Disclaimer insert here: I don't own or have ever owned Bleach or Wheel of Time.

Robert Jordan is one of my greatest inspirations when it comes to writing: a man gone too soon from this world.

All characters belong to their rightful owners, any OC I create are purely for entertainment use only. As usual an M rating is for future violence, dismemberments, gore, language, very foul language, and of course mature scenes will be in, but don't expect a ton of them. Again enjoy your time here.

Secondary Disclaimer: If you are here to read a story based on or will adhere to Canon, then this story is NOT, REPEAT NOT for you.

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Response to Reviews Corner 8: Will now be located at the bottom as with all of my stories from now on.

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Beta & co-writing credit: regfurby

Also always read AN for any important news or information, it does have thing not in the reviews corner.

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"Speech"

'Thoughts'

'Memories'

"Hollow Zangetsu"

"Quincy Zangetsu/Yhwach"

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Sitting in the vast pool of Reiatsu, the Reiō finds himself in a position he hasn't been in for a number of centuries: a position of contentment. Content that the 'balance' is now no longer threatened by two of the greatest mistakes to have ever have graced his Kingdom with their presence. Content that the Shinigami are once again finding their place as his true dominant military force, as they had once been over a thousand years ago. Content that the bonds of friendship made with the surviving Arrancar during the Thousand Year War are proving beneficial in helping safeguard the current Jūreichi - Karakura Town, the town that his newest Captain - Kurosaki Ichigo had been born and raised in.

Three years have passed since his wayward son; the self-proclaimed God of Quincies had come home to usurp his throne, only to find a group of children and former exiles leading the charge to stop him and his Sternritter Elite. The Soul King smirks with a hint of laughter on his features as he remembers the look on Yhwach's face as he lay beaten, facing the two young men who were responsible for his defeat and his subsequent demise. The Reiō wonders what his son was thinking as he looked up at his 'successor', the young Ishida Uryū, standing next to his distant cousin Ichigo, both of them watching the Quincy 'God' succumb to the injuries they had dealt him after they had combined their powers once more. It was a tactic the pair had done once before nearly two years earlier during their so-called 'duel', and they had used it again flawlessly to crush his son's omnipotent abilities. There are days where he wonders whether Yhwach ever foresaw his betrayal and defeat at the hands of Uryū and Ichigo...Not that he will ever allow his son's soul to see the light of day from his prison in Hell, but maybe one day he will pay him a visit to ask him that very question.

Smiling contentedly, he is about to rise from his pool and retreat to his private chambers when a distant pull gains his attention. Curious, he casts his awareness out through the Universe without moving from his spot and finds himself looking down at a planet he had all but forgotten about, a planet that holds one of his earliest mistakes. Frowning, he delves into the recent history of the world, events of the past unfolding in his mind until he catches up to present events. Tightness forms around his eyes when he finds the future of this world greatly muddied by the interference of his 'jailed' brother; he would curse the day that he had made that damn foolish agreement with his brother, but in hindsight, the people of this particular world had been the most advanced of all his creations at the time, and both he and they had been blinded by their pride.

So blind were they that the people of this world had advanced too far for their own good; their hubris led to their eventual downfall. The tragic chain of events had also spurred him to make sure that no other human throughout his Kingdom would ever wield the same power that the men and women calling themselves Aes Sedai did, a power that had nearly devastated their world. Now, only the female half of the source can safely be touched, the male half having been corrupted so heavily by the taint of his brother that their users are eventually driven to madness, his brother's influence upon the world slowly pushing through the small breach in his eternal prison.

Frowning, the Reiō considers his options. He had never once wielded the One Power in front of his Shinigami, the servants he has come to favor over all others, but he is well aware that it is still being used by the descendants of his Aes Sedai, pale and weak imitations of their ancestors. He could not bring himself to destroy the True Source completely back then, lest he leave this world completely unprotected from his brother's eventual return – the compromising breach in his prison guaranteeing its eventual collapse - but neither can he simply wait for his brother to escape before he takes action. Casting his mind along the timeline, he attempts to view the events of his brother's re-emergence, but finds out to his surprise that the future is being clouded from him. Puzzled at his inability to see the future clearly, he closes his eyes and delves back into the scenes of the past over and over again, flickering through the pages of history in the span of a thought as he seeks to identify the source of this disturbance... but to no avail. The Reiō has no illusions that a single fickle twist of fate could lead up to him having to fight his brother once more over the fate of the world; it is a risk he has no intention of taking. Perhaps, then, he should simply repair his brother's prison, preventing him from ever breaking out and becoming a threat..?

Pulling his attention back to his immediate surroundings, the frown on the Reiō's face deepens. Maintaining the balance is of absolute importance to the pure being, and he already has to focus much of his strength on repairing the fragile state of his world's 'balance' that Yhwach's attempted coup has left it in. Having to reseal the breach in his brother's prison will tax his reserves greatly, possibly leading to him making mistakes he can ill afford. Finally, he makes a choice. A choice he hopes will not attempt to beat him to a pulp once he figures it out...

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Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kurosaki Ichigo holds out his hand and waits until Matsumoto Rangiku places his current Denreishinki back into his palm. "I swear Rangiku, one of these days I am going to learn how to say no to you and the SWA." The orange-haired man bemoans loudly.

He stifles his growl of annoyance as the busty blonde grabs his head and brings it down, burying it in the valley of her bountiful bosom. "Oh, don't be that way Ichi. You know you are the only one who can freely visit the World of the Living anytime he wants. Besides, Orihime promised to have everything ready for you so you didn't have to feel 'embarrassed' about having to shop for us. Now be a good Taichou and show us some compassion…"

"Matsumoto! What! Are! You! DOING HERE!?" Ichigo grins evilly when he hears Hitsugaya's clearly irritated voice demanding from behind his wayward lieutenant, who finally frees Ichigo's head from his marshmallow hell and allowing him to suck in deep lungsful of fresh air.

"Taichou! W-What are you doing here!? I thought you and…Momo were out…having lunch together…" The busty blonde stutters, realizing that she's been busted by her captain again.

"What am I doing here!? What are you doing here!? I thought I told you, you were sequestered to the office until you finished your backlog of paperwork! Instead I find you here delaying Kurosaki Taichou! What did you shanghai him into doing this time!?" The now much taller white-haired captain shouts as he marches towards his cringing lieutenant.

Behind Tōshirō, Ichigo spots two of his best friends laughing softly behind their hands. The raven haired, violet eyed Kuchiki Rukia is there, along with their best friend, the red-haired tattooed lieutenant of Squad Six, Abarai Renji. The two had come to see him off at the Senkaimon Gate and also to check out his new Gigai, one that will allow him to visit his family without fear of his Reiatsu affecting his younger twin sisters any longer, and is also supposed to allow him to switch to his Shinigami form with a built-in Gikongan without ever having to eject his soul from the body. It effectively allows him to fight at full power if he ever needs to without having to worry if his Reiatsu would harm or even destroy any souls or humans that might be in his general area. He is also the lucky - or unlucky as Kyōraku Soutaichou had muttered - guinea pig who gets to test the new design for actual use in the World of the Living.

Shaking his head as he shuts out the voices of Rangiku begging and Tōshirō giving her a dressing down, Ichigo turns away from his four friends as he waves a lazy hand over his shoulder, walking into the active gate.

"See ya later guys. I should be back in a week."

"See you when you get back Berry Taichou!" Rukia replies as she watches her Captain leave.

As the gate closes, they begin to leave for their respective Squads only for them to halt as they hear one of the Kidō Squad members speaking to his companion at the now silent gate.

"Did you feel that Dai? There was…a brief vibration coming from the Dangai." The first Gate controller says.

Nodding in agreement, the second Kidō member places his hands on the Senkaimon and concentrates before horror forms on his face. He jumps away from the gate and begins to scream loudly.

"Osamu get away from the gate! Everyone get away from here! It's going…"

A blinding white light forms in the gateway before a large wall of super-heated flames erupts outwards into the courtyard, the intense heat cracking the stones all around the front and sides of the white gateway. For several seconds, nothing can be heard over the roar of the flames. Then, as abruptly as it began, it was over.

