To Undo it All

by Grimlock Bragi

After the Blood War, nothing was left. Yhwach was dead, but Ichigo failed to get strong enough fast enough to protect those he cared about. In desperation, Kisuke created a way for Ichigo to have a second chance to save everyone. To Undo it All. Time Travel fic! Now Cross-Posted on AO3!

18. Road to Recovery

When I left the Senkaimon, I froze. I had been mentally preparing the whole walk over, but it had been reduced to crap the moment I was there. Zangetsu wasn't trying to pry me out of it, whether because they were just as stunned or because they thought I needed a moment to take it in, I couldn't know.

It was…almost frightening. Disorienting, absolutely, and it was a little hard to get myself to breathe. We had appeared on a hill overlooking Karakura, and I had a wonderful view of everything completely undamaged. I could see the warehouse district, and I couldn't find the shattered roads, or the remnants of buildings, or the scars from Kido that had confused the normal residents of Karakura while they still were alive. I could see several of the bridges over the river, many of which I knew so absolutely were in pieces. The commercial district, with a mall being built that I had spent hours within alongside my friends during the early days of the Winter War. Strip malls that were no longer shallow canyons, grocery markets that weren't littered with craters, a furniture store I only remembered because Tatsuki had been inside when Sternritters attacked wasn't a smoking wreck. A park Yuzu loved to feed ducks in was filled with dogs and their owners instead of being a mass grave. The field Karin played soccer in was no longer so stained with blood that the dirt turned red. The hospital Ryuken worked at was alight and not in pieces from a Licht Regen.

Sternritter E had been tasked to destroy my house to bring down my morale and had nuked the entire housing district instead of spending the time to search for it. No evidence of that was present before me. I saw the top floor of the apartment complex Orihime lived in. There was a building in the way from spotting the studio Chad was holed up in. Uryu's mansion was barely seen among the trees.

Karakura High was no longer split in two. Deep gouges weren't littering the grounds. The middle school Yuzu and Karin wasn't in my view, but I caught glimpses of people leaving work and/or school nearby where it was. A hand rested on my shoulder, but I couldn't drag my eyes from raking over the town that was in pieces in my mind.

"Ichi-kun?" Yoruichi asked softly, gently. "Are you okay?" I couldn't even open my mouth for a long moment. When I did, I wasn't even sure if I tried to speak for the first few seconds. My breath caught in my throat, and something that barely could be described as a sound came out slowly, haltingly.

"…Th-" I finally managed to form. "That building. The-the one…the tall one, by…by the high school." I had to stop to force myself to breathe. "I don't…It's-it's been so long…since it's been in one piece. I…I forgot what it looked like." Silence rang after I finished speaking. I was so out of it that I couldn't decipher why they were so quiet. A hand slipped into mine. I was so dazed that I couldn't even tell which, or from who.

"Come." Unohana's voice. It was so soothing, and gentle. It allowed me to realize the sky was blue, without the dark clouds of smoke that perpetually hung over the town from the sheer destruction. I was being tugged forward, down the hill I just remembered we were standing on. The grass was green, and vibrant. As I stumbled forward, I felt the blades brush against my feet, making my socks a little damp. I couldn't properly control my body, my attention being caught on the fact that the devastation I had given up trying to fix was just gone. The buildings and structures that I had spent the months between the end of the Blood War and Kisuke suggesting time travel trying to rebuild, were in their original condition. The roads that were coming into view, they were smooth again, no longer blown apart and shattered beyond the point of fixing. A few children were playing soccer while using trash cans as goal posts in the middle of a side street. Cars, unblemished by blood, reiatsu, and damage from war, dotted the sides of the road.

It was all so…I couldn't even think of a word until the Orihime-sounding voice in my head said unburdened. Karakura was so unburdened that I was lightheaded from my mind disagreeing so vehemently with what I was seeing.

Where were the distant rumbles of half-destroyed buildings finally collapsing into themselves after years of struggling to remain standing?

Where were the corpses strewn about the city, embedded in the ground or flattened against a wall?

Where was the harsh, inescapable scent of smoke from the heavy destruction of the town?

What happened to the darkness of the sky, a result of the untold amount of smoke, debris, blood, and leftover reiatsu from horrific battles?

The wire fences we passed were no longer warped and melted. The vendors pushing cards of food weren't obliterated from unknowingly getting too close to a battle. Gang members and wannabes weren't prowling around, lying to people that they could protect them from the invisible threats for money.

I could overhear people complaining about bills through my enhanced senses. I could see a trio of friends eating lunch together. My nose stung from the scents of multiple restaurants mixing. A couple was sitting on a porch, listening to music through a shared pair of earbuds. A group of kids were making paper airplanes and competitively seeing who could make one the fastest. A mother was fighting with her child to get them to eat carrots. Someone was yelling nonsense at a game.

It was so lively, so much like it was so long ago, that my heart clenched. The voices were yelling at me, saying that this couldn't be real. No way it could be, after the Hell of the Blood War. But I was able to argue against them, because Kisuke was insane enough to think of time travel, smart enough to make it real, and I was stubborn enough to do it. Because if this was all fake, I wouldn't be stressing out trying to figure out how to win without losing anybody. Because if it was all fake, I wouldn't be in this much shock seeing everything the way it was supposed to be. They couldn't keep up with my confidence and were suffocated by my certainty.

"…Ichigo?" My feet stopped. My eyes widened, and my entire body tensed with emotion. Please. My sight refocused, and Unohana and Yoruichi were in front of me, slightly confused and equally shocked. I twitched to the left. Instead of smoothly twisting my neck to face the direction I wanted, my head turned in short bursts, inches at a time. I was so unsure that the voice I heard was real, but it was such a real possibility. Because I had time traveled. Because she wasn't dead anymore. Because the confusion of seeing me in my Shinigami garb for the first time was unmistakable in her voice. It took an agonizingly long time, one filled with doubt, but I eventually turned my head enough to shift my gaze and see Tatsuki blinking at me, dressed in the Karakura High uniform.

Once I did, my entire body snapped around to face her fully, but my emotions hit me like a tidal wave, threatening every second to pull me under. I couldn't do anything other than stare with my mouth hanging open. Even seeing it with my eyes, I couldn't force myself to believe it completely. In my weaker moments and inside my nightmares, I would see the people I had lost, and nothing I could do could remove the doubt that this was one of those times. Her mouth moved, but I couldn't hear anything. I don't know if it was because of the static that had filled my ears, or the unrelenting flood of emotions crashing into me, or what, but no sound came to me. I traced her hair with my eyes as I remembered that she kept it short until our last year of high school. Her hands were bare of her gloves, and I was slapped upside the head by the recollection that she got them as a graduation gift from Orihime. She was significantly shorter than I remembered, but that was probably affected by my increase in height. Her eyes were twitching. She was a lot closer than she was a moment ago, and her finger thrust into my chest.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?!" My breath hitched. "What's with the whacky-ass clothes? And who are the women-!" I cut her off by rushing forward and wrapping my arms around her. My head hung down and my eyes shut tightly, and I had to consciously keep from squeezing her too tight. She tried to speak, but her voice was muffled by my shihakusho. She wiggled in my grip, but nothing short of ripping my arms off would've gotten me to let go of her right now. She did manage to twist her head to free her mouth, though. "What the hell, carrot top?! Why are you hugging me so tight?" She seemed to want to rain more questions down on me, but she stopped when I trembled. My left leg began to grow weak, and I shifted my weight to my right to keep from tumbling to my knees.

"…What happened to you?" Her voice was softer, more cautious and slightly emotional.

"Too much." I wasn't the one that opened my mouth, but luckily the constant rippling of Shiro's voice was faint enough that Tatsuki couldn't pick it up.

"What the hell could happen in a month?" She mumbled it, clearly to herself, but my hearing picked it up. Yoruichi stepped up to my right and clasped my shoulder in a supportive hold. The ex-captain analyzed my face for a moment before turning to my childhood friend.

"If you want answers, ask Orihime. It's too hard for Ichigo to explain right now." The werecat spoke gently. "It's going to sound a little far-fetched, especially coming from her, but trust me that it's true." Unohana came up on my left, squeezing my bicep.

"She's not going to disappear." The medic whispered. "You don't need to fear losing her again." I couldn't feel anything other than Tatsuki's helpless confusion as my head dipped down an inch in some semblance of a nod. Unohana's hand slid up my arm towards the center of my back, probably purposely so that I was aware my nurse was there. I nodded again, my head bouncing a more noticeable amount as her words processed slowly. "You won't allow it, right?"

