Chapter Text
The End...(?)
'...And now the end is here
And so I face that final curtain...'
His mouth hung open as he watched the black, bubbling mass spill out in every direction, engulfing the entirety of Soul Society within itself. He couldn't believe it - it was the end. It truly was.
All hope was gone, lost forever in the inky blackness that now occupied this world, and the next to come.
Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. The still-fresh images of carnage invaded his mind for the umpteenth time today. They were dead. All of them. Chad, Orihime, Rukia, Renji, Ishida, his fucking old man... - everyone was dead.
They were gone, they were all gone.
And it was his fault! All his fault!
He failed.
Failed, so utterly and completely that everyone had paid the price - the Soul Reapers, the ordinary souls, the humans, the arrancars, even the blasted hollows... The training which he received from the Zero Squad - it was all for nothing. He wasn't strong enough, and now-
The emotions of anguish, pain, and despair were threatening to swallow him from inside out. His hands shook, and he could feel the taste of vomit working its way up to his mouth. Ichigo wanted to sob, to scream. To do anything that would help tighten the gaping hole in his chest.
He saw her face, once again. Her pretty, upturned nose. Her lips, small, but perfect. Her symmetrical, arch-like brows, her almost porcelain complexion. And her eyes. Her big, brown eyes, looking at him... looking at him, but not seeing him.
Not seeing anything anymore.
When he had stumbled upon her, all color drained from his face. The horror, the immense horror which he felt when he saw what had happened - it nearly destroyed him, then and there.
Ichigo knew Orihime had loved him. Over time he started to notice the subtle hints, the way her eyes lit up when she saw him. He wasn't the romantically blind kid from years ago.
Yet still, he had never shown her any real affection, although he knew about her feelings and maybe felt an inkling of something for her, too. Always putting it off, always telling himself he wasn't ready - the substitute shinigami had just lost his chance, forever. And it made something inside of him snap.
She was the first one of his close friends to go.
Renji was the second. Torn to pieces, just as they exited the gate.
...Telling him how Ichigo needed to pull himself together and defeat the Quincy King if only to avenge Inoue literal minutes before, during their trek through the Dangai.
His death made Ichigo's insides boil. White-hot rage had engulfed him. Rukia's cries died out in the background as he charged, having abandoned all reason.
It did not end well, either for him or for his long-time companion. He wasn't sure how, or when, but the Kuchiki shunpo'ed in front of him and blocked a deadly swing at his midsection.
Suprise overshadowed his previous anger then. If not for her, he would have just up and died-
Just as he was about to retreat, with her in his wake, Rukia had fallen to the ground. She wasn't moving. And a pool of blood was slowly forming beneath her-
The horrifying realization hit him like a stone boulder, crushing and suffocating him.
After that, he felt as if he only lived to avenge her, and the rest of the fallen ones. The fallen ones - his friends... comrades.
Even Aizen was swallowed by the savage monstrosity, right before his eyes, just minutes ago.
...The monster - the creature that was once called Yhwach - Ichigo wasn't sure that name still implied to the formless mass.
Since then, he was the last one remaining on the deserted, ruined battlefield - a place which no doubt was once a part of First Division's barracks, right now nothing more than dust on stone.
The urge to scream, to fight, to do something couldn't leave his mind.
But it was hopeless - everything was doomed to fail before it even started. So he just stood there, dull, broken, devoid of all feelings but despair.
...Only despair remained, for there was no room for anything else...
"Do you see now?" The loud, booming voice rang all around Ichigo. It was him. "No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you cannot win, Ichigo. I am the Almighty." Hearing the gloating, the venom in Yhwach's words - it made him sick. "But don't despair, my child, for it is almost over. At a moment's notice, you too shall become a part of the new world."
"Shut up."
Shut up, shut up, just shut up , please !
"Leave me alone! Just shut- just shut up-" He couldn't, wouldn't take this anymore. "Just... just get... get this over with..."
Just end it all.
"As you wish."
Tears streamed down his face as the black mass exploded and shot up, rapidly making its way towards him.
In the moments which he thought were his last, Ichigo thought of home. Of Yuzu and Karin. Of simpler, more peaceful days, when his only concerns were school, some occasional brawls, and annoying stunts Keigo pulled. So much had changed - so much had gone wrong.
