to be some kind of cost, not just energy, saving a soul didn't come without some kind of price.

"What's the catch?" Ichigo attempted to look into the eyes of his spirits however none would meet his gaze. Figures it would be something big, they wouldn't be trying to avoid it otherwise. Ichigo let his inner anger dissipate before he mentally prodded at his zanpakuto spirit.

"It will completely drain all four of us. You will lose your memories and we will be sealed into a deep hibernation till you have regained a sufficient amount of reiryoku to properly handle our power." Ichigo was once more at a loss for words. He knew that there would be a price however that seemed a little steep. Losing all of his powers, he had done it once and that had been far from pleasant. Even though it was all a ploy and he knew that he would get his power back, it still sucked not being able to talk to his inner spirits. To not only lose his power but also not remember that he had that power to begin with, that would be hell. An unknowing hell. Was it worth the risk, and he didn't even know what the plan was yet.

"So...what does this plan constitute anyways?" This time it was Hogyoku that answered his question.

"With the combined reiatsu of all three of us, I will transport you into the past of this universe. It will create a branch universe where you exist in the past but it will allow you to begin to heal from the damage of this void. You will no longer be dying." Rolling the thought throughout his mind he nodded. It was the best shot they had at living. After all, it might just be better even than dying here. He would be powerless for a time but when he regained his power he might just be able to stop the destruction of the universe from happening, period. At the very least the pros outweigh the cons. It was worth a shot. Nodding in affirmation his gaze hardened with steeled resolve.

"How far back are you taking us?"

"June 17th, 9 years before the resurrection of Yhwach." Ichigo's blood froze over. That day, he would never forget. The rain, the pain, the blood. The memory was still as fresh as if it had happened yesterday for him. The 8 year old boy by the river. The hollow, that hollow. Gritting his teeth he could taste blood as storm clouds rolled in above.

"We know that you don't have fond memories of that day, however we think that day would be best since you will already have a strong connection to the day and location. It might just be what we need to jog both your memory and power into awakening." Yhwach had a point and Ichigo knew it. Plus it would give him plenty of time to train and regain his power before the man himself awoke. The tortures that he would put the usurper through when he was found. The thought put a smile on the hybrid's face. That was something that he could look forward to.

"Alright, let's do this." His form started to lose form as Ichigo felt his power leave him. This had better work or when he got his memories back he would come back in here to give his spirits a beating that they would never forget.

Yachiru Unohana

Her head snapped up so fast she wasn't sure if she should've gotten whiplash from the movement. A pillar or multicolored reiatsu exploded like a beacon on the horizon. Standing atop a mountain of dead, she watched the tower of energy, basking in the pressure that it emitted. It was truly exhilarating, feeling the energy try to make her submit made a shiver run down her spine. It was foreign but it was not unwelcome. She would have to find the source of this power.

Taking off in a flurry of shunpo she raced another to ground zero. One way or another she would find out what caused that pressure and she would return the favor. A sadistic gleam shone in her eyes as she started to picture the individual that exuded the monstrous power. Yes, it would submit to her and they would fight till the ground was a river of blood and nothing would stand in her way.

The killing intent that she put off made sure that even those not so spiritually inclined would remove themselves from her path or be cut down. It was more for the sake of swiftness rather than a need to squash the insects around her. They were meaningless, if she wanted she could kill them with but a thought and an increase in her reiatsu output.

Carving a path of destruction on her path to her next victim, Yachiru allowed herself to relax, the power was slowly fading away, the fight would not be nearly as intense as she had wanted or anticipated. Whatever it was that caused the ocean of reiatsu slowly faded to nothingness, leaving both her and her zanpakuto in confusion. She still could pinpoint the source but it was so small and insignificant that she had trouble distinguishing it from the rest of the trash. Either this soul was exceptionally good at concealing it's presence or it had just lost a fight, either option seemed improbable due to the spike in reiatsu and the fact that it was isolated. It was alone unless the victor had been even stronger, there should be no way that she wouldn't have sensed both.

As she approached the scene of the explosion of reiatsu she could tell that something was wrong. The charred remains of the forest ahead of her being the first of many signs that a battle took place. Did somebody beat her to her prize? No, Yama was the only other one that was on the way when she left and she could feel him taking his time approaching, most likely sensing her arrival and being rightfully warry. They had their fair share of scuffles and they both had their scars to prove it. Neither wanted to kill the other and so they tended to not cross paths.

