A/N: Next one!

Disclaimer: Bleach is not of my property.

#23#

At first he thought he had imagined it. The final Getsuga Tenshou was supposed to deplete all his reiatsu, leaving him powerless and unable to reach his Shinigami powers. It was a price he had been prepared to pay, and even now, he really doesn't regret it.

Now, months after that faithful showdown, everything is seemingly back to normal. He has just started his second year at high school and all his friends and family are safe and happy now that the threat is over. Since he doesn't have to go chasing after hollows either, he has time to catch up on his studies and so in no time he is top of the year once more. Uryuu seems to take offence when the mock midterm's exam results are posted, and Ichigo is certain that the Quincy is going to study like crazy for the sole purpose of never losing to him again. When the actual midterms come in, they tie for first and the resigned huff Uryuu makes when they see this means that he'll acquiesce to share the position for now, but Ichigo knows that the moment he slips, Uryuu will destroy him.

It's something to look forward to.

Everything seems and becomes so normal it's boring. One day Ichigo is lying down in the park, a book in one hand and the other lazily pulling at the grass when it happens. He's mildly focusing on his latest literature when he hears an eerie and familiar cackle. The hairs on his arms stand, and he instantly jumps to his feet, eyes searching and franticly looking for the source of the noise when he notes that no one is there. It's unnerving, that cackle is reminiscent to the one his inner hollow likes to do, but he obviously doesn't have an inner hollow anymore so where did the sound come from?

He never finds out, so he files it as an act of his overactive imagination and tries to forget.

He doesn't.

Next time he's eating dinner with his family. Goat-face is being his usual annoying self, Karin is putting the man down with well-placed jabs under the table and sharp words while Yuzu tries to mediate between the two. This is nothing abnormal, and really, it's pretty much routine for their meals so Ichigo isn't overly worried and is only observing the alteration over the brim of his rice bowl.

When Goat-face looks a second away from throwing himself at Mom's poster and Karin looks half a second away from throwing the man through the wall, Ichigo sighs in resignation and opens his mouth to stop the inevitable when he hears a soft whisper that he really shouldn't have heard with all the noise at the table.

"Ichigo…"

He sucks in a startled breath and starts choking on his rice. The rest of the family instantly settles down and Yuzu is frantic in her worry while Karin shoves a glass of water in his general direction. Goat-face fusses for the next five minutes even though Ichigo has stopped coughing a lung out, and by the time he's in his room and settling down to start his homework, his heart is still making a frantic tattoo in his chest and his hands have yet to stop shaking.

That had been the Old man's voice, he was sure of it. But even now, with two incidents happening one after the other, Ichigo still questions if he is imagining things or if these are real.

It says something of his life, that if the crazy voices in his head are real, it's not an indicator that he should go look for a psychologist.

When he goes to bed that night, his thoughts are too loud in the empty night and he ends up staring at the ceiling for two hours before he gives up and climbs out his window to the roof and decides to stare at the stars instead –it's definitely a better sight.

As the days progress he starts to hear the voices more often, and while one part of him is itching to ask someone in case he is really going mad, another part of him doubts and questions and can't help but feel hopeful that his connection to his inner world is slowly but certainly repairing itself.

He's given himself a time limit though. If by the time school breaks for winter he hasn't made contact he will reach out to someone. A part of him can't help but stop to think, whether someone should have sensed his reiatsu by now if he really was regaining his lost powers.

It's a week before his self-established due date when it happens. He's having another one of those sleepless nights lying on the roof of the house when, between one breath and the next, he feels two bodies materializing on each side. He doesn't tense though. Doesn't jump in shock or bolt upright or any other variation of shock. He just takes a deep breath and feels a reluctant smile quirk the edge of his mouth.

"Welcome back." He whisper to them as if they couldn't understand and hear every emotion he will ever feel or say.

"We're back." They both answer because they know and feel all his thoughts and emotions and understand that he needs to say it outload to believe it.

So they –he returns.

As the days progress the three begin to merge once again. When he had mastered the Final Getsuga Tenshou, it had all been about becoming Getsuga- becoming his Zanpaktou- mastering himself. He hadn't really understood it at the time, he had been too busy trying to defeat master mind megalomaniacs at the time, but now, with every day passing and nothing really interesting to take his time he starts to understand and process everything.

His inner hollow really had never been only his inner hollow, and the Old man –Zangetsu his heart supplies easily even when he was barley understanding how his knowledge had seemingly done a one eighty flip- was the representation of his Quincy side. They were all a part of his power, a part of who he was, and so as time flew he started to assimilate all their knowledge as his own and started to understand even more who he was and who he needed to be.

Outwardly he really didn't change, but Ichigo was certain that if he stepped out his body he would be changed. He didn't need to though. His reiatsu was completely and utter indistinguishable to pretty much anyone and everyone who could have known what to look for and so hollows did not swarm him, and his friends did not question him either.

He wonders if he should let them know that his powers are back. But he really doesn't see much of a point in it, and when he occasionally crosses a spirit he easily Konsos them with a mere thought. He is a Zanpaktou, his Zanpaktou, he is who he is and so they are he and he are they and… it can get confusing, so he- they don't like to think too hard on it.

