Prologue Part 2: Answers and Teachers

Darkness. That all he could see around him. Memories flashing like lightning all around him. All in that endless expanse of nothingness. He heard screams of terror and sickening crunches with each new image, each new nightmare. Places he's never been, people he's never met, all playing out in what was possible final moments before whatever happened. In all this, he remembered fear, he felt terror, but most of all, he was hungry. He was hungry and was devouring these people with cold and calculated plans before indulging his hunger. That was, until she appeared. He saw her, an adult woman standing between him and a new morsel. In her hands was a glowing blue bow and arrow, notched and targeted for his skull. But then she was engulfed in a light and she staggered, her threat was now diminished and he could feed. Then another flash came, a name was called out that he knew was spoken...but he did not hear it. The darkness returned and he heard only one thing. Protect.

(Ichigo's Inner World)

He finally opened his eyes, freeing himself from that nightmare of death and hunger, and beheld the odd world around him. Buildings stretching out to the endless sky ahead. An entire world, twisted on it's axis. A part of him knew he should be scared, felt that he should be terrified, but he couldn't help but relax in a strange sense of familiarity in this place. The young hybrid child stared into the strange blue world in wonder and awe.

"Where..." Ichigo began, "where am I?"

"Well that's certainly a million dollar question there King." He heard a strange voice speak. Ichigo turned to see a tall figure, all white in some weird robes and a black skull mask on his face. "Where are you? What is this place? What happened to mommy?" He said mockingly before swinging his arms out to gesture all around them. "In short order, you're in your head, this is your Inner World, and mommy..." He got close to Ichigo and whispered in his ear. "she's gone." The second those words registered in Ichigo's mind, it began to pour.

'Damn,' Zangetsu thought to himself, 'the old man is gonna bitch at me a lot for this. But we did agree to let me handle this.' He pulled away and gazed into the black clouds, pouring down Ichigo's sorrow. 'The King is going to hate me for doing this, but no one begins this kind of journey on a happy note.' He looked back down at his future wielder and saw a face locked in despair.

"This happened, because you were weak." He stated, cold and harsh, to the young boy. "Powerless. How can you protect anyone when you can't even protect yourself?" The world began to flood. Ichigo was slipping deeper and deeper into his sorrow.

"Mom, mom no." Ichigo said as the memories returned. Those visions were that of a monster that was devouring people. And it's latest victim, was his mother. How couldn't he recognize his own mother? Now she was gone because of him. "Mom." He was talking through his tears, mixing in the continuous downpour. "Mom I'm sorry. Please, don't leave me." He could barely choke out the words. "Please don't die!" He wailed out before crying. Zangetsu watched the crying child in front of him. In a way, he was disgusted with his wielder, soft, weak, vulnerable. But he knew, in time he would be a force to fear, a force to reckon, a being of great power. Now was the time to plant the seeds for that warrior. Time, to set Ichigo on that path.

"She's not dying." He said, loud and firm enough that it reach Ichigo. Right into the young boy's core. The rains eased up considerably but there was still quite the downpour. "Not yet anyway. I said she was gone, taken from you." With that the rain got weaker and weaker, and Zangetsu say a light of hope return in his master's eyes. "She can be brought back, but what are going to do?" He asked the child. Ichigo looked at the pale man in confusion. "How are you going to stop this from happening again?" He clarified. "Are you going to stay that weakling that cries every time he loses?"

"Or are you going to stand up and fight for what you want?" A deep clear voice echoed behind the boy. He turned to see an old man with a shadowed beard and tattered cloak standing behind him. This was the time, there would be no going back. Ichigo finally developed a thing that was missing for so long. Will, determination, resolve. The two halves watched their charge as he whispered the words they were looking for. He just needed one more push.

"Speak up! Are you going to fight or hide?"

"Are you going to stand up or fall down?"

"Run and you will die!"

"Hesitate and you will die!"

"The road ahead is clear!" They spoke in unison. "Now chose!" Ichigo brought his head up, set in a deep scowl of focus and resolution before crying out.

"I WILL BECOME STRONG!" When he yelled that, the force of his cry broke the clouds apart and cleared away every drop of rain. The sun returned, shining stronger than either spirit had ever felt. It was more than happiness, it was determination. The two powers smirked looking down at the boy. Now he will push himself to become the strongest he could ever be.

"That's the spirit Ichigo." The pale blade said as he gave his master a pat on his shoulder. "Never forget this feeling. This will push you to become strong. Strong enough to protect everything precious to you."

"This motivation will be your greatest asset." The darker sword told him. "The time is coming for you to wake up." He said as he felt the world outside shifting.

"Just remember. Ask your parents these questions." The hollow said counting off on his fingers. "'What's a Shinigami?', 'what's a Quincy?', 'what's a Hollow?', and 'what am I?' because you have more potential than all three. And don't forget to demand training." The world around Ichigo began to glow brighter and brighter as Ichigo felt himself leaving this world.

