Because my ideas have changed for the beginning, I am rewriting this book. I have better ideas. I do hope people will like the new version.
- Ice Changes the Story -
"Shit. Shit. Fuck!" Toshiro coughed up a worrying amount of blood. He sits up, his entire body aching. His stomach was pouring out blood as there was a wooden spike into his wound. He leaned against the rubble which was a wall. His dull turquoise eyes took in the destruction of the Seireitei.
The air crackled with residual reiryoku(1), heavy with the scent of copper and smoke. The once proud building of the Gotei 13 lays in ruins, their elegant structures reduced to crumbling facades amidst a sea of ashes and rubble.
Columns of smoke rose into the sky, casting dark shadows over the once bright and pale streets of the Seireitei. The sounds of crackling flames, haunting reminders of the fierce conflict that raged through the heart of Soul Society.
Everywhere he looked, there were signs of chaos and destruction. The towering spires of the Seireitei had been reduced to the twisted wreckage, their once gleaming surface now blackened and scorched by the fires of war. The streets were littered with fallen bodies, both ally and foe, their still forms serving as silent witnesses to the carnage that had unfolded.
Toshiro felt a surge of anger, hatred and regret welling within him. This was his home, his responsibility, and it was destroyed. Everyone around him was killed off. Every Shinigami and Soul was killed. Killed by a traitor, a traitor that was sealed away in Muken.
Sosuke Aizen had returned and attacked when no one was prepared, no survivors, only Toshiro had survived. Toshiro gets up, stumbling around. His breathing, heavy and rough.
His pure white hair, usually clean styled, now hung limp and matted against his forehead, darkened by sweat and the grime of battle, stained with crimson. Bruises marred the smooth surface of his skin, their angry hues contracting starkly against the pallor of his complexion.
Toshiro's breathing was shallow and ragged, each inhalation a struggle against the weight of his injuries. Despite his efforts to remain stoic, occasional grimaces of pain betrayed the intensity of his suffering, his hands clenched tightly at his sides.
He stumbled through the wreckage of the Seireitei, each step felt like an arduous journey through a nightmare. His usually composed demeanour was shattered, replaced by a dishevelled figure whose every moment was plagued by the searing pain of his injuries. Blood not only seeped from his stomach wound, but from multiple injuries, it was a miracle that he is still breathing, especially moving. Blood seeped from numerous wounds, staining his once pristine captain's uniform. Parts of his body frozen and some parts going blue.
Due to low reiryoku, his body was suffering from hyperthermia. His body went numb with every step but Toshiro was determined to find someone alive.
Around him, the once proud structures of the Seireitei lay in ruins, their shattered remains a stark testament to the ferocity of the battle that had raged through the Soul Society. The air was thick with the unpleasant stench of smoke and the sickening scent of death, a grim reminder of the devastation that had befallen his home.
With each stumbling step, Toshiro's strength decreased further, his body protesting against the strain of his injuries. He stumbled over fallen rubble, his movement unsteady and erratic as he fought to keep himself upright. Each breath was a struggle, the weight of his solitude bearing down upon him like a crushing burden.
As he wandered through the desolation, Toshiro's mind was consumed by a sense of overwhelming despair. Where once there had been bustling streets filled with the laughter of his comrades, there was now only silence and emptiness. He was alone, the sole survivor amidst the ruins of his once proud home.
Memories flashed through his mind, fleeting glimpses of faces long gone, voices silenced by the merciless tide of war. His heart ached with grief for the fallen, for the friends and comrades who fought alongside him and now lay cold and lifeless in the rubble.
Toshiro collapsed against the once powerful building of the 1st Division. The Soutaichou(2), Shunsui Kyoraku, and Co-Fukutaichous(3), Nanao Ise and Genshiro Okikiba, lay a few feet away from Toshiro, completely slaughtered without a second thought.
Tears fell down the once proud genius, which froze over when they hit the ground. Toshiro was all alone. No one was around.
As Toshiro sat against the wreckage of the 1st Division, the world around him began to tremble as if the fabric of existence itself was unravelling. The ground beneath him shook violently, sending showers of the rubble to fall around him like rain.