Rukia stares at the gateway, seeing the courtyard stones rapidly cooling and turning into glass from the heat that has been expelled from the collapsing tunnel world of the Dangai. She feels Renji lifting his body off from hers; she hadn't even realized that he had thrown himself over her during the explosion to shield her. Accepting his hand to help her stand up, both lieutenants stare in shocked silence at the now blackened stones of the Senkaimon, the sound of a shattered piece falling to the ground after it comes loose echoing throughout the silent courtyard as the petite Shinigami suddenly realizes her worst nightmare has come true.

"Ichigo Noooooooo!"

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Ichigo continues to cover his ears in a desperate, losing attempt to keep out the voices; hundreds of voices have been invading his skull for what seems like an eternity to him by now. He can sense Zangetsu and Yhwach suffering from the same vocal bombardment as he spins uncontrollably through the black void, his head and stomach in a constant state of vertigo from all the spinning he is suffering through. He should've listened to his Hollowfied Zanpakutō when Zangetsu started screaming at him to run when they heard what sounded like a horn echoing throughout the Dangai, but he had thought his sword spirit was just being overly paranoid. He decides that next time he'll listen to Zangetsu without arguing.

Back then, when the tunnel brightened both in front of him and behind him, he knew it was too late to escape; the Cleaner was behind him, forcing him to run towards the strange light traveling in the opposite direction towards him. While running, he had - in a rare moment of hesitation - panicked and turned back to see how close the Cleaner was to him, only to step right into the black void that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the Dangai. Once his foot entered the void, a force he had never felt before seemingly grabbed hold of him and dragged him all the way inside before he could even realize what was happening. That is when the voices started bombarding him, speaking languages he had never heard of before, forcing visions and ideas into his head that he had no way of blocking out. The spinning began shortly after and its effects on his body were felt immediately, with Ichigo feeling himself losing control of his body and his mind as the voices become increasingly incessant.

For hours it seems the spinning, voices and mental assault continue before he notices in his dazed, weary and semi-catatonic state that something has changed. Silence, the beautiful sound of nothingness envelopes him, and then he sees a light rapidly approaching. Faster and faster he falls towards the light before he simply shoots out through the opening, unable to react in time as he slams face first into a body of water and blacks out from the pain.

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"...Keep still and try not to move Ichigo, I think someone is close by, so just lie still until we can figure things out once we're alone again. By the way, Yhwach is out cold; he used a lot of Reiryoku to keep us alive after we hit the water, so he's still recovering."

Those are the first words Ichigo hears Zangetsu say to him when he finally awakens in a state of near panic from his dreamless sleep and begins to struggle with his weakened body in an effort to regain his bearings. Once he calms himself down after heeding his Zanpakutō's advice, he realizes he is lying on a bed in a sparsely furnished room, the only source of light he sees coming from the few candles burning throughout the room.

'Candles? Where are we?' He asks of his Hollowfied Zanpakutō.

Zangetsu's echoish voice answers him quickly. "I don't know King. I've heard voices speaking in hushed tones and a few times someone has…well, I don't know what it is they did to us, but it seems to have helped us heal quicker than we would have on our own. Like I said before, Yhwach expended quite a bit of our Reiryoku to keep us alive after we slammed into that river or lake. I don't have much memory of it because I was still puking my guts up from whatever the hell that damned tunnel did to us….ah shit! Someone's coming in King…pretend to be sleeping and we'll talk later."

Ichigo closes his eyes and steadies his breathing, listening to the sound of the door opening and then identifying two distinctive sets of footsteps entering the room. Extending his 'human' senses as taught to him by both Yoruichi and Suì-Fēng, he tracks the positions of the two people as they stop near his bed. Strangely enough, they don't seem to have any traceable amounts of Reiatsu, but they do have the remnants of something foreign to him emanating from them instead. Before he can contemplate on what it means, they begin to hold a conversation.

"Has he yet to regain consciousness since he was brought to us, Samitsu?" The first voice - a female - has an oddly clipped quality when she speaks.

The second voice - also female - bears a slight accent that he finds strangely familiar. "It's been nearly a month, and even after Healing him several times he has yet to regain consciousness. However, Leane, that isn't why I've asked you to come see him. The fact that he's even alive is miracle enough to begin with, considering the condition he was originally in when they brought him to the Tower...they pulled him out of the river with nearly every bone in his arms and legs fractured, along with a majority of his ribs, and possibly even his skull. Now though, there are no signs of any lingering injuries on his body. This young man should've died several times over from his wounds, but instead, he's now as healthy as an ox, completely healed as if he was never injured to begin with! It is a condition I cannot explain, nor can any of the other Sisters that have looked in on him."

Ichigo had inhaled sharply when he heard the extent of his injuries, and now he hears Zangetsu cursing him silently in his head.

"Which part of lie still and keep quiet didn't you understand King!?"

Chagrined at his blunder, Ichigo sends a mental apology to his Zanpakutō and remains absolutely still, hoping that neither of the women has picked up on his sudden action. Unfortunately, his hopes are immediately dashed.

"It would seem that a miracle has just occurred Samitsu." Ichigo and Zangetsu recognize the hint of irritation behind the dry tone of voice, the same irritation they had incurred from the countless females who had found out that they had once again gotten themselves badly injured. "Now that the young man is awake, perhaps he can tell us how he wound up floating from the Erinin River into the Northarbor."

Seeing that he is busted, Ichigo opens his eyes, blinking a few times before turning his head to face the two women standing next to his bed.

At a glance, the first woman stands nearly as tall as he does, with skin that is coppery in color, and wearing a solid blue stole over a form fitting dress as she stares down at him with her light-brown eyes. The woman beside her is wearing a light brown dress with a yellow fringed shawl draped over her shoulders; her hazel eyes are fixated upon him, and his eyes travel over her before staring at her hair where he hears the faint jingle of bells.

"You can't be related to him…" He hoarsely whispers, spotting several braids that have small bells tied to the end of their lengths.

"Related to whom young man?" The woman with bells in her hair closes the distance to his bed and settles her weight on its edge as she sits beside him; before he can move, he feels her hand touching the center of his naked chest, and it takes every effort for him not to jerk away in surprise when he feels a strange energy invading his body.

"Your reaction is normal for someone not used to being Healed by an Aes Sedai." She soothes him. "Please hold still until I finish delving you."

"Okay." His voice sounds scratchy and dry when he hears it, making him long for a glass of water. Pretty ironic since the last thing he remembers is slamming face-first into a body of water with the force of a speeding bullet.

"Stay focused King."

'Right, hard to do with something invading your body.'

After a moment, Zangetsu speaks up again, sounding reluctantly impressed. "Don't bitch too much about this Ichigo; I think this is what helped us stay alive. She's probably like Squad Four, a healer or something."

Ichigo doesn't respond; instead, he focuses on feeling the strange energy that seems to weave through his body in an unknown pattern until the sensations cease after a few minutes. The suspected healer stands up and gives him a reassuring smile. "I do believe I can safely say that you are doing much better than that first night when we found you floating in the Northarbor young man. Since we could only feed you liquids while you were asleep, how about we try some soft solids instead for today now that you are awake?"

Nodding his head once, he gives her jerky smile and a silently worded 'thank you' which earns him a genuine smile before she leaves the room. Ichigo then turns his attentions towards the other woman who is still standing by his bedside; he notices her eyes traveling assessingly over his body, which makes him look down at his uncovered torso.

'Oh, what the hell!? The scars from my spirit body are showing! Dammit all to hell Kisuke! Why didn't you think to tell me that this would happen you moronic jackass!?' Ichigo turns to look back up at the willowy woman when she speaks with that same clipped tone he had heard earlier.

"That is an impressive collection of scars for one so young. Scars I wouldn't have expected to see on anyone other than those who have fought against Trollocs and other Shadowspawn up in the Northern Nations along the Blight." The woman peers into his eyes almost appraisingly. "Samitsu Sedai places your age between nineteen and twenty-two summers. Does this sound about right?"

Somewhat startled by the question, Ichigo tries to answer, but nearly chokes up when his throat feels drier than the Sahara. Trying to look around for a cup or glass of water, he sees the woman reach down next to his bed and bring up a large white mug filled with water.