I nodded with more conviction. "It won't happen again, correct?" My head bounced, more force put into it as my eyes slowly opened. "There is nothing to worry about. She will be safe. You will protect her." At this point, my head was nodding nonstop as my grip loosened. "Nothing will stand in the way of that, isn't that right?" I paused, before nodding one last time, firmly and with determination as I released Tatsuki from my hold. I was still unsure of my ability to speak, but I no longer was afraid that I would blink and see her body mangled and covered in blood. The black belt took a step back, but only one. She was staying within easy reach if I for some reason needed to hug her again. Her eyes passed between the three of us with an indecipherable mix of emotions. Either I was that messed up right now that I couldn't tell, or it had been so long since I had last seen her that I couldn't make out what she was feeling. Unohana looked me over for a long moment before she turned to Tatsuki.

"You may go. Like Yoruichi-chan suggested, Inoue-san would be a good choice for learning of what occurred. Right now, Ichigo is in emotional shock. Having him explain why is much too difficult a feat as he is." The karate champion glanced suspiciously at my nurse for an uncomfortably long moment, but eventually relented while taking a second step back. I was stuck watching as my friend slowly turned around before journeying down the street towards Orihime's place. I swallowed the lump in my throat and opened my mouth.

"Two days." I croaked. The black belt looked over her shoulder at me, confusion covering her face. "I'll be back in school…in two days." I elaborated. The black-haired tomboy's eyebrows unfurrowed before she nodded and rounded the corner.

"Do you believe such a short time is wise?" The gentle medic asked.

"It…it'll help. A routine. Something familiar. My friends are there." I rushed the words. It was difficult to speak because of my overwhelming emotions, which was made harder from the anticipation of what was coming up. The First Kenpachi nodded in acceptance of the answer before each woman took one of my hands in theirs. It helped calm the hurricane tearing me apart from the inside out, if only a little bit. It was enough that I was no longer stumbling, at least.

The short interaction with Tatsuki only made taking in the environment worse, because it was now all I could focus on since it felt so much more real. Seeing her, being able to feel her presence and wrap my arms around her watered down the nauseating worry that it was all a dream or illusion. Which just made everything even more disorienting. The sense that this was reality had settled in deeper, and I was now halfway between crying and screaming. My head was feeling faint from the conflicting relief of everything being back to the way it was supposed to be, the fear of it all being destroyed again, the anger at myself for having let it get destroyed in the first place, and the rage at that fact that it was so difficult to accept that things were okay again.

"Breathe." I was ordered. I couldn't make out who said it, but I followed nonetheless. My left hand felt cold, but I forced through the daze I was in to look down at it. Unohana wasn't holding my hand anymore. I blinked. Where did she go? I looked over my surroundings, realizing we were now standing in the middle of a street somewhere in the housing district. We were facing a two-story home, surrounded by a low wall with an open gate. A sign was on the wall, obscured by a plaque that read 'Closed for Family Emergency' in fresh ink. Looking beyond it, I spotted Unohana at the front door of the home. I could see her mouth move as she spoke to whoever was inside, but I could barely get myself to hear my own heartbeat. Where were we?

I was startled by the sense of horrified shock I received from my zanpakuto, followed immediately by a powerful pulse of warmth that made me feel as if I was being hugged tightly. I couldn't help but remain silent as Unohana finished her conversation with whoever was inside and came over. She reclaimed my hand, only meeting my eyes for a moment before her own widened and she turned back to the house, an odd determination manifesting in her body language. She shared a glance with Yoruichi and the two pulled me forward towards the house.

Barely keeping myself from drowning in the madness that was my mind, I didn't resist as I was led into the home. As I stepped past the threshold, I automatically picked apart my surroundings. To my left, a black couch in the middle of the room, a brown coffee table in front of it with a large television standing atop an entertainment center across from that against the wall. There was a mildly worn-looking recliner next to the couch to complete the look. To my right, there was a dining table surrounded by chairs. Beyond that was a viewing window to a kitchen. Ahead was a staircase leading to the second floor, though I wasn't able to see beyond a certain point due to where I stood. I heard something and turned my head to the hallway leading to the right just past the dining area. My hands were squeezed gently by Unohana and Yoruichi, capturing my attention for just long enough that when I looked up, three people had emerged from the hallway.

Yuzu, Karin, and Dad.

My eyes widened as memories burned through my head. Of kicking Dad into the wall right next to the front door and sitting down to eat the breakfast made by Yuzu. Of lying on the couch, my sisters curled around me, both having fallen asleep watching a movie with me. Of Dad and Yuzu bursting into hopeful tears any and every time I brought a woman home. Of going into either the backyard or the street to practice soccer with Karin. Of spending my first paycheck from the Gotei 13 on a day out with my sisters, treating them to ice cream, dinner, a movie, and some gifts. Of seeing Yuzu's beaming smile and Karin's suppressed excitement on the morning of their first day at Karakura high. Of rushing back to the Living World to take care of a hollow alert that was too close to the house and finding Karin grinning in satisfaction as a hollow dissipated in front of her, the cartoonish pistol that was clearly from Urahara being held proudly in her hand. Of barreling out of the Garganta to a world enveloped in smoke and fire.

Karin was staring at me, her face covered in shock, relief, mild hurt and confusion. She was in a pair of jean shorts and a baseball shirt. Yuzu was looking around in confusion, though her gaze kept coming back to where I stood, squinting as if that would allow her to catch whatever she was supposed to be seeing. Her yellow sundress bounced as she looked animatedly around the room, clearly expecting some surprise. Dad couldn't remove his eyes from me, so shocked that he couldn't pull up the mask of the idiot goofball. His face screamed of horrified confusion, dread, shock and growing unease. Unlike Karin, Dad, in his black dress shirt and slacks, seemed to recognize that I was taller than I should've been. That I looked older in every way, that I carried myself differently, that there was something deeply wrong with what was in front of him.

But for the moment, I didn't care about any of that. I didn't need any of that. All I wanted, all I needed, was to hold them again. To grab them tight and never let go. To erase the last of the fear that I was just seeing things, that uncertainty that they really were back.

I tried to take a step towards them, the numbness filling my body be damned. As soon as my foot came down, I crashed down onto my knees. I tried to get back up, to continue making my way for them, but my legs refused to move. My arms lifted instead, spread out and begging for a hug. Karin got the message immediately, grabbing onto Yuzu's arm and rushing forward. As soon as they were close enough, my arms snapped around them and pulled them in, lifting them off their feet for the last couple steps as I clutched onto them desperately. Yuzu was the first one to hug me back, her awareness of my presence specifically being something my friends and I had joked about. Karin was a moment behind, her tomboyish facade only holding firm for an instant. They were warm. They were the first thing I was able to truly feel since I came back. I allowed my reiatsu to slip out towards Yuzu, sensing the traces of Quincy reiatsu within her eat the spiritual energy hungrily until I was sure she had enough to see me. I felt as much as heard the immediate gasp as Yuzu realized who she was hugging, and her arms wrapped even tighter around me. Not as tightly as I was holding them, but enough that I had to bury my face in the space between their shoulders as my tears began to form.

"Get in here, Dad." I pleaded. Not a moment later I felt the fabric of his shirt brush against the top of my head and his arms wrap around the three of us. It was then that the dam I had been building higher and higher, reinforcing more and more since coming back finally blew apart under the pressure. I sobbed, screaming out so roughly that I felt my vocal cords rip apart and heal.

It was pure relief, my family back in my arms, living and breathing and perfectly fine once again. Karin wasn't hiding a soft tremor from fighting hollows in my place while I was at war. Yuzu still exuded an aura of warmth, happiness, and hope. I could feel Dad's goofiness permeating the house, something I hadn't felt in a long time. The fabric of their clothes felt foreign on my skin, the roughness of the mass-produced cotton outfits being something I had forgotten. After going so long only knowing the feel of blood, stone, metal and robes, it was greatly welcomed. Their bodies were warm, the kind of warmth that couldn't be replicated that seeped through the skin and spread throughout the bones. The kind that kept going until it soothed the heart and mind. My tears burned at my eyes and my throat stung with every howl, but both kept pouring out. I held onto the three of them desperately, trying somehow to make up for all the years they were gone. Some small part of me trying to use the hug as an apology, for failing to keep them safe, for not dealing with Yhwach earlier, for not keeping better track of them. The tiniest sliver, a fragment that encompassed my self-hatred for falling so low, cried out for me to remove myself from the hold, that I didn't deserve their love for being the reason they died. But I was able to ignore that completely for once. I refused to let go. I had missed them all for so long, missed who they were for even longer, I wasn't going to let them out of my sight.