Her feet landed on the ground without so much as disturbing the charred dirt that lined the rim of a crater that had to be at least a few kilometers in diameter. This wasn't what she was expecting. Scanning the area of the crater, her eyes landed on a prone body in the center. Could this be the source of the reiatsu? Reaching out with her senses she got the approval from Minazuki that the body was indeed the source of the pillar and mass of reiatsu that had drawn her attention so undividedly to this location.

Flash stepping to the side of the body she reached a hand down to check for a pulse. Good. There was a pulse, he was alive. With the knowledge that the boy would live she took a moment to take in his appearance. Black hair covered a fair portion of the bleached back making for an aesthetically pleasing contrast. She couldn't see his eyes but she knew just from his attire that he didn't belong here. White hakama with a black sash to cover his modesty being the only clothing but she was sure that she'd only seen that kind of attire being worn by the 5 squads that the noble houses ran.

A movement of the body before her broke Yachiru from her thoughts. A hand on her blade she readied for a strike as his reiatsu swirled around his body in an almost protective manner, this time no longer being multicolored but taking on a lime green hue.

Ichigo Kurosaki

He felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his head for the last decade. What had happened? He tried to think back to the last thing he remembered but nothing came up. He hurt all over but he couldn't remember getting into a fight. He couldn't remember much of anything, his name, Ichigo, but that was it. He guessed it was time to get up as his teeth grit together in an attempt to power through the pain.

Pushing himself into a seated position before opening his eyes. Ichigo could see through his eyelids that the area around him was bright. Something was off though, something in the back of his mind screamed at him to run, that something was hunting him. That something was close. Slowly opening his eyes, Ichigo was greeted by a blade at his throat.

"It would be best if you explain a few things before you make another move." Ichigo could only stare at the blade at his neck as only one thought ran through his head. 'You just made a mistake.' Taking a deep breath and licking his chapped lips he told her exactly what he knew.

"I don't remember." It was flat, straight to the point and honest, his captor however was not buying it.

"What do you mean? You release all that reiatsu, destroy kilometers of land and have massive scars across your body. How could you not remember?" Ichigo didn't know how to respond to that at all. He honestly felt like he couldn't remember, he knew something important had gone horribly wrong but he couldn't place his finger on it. It felt like the blade had pierced his chest and he looked down at his body for the first time to see no hole in his body. The blade had never made contact but he did understand her confusion as he did indeed have several scars marring his body. It appeared as if he had gotten into many fights and he felt sore. Something told him that from the scars currently on his body, he should be dead or dying. Easily a couple times over.

Ichigo turned to look at his captor. His eyes met her electric blue eyes as he reiterated his last statement.

"I don't remember. It's not that I don't want to but I just can't. I don't know what happened, why I'm here or who you are." The pleading in his eyes seemed to move something in the woman before him. Her own eyes softened as she eased her blade down.

"I see." She appeared deep in thought and Ichigo took that time to look himself over again and collect his bearings. He noticed the massive crater that he did indeed find himself in. Did he do all this? It didn't seem right, he felt a power coursing through him but it wasn't enough to do the kind of damage he found himself surrounded by. To the ground next to him was a katana. The blade itself was unremarkable however the tsuba was hexagonal in shape, taking the appearance of a gem with the side parallel with the blade being longer than the other sides. The tsuka was green with a golden diamond pattern running down both sides. It was held in a sheath that had green ribbons wrapped around the end closest to the tsuba.

Picking up the blade he studied it as a warmth emanated from it. It was his, Ichigo didn't know how he knew but he knew that this blade belonged to him. Stowing the blade at his side and slowly rose to his feet.

Yachiru Unohana

She didn't know what to make of the situation. On one hand he had told her the truth, looking into his eyes she could not find anything to indicate that he was lying to her. It didn't make sense though. Losing his memory was too convenient. She wasn't confident and she didn't like that. She didn't like not knowing the whole situation. Watching him inspect himself and what she could only conclude was his zanpakuto before slowly standing up, she knew that time was not on her side. Coming to a decision she nodded. This might just be the kind of entertainment she needed.

"I will help you." Raising an eyebrow at her statement she continued. "Until you regain your memory, I will help you."