"The Yellow Sisters told me you would thrash about in your sleep, muttering in a language we haven't heard before." The woman remarks almost conversationally, bending down and holding the mug to Ichigo's mouth so he can drink. "Yet over the weeks, you spoke the unknown language less and less until all you would speak in your dreams is Common, and surprisingly the Old Tongue. A very rare ability for someone as young as you, to know how to speak in the Old Tongue...Unless of course you are the son of a noble family perhaps?"

Keeping his eyes firmly locked on her light brown ones as he carefully drinks in the water, he sees her give him a small amused smile before she moves the now empty mug away. Feeling somewhat obliged to give her an answer after her polite treatment, he decides to tell her the truth. "I-I have no idea how. I'm not even sure where I am, or how I even got here to be perfectly frank with you… er..." He looks at her with some hesitation.

The woman quickly understands his hesitation. "I am the Keeper of the Chronicles, Leane Sharif. You may address me as Leane Sedai or Leane Aes Sedai. Since I've introduced myself, would you do me the kindness of allowing me to know your name as well?"

Ichigo inclines his head respectfully towards her. "My name is Ichigo Kurosaki…Leane…Sedai."

As the woman - Leane Sedai - nods at him politely in greeting, Ichigo finds himself in a mild state of confusion. How had he been able to pronounce the unfamiliar honorific with such ease? It was almost as if he had been speaking the language all his life... "Hmm, perhaps you are from one of the Borderland Nations? Kandor, or perhaps Shienar?" Leane suddenly questions.

Ichigo's face must have shown his confusion at the names mentioned, as the woman frowns slightly. Tapping a finger to her chin, she gets up and moves to the door, speaking to someone outside.

"Fetch a map for me and bring it back here. Hurry Child, I don't have all day."

Hearing a young woman's voice express her acknowledgement followed by the sound of footsteps hurrying away, Ichigo watches as Leane closes the door and makes her way to one of the two chairs in the corner of the room, where she sits down with - in his opinion - an elegant grace that reminds him of proper nobility. Leaning back in his bed and making himself comfortable, he and Leane begin the wait for the female to come back with the promised map. Now and then however, he steals a glance in Leane's direction and sees her studying him just as much as he is studying her. This goes on until the door opens to reveal the healer - Samitsu - and another young woman with the same striking features as Leane entering the room carrying a tray with several covered dishes.

"Put it on the table next to the bed Theodrin; we'll call for you once we are done." Leane directs the new woman.

Swiftly following her instructions to the letter, the woman gives a deep curtsy before leaving with a quick 'As you wish Aes Sedai'.

Ichigo watches the younger woman leave the room with the same graceful movements he had noticed in the older two women, but his attention is quickly grabbed by the covered dishes. The smell of the food invades his senses, causing him to try and sit up in bed, only for him to give a painful wince as his muscles heavily protest against his action. As a pained moan breaks free from his lips, he feels two sets of hands suddenly moving under his naked back and supporting him, one set holding him upright while the other quickly places several pillows behind him, then he is eased back until he is sitting up at a comfortable angle.

"Thank you." He manages to say, flushing slightly in embarrassment at his weakness.

"Do you think you can eat on your own, or will you require assistance?" Samitsu asks him with genuine concern.

Giving a firm shake of his head to convey that he will be fine, Ichigo slowly raises his arm, his fingers struggling to grip the handle of the pewter fork. He manages to grasp it after some effort, and with a bit of concentration he is able to dig into the plate of scrambled eggs. He nearly drops some of the eggs as his quivering hand slowly brings the fork back to his mouth, but he perseveres and finally manages to stuff the forkful of eggs into his mouth. Closing his eyes in bliss, he sighs out loud at how good it tastes; he also ignores the faint chuckle coming from his Aes Sedai audience as he continues to steadily devour the eggs. As his meal progresses, the shaking in his hands gradually fade until he is eating without any real difficulties. All too soon, he is scraping at several empty plates without so much as a crumb to be found and his hunger pleasantly sated for now.

Samitsu starts to gather the dishes with a smile. "I'll have Theodrin bring you another tray in an hour…" Hesitating, the yellow shawled woman glances back at Leane who is sitting in the corner.

"Ichigo. His name is Ichigo Kurosaki." The copper-skinned woman answers her unasked question.

"Ichigo, then." The healer turns back to him with a smile, and Ichigo has the feeling it is more of habit that she had asked his name from Leane Sedai rather than any disrespect intended towards him. "Ah, a very unusual name, Ichigo. Do you mind if I ask what it means?"

Ichigo hums in thought. "I don't mind. It actually has several meanings, but my Mother named me Ichigo for 'he who protects' or 'first guardian'. I think she had a feeling about me when I was born." Speaking about Kurosaki Masaki brings up feelings of sadness and nostalgia, with Ichigo knowing that his inner-world must be slightly cloudy by now, but at least it is no longer the monsoon storm it used to be whenever he thought of his mother. At least he is able to draw solace from the fact that he had helped put down the bastard who was truly responsible for her death.

"I see, it is a good name. As I said, Theodrin will return in an hour with another tray of food Ichigo. Until then, I'll leave you with Leane Sedai. Don't force yourself into trying to do much, you've undergone several Healing treatments since your arrival, your body will feel weak for quite some time." He gives Samitsu a brief nod and thanks her again for the meal.

Even while speaking with Samitsu, Ichigo had continued to keep an eye on the other woman in the room. After the yellow-shawled woman had departed, neither he nor Leane say a word at first, but when the copper-skinned woman stands up, Ichigo can't help but find his eyes absently wandering over the soft curves and bosom of the tall woman, admiring how snugly her dress conforms to her body as she straightens up gracefully. Hastily averting his eyes so he can't be accused of staring too much, he hears Leane laughing softly as she walks towards his bed.

'Maybe I don't have to work so hard at being like my sisters…' Leane thinks as she decides to let the young man 'off the hook' as Siuan would say.

"I thought perhaps you were immune to the sight of a beautiful woman Ichigo. I won't bite you for looking if that is what you are afraid of." She teases him as she stops next to his bed and takes a seat on his mattress, her eyes glittering almost mischievously at the appreciative gaze he had given her, something she hasn't experienced in a while.

Rubbing the back of his head, Ichigo slowly looks up at her as he speaks. "Sorry about that, it's just... that dress…I'd honestly have to say that you would have had to beat a few of my friends off with a stick with how good you look…"

His words trail off as he fully takes in her face; the smooth copper skin is free of blemishes and wrinkles, possessing a strange timeless quality to it that makes him unable to pin an age to her youthful looks.

"How...How old are you?" The moment the words leave his mouth, his eyes shoot wide open when he realizes he had blurted his question out loud. "S-Sorry! Shit! I didn't mean…well what I mean is…ah, hell, I'm sorry…"

In contrast to his mild panic, Leane Sedai seems almost amused by his question. "Interesting. I can assume you have never seen an Aes Sedai before today?" Her light-brown eyes search his curiously as she waits for him to answer.

Not trusting his voice to hold steady, he gives her a slight shake of his head in answer.

"Hmm. Rather unusual for someone to claim he has never heard the stories about Aes Sedai, especially the ones that describe the one trait that visibly separates us from everyone in the world, our 'ageless' faces." Her expression turns serious. "Tell me, Ichigo Kurosaki, how is it that you have never heard of us, yet were found floating in our harbor, bleeding heavily and with your limbs twisted to such a degree that we had initially mistaken you to be dead? Had that particular night not been especially cold; our watchers wouldn't have seen your breaths in the night air after they pulled your body out from the water." The Keeper of the Chronicles doesn't want to believe that this young man is anything but a victim of a mugging or some other violent crime, but all the evidence is starting to indicate otherwise.