After he lost his powers, he became depressed. The need to get them back used to be what drove him. He oh so desperately wanted to have them again - couldn't stop holding on to his memories of Soul Society, even when they started slowly fading away.
Now, he only wished he could come back to his friends. Live a normal, full life devoid of death, suffering, and loss. Because of what he had strived to regain, he was now trapped in a broken world, alone, with no-one left to mourn after him.
Guilt and regret tugged at his chest. He felt guilty for all the mistakes he had made - for all the things he had ever done, really. And for his inability to protect everyone.
It will soon be over.
In an instant, he lost all vision. The black mass pulled him inside, into the depths of itself. He could feel the tar-like liquid flow into his nostrils, his ears, even his mouth.
It felt like drowning.
Everything became inky blackness. Time seemed to slow. Simultaneously, it was as if there was no time at all. No time, no place, no space, no presence, just endless sea of goo.
It's done.
He didn't know how long had it been. All Ichigo could hear were his thoughts - muddled as they were. After a significant while, panic began to grip him - something was seriously wrong - but what was it? For the life of him, he couldn't remember.
Where was he?
Who was he?
Many questions plagued his mind. The more of them he asked himself, the more confused he became. Confused, and exhausted. What he would do for a little nap...
Even if he desired it very much, for some reason he couldn't put himself to rest. At the same time, he grew wearier and wearier. As if something was slowly trying to suck all energy out of him, with the final intent of leaving behind only an empty shell.
For the longest time, there was just nothingness before him, steady and peaceful, undisturbed. He felt as if it was the only thing he knew - everything else became a blur, his memories having merged into themselves. Sometimes, he could remember bits and pieces of conversations or hear someone laughing in a familiar voice.
At other times, more ominous elements passed through his mind, such as screaming or crying.
None of that mattered to him - he couldn't even understand where those flashbacks came from, anyway.
...It had all lost meaning - the memories, the thoughts, the feelings. They were irrelevant - useless. Just as he was.
. . .
There was quiet. Peace, stability. It was all the same as it has always been, yet suddenly he felt unrest within himself. It was odd - nothing ever happened in the void. Vibrations began appearing everywhere as if something... moved? Undoubtedly somewhere. But where? Was it moving... towards him?
It was a long time since he had felt so awake. It was a strange but refreshing experience.
He felt the urge to act - but at the same time, what could he do? He was just a disembodied presence in a sea of darkness with no means of... defense?
Whatever was coming, it had quickened its approach.
Kurosaki Ichigo.
Suddenly, like a gust of wind, the words appeared in his mind. Ichigo wasn't sure what was the reason for this flashback - somehow, it was more prominent than the rest.
...With the presence closing in on him, he was starting to feel like he was in some kind of danger. Trapped, even.
All of a sudden, he felt something different. It sent a sensation all across his presence. The feeling was so alien, and yet so familiar to him - he was sure it wasn't the first time he had experienced it.
Did...
His mind was flooded with sounds, smells, and images of numerous things - with the sensations long forgotten...
...somebody just grab my... hand?
Absolutely amazed, he realized that in fact, he had a hand. A real, non-translucent hand. And something- somebody grabbed it.
Hell, he might even have had a full body at this point!
The presence which had grabbed him still held on - apparently, it had further plans. It began to pull him in a direction unknown. He didn't resist - actually, he was curious as to where it would take him. Nothing ever happened here since everything was always the same, stationary, and oh-god-so-boring - and this was new.
A mix of joy and apprehension began brewing in his chest.
The further he was pulled, the more resistance from the black mass he encountered. Despite that, he still kept on going, never stopping. He went faster and faster until he became so confused he wanted the thing to let go. But he couldn't make it stop.
Suddenly Ichigo felt as if he was ripped from something bigger, oily, and smooth - as if he surfaced from a years-long dive. There was light all around him and it blinded him. He began coughing and wheezing, not able to withstand the sudden feeling of emptiness around him.
He was led forward through the knee-deep liquid by someone he couldn't quite see - his eyes still haven't adjusted to his new surroundings, and he almost fell over a few times, not being used to moving around.
