Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach franchise, it is owned by Tite Kubo.

Eine Veranderte Welt

Prologue

"I exist to serve."

Jugram Haschwalth knelt before the stepped dais, his head bowed, and shadows flickering over his form from the light cast by the reishi flames of the widely-spaced crystal lamps set in the throne room's walls. The throne floated above the dais, the black-cloaked figure of Yhwach, Emperor of the Vandenreich and Father of the Quincy seated regally upon it.

"I have a special task for you, Haschwalth." Yhwach began.

"Command me, Your Majesty." Haschwalth responded formally.

"As you know we still have some months before the first of the planned offensive actions against the Soul Society begins." Yhwach said. "All preparations are proceeding smoothly, and victory seems guaranteed. However…there remain…a few possible variables that must be accounted for."

"The Special War Powers…?" Haschwalth said, raising his head. Yhwach nodded and Haschwalth continued. "Ichigo Kurosaki: latent ability. Kenpachi Zaraki: fighting strength. Ichibee Hyousube: wisdom. Sousuke Aizen: spiritual pressure. And Kisuke Urahara: means."

"Originally our plan was to neutralize these variables during operations, either by recruiting them or destroying them." Yhwach said, his eyes narrowing. "However there is equal if not greater merit to neutralizing them by either means before operations are launched, is that not so, Haschwalth?"

"It is as you say, Your Majesty." Haschwalth agreed. "It would certainly reduce the risk they pose to our operations if they could be removed as threats one way or another beforehand. Of course, we must do so in a tempered fashion. It would not do to tip our hand before our preparations are complete."

"Indeed…" Yhwach said with a smile. "…however an opportunity to do so has appeared before us, what with that pathetic fool Kuugo Ginjou making his moves to awaken Ichigo Kurosaki's Fullbring abilities, nurture them, and then steal them for his own purposes."

"Do you wish for me to remove their interference?"

"Not quite…" Yhwach said. "…let them do as they please."

Haschwalth looked quite shocked at that, and Yhwach's smile grew. "Let them do as they please." He reiterated. "But I want you nearby, just out of sight until the right time. You know as well as I do Ichigo Kurosaki's character. When the betrayal comes, he will no doubt seek to deliver…retribution, on Kuugo Ginjou. But without any power of his own, he will die. A satisfactory enough end for our purposes, but somewhat disappointing."

"I understand Your Majesty." Haschwalth said. "You wish for me to nurture his latent abilities as a Quincy, yes?"

"Well inferred…" Yhwach said. "…however while the differences between the Ultimate Getsuga Tenshou and the Letzt Stil means that his Quincy powers wouldn't have been completely destroyed as were his Shinigami powers, the similarities mean they are still critically-compromised. Even with your presence, it will not be enough. However…"

Yhwach paused and narrowed his eyes. "…enough will be reawakened to push him to his limit." He finished.

Haschwalth narrowed his eyes as well and bowed. "I understand Your Majesty." He said. "I will restore his powers, and plant the seeds of cooperation."

"You will do more than that." Yhwach said with a smile. "Select one of our Stern Ritter, and have her cultivate a friendship with Ichigo Kurosaki. Once the time is right, he will come before me and I shall give him his place among our ranks."

"Do you have any preferences as to who I should bring with me, Your Majesty?"

"I leave that to you, Haschwalth."

For several moments Haschwalth stayed silent, kneeling with his head bowed. And then he spoke, breaking the silence. "I believe I have the right candidate in mind Your Majesty." He said. "It might even resolve a certain issue I've had with her for a while now. It is a soldier's lot to die, and indeed to die on the battlefield in the line of duty is expected. What matters is that their death is not wasted. However, I daresay the Soldat dead by her hands are anything but not wasted."

For a moment Yhwach was silent. And then he burst laughing, deep-throated laughter echoing in his throne room. "Yes, I see your point Haschwalth." Yhwach said several moments later. "Very well, I approve your decision. You may proceed with your assigned task as soon as you are ready."

"It shall be as you command, Your Majesty."

Haschwalth bowed, and with a nod and a gesture Yhwach dismissed the Grand Master of the Stern Ritter.

"I can't believe they're making me do this." Bambietta Basterbine grumbled as she began packing her clothes. Apart from spare uniform sets and underwear, she also needed casual clothes to blend into normal Human society. Well, that wasn't too difficult, though given the nature of her life and occupation, she didn't have much to bring with her.

I suppose I can always buy more in the Living World when I have the time.

"Yoohoo, Bambi-chan…!" an annoying voice sang as another woman entered her rooms.

"Candice, I am so not in the mood!" Bambietta snapped. The blonde Stern Ritter just raised an eyebrow at the explosion of temper.

"Touchy aren't we?" Candice Catnipp pouted before grinning. "You know a little bird told me some interesting news lately. I heard that you and Haschwalth were going to the Living World to seduce the Special War Power Ichigo Kurosaki."

Bambietta's response was a few muttered expletives that Candice didn't quite catch, but it was enough confirmation. "So it is true!" she gushed. "Oh you're so lucky! Ichigo is rather hot-looking, or at least that's what I'm getting from his entry in the Daten. And he's powerful to boot, well he was, until a while back."

Bambietta stayed silent, and Candice's smile turned catlike. "So what's gotten you so worked-up?" she ask, and nudged Bambietta with an elbow. "Considering how you get rid of steam I'd expect you'd be jumping at the chance to get at Ichigo."

"Candice, you know as well as I do that I don't actually sleep with those idiots stupid enough to accept my invitations." Bambietta said acidly. "Not that they could actually say no, but I wouldn't really say that I've any experience seducing anyone."