When he assimilates the prophecy of the Quincy King he pauses in mild terror at finally understanding what happened to his mother all those years ago while simultaneously freaks out at the attack –war, it will be war- that will surely come when the King comes a knocking.

That thought soon disappears though, because while it may sound cocky and like he's too full of himself, he also understands on some level, that the King will not –cannot pose a threat to him when he has transcended.

Months continue to go by, and little by little he also starts seeing a silhouette over Goat-face's shoulder as if a blurry ghost were following the man. But Ichigo is certain that it's not a ghost, he can see those more than fine on his own, and so he wonders and wonders until one day the silhouette gains shape and color and definition. One look at the man wearing a knight-like armor with fire seemingly pouring out of every crevice and he realizes that he is now seeing other Zanpaktou spirit- the other half of the coin he now is.

At first Engetsu doesn't realize that he can see him, but when one day he finds Ichigo staring and stares back, well it's not that hard to signal the spirit to follow him up the stairs where they can speak in private.

Engetsu is calm and composed, the complete and utter opposite of the person Isshin usually portrays himself as. But when Ichigo stops to think about that day with Aizen and remembers how Isshin had acted and behaved well, Ichigo can now see the similarity.

Somewhat.

If he squints.

When Ichigo asks if he will keep it a secret from Goat-face, Ichigo only has to give the spirit a pointed look and pleading eyes for Engetsu to agree. While Ichigo doesn't think Engetsu will lie to Isshin, Ichigo also thinks Engetsu won't mention it unless he desperately needs to.

They day Ywach descends upon them, Ichigo knows right away. It would have been a normal and otherwise un-noteworthy day if it weren't for the Quincy stalking his moves and attacks the moment he realizes Ichigo knows he is there.

He dodges and tries to bring the fight away from the city and ends up looking like he is fleeing. With all the racket, Uryuu, Orihime and Chad easily find him and try to protect him, but once they are out of the town, Ichigo discards his human flesh between one step and the other before seeming to transport himself into the Quincy's range.

Ichigo enjoys the way the Quincy's eyes widen in shock before reaching out a hand and brushing against the attacker with the barest of contact. The man's breathe hitches, and before he can even open his mouth to scream, he disintegrates amidst the searing pressure of Ichigo's power.

While it is true that no one can really feel- comprehend his reiatsu, Ichigo can definitely use it's vastness to affect people if he wills it. When he turns to give his friends a smirk, all three are looking at him in different degrees of shock plastered on their faces. Ichigo's grin widens, and as he puts a hand on his hip and cocks his head cockily, he can't help but relish in being out of his cage- his body.

As he is now, he's maybe two or three inches taller. His hair is as long as it was when he used Mugetsu way back then, but not black and still orange. While his shihakusho looks like it's made of black flames again, he is wearing top and bottom. His eyes are red. He can't see his face, but he knows they are, and his left arm is black with spiraling color crawling up his shoulder and towards his torso like a living tattoo. From where his collar can be seen, there is a Quincy cross seemingly embedded itself smack in the middle, pulsing with blue energy in slow intervals and sucking in ambient reishi in a way that is not noticeable to anyone but Ichigo.

He knows he cuts an impressive picture, and while his friends will definitely have questions, Ichigo easily cuts them off with raised hands and calm words.

"I need to get to Soul Society." He tells them in a matter of fact tone. "The Quincy King is getting ready to appear and I will have to be there."

While Chad and Orihime really don't know what he is talking about, Uryuu pales and looks about five seconds from fainting as he gives Ichigo an incredulous stare.

"I don't have time to explain right now, but if you decide to come, I can fill you in on the way." They don't even stop to think about it, only nod and trek alongside him on his way to Urahara's shop. When he gets there, the man is more than a little shocked to see him standing there and obviously out of his body. Ichigo easily tells him they need a Senkaimon and adds him into the explanations so as to move along as quickly as possible.

The man tries to hide his expression as best as he can, and while Ichigo knows that Urahara is surprised at how he regained his powers, he is very crafty and is committed to not be caught unawares again.

By the time he finishes his story they are all on their way to Soul Society and all Ichigo has the time to do is breath before they step into a war zone not unlike the one from two years ago.

People are surprised to see Ichigo, but no one stops to question him, and more often than not, they are just so happy to see more help that they shrug it off and fall into battle with fervor.

When Ywach comes into the battlefield, it is not Yamamoto that meets him head on, though he is also there and keen to take on the enemy. No, it's Ichigo at his most powerful as a human, a Shinigami, a Zanpaktou, a Quincy and Hollow –really he's none of those things, but he really is at the same time. He takes a step forward and his determination must show because no one stops him and Ywach only furrows his brows before shifting his attention to Ichigo.

Ywach doesn't stand a chance, and it is only then, that everyone else seems to understand what it means to be a transcendent being as they stare at Ichigo over powering the enemy and making the feared man gasp and flay under the power no one else can feel.

As Ichigo is now, with fire burning in his eyes, he can make kingdoms fall and monsters wish they had never been born.

For that was the thing about him, he kept on surviving, whether being cleaved in half, holes in his lungs, scars on his back, dying, reviving, having his soul teared apart and together again, he never let anything get in his way –resilient, a fighter, not by choice, but a warrior at heart.

Not to be continued…