They arrived at something dry, solid - ground(?) - and he got out of the inky goo which he had been stuck in for so long. Blurry shapes began forming in front of him. He blinked a few more times.
There was one bigger shape - it was probably closer than the others. It was all person-like, too.
The silhouette stayed rooted in one spot. He had a distinct feeling that whoever this was, they were observing him - carefully measuring him, perhaps.
"Where am I?" He rasped out. His voice sounded hellish - rough with disuse.
"In the Valley of Screams, I presume." The mystery person answered in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
For some reason, he had this feeling as if he was supposed to recognize the stranger's voice - he was sure this wasn't the first time he had heard it. He just couldn't put his finger on exactly who this was, although his gut was incessantly pressuring him to remember.
"A Valley of... what?" This was also probably something he should already know. But at the moment, Ichigo didn't have the slightest clue. Though it did sound pretty ominous.
God, his mind was mush.
His vision gradually cleared, and so after a short while, he was finally able to see the details of this new place. It looked like a desert, with tall rock formations everywhere.
And yeah, a valley it was. A desert valley.
He was sure he had seen it once, before...
As to the person in front of him, it was a tall, brown-haired man. He was dressed in a strange, black uniform and one of his eyes was covered.
There was something very distinctive about his face - it awakened all sorts of feelings within Ichigo, and mostly not the good kind.
His gut was now fully screaming at him and the feeling of familiarity couldn't leave his mind-
And yet, he still couldn't put his finger on just exactly who this was.
It was so fucking frustrating, honestly!
He must've been openly gaping, for the man cocked his brow at him, and something in his eye gleamed-
"And there I was certain you had already visited this place, in pursuit of the Shinenju. But alas, it seems I was wrong
So I visited this place - because I was looking for... what now?
The man smiled... or, Ichigo wasn't sure if his expression could indeed be called a smile since it seemed a touch too flat-
"As you can see, it is... just us. If my suspicions are correct, Yhwach has successfully encompassed all three worlds with his newfound power." The man spat the last line, as if excessively displeased with this Yhwach guy, although at the same time partially trying to hide it.
All Ichigo could think of saying to all that was 'Okay'. What came out was a bit less intricate:
"Ah..."
The man was now looking at him even more intently than he was before. Ichigo began feeling a touch uncomfortable under his gaze... and so, he decided he needed to try and steer the conversation to the topics that would actually help him in this situation - extremely urging gut feeling ignored (well, there probably wasn't anyone else in this desert for miles...).
He seems to know me. Maybe he can... help me out?
"If I may ask...well, it's going to sound weird, since you talk as if... just - who are you? I know it's a bit strange, but it seems I can't remember... you."
Or anything at all.
Even having decided to ignore his instincts, he wasn't about to divulge everything to a person that felt so - well, one could say dangerous, even.
Momentarily, the man looked at him with bewilderment - Ichigo could see it flash in his eye - but then he eased his face into a mask of calm... and then, there was that creepy-ass gleam back again-
"Oh. You don't... remember me? Well, that is one fascinating development."
Ichigo didn't know what to say to that. He definitely didn't like hearing of his memory loss being in any way fascinating, though.
"Uh, I'm not sure if I would call it that. It's one hell of a confusing experience."
The man chuckled, deep velvety voice reverberating across the valley.
"I'm sure it must be.
"Ichigo..." His name - for some reason it sounded so wrong when the mystery man said it. "I must ask... do you remember anything at all?"
For the life of him, he didn't. But- but he didn't feel like telling the man the whole truth, either.
"I mean- yes. I remember some things. Parts." It wasn't entirely a lie, but it wasn't true, either. He did get flooded with sensations and images - it was just that, they were taken out of context, and he now couldn't remember most of them-
"Parts."
"Yeah, parts." He said, a little too quickly. Was he bad at this?
Probably.
"And what are those parts you seem to remember?" The man asked, sounding genuinely curious.
"To be honest - I don't feel like telling you that... just yet. I just- maybe you tell me your name, for starters? Maybe that will... refresh my memory."
The man paused as if considering something. It was a momentary reaction, quickly masked by that strange facade he seemed to suddenly try and keep up.
"Pardon my manners. Aizen Sousuke."
