Dearest Readers,

My immeasurable apologies for my long silence since my last update, however it is with a heavy heart that I must throw in the towel on this story. Since my graduation from college in 2012, I have lost most of my motivation for life and capacity for happiness. I've made two suicide attempts and seen two therapists, I'm constantly at odds with my family, and have almost completely lost interest in my former vices, namely video games.

I don't even know what the original concept for this story is anymore. I can't remember my original idea, I can't bring myself to keep up to date on the canon of the manga/anime, and I feel no joy in reading what I've done or the reviews for it.

This story is dead, and if anyone wants to take it for their own ideas and plots, feel free; I'll even leave the cliff notes of what I had planned for reference. Will I ever get back into writing? I don't fucking know… For now though, I'm going to hold on to the last of my sanity, and keep on keepin' on.

With best wishes,

Eothr Si'lan

Fate Anew cliff notes:

-At funeral, Chad leaves Karakura (family? Foster home?), leaving his coin necklace to Ichigo/ Grand Fisher arrives, hurts Karin, taunts Soifon & Ichigo/ Soifon experiences flashback about pride and life from Yoruichi (substitute for Rukia's)/ Ichigo successfully kills Grand Fisher/ Ichigo regains hope

-Following day, Ichigo & Soifon verbally assaulted by Ishida/ Ishida uses hollow bait without challenge, hoping that Ichigo & Soifon are killed/ Soifon goes to Arisawas to help Tatsuki, who encounters a Hollow (latent power awakening?)/ Ichigo decimates Hollows with new "energy attack" (getsuga tenshou?)/ Menos Grande/ Gillian appears, Soifon worries for Ichigo/ Ishida useless as Ichigo fights the Gillian, victorious/ Backlash from excessive reiatsu use causes Ichigo to collapse, Soifon uses advanced Healing Kido, uses personal reiatsu, causing self-injuries, saves Ichigo/ Ichigo condemns Ishida for his behavior, says "Stay the fuck out of my business"/ Soifon worries about Soul Society actions

-Next day, 6 after Soifon's arrival, Ichigo, Soifon, and Tatsuki attend a summer festival in memory of Orihime/ Tatsuki gets chocolate covered strawberries to toast Orihime, Ichigo embarrassed and Soifon amused/ Ichigo buys an apple pie for Tatsuki, surprises her that he remembers her favorite food/ Soifon curious about photo booth, share first real kiss with Ichigo, Tatsuki sees kiss in printout, awkward tension causes Tatsuki to leave early, Ichigo doesn't see her tears/ That night Soifon confesses to Ichigo about Soul Society's likely response and her growing feelings, Ichigo hesitantly reciprocates and assures her.

-Day 7, Hitsuguya Toushirou, Matsumoto Rangiku, Maerechiro Oomeada (can never remember how to spell this bastard's name), and a squad of Omnitsukido arrive in Karakura, happen upon Ichigo and Soifon/ Ichigo engages the Omnitsukido without drawing Zangetsu, easily defeats the ninjas, more easily beats the Lieutenant with his bare hands/ Ichigo engages Hitsuguya while Matsumoto apprehends Soifon/ Hitsuguya impressed with Ichigo's talent, forced to release Hyourinmaru, startling Ichigo, encases Ichigo in ice, Ichigo breaks out, stabbed in two points (similar to canon), refuses to go down, Soifon pleads with him to stay/ The Shinigami leave, Ichigo near dead in rainy street, approached by black cat

-Ichigo wakes up in Urahara Shoten, explained what happened, immediately asks for help/ Ichigo approached by Tatsuki, asked about Soifon, in grief she punches and kisses him, claims she saw his smile first and she stepped aside once before for Orihime, lets him go, Ichigo hugs and thanks her, Tatsuki cries/ Ichigo trains with Urahara (near-canon)/ Shattered Shaft causes Ichigo to lose his chain of fate

-Ichigo comes to on a mountain surrounded by a forest on fire, cloaked feminine figure sitting on a massive red-orange claymore imbedded into mountain/ Figure explains the state of Ichigo's soul, his heart is 'regaining its fire that it lost when he lost his mother' (his capacity for love)/ Outside, Ichigo's hollowfying body erupts with black fire, Tessai unable to seal him, Urahara watches in morbid fascination/ Ichigo told to accept himself or burn from indecision, Ichigo recalls Soifon and what she means to him, accepts his 'new love', figure revealed to be a female version of Ichigo with red eyes, "My name is Kagustuchi, hear my roaring flames"

-Ichigo erupts from the Shattered Shaft with a new Zanpaku-tou (massive zanbatou, (Sanouske's weapon from Rurouni Kenshin) red-orange in color with inlaid flame and dragon design, larger than even Zangetsu) and a red scarf around his neck (homage to Byakuya, single tail)/ Kagutsuchi's name called (fire dragon attack similar to Hyourinmaru), nearly kills Urahara/ sheer size of Kagutsuchi forces Yoruichi to take up Ichigo's training (some instance of Yoruichi's transformation and Ichigo's embarrassed surprise), focus on hand-to-hand and footwork, using zanbatou as anchor and pivot, Ichigo surprises Yoruichi by instinctively using the blade near effortlessly/ Ichigo brings up similarities between Yoruichi and Soifon, she admits their former bond, gets Ichigo's patented "Older Sibling Protector Speech"/ Yoruichi reflects on her mistakes/ Ichigo spends last day prior to Invasion with family (one last moment with Tatsuki?(partial to this meta-joke Ichigo using Guren Lagann Kamina's catchphrase & eliciting laughing response from Tatsuki "We're not in a stupid shounen anime, you dork!))