"Just be yourself, that's all there is to it." Candice said with a shrug. She grinned as Bambietta threw her a dirty look. "And try not to blow him up along the way."

"Thanks…really, thanks a lot…" Bambietta grumbled as she resumed packing her things. With her clothes done, she just needed to pack a few more odds and ends before meeting up with Haschwalth at the departure point. "…I really appreciate your advice. It is very helpful."

"No problem…" Candice said with another shrug. "…though you shouldn't be too sarcastic though. I am genuinely trying to help you know."

"Oh really…?"

"If I wasn't, I would have brought the others here to your rooms too." Candice smugly said, and grinning as Bambietta came to a grinding halt. "Well that's probably a bit unfair to Meninas, though not so much for Liltotto or Giselle."

Bambietta stayed silent for a few moments, and then with a sigh tossed into her luggage a few more things before closing and locking it. "Thanks." She said, in all seriousness this time. "I really appreciate this, Candice."

Candice shrugged. "Well…" she said. "…we're not as close as we pretend to be, but we are friends. So I might as well help you out. And besides…"

She paused and winked at Bambietta. "I might need a favour from you some day." She said. Bambietta laughed and after a moment Candice joined in. Patting the smaller girl on a shoulder the two Quincy stepped out of Bambietta's rooms and left together for the departure point.

"Good morning everyone…!" Ochi-sensei greeted her class as she passed through the door and took her place behind her desk. After returning her greeting and returning to their seats, the student on day duty took the attendance before Ochi-sensei spoke up again. "Okay everyone we have a new student joining us today. She's an exchange student who'll only be here for a few months at most, but do try and make her welcome."

She paused and smiled in a way that was surprisingly threatening for someone as…cheerful and absent-minded as she was. "And boys…" she said. "…do try and not make trouble for her, okay?"

"Yes sensei."

Ochi-sensei nodded before turning to the door. "Okay Miss Basterbine…" she said. "…you can come in now."

The class stayed silently respectful as a girl of average height with long dark hair strode in. She wore the standard school uniform, and she looked if not happy then bored. She walked up to beside Ochi-sensei and taking an offered piece of chalk wrote out her name on the chalkboard. She then turned back to the class and gave a polite bow. "Good morning." She said. "My name is Bambietta Basterbine. Though we won't be together for long, and we haven't known each other, I hope to get along with you."

The class gave polite applause, and Ochi-sensei nodded in satisfaction. "Alright…" she said, craning her head to find an available seat. "…you can sit over there Miss Basterbine."

Bambietta nodded, and proceeded to her seat…which just so happened to be right next to Ichigo Kurosaki's. How Haschwalth managed to get her into Ichigo's class, and a spare seat right next to their quarry, was nothing short of a miracle.

Then again, he is His Majesty's second-in-command. If he couldn't pull off near-impossible feats – even as mundane as this – he wouldn't have the post.

"Hey there…" Ichigo said with a curt nod. "…my name's Ichigo Kurosaki, but don't bother calling me 'Kurosaki' or anything fancy. Just Ichigo will do."

"Uh…" Bambietta fumbled, caught off guard. "…thanks…and in that case, feel free to call me by name as well."

"Yeah sure…" Ichigo said with a friendly smile, and Bambietta found herself smiling back. In front of the glass Ochi-sensei noticed and hummed with satisfaction.

"Hmm…yes very good I see you've managed to befriend Miss Bambietta, Ichigo." She said cheerfully. "Alright, I'll have you be responsible for her while she's studying at our school."

"Wait what?" Ichigo asked, completely stupefied.

"What do you mean what, Ichigo?" Ochi-sensei said. "I thought what I said was clear enough. You've made friends with Miss Bambietta, and despite your delinquent-like appearance I know you're a responsible and trustworthy boy. So I'll have you take responsibility for Miss Bambietta while she's here."

Ochi-sensei paused. "Well…" she mused aloud. "…you did have plenty of absences a while back, but you made up for those so…"

Ochi-sensei shrugged and then beamed at Ichigo. "I'm sure you'll do just fine with Bambietta, Ichigo." She said.

"No wait…delinquent appearance aside…or all things about 'responsible and trustworthy'…" Ichigo struggled to hold his ground. "…what do you mean I'm responsible for her?"

Ochi-sensei stared at Ichigo. "It means as it sounds." She said. "You're responsible for making sure Bambietta doesn't get into trouble, knows where to go, knows where what is, and well, basically anything important and she needs to know."

Ichigo fumbled soundlessly for a few moments, and then throwing a glare to silence the snickers of his fellow classmates (except for Tatsuki who stuck her tongue out at him and Orihime who just shrugged as those saying 'what can you do'), coughed loudly before crossing his arms and starting to sulk. Bambietta couldn't help it. She laughed, and patted him on a shoulder.

"Ah don't sweat it." She said. "Look, you help me out, and I'll do the same for you alright? Or rather, I won't cause too much trouble for you."

Ichigo glanced at her, and she blinked at the surprising intensity of his gaze. The moment stretched and then passed, and Ichigo sighed before giving her a smile. "Alright…" he said. "…I keep an eye out for you while you're here."

Bambietta nodded her thanks, and then turned her attention to the front of the classroom as class began.

Maybe this won't be too bad after all.

A/N

I can't believe I'm actually writing a Bleach fic, but after the crap that was the final two chapters (rushed is the most generous adjective I'm going to give) of the manga, I have to do something.

Yes, I know the prologue here is rather vague and perhaps a bit rushed towards the end, but it is the prologue. Dangling ends and mysterious circumstances are expected, which should not be the case for an ending.

More details and background/fleshing-out in succeeding chapters, but for now this is Jaenera Targaryen signing out.