Ichigo stares at Leane, wondering how best to answer her question. Not only does he know he sucks at lying, he also feels somewhat obligated to return the courtesy she has shown him by answering her questions honestly. Just as he is about to answer her, however, he is forced to throw his head back as the sensation of a thousand nails and pins are suddenly driven into his skull. Going rigid, Ichigo feels his entire body thrashing upon the bed, his hands nearly ripping the sheets of his bed with his clenched fists and his head feeling as if it is about to burst from the inside out as the pressure within his head rapidly builds up. Staring ahead with wide unseeing eyes, he barely acknowledges the fact that Leane is scrambling to her feet and then running towards the door, throwing it wide open and shouting instructions to someone outside in the hallway. All he knows is that the voices have started again, but this time he understands them.

Words, terms, meanings, events of a history not of his world fills his mental vision, anchoring themselves firmly in his mind. He sees things he never thought were possible to exist, grand cities that put many of those in his world to shame from their grandiose splendor, humans using power beyond imagining to shape the world for themselves and those they serve. Strange inhuman beings singing and the plants growing in response to their voices, the trees and flowering shrubs being coaxed forth gently from the earth to form beautiful constructs of nature. People near death seemingly being healed overnight, people stepping into gates of light and disappearing only to reappear hundreds of miles away in an instant. Vehicles moving without sound or touching the ground, gliding through the air on wings of gold and steel.

A strange voice enters his mind. 'They were called Aes Sedai Ichigo. Their title means 'Servant of All'.'

He is vaguely aware that he is clawing at his head as the visions start up once again, hearing voices shouting near him as hands push him down and that strange power flows into his body from several sources. Someone of considerable strength forces his mouth open and when his jaw snaps shut again, he can taste leather on his tongue. Yet this does not stop the thousands of voices and images invading his mind.

He sees a great city exploding in the sky and darkness flowing across the lands. Scenes of war and countless atrocities that follow ravage his vision, committed by the Aes Sedai against each other and, to his horror, against the normal human population who were caught in the crossfire of the warring factions. Anger bleeds through horror as he sees a struggling, screaming human being thrown into a massive black kettle by a beastly creature who sets about cooking the poor child alive, as hundreds of its kin perform similar acts of barbarity around it. Absolute rage fills him as he sees a tall maggot-faced being scythe a bloody path through a village, cutting down everything and everyone that gets in its path as others of its kind direct the slaughter, killing men, women and children alike. On and on it goes, the nightmare inside his head well as the commotion outside in his room.

'This is how the end began Ichigo. How the world they knew disappeared overnight. Their folly in reaching beyond their limits, and their hubris in believing themselves able to undo their mistake.' The voice intones cryptically, yet with an unmistakable hint of sadness.

The pain in his head suddenly transforms into sharp clarity as he watches a man leading a larger group of men as they lay siege to a smoldering mountain. The cheers and celebrations that begin soon after are short lived, as the men quickly find out that their attack comes with heavy repercussions. Each of the men are afflicted by a taint, a curse laid on them by a vengeful god, and are slowly driven mad by the very power they wield. One by one, their death throes begin to tear the land apart; seas rush inland and earth is forced skyward out of the oceans. Cities are reduced to ash and rubble, their people forced to flee for their lives as their rulers and protectors turn against them. Over and over again he watches it happen, an endless repetition of tragedy, until the last male Aes Sedai finally succumbs to his madness, shattering the earth in his grief and dying unmourned and alone.

"Is he stable?" A woman's voice, firm and demanding echoes from somewhere nearby.

He barely recognizes Samitsu's voice answering with worry. "I don't know Mother. He…wait! It's starting again! Hold him down!"

'Watch and learn of how the world suffered Ichigo. Watch and learn as they fall, then slowly pull themselves out of the dark ages of the Breaking.'

The next round of visions isn't nearly as violent as the first; he sees nations rise and fall, wars won and lost, the harsh lands of the North relentlessly encroaching towards the softer lands of the South. On and on the voices explain things to him, showing him the history of this world, until it finally shows a black void opening above a river that leads into a harbor surrounded by a large white stone wall. The vision ends with his body hitting the water near the opening to the harbor before slowly surfacing, the currents pulling him inside right past a manned sentry post.

'What does your name mean?' The voice asks of him just as blackness starts to claim him again, and he is compelled to answer.

The two Yellow Sisters, the two Blue Sisters, a Green Sister, her two Warders and the three scared Accepted all jump when the young man suddenly bellows out into the room. "It means He who Protects!"

'Will you protect them from the coming darkness?'

"I will PROTECT THEM!" Ichigo roars out before his body finally succumbs to unconsciousness, blissfully slipping back into the quiet of dreamless sleep once again.

For several minutes no one in the room moves or speaks, until the woman wearing a stole with seven colored stripes on it turns to speak with the rest of them.

"Jolie, I want one Green Sister with at least two or more Warders guarding this young man. I also want two Sisters out in the hallway at all times maintaining a shield between him and the Source. Samitsu, your Sisters are to come and inform me immediately the moment he regains consciousness. Am I clear?"

"Yes Mother." The room choruses in response to the most powerful woman in Tar Valon, the Amyrlin Seat: Siuan Sanche.

Taking one last look at the young man now lying unconscious on the bed, she sees her friend - Leane Sharif, the Keeper of the Chronicles - run her hand along the young man's still arm. "So young to make such a pledge using the Old Tongue…what have you been forced to bear witness to in your short life, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

As Leane straightens up from the young man's bedside, Siuan exchanges a meaningful look with her friend. She too suspects the young man of having gone through things that would have killed many lesser men. The few scars she has seen on his body bear the marks of being earned through vicious battle; two scars in particular give her cause to shiver and wonder how the young man is even still alive after having received them. Based on what she has seen, she is confident in her theory that the young man has an incredible will to survive, one which must have aided him in his near-miraculous recovery from the terrible condition they had found him in.

However, until the young man wakes up again, all she can do is set a guard to watch over him, check in with the Brown Ajah to see if they have uncovered any more details of his origins, and do her own research regarding what she has observed from him and what he has revealed to Leane in the short period of time he was awake. Motioning for her Keeper to follow, she leaves the infirmary and heads straight for the Library where several items are currently under lock and key, the unknown devices having been discovered among the young man's torn clothing when he was first brought in and handed over to the Brown Ajah for their secrets to be unraveled.

Unseen by the Amyrlin and the other people as she leaves the room, twin purple orbs stare down sadly at the unconscious body of his orange-haired champion.

'I do hope you forgive me one day Ichigo; I had no choice. You have already done the impossible twice, I need you to do it one last time…'

XXXX

The Amyrlin and her Keeper return the polite greetings they receive from the various Sisters that they meet along their way to the Library. Now and then, they see an Accepted or Novice curtsey deeply and wait until they are out of eyesight before scurrying off to their next lesson or chore. Soon enough, the number of people in the hallways dwindle down to almost nothing as they approach a special Library, one that is restricted to members of the Brown Ajah and certain specific Sisters alone. Stopping before the door, Leane strikes it three times and waits patiently with Siuan. As the door creaks open, a newly raised Brown squeaks in surprise at seeing who is on the other side before hurriedly opening the door wide enough for them to enter.

"This way Mother, Leane Sedai; Bilal Sedai is waiting for you in her private study." The young woman silently leads them to the rooms in the back and to a door that one would have missed if they weren't directly looking for it.

Knocking once, they hear a voice bidding them to enter. Opening the door and walking in, the Amyrlin and the Keeper see that not only is Jesse Bilal in the room, but two other Sisters of the Brown Ajah are also milling over the artifacts they have come here to see.

"That will be all." Bilal informs the young Brown who has escorted them in.

"Yes Bilal Sedai." The young Brown closes the door as she leaves.

The Amyrlin weaves a ward around the office, and then stares expectantly at the three Brown Sisters within. They in turn look at one another before settling on Bilal Sedai, the nominal head of the group. "We have made little progress since our last meeting Mother. Other than identifying the one artifact as some kind of time keeping device, nothing we have done has yielded any answers that would satisfy us, since per your request we have not yet performed any invasive tests on the artifacts that would compromise their integrity. Now, if only the young man was awake, we could question him and find out more about these mysterious artifacts..."

