Sssshhh.....

Rain fell heavily from the dark, cloudy sky.

Tap...tap...tap...tap...

A certain ginger sat down on one of the many sinking buildings surrounding him.

From a distance....he would look like someone intimidating.

From up close though....he looked like someone who was.....lost.

Alone...

Broken...

His clothes was a simple black yukata and hakama pants.

Black bandages covered his right arm ending at his wrist.

His right eye was scarred; a pale, blurred brown. Unseeing.

The large scar ran up from his chin to his eyebrow.

His orange locks were a bit messy and long; he never bothered to care for something so trivial.

He stared at the sinking buildings beneath the barrier of water near his feet.

.....Tap...tap...tap...tap...

He didn't acknowledge the person approaching him.

"Ichigo...."

The gravely voice filled the area.

A single dead, brown eye lifted up slowly; he, Kurosaki Ichigo, spoke, voice raspy.

"Zangetsu."

The other, Zangetsu gazed at Ichigo with sad yet stern eyes through his shades; his black cloak fluttered in the non-existent wind

"Stand up, Ichigo."

The ginger tensed, but he didn't mov--

"Oi, a**hole! Get the f*** up!"

Ichigo was slightly started as a pale hand reached down and grasped the back of his black, Shinigami uniform; he was hoisted to his feet, and he stumbled slightly.

The ginger turned his head back and glared, some of his emotions returning to him.

"What the he**, man?!"

A negative, mirror image of Ichigo glared right back; golden irises surrounded by black burned furiously.

"This isn't like you, a**wipe! Where's the idiot that's always yelling in my ear and kicking enemy a**!?"

Ichigo blinked owlishly.

"Wha--? What the f*** are you talking about, Hakuryuu?"

The ginger's reflection, Hakuryuu, smacked his forehead and looked over at Zangetsu.

"Un-f***ing-believable! Zangetsu, the brat's brain-dead now!"

Zangetsu shook his head.

"Be patient with hi--"

"No. I've had enough of this bullsh**! He can't just keep moping and crying his f***ing tears out! It's raining so d*** much here and the buildings are sinking!"

Hakuryuu whacked Ichigo on the back of his head.

"Listen here, dipsh**! I.......I hate seeing you like this, so man the f*** up and deal with it!"

Golden eyes softened ever so slightly; Ichigo stared with shock.

The ginger glanced to the side.

"B-Ba...ka.....don't you...dare....cry....."

Rukia.

"O-Oi, a**hole...lo...ok out...for...the...others...for me...."

Renji.

"Stand up....once more, Kurosaki."

Byakuya.

Ichigo looked up at at the grey sky above and took in a deep breath.

The rain falling above calmed to a drizzle.

Ichigo rubbed his eyes tiredly, brushing his long, orange locks out of his face; he chuckled softly.

"Ah, sorry about the rain."

The ginger gave a lopsided grin to his partners.

"Yosh! I'm ready."

Hakuryuu smirked and punched Ichigo's shoulder lightly.

"Now that's what I wanna f***ing hear!"

Ichigo made eye contact with Zangetsu and bowed his head politely; his Quincy powers merely smiled slightly and nodded back.

The ginger woke up.

~~

Ichigo coughed into his hand, squinting his eyes at the smoke around him.

He had stepped out of his temporary sleeping spot, a small cave, near....the edge of an old battlefield.....

Ashes fell from the sky like snow.

He trudged through sighing softly.

The smoke cleared up slightly and he saw the near-empty battlefield.

Blood, broken blades, craters and large cuts littered the ground.

All of his friends and enemies have disappeared and turned into reishi, or in other terms: spirit matter.

He paused and glanced up at the gray sky above and reached a hand back to touch one of the hilts of his swords. His two Zangetsu swords were strapped to his back with black bandages and white bandages.

"......Guess I'll head to Kisuke's....."

~~

His town in the Human World wasn't any better.

People had thought an earthquake had come through and messed it all up.

They'd never know the truth....

Yhwach, the Quincy leader, had a few powerful tricks up his sleeve.

He escaped Ichigo.

Apparently, killing the man didn't go as planned; he destroyed everything.

Yhwach slowly weakened for some reason, and that was all Ichigo needed to strike him down.

But it was far too late.

Eight years.

Eight f***ing years of seeing everyone die, scream, cry and simply just shut down for good.

~~

Tap.

Ichigo landed before a rundown shop.

