I've been thinking about posting author notes/discussions on my pat reon for everyone (not just patrons) so let me know if that is something you'd be interested in. It would just be to update everyone on what I am writing/reading fanfiction wise.
Otherwise, enjoy the thrilling conclusion to the Fullbring Arc.
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.

Previously:
Ichigo agonised over his decision to go with Bambietta and Candice, or stay with his family. Ichigo would then tell Yuzu and Karin about their neighbours upcoming departure, only for Yuzu to insist on doing something. Ichigo would then leave, when Tsukishima would reveal himself, having already affected Yuzu, before slashing Karin as well. Tsukishima would then approach the Fullbringer group and also slash Jackie, who then left with Tsukishima willingly. Candice and Bambietta discussed how they had left information out when speaking with Ichigo, while wondering how things would differ when they returned home with Ichigo. Riruka would find Orihime in town and discuss Orihime's upbringing, before the conversation shifted to Ichigo. Orihime would then lead Riruka to Ichigo's house, before revealing a party was going to be held by Tsukishima. Riruka would then be attacked by Tsukishima as well, before reluctantly following the two. Ichigo would then go and tell Bambietta and Candice that he couldn't leave with them. After Ichigo left, Tsukishima would appear and confront the two, with Bambietta threatening Tsukishima and using her abilities to attack him, causing him to retreat.

Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the Bleach anime/manga. All I own are my original characters and plot twists.

'Talking'

"Thinking"

'Hollow, Inner Hollow or Zanpakutou talking'

"Hollow, Inner Hollow or Zanpakutou thinking"

*expression*

Flashback

Chapter 10 – Blast from the past

Ichigo had decided to go for another walk to clear his head. For some reason, he felt guilty for refusing to go with Bambietta and Candice, almost as if he had done the wrong thing. It confused Ichigo because he knew he always put his family first, even Zangetsu knew that, surely that is why he said he should choose his family over his friends… or something like that. Ichigo wasn't sure of himself at this moment and it made him remember his mindset when he first became a Shinigami. After saving his family, Ichigo wanted nothing to do with Hollows or Rukia. He was happy to keep going to school and being a human, but then things had changed.

Ichigo came to a halt, as he arrived at the park where he had made his decision so long ago. A spirit, a little boy he saw occasionally, was attacked by a Hollow. Rukia told him he would be better off not saving him if he wasn't willing to protect all souls equally. Ichigo had of course ignored Rukia and saved the boy, claiming he wasn't the type of person to leave a debt unpaid… but on some level, Ichigo knew things had changed from then. After they had saved Rukia from Soul Society, Ichigo had the chance to going back to his old life. Sure, eventually the Arrancar and Aizen would attack, but there was a bit of time in between. Ichigo could have had a normal life at this point, as there were Shinigami taking care of the Hollows in the area. If he really wanted to, he could have let Uryuu take care of them as well, but he had decided to take care of them himself. Thinking back on that, it made Ichigo feel strange about his decision to stay. Staying meant protecting his sisters, but it also meant he may be putting himself and his friends at risk, when he could get information on whatever this coming threat was. The more Ichigo thought about, the more he started to doubt his decision, before ultimately questioning why he had made it.

He was afraid.

After losing his powers and seeing his friends and family had been left on their own in the supernatural world, he didn't want something like that to happen again. If Ichigo was to lose his powers again, his heart would be crushed. It was bad enough not being able to help his friends out with ordinary Hollows, or keep harmless spirits away from Karin… but if a threat like Aizen were to show up now and Ichigo was powerless, he wouldn't know what to do.

Ichigo finally tore himself away from the park and started to head back home. A short walk later and Ichigo could see all the lights on at home, realising that Yuzu had no doubt tried to set up some sort of party against his wishes, but Ichigo couldn't fault her for that.

'I'm home.' Said Ichigo, as he arrived, only for Yuzu to rush to greet him.

'Welcome back, Ichigo! Come on, come inside, quickly, the others have been waiting for you.' Said Yuzu.