Even further, they weren't afraid. They weren't disgusted. They weren't judgmental, or uncomfortable. They had seen me and ran into my arms without hesitation. There was no hiding that I was not the Ichigo that they missed for a month, but they didn't care. There was no mistaking that something was wrong, that I was a shell of who I was the last time they saw me, but they were happy to see me regardless of what condition I was in. It only added another layer of tears, of relief that they hadn't lost faith in me.

Eventually, I managed to calm down. Or run out of tears. All I was sure of was that I had some semblance of ability to speak once more. And I had some important words to say. I shakily drew in a breath once more, squeezing one more time before loosening my hold. I didn't let go, but if any of them wanted to leave, they now could.

"Dad." I started. I could feel his body tense from the tone in my voice. He had never heard me speak like this, and it was obvious how much it unsettled him. "They're going to learn today." I stated, leaving no room for discussion. He tensed further. "It's up to you whose mouth that comes out of, but we're telling them everything."

I had respected, and even somewhat agreed with, Dad's decision to not talk about his past the first go around. I still was of the belief that Yuzu and Karin shouldn't be involved with the afterlife. But I had no control over that. Whether they wanted to be or not, they were part of it. To keep them uninformed would only hurt in the long run. A silence followed. From Yuzu and Karin, it was one of confusion. From Dad, it was one of concern.

"I-" he stumbled on my name for a second. "Ichigo, I have a-"

"I know what your reason is." I was sure even my sisters could hear his jaw snapping shut. "Were this any other situation, I would almost agree." I raised my head, just enough that I could meet his eyes. "But I have a reason for doing this." His eyes widened at whatever he saw in mine.

"…I can't." He dropped his gaze to the ground. I nodded; despite that he couldn't see it.

"Alright." I leaned back a little, keeping my arms around the three but shifting so that I could comfortably look down at my sisters. "Yuzu. Karin." They looked up at being called upon. I smiled sadly down at them.

"As much as I wish I could be the one to tell you everything, I need some more time to get my head on straight. Instead, Yoruichi and Unohana will tell you two everything, ok?" They both peeked over my shoulders at the women still standing slightly behind me. Yuzu was the first to look back at me.

"You'll still be here while they explain whatever is going on, right?" she asked. Karin snapped to stare at me at the question. I instantly hugged them tighter once more.

"Of course. I'll be right here the whole time." They visibly relaxed, Yuzu collapsing into me again while Karin tried and failed to look like she didn't want to be here. I lowered my arms to scoop them up as I stood, Yuzu gripping onto my shoulders when she realized she was being raised higher than she was used to. I looked Dad in the eyes and nodded my head over to the recliner before returning to him. He blinked at the gesture, stunned, before a soft smile floated onto his face and he made to take the seat. I lowered the twins onto the couch and straightened to slip out Zangetsu, resting the weapon atop the coffee table. It would do well for them to be able to see a zanpakuto. Manifesting Zangetsu, either one, was a bit much for them right now, sadly. Unohana walked around the couch to sit to the left of my sisters, Yuzu clearly in awe of the woman's mature aura. Karin, likewise, appeared distinctly approving of the way Yoruichi gripped onto the top of the couch and flipped herself over to sit on the other side of the Captain of the 4th, bouncing slightly as she landed on the cushion. I sat in the corner where the couch curved around and extended out, taking Yoruichi's open side. Unlike Yuzu and Karin, who seemed oblivious, I spotted Dad's dumbfounded blinking as his gaze flicked between myself and Yoruichi, who was snuggling into me.

"So, who are you guys?" Karin broke the ice, her gaze unmoving from Unohana and Yoruichi. "And, what's up with Ichigo's clothes? Or the swords?" The captain and the ex-captain exchanged a look, before they turned to look at my sisters.

"Well, in order to introduce ourselves, there are some thing's you'll need to know first." Unohana began. "As Karin-chan seems to already be aware, spirits are real…" The healer explained the three worlds, Hollows, Shinigami, and the Gotei 13 to my sisters, and I almost wanted to retroactively punch Rukia for how digestible and easier to accept Unohana's explanation was. Especially compared to the midget's shitty bunny scribbles. Once Unohana finished with explaining the standard stuff, Karin spoke up.

"At least that explains all the weird stuff that started going on the past few months, and why I sometimes saw Ichi-nii dressed in black robes holding a really big sword." I snorted softly at her deadpan. "But how did you become one in the first place? What's with the costume change, and the new sword?" She asked me directly. I cleared my throat in preparation.

"We'll get to that later. Now that you know that basics, it's time to let you two know about what Dad's been keeping from you." The man in question stiffened once more, but remained in his seat with his mouth shut.

"What…Dad's been keeping from us?" Yuzu asked, mild hurt dusting her tone.

"Don't." I immediately cut in, stopping whatever their reactions were going to be in their tracks. "Don't blame him for keeping this a secret from you. The things that go on with spirits, they're horrible. I'm not going to deny that, if I could, I wouldn't get you two involved either. But there's no way to keep you out of this, which is why I'm telling you now."

"And 'this' is?" Karin nearly demanded.

"Before he got married to Mom, Dad's name was Isshin Shiba. And he used to be the Captain of the 10th Division of the Gotei 13. And he's a member of one of the Four Great Noble Houses, the Shiba Clan." My sisters turned to face Dad. He was meek, pointedly looking away in some sort of shame. "I'm not done." They snapped back to me in surprise.

"I know we didn't say much about them, but you two can recall the Quincy, right?" The twins nodded. "Well, Mom was one. A pretty powerful one, too." Karin looked shocked, leaning back in her seat and just staring as she processed the information. Yuzu was much more collected, blinking silently a few times with no other reaction.

"Okay." Karin started quietly after only a few seconds. "That's gonna take some time to settle in my head, so let's just keep going." Yuzu glanced at her sister for a moment before looking back at me and nodding.

"Alright. Then I guess it's time you guys properly introduced yourselves." I looked to Unohana and Yoruichi. The healer smiled softly and cleared her throat, bringing the attention towards herself. She bowed lightly in greeting.

"I am Unohana Retsu, Captain of the 4th Division. It is a pleasure to meet the two of you. And to reacquaint myself with you, Shiba-san."

"P-please call me Kurosaki-san, Unohana-san." Dad awkwardly scratched the back of his head. Yoruichi stole the spotlight by bringing her legs atop mine and exaggeratedly throwing her arms behind her head.

"Name's Yoruichi Shihoin, nice ta meetcha!" Seeing that the dark-skinned woman wasn't going to continue, I rolled my eyes.

"Yoruichi here is the Ex-captain of the 2nd Division and Head of the Stealth Force."

"Up, up, up!" She smirked. "Aren't you forgetting my favorite title, 'The Goddess of Flash'?" A mildly disgusted look overcame Karin's face.

"You're known for flashing people?" She drawled. I barked out a laugh. The werecat had the gall to drop a hand in front of her chest and look appalled.

"I will have you know that Ichigo here is the only person I've flashed!" That comment immediately got Yuzu's 'matchmaker' senses to go into overdrive, her eyes sparkling. I'm sure Dad would've joined her, had he not been visibly in the middle of processing the information of his several hundred-year-old friend having flashed his '15' year old son.

"Ichi-nii, you looked at a woman's body?" The girl who was far too invested in my love life asked.

"She said she flashed me, not that I looked." I avoided, slapping my hand over Yoruichi's mouth to prevent anything unwanted from escaping. "But we're getting off topic. We're trying to tell you two everything." Both women looked visibly crestfallen that they couldn't gossip about me.

"Yeah, I was about to ask that." Karin stated. "You told us all about the Soul Society and stuff, and I get that Dad used to be part of it, but why are we involved now?"

"Well, to make it short and sweet, Rukia was a Shinigami assigned to watch over Karakura, and she gave me her powers for a little bit." After a moment of dawning realization appearing on both the sisters' faces, Yuzu tilted her head cutely.

"Why would she do that?"

"You remember that night our house 'got hit by a car'? It was actually a hollow attack. It injured Rukia, enough that she couldn't fight. Which led to her giving me her powers so I could defeat it." Her 'oh' of newfound understanding was adorable, and nearly hurt to look at. But I endured. I nodded. "Yeah. It was supposed to be that, while her powers recovered, I performed her duties for her." I glanced at Yoruichi. "Didn't quite work out that way though."

"Hey, don't look at me." She playfully smacked my chest. "Urahara was the one that gave her that gigai." A confused look came upon the faces of all three of my family members.

"We'll get to that." Yoruichi announced. "I'm sure you're wondering why Ichigo here was gone for a month." Dad tugged on his collar awkwardly, most definitely having been aware of why I was gone.

"You see, despite the circumstances of the event, it's illegal for a Shinigami like Rukia-san to give their powers to a human." Unohana picked up. "In order to deal with such a situation, the Gotei 13 sent a pair of Shinigami to apprehend Rukia-san and return her to the Seireitei so the Central 46 could deliver a punishment."