The Amyrlin nods at them in acknowledgement. "Well, you'll have to wait a few more days; he just had some kind of seizure and passed out again shortly after he woke up. I have him currently under guard until we can ascertain whether or not he is a threat, but mostly to ensure he doesn't end up hurting himself by accident. As of now, all we were able to learn is his name, Ichigo Kurosaki. Leane Sedai was about to question him further when he suddenly began having his attack; strangely enough, at the end of his attack he said some rather curious things."

Seeing the Browns pay close attention, Siuan recites the two statements spoken by the young man. "The first thing he said was 'It means He who Protects', and the second thing he said was 'I will PROTECT THEM!'" She adds emphasis on the same words as Ichigo, just in case there is some special meaning to them.

The three Brown Sisters exchange puzzled looks. "And that is unusual how, Mother?" Bilal inquires.

"Because he said it while speaking in the Old Tongue, Bilal Sedai." Leane explains, seeing the expressions on the Brown Sisters turn to surprise and intrigue at this revelation. "There are several witnesses who heard him make his declarations. The other unusual part is that he spoke in the Old Tongue, as fluently if he grew up speaking it." She adds with a contemplative air.

"Unusual indeed. Has Elaida Sedai had a foretelling as of yet, Mother?" The Brown Sister asks of her Amyrlin.

Both Leane and Siuan grimace at the mention of the Red Sister's name. "No, as before all she is concerned with is the safe return of Princess Elayne Trakand. Queen Morgase is threatening to throw her out of Caemlyn if Elayne doesn't show up soon. The last time Verin sent a message, they were still six to eight weeks away from reaching Tar Valon, depending on the spring roads."

Bilal sighs at this, then gives the Amyrlin a small curtsey. "I will immediately inform you if we make any major discoveries Mother, but I and the others believe that only the young man can provide us with proper answers."

Nodding to the Brown Sisters and complimenting them for their efforts thus far, Siuan and Leane leave the Library to return to their adjoining studies. Along the way, they spot a familiar looking girl walking airily alone in the hallways, and a brief glance shared between the three females is all that the Amyrlin needs to know that the girl - Min - has something important to tell her. Exchanging a look with Siuan, the Keeper of the Chronicles slows down until she and the young woman from Baerlon are shoulder to shoulder. One faked 'complaint' from the girl later, Leane loudly admonishes the 'lovesick' child and commands her to report to her study in two hours so that they can properly discuss her insolent behavior.

Slowing down her own walk, the Amyrlin waits for her Keeper to catch up to her before weaving a brief ward that would allow them a moment of privacy.

"I wonder what she saw that she'd risk punishment to speak to us." Siuan murmurs softly to Leane as her friend catches up to her.

"We will find out soon enough." The willowy woman remarks, her stare causing a group of passing Novices to give the pair hasty curtsies and hurry past them in an effort to leave the two alone.

XXXX

Half listening to Faolain Orande - the young Accepted who had treated Egwene and Nynaeve rather roughly the few times she had seen it happen - Min has to endure a lecture on 'proper decorum' for her meeting with the Amyrlin Seat while they are walking up the Tower hallways. Of course, Faolain vocally expressed her hope that Min would get switched for wasting Mother's precious time because she was being a silly-lovesick twit. Oh, how Min wished she could find a useful viewing of the woman in front of her, preferably one that would allow her to drag her name through the mud, but so far it seemed the woman didn't stand out in the Pattern or whatever it was that her gift was linked to.

If she was being honest with herself, Min was nervous. Ever since that strange feeling invaded her body a few hours ago, it had taken everything in her power to get out of her room and wander down the hallways in search of Siuan and Leane to inform, more like warn them that something drastic had changed in her viewings. Something that had obliterated several of her most profound visions, with the one that had her shivering the most being the one she had of Rand, her, and two other woman she would have to share him with. Now, Elayne's figure was still solid in her vision, but the third woman had grown misty, almost like a wraith. If she had to guess, she believed the third woman might end up following a different path and no longer become Rand's third lover, but she felt that the unknown woman would still be important to Rand somehow.

While that viewing impacted her the most, many of the others were also waxing and waning as the future distorted, almost as if it were undecided whether what had changed would remain true or change further due to various circumstances in the future. Her newest vision had come to her when she was thinking of her missing friends, leaving her doing a double take the moment registered what she was seeing. Fighting down the blush that tries to form on her cheeks at the memory, she thankfully succeeds just as Faolain stops before a familiar doorway and requests to enter.

As a familiar voice bids them to enter, Min fidgets distractedly as she tries to sum up her thoughts into a cohesive report, barely noticing the glare sent her way when Faolain passes by her again on her way to the study of the Mistress of Novices, Sheriam Bayanar as instructed by Leane Sedai. She does jump when Leane's stern voice breaks her out of her thoughts.

"Get in here Child! Stop daydreaming!"

Gulping reflexively, Min hurries inside, missing the slightly quivering switch held in Leane's hand that the Keeper allows several passing Sisters and Novices to see as she closes the door to her office, her stern voice adding credence to her act. "Since talking to you won't solve your indecision, perhaps a more suitable approach is required."

A swish and crack, followed by a loud painful yelp is heard just as the door clicks shut, followed by several more muffled cries of pain. Several of the Novices instinctively rub their own buttocks in sympathy as they hurry towards their classes or chores, while the few Sisters in hearing range smirk at their own memories, feeling no sympathy at all for the poor young woman.

Inside the room, Min is glaring at the older woman as she rubs her buttocks to try and ease the soreness of being switched.

"You didn't really have to go through with it Leane Sedai. I'm going to have to put a salve on those marks when I get back to my room." The young Baerlon woman grumbles to the taller Domini woman.

Placing the switch on her desk, the Keeper huffs out in response. "Fully going through with it was the point Min. We need people to believe we are at our wits end with 'Elmindreda' and her antics, and having physical evidence only adds to its believability. Now, enough whining, Mother is waiting for you."

Still rubbing her backside and grumbling, Min follows Leane into Siuan's inner office and offers a now perfectly dignified curtsy, the focus of the two Aes Sedai on helping Min maintain her appearance of a young Lady in hiding from two suitors having paid off huge dividends. Of course, the grimace on her face as she does so clearly indicates her thoughts on the matter.

"Sit, sit." The Amyrlin says distractedly as she reads over a small message that causes her to give her own grimace as she finishes. Handing over the parchment to Leane, Siuan then turns her full attentions towards Min. "So what is so important that you had to risk coming to see me?"

Gingerly setting her bum down on the proffered chair, Min begins to recount the numerous distortions now occurring from her visions. For half an hour she describes the differences between the former predictions and the changed or muddled images she now gets when she looks at the same people she had seen within the Tower. A faint blush colors her face as she haltingly speaks about her new visions with regards to her and Rand, how instead of having to share him with two others, the third is now likely to follow a different path. She still doesn't elaborate on the identity of the second woman, but informs them that the third woman will give her heart to an unknown man of incredible power.

"Incredible power you say? How so Min?" The Keeper asks as she pauses in the midst of writing a response to the message from earlier.

"I…don't know Leane Sedai. If I were to see him or even talk to him, maybe I could tell you. But right now, he is extremely blurry; I can't get a read on him. All I know is that he…he is strong. I don't know how I know, but I can sense it. He…will bring great change to our future…" Min stops to chew on a thumbnail, shivering from the feelings she remembers receiving from that vision.

Sensing the younger woman is deeply troubled by her revelations, Leane and Siuan exchange a look filled with an unspoken question.

XXXX

Blinking in slight pain from the bright lights filtering into his room, Ichigo knows he isn't awake - awake, but conscious in his inner-world instead. He feels the familiar soft sheets covering his body and the soft feeling of the futon he is laying on, a sharp contrast to the padded mattress he remembers waking upon previously. After a few minutes of letting his eyes adjust to the light, he throws off the covers and sits up to find himself alone in his room. Glancing around the sparsely furnished room, he sees the memories of his struggles made manifested, each item a moment in which his life changed forever. He knows why his Zanpakutō put them in here in his room, but some days he wishes he can just forget about some of them, like the rain coat and umbrella from that most horrible day.

