Chapter Text
Looking around made the situation penetrate his mind, there was nothing left of the world that he had lived in once upon a time. Keeping himself upright on Zangetsu, Ichigo looked at the dark sky and the blackened earth around him.
Nothing was alive, he knew that much even without letting his spiritual pressure seek out any sign of life. Once or twice he believed to be feeling something, only to find out it was his mind playing tricks on him. This mostly happened when he saw someone dear to him, lost to the war that had been raging and that had taken everything that upheld the balance.
“I almost wished that Aizen was the worst thing we needed to deal with.”
Looking at the prison chair that he passed once he was able to heave himself up, he knew that the person who had been in it had long since passed. Even with their differences and all the things that he had done; Aizen still wanted to live. Losing his life wouldn’t bring him anything. So he had been released and fought when they needed him.
“You know as well as I do, King, that the reason Aizen was the least of our worries was because of everything still coming after him.”
Hearing the distorted voice from inside his mindscape, he hummed, that had been true. After all; Aizen and the Arancar had seemed like such a big battle. The Winter War was the reason he lost his powers the first time around.
“It also helped you to become stronger.”
Nodding, Ichigo looked out from where he was standing, “I know that. I’m aware that things need to happen to a certain degree. However, if things did go differently, if we went about it differently maybe this didn’t need to happen.”
Thinking back about losing his powers, and about the Fullbring that he discovered through it. Followed not long after that by the Quincy who wanted to avenge their own people for what the Shinigami had done. That alone had been the first clue that something was wrong. To know that one of the spiritual aware people had been brought to the brink of extinction needed to have some kind of consequence.
The almost extinction of the Hollows, as well as the Arrancar, because of the battle that followed brought the burden of keeping up the world and the afterlife came to rest on the shinigami and the humans. The loss of the Soul King to Ywatch didn’t help with that either, their defense was gone and that was taken advantage off.
Unprepared as they were, they had been swept up in another way before they knew what was happening. Finding out that Oni were indeed things that did live in the pits of hell, they were released when the balance was tipped. They didn’t wait long to come through to the Living World and Soul Society, killing and eating everything on their path.
Because of their nature, none of the souls they ate were allowed into the reincarnation cycle, they just ceased to exist. Which made it all the harder to find people that could help out in the war against them.
Sighing, Ichigo bent down to close the eyes of his best friend, biting back tears at seeing Sado’s strong body so broken. The man’s arms, which he used to protect himself and their friends, had been torn from his body, laying a bit away.
“I’m so sorry, Chad. I never meant to involve you in things like this.”
Shaking his head he knew that Chad would scoff if he was here. Telling Ichigo that he would do it all again. That they were brothers, not by blood, but by the herd and as such would always be there for the other.
All those years fighting side by side had gotten them both through some horrible situations. it had given them a bond, and it had meant his death.
“I hope you at least find peace, wherever you are.”
He knew that this wouldn’t be the case, that those the Oni ate would never find peace. But he hoped that this still was the case when their soul ceased to exist, that they at least had that. He comforted himself with knowing that; with keeping that in mind.
Passing by Orihime and Uryu, he gave them the same treatment. Pressing a kiss to Orihime’s forehead, for all that they had dated and even were married briefly, they both decided that this wasn’t something they would want for the rest of their lives. Ichigo was too accident prone, would be involved with so many things that there was no way that he would stay out of any conflict that came for them, or their friends.
Orihime was still a pacifist, and it showed in the way that she stayed behind to look after the children. At least until an attack of the Oni killed them. Killed their own son, and Renji and Rukia’s daughter. Took a new generation that didn’t even get a chance to grow.
She became vicious, although it broke something in her that he never wanted to see broken.
Finding her so close to Uryu wasn’t a surprise, he was well aware that they had been seeing each other. Once their divorce was finalized he pushed her towards their friend knowing that she would be much happier in his arms than she had ever been in his.
“I hope you’re happy now too, Hime. I know you went above and beyond to avenge our son, he would talk nonstop about what a bad ass his mother was.”
Closing her eyes too, he tried to keep away from the fact that most of her body was missing. That she, together with Uryu, took out a whole hoard by themselves in an effort to keep their loved ones safe.
Seeing his sisters and father among those fallen around them brought a warm feeling to his chest. Knowing that at least they had all been together.
Hefting his sword at the noise coming from in front of him, a part of him wasn’t even surprised to find a garganta opening up in front of him. The man appeared through it, though, he was a surprise.