"And the Central 46 is your guys' government, right?" Karin asked. Unohana, Yoruichi, Dad and I all solemnly nodded.

"Yeah. They're got a lot of problems, sure, but surprisingly, none of that affected Rukia's extremely disproportionate punishment." Yoruichi's voice was tinged with sadness.

"What was it?" Yuzu asked fearfully.

"Execution." The Captain of the 4th answered. The eyes of both my siblings widened.

"But-!" They attempted to protest in sync.

"But that's why I left." I cut them off. "With Kisuke's help, I traveled to the Soul Society to rescue her. I spent the ten days before we left training to be able to take on whoever would stand in my way. Then, when I left with Orihime, Chad, and Uryu, it took us a week to get to and save Rukia. After that, if I'm remembering correctly, it took them four days to recover, with it taking me six." Yuzu was the one to notice.

"Wait, that's only two weeks in the Soul Society. You were gone nearly a month." I nodded. However, I didn't answer, instead looking over to Unohana and Yoruichi. They took that as their cue. Yoruichi, once more, was the one to get everyone's attention. Though this time it was from the deep breath the drew in and released.

"Well," She spoke slowly, seemingly searching for the right words to say. "I guess you could say it's because he's actually been gone a lot longer than that. A lot longer." She emphasized. This got even Dad to shift in his seat, the mixture of confusion and concern returning to his face. I shrank back and left it to my lovers.

"What do you mean?" I could catch the barest hint of a threat underneath the layers and layers of worry in my father's tone. "Unohana-san, you said my boy was physically fine. What happened to him?" The women exchanged a glance before looking over to me in silent question, which I answered with a single twitch of a nod. They returned their uneasy gazes to the rest of my family, and Yoruichi took the reins again.

"I guess it's a good thing you three are already sitting for this one." The goddess half-joked. "Ichigo is 26, from what he's told us. He's from a little over ten years in the future." My sisters were so shocked they weren't able to do anything but widen their eyes. My father fell back in his recliner, slowly, like he wasn't even sure how to react to what he had just heard. The First Kenpachi continued, probably reasoning there was no point in pausing every time my family was thrown off by a bombshell.

"In his time, there were two devastating wars. Collectively, the wars claimed the lives of everyone within Hueco Mundo, the Soul Society, and several cities within the World of the Living. Including Karakura Town. The only exceptions were Ichigo himself, and Kisuke Urahara." Unohana looked down, apparently unable to look at my family. "He mentioned that it's been several years since the last time he's seen any of you."

"He came back to undo that damage." Yoruichi explained for me. "The first war he's actually already taken care of. You two don't need to be informed about him, but Sosuke Aizen was who we apparently faced in the first war." Dad's head twitched at Aizen's name, his eyes clearing just the smallest bit. "Ichigo took care of him, pretty handily."

"The second war has yet to come." Unohana took up. It was like they were alternating. "According to Ichigo, it will be here in three years' time. And it will be against the Quincy."

"He's said it's actually the main reason he came back. We were completely unprepared and overwhelmed by them the first go around, from what he's said. So he's trying to flip that on its head. The past two weeks, he's been working with the captains, showing them moves they haven't learned yet or helping them awaken to power they didn't realize they had. Over the course of the next three years, he's going to be preparing everyone so that when the Quincy come knocking, we'll kick 'em to the curb."

"Wait." Karin spoke up, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees with her hands supporting the sides of her head. "Wait, wait, wait, wait. You guys mentioned that the captains are the thirteen strongest Shinigami at any given moment, right? And that Head Captain guy is, like, leagues above even the other captains?" Yoruichi and Unohana shared a look of confusion before turning towards my raven-haired sister.

"Yeah?"

"Indeed?"

"Then how is Ichigo able to help people like that get stronger? I remember when he fought that big furry rat Hollow on the anniversary of Mom's death. He barely walked out of that fight alive and it retreated the first time he actually hurt it." Dad stared at Karin for a moment before blinking in realization and shifting to look at us expectantly. Yoruichi was frozen, staring at my sister with an utterly incredulous look stuck on her face. Unohana was silent for a moment before breaking the tension by bursting into a fit of giggles. I was able to snap myself out of my funk and cough into my fist, succeeding in getting my family to look over to me.

"So, uh, I'm…freakishly powerful. For those first few months after getting my powers, I didn't know I could do anything outside of swing my sword, which is why fighting hollows was so difficult." I elaborated. Dad was nodding along, clearly accepting and agreeing with my words so far. Karin and Yuzu were simply waiting for me to get on with it. "It was actually when I started training to rescue Rukia that I started learning how to use my powers."

"And?" Karin drawled expectantly. I gave a very obvious sheepish grin as I rubbed the back of my head.

"And by the time we actually got around to stopping Rukia's execution, I was able to beat captains in one-on-one fights." The eyes of my sisters bulged out of their sockets. Dad silently nodded as if he was expecting that, which he probably was. "After that, as I learned more about my powers, my level of strength just kinda…kept going up. I only mastered my powers about four years ago."

"And how strong does that make you now?" Yuzu asked, far too innocently for how heavy the answer to that question was. I turned my head away, unable to look at them. Yoruichi was far too happy to take care of that for me, leaning up and slinging an arm around her shoulders. I could feel the grin that surely was all over her face.

"Ichi-kun's mentioned that he can kill the Soul King!" She was way too cheery when she said that.

"You can kill God?!" Karin immediately shouted.

"YOU CAN WHAT?!" Dad screamed at the same time. I could feel the gleam from Yuzu's eyes as she stared, most likely from wonder and awe. I could only chuckle nervously, which was all the confirmation they needed. "TIME OUT, HOW COULD YOU EVEN KNOW THAT?!" My father rightfully finished.

"The King of the Quincies is the son of the Soul King." I muttered.

"AND?!"

"He's strong enough to take out the Zero Squad by himself."

"AND?!"

"And he absorbed the power of the Soul King after that."

"AND?!"

"And I…kinda…can kill him with one strike?" I sheepishly announced. Dad seemingly broke, while Yoruichi and Unohana snapped their heads to me.

"You told us you can beat Yhwach, but you can do it in one hit?!" The werecat shrieked. I couldn't help but rub the back of my head again, stubbornly looking away with a pout on my face.

"I also mentioned that he could bring himself back from the dead by changing the future, so being able to kill him doesn't really matter." I tried to downplay.

"You still beat him despite that bullshit, and you still doubt your strength?!" The ex-captain couldn't seem to fathom. Hearing it aloud made the Ossan part of my head realize that I was kinda stupid, but the rest of my brain rebelled against logic.

"Y-yeah." I mumbled.

"…Exactly how much were you holding back when you sparred with Yamamoto-soutaicho?" Unohana questioned.

"As much as I conceivably could. I've told you guys what's had to be at least a dozen times over by now that the only reason I have to use my Bankai against his is because my Shikai can't out-heal incineration."

"Y-" Everyone turned to the slightly nauseous Yuzu. "You can out-heal in-incineration?" It appeared Karin and Dad hadn't caught that bit, from how their heads whipped around back to me in silent demand.

"…I'm like 98% sure that I'm legitimately immortal while I'm in Bankai." I muttered loud enough to be heard. All was silent for a long moment.

"I swear to God, I'm living in an anime." Karin dropped her head in her hands. "'An Immortal Time-Travelling Ghost Samurai That Can Kill God is My Overprotective Older Brother.'" Once more, there was silence for a moment after that statement before something inside me snapped and I started laughing hysterically.

"Oh my god, we are." I wheezed. "We're in some crazy isekai anime." After one final moment where everyone that could understand took it in, my Dad, Yuzu, and Yoruichi too fell into laughter. Unohana was hopelessly confused, but looked like she was content in the fact that I was so cheerful. It was nice. It was…something I missed, deeply. Too long had gone by since the last time I had laughed with my family. Too long had gone by since the last time I had been this happy. Too long since the last time…my eyes felt this heavy.

With the tension that had been building finally broken, everyone was laughing together and enjoying each other's company. Yuzu was bright eyed as she chatted animatedly with Unohana. Karin was suppressing a grin, terribly, as she discussed something with Yoruichi. Dad was alternating between the two, hopping from one conversation to another without difficulty. It was something I had wanted to see for so long, the six of us being able to sit down and be happy. To relax. To smile without worry and enjoy each other's company. I felt a smile lazily draw onto my face, my head nodding slightly at something I couldn't know.

I felt my lungs swell with every breath, it was weird having that sensation and not being in the middle of a fight. I was randomly drawn to the sensation of my heart releasing a gentle rhythm of soothing pulses rather than the heavy pounding from being surrounded on all sides by enemies. My muscles weren't tense with the anticipation of an attack, waiting until I decided whether to attack or defend, and instead loose, with my limbs delightfully heavy.

