An AU set during the Shattered Shaft. In this Ichigo meets both Zangetsu and Juha Bach and achieves his souls true form, along with a few new ones as well. Forms from Bleach: Brave Souls will be used since I don't really see that many of those around this site. Those are some cool forms Ichigo has in that game. Major canon divergent, character bashing, conspiracy, OOC's, OP Ichigo, powerful Uryu, Chad and Orihime.

"Zangetsu talking"

"Juha Bach talking"

"Techniques used"

'Thinking'

Kisuke's underground training area, 2 days after Rukia's departure

Ichigo stood in his soul form panting and sweating heavily. The 'training' to get his soul reaper powers back had been hellish for the teen as he was just running away from this crazy little girl all day. Sure, he tried to at least put up a fight, but it was difficult to do so when his punches barely did any real damage to her as is. All he really could do was run around as Urahara and the other two just watched and laughed at his misery. Really making him question if most people who deal with the afterlife were all just a dick in general. It really made Ichigo question just what the point of all this was just to get his powers back. Wasn't there a simpler way than this? It just seemed like their own amusement at his expense at this point. Once again making him believe the shop keeper was just a dick.

This lasted for over an hour before Urahara decided to put a stop to it. Ichigo was grateful for that as he was practically dead on his feet at this point. Hunched over with his hands on his knees and taking long breaths, Ichigo barely heard what the mysterious shop keeper was saying to him. All he did hear was 'next stage' and to 'be ready' before Jinta, the red headed boy that worked the shop, used a large cleaver to cut Ichigo's chain of fate in half. Ichigo was about to protest that the man who ordered this was crazy, until he felt his arms forcefully pulled back and tied together. He was then brought to his knees as Tessai, that large and muscular man that worked for Urahara, sat cross legged on his back. The heavy weight of the man knocked the wind out of Ichigo for a moment before he hears a loud tap not too far away from him. When he looked up, all he saw was Urahara smirking behind his fan, cane in his other hand, as he wished him luck. Suddenly, the ground just vanished from under him and the two fell down the hole. While Ichigo screamed bloody murder, Tessai was the epitome of calm as they fell. It was a rather long fall down as Ichigo continued to scream for his life at his current predicament. Just how far down it was, was a total mystery to the teen, but eventually they did hit the bottom. If Tessai's large weight landing on him initially was bad, this was just worse. Ichigo could feel his chest, lungs and sternum along with his spine nearly all breaking from the fall as he now laid there in pain, chain of fate not too far away from him. Tessai stood up, not really being too careful with the teen soul below him and walked over to the wall to sit once more. Ichigo groaned and coughed to get much needed air into his lungs just to ensure that they work properly before sitting up on his knees.

"The next part of your training is rather simple Ichigo." Urahara spoke from high above, causing Ichigo to struggle to lift his head. "All you have to do is make it back up here before your chain of fate devours itself."

Ichigo looked down to his chain and noticed that he had about two or three meters leaving his chest. He sighed in slight relief that he at least had time, that is until the cut off end began devouring itself. He was about to panic and scream for help, but right as he was going to, the chains stopped. Ichigo felt a sense of relief once more wash over him as he stood up fully, popping a few muscles in the process.

"So", Ichigo started as he tried to pull his arms apart to no avail. "What happens if I can't get out of here in time?" He looked up at Urahara and was rather shocked to see the serious expression on Urahara's face. This was vastly different than what the shop keeper had displayed before. The usual jovial and childlike behavior he had always shown was gone now, and Ichigo could tell that this was much more serious than before.

"If you don't get out of there in time before your chain of fate consumes itself," he started while looking down on Ichigo, eyes hardened, "then you'll turn into a hollow, and we'll have no choice but to kill you."

Both the children had different reactions to hearing this. Ururu, the girl from earlier, looked almost impassive to the potential of having to kill the teen. Jinta looked almost amused at the prospect of killing the teen. How could children think this way, Ichigo had no clue, yet he figured it had to do with being around this man.

Ichigo went wide eyed at this bit of information, not wanting the literal worst-case scenario to happen to him when he was apparently so close to getting his powers back. Not wanting to waste any time, Ichigo would start his journey as he was determined to reach the top before turning into one of those monsters.

Hours later

There was only about a foot and a half of chain left after Ichigo's initial struggle and he was nowhere closer to escaping nor retaining his powers. All he could do was try and fail and try and fail some more. The constant jeering and insults from those above did little to help his resolve as they were neither helpful nor supportive. Was this all just some sick game to them? Was his struggle just some form of twisted amusement to them? What good was he to anybody if he was turned into a damned hollow? Was this Urahara's whole plan to begin with? Why else would some random shop keeper who just so happens to know about soul reapers and hollows and souls just so happen to be in the area where Ichigo was defeated? Why would he want to help Ichigo save Rukia in the first place? What exactly did he want out of all of this? None of this made any sense to the teen lying flat on his back right now.