Other items though bring a smile to his face, such as the stuffed lion that Kon had used during his stay with him and his family, to the pictures on the walls to remind him of why he always pushed himself to get stronger. Glancing at the closest wall, he scans the pictures of his family and friends. Some of them are no more than memories that the two had pulled from his mind, like the one of Tatsuki standing over him when he was still six and she had beaten him in karate. Or the birthday party they threw for Rangiku when they found out her what date her birthday was and the cake that had several question marks on it in place of candles. His time to muse can wait though, first he has to find out where they are, and then the hard part; find a way home.

Finding his clothes on the small bureau next to him, he dresses then goes to look for Zangetsu and Yhwach. Sliding open the door to his room, he easily finds his two spirits when he hears Zangetsu's echoish voice speaking from further inside his building, the center of his inner-world where he lives and recovers whenever he comes to see the two halves of his Zanpakutō. Making his way out of his room, he enters the living room that Zangetsu and Yhwach share when they aren't actively sparring against him or each other. To his right, he sees his white carbon-copy at the balcony that overlooks his now righted world, gripping the railings angrily. To his left, he sees Yhwach sitting comfortably in a large chair, holding a cup of tea and sipping as he listens to Zangetsu ramble on about their predicament.

"Ain't right what was done to King. He has done enough saving the world crap and now this. I mean when does he catch a break and…and get to live a normal life!? Besides…he was close…to asking…" He stops suddenly and glares up at the sky. "Just ain't right Yhwach."

His partner puts down his cup on the low table before him. "I agree Zangetsu. This takes him away from all he has known and loved, however...this world is in need of him if those voices and their images are indeed true. Ichigo was brought here for a reason, and until we figure it out and fix or destroy it, we might be stranded here. Of course, we won't stop looking for a way back to our homeworld. Someday we will find our path back and we will reunite with our loved ones, but for now, we should talk with our wielder." Yhwach turns to face Ichigo. "We have several theories we have been discussing, Ichigo."

"Yhwach, Zangetsu." Ichigo greets them as he makes his way to the table and sits heavily on a cushioned chair. "I guess you two know what's going on?"

Zangetsu glares over his shoulder and answers bitterly. "Yeah, you're getting fucked over…again."

Ichigo looks over to his other spirit and sees Yhwach nod his head in agreement, before pouring his wielder a cup of tea. "We are not home Ichigo, that much is clear. More precisely, we are not in any of the worlds or realms that we have visited before. Where exactly we are is still a mystery, but from what we have seen, I assume this world is currently between the Medieval and Renaissance periods of our world…" Ichigo knows he is his going to dread the rest of Yhwach's statement. "…And also perhaps something similar to the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings…"

Ichigo tiredly rubs the bridge of his nose at the reference to those fantasy novels, but he can't help but feel that they are on the right track. The memories they had endured are still vibrant in his head, but somehow scrambled and out of his reach currently. Taking a sip from his cup of tea, Ichigo leans back in his chair and studies the few memories he has of the people he had woken up to. He had felt the strange power that permeated the air in the room and briefly as it coursed through his body when the woman, Samitsu 'delved' him. But what really concerns him are the memories that had flooded his mind shortly after.

"... Did you see and hear what I did?"

"Yeah / Yes Ichigo." The two spirits reply in the affirmative.

"Then you know that I can't fully recall it... It's almost like that feeling that you get when you know you know something, it's at the tip of your tongue, but you just can't clearly call it to mind. How about you two?" He asks of the two Zanpakutō spirits.

Grunting as he pushes himself away from the railing, the Hollowfied half of Ichigo's Zanpakutō moves towards the table and plops himself into a chair, then gets up, spins it around before sitting back down with his arms folded over the backrest. "Same here King. It's there but not. Yhwach has a idea of why."

Looking over at the stately gentleman, the Shinigami waits for the Quincy half of his Zanpakutō to speak.

Yhwach takes a moment to compose his thoughts before he turns to his wielder. "I believe whoever it is that sent us here didn't want you to go into this completely blind Ichigo. However, I think he or she also wants you to base your actions and judgments on your own experiences as you interact with these Aes Sedai, and whoever else we will meet when we find ourselves out there in their world. I believe these memories will serve as a reference when they are brought up in context, or they are needed for you to make the correct decisions at a pertinent time."

Leaning back in his own chair with a groan, Ichigo buries his face in his hands. "So I have everything I need, but I can't use it until I need it. Wonderful. Just wonderful."

All three of them pause, before turning to look up at the sky.

"Seems like they've changed your keepers, King. We are fully recovered now, so if you want to make a move, now would be the best time to start gathering information and hopefully find us a way home." Zangetsu remarks with his eyebrows furrowed in contemplation.

"Be wary of your surroundings Ichigo. They may have helped us, but I sense these Aes Sedai are very nervous around you for some reason. Keep the details of your explanations vague; divulge only that which they need to know for now." Yhwach adds as Ichigo nods in agreement before fading away.

The two spirits share a glance before Zangetsu also fades away to listen in to whatever is happening in the material world, leaving Yhwach to continue finding a way to remember all the information they were subjugated to.

XXXX

Alanna Mosvani is about halfway with tracing her fingertips along the circular scar on the young man's chest when an iron grip catches her wrist and stops her cold. Sensing the jolt in emotions coming from their Aes Sedai, both Ihvon and Owein, her Warders reach for their swords only to pause as her free hand snaps up to halt them in their actions. Both of them see the young man's now-open eyes boring into their Aes Sedai's with an unreadable expression, then he speaks with a voice that clearly indicates he isn't pleased with their Aes Sedai touching his scar.

"What do you think you are doing?" The orange-haired youth asks with a frown forming on his face as he stares at the woman whose hand he is holding onto firmly.

Blue eyes search those of brown, and she smiles when she sees not a hint of fear coming from the bedridden young man. "I was curious, that is all…Ichigo Kurosaki."

His eyes narrow a fraction before he relaxes his grips and gently pushes her hand away from his scar, the one he had received courtesy of the deceased Cuatro Espada. "Please don't. It is a reminder of…"

Whatever he is about to say is interrupted when the door opens and a Sister from the Yellow Ajah pokes her head into the room. "Ah, did he just wake up Alanna Sedai?"

Straightening up and moving backwards several steps while folding her hands in front of her, Alanna gives the new arrival a small smile. "Yes he did, Sedore Sedai."

As the newly identified Sedore Sedai approaches his bed, Ichigo feels the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, his gut churning from the unsettling feeling he is getting from the unknown Aes Sedai. Narrowing his eyes, he stares hard at the woman, his wariness perhaps being conveyed to her as she stops short of his bed. Pursing her lips and narrowing her deep-blue eyes, she finally steps back when she sees his mouth curve into a frown the longer he studies her.

"Perhaps I should inform Mother that he has awakened. I'll send Gelarna Sedai to look upon him instead, Alanna Sedai. If you'll please excuse me." Pursing her lips, the Sister from the Yellow Ajah frowns once more at the young man before she leaves the room with a brisk gait to her steps.

His senses fully occupied with tracking the retreat of the creepy Aes Sedai, Ichigo is caught completely off-guard when a voice speaks up from the far corner of his room, alerting him to a presence he had somehow completely overlooked when he woke up. "Interesting. Why did you react negatively to Sedore Sedai's presence, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Turning his head so quickly he nearly gets whiplash, Ichigo peers warily into the flickering shadows in the corner cast by several candles, his eyes flashing gold as he uses his enhanced Hollow eyesight to pierce the veil of darkness, only to find himself looking at yet another ageless-faced woman wearing a light beige dress and a darker brown shawl over her shoulders. Despite his mild shock at missing her presence, he finds himself having to stifle a grin when he sees her bookish air and the spot of black ink on the tip of her nose, giving her the feel of a stereotypical bookworm. Concealing his thoughts, he lifts an eyebrow and motions towards the woman with one hand.

"And you would be?" He asks, prompting the woman to get to her feet and walk into the lit part of his room, continuing until she stops near the foot of his bed.

"My name is Jesse Bilal Sedai, Ichigo Kurosaki. I am of the Brown Ajah."