I blinked, which felt like it took longer than it should've been.

Huh, I wonder when Dad turned on the TV. Some movie was playing, I couldn't immediately recognize it but I felt like it should be a fairly recent release. Yuzu and Karin were lying back, fully engrossed in the film, the blonde twin hugging a pillow to her chest as she stared open-mouthed. Yoruichi was curled into my side, legs folded under her and arms wrapped around me, eyes glued to the screen. I could barely spot Unohana through the viewing area to the kitchen, she looked to be talking to Dad.

Another blink, one that felt even longer, but I was sure I was just imagining things.

I wasn't sitting up anymore. When did that happen? I was on my side, with my head resting on something warm and soft, but at the same time firm. I didn't really wanna move, but my curiosity got the better of me and I tilted my head down just the slightest bit. I saw two rows of black cloth that narrowed down a bit before flowing down out of my sight. I blinked, slowly, but it didn't feel like it took too long. My brain was slow, but realized my head must've been in Yoruichi's lap. Yeah, that made sense. A hand passed through my hair, and my eyelids grew heavier from the sensation. I heard Yoruichi's voice, soft and soothing, practically a lullaby. I didn't really register what she was saying, but my body seemed to understand, as I closed my eyes again.

The next time I opened my eyes, light was passing through the curtains. It had been midday when we came to the World of The Living. It couldn't have taken more than an hour to get to my house. Our talk had to only have been a couple more. And yet, it was too bright to be morning. I was comfortable, my body that perfect vibe of heavy where I was just content to not move. And it was warm. Out the corner of my vision I could catch a haze of blue, and I knew it had to be the blanket Yuzu loved like it was a part of the family. I looked around as much as I could without moving my head, and spotted the clock I had been looking for at first. It was nearly noon. Ah. Last night came to me gently, like a low tide at the beach. I realized now I must've started to doze off once I finally let myself truly and completely fall apart. I felt my lips start to curl up as everyone could only have seen how I was and agreed that I needed the sleep. The thighs supporting my head flexed, I saw Yoruichi's feet rise into my vision, and I heard the usual satisfied sigh of Yoruichi performing her routine cat-like full-body morning stretch. Or, at least, what she could do in this position. I remained content to stay as I was.

"Hey." My voice was gravely from what clearly had been a much needed sleep. I felt the goddess flinch in surprise at my unexpected voice. Luckily, only a moment later, her hands were roaming through my hair.

"Hey." My own grin grew as I could hear the smile in her voice. "I've never seen you sleep so long, or so happily."

"Yeah." I breathed more than spoke, the remnants of sleep were still lying within me, and I was in no rush to rid myself of them. "Where's Unohana?"

"She figured that I hadn't gotten as much alone-time with you as she has, so she took your room." I snorted softly, all I could really muster while I was still so drowsy.

"I feel sorry for Kon, she must've scared the shit out of him when he tried to perv on her." A light giggle escaped from the goddess.

"I think he was finally smart, for once. I haven't heard anything coming from your room." I released a snort with much more amusement behind it.

"Oh, that only means he fucked up big time. I guarantee you he's gonna have nightmares for weeks." The purple-haired woman's hands weaved through my hair pleasantly.

"You know, even taking into account time travel, most people would find it creepy how well you know us."

"But you don't." I countered. "You love that I've taken the time to learn so much about the two of you." A lovely burst of laughter came from her.

"See, this is what I'm talking about."

"You didn't deny it." Was my response. A playful smack to my shoulder was hers.

"Shush, you." I always loved hearing the joy in her voice. "Yuzu and Karin are at school and Isshin has actually gone to a medical conference with Ryuken, for once." She informed. "Yuzu made you some eggs and rice. From what I can tell, it's still warm." A soothing warmth appeared in my heart, unrelated to anything Zangetsu would manifest.

"Yeah." I sighed contently. "I figured she would." I finally got myself to sit up, immediately missing the feeling of lying on Yoruichi's thighs with her hands playing with my hair. But, there was cooking from Yuzu to be had, and other plans I had for the day. This wasn't the time to give into my desires, though that would come up in due time. I stood, only just now noticing that my armor and coat had been removed at some point and was on the coffee table next to Zangetsu. For the first time I could ever recall, I felt no need to grab them. I instead went to the kitchen, Yoruichi behind me, and quickly spotted the plate of delicious-looking food on the counter. The plate was in my hand a moment later as I leaned back against the counter, Yoruichi leaning on the wall facing me.

Her eyes, and the joy in them, grew as I spooned in the third, fourth, fifth bites into my mouth. That same joy was surely in my own gaze as I kept my eyes on her, continuing with taking slow, measured bites. When I felt uncomfortable with taking in anymore, I handed the plate to the werecat, who took it with a gleefully shocked look on her face as she realized just over half the meal was gone. An instant later the plate was back on the counter and a pair of arms were around my neck with a cheer. I hugged her back around her waist and pulled her in closer. Just another couple moments later and the ex-captain had pressed her lips against mine, which I happily returned. It was a gentle, loving thing, physically nothing more than a simple connection but emotionally charged with so much more. I ended it when I heard footsteps come into the room, and I turned, still holding Yoruichi, to see Unohana. She had clearly intended to drive me crazy now that I had gotten the emotional release of seeing, and being immediately accepted by, my family. She was wearing a shirt of mine, and I was sure she had spent the time to look through my drawers to find whatever would look the most alluring. With it being from my 15-year-old self, the casual light blue t-shirt with 'Kiss My Ass' written on it in dark blue was tight on her body, and covered just the perfect amount that it teased everything. It struggled with her chest to the point that I could catch the small bumps of her nipples, and the bottom of it just barely remained under the curve of her ass and would've failed to hide her womanhood had it been even a hair's breadth shorter. But the look on her face displayed that seeing how much it would take to get me to rip that shirt off her was the furthest thing on her mind, at the moment. She seemed much more invested in learning why Yoruichi and I were so elated. Which Yoruichi happily took care of.

"Unohana, look!" She reached around and picked up the plate, holding it out in front of her for the medic to see, whose eyes widened as she took it in. "Ichi-kun downed over half the plate by himself!" The same look of joy appeared on the raven-haired woman's face as she looked up at me.

"Seeing your family once more was something you really needed, it seems. I couldn't be happier to see how much of a positive impact it's had on you already." She punctuated this by stepping forward and joining in on the hug, wrapping an arm around each of us and holding tightly. My own arms wrapped around them both and pulled them in, with the Goddess of Flash all too happy to complete the three-way embrace. We remained that way for a pleasantly long moment, just taking it in, before I lifted my head and looked down at them.

"If you're happy with just seeing my family does to me, just wait until I've reunited with my friends." I teased lightly, though still serious. Both of their heads shot up, grins on both of their faces. "I've already told you two, I'm not here to keep secrets. I've already got today planned out. Mostly."

"Oh?" Yoruichi's smile was full of cat-like curiosity. "Do tell."

"I was gonna find my old phone and message my friends to meet up with me, and from there I would tell them all everything. And, if you two are okay with it, going to Kisuke for me to ask for a favor."

"What favor?" Unohana seemed genuinely curious. With my own soft smile covering my face, I explained to them what the Old Man helped me come up with. They both stared in amazement for a moment.

"You know, I've been around you nearly 24/7 for the past month, and I still sometimes forget that one of your zanpakuto spirits is an extremely intelligent strategist." Yoruichi muttered. I laughed and pet her head, which she nuzzled into without hesitation.

"That's just because I don't need to use strategy all that often, what with my being bullshit overpowered."

"Well, your immense power is still further tempered by the skill you've acquired over the years." Unohana pointed out.

"True, but skill doesn't make a difference when I can just throw out reiatsu attacks that can wipe out captains all day long without getting tired." I opposed. The raven-haired woman rolled her eyes and lightly slapped my chest. I smirked and released the two from my grip. My mouth opened to speak before a thought came to me which caused my smirk to grow even larger. "I actually just realized; Kisuke hasn't been informed yet about all this, hasn't he?"

My lovers looked contemplative for a moment, before both developed savage grins, Yoruichi noticeably more excited.

"Last time he saw Ichi-kun, he just unlocked his false shikai. We both thought there was no chance of him beating a captain, and he had never even heard of Aizen." She elaborated to the medic.

"Which means Urahara-san is going to be in for quite a shock finding that a mere month later, Aizen's plan has been foiled and the man slain by none other than our very own orange-haired protector, who is capable of slaying even the Soul King."