It had been who knows how long to Ichigo ever since he started his many, many attempts to get out of this shaft as Jinta put it. It was odd to the teen. Every time his chain would eat more and more of itself, Ichigo kept getting weaker and weaker. It was to the point where even standing up was taking too much effort to do. The odd part though, with every link devoured, Ichigo's senses were beginning to wane. First it was taste as the dirt and the small amount of blood in his mouth held nothing to them. Then there was his hearing as everything was starting to become muffled, like he was underwater. After that was touch as he couldn't even feel any of the pain after falling anymore. Later was smell which was a relief as those kids would sometimes start dumping some garbage just to get a rise out of him. Last was his sight as everything became a blur to him.

To Urahara, this was strange. He had heard of souls experiencing different form of transformation to hollows before, but none have ever lost their senses before. This would require some investigation from the man. If this boy were to change into a hollow, then many of their plans would be compromised for who knows how long. He hoped that fate was on his side that Ichigo would figure it all out and regain his powers soon.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" It seems that fate had other ideas in mind for the orange haired teen.

Ichigo's scream was ear piercing as he felt the chains on his chest savagely eat at itself with reckless abandonment. The pain he was experiencing was unlike anything he had ever felt in his entire life. He writhed and thrashed on the ground fiercely, gaining Tessai' caution in the process as the pain continued. It felt as if his body was trying to tear itself apart and put itself back together. It was excruciating for Ichigo as his chain finally ate itself whole. Right as that happened, the pain stopped and Ichigo went limp onto the ground, unconscious. Tessai was at the ready as was Urahara as he gripped his cane tightly. The two men were ready for Ichigo's transformation and to hold him back, if need be, yet nothing happened.

The shop keeper raised a brow as he looked down at the teen on the ground. Why wasn't he transforming? Surely all of that shrieking meant that the process was already underway right? If it was, then why wasn't Ichigo changing? Where was that white substance that would form the mask of a hollow on a soul? What was going on down there and inside that head of Ichigo's? Whatever it was, hopefully it would be a boon to the shop keeper and not a curse.

Unknown area

Ichigo awoke and found that his surroundings were drastically different now. Sitting up, he realized the bindings holding his arms back were gone as was the hole in his chest. Ichigo felt for it as he was sure he felt his chain break apart just a moment ago when he was back down that shaft. Speaking of Ichigo looked around and saw that he was no longer down that shaft. As a matter of fact, he was sitting on top of a skyscraper of sorts. Well, actually, on the side of the skyscraper to be more precise. Ichigo had no clue just how he got here or where here even was, but all he did know was that he needed to find some way to get his powers back, fast. Who knows just what's happening to him now?

"Well, well, well." An odd voice spoke from the far side, catching Ichigo's attention. It was soft-like, almost quiet and frail. "Finally got you here all to myself, King."

Ichigo looked at the individual in front of him and was taken aback by just who, or more precisely, what he was looking at. It was a figure clad in an all white soul reaper outfit of sorts. The hakama was torn at the edges as if it was cut up with something sharp. The shihakusho was longer and slimmer than the normal one Ichigo had before as it clung closely to the figures too slim form. The sleeves were tattered and entire pieces were missing, showing pale white skin underneath and some sort of black markings. There was a longer part down the back that touched the ground and followed the figure. His hair was stark white with black stains around it and flowed down to his bare feet. Ichigo looked at this disheveled and pale figure and was caught off guard when seeing his face. Aside from yellow eyes resting in a pool of black that seemed to flow from his sockets like dark tears, his face was the exact same as Ichigo's. The grin on his face showed off his dark teeth as he looked down at the still seated Ichigo and walked forward with a slight limp.

"Bout damn time I got through to you and you finally got back here, King." He spoke with a slight shudder in his tone as he continued to limp over towards the stunned teen. Seeing Ichigo looking at him like a total stranger caused him to lose his grin for a moment and ask in a shaky voice. "You don't even remember me. Of course, you don't." He stopped moving and lowered his head. "Of course, they wouldn't want you to." He muttered to himself right before he lost the strength in his legs and began to fall forward.

Ichigo, without a moments hesitation, ran over and caught him before he could fall. "H-hey!" Ichigo spoke, worried for this individual. "What's wrong?! Are you okay?!"