In the distance, he could see the skies darkening, clouds swirling ominously as the boundaries between the three worlds began to blur and distort. The once stable equilibrium that had held the World of the Living, the Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo in balance was crumbling, torn apart by the chaos and destruction wrought by the battles.
Toshiro's heart dropped with dread as he watched the world he had sworn to protect unravel before his eyes. He knew that if the balance was not restored, the consequences would be catastrophic, spelling doom not only for Soul Society but for all existence.
Amidst the chaos, a rift tore open in the sky, like a garganta but not a garganta, a gaping maw of darkness that seemed to swallow the very essence of reality itself. From within its depths emerged a figure shrouded in darkness, a being of unimaginable power whose very presence sent shivers down Toshiro's spine.
As the figure drew closer, Toshiro's breath caught his throat. This was no ordinary person, this was the Soul King, the God that held the worlds together. But now, in the aftermath of destruction, even the mighty ruler of the Soul Society seemed powerless to stop the cataclysm that threatened to consume everything in its path.
As the Soul King walked out of the rift, their appearance was shown. Toshiro found himself struck by not only the immense power radiating from the being but also by its striking appearance. The Soul King was a vision of ethereal beauty and power, his features sculpted with an otherworldly elegance that seemed to defy mortal comprehension.
His regal countenance was framed by flowing locks of celestial silverish blonde, cascading around him like a shimmering cloak. Eyes as deep and unfathomable as the night sky regarded Toshiro with a mixture of wisdom and sorrow, their gaze piercing the chaos with an otherworldly intensity.
Every movement of the Soul King seemed to carry with it an aura of majesty and grace, as if it were a being not bound by the laws of mortal existence but rather a force of nature unto themself. Their presence commanded respect and reverence, inspiring awe in all who beheld him.
Though their form was cloaked in robes of the purest white, they seem to shift and shimmer like the surface of a distant galaxy, hinting at the boundless power that lay dormant within them. It was as if they were a living embodiment of the cosmos itself, a being of infinite potential and unfathomable depths.
Yet, despite their awe-inspiring appearance, there was a profound sadness that seemed to linger around the Soul King, a weight of responsibility that no mortal could ever hope to comprehend. For he was not merely a ruler or a deity but rather the linchpin that held the very fabric of reality together, burdened with the weight of the countless worlds and the lives that inhabited them.
The Soul King walked over to Toshiro, stepping over the bodies of the fallen warriors who sacrificed themselves in order to protect the Soul Society. The golden eyes of the King stared deeply into his turquoise eyes.
"Hitsugaya-Taichou(4)." The Soul King spoke, their voice heavenly with a mixture of both male and female. The Soul King was a being where gender was not known as a male or female can take the role of the Soul King.
"Y-Your Majesty." Toshiro spoke in surprise as he went to move to bow but the hands of the Soul King stopped him. "Do not move Hitsugaya-Taichou, you have sustained multiple heavy injuries to be moving recklessly."
Toshiro swallowed the sickening mixture of saliva and blood in his throat. "I apologise for failing to protect the Soul Society." The Soul King sighs softly as they glance around the area, the crumbling world of the Soul Society, knowing that the World of the Living, Hueco Mundo, Hell and the Soul King Realm are doing the exact same thing as the Soul Society is doing.
"Do not blame yourself, Hitsugaya-Taichou. No one saw this coming. The one to blame is Sosuke Aizen." The Soul King took a deep breath. "But we don't have time to waste about the situation. The worlds are collapsing, including the Soul King Realm." Their voice serious.
"The threads of fate have been fried, and the very fabric of reality is in jeopardy." Toshiro closed his eyes in anguish and sadness. "Is there anything we can do, your majesty?"
"There is one thing." The Soul King spoke, healing Toshiro's wounds. "There is a power that every Soul King before me has kept sealed away in the Soul King Realm." Toshiro blinked in surprise, his jaw dropping slightly.
"Such power exists?" The Soul King nodded, helping Toshiro up onto his feet.
"A power that goes beyond my power as the Soul King, every Soul King has put a tiny amount of power into the seal." They said, holding Toshiro's freshly healed shoulder and teleported the both of them to the Soul King Realm.
The realm itself, where time itself seemed to stand still and the very essence of existence hung in delicate balance, the signs of decay were unmistakable. What was once a place of serene tranquillity and boundless potential now on the brink of collapsing, its once pristine halls now echoing with the ominous rumble of impending doom.