Ichigo's eyes glaze over slightly as his mind is filled with information on the Seven Ajahs, the seven disciplines and factions of which an Aes Sedai would choose one to devote herself to. Just as Yhwach had suspected, the echoes of the voices had provided him with the hidden knowledge when certain key words were brought up in his interactions. Despite his slight disorientation from the influx of information, he doesn't miss the perceptive look Belial Sedai gives him, though neither of them remark upon it.

"Now that I have introduced myself, perhaps you could answer my question young man?" Bilal prompts him again when Ichigo doesn't respond to her introduction.

Ichigo gives a start, then shakes off his disorientation and focuses on her once again. "Don't know, she…reminds me of something…something off. Call it a gut feeling, instinct might be a better description. Basically, she gave me the creeps for some reason, I don't know really."

"Fascinating." Belial Sedai doesn't seem to take any offense to Ichigo's wariness of Sedore Sedai. Instead, the other occupants in the room watch as she pulls out a piece of parchment and looks around the room before retreating back into her corner, where they can hear her scribbling soon afterwards while mumbling to herself.

Rubbing the scar that Alanna had been touching earlier, Ichigo looks back at the black-haired Aes Sedai. "Anyway, sorry about that. It…it brings some back bad memories." He looks down at his bare chest and then looks back up at the Green Sister. "Can I ask for a shirt or something to cover up with at least?"

"Of course. Ihvon, there should be some linen in that wardrobe." The Aes Sedai gestures to the wardrobe at the side of the room, but she never takes her eyes off of Ichigo, and he keeps his eyes on her in return.

Moving back gracefully towards the bed, Alanna stands near the end as she and Ichigo wait for her Warder to bring him a shirt. The Green Sister is fairly impressed by the muscle mass on the young man's body, watching it ripple as he leans forward and wraps his arms around his knees. She is already impressed by the fact that the young man seems completely unfazed by being in the same room with not only two Warders, but two Aes Sedai. Folding her arms beneath her bosom, she gives him a winning smile, and inwardly bumps up his score when he barely reacts to the increased swell of her breasts as they are pushed up by her movements.

Deciding to make some small talk, she latches back on the topic they are discussing. "I had heard of your scars Ichigo Kurosaki, but until I and my Warders had seen them for ourselves, I didn't really believe it." She hesitates. "Do you mind if I ask…"

She falls silent when his body tenses and his eyes narrow slightly, her link with her Warders letting her know that both of her Warders have tensed up in reaction as well. "I do mind actually." He says in a somewhat frosty tone.

Giving him a nod of acquiescence, she then hears him muttering about having something remove his scars, with one unfamiliar word catching her attention.

"He... may? Who or what is that, and how does it tie into removing your scars?" Alanna asks curiously, before glancing over her shoulder and wincing slightly when she sees Bilal peering at the young man with even greater scrutiny from her corner. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry." She apologizes, sensing the young man's discomfort.

Frowning, Ichigo gives a short nod of his head and replies. "They... my scars are…a touchy subject, Alanna Sedai. I would appreciate it if you do not bring them up."

As she pouts inwardly, Ihvon approaches Ichigo and holds out rather large plain cotton shirt to him. "I'm afraid this is closest we could find for you." He says, not at all sounding apologetic.

Alanna notes again that Ichigo doesn't react to the presence of the sword on Ihvon's body as he accepts the shirt, pulling it over his head and down around his chest. As he adjusts the cotton shirt until it fits him snugly, Ichigo finally glances at the sword hilt and makes a gesture towards it.

"Am I under guard?" Ichigo asks as he leans back against his pillows, absently noting that they had been propped up without his notice so he can sit comfortably.

"For your safety." Ihvon replies. Ichigo doesn't miss the unspoken. 'And ours,' but he senses that neither of the Warders have any hostile intentions towards him at least.

There is a rustle of paper, then Bilal makes her way back to the end of his bed, Ichigo noticing a fresh spot of black ink on her cheek. This time, he motions to her cheek and nose, and the surprised Aes Sedai wipes the ink off with a handkerchief before giving him a warm smile.

"Ah, thank you Ichigo. You don't mind us calling you that do you?" The Brown Sister inquires of him.

The displaced Shinigami shakes his head to indicate his acceptance of her calling him by name.

"How do you feel? Do you need us to heal you further?" She asks as she holds open a small book in her hand. To his bemusement, Ichigo notices a feather being held in her other hand.

'Is…that a quill?' He wonders to his Zanpakutō. 'An honest-to-Kami quill?'

"Possibly. Renaissance world with a touch of Bilbo Baggins, remember? From those memories, we are in a world that has lost much of the science it once used to have, and has now regressed to this level of technology Ichigo." Yhwach answers him bluntly. "Now, answer her question before she looks at you oddly again."

"I feel okay. Some stiffness that should go away once I'm allowed to get up and stretch my legs I hope." He replies to her question.

The Brown's next question however gives him pause. "And your head? Do you have any lingering problems with your memory, or any other injury we might have missed?"

Ichigo slowly takes stock of the other occupants in the room, noticing that each of them are regarding him carefully. "None. I don't have any lingering head injuries that I'm aware of."

"Good, good. Do you remember how you arrived here then?" Bilal starts scribbling in her book, giving him the impression of a doctor taking notes on her patient's condition.

"...Not really. I was kinda hoping someone here might be able to offer an explanation as to how I might have gotten here, actually." Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo sees Alanna straighten up and give him a small grin.

"I think she gots the hots for you King." Zangetsu suddenly singsongs, and an image of his white doppelganger nodding sagely pops into his mind.

'Oh would you give it a rest. Ever since…' His internal protest is cut off when the door to his room opens again, allowing two women to make their way inside.

Ichigo recognizes the taller coppery skinned Leane and gives her a nod, the Keeper barely pausing at his greeting before she gives him one in return. Behind her, a shorter dark-skinned woman with piercing blue-eyes and the same ageless face as the other women gives him a very critical and long studying look before she moves towards his bed, stopping between Alanna and Bilal. Over her light blue dress, she wears a stole that is significantly different from the others. Unlike the single solid color he has seen on the other Aes Sedai, this one has seven colored bands, his mind filling in for him that each of them represent one of the Seven Ajahs of the current Aes Sedai.

The two of them stare at each other, and soon an unsettling aura fills the room as hours seem to pass between the two having their silent showdown. Finally, the unidentified woman huffs out and speaks.

"Alanna Sedai, can you have your Gaidin wait outside while we speak to young Kurosaki here?" She asks the Green Ajah.

"Yes Mother." Alanna gives her two Warders a reassuring smile when she senses them about to protest. "We'll be fine Ihvon, Owein. There are four of us with him."

Ichigo and the woman wearing the seven-striped stole continue to stare at each other as the two men leave the room and close the door behind them. He narrows his eyes when he feels something passes over him, and he sees the woman reacting to his sudden shift.

"You felt that, didn't you boy?" The unidentified woman demands.

The tone of her voice causes Ichigo to snap back uncharacteristically with barely constrained anger in his voice. "It is Captain Kurosaki, not boy."

There is a pause, then he mentally slaps himself for that slip of the tongue when he sees the looks of incredulity showing up on all four of their faces; it is Leane who finds her voice first. "Are you claiming to be a Great Captain, Ichigo?"

Sighing, he breaks off his staring contest with the unidentified woman and sinks back into his pillows. "I don't know what a Great Captain means here, but in my birthplace, I was given the rank of Captain."

Leane moves towards the bed and stands beside the woman who has yet to be introduced to him. "Well then, Captain Ichigo, do you feel up to answering Mother's questions and ours?"

"Mother? Who's that?" He asks with obvious confusion, then something clicks in his mind as he remembers Alanna's earlier words and his eyes drift towards the seven-striped stole on the unidentified woman. 'Ah, shit.'

"My name is Siuan Sanche, Amyrlin Seat of the White Tower, the Flame of Tar Valon." The woman wearing the seven-striped shawl answers for Leane, confirming his memories. "You will do well to remember that…Captain Kurosaki. You may address me as Mother."

Ichigo gives the Amyrlin Seat a deadpan look. "Ain't happening. Only two women in my life have earned the right to be called by that name, and you certainly ain't one of them Siuan-san."