'The others? What's going on Yuzu, I thought you were just going to bake a cake or something?' Asked Ichigo.

'Well I was, but an old friend from the past came to visit and I just couldn't help myself, come on, we're waiting.' Said Yuzu.

"An old friend from the past? Who could that be?" Thought Ichigo, making his way to the living room.

'Hello, Ichigo, nice to see you.' Said Tsukishima, casually sitting on their couch.

'Surprise!' Said Orihime, popping out of the kitchen, with a few others following her.

Jackie and Chad also came out with Orihime. Footsteps came down the stairs and Karin, Yukio and Tatsuki stopped at the foot of the stairs.

'It is about time you arrived.' Said Giriko, emerging with Keigo and Mizuiro.

'Yeah Ichigo, what's gives man?' Added Keigo.

'We were expecting you a while ago now.' Said Ginjou, appearing and clapping Ichigo on the shoulder as he did so, before walking into the room.

Ichigo backed up a few steps, as Tsukishima stood up.

'Ichigo, what's wrong? You don't look surprised, if anything, you look scared.' Commented Orihime.

Ichigo slowly backed his way towards the door, his friends and family's eyes all on him, looking at him strangely. Standing beside the door was Riruka, arms crossed in front of her, as she leaned against the wall.

'You should run, Ichigo.' Whispered Riruka.

'Riruka, wha-what's going on?' Asked Ichigo, only for the girl to look away.

'Come on Ichigo, don't you want to join us?' Asked Tsukishima, as he, Ginjou, Chad and Orihime approached him.

Ichigo whispered something, causing Riruka to look up.

'What was that, Ichigo, you need to speak up for us to hear you?' Asked Tsukishima.

'Why… why… why is this happening?' Trembled Ichigo.

'What are you talking about, Ichigo, we thought you'd love a surprise party?' Said Orihime in confusion, causing Ichigo to look up at her.

'What happened, Ginjou?' Asked Ichigo.

'What do you mean? Didn't we help you out? Now it is your turn to help us.' Said Ginjou.

'Yeah, so stop your whining.' Added a new voice, belonging to a person Ichigo had never seen before.

'Now, now, Shishigawara, Ichigo must have been quite surprised at our little gathering.' Said Tsukishima.

'This can't be happening… it can't.' Muttered Ichigo, before finally bolting from his house, much to the confusion of his friends.

'Oh dear, not quite the reaction I was hoping for.' Said Tsukishima.

'We better go get him back.' Said Ginjou.

'Of course, but let's let things carry on for a bit.' Agreed Tsukishima, much to Riruka's disgust.

-line break-

'Did you feel that?' Asked Candice.

'Of course I did, I'm right here.' Drawled Bambietta.

'Still, we've never seen him use his Quincy powers before, so bolting out of his house with Hirenkyaku is definitely saying something.' Said Candice.

'At least that means he has more abilities than we thought. I did find it odd that he never practised. Maybe he's been training some other way.' Said Bambietta.

'Huh… I guess. Looks like he is trying to find the other Quincy, should we intervene?' Asked Candice.

'No, it'll be fine. He'll come to us, but we should start preparing to head back.' Said Bambietta, finally standing up from the couch.

'Fine, fine, I'll go pack.' Said Candice, before heading upstairs.

-line break-

"What's going on? Why are they all standing there with Tsukishima? What happened?' Thought Ichigo frantically, as he dashed through the city towards his target.

Reaching the hospital, Ichigo quickly raced up the stairs, hurriedly making his way to Uryuu's floor.

'Ishida!' Exclaimed Ichigo, slamming open the doors, only to find an empty room, with a neatly made bed.

'Damn it, I missed him.' Thought Ichigo, before turning around and running back out of the hospital.

'Where is he?' Asked Ichigo aloud, running through the streets.

'Calm down, Ichigo, you're tiring yourself out with no purpose.' Said Tsukishima, appearing near Ichigo, leaning against a lamp post.

'You! What did you do to everyone?' Asked Ichigo, advancing on Tsukishima.