"Oh, but that's not even the half of it!" The werecat was bouncing in place. "As far as Kisuke knows, Ichi-kun is still an innocent little berry who can't handle a little bit of cleavage, but now…" To show off her point, the chocolate-skinned woman grabbed my hand and slapped my palm onto her ass. Through what had to be some form of telepathy, Unohana at the same time grabbed my other hand and squished it onto her boobs.

"He's experienced in satisfying two women at once." The First Kenpachi purred.

"Exactly!" The goddess cheered, releasing my hand and grabbing the other woman's wrist. "Come on, the faster we get you dressed, the more we can mess with Mr. I'm-Totally-Just-An-Innocent-Candy-Shop-Owner!" She beckoned as she pulled the captain of the 4th up the stairs to my room. I felt warm inside as I smiled from the display, sensing the joy and satisfaction from my zanpakuto. Looking around the kitchen to reacquaint myself, I attempted to recall where we kept Dad's on-the-go coffee mugs. A light debate with Shiro, three wrong cabinets, and exactly four words of direction from Ossan later, I pulled open a drawer and pumped my fist at finding it full of plastic cups with their respective lids already on them. I started on the coffee right as I heard my favorite duo come down the stairs and head straight for the room I hadn't left. With a grin, I turned around and opened my arms, hugging them both and pecking them on the lips as a form of 'see you later'. They rushed out the door promptly, giggling mischievously, and I didn't at all feel bad for the hell they were about to give the paranoid blonde. Since I only put in the amounts for one cup, the coffee maker finished quickly. Though, I did take my time pouring the cup and adding flavor with milk and sugar. I specifically spent time in trying to figure out how much sugar was to my preference, which I found was three spoons. It was a careful balance of bitter and sweet that reminded me of chocolate. Squeezing on the lid and flipping open the cap, I took a couple sips as I journeyed towards my room.

Entering brought a wave of nostalgia, but I swept it aside for now. I would allow myself to be lost in memories tonight, but right now I had something to do. Well, after I checked up on Kon. He was in the closet, it turned out, and he was curled in a ball, atop the pillow Rukia used when she slept in there. He flinched the moment I pulled open the door, and curled into himself even more. I'll…take care of that later. Silently shutting the door, I looked around, hunting for an old object I barely used even before I became a Shinigami. It was on my desk, and after a moment of failing to remember, I decided to generally thank whoever had plugged it in. A single step later, the item was unplugged and in my hand.

I took a moment to look the device over. I had forgotten I even owned a phone. The last time things were calm enough that I used it…was too long ago. I don't think I had returned to my body since the second year of the Winter War, and I definitely hadn't used my phone for a while before then. I had memories of calling people and texting on it, but actually holding it in my hands? It was foreign. The plastic was oddly comforting, so fragile compared to the reinforced material of Soul Pagers. This wasn't something you could have in your pocket during a fight to the death without worry. This was the type of thing you'd be concerned over flipping open too violently. Thankfully, it was an intuitive enough device that I only needed minor support from Zangetsu to do what I wanted to do.

You have created a new group chat with: Chad, Ishida, Inoue, Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro

You: Meet me where my mom died. I'll explain when everyone's there.

After sending the message, I flipped the phone shut. After turning it over a few times, I found the switch that turned it to silent and flipped it on. There was no point in responding to any messages that they would send. The only people who didn't know where my mom died were Orihime and Uryu, and they could have anyone lead the way. I drew in a deep breath, slipped my phone into the pocket of my hakama, and stepped out of my house. I debated walking, before shaking my head and flash-stepping straight over. I didn't want anybody to be there before me. I needed a little extra time to get my head on straight. Seeing my family yesterday helped a lot, but I was still unsteady. Luckily, since Uryu didn't know where to go on his own, there was no way for him to impatiently rush straight here and demand all the answers.

I stood for a moment, just taking in the feel of the grass brushing against my feet, and the sounds of the river flowing steadily. The sun caused the water to sparkle. Another sip was taken of my coffee. I looked up and stared at the cloudless sky for a moment, before adjusting my gaze to the ground. Zangetsu was currently in Shikai. Not complete of course, not even Chad was ready for that yet. But it was more comfortable to have the dual blades out. I set down my drink and pulled them out, contemplating what exactly I had planned with them for a moment before closing my eyes and going with my gut. I flipped them to hold them in reverse before stepping forward and carefully sinking the points into the dirt, just enough that they stood on their own. And then, with another deep breath, I stepped back, making sure to lean down and grab the cup whilst I did do. I retreated two, three steps, then sat, placing the drink next to me. My knees rose nearly to my chest as I folded my arms atop them and rested my chin on the platform that was created. Then I just watched the sight before me, gathering strength from the ever so faint feel of my mother's presence.

After not too long, I faintly heard crunching gravel, as sneakers met pavement, and inwardly sighed as I heard the pace immediately pick up with a familiar shout.

"IIIIIIIIIIIICHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Keigo screamed as he sprinted. I heard the grunt of him hopping the railing, the dumbass clearly not bothering to alter his path even slightly to pass through the opening, followed by the noise of his shoes flattening the grass as he ran up to me. However, or luckily, I really couldn't tell, he stopped just a few feet away from me. Out of curiosity over what happened, I craned my neck to look back at him, and blinked.

Keigo was usually as socially perceptible as a rock, routinely not understanding a change in mood or registering that he was the only one attempting to crack jokes. But he was frozen, nearly mid-step, his eyes wide as he stared at me, his arms still out in his usual attempt to bear hug me. I watched as he lowered his arms, concern slowly creeping onto his face. My own eyes widened at that, before I understood. I lowered my gaze before returning to staring out at the river.

"Sit down." I recommended quietly. "Like I said, I'll explain when everyone's here." He didn't move for a bit, which I expected, taking a sip of the coffee. Then I heard the grass crunch underfoot once more, coming closer before I caught him in my right peripheral. Once he was level with me, he crouched down and sat, resting a hand on the ground behind him to keep his balance as he sat cross-legged. Then he leaned forward, shoving his hands in his lap and determinedly locking his eyes onto the river. For a few more minutes, the only sounds were the distant birds, random shouts of playing children, and the flowing river. With the occasional sip of me drinking my coffee, of course. Even as I noticed it slowly starting to chill, I enjoyed the taste.

The next one to come was, surprisingly, Mizuiro. His entrance was signified only by the endless tapping of him doing…whatever he did, on his phone. The only indication of his reaction to seeing me was a long pause in the tapping. After a few moments, the sound returned, joined by the crunching of grass before he took up the space to Keigo's right.

After him was Chad, whose arrival was much the same. Though, that was expected. He was a quiet guy, and he both had already seen my new appearance and knew vaguely how it came to be. As silently as Mizuiro, the giant claimed the space between Keigo and I, one knee up with the other leg out in front of him, and arms resting atop his raised knee.

Uryu, Orihime, and Tatsuki all came at once, though I figured that was because they had to go to her to get directions. By that point, I was halfway through the cup. The karate girl huffed as she dropped directly to my left, her arms crossed over her chest and a look of all sorts of irritation, annoyance, and disbelief. Orihime sat next to Tatsuki, her legs folded under her, and her look of complete awe locked onto my Shikai blades. It would never cease to be amusing how pacifistic that girl was while still maintaining an adoration over weapons and fictional fighting. She'd heal anyone, including the enemy, and then turn around and scream in excitement over some shounen anime she stumbled upon. Uryu, like the proud tsundere that he denied he was, sat slightly further down the slope, to the left of Orihime, and was the only one not facing the breathtaking sight of the river. Instead, he was facing right, so that he was staring straight at me with the most hilarious 'serious' expression on his face, like we were about to discuss war plans. His eyes passed over everyone in obvious suspicion, before locking back onto me. I sipped my drink.

"Alright, everyone is here. What were you going to explain?" I couldn't help the laugh that came out of me.

"Jeez, Uryu, calm down. Most of this is gonna be stuff you already know." To hopefully break the tension that instantly manifested at his words, I hilted my head towards the resident healer. "Hey, Orihime, if you want, you can say hi to Zangetsu." As she turned to me, her eyes gleaming, Shiro cackled in my head.

"Can I, really?" She seemed so overjoyed at the prospect of being able to play with the most dangerous pair of swords in the universe.

'King, it's not Fairy's turn.' My hollow giggled. Oh, I could tell by his voice that this was gonna be good.

'Whose is it?'

'Needle's.' I guffawed at his answer, which brought everyone to turn to me.

"Of course, as long as Uryu is okay with my zanpakuto lying in his lap." I could see every muscle in the glasses-bearing man's body lock up.

"I'm sorry?! Why is that a condition?! Why are you letting Orihime play with your swords?! What if she hurts herself?!" The man began screaming.