“Kisuke…”
The blond grinned, “Hello, Ichigo.”
Taking in the other man, Ichigo winced at the blood he could see seeping through his dark green clothes. It was obviously a serious wound, by the looks of it. The paleness of Kisuke’s skin let him know that he had lost quite a lot of blood.
“Kisuke, you need to rest.”
Kisuke shook his head, “There is no time. You know as well as I that everything is lost. That I won’t be walking off of this battlefield this time around.”
Touching the scars on his face from the Thousand Year Blood War, Kisuke grimaced, “Not even Benihime was able to stitch me back together this time. It really is the end,”
Shaking his head, Ichigo approached the other man to tuck his head underneath a scruffy chin, “I’m glad that if this is the end, at least I get to have it with you.”
Feeling Kisuke shake his head, Ichigo pulled back a scowl on his face which only grew as he noticed the look in the other’s gray eyes.
“Just because it’s the end for me, does not mean it’s the end for you, Ichi. We both know that if there was someone out there able and willing to change the tide of time, it would be you. IT can only be you.”
Narrowing his eyes, Ichigo followed when Kisuke beckoned him to do so. Treading carefully as he entered the garganta, breathing in the air of Hueco Mundo when he arrived there. Sighing when they looked upon Los Noches and seeing the once great castle in ruins.
“They even managed to get here.”
Kisuke nodded, “They managed to get to every plane. The knowledge that both of us survived is nothing short of a miracle. But then again, you are known to pull the impossible out of thin air. That’s one of the reasons it has to be you.”
A grim look appeared on his face, “I… I know I wouldn’t be able to do much, Ichi. Not with all the horror I already saw before this all happened. There is no way that I would be able to live through it all, knowing what was to come.”
Placing his hands on Ichigo’s shoulders, he pulled him close, pressing their lips together in a way that reminded Ichigo that this had happened when they were both lonely. That this, whatever it was between them, only existed because the other was the only person that understood what they had been through. As much as it pained him, Ichigo knew Kisuke was broken and had been broken for a long time. To send him back would be suicide, as his mind just wouldn’t be able to take it.
“It has to be me.”
Kisuke nodded, “You’re the only one left that’s strong enough to do what needs to be done. The only one that knows what will come and act accordingly.”
Placing his hand on the middle of Ichigo’s chest, he added, “Plus it’ll be your soul that will get sent back and I know your zanpakutos won’t let you go without them. They’ll be there every step of the way.”
“He got that right.”
Grinning slightly, he nodded, “They would indeed.”
Kisuke nodded, “I will be able to send you back to when it all began. To the time when your soul was released for the first time. Back when you lost Rukia’s powers and needed to get your own. “
Worrying his lip between his teeth, he added, “I can’t promise that it will be an uneventful ride. This has never been done before, but I guess it might hurt.”
Shrugging, Ichigo sighed, “What else is new.”
The look in gray eyes told him that while Kisuke knew why he said that, his lover didn’t like the knowledge that Ichigo was so used to pain. That he didn’t even give any outwards sign that the pain became too much. After so many battles and so many years surrounded by bloodshed and sustaining wounds that should have killed him a long time again, Ichigo was used to it all.
“I’ll miss you.”
Kisuke nodded, “I know you will, but you know that as we were we never would have lasted.”
Humming, Ichigo brushed a stray lock of hair behind an ear, finding it odd to see flaxen hair hanging loose without the bucket hat Kisune normally wore.
“I know that, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t miss you.”
Pulling him closer, pressing their lips together in one sweet kiss, Kisuke took a step back, “Maybe younger me is able to give you the love you deserve, Ichi.”
Blinking, Ichigo felt a pull from behind him. Looking back he saw a matrix drawn by blood. One that was sucking in everything in its path, including him.
“Kisuke…”
The blond shook his head, “That was the only way, Ichigo, when you wake up you’ll be down the shaft in my training room. About 2 days after Rukia was taken back to Soul Society to await her execution. You know what needs to be done, you know what’s on the line.”
Eyes held his own gaze until the matrix swallowed him whole, the feeling of being pulled in different directions excruciating. Even if he knew that it was for a good cause, he was also aware that the pain he was feeling was his body being torn apart. To free up his soul to merge with the one in his younger self.
When he did lose consciousness, it was to the feeling of two pairs of arms around him. The slightly distorted voice of his hollow crooning his ear, while his Quincy powers - Old Man Zangetsu - was there as a silent means of power. Keeping them all together as they descended into the past.