Just then, the skyscrapers all around him in this strange place began to crumble and fall all around him. Ichigo looked around, frantic as the world around him began to fall apart. The pale figure shifted his position in Ichigo's grip to look on in horror as the world was indeed crumbling all around them. Using what little strength he had, the figure reached up with both hands to hold Ichigo's gaze towards his.

"Ichigo," he started with his weakened tone. "You have to find your power to save us."

"H-how do I do that?" Ichigo stuttered out and began to see the figure begin to break down and crumble like the skyscrapers around them. "Whoa! What's going on?!" Ichigo panicked as the figure simply smiled up to him.

"Find your power Ichigo, and do not trust Urahara." He was nearly gone before seeing Ichigo look to him with a raised brow. "I'll see ya when you remember my name King."

Just like that, the figure vanished along with the rest of the skyscrapers around Ichigo. The teen began to fall in the dark abyss as the world around him began to fade to nothingness. He wanted to scream, to let all of his frustrations and anger at everything that has happened to him in the past month explode in a roar of rage, yet he couldn't bring himself to do that. His thoughts were too focused on what that pale doppelganger of himself told him. What did he mean by not trusting Urahara, and who exactly were 'they' that he mentioned earlier? Those questions were about to plague the young teens mind until he also remembered he needed to find his powers in order to save himself. But how? Try as he might, all Ichigo could see in this darkness were the remains of the skyscrapers falling down and turning into white boxes.

Boxes.

'Why are they boxes?' He thought to himself until a sudden thought hit him hard. 'Wait a minute!' He then realized. "Boxes are usually holding things within them. Like those soul ribbons Uryu pointed out to me!"

And just like that, multiple white soul ribbons sprang out from each of the hundreds of boxes around the teen. Each one a pristine and untouched stark white, exquisite to the touch in a way and unstained, but that wasn't Ichigo. That wasn't his power. He was not pristine and untouched, he was a fighter, a warrior, and a protector. That is the type of person he is and that is the type of power he possesses. Ichigo looked around until he saw the one ribbon completely different from the rest. A red ribbon. As if he was swimming through a vast sea of white and black. Ichigo moved as fast and as hard as he could towards that one color. He was only an arm's length away from it when he suddenly felt something wrap around his ankle. Looking back, he saw a hand coming from out of the darkness. It was an oily black arm that began pulling Ichigo back towards it. Ichigo struggled as the red ribbon seemed to move further away from him. The pull of the arm on his ankle was strong and determined to stop him from regaining his powers, but Ichigo was a stubborn teen, determined to do what he must. Using all the strength he could muster into himself, Ichigo dragged himself along the white ribbons and boxes, forcing his body to move towards the red ribbon. The arm continued to pull harder and harder with each forward motion Ichigo took. The darkness around Ichigo turned the same kind of oily black as the arm did and multiple arms from every direction grabbed hold of Ichigo wherever they could.

"AHHH!" He screamed in agony as several hands dug deep into his flesh, tearing into his skin, muscles and even bone in order to stop him from moving forward.

Blood seeped from Ichigo's body all over him as the oily fingers continued to dig and tear into his flesh, keeping him in place. Ichigo struggled and struggled with all of his might, but it was all in vain. His body refused to move an inch forward, let alone several meters to the red ribbon. As the box containing his powers drifted away from him, Ichigo fell to his knees in sheer agony as the hands and arms kept him in place, holding him tightly now and forcing his arms behind his back. It was similar to the way he was back in that shaft Urahara forced him down into.

"No." Ichigo spoke in a hoarse voice as a hand had grabbed onto his neck tightly. He watched the boxes vanish and the red ribbon break apart all together before its box also vanished like the rest.

All Ichigo could do right then and there was sit and watch before succumbing to despair. Whatever these arms were, whoever put them here did not want Ichigo to regain his powers. But why though? Wasn't the whole point of this to become strong once again? To be able to have the power to save Rukia from an unjust execution? To protect those he cared about? His friends? His father? His sisters? Everyone he cared about deeply from the monsters that would do them harm? Ichigo felt something he hadn't felt in a long time thinking about his failure to regain his power.

Fear.

The same fear that he felt so long ago when he tried and failed to save that girl on the riverbank. And the same fear that he felt when he awoke to find his mother laying dead on his nine year old body. He failed to save her. To protect her as he had promised when he was a child. It may have been the words of a kid, but it meant everything to him once he said those words to her. He failed her, and now because of these arms, he failed Rukia. She would die now because once again, he couldn't keep his promise to protect her either.

"Ichigo." A faint voice spoke from so high above that Ichigo could barely hear it. "Ichigo. Ichigo!" It became progressively louder causing Ichigo to use what little strength and will power he had to force his head to look up.

