In the weeks following Ichigo settling things with his spirits, he fell into a sort of routine on Patch while he waited for Kisuke to figure out a way to bring him back. It was a simple routine he had fallen into not long after he had gotten himself some clothes that weren't his soul reaper uniform, his days generally consisting of cleaning and running errands for Tai, such as going grocery shopping in town. Once he was done, he spent the day continuing to communicate with both his spirits regarding the state of his powers, relaxing, or patrolling around Patch. Though Tai had noted that not long after he had settled things in the forest, the presence of the grimm seemed to have lessened, with only the youngest and most foolish seeking out prey on the island.

All in all, it was the most peaceful he'd been in a while. It wasn't like when he lost his powers, when he was helpless and someone to be protected by those who he used to defend. When he could do nothing but watch as they continued to risk their lives, while he pretended all was fine. That he was fine, even know he knew that logically, they were doing just fine without him. Now, though he was once again unable to help his friends, he wasn't all that concerned. He could do nothing but live with the current situation, one that Kisuke was at fault for in the first place, though it was initially maddening to think about what could be happening back home. With any luck, it wouldn't take him too long to figure out a way to bring Ichigo back so that he could pay the shopkeeper back properly for the situation he had landed him in, and check Karakura over for himself.

"I'm going to get you to tell me what the hell happened in the woods at some point carrot top."

...Well, let's never say that things were perfect.

"And as I've already told ya blondie, there is nothing to tell you! I was meditating and didn't notice you were nearby while I had my semblance active, end of story!" Yang had insisted on pestering Ichigo about his 'semblance' and what happened in the woods, despite his insistence that nothing had happened beyond allowing his supposed semblance to go out of control and despite the fact that was Yangs original explanation for what had happened, "Why the hell do you keep insisting that something happened?!"

Her alluring lilac eyes began to slowly turn into that burning crimson as she got more annoyed with him, an event that seemed to occur more often after the incident, as she put a hand under her chin in mock thought, "Hmmm, oh how about the fact that you're a crazy powerful dude that came out of the blue, one that has a stupidly strong semblance that knocked my ass out!" Her eyes seemed to get just a bit darker at the mention of how easily she was put down by the gravity increase, her frustration only increasing with the fact that Ichigo, in her humble opinion, was a royal pain in the ass.

He knew there was no winning with the blond at this point, and rather than engage in a useless argument for the hundredth time, he flash stepped to the guest room he was staying in, which had become his room during his stay. He put on his shihakusho, grabbed Zangetsu, and hopped out the window just as Yang barged in, entering just in time to see Ichigo pointing his tongue out at her before flash stepping away. The soon to be Beacon student grabbed her hair in frustration as the soul reaper once again proceeded to get away from her, "DAMN IT!"

He really knew how to piss her off.


Now far away from the Xiao Long residence, and more importantly Yang Xiao Long, Ichigo took out a black scroll, a gift that Tai had given to him. The older huntsman said it would be useful in case they needed to get in contact with one another, which told Ichigo enough about what it was. It was just a fancy version of a phone, though Ichigo had a feeling they may be a bit more sturdy if they were made to be handled by the huntsman. It didn't take him too long to get used to it, just treating it as he would any new phone back home.

'You really need to learn how to handle women better. Sheesh.' And of course, it was White that just felt the need to speak up. He could already feel his blood pressure rising, 'I get you're still a dumb and awkward teenager, but you're not gonna have any luck with the ladies with that sort of attitude.' He could almost see his more chaotic spirits grin, having come to know him quite well in the past few weeks. 'Though I can get if you find it difficult when it comes to the blonde. She. Is. Hot.'

That was finally the straw that broke the camel's back, the substitute stopping on a large tree branch with a vein bulging from his forehead and his fists clenching, 'What in the hell are you going on about you sadistic bastard?! There's absolutely nothing to discuss there! She's a pain in the ass, end of story!' He was more annoyed than he was embarrassed by his zanpakuto's teasing, it wasn't the first time that the pale spirit had brought up such a topic after all. He always seemed to be whispering some sort of nonsense into his ear whenever they went into town and spotted a remotely attractive girl.

And it certainly didn't help that he was currently living with an admittedly beautiful girl.