"Wait!" He cried out. "Ojii-chan! Onii-san! What are your names?!" The two spirits smirked and spoke, but no words came out. Before much longer, Ichigo was gone from his Inner World.

(With Isshin, before Grandfisher's attack)

He sat on that couch, a cooling cup of coffee in his grasp, as he waited for his wife and son to return. He had started a small habit of play fighting with his son ever since Ichigo started doing karate. Never too serious, never too strong, also praising his little warrior for his reasons to become stronger. Ichigo was surprisingly calm for a member of the Shiba clan, but the moment his child was born he knew two things. One, he was going to be an embarrassing dad to every girl his son brings, and two, that his son was going to be a very powerful individual. His only aim with his son was to make sure he grew up a good man. If Ichigo ended up becoming a Shinigami or Quincy, he would do everything to support that boy, to protect him. Especially from creepy scientists that are more threatening than they look.

"Come on Isshin," The man across from him whined, "aren't you the least bit curious about what your boy can be?" Kisuke Urahara, a more brilliant man doesn't exist. Banished under false charges against him by a scheming madman, he contents himself with that candy shop and secretly catering to the spiritual beings that can find his services. He had saved Masaki's life from hollowfication after she got infected when they first met and he explained that the same hollow now resides in their son. Ichigo's lineage was a kind many could only dream of, all three primary spiritual kinds all residing in one body. Kisuke was beyond curious to study and analyze such a being but had enough respect for Isshin and his family to keep their boundaries. So he tried to get permission from Isshin in order to proceed. He does not intend harm just curiosity, and above all preparation. Ichigo was currently a huge unknown, and he does not like unknown. If anything happened, he wanted to be ready. Over 900 countermeasures were in place for the boy, which was still too few in his opinion.

A bright flash of light shined through the house suddenly, shocking the two men. It didn't take long for them to notice that two reiatsu seemed to completely disappear, but only one mattered to Isshin. 'Masaki!' He realized as the light began to disappear. Urahara and Isshin scrambled out the door and began to make their way to the mother and child. The second they got out the door Urahara grabbed the former clan head and began to use his shunpo to accelerate their progress. It was situation like these that made Isshin curse the kido that was used to suppress that hollow at the expense of his own powers. Before their final leap they heard a loud voice cry out.

"Zangetsu!" This actually gave them pause. In the briefest of instants, they felt a near overwhelming power. They finished their jumps to nothing more than an unconscious mother laying protectively over her dear child.

"Ichigo! Masaki!" The former captain cried out, his companion following closely behind. After a quick examination of the two, he was slightly relieved to find that both were still alive.

"This is bad Isshin." Urahara exclaimed. "Masaki has been completely drained of her reiatsu! If we don't get some back into her, she'll die!"

"Can we use yours?"

"No, she need Quincy reishi. We have to get her to Ishida." There was no argument, not even a single line of speech as the two former captains rushed to Karakura Hospital. The workplace of the last pure blooded Quincy family in the city.

(Karakura Hospital)

The room was filled with various people, they kind that takes notice to an even like this. A disturbance in the air unlike any felt before. Three people occupying hospitals beds, asleep and unmoving. Two women, two mothers, two impure Quincies hooked to silver canisters leaking a glowing blue liquid down into their veins. One with hair like a glowing midday sun while the other had hair as dark as night. Masaki Kurosaki and Kanae Katagiri, the wife of the man supplying the reishi I.V.'s. With them were two white haired men, a father and son, Ryuuken and Souken Ishida, in a white suit and the other in robes. A dark skinned woman with dark purple hair and golden cat like eyes in black spandex and an orange shirt. A more tanned man with a braided ponytail and a thick mustache wearing an apron and opaque glasses. And finally, the duo that brought them all together.

"Alright Tessai, this should do it." Urahara said to his burly assistant from the store and old friend. A mix of medical science and restorative kido and the two Quincies were in no more danger of dying, to the ecstatic relief of both husbands. They were still in comas, but they would eventually recover in time.

"It's good we acted in time boss." The large man said as they finished up the final touches. "Masaki was indeed in critical condition."

"His majesty either deeply craved her power, or was disgusted with the thought of a Quincy that was infected with a hollow." Mused Souken, a rare angered scowl laying on his normally kindly features. He himself did not choose to put much stock in that old tale, choosing to be a proactive force for coexistence between the surviving Quincies and the Shinigami. He wholeheartedly supported the death gods when they massacred his own kind. Any atrocity commited as a hollow could be forgiven as those are being who have lost themselves, and Quincies destroyed them from existence with no remorse which threatened that balance of the world. This act, this 'cleansing' was utter foolishness and he cursed the Quincy blood that binds him to that accursed parasite Bach, the king of the Quincy.