'Nothing, I just helped them remember the time we spent together in the past. Don't you want to join your friends, Ichigo? Don't you feel lonely, knowing they have a different past than the one you remember?' Taunted Tsukishima.

'Fix it! Undo it now!' Demanded Ichigo, pulling out his badge and causing the blade to appear, which he held to Tsukishima's neck.

'Ichigo, you shouldn't treat your friends like this.' Chided Tsukishima, only for Ichigo to roar and pull his arm back, preparing for an attack, only for an orange shield to stop his attack.

'Orihime! Orihime… why?' Asked Ichigo.

'Why are you attacking Tsukishima, Ichigo? Tsukishima has done so much to help us over the years, with Rukia, with Aizen, why are you attacking him?' Asked Orihime, looking heartbroken.

Ichigo immediately backed up, seeing the genuine distress in Orihime's expression.

'This… this isn't real…' Mumbled Ichigo in disbelief.

'Come now, Ichigo. You know this is real. This is reality.' Said Tsukishima, causing Ichigo to back up again, before shooting off once more.

'Oh dear, how troubling, he ran off again.' Said Tsukishima.

'You know, you should probably stop taunting him so much, there's no telling what he might do.' Said Ginjou, dropping down besides Tsukishima.

'What can he do? He is living in a past that doesn't exist anymore.' Said Tsukishima.

-line break-

Ichigo decided that the only one who could help him now was Urahara, so he quickly made his way towards the small store, only to find all the lights off. Ichigo burst into the shop and starting yelling for anyone to hear him.

'Hat and clogs? Tessai? Yoruichi? Ururu? Jinta? Anybody!' Shouted Ichigo in distress.

'What are you doing, Ichigo? What's wrong?' Asked Chad, standing in the shop's doorway.

'This isn't real! It can't be real!' Shouted Ichigo, running past Chad, who didn't try to stop him.

'You should calm down, Ichigo. You're just running around embarrassing yourself at this point.' Said Yukio, standing beside Jackie, who was clad in her Fullbring.

'Just come quietly and it'll be over soon.' Said Jackie.

'No… no!' Shouted Ichigo, before dashing off again.

'I must admit, this is getting tiresome, why are we still doing this?' Asked Giriko, approaching with Tsukishima and Ginjou.

'I don't know either. This is boring as far as games go.' Said Yukio.

'Come now, do you mean you aren't enjoying this live entertainment I went to so much effort preparing?' Questioned Tsukishima.

'It does seem to be wearing thin, all he does is deny it and run away, hardly entertaining.' Said Ginjou.

'Oh? Just wait, I'm sure things will pick up.' Said Tsukishima.

-line break-

Ichigo was now rushing home, hoping to see his friends and family, before the others caught up to them.

'Yuzu! Karin!' Shouted Ichigo, arriving home, only for his two sisters to come running, his school friends following.

'What's wrong, Ichigo?' Asked Tatsuki.

'Yuzu, Karin, what did Tsukishima do to you?' Asked Ichigo, kneeling down.

'What are you talking about, cousin Tsukishima didn't do anything to us?' Replied Karin, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen.

'C-cousin?' Stammered Ichigo.

'What's wrong Ichigo, Tsukishima wanted to surprise you with a party, but you look worried for some reason?' Asked Yuzu, causing Ichigo's heart to clench.

'Yeah, what gives Ichigo, you're acting weird? Just because you haven't seen him for a while, doesn't mean you need to be so rude.' Admonished Tatsuki.

'Why did you come back?' Asked Riruka, seeing Ichigo talking with his friends.

Ichigo was upon Riruka in an instant and grabbed her by the shoulders.

'Riruka, what's happening? This has to be some kind of trick, right?' Asked Ichigo, causing Riruka to look down.

'You should have just left when you had the chance, you're just following the plan by coming back.' Said Riruka, as the other Fullbringer arrived.

Ichigo let go of Riruka and walked outside. Ginjou and Tsukishima were at the front of the crowd, with Chad and Orihime to their left and Giriko, Jackie and Yukio to their right.