He could hear the hollowfied spirit scoff at him as he started to flash step through the forest again, now picking up a grimms presence in the forest, 'It's not like its anything to be ashamed of partner. You act like its a horrible thing to be a teenager. Loosen up ya prude!' He wished he could smack the spirit around a bit for his teasing, but he was left in a worse position when it seemed White wasn't alone in his opinion this time around.

'He is right, Ichigo. There is nothing wrong with loosening up a little. And no, you have not truly relaxed.' His argument died before he could properly think it out, the older spirit continuing on, 'You weren't doing well after the Aizen event, and your friends certainly didn't help with how they treated you. Now, you're away from all of it. Treat this like a vacation, a chance to unwind. I'm sure it won't be long before you're pulled back into the action.' It was difficult to argue with his zanpakuto, especially when he presented the subject in such a reasonable manner.

The carrot top sighed as he came upon a clearing full of lesser grimm, mainly consisting or young beowolves and a pair of ursa. He charged up a low power getsuga, drawing upon both spirits power before unleashing a violet wave of spirit energy, killing all of the grimm. After accepting White and learning how to properly channel him along with the quincy zangetsu, the color of his getsuga became a mix of both spirits, and he had to charge far less spirit energy into his blade. Or at the least it felt like he was charging it with less, though that may be due to having a united reservoir of spirit energy.

'It's not like I don't get why they backed off after I lost my powers. It was partially my fault as well. Still, maybe you're both right...' He could feel the smugness radiating off of White, the soul reaper deciding to let it go this once and head back to the house. He knew it was unlikely for there to be any more grimm to show up at this point, so he may as well get his rest.

After all, it wouldn't do if he was dead tired during his meeting with Ozpin.


Ichigo had been slightly tempted to use bankai, consequences be damned, just for the increase in speed that would allow him to get to Vale that much faster. He knew he would be able to get to the city a hell of a lot faster than a bullhead, but he was convinced otherwise by his spirits (And to some extent Tai) not to flash step all the way there, if only because of the risk he ran of being seen by other people. Tai and Yang had seen him off, with Ruby finishing extra testing given to her due to Ozpin's recent decision to advance her to Beacon. A part of the reason he was going was to get a measure of the man and see why exactly he was so willing to enroll someone as young as Ruby.

If he didn't like what he found, he'd make sure to handle the situation properly.

And so that was how he found himself near Vale on a bullhead, having gone in a pair of navy blue jeans, black combat boots, white t-shirt, and a dark blue jacket to finish it all off. He had brought Zangetsu's blade along with him for appearances sake, knowing that if anybody gave him trouble he wouldn't really need the sword. It wasn't long before what he had dubbed a "glorified sky taxi" landed at the city, the young soul reaper making his way towards the academy on foot, walking rather than flash stepping the entire way there.

He had to admit that the city was fairly nice, though he knew there would be a seedier part of town somewhere for all those either more unfortunate or scummy. Vale looked pretty much like any modern city back home, and even if it seemed nice, he couldn't help but be a little disappointed by how modern it seemed. The vehicles and weapons had given him the impression that technology would be far more advanced, and yet it seemed that wasn't the case.

He passed by From Dust Till Dawn on his way to Beacon, the little dust shop being surrounded by police tape, with only a few officers remaining on the scene. He was still a little annoyed he hadn't been able to help Ruby with the fight, the younger girl having pestered him about going into Vale for a weapons magazine and to pick up some dust, but he had declined. When he heard of what happened he had been rightly pissed off, though he was happy Ruby ended up getting into her dream school early. Even if it still seemed a little suspect to him.

Once he got to the end of the commercial district and the academy was in sight, Ichigo looked around before rolling his eyes, "Screw it." And flash stepping the remaining distance over to Beacon, stopping once he was in front of the school. While the city itself wasn't all that impressive, he couldn't help but admit that the school was an entirely different story. The school was elegant, for a lack of a better word, with its grey and green towers standing high above the school's courtyard. The school was seemingly massive as well from what he could tell, with several more towers and other large buildings going beyond what he could currently see.

"So I'll assume you're Mr. Kurosaki?" Ichigo turned around and raised an eye at an older women, a blonde with hair much lighter than Yangs and with a pair of glasses. He had sensed her presence earlier by the bullhead landing, though he simply thought she may have been a member of the staff meant to watch for students or that she herself was a student, "My name is Glynda Goodwitch, I see you've completely bypassed our landing area. I've been waiting to bring you to the Headmaster," Cue a slightly sheepish grin here, "If you'll follow me I'll bring you right to him."