There was a pull in his gut. Something, somewhere, someone-
Sudden, searing pain erupted across his cranium.
...Ichigo!...
Flashing lights, a voice - a female voice was calling his name. Somehow, someway he knew her, but for the life of him, he couldn't-
...sentenced to execution...
An image of a strange hill flashed across his mind - there was a large flat area at the top of it, with an odd, tall contraption build upon it.
...the Sōkyoku Hill...
He saw a black-haired girl - dressed in white, with a red collar around her neck. There was fire, everywhere around them-
...The memory skipped to a man - with brown hair, glasses, and a white haori - an incredibly familiar man...
He was holding the girl in the air, and he- he-
What the hell?
He put his hand inside of her and took out an orb.
Just as Ichigo watched him do so, the pain of his headache became unbearable. He was sure that he had collapsed to his knees at this point, unable to deal with the sudden onslaught.
...Finally, as the last vestiges of this flashback faded into the depths of his mind, the pain subsided.
In the moment of clarity that followed, Ichigo's mind was bombarded with bits and pieces of his life.
This time, they weren't just a meaningless clump of memories - this time, there was some weight behind them, something that caused them to stay anchored.
...Yuzu making dinner for them all. Karin sitting at the table, annoyed at some - spirit?...
...A girl in a black shihakusho stepping through his window - Rukia!...
Then, he saw an orange-haired girl, and-
...Orihime and Tatsuki...
Many other faces flashed through his mind, and so he started to regain recollection of some of the events in his life.
...The betrayal - Aizen's betrayal!
He remembered Hueco Mundo. He remembered how Inoue was kidnapped by the very man who stood before him-
Ichigo recalled how he had sworn to himself he would get her back. They - him, Ishida, Chad, Rukia, and Renji had arrived at the Hollows' Realm to rescue their friend.
They split up at some point - and then...
...nothing.
He couldn't remind himself how he'd gotten here. This wasn't Hueco Mundo - no, this was...
Senna!
The Valley of Screams - where Senna...
God damn it-
It was all too much. He had his memories back, but his circumstances - there was no making sense of them!
Aizen!
What if this was all an illusion? What if he'd gotten himself caught - but couldn't remember it - and now the traitor captain was toying with him-
Fear suffocated him - fear for his friends - had they managed to get themselves captured, too?
"Aizen! You- what did you do to me!?"
He watched as the substitute shinigami groaned in pain and clutched his head. His eyes glazed over - a clear indication that he was currently relieving something - memories from Karakura or Sōkyoku Hill, perhaps.
The memory loss that the young man exhibited was indeed something quite unexpected - but not impossible, either.
Aizen himself too had for the fraction of a second not remembered anything. Then, of course, thanks to the power of his Hōgyoku, the memories were returned to him and so he could attempt an escape from Yhwach's prison...
He had a few hypotheses of how the Quincy King managed to reach his current state but to his growing ire, he couldn't be certain.
...For Yhwach's body, at one point, had to have been in some way destroyed.
It had then melted into the black sludge, a strange ever-increasing substance. After the slime had... engulfed them both, Yhwach had made it his goal to seep into all of the worlds, with his final intent to devour them.
No-one was left to stop him - so Aizen could wager a guess that the dimensions were, undoubtedly, long eradicated...
...and if that was so...
To put it simply, that didn't bode well (he could feel his hands clench and unclench at the uncomfortable truth, an involuntary reaction he carried on from the unpleasant times of his youth).
What Sousuke was even more unsure of was how he - now they, as Kurosaki had proven once again he was not easily defeated - had managed to end up in a Valley of Screams.
By all accounts, if his theory was correct, then it should have been destroyed along with everything else.
But, for some reason, it wasn't-
Aizen watched as Kurosaki fell to his knees with a yelp. Before the man could react in any way, the substitute shinigami snarled:
"Aizen! You- what did you do to me!?"
Curious.
The young man was apparently convinced that it was Aizen who was behind this grave situation. Now, just how many of his memories did he manage to regain?
"I have done nothing to you. I have only helped you flee from Yhwach's clutches - that is all.
It would probably be prudent to ask...
"Tell me, Kurosaki, what is the last thing you remember?"