A dark figure was falling down towards him. This one was different than the first figure earlier. Instead of a torn, white version of a soul reapers outfit, he wore a long midnight black cloak with a hood over his head and covering his eyes. He wore dark boots of some kind and had his arm drawn back, almost like he was firing something. Ichigo narrowed his eyes to get a better look through the blood and the darkness his eyes weren't adjusted to and saw that this figure had what looked like a dark bow.

"This is all I can do for you Ichigo!" He shouted from above as he fired an arrow made of pure darkness and shrouded in a blue energy. The arrow was large, larger than any arrow Ichigo had ever seen in his life, and it struck far behind the teen. Once it did, a large explosion occurred behind Ichigo and the hand and arms let him go. Ichigo turned his head slightly, still in much pain and saw what looked like a large puppet of some kind with stitches coming down its face. It was covered in the oily black substance and now had a large chunk of its head missing from the explosive arrow. Though it began to slowly regenerate and shrieked before sending more arms back towards Ichigo. The teen prepared himself for more pain, but it never came. At the last second, the figure with the bow landed in front of Ichigo and took every hit from the arms as they pierced into his body. Instead of blood though, blue particles came of out of his body and went straight towards Ichigo, landing on the injured teen. Before he knew it, his wounds began to heal, his muscles reattached, and his bones mended just enough for him to move, albeit sluggishly. "I-Ichigo!" The figure grunted out as more arms penetrated his body, yet he held his ground. "Find your power! GO!" The figure stomped his foot down onto the darkness and shattered everything around them.

Ichigo was now standing on solid ground as light began to fill a pathway for him. Down that pathway, was the box and its red ribbon. Ichigo widened his eyes as the ribbon was barely more than a few inches long now and slowly disappearing, but the words of both figures rang in his head. The fear that permeated his mind was slowly being replaced with hope and that was enough to drag himself up and limp as fast as he could toward the box. While those blue particles were enough to get him back on his feet, they weren't enough to fully heal his body yet. Ichigo limped on though, ignoring the pain as best as he could and wiping blood from his eyes to see ahead. The light on the path was beginning to fade as the puppet had enough of the figure getting in its way. With a mighty shriek once its head was fully regenerated, it threw the figure into the darkness before rushing towards Ichigo in desperate panic. It threw its arms towards the teen, hoping to once again subdue him and let the power fade away completely. It nearly reached Ichigo and would have too, if two hands hadn't grabbed it from behind and pulled with all their might. The puppet turned its head to see the midnight dark figure and the skinny, pale arms of the first figure holding onto it, nearly regenerated completely, and keeping it in place.

Ichigo didn't even look back as the light on the path began to brighten, filling him with the energy he needed to sprint as fast as he could toward the box and ribbon. The look of both pain and determination marred his face as with one last desperate leap, he grabbed at the few inches of the red ribbon left and pulled as hard as he could. The box opened with no effort to reveal a handle of sorts to a sword. Not wanting to stop even for a second, Ichigo reached in and grabbed the handle, pulling with all his might as the light from before was completely illuminating the entire area. He pulled the sword out and felt the rush of energy that came with it, feeling his body heal completely as he stood up and turned towards the puppet. Gritting his teeth in anger and finally realizing just where he truly was, Ichigo held the glowing blade high above his head, its light stopping the puppets movements as the two figures moved away from what was coming.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SOUL!"

And with those words, Ichigo brought the sword down, sending a golden beam of energy straight towards the puppet. The light pierced into it, causing the oily black substance to illuminate around itself. It shrieked as it tried and failed to get away from the light right before it encapsulated its head. With its shrieking silent, the puppet exploded in a shower of light so magnificent that both figures had to avert their gaze away. Once the light had died down, the skyscrapers had begun to reform themselves all around the three. The two figures looked on in awe as the world they had been inhabiting for a time had finally shown signs of real life now. Ichigo panted for a moment before fading away slowly first with his feet. He saw what was happening to him, yet he did not panic. Something about this felt right to him. Ichigo looked to the two figures and saw the darker one being held up by the arm by his pale doppelganger. Despite the darker one's eye's being hidden by his hood; his smile was ever present and gave Ichigo's body warmth in a way. The pale one grinned to him and nodded almost as if telling Ichigo that everything would be okay now. Ichigo smiled back at them as he completely faded away.

"So," the pale one started just as Ichigo left, "do ya think this time we'll be able to become whole?"

The darker figure chuckled under his breath and tried to stand up straight. The 'wounds' in his body were healing slowly. "I don't know. I hope so. Ichigo will need all the help he can get." He turned his hooded visage to the pale one. "There'll be no time for infighting. Ichigo needs us all on the same page for what is to come."

"Yeah. He will."

Chapter end.