"Thanks Glynda, sorry for the trouble." He could see her eye twitch ever so slightly at the casual use of her name before she began to lead him into the school, the hallway being about as grand as the rest of the school. 'Pretty fancy school for a place where you learn to slay monsters.' He understood it was supposedly the top school among the kingdoms for someone to learn to become a huntsman, though he didn't think it was at all necessary for the halls to be so obscenely massive and for everything to be so fancy when it was a school where someone learned to fight. Chances were most of the place would be destroyed by the students at some point, if not the very monsters they were learning to fight against.

She didn't give him much of a rundown as they made their way to Ozpin's office, only stopping at an elevator that went up his tower before she gestured at the control panel, "His office will be on the top floor and he's been expecting you, so don't be afraid to head right on in. Good luck with the Headmaster, Mr. Kurosaki." And with that the professor walked away, with Ichigo only raising an eyebrow at her serious demeanor. He decided to not let it get to him and stepped into the elevator, pressing a button to take him to the top of the tower.

He tapped his foot as the elevator went up the tower, humming to himself as he waited to get to the headmasters office. He stopped when the elevator finally found itself at the last floor, opening up to reveal Ozpin's office. 'He certainly seems to have a bit of a fetish for the clockwork theme...' And on that, Ichigo could certainly agree. He couldn't help but find it just a bit much that the man's window behind his desk was a clock, with cogs and wheels to work a clock being above them and the floor being, you guessed it, themed after a clock.

And of course, sitting behind the desk in front of his clock themed window for his clock office, was Ozpin himself. The man seemed a bit amused as he presented a small smile with a slight twinkle in his own eyes, having noticed the way Ichigo's eyes bounced around to the various different pieces of clock aesthetic. The older man's gaze flickered to the hilt on his back before widening just a bit for a moment, his gaze then returning to Ichigo, "Its a pleasure to meet you Ichigo, though, do you mind if I use your first name?" The carrot top shook his head and his smile widened just a little bit more, "Wonderful. Tai has told me you need my assistance with putting your skills to use. May I have a look at your blade?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the request but did as he was asked silently, taking Zangetsu from his back and showing off the flat of the large blade to the aging headmaster. His eyes seemed to light up with recognition, pressing a button at his desk that locked the elevator in place behind Ichigo. The substitute couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at the silver-haired man, the headmaster looking at him apologetically before he leaned on the desk with his elbows and clasped his hands together, "I'm sorry, but you're not quite what I was expecting. It's been quite some time since I last encountered a soul reaper, it's good to see they still exist."

Ichigo stared at the man with wide eyes in silence, the quincy aspect of Zangetsu staying silent. 'What... the... fuck? What the fuck did this old bastard just say?' And the carrot top couldn't blame White for his reaction. 'Be careful with him, King. If he knows what our blade is and what a soul reaper is...' Then he could be far more dangerous than the kind old headmaster he presented himself as.

The substitute kept his blade unsheathed and by his side, his grip relaxed and his left foot shifting forward while a soft violet glow began to build up on his sword, "That so? Wasn't aware that there used to be other soul reapers around here. How'd ya figure out I was a soul reaper anyway?"

"It was quite simple once I saw the blade. I have seen many things in my time, but I have only ever seen one type of metal with that sort of appearance. Granted, not all zanpakuto had it, but it seemed fairly common for those that weren't sealed." The headmaster still seemed incredibly relaxed, despite how blatantly Ichigo was about charging up a potential attack. "Soul reapers used to be quite common in this world, and quite essential for keeping the living safe. Not long after the two brothers left though, they seemed to disappear, as did their ancient enemy. Considering everything that changed though after my passing, it only became one more change on a list of many."

The young soul reaper could only blink at the man while both spirits of his zanpakuto stayed silent as they processed the information, deciding to let Ichigo handle the conversation alone, "After your passing? Two brothers? What the hell are you going on about?! If you passed away, then you have no damn business still being around!" He considered that perhaps he was simply a spirit as well before banishing such a thought, knowing others would have found it suspicious at his lack of aging. Had he found himself a gigai perhaps? Despite his fathers status as being born a spirit, he had still aged during his time in his gigai.