Ururu and Jinta were simple kids; they died in the first two years of the Quincy war.

Clunk.

The ginger slid the door open, watching as dust drifted through the air of the empty, silent shop.

"H-Hello, Kurosaki-san."

"Hey, Carrot-head!"

Ichigo was hit with nostalgia, but he swallowed and shook his head.

He entered the shop and shut the door behind him, causing him to be surrounded by darkness.

His eyes instantly adjusted as he walked through the building.

He glanced around at a few things, continuing his trek to his destination.

Ichigo slid one of the paper doors open and found a familiar room.

The ginger saw that the round table that they usually sat by was overturned; he sighed and walked over to it.

He flipped it upright and set it on its rightful spot in the room; he ran a hand over its surface as he sat down for a bit.

"Kurosaki-san~do you want to get your Shinigami powers back~?"

"That wasn't very nice. I do believe you've killed my hat."

"When you counter, it's because you fear being killed. When you attack, you fear killing. And when you protect someone, you fear you could let them die. At this point, the only thing your sword speaks is senseless fright, and that's not good. What you don't need in battle is fear. Nothing will come of it. When you counter, you don't let them cut you. When you protect someone, you don't let them die. And when you attack, you kill."

Ichigo gazed across the table.

Usually, he would come to the shop to discuss things with the perverted shopkeeper or simply just check up on things.

Now.....he was gone.

Ichigo would like to think of him as a second father in a way--someone who guided him when his blood one couldn't at the time.

The ginger sighed, snapping out of his thoughts and stood up, walking around the table.

He scanned the tatami mats before gazing at one of them.

Ichigo felt around and finally found a hidden handle; he tugged on it and opened a secret chute.

He jumped down with no hesitation.

~~

"This place is just like I remember it....."

Ichigo walked around the ridiculously large basement underneath Kisuke's shop.

The ceiling was painted like the blue sky and the area was a rocky plain.

He then saw something near the end of the room.

A giant device that was about three times the ginger's size.

Ichigo paused a few meters away from it.

He then reached into the folds of his uniform, pulling a crumpled letter out.

The ginger's lone eye scanned the paper.

Hey~Ichigo-san~!
Look, I'm saying your name and not 'Kurosaki' like you wanted me to~! Anyways, down to the serious business. If you're reading this....well.....I guess I'm dead and you found my body. Heh....I wasn't very careful this time. Oh well. Ichigo-san, this is going to be a very urgent mission. Once you have found this note, I need you to head my shop's basement. Down there, at the end of the room, you'll find a large machine. Walk towards it. Believe it or not....I've made a time machine. I know that smart brain of yours is already putting the pieces together. Yes. I want you to go back in time....and stop all of this. Save everyone. I know....this is selfish of me, but I know you can do it. I believe in you. We all do. You're always a miracle worker, Ichigo-san! Never think otherwise, and I'm sure your Inner Spirits would say the same. Now, when you make your way to the machine, you'll see a little table-like device. Place your hand onto the tablet and the machine will instantly recognize your reiatsu. It'll activate and open a portal up for you to step through. But don't worry about the date of when you'll appear--I've already set that up. I won't tell you when you'll appear in the timeline--it's a surprise~! Anyways, when you step through....I can't guarantee that this will be a safe trip to the past--I have, after all, made this machine in a bit of a rush before my death. So the ride will be...'bumpy'; you'll most-likely get injured--maybe even seriously. Just....hopefully you'll be in safe hands when you arrive....and well....stay strong. It'll be hard....seeing them all again. They won't know who you are, but it doesn't mean you can be friends with them. Maybe you'll be able to start off on their good sides. And don't try to be the hero all of the time--don't bear this burden on your own! Try to seek help from others even though they don't exactly know what's going on. I'm rooting for ya', scary kid.

Best of luck,
Hat n' Clogs (Haha! See, I used your nickname!)

Ichigo smiled slightly at the note before stuffing it back into his uniform.

His gaze turned to the table-like device on the side of the large machine.

He did what was said in the instructions and placed his hand on the surface.

There was a brief, light blue glow around his finger tips and palm.

There was a soft click before the machine activated.

A white light came from the gate-like machine that was similar to the doors of the Shinigami, or Senkaimon.

Ichigo stepped away briefly and gazed at the bright light.

He glanced once behind himself.

....And turned his gaze forward and murmured to himself.

"I will not fail."

He could've sworn he heard the distant voices of his friends as he stepped through the gate.

Good luck.