Ichigo looked at him, eyes wide open, an expression of someone utterly terrified plastered across his face.
"What? You- you- what the fuck are you talking about!?"
He stifled the urge to sigh.
It looks as though I'll have to steel myself for a long conversation.
"I asked what is the last thing you remember. It seems that there is a great portion of things missing, judging from your confusion."
"A- So you're trying to tell me that I forgot everything up to this point and this isn't one of your illusions-
He rapidly cut off, bewildered.
"Why should I trust anything you say!?"
Why should you? Good point, Ichigo.
"My ability is not based on measly illusions. No, my Kyoka Suigetsu is capable of entrapping a person in perfect hypnosis. It affects all senses of an individual, making them unable to distinguish reality from whatever it is that I want them to see.
"Say, if you were indeed under the influence of my Zanpakuto - under perfect hypnosis - do you truly think that you would be able to recognize it?
"I do not want to fight you, Kurosaki. Not at the moment, anyhow. Time is of the essence in this place - that is, if my assumptions are correct."
The substitute shinigami visibly gulped, startled beyond belief in his anxiety-ridden state.
For that, Aizen couldn't blame him, not really.
He himself began feeling the first traces of fear take hold.
If his belief was true, then at some point the pocket of space that the Valley existed in should compress and finally disappear, undoubtedly crushing them in the process and leaving more room for whatever it was that Yhwach wanted to create.
What remained unknown was when such a thing would have to happen-
It could take place weeks from now.
...Or maybe they had left only a few hours (he truly hoped that was not the case).
In one of the better scenarios, the black mass wouldn't be able to corrode the place for up to a few years.
"Hueco Mundo.
"I- The last thing I remember, we broke into your base. We decided we would split up and- that's it. I don't remember anything from that point on."
Oh.
"I see.
There is much I will have to explain to you, then.
"If that's the case... well, then it seems that you are missing at least two years worth of memory."
What!?
The first thought - the first accusation that rattled across his mind as he heard Aizen claim that the gap in his memory was bigger than just a few hours was the predictable as ever 'You're lying!'.
Because, obviously, this couldn't be true-
It was wrong - or actually, more than just wrong - impossible.
And yet-
He didn't know how he found himself here. His clothes were... different from what he remembered to have been wearing. There was an additional white cloth around his waist, and his sleeves were gone - torn, apparently.
And the only person who could explain what happened to him was Aizen, of all people-
What the fuck did I do to find myself-
How in the world could I just up and forget a whole two years of my life!?
"Let me explain what happened. I think it might help you work out some of your evident confusion. Possibly compel you to remember some of the details otherwise lost, as well."
Ichigo gaped wordlessly at the traitor captain.
Should I... listen to him?
Every instinct, every bone in his body jerked in disagreement.
...But who else could describe to him his circumstances?
His eyes raked over the horizon. There was only dust and stones around them - and if he truly was in the Valley of Screams-
How the hell do I leave this place-
"Fine." He uttered it out quickly - before the more reasonable part of his mind could catch up and stop him.
Ichigo was positive he could assess what Aizen had to say to him. He wouldn't let himself get manipulated (there were people at stake, there was always someone he strived to protect - this time, whatever the conditions, it couldn't be different).
...And, although he wouldn't admit it out loud, at this point, he desperately needed the answers. Something - anything
It was a part of himself that he tried to bury under layers of grim determination... but to no avail. There was something wrong, something ice-cold, at the edges of his conscious, as if a foreboding of the things that were to be revealed.
"I will tell you everything that I know of.
"Although I attest - some things from your life that happened in between the begging of your gap and the Quincy war, you will have to fill in yourself through gradual recollection.
Wait- wait a damn minute!
...the Quincy war!?
His breath caught in his throat at the mere mention of the Quincies.
What- How!? But Ishida said-
"I know only the vague outline of the things you have done, and I was a witness to the last fight that has... quite disastrously so, in its consequences brought us here."
The longer Aizen explained, the more terrified Kurosaki became.
At first, anger and disbelief shone brightly through his face, but as he started getting into detail... it was as if along with the things he described, flashes of memory appeared in the substitute's mind.
...Flashes of knowing, flashes of horror...