"You would be completely right, I do have no business still being alive, sadly I didn't exactly get a say in the matter." Here the mans warm gaze seemed to darken ever so silently, the smile going from warm to sad as it became smaller and thinned, a slight hint of bitterness in his gaze as his shoulders slumped just a tad, "If I did, I would've gladly stayed dead and avoided all the problems being brought back had brought me, and others." His voice had lowered as he spoke, the pain all too obvious to the teen.

Ichigo frowned and sheathed his zanpakuto, having a feeling Ozpin wasn't truly a threat even though he stayed somewhat wary. He was confident he could handle him if he did end up being one (In part due to Ozpin's calming presence), though he doubted it was going to come to that, "I'm sorry to hear that. How about instead of being cryptic, you give me some answers and explain the situation to the best of your ability, yeah?"

The older man pursed his lips, losing his smile as he began to get lost in thought before silently shaking his head, "No, at least not yet." The man shook his head, shaking off the thoughts of the past as he brought back a smile, though it seemed much weaker now, "Knowing you're a soul reaper however, that gives me a few ideas to work with on how to put your powers to better use."


While Ichigo was dealing with Ozpin and the strange news he had received, Yang was preparing for her year of schooling at Beacon while she gathered up some extra items to take long with her to the academy for the form room, a year she would be sharing with her younger sister surprisingly enough. Despite the fact that she hadn't expected such an event to occur, she couldn't help but be proud of her. The blonde was confident the silver eyed girl would excel at Beacon. If anyone would, it would be her.

On the other hand, she wasn't quite sure what she was going to do beyond her school work. She was sure things would be fine on Patch, considering her father and Ichigo would be taking care of the small island, as would her uncle Qrow for whenever he dropped in. She was sure the island would be safer than it had been in years, and all of its inhabitants were being left in great hands. If it got to a point where things were so bad that even Ichigo couldn't help, then there was very little she would be able to do about it even if she was around.

No, what she was worrying about, was Ichigo. She would be among the first to admit that at times, he infuriated her. To an extent she appreciated he wasn't like some other guys he had encountered, those who had simply paid close attention to her assets, and she could also appreciate what he was doing for the island and how she handled Ruby. She loved her little sister, truly she did, but that didn't change the fact that she could be just a bit much at times. To Ichigo's credit, he was patient with her and didn't seem to mind her weapon rants. He actually seemed to be fond of her, and that meant the world to the blonde.

However, on the other hand she couldn't help but despise his attempt at lying to her about what had happened in the forest and how much of a stubborn ass he was. She would like to think they could consider each other as friends, but the fact that he was so obviously trying to hide something only inflamed her curiosity and made her more frustrated with him. Even after weeks of living together he still didn't seem to trust her with the truth, and she couldn't help but be hurt just a bit at his lack of trust. If it was such a serious matter, she wasn't going to exactly tell other people about it without his permission.

But that didn't change the fact that he was still a friend, and he would be left behind just to do chores around the house and occasionally hunt down some grimm, while he tried to figure out whatever problems he was having, with no one but her dad for company. That was a special kind of torture that she would never wish on anyone, despite his mastery over the superior form of comedy known as puns. She was worried about the troubles he was facing, about whatever it was that forced him into a position to stay on Patch with them.

Even if, little did she know, it was simply due to an overly eccentric scientist that had goaded Ichigo into an experiment.

He didn't seem to be all that troubled by whatever it was had brought him to Patch, but it was also clear that Ichigo wasn't the type of guy who would talk about any problems he was having. She wished that she was able to help him, but there was nothing she could do with how unwilling he was to even tell the truth about what had happened in the woods. The only one that seemed to know anything about him was her father, which was better than nothing.

Even if she still wanted to help him.

As it was for the time being, there was nothing that she could do for him. Though it didn't mean she would let up at all with trying to find out what had happened and getting him to talk. She was shaken out of those thoughts by a brief increase in gravity, her brow furrowing at the feeling. It was similar to what Ichigo had done, though brief and it wasn't nearly as crushing as when she had found him in the woods. For Ichigo to begin crushing the surrounding area recklessly and knowing she and Ruby were in the area didn't make sense, considering just how careful and in control he was. Narrowing her eyes in thought, she grabbed her Ember Celica just in case and extended the gauntlets.