"This is just great." The dark skinned woman groaned. "Things were bad enough with whatever Aizen is scheming, now Juha Bach is returning as well? This could throw all the worlds into turmoil!"

"Maybe, but not yet Yoruichi." Urahara placated his old friend and former captain. "Souken did tell us the prophecy of his return."

"The sealed King of the Quincy. Over 900 years, he shall recover his heartbeat. Over 90 years, he shall recover his intellect. Over nine years, he shall recover his power. And over nine days, he shall recover the world." Spoke a voice.

"Exactly. We still have a few years to prepare for him, while still getting ready for Aizen." Urahara then noticed that not one of the adults said anything. They all turned to the now awake Ichigo, who spoke the King's Hymn foretelling the return of Bach.

"Ichigo, where did you hear that?" The boy's father asked him, more serious then he had ever been with his boy. "How long have you been awake?" Before Isshin got any answers, his son gave his own questions.

"Dad, what are hollows?" The question from the little boy surprised everyone in that room

"Well, Ichigo. Hollows are-"

"What are Shinigami?" He asked again, throwing Isshin off again.

"Which do you-"

"What are Quincies?"

"One at a time Ichi-"

"Dad, what am I?" Isshin froze at that last one. He immediately left his sleeping wife's side and embraced his son. Securely, protectively, lovingly.

"You are my son." He told his child, rubbing his back to sooth him. "There is nothing that anyone can do to change that." He gave his son another squeeze before pulling back and looking him in the eye. "Now, where did you hear those words?"

"From these two guys in my Inner World." The child said, confirming Urahara's suspicions of the boy being in his world. "This old guy also told me to recite that thing I said when I woke up. Said it was important." At that moment, Ichigo looked around the room and saw everyone. "Who are they?" They took the time to make introductions and proceeded with explanations. Hollows were empty beings, lost to despair and hate that devour other souls and beings with greater amounts of spirit energy. Shinigami were guides to the Afterlife and guardians of the Dead, purifying hollows and delivering lost souls to their rest. Quincies were humans that could manipulate reishi to completely destroy hollows, but because they threatened the Balance they were practically wiped out, leaving only so many to live in peace. "So why should I have more potential than all them?" Urahara decided it was his turn now.

"Because Ichigo, you are a mix of all three." He told the child. "Truly a miracle of grand coincidence. You mother is a Quincy, a rather powerful one at that, that was bitten and infected with hollow reishi. Then a Shinigami saved her life by using his powers to seal that hollow away. Care to guess who that Shinigami was?" The shopkeeper asked the boy. It took Ichigo just a scant few seconds to recognize the answer.

"Dad! You're a Shinigami!?" Isshin smiled down at his son.

"Was, Ichigo. I retired to become your dad." He said ruffling his boy's hair. Then Ichigo said something that surprised everyone.

"I want to become strong dad!" He declared. "I want to learn all I can do! All the powers I can use! I want to be able to protect mommy and Karin and Yuzu!" He got that same determined look in his eyes when he declared his desire for strength to his powers. Isshin recognized that look, and he knew that he would cave. Luckily, he wasn't alone.

"Then, if you don't mind, you can began this weekend with my grandson to study the Quincy arts." The kindly old man said with a smile. Taking on this burden while his son got his own feelings back together. Whether to continue the Quincy ways, or turn his back on it completely.

"I can teach the boy kido." Tessai said. "He might make the spells even stronger."

"Hey hey hey," Yoruichi interjected. "No way can he just learn spells and long range! He's got to learn how to fight up close and personal." She got in front of the small child and pointed down at him with a disturbing feral grin. "Got that! You call me Sensei or Nee-sama, because I'm teaching you how to fight!" Ichigo was excited by the dark skinned woman's enthusiasm, but was also a little scared.

"O-okay," He stuttered while clinging to his father, "Yoruichi nee-chan." Yoruichi just stared at the little kid and felt a bane to her existence. Cuteness.

"So, while Ichigo gets over his new trauma, who teaches him sword play?" Urahara asked Isshin. It was difficult to say who was the better warrior of the two when it came to Zanjutsu.

"When Ichigo gets a zanpakuto, we'll test him and see." Isshin said. He looked down at his smiling son and knew that Ichigo just decided to give up a normal childhood. No, more like, it was taken from him. This was going to be a difficult road for Ichigo, he might never have normal friends 'I hope you two are going to be ready. When he grows up, you may not stand a chance.'

Ichigo's training began soon after that.

A/N: Thanks to everyone whose reading this so far, special thanks to SSJ3 Kyuubi and Whackybiscuit who've helped proofread and keep my ego healthy so I'm more motivated. Now, if anyone is actually reading this, question. We've met the teachers, his allies and we all know who they are. Should Sora live? Don't forget to review people! One more Prologue chapter before we get to the real stuff!