The Soul King had died at some point - he must have had, as it was the only way through which Yhwach could have taken control of the realms.
To his understanding, Ichigo was there, present in the Royal Realm, when the Soul King was cut down (or rather, as he would prefer to call it - when the glorified remains that used to keep the worlds stable were destroyed).
...Kurosaki's rising dread was overall, quite understandable.
In his mind, the young man must've been convinced of his utter, and complete failure at everything he ever swore to uphold and protect.
On the contrary to the substitute, Aizen did not have such issues - at least, not with protecting what was dear to him - as it was all already long gone.
...What he did have issues with, though, was his very probable soon-to-happen demise via shrinking pocket dimension.
Fortunately, he did have some remaining tricks up his sleeve - for now. Unfortunately, they would be extremely taxing if he attempted them with only his power.
Convincing Kurosaki to help him would be invaluable in this situation. The substitute's already vast reiatsu, combined with Aizen's own... it could be more than enough for what he wanted to attempt.
As he was getting to the moment of the final fight - the last straw, the one thing that had doomed all three worlds...
"Wait- wait, please wait- what about... Orihime? What about my-"
There was something, some extreme, unspoken tension in Ichigo's entire posture.
...was he-?
For a moment, it even felt to Aizen as if he should thread carefully with the young man.
...Some of the evident concern he was experiencing must have leaked through his usually tightly-kept mask of calm, as Kurosaki almost flinched, surprise visible in his eyes.
Ah yes, he was tired. Apparently, all too tired to effectively manage his expressions-
"Kurosaki? Now, what has diverted your attention from-
"Nothing!" He nearly shouted, startled.
Aizen usually hated it when someone interrupted him in the middle of a sentence (it was something he tried to hide, but even he agreed with himself it was one of his more obvious flaws) - and yet, this time, he felt his annoyance rise, but he couldn't find it within himself to feel an ounce of genuine anger.
He further blamed this deviation from the norm on his growing exhaustion.
He took a breath, and continued from where he left off:
"You, miss Kuchiki and Abarai Renji went through the gate. Unfortunately... I do not have any recollection of Inoue Orihimie following after you.
"What I know of, or more so, what I have seen as I was still immobilized in that infernal chair...
The urge to thread carefully once again appeared at the forefront of his mind. The information he was about to present - it had the potential to break Ichigo. That, on its own, right now wasn't on the list of desired outcomes from this conversation.
...But he couldn't hide the truth forever. As Kurosaki had already shown, the young man could very well remember what had occurred on his own.
He settled for:
"...I'm afraid that they didn't, quite... make it.
-there was a sharp intake of breath, and it was as if all color had been drained from the substitute's face-
"I'm quite certain that nobody did. As I said, it's just you and me. We are the only survivors and this Valley... at the moment, I'm afraid it's the only place that exists outside of Yhwach.
Ichigo looked something in between incredibly nauseous and sick.
"But, before you lose all faith... I might have a solution to this problem that we seem to be having."
After hearing that- after hearing what he was afraid of hearing all this time, at first, it felt like his mind had shut down.
The gravity of the entire situation hadn't exactly hit him until now.
They... they didn't make it...
A wave of cold washed over him. As if breath was knocked out of his lungs, for a second it was as if he couldn't gasp for air-
Before himself, he could see eyes - such lifeless, unseeing eyes, and a halo of orange hair-
They are dead. They are all...
It felt as if shards of ice were dropped onto his abdomen.
...dead...
He wasn't certain if he was shivering or not, but it sure felt like he was.
His friends were fucking gone, and-
And he was stuck here, apparently... because everything else had been razed by Yhwach as he achieved that God-like state of his.
...He was stuck here, and outside of this place...
...nothing existed - if he understood Aizen correctly.
The entire thought - the entire idea that everything, all the dimensions were eradicated - it was almost impossible for him to wrap his head around.
Panic began setting in, propelled by Ichigo's intense sense of grief - and guilt, which stemmed from him not being able to save them... he had been too weak, and now all was lost-
"...before you lose all faith... I might have a solution to this problem that we seem to be having." As if the words managed to tear through the thinly-woven cover made of fear, he perked up, nearly involuntarily.