"I didn't say she would be messing with my swords. I asked if she wanted to say hi." I corrected.

"What's the difference?" Tatsuki asked.

"My swords don't have a name for the fun of it." I explained. "The are some semantics surrounding it, especially regarding my situation, but a pair of spirits inhabit the blades. Those spirits are Zangetsu."

"Wait, so your swords talk?" Keigo asked.

"Not the way you think." I took another sip of my coffee. "Uryu? Do you accept or not?" Orihime turned to the Quincy, blatantly silently begging. He didn't last five seconds.

"Fine." As soon as he finished speaking, Shiro manifested, crouching down in front of my distant cousin. His face was only a couple inches away from Uryu's, and his grin was as wide as possible, exaggerating his features as much as he could.

"Boo!" The Quincy screamed and fell back onto his hands, crawling a few feet away from the hollow. Orihime stared at my inverted doppelganger, looking as if her train of thought had not stopped, but instead crashed, burned, and was then nuked from orbit. Tatsuki, somehow, seemed completely indifferent. Maybe she actually had taken Yoruichi's advice and properly listened to Orihime mentioning that I time traveled. Chad had flinched when Shiro manifested before glancing at his arms, which was most likely his powers reacting to the hollow reiatsu. Keigo seemed completely in awe, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. Mizuiro was so caught off guard that he shut his phone and put it in his pocket as he leaned forward to get a better angle at my zanpakuto. Who was now howling with laughter as he laid on his back, his arms hugging his stomach.

"That's not funny!" Uryu shouted, face red with embarrassment. This only caused Shiro to laugh harder.

"Everyone, this is Shiro." I downed another sip of coffee.

"I thought you said his name was Zangetsu?" The dark-haired woman of the group brought up.

"Zangetsu is the name of the sword as a whole, I've given each half a nickname."

"Um, if you don't mind, why does he look like he came straight out of one of your polaroid negatives?" Mizuiro asked.

"We honestly don't know." Was my grunt of response. By this point, the hollow had calmed down enough to lay his head in the bowman's lap and get comfortable.

"Where's the other one?" Keigo innocently questioned, looking around as if someone else was ready to scare one of them.

"My other spirit, who I call Ossan, can't let himself be seen. I'll explain later."

"…Why does…'Shiro'…wear such odd clothing?" Uryu seemed extremely uncomfortable with someone he could easily decipher as a hollow lying on his lap. But with a couple well-structured responses, I was sure that would go away quick.

"He actually naturally wears a reflection of my clothes, but you wanted to personalize it so it better suited him. Piece by piece, whenever we had downtime during the wars, you turned some standard Shinigami robes with an added coat and harness into, well, that." The man who seriously invested too much time into sewing to refer to it as a simple hobby stared at me in disbelief for a moment. Then he shifted his gaze down to properly analyze what my zanpakuto wore.

When they started on customizing Shiro's clothes, Uryu and Shiro had agreed that the first thing they needed to add were features from my hollow form. The Quincy was the one who felt it would be best to stick to my sword's color scheme. Which lead to the black fur that was added onto the collar and wrists of my hollow's shihakusho. After that, were my hollow markings. They only added two sets of black stripes that spread from the chest and back, the lower set curling downward once it passed the shoulder to connect right under the muscle and the upper set rising to connect over the shoulder. Surprisingly, both were overjoyed when they realized that the markings and Shiro's harness lined up perfectly to nearly recreate Uryu's Quincy Cross, and it was the inverted copy that requested that the bowman added a line on the back that went straight from the center of his hollow markings up to the collar so that it did replicate the image. When I asked my zanpakuto, Shiro revealed it made him feel closer to Ossan, which had eventually lead to the spirit bearing Yhwach's visage to convince Uryu to add a white hollow hole onto his coat.

For a long time, that had been it, but then people had started dying. People close to Shiro. To memorialize them, the spirit got Uryu to sew designs onto his sleeves. As his own way of mourning, the Quincy always tried to add more detail whenever he could to the designs. The designs in question were a cat made of ashes, a recreation of Kensei's Bankai, the head of Renji's Hihio Zabimaru, and most importantly to the hollow, Tobiume, its blade wreathed in flames.

Uryu took all of that in, understanding little, if any, of the meaning behind the additions. But he clearly saw the effort put into every minor detail. It was only through seeing it hundreds of times that I could catch the signs of countless accounts of restitching, but to Uryu, it was likely the first thing he saw.

"…I did this?" He whispered to himself, most probably unaware that I could hear him. I could make out the unspoken words: For a hollow?

"It meant a lot." I left vague. It was nice seeing the genuine confusion on the faces of Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro. None of them knew about hollows yet, so all they knew was that Shiro was the spirit in my sword and Uryu helped him design the clothes they saw him wearing. They weren't distrustful because of his nature, they had no reason to fear that he would lash out randomly, they had no reason to shy away from close contact. He was free to do what he normally did, and not restrain himself so as not to make them uncomfortable. Excluding Uryu, of course, but all I needed was one more comment and to wait a little bit, and that barrier would break on its own.

"By the way," I smirked, already knowing what the effect of my next words was going to be. "You guys can just treat him like an oversized cat." Orihime's eyes shined like she had just been offered free reign over the kitchen and it was full of red bean paste. Tatsuki blinked as she was completely and utterly thrown off guard as her head swiveled to me.

"Isn't that kinda insulting to the spirit of your sword?" She worried.

"Pet me, motherfuckers." Shiro shot down instantly and viciously, nuzzling his head into the glasses-wearing man's lap. "And feed me some goddamn salmon." Uryu appeared to cease functioning. With even the spirit in question telling her to go nuts, nothing was left to stop the auburn-haired pacifist as she appeared right next to the Quincy currently being used as a pillow and ran her fingers through Shiro's hair. Even I could hear his resulting purr as he leaned his head back to give the girl better access. Which was the equivalent of a wet dream for Orihime. I distantly remembered that she still had a crush on me at this point in time, and being given free access to touch a copy of me that only craved more contact was probably not helping. Keigo was already whining about not being able to record Shiro with his phone, either forgetting or not being aware in the first place that my zanpakuto and I were spirits. Actually, he might seriously not realize he's talking to a ghost right now. That could be a problem. Mizuiro was flabbergasted, alternating between staring at me and Shiro. Oh, yeah, it was probably a helluva trip for him to see me openly smiling and someone with my likeness being physically affectionate. Chad possessed a soft grin, most definitely just appreciating that everyone was enjoying themselves.

Seeing that everyone was comfortable, I figured now was the best time to get things started. I used a sip of coffee as a form of self-encouragement, but despite my instant drop in mood, I still felt like I could continue.

My heavy sigh drew everyone's attention.

"Alright." Was my awkward beginning to what was going to be a long afternoon. "I've stalled long enough. Time for explanations."

"Explanations?" Keigo repeated like he had forgotten why I had texted everyone to meet up here.

"Yeah. Like why I was gone for a month. And what's gonna happen from here on out." I nodded.

"I did what that lady told me to do yesterday and asked Orihime, but…" Tatsuki trailed off.

"Well, that's as great a start as any. Why don't you let Keigo and Mizuiro in on what she told you?" I gestured to the two in question. The karate champion seemed uncertain, but she persevered.

"She said you were…a time traveler? Who fought in a war? And that you came back to stop it?" She spoke like she wouldn't have even entertained the thought had she not seen me. She was clearly still leaning towards thinking it was all bullshit, but there was enough in front of her that she was thinking it over.

"That's…not quite everything. And it's not covering the most important stuff." I could feel the gazes of Keigo and Mizuiro. "You've all heard for the longest time the rumors about me being able to see ghosts?" It wasn't really a question, but it was the best place to ease them into it.

"Yeah." The brown-haired boy confirmed.

"Well, they're not rumors. It's actually the least of what I can do."

"The least?" The boy who was normally incredibly attached to his phone tilted his head.

"If ghosts exist, then there's a place they've gotta go, right?" I tried to make it simple. All three newcomers to the affairs of spirits nodded. "And if they're gotta go somewhere, it makes sense that somebody would take them there, right?" Once more, they nodded. "The people that help spirits pass on are called Shinigami, and I'm one of them." I allowed a moment for them to take it in. "Shinigami help lost souls pass on, and protect them from creatures called hollows that mean to devour those souls. A long time ago, the Shinigami organized themselves and formed a group called the Gotei 13, so that they can hone their powers and skills to better combat hollows and more reliably rescue souls. Rukia is one of them. She actually turned me into one."

"Ok, I'm not gonna touch that bomb anytime soon." Mizuiro deadpanned. I chuckled at that.