The Soul King guided Toshiro to a secure location, hidden in the clouds. In front of them is a mysterious door.
The door loomed tall and imposing, its surface weathered by the passage of countless ages yet still radiating an aura of undeniable power. Runes danced across its surface like flickering flames, their luminescent glow casting eerie shadows that seemed to writhe and twist with a life of their own.
"This, Hitsugaya-taichou, is the last solution to saving our worlds." The Soul King said, putting their hand on the door which the runes glowed upon impact. Toshiro took one look at the door, instantly feeling the tremendous power radiating from the door. "W-What is it?" Toshiro asked, feeling intimidated.
"This is the last resolve, the back up plan that every Soul King has powered since the beginning of time." The Soul King commented, their golden eyes glancing at the door before returning to the child-turned-adult. "A forbidden power only to be used in times such as these."
The Soul King smirked slightly as their golden eyes glowed, showing the power that still remains. "Toshiro Hitsugaya, not only as the Soul King but as someone who was a normal soul such as yourself, I would like for you to come with me."
"Go with you, to where?!" Toshiro asked, not understanding what the Soul King was asking of him. "To the past." The Soul King commented.
Toshiro's world froze as his jaw dropped. "T-To the p-past? What do you mean?!"
"This door, Hitsugaya-taichou, is a portal to travel through time. It was invented by the first Soul King million of years ago. It is an absolute emergency solution, one that can never be reversed." The Soul King explained the seriousness of the plan. "I can't exactly be in the Soul Society in the past but I can have someone like you sent there. But there will be risks-"
"I don't care about the risks! The worlds are collapsing, if we waste anymore time, we are doomed! If there is anything I can do, your Majesty, I will do it in a heartbeat!" Toshiro interrupted the Soul King, very serious and confident of his decision.
The Soul King closed their eyes for a moment before nodding. "Once you go to the past, there is no return to the present." The Soul King gave one more warning which Toshiro nodded in an understanding.
The Soul King nodded before turning to the door and opening it before walking through the door with Toshiro following. Once the two walked in, the doors slammed shut before shattering into many pieces.
As Toshiro walked through the darkness, he felt power merging with him, tremendous power. He almost collapsed from the heaviness if it weren't for the Soul King grabbing him in time.
"Be careful, Hitsugaya-Taichou. If you fall, you'll forever be lost." The Soul King warned the prodigy. "R-Right." Toshiro gasped out. The Soul King sighed and decided to explain further.
"What you are feeling is the power of every Soul King in existence. Half of the power that has ever been transferred to the door is now being merged into your body." The Soul King started to explain more. "Do not worry, Hitsugaya-taichou. Your body won't rip apart. Unlike it would have if you used your adult form before you were meant to."
Toshiro followed, unaware that his adult form is reverting back to his child form. "It won't?" "No, it won't. I will be in the Soul King Realm, monitoring you and the balance. Although…. When you get to the past, I will have to order Squad Zero to not kill you and to take care of hollows." They sighed. "Your powers will be held back to prevent more damage to your child body."
Toshiro glanced down to see that his form is now a child. He sighed and nodded. "Understandable."
"Just know, Hitsugaya-taichou, your body will have the power of your previous self and what you do with your new self, the Soul King's power you have in your body prevents your body from ripping apart, that's the only reason why the power will stay in your body." The Soul King warned him. "And another thing you should know…"
Toshiro looked at them, in anticipation as to what the Soul King would say. "Your body in this new timeline will be destroyed by your presence." Toshiro blinked in surprise before nodding. "That makes sense."
Toshiro walked out of the glowing portal and saw that he was in a familiar, but unfamiliar, forest. He instantly knew he was in the past. He glanced down and saw that he was in a greenish-blue kimono with no shoes on.
"I'm in the Rukongai, district 1, Junrinan. I'm home." Toshiro spoke to himself, smiling softly.
1 - Reiryoku means "Spiritual Power" but also relates to "Spiritual energy" and also the thing which Shinigami channel through their Zanpakuto.
2 - Soutaichou means Head Captain.
3 - Fukutaichou means Lieutenant.
4 - Taichou means Captain.