Aizen was staring at him, his brow cocked, something inscrutable in his eye-
I'm alone...
...I'm trapped in this place, and the only person that I'm left with is him ...
Although Ichigo felt strong unease whenever he talked with Aizen - since the man had done nothing but wished harm on him and his friends...
I could... hear him out, I guess.
There simply was nothing else left for him to do.
"A- a solution, to this?" He strained himself so that his voice wouldn't waver too much but he wasn't exactly sure if that had achieved its desired effect.
"Indeed.
"I possess extensive knowledge that could... aid us, in this precarious situation. Notably, I know of a certain formula - several spells used in tandem, which are said to together have time-and-space-distorting capabilities.
"Their use is said to be incredibly dangerous and I have never tried casting them, due to the apparent side-effects that they are supposed to inflict... but at this moment, I'm afraid they might just be our only hope."
Like... time travel?
He couldn't believe it - time travel was possible!? And via Kido, for that matter?
...But then again, was anything else about this situation, or anything about the world really, truly, ever 'normal', as an ordinary resident of the human world would say?
Deep within himself, like a candle lighting the midsts of a dark cave, he felt a small, warm, and tickly flicker of hope arise.
So we could... go back in time... before all this bullshit ever happened, and-
There were risks, of course. Aizen said that there were some side effects to the spell - although he didn't specify precisely what they were.
...And could he actually trust his once-enemy... his literally enemy-turned-temporary-ally?
Well, there was no reason for him to lie, if the circumstances that they found themselves in were in fact what he said they were...
Although he certainly strongly wished to, he couldn't deny the memories that played out before his eyes as Aizen recounted to him the events of the Quincy war.
Even the lone thought of them... the lone idea, the awareness of what happened - it made the blood freeze in his veins and it made tears threaten to fall from his eyes each time, even though he tried to stop it - because he wouldn't break down in front of someone like Aizen, he couldn't-
I'll fix this. I'll fix all of this-
"What do I need to do?"
The upfront question seemed to have caught the traitor captain a bit off guard. It really wasn't much, and he quickly smoothed his expression, but it was there - a shadow of surprise.
"I need you to help me. To cast the spells and in consequence, partake in the ritual, one needs a tremendous amount of reiatsu.
"Mind you, my power is nothing to discount... but even I surely wouldn't be able to come out unscathed was I to be the sole participant in this."
Well...
There was a problem, a big one. Ichigo didn't really need to use Kido before... so, even though Rukia oftentimes tried to convince him, he had never learned it.
...His experiences with sensing reiatsu and failures at reiatsu control might have been a factor in his unwillingness, too.
"Oh... alright. Well, then there seems to be an issue - I don't know how to, exactly, er, cast Kido in general."
He desperately tried to mask his embarrassment but to no avail.
Up to this point, he had always managed to survive without knowledge on how to cast spells. How could he have known the entire fate of the world would depend on it one day!?
Aizen pinned him with a long stare.
"I suspected as much... I thus offer to teach it to you."
... Wha-
Aizen wanted to teach him spellcasting?
Well, looking at their circumstances, it was not an illogical choice... still, it seemed so strange and out of place and-
Ichigo definitely wasn't used to having Aizen as an ally.
"You will... teach it to me? Okay. Yeah, I guess that's a great idea-
Aizen cocked a long-suffering brow at him.
"What is it?"
"I'm terrible at reiatsu control. The last time I tried to focus it, I blew something up. Apparently, it has something to do with my hybrid status and my power levels... and how they are too high for me to manage them. Are you sure that this is doable, actually?"
He blurted it out before he could stop himself, more unsure of all this by the minute.
Aizen observed him, apparently hard-set and confident in what he was about to say if a little bit incredulous.
"Why, of course, it is. How do you think I manage my reiatsu? It is quite doable, indeed. As to your hybrid status... I am not sure how that may affect your spells, but I assure you that casting them should not prove impossible.
"...And anyhow, you will never know without trying."
Well... whew, I guess?
"Fine. So... when do we start?"
"Right now would be preferable. We must not waste any more of our time. I am... unsure as to how long we can spend here...
"But let's not focus on that at the moment. For now, follow me, Kurosaki."