'See, isn't this entertaining? Even Riruka is playing her part.' Said Tsukishima, causing the girl to scowl.

'Haven't you done enough already? Why are you dragging this out?' Asked Riruka, glaring at Tsukishima.

'Oh, it seems Ichigo really got to you, didn't he? It's such a shame, I doubt he will care about you after we finish our mission.' Said Tsukishima.

'What mission?' Asked Ichigo.

'Why, to take your Fullbring and use it to strengthen our own, that is why we set this whole thing up. You see, my Fullbring allows me to insert myself into someone's past. In doing so, their entire history is changed. You see me as an enemy, but all your friends and family see me as a close friend of theirs. In this scenario, you are the crazy person.' Said Tsukishima.

'How… how could you do this?' Shouted Ichigo in disgust.

'The how has just been explained to you and I don't think you really seem to care for the why either, so now all that remains is the when. When will you cease this foolishness and resign yourself to your fate?' Retorted Tsukishima.

'Like hell!' Said Ichigo, before gathering energy into his blade and launching a dark crescent shaped wave of energy at the group.

Orihime's shield went up and blocked the attack, leaving all of them unharmed. Ichigo growled and charged Tsukishima directly, trying to slash him once again, only for Chad to use his Brazo Derecha de Gigante shield to block Ichigo's blade.

'Damn it! Stop hiding behind my friends!' Shouted Ichigo.

'Your friends? They are my friends now, Ichigo.' Said Tsukishima, causing Ichigo to let out a yell of anguish, as he leapt back.

For the first time ever, Ichigo pulled out the silver cross Zangetsu had given him and created a bow in the real world, as his Fullbring disappeared. Ichigo placed his badge over the cross and pulled back, as though loading an arrow, before a black arrow with the strength of a Getsuga Tenshou, was shot at the group. Orihime's shield sprung to life, clashing with the attack, causing Ichigo to scowl, before aiming his bow upwards and launching multiple arrows into the sky. The arrows curved, before shooting down at the group like missiles. The group scattered, before rushing Ichigo. Tsukishima and Ginjou rushed Ichigo head on with their blades, Jackie and Chad rushed Ichigo from both sides, preparing for a kick and punch respectively. Yukio and Orihime stayed back, with Giriko in front of them, in case Ichigo tried to escape. Just as the four attackers were about to reach Ichigo, numerous lightning bolts came down from the sky, forcing them all back.

'Well, you've had your fun, but you didn't really think we were going to let you hurt Ichigo, did you?' Asked Candice, her fingers still sparking from her attack.

'You two.' Hissed Tsukishima in annoyance.

'Yes, us. You've had your fun, but we don't really like your crappy drama. Ichigo, come with us now. You can't help them right now.' Said Bambietta.

'Bambi, what are you doing, why are you attacking Tsukishima?' Asked Orihime.

'See Ichigo. You're the bad guy here. You can't win like this, so come with us. Right now, by staying, you can only make things worse, just look behind you.' Said Bambietta.

Ichigo looked behind himself and saw Yuzu and Karin looking at him in fear and confusion.

'You can't save them like this, Ichigo. Come with us.' Said Candice.

'And leave them all behind?' Shouted Ichigo in protest.

'You'll be back; besides, it is you they are after, not your friends. Staying only gives them what they want.' Said Bambietta.

One of the Fullbringer that Ichigo didn't recognise was sneaking up on the girls, causing Ichigo to look at them in fear, preparing to warn them, only for an explosion to go off and launch the kid away.

'We can't stay here any longer, Ichigo, we've revealed ourselves and now we need to leave. Either come with us or don't, but you can't save them on your own.' Said Bambietta.

'I've had about enough out of you two.' Said Ginjou, bringing his sword up and preparing to attack the girls, only for Ichigo to quickly launch at arrow at him, causing him to leap back.

'Fine, let's go.' Said Ichigo.

The two Quincy nodded and walked back into the house, with Ichigo shooting after them with Hirenkyaku. The collective group of Fullbringer then followed after the three, rushing into the house. What looked like a massive black tear in the wall appeared as they entered, with Candice walking in first. Ichigo followed after, sparing one glance behind him, before Bambietta brought up the rear.