"If you think that's a bomb, I'm sorry." I enjoyed the mildly horrified gazes from the two. "Anyway, do you guys remember that night a few months back where my house got hit by a truck?" Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro all silently nodded. "Well, the truth is that a hollow attacked my house. Rukia tried to deal with it, but my overprotective ass refused to sit by and watch, which ended up distracting her and causing her to get injured. In order to kill it, she had to transfer her power to me." Yet another nod of following along. "The problem is that the government that oversees the Gotei 13, the Central 46, is full of righteous bastards. Regardless of the circumstances, Shinigami aren't allowed to give powers to humans, so they sent some Shinigami to return her to the realm of spirits, the Soul Society."

"Which is why she suddenly disappeared." Keigo realized. I nodded.

"Yeah, but like I said, they're bastards, so they declared her punishment to be execution." I rushed to continue before they could cut me off. "Which is why Chad, Orihime, Uryu and I left. We invaded the Soul Society and took on the whole of the Gotei 13 to rescue Rukia. And we succeeded." The three immediately sighed in relief. But then Mizuiro stilled. A moment later, he looked up at me.

"Wait, then why did you stay so much longer than them?" I winced. Didn't take him long to pick up on that, did it?

"…I imagine it took you guys a while, since I've been sitting down this whole time, but you can tell I'm taller, can't you?" Tatsuki, the only one of the three to have seen me standing, nodded immediately. Mizuiro was next, slightly more hesitant as he looked me over again. Keigo was last, visible confusion on his face. "That's…that's because I'm older." The karate champion looked down, denial written all over her. The black-haired teen now seemed lost, but the brown haired man? It looked as if everything was clicking into place for him.

"That wasn't one of Inoue-san's crazy daydreams. You really are from the future." He seemed rightfully horrified. It was likely all the manga and video games that allowed him to accept it so easily, and even I knew that no story involving time travel was about nice things. "…Who died." It wasn't a question.

"…Everyone."

"E-everyone?" Mizuiro looked on the edge of hyperventilating.

"Everyone except me and one other. You haven't met him yet. He was the one to create the device used to bring me back."

"A-and you stopped all of that, right? That's why it took you longer to come back, right?" Keigo seemed desperate for me to say yes.

"…I stopped one of them."

"…One death?" I couldn't remember Tatsuki's voice ever cracking before.

"One war. There's a second one coming. Worse than the first. But I'm doing everything I can to prepare everyone for it. What took me so long was training all the people I could. I'm still training people, just moved onto those in Karakura Town."

"…So that's why you looked so freaked out yesterday." Despite talking so little, my oldest friend's voice sounded hoarse.

"…Last I had seen Karakura, it was smoking, in pieces, and filled with corpses." All six with me stared in horror. "Whatever was still standing was on the verge of collapse, bridges were destroyed, entire districts turned into craters. Seeing it back to how it used to be…" I couldn't finish.

"King ain't the one yer all used to." Shiro came to my rescue. His voice was soft, mournful. "He ain't okay, and he has no problem admittin' it, but that don't mean he can fix himself just like that. We got shit to do, but one of those things is puttin' King back together." At this, the hollow turned around to face everyone. "I hate that I have to ask this, but we need all the help we can get. We brought you here to fill ya'll in, but…you get what I'm askin'." I hadn't planned to ask my human friends for help, and my zanpakuto was clearly taking advantage of the situation, but I wasn't able to get myself to deny his request.

Not a moment later, I felt a strong hand clasp my shoulder. I could immediately feel the unwavering support from Chad once more, like a steel wall keeping me from collapsing.

"You can count on me." Orihime was next, her voice firm and determined. Tatsuki silently lifted her head and stared me in the eyes, clearly looking for something. I locked my gaze with hers, waiting for whatever her response was going to be. After a moment, she opened her mouth.

"Even at your worst, you used to always have this fire in your eyes, like you were gonna do something and you weren't gonna let anyone tell you no. That's not there anymore." Her own eyes narrowed with resolve. "I'm gonna bring that fire back."

"…Aw, man, why do you guys get to say all the cool, inspiring stuff? That's no fair, I wanted to be all epic and say some really memorable 'I'll put you back together' lines too!" Keigo's whine caused me to burst into laughter.

"Um, you've got my support, but I've gotta mention that I'm liking the Ichigo that has no problem smiling and laughing." Mizuiro, as always, seemed to know just how to tone down Keigo's…Keigo-ness. I couldn't help but reflexively smile at his words.

"Yeah, I know, I used to be grumpy asshole who pretended he was too cool to give a shit. I got over that." I explained, only to hesitate for a moment. "…Uryu?"

My cousin was silent for a long moment.

"…I can't very well claim to be the better of us two if you aren't in a proper state of mind, now can I?" He finally snarked. "It seems I have no other choice but to ensure that you make a complete recovery, if only so that no one can argue my status as the superior one by the end of it."

"THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Our resident idiot complained. I smiled nonetheless, which grew wider when I realized Uryu caught my silent gratitude and looked away.

Happy that all of my friends were supportive in my recovery, I took one last sip of my coffee, finishing the cup, and looked back out towards the river.

The fluttering of movement beneath the surface caused the gears in my mind to turn.

"…Hey, Shiro, I don't think I can get you salmon, but I think I can still snag some fish." I announced. I caught him cracking an eye open to stare at me, before he snorted.

"I got no problem with it." He permitted before he turned over in Uryu's lap. Without hesitation, I hopped to my feet, shrugging out of my shihakusho and leaving it on the ground. I could feel the blush on Orihime's face.

"What are you doing?" The Quincy asked as I rolled up my hakama legs until they were up to my thighs and tied them in place with the cloth from Zangetsu's hilt. I then pulled Shiro's blade out of the ground as I began walking toward the riverbank.

"Fishing. The violent way." I grinned, kicking off my sandals and slipping off my socks. Chad's chuckle was a shock to the system after not hearing it for so long, but luckily it only served to add to my recovered good mood. "Any of you want any to take home?" I asked.

"Yes please!" As always, Orihime was quick to recover from her crush the moment food was mentioned.

"I'll take one or two." Chad appreciated.

"Hmph. I'd rather not eat fish of unknown origin. How many diseases could they be carrying?" The ever-cautious Uryu refused.

"Ah, sorry, I'd normally say yes but my parents are making chicken tonight." Tatsuki apologized.

"I have a date, it would be better if I didn't show up smelling like fish and already having eaten." Mizuiro, as always, was some weird playboy, but for older women.

"I'll take two, if my sister found out I had fish without her, she'd kill me." Keigo whined.

"How many do you think you'll be able to catch, anyway? You're not exactly known for precision." The resident bow-and-arrow expert critiqued. I raised an eyebrow in challenge.

"I don't know." A single stab into the water, and I lifted my blade with three fishes impaled upon it. "You tell me." I sarcastically finished, a teasing grin on my face.

"You know, he just told us that he's from the future, do you really think he wouldn't have picked up some skills?" Tatsuki had a similar grin on her face.

"I know he became annoyingly powerful, but I didn't think he would actually come to acquire skill!" The Quincy defended. "He's fought like a brute as long as I've known him, can you blame me?!"

"Absolutely. He and I learned karate together. He was a wimp as an 8-year-old, but he picked up techniques the fastest out of everyone in the class."

"Before Rukia came to school, Ichigo was always top 5 in the year in terms of studies, and after, he only dropped to top 10." Mizuiro continued.

"He wanted to learn guitar from me, and it only took him a week or so to get it down." Chad input.

"The only reason he didn't know how to swing his sword was because Midget was teaching him wrong, ya dipstick. After 10 days with Urahara, he went from getting his ass handed to him in a sword fight to keeping up with captains." Shiro huffed, definitely still pissed at Rukia because of her 'advice' to use my zanpakuto like a baseball bat.

"Kurosaki-kun used to do sports in middle school, but he stopped because he'd get so good so quickly that it got boring for him." Orihime smiled.

"People always forget because he's always getting into fights and looking all scary, but he's actually really smart." Keigo was the one to deal the finishing blow.

"Shut up, all of you!" A thoroughly embarrassed Uryu shouted.

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YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD HAVE TO WAIT SEVERAL MONTHS FOR ANOTHER CHAPTER BUT IT WAS I, WHO WROTE THIS THING LIKE A YEAR AGO! And that is the end for this emotional punching bag of a chapter! I hope you all loved it, please review on anything you liked and anything you didn't! As a side note, for all those who somehow missed all the very prominently shown bits about Ichigo being afraid to see his sisters again out of fear of rejection, THAT is why he didn't return to the Living World, in addition to the fact that he had to train the captains. I hope you all are also excited for the favor Ichigo got Unohana and Yoruichi to go to Kisuke's for.

Next Chapter: Fitting In.