Ruby came out of her room not long after with a look of confusion on her face, the silver eyed girl eyeing the Ember Celica with a frown soon after. She went back into her room and grabbed Crescent Rose, keeping it in its more compact gun form. "Stay inside and wait." Her younger sister nodded and went back into her room while Yang made her way down the stairs, the older sister preparing each shotgun gauntlet to fire. Stepping out the front door, she frowned as she saw her concerns may have been warranted with the stranger standing out front.

A sword laid at his hip with a hilt wrapped in green while an odd white helmet sat on the top of his head, though both his hands remained in his pockets and the man himself seemed relatively relaxed, if not bored. He wore a white jacket with a matching pair of jeans, and Yang kept her guard up and her aura raised and at the ready as she called out, "Can't say I appreciate having a stranger trespass out of the blue. Mind explaining yourself?" He didn't seem to react much to her presence, green eyes staring at her with a near dead look in his eye before sighing.

"I am looking for a man by the name of Ichigo Kurosaki. Dressed in black, spiky orange hair, stubborn. Would you happen to have seen him?" The fact that he was looking for Ichigo only made her tense up more. He didn't seem to be all that bothered though by her reaction, keeping his hands tucked away and, more importantly, his sword was still sheathed. It seemed she had taken a bit too long to answer, the stranger increasing the gravity of the surrounding area at her silence, "I asked you a question, girl. Have you seen this man?"

The aspiring huntress licked her lips in anticipation before she answered, shifting about on her feet uneasily, "Yeah, and he isn't around right now. What do you want with Ichigo?" She raised an eyebrow and took a step back when he removed one of his pale hands from his pockets, though he didn't make a move to grab the sword he had at his side.

"I have some unfinished business with him. If he isn't here at the moment, would you mind directing me to where he currently is?"

Yangs lips set in a line, the teen shaking her head no at the pale stranger, "Sorry, but I'm not letting you go after him. If you want to get to Ichigo, you're gonna have to wait for him to get back. And there's no way in hell I'm letting you stay anywhere near here." Behind the stranger she could see Ruby had finally gotten behind him, aiming Crescent Rose at his back with a glare in her eye. Neither of the two sisters were going to allow some stranger to be a potential threat to their friend.

The pale stranger sighed and shook his head, his expressionless face shifting into a small frown as he looked at her, "It's a shame that trash like you has the will to try and defy me. Perhaps if I were to harm the two of you Ichigo would come out to find me so we could finish our business." All of a sudden, both Yang and Ruby found themselves getting quite well acquainted with the ground.

'Can't... breathe!' It was just like what Ichigo had done in the forest, except now it was being done with malicious intent. Ruby's eyes were wide as she tried to muster the strength to stand under such pressure, while once again Yang's eyes turned crimson and her semblance activated at the damage occurring from the increase in pressure. She slowly began to stand up as anger began to course through her veins at the sight of her younger sister struggling to breathe, her semblance and aura working overtime and making her able to breathe. It almost felt easier than it had last time Ichigo had done it, though she didn't spare much thought for why it was easier.

She cocked her right arm back and began to fire at the stranger, before jabbing both arms forward over and over again as she fired projectile after projectile at the stranger. She stopped to reload and wait for the smoke to clear, the pressure having lightened after she fired off her barrage. She was disappointed when instead of seeing their attacker crippled or at least hurt, he was standing with a raised eyebrow, "How intriguing. You actually have the strength to stand. No matter." He disappeared before her eyes with a buzz, only to appear right in front of her with a hand raised and ready to jab forward, "You are still nothing more than trash."

She could barely hear her younger sister in the background as she cried out her name, though there was nothing for her to worry over. The pale stranger was forced to jump back as Ichigo brought Zangetsu down where he stood, the massive blade creating a small crater as it crashed into the ground. Yang fell back as her eyes went back to their normal lilac, eyes wide in terror at the fact that she had come so close to being killed. Ruby was soon at her side in a blur of red, while Ichigo stood protectively in front of the two sisters.

Ichigo's own eyes were wide with shock while rage coursed through his veins, the soul reaper snarling out but a name. "Ulquiorra!"


Blah blah, been a while, yes yes busy with life, all that jazz. No I'm not dead, but I think y'all know at this point it can be difficult for me to get inspiration. And god damn was it difficult to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with this chapter. Its not amazing, but I hope y'all enjoy.