'By the way, remember what I did to that hunk of metal?' Asked Bambietta, looking at Tsukishima.

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes, causing Bambietta to smirk sadistically, as she pointed to the ground, before waving bye, following after the two, with the tear in the wall vanishing.

'Everyone outside!' Shouted Tsukishima urgently, with his allies quickly obliging and not a moment too soon.

Once the group was outside, the entire building they had just been standing in exploded.

'What the hell was that?' Asked Ginjou.

Tsukishima whirled on Orihime and Chad.

'Why didn't the two of you tell me about those two?' Asked Tsukishima coldly.

'I, I didn't know Bambi and Candi could do that.' Stammered Orihime.

'Hmm? Were you trying to stop me? After all I've done for you two.' Continued Tsukishima, causing the two to back up, with Orihime visibly trembling.

'I didn't know.' Mumbled Orihime, feeling unnerved by Tsukishima's glare.

'Oi, knock it off already, we need a new plan.' Said Ginjou tiredly.

'I looked after you when your brother passed away. I looked after you when you were being attacked and bullied. I've been taking care of the two of you for so long now and this is the thanks I get? Lying to me? To me!' Continued Tsukishima, advancing on the two.

'Knock it off, Tsukishima, they didn't know anything.' Said Riruka, coming to stand in front of the two, who were shaking as their minds tried to make sense of things.

'So now you are coming to their aid, Riruka. What happened to you? What happened to survival of the fittest? Grown soft since you went undercover.' Said Tsukishima.

'The hell is wrong with you? You're going to break them!' Shouted Riruka, seeing Orihime drop to her knees.

'Relax, Tsukishima, he'll have to come back eventually.' Said Ginjou.

'I hope you are right there, but I can't make any guarantees about all of you.' Said a voice, grabbing everyone's attention.

'Who are you?' Spat Tsukishima, whirling around to see a shabby looking man approach the group.

'Shit!' Exclaimed Ginjou, causing the man to chuckle, as he took off his hat.

'Your friend seems to know. Unfortunately for all of you, you've just made the biggest mistake of your life. Now then, undo the changes to everyone's memory here and come quietly, otherwise, we will need to do this the hard way.' Said Kisuke Urahara, staring daggers at Tsukishima.

'What are you going to do on your own?' Asked Tsukishima mockingly.

'I never said I was alone… and my friends are not too happy either.' Said Kisuke, before a crushing amount of Reiatsu pressed down on the group.

'I know the old man will be mad if I cut them all up, but how about just that guy?' Asked Kenpachi Zaraki, as his lone eye drilled into Tsukishima.

'Shinigami.' Growled Ginjou.

'So you remember us? That is good, we can skip introductions then.' Said Byakuya Kuchiki, as he looked upon Ginjou with disdain.

'Oh yeah! What if I refuse?' Asked Tsukishima, only to feel a chill creeping up along his legs.

'Simple, we kill you and torture your soul in the afterlife. Considering what you've done, I doubt we would face any objections.' Said Toshiro Hitsugaya, in a positively frosty tone, his eyes showing nothing but cold apathy.

'We aren't joking by the way, there is a few of us who are quite happy to kill you here and now, isn't that right, Rukia, Renji.' Said Ikkaku Madarame, his Shikai resting over his shoulders.

'R-Rukia, Renji…' Said Orihime, pulling herself up and seeing her friends resting their blades against Tsukishima's neck, confusing her.

'Why even offer him a choice?' Snarled Rukia.

'Only because Ichigo wouldn't want you killing him for his sake.' Said Isshin Kurosaki, standing beside Kisuke.

'Now then, for the final time, reverse your little trick and come with us, or prepare for eternal torment in the afterlife. It won't be hell, but I think you will find Shinigami can be quite creative.' Said Kisuke, causing Tsukishima to scowl.

'Tsukishima, do what they say. If these people came, they will likely follow through on their threats.' Said Ginjou.