"What's the catch?" She watched as a look of confusion took hold of his features before he regained himself. Yachiru couldn't help the upturning of her lips.

"When you do regain the strength that caused this damage, I want a spar. I can feel it, you're a warrior, perhaps even stronger than me with the right training." Eyeing him like a piece of meat, Yachiru couldn't help licking her lips a little bit. The shuffling of his feet, the change in his reiatsu, she was in control of the situation and he knew it. Yachiru never fails to get what she wants. One day, she would have her fight and she was already filled with anticipation.

"I accept." She watched as he reached a hand out to her. After a moment Ichigo alleviated her confusion. "It's called a handshake. It's a form of acknowledging an unwritten agreement."

Reaching out grasping the offered hand they shook and she suddenly felt small. It seemed the winds had shifted, destiny itself altered as the boy's face hardened in determination. She had seen the look before. On Yama, on that monk, the healer. All of them, a giddiness only increased at that moment as she realized the boy, no, the man before her would change the world. She felt it in her bones.

"I am Unohana Yachiru, the Kenpachi. Do you have a name?" Asking the question, she watched as the color slowly faded from his body. Agony contorted his face as he gripped his head in agony before collapsing into her arms. He attempted to answer her question.

"Yes, my name is…"

Ichigo Kurosaki

"I accept." He didn't exactly know what he was getting into but something called out to him. Something deep within himself, it was mostly feelings of warmth and confidence but something else was surfacing as well. Words, thoughts, ideals. His purpose. His goal and the only thing that mattered to him.

He reached out a hand. Seeing her confusion he clarified the purpose and she took his hand. After solidifying their unwritten contract the wind picked up and he could feel that confidence surface. Stronger, a quote, something someone told him a long time ago. He didn't remember who but he could hear the voice of someone talking in the back of his mind.

"If fate is a millstone…" The voice was layered as the very world around him seemed to vibrate as the voice continued.

"Then we are the grist…" He saw the woman before him...he didn't remember her telling him her name. Right as he was about to ask she started speaking.

"I am Unohana Yachiru…" Time seemed to slow down as she spoke and the world grew a little brighter.

"There is nothing we can do." A feeling of lightheadedness came of Ichigo but he dug in and attempted to focus on what the newly named Yachiru was saying.

"The Kenpachi." Her words dragged on, the world around Ichigo sluggish as the color of the world drained away.

"So I wish for strength." The world grew louder as Ichigo struggled to focus on Unohana.

"Do you…" Ichigo was losing her voice. The world was merely light or dark with Unohana the last thing in his vision to hold color although she was slowly fading as well.

"If I cannot protect them from the wheel," The world was spinning as pain wracked his head.

"...have a…" He couldn't hear her anymore but he understood what Unohana was asking. He at least wanted to get out his name before he was gone.

"Then give me a strong blade." He collapsed into her arms as he attempted to respond. Ichigo's body wasn't responding like it should, almost as if he was being suppressed, a puppet being put down.

'Sleep' It was a female voice that called out to him. He didn't recognize it but he knew it was coming from within his mind, within his soul.

"Y-y-yes, m-my name i-is-s." He couldn't finish his sentence as the darkness claimed him, the last thing to enter his mind was the final passage. The sentences that defined his being. His purpose.

"And enough strength...to shatter fate." That's why he was here. To protect, to change, to make things right. What it was that he had to fix, he didn't know but this was a start. A path to follow and one he knew in his heart to be correct. Unohana was the first person he met and the first to show him kindness. He knew life would be hard and she may not accept it at first, but he would protect her as he knew she would protect him, if for different reasons.

As Ichigo lost consciousness he arrived in his inner world, asleep. A figure standing over him. She had brown hair that shielded her eyes from view and wore a green kimono adorned with lotus blossom designs. Kneeling before the sleeping Ichigo she kissed the top of his forehead.

"Sleep, I will take care of you. Just as you took care of me, even if you failed to notice it. I will protect you now more than ever, my wielder."

So, how was it? Please comment your thoughts, what you would like to see, what I messed up and how to fix it. It will only take suggestions that fall in line with the main idea of the story and I know the start it different but I'll be taking this story down an alternate path although with the same premise and history. Thank you again for reading all the way through and feel free to PM me your thoughts as well as anybody who is interested in becoming my Beta Reader. See you all next chapter.