-Ichigo arrives at Shoten, surprised to see Ishida, Ishida explains his situation and dept to Ichigo for saving Karakura, Ichigo gut punches him and takes his Quincy bracelet, reminds him of Ichigo's threat/Urahara offers a 'gem to stabilize your power' to Ichigo (hint hint, wink wink)/ Ichigo and Yoruichi in cat form go through gate, complain about cleaner/ Ichigo lands in Rukongai, challenges and beats Jidanbou

-Ichigo and Yoruichi approach Kukaku (mostly canon), Kukaku gives Ichigo a steamy kiss for luck (elicits "What's with black haired girls that I know can kick my ass always kissing me?" to Yoruichi's amusement), both are separated upon crashing into Seireitei/ Ichigo faces Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rukia, and Kaien Shiba (OMG cliffhanger!)

-Ichigo fights all four seated members, each one releases their zanpaku-tou, last attack has Ichigo reveal Kagutsuchi being too powerful (the blade splits apart & reveals a miniature sun that can rupture if exposed too long), victorious/ Ichigo gets info on Soifon's location (frequent comments throughout on Ichigo's likeness to Kaien)

-Ichigo is engaged by Toushirou, fight is fierce, fire and ice dragons cause destruction, Toushirou unleashes Bankai, Ichigo questions Hitsuguya on why he fights ("love, duty, or honor; pick two"), Ichigo outlasts Hitsuguya's Bankai and knocks him out

-Soifon briefly shown in tower of penance, questions the commotion

-Ichigo recovers in hiding, easily evades patrols/ encounters Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Nemu/ Ichigo appalled by Mayuri's treatment of Nemu, calls him out, gets lecture on Mayuri's science and being Nemu's father, Berserk Button triggered, Kagutsuchi's Dragon State revealed (Mai-Hime episode 3 for reference and description), Mayuri unleashes Bankai, Konjiki Ashogi Jizou is rendered useless by heat from fire, Kagutsuchi powers attack, Mayuri flees at Nemu's screams, attack wipes out KAJ bankai in MASSIVE explosion that rocks Seireitei/ Mayuri left alive by Ichigo, Ichigo poisoned, given antidote mouth-to-mouth by Nemu, Ichigo flees before reinforcements arrive/ Yoruichi shown being stunned by Ichigo's power/ Soifon shown being startled by the fiery light

-Injured Ichigo stumbles into Kuchiki estate, meets Hisana (dun dun dun!), converses with her, Byakuya's arrival forces Ichigo to take Hisana hostage to escape/ meets up with Yoruichi, releases Hisana with apology & flees

-Ichigo healed by Yoruichi at secret base, questions about 'bankai', begin training using Urahara's doll (montage? details?)

-2 days later, Soifon led to Soukyouku Hill, Yamamoto delivers speech about responsibility and duty of Shinigami, Kikouou released and attempts execution, Ichigo stops phoenix with bare hand, uses Kagutsuchi to cut down Kikouou, surprises everyone/ Ichigo carries Soifon in front of captains, requests 15 minute fight with Yamamoto, Ichigo clarifies "I want 15 minutes to prove myself, not beat your boss" (15 meta-joke with Ichigo's name), Yoruichi takes Soifon/ Ichigo uses bankai (Inferno Kagustuchi), new form is a deep red double-blade katana that can be separated at the hilt and held by red chain, Ichigo's scarf is replaced by a red haori bound by golden chain/ Byakuya offended by the step on pride, attacks but blocked by Hitsuguya, both leave to fight, Rangiku fights with Renji

-Ichigo uses everything he's been taught to fight (hand-to-hand, footwork, kidou, and swordfighting) against Yamamoto, Yama uses Ryujin Jakka released form to fight, 5 minute mark has Ichigo use Kagutsuchi's Dragon Form (dark red and black replacing the orange-red and white from baseline Dragon Form), Ichigo survives fight and impresses Yamamoto

-During fight, Yoruichi apologizes to Soifon, Soifon expresses her grief & anger and cries, accepts each other

-Ichigo assaulted by Aizen, pulls out Hogyouku from Ichigo, begins villainous monologue, is cut off by Hollow Ichigo slicing him D-E-A-D dead (bastard doesn't deserve a dignified death)

-Unknown from this point on… (Ichigo becomes a full Hollow? Ichigo recovers using Hogyouku? Soifon brings Ichigo back?)