'Funny, I'm surprised that a traitor would have such sense.' Said Kisuke, putting his hat back on.

'Not like you are giving us much choice.' Said Ginjou, staring down the scientist.

'Well, you squandered your choice in the past, so we thought best to not give you the chance to screw up again.' Said Kisuke coldly.

The ice melted around Tsukishima with Rukia and Renji backing up. Tsukishima walked over to Chad and Orihime and raised his sword, before shifting direction and lunging at Kisuke. In the blink of an eye, it was all over. Tsukishima looked down and saw his waist had been slashed clean through by the brute of Soul Society, Kenpachi Zaraki. The life quickly bled from Tsukishima's eyes, as his torso fell off his lower body, with his legs hitting the ground moments after his abdomen did.

'We weren't joking.' Said Byakuya, as numerous flower petals floated around the group.

'Tsukishima!' Cried Shishigawara, before rushing Kenpachi, fist cocked back.

The boy struck Kenpachi in ribcage, only for the man to remain standing, completely unphased.

'What a weak punch… I can't believe you managed to crack a rib with a stupid ability like that.' Said Kenpachi, as the boy took a step back, only for Kenpachi to bring his blade down on the youth and bisect him vertically, crushing through his skull.

'Anyone else want to try something stupid?' Asked Kenpachi, seeing the group look visibly shaken at the monster's brutality.

'Stop it! The changes to their memories have been fixed with Tsukishima's death, there is no point in resisting right now!' Shouted Ginjou bitterly.

'There we go, now we are all on the same page. Isshin, you look after things here, we'll deal with them.' Said Kisuke.

'No worries, you two come with me.' Said Isshin, to Chad and Orihime, who were still trying to piece things together.

'W-wait, we should go with them too.' Said Orihime.

'It's okay Orihime, I'm sure we can manage for now. Get some rest for now and Yoruichi will come and bring you to Soul Society tomorrow.' Said Kisuke cheerfully.

Orihime looked hesitant, but nodded after a moment, as the Shinigami gathered up the remaining Fullbringer and surrounded them.

'Would one of you pick up those things?' Asked Kisuke, referring to the two deceased Fullbringer.

'Things! How dare you?' Hissed Jackie, only for Ginjou to raise his arm in front of her.

'Don't, or we'll be carrying your body as well.' Said Ginjou, as he picked up Tsukishima's body parts, with Giriko grabbing Shishigawara's body parts.

The gates to Soul Society appeared in front of Byakuya, as he used his Zanpakutou to materialise them, before opening. The group marched through the gates, before they closed and disappeared, leaving no trace of them behind.

"What a day?" Thought Isshin tiredly, as he herded everyone back inside to explain this mess.

-line break-

Ichigo didn't know what to expect as he followed Candice. It looked like they were travelling in a Garganta, but obviously that couldn't be the case. Ichigo thought about a way to describe it and it seemed to be a blend of the pathways to Hueco Mundo and Soul Society mashed together. The walls seemed to go on forever, but they were clearly walking on a solid floor.

'So Ichigo, how does it feel to be travelling through the shadows?' Asked Candice.

'The shadows? Is that why it is so dark in here?' Asked Ichigo, causing Candice to laugh.

'Oh Ichigo, you are travelling through a privileged site that not all of us can travel through and you note how dark it is?' Commented Bambietta in amusement.

'Well it is.' Huffed Ichigo in embarrassment.

'Actually, how are we travelling right now. It looks like we are in a Garganta, but we aren't using Reishi to form a path to stand on.' Said Ichigo, analysing his surroundings.

'That's because this isn't a pathway that exists normally. You choose where to go and your shadow travels to that point. Your shadow then becomes the pathway, which is why you can also hide in here indefinitely, as we are essentially inside my shadow at this moment.' Explained Bambietta.

'How does that even work?' Asked Ichigo in disbelief.

