Hello and welcome back! I'm glad that so many of you enjoyed the previous special chapter. Since quite a few people have suggested it, I may make a sequel for it. Anyhow, onwards with the new chapter!

Post winter war

Bonus:

Kyoka Suigetsu

Ichigo wandered through the streets of Karakura. It had been just over a month since Aizen's defeat at the ex-substitute's hand. As foretold by the fused Tensa Zangetsu, Ichigo had lost all of his soul reaper powers. An unexpected yet pleasant surprise though, had been him retaining the ability to see and interact with spirits, although he possessed no power beyond that and absolutely ordinary spiritual pressure.

He didn't really know why at first. The only tip had been just before he lost what little sensory abilities he had, when he felt a slight trace of spiritual power and pressure that was mostly akin to Muramasa's. The strange thing though, was that he'd detected it coming from himself. After a while thinking on it, as well as a trip to Urahara, he'd reached the conclusion that somehow, in the zanpakto's last moments, he had absorbed some of Muramasa's rapidly fading power. Since that power was so miniscule, in addition to not being his own, it didn't get wiped away from using the final getsuga tensho.

The orange-haired teen continued wandering semi-aimlessly through the town. He was getting a strange feeling from the back of his mind, almost like a faint resonance or call of some kind. He was nearing the less populated parts of Karakura, the more open and natural areas. Soon enough, he found himself at the entrance to the very park where he'd fought against Muramasa for the final time.

His body almost moving on auto-pilot, Ichigo made his way towards the central clearing, where the battle had taken place. He reached the space where the rouge zanpakto spirit had spent his last moments, allowing the memory of that night to resurface. At least Muramasa's end had been peaceful and somewhat happy.

Ichigo felt a slight pang of longing in his chest, for the life that he no longer had. However, that quickly receded as a different sensation bubbled forth and overtook it. It was that slight resonance from before, now so strong that he could practically feel his muscles humming. There was something else too, almost like it was trying to burst out of him yet without causing any pain other than mild uncomfortableness.

Just as suddenly as it had spike, the sensation died away to nothing. Then, Ichigo's brown eyes watched in fascinated awe as wisps of glowing energy amalgamated before him. Within a few moments, it had taken a humanoid shape. Seconds later, the glow died down to reveal a young looking woman who he had never seen before.

Her hair chocolate brown was tied in a low ponytail and reached her mid back. Her skin was fair and smooth without any blemishes whilst her eyes were a rare violet colour. She was garbed in a long, flowing jade green kimono with silver trims along the edges, held in place via a purple obi that matched her oculars and a golden cord.

Ichigo watched in silence as the woman stared at her hands in shock. Tears quickly built up in her eyes and began leaking out, along with choked sobs. Before the orange-haired teen could even do anything, she suddenly launched herself into his arms and held onto him tightly, as though he were a lifeline, crying quietly all the while. Taking a moment to break out of his stupor, Ichigo carefully wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. He just hoped that nobody else came across them.

"It's alright," he reassured gently, rubbing light circles into her back. "I'm not going anywhere."

The lady stopped sobbing, but didn't relinquish her grip on his clothes. "T-thank you…"

"So, not to sound like a jerk or anything, but could you tell me who you are?" he inquired. My name's Ichigo Kurosaki."

"I know," she revealed, her tone still sad. "I know who you are already. I am Kyoka Suigetsu, Sosuke Aizen's zan- his former zanpakto."

The teen felt a sudden urge to push her away run through his being, but he suppressed it. Even if she was the former zanpakto of that madman, she seemed genuinely distressed at the moment. He wasn't so cruel as to do something like that, especially to a distraught lady. Instead, he pulled her closer to himself in a comforting manner, causing her purple orbs to temporarily widen. Kyoka accepted the gesture, seeking solace in the warmth of his embrace.

"Aizen's former zanpakto huh," Ichigo remarked carefully. "Care to explain Kyoka? It doesn't have to be right now if you don't want to though."

The manifestation's body tensed for a second, then relaxed again. "Even long before you invaded the soul society to save Rukia Kuchki, Sosuke stopped talking with me. He shut me out, ignored me whenever I tried to get through. I became nothing more than a tool to him in his plans for ascension." Sensing that she was on the verge of breaking down again, Ichigo resumed stroking her back soothingly. "When you fought against him after his fusion with the hogyoku, his mind went into turmoil. The hogyoku rejected him, but had already started destroying me from before and was going to finish the process."

"I remember that," said Ichigo softly. "You were breaking apart in his hand, and he was gloating that the hogyoku decided he no longer needed a zanpakto."

Kyoka gave a small nod. "I was desperate. I didn't want to be destroyed. My link to Sosuke was already so damaged by that point that I was able to break free. I don't know why, but after that the hogyoku decided to expel me instead of outright destroy me. I latched onto the nearest other person with soul reaper powers."

"Me," Ichigo stated neutrally.

"Yes. You already had slivers of power from another zanpakto, Muramasa I believe, so what was left of me took refuge amongst that," Kyoka Suigetsu continued. "I remained even after you lost your own powers. It would seem that you coming here, where further traces of Muramasa's power lingered, allowed me to take physical form."

Ichigo remained silent for a while, processing what he'd just been told. "Do you still have your powers?"

"Just general soul reaper abilities and illusions," she answered. "No hypnosis. Not anymore… although perhaps that is for the best…."

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, detecting that there was more troubling her.

Kyoka exhaled deeply in a subdued manner. "I don't know what to do. I have regained my form and am free, but I am all alone. I will be an outcast and possibly a criminal should I return to soul society. I have nowhere to go, nobody to stay with…"

The orange-haired teen pulled back, placing his hands on the spirit's shoulders. His serious brown eyes stared intensely into her own amethyst ones. "That's where you're wrong. You can stay with me. I'm not going to blame you for what Aizen did, frankly I'm glad that you're free from him. If you really want, I could even try asking Urahara to make you a gigai so that you can live normally."

She stared at him in open disbelief, mouth slightly agape. "Really? You would be willing to let me live with you and your family?"

He sent her a small yet genuine smile. "Of course I do. And my family would be glad to have you, heck they'd probably try to make some kind of celebration out of it. Just avoid my dad, he can be a little crazy most the time, even if it's harmless."

Kyoka Suigetsu hugged him again, feeling rush of elation sweep through her. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Ichigo returned the embrace. "You're welcome Kyoka."

So, did you like it? I don't really feel as though I'm very good at writing emotional scenes, but if you guys had fun reading this then that's good enough for me. The next chapter will be featuring someone who I don't think many of you will have seen coming. Who is it? Wait till next week to find out!