'How do you gather Reishi to form a bow and arrow? It's a similar idea, but a different visualisation. You're bringing your shadow under your control and sending it somewhere, forcing it to adapt and then the rest of you simply follows. Have you ever heard of a person without a shadow? Of course not. The catch though, is that because you control your shadow, you can also control who travels through it, which is why I can bring you along, but if anyone tried to follow, I could essentially annihilate them, as they would then be stuck in this space.' Said Bambietta.

'That seems oddly powerful.' Said Ichigo.

'It is, but you can't just throw your shadow all over the world like a toy, it takes a lot of control and energy. It might be your shadow, but you are essentially detaching a piece of yourself and not being careful can have really bad consequences. We're here now though.' Said Bambietta, before the darkness split horizontally and expanded, revealing a white building.

Candice exited first, followed by Ichigo, with Bambietta bringing up the rear and sealing off the portal.

'See, nothing to it.' Said Bambietta, causing Candice to snort.

'Oh sure, nothing to it.' Repeated Candice in disbelief.

'Follow us, Ichigo.' Said Bambietta, before heading off.

Ichigo followed, with Candice lagging a bit behind him, arms behind her head, as she looked up in boredom.

'So, where are we?' Asked Ichigo.

'This is Silbern.' Answered Bambietta.

'Or in other words, home.' Added Candice.

Ichigo looked around in confusion, as the space they were in was a large, wide, empty hallway. The roof was white, the walls were white, with white pillars placed along the way, and finally, the floor was white. There was so much white around, Ichigo was starting to feel disoriented.

'So where is everything? If you live here, surely there have to be rooms, a kitchen, something… this is just one long empty hallway.' Said Ichigo.

'Of course, but like you said, right now we are in one long empty hallway. It is the only way to get to our destination. It won't be much longer now.' Said Bambietta, as the hallway seemed to narrow in the distance.

Ichigo started to pick up something at the edge of his vision and after walking a little bit closer, could make out a five-pointed cross emblazoned on an extremely large door. The group came to stop at the door, with Bambietta taking a step to the side and gesturing for Ichigo to stand beside her, Candice moving so she was on Ichigo's other side.

'Well Ichigo, you wanted answers and the person who can give them to you is inside. Are you ready?' Asked Bambietta.

Ichigo simply nodded in response, causing Bambietta to take a step forward and push open the doors. The three walked besides each other as they entered the large room. The room was largely bare, but there was at least some colour to it, thanks to the large red carpet, leading up to a throne. The group walked closer towards the throne, in which, Ichigo could see a man was seated. He didn't know what to expect, not having any idea who it could be. They had said this person could answer Ichigo's questions, but Ichigo doubted anyone could really explain everything that had happened to him, or everything he wanted to know. In contrast to all the white around, the figure was clad in a large black robe and possessed long black hair, which obscured his facial features, as he seemed to be hunched over slightly in his throne.

'So you've successfully completed your mission, Sternritter E.' Said the man, causing the two Sternritter to bow, confusing Ichigo.

'Yes, Your Majesty. Ichigo Kurosaki has come with us willingly to find answers.' Said Bambietta.

'I see. You and Sternritter T may wait outside. You shall be rewarded for your efforts. I wish to speak with Ichigo alone now, afterwards, I would like for the two of you to help him adjust to Silbern.' Said the man.

'As you wish, Your Majesty.' Said Bambietta, before she and Candice stood up and left, the large doors closing behind them.

'Ichigo Kurosaki. I understand you have questions for me, is that correct?' Asked the man.

'Yeah.' Said Ichigo, not sure how to proceed, after seeing Bambietta and Candice acting so respectful and frankly, out of character.

'Come closer, Ichigo, I shall answer your questions.' Said the man, causing Ichigo to approach the man, standing only a metre or so away from the man.

Even slumped in his chair, Ichigo could tell the man was quite tall. Ichigo watched as the man adjusted himself, his hair falling back to reveal his face, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen.

'Now then, Ichigo, my son born in the darkness, what do you wish to know?' Asked the man.

'Zangetsu?' Questioned Ichigo in disbelief, as the man in front of him appeared to be his Zanpakutou spirit.