She almost snaps at him for his insolence, but something else takes greater precedence. "San? My last name is Sanche." She sees a look of puzzlement flash across Ichigo's face, before his eyes widen in sudden understanding.

"I'm sorry. -San is an honorific used by my people. We add it behind names as a polite way of saying Miss, Mister, or Sir." Ichigo gives her a determined look. "That's my compromise: instead of calling you Mother, I'll call you Siuan-san, Sanche-san or Miss Sanche, unless you're married, then Mrs. Sanche or whichever you like, but Mother is not going to happen."

"Then I cannot call you Captain." Siuan retorts immediately, her eyes flashing dangerously.

For several seconds they stare at each other, before Ichigo suddenly breaks the tense silence by smirking at her. "Fine by me, I can live with that. Titles are overrated anyway, and I much prefer that you just call me Ichigo. So how about we agree to that, Siuan-san?"

Siuan continues to glare at the young man, but inwardly she too is smirking at his audacity in not only bargaining for his right to call her by name, but also tacking on the honorific used by his people. She finds herself surprisingly liking his strong spirit and defiant-but-respectful tone, a refreshing change from the stoic over-protectiveness of the Warders, subservience of her Daughters, and two-faced politicking of the nobles...which is why she decides to concede to his bargain. "Agreed…Ichigo."

The Amyrlin then gestures towards Bilal Sedai, who snaps out of her daze at this unprecedented chain of events and looks at the Amyrlin blankly, before understanding fills her eyes and she makes her way to the back of the room where a small bureau rests. Ichigo hears her opening and rummaging around in a drawer; once she is done, she returns to them bearing a small tray he had spotted lying on the bureau earlier. His eyes go wide when he sees the items on the tray she is carrying towards his bed; his eyes zero in on one object in particular, and he speaks without thinking.

"My Mother's cross, please give it to me."

Bilal pauses in mid-step, looking to her superior for instructions, and - thankfully for Ichigo - Siuan gives her a nod. "You may give him his Mother's cross Bilal Sedai, however the rest will remain in our possession until we can deem them safe to give back to him." The second part of her statement confuses Ichigo, and then he realizes that they have likely never seen technology like his before and would naturally treat it with caution.

He holds out his hand as the Brown Sister gently places the cross into his palm. "We didn't know how to get the chain to unclasp when we needed to remove it from your wrist, so we had to force it over your hand to remove it…"

Her voice trails off as Ichigo touches several links on the chain, allowing the bracelet to separate before slipping both ends around his wrist and covering it again with his hand, allowing the chain to become whole once more. He lifts his hands to the light and the women see something akin to reverence in his eyes as he stares up at the cross dangling from his wrist.

"Thank you. This is all I have of her." Ichigo drops his head to hide his emotions as he lowers his hands, his fingers running over the silver medallion gently.

Leane and Alanna both share a look; they recognize the barely audible grief in his voice. Siuan frowns as she momentarily remembers the feeling of losing her family; even Bilal looks away to give him a moment. Finally the young man speaks up again, his voice back to normal.

"Thanks again." He gives them a brief bow from his seated position.

Now that the solemn moment has passed, Leane and Alanna bring over several chairs from the sides of the room and place them near his bed. Siuan, Alanna and Bilal each take a seat while Leane makes her way to the door and opens it to speak to someone outside. "Theodrin, please bring the meal in."

Ichigo's eyes light up as he sees the same young woman who had brought him his first meal enter his room with a large bed table balanced in her arms, laden again with several covered plates and three tall glasses filled with different liquids. Carefully, the Accepted places the table over Ichigo's lap and curtsies to the four women before leaving and closing the door behind her.

"Please eat Ichigo; you need it to replenish your strength. The Yellows tried Healing you again shortly after you had your episode, so you must be feeling famished by now." The Keeper says as she takes the seat closest to him.

Feeling his stomach rumble in agreement, Ichigo lifts the cover off the first plate and his eyes widen at the amount of food in front of him. He gulps down a bit of drool, remembering the heavenly taste of the food that was prepared for him previously, and he hurriedly clasps his hands before him. "Itadakimasu."

"What was that?" Alanna asks quizzically as the young man picks up his utensils.

"Oh, it's a phrase used by my people that just means 'let's eat'. We say it before meals as thanks for the food." He gives her a smirk then places the first forkful of food into his mouth, giving an exaggerated moan of delight at the delicious taste that invades his tastebuds.

Smiling at his antics, the Aes Sedai let him eat peacefully for several minutes, before Siuan looks over at Bilal and motions towards the rest of the items on the tray. Understanding the Amyrlin Seat's intention, the Brown Sister clears her throat and speaks up.

"Ichigo, can you explain what these items are?" She picks up some of the objects from the tray, holding them up for him to see.

Chewing on a mouthful of food, he looks at them thoughtfully while debating what to say. "Remember Ichigo: tell the truth, but keep the details vague. Do not volunteer any more information than is necessary." Nodding inwardly at Yhwach's advice, he swallows his food before speaking.

"Alright, I'm not one for big explanations so I'll just explain as best as I can." He gestures to the cell phone-looking device that Bilal is holding. "First off, that is a Denreishinki, a device that allows me to communicate back to my squad and my superior, the Head Captain when I'm on patrol or... away." The women note his pause, but he doesn't seem to be lying and he's already moving on to the next item. "The second one is my former combat badge. It used to identify me to my fellow warriors when they came to my hometown, but it also served as a monitoring device during my early days of fighting for them. They had some problems with a former warrior who had a similar background to mine and he betrayed them, so they felt extra caution was necessary. Don't fault them really for doing that."

As the Aes Sedai exchange looks at that blunt statement, Ichigo's gaze falls on the Chappy mod-soul dispenser. "That hideous rabbit-looking thing is just a keepsake that my Lieutenant gave me when I became her Captain. She knows I loathe Chappy." Unknown to him, a warm smile spreads on his face as he stares at the pink and blue rabbit-headed item with fond nostalgia.

Leane and Alanna both share another look, and the Green Sister can't help the brief flare of jealousy she feels at the obvious fondness the young man has for the one who had gifted this item to him. 'A gift from a 'special' woman perhaps?' She ponders as Ichigo continues to stare at it, seemingly lost in memories.

"And what of these Ichigo?" Bilal gently prods as she moves her hand to the last few items.

"The metal thing with the moving hands is called a pocket watch; if you couldn't tell by now, it is used to keep time. My twin sisters gave that to me when I graduated from high school." His eyes drift to the next item. "The leather thing is my wallet; I use it to hold money. I also have some cards and some personal pictures inside…of my family and best friends." This time they don't miss hearing the sadness in his voice, and his face betrays his feelings to the four women. "They're probably worried sick wondering where I am..."

Siuan leans back in contemplation. She has been watching Ichigo carefully since he began his explanations, and she is fairly certain that he had been completely truthful all throughout. While his explanations do bring up some interesting questions - how his 'wallet' can hold any significant amount of coin, for example - right now her main concern is that Ichigo Kurosaki appears to have been separated from his people without any warning or preparation, and has already spent over a month recuperating without any contact with them. Her eyes drift over to the device he claims will allow him to communicate with his own people; seeing Leane also looking at it, she meets her gaze, and the Keeper gives her a slight nod of agreement when she sees the question in her friend's eyes. Carefully picking up the device from the tray, the willowy woman hands it over to Ichigo.

"We wouldn't be good hosts if we didn't allow you to contact your people Ichigo. Here, please do so." She feels a tingle running up her hand and her arm when his fingers touch her skin, but she dismisses it when nothing else happens.

"Thanks." Ichigo flips it open to reveal a smooth glossy panel and some detailed carvings, much to their fascination, but he suddenly hesitates.

The women share a look of confusion before the Brown Sister voices their unspoken thoughts. "We didn't damage it, did we Ichigo?"

Jerking his head upright, the orange-haired Shinigami begins to shake his head at the Sister. "No. Nothing like that Bilal Sedai…it…it's just in order for me to use it…I have to…hmm..."

He seems to be debating on something, before his expression grows determined and he fixes them with a serious look. "What is your opinion on males with powers?"

As one, four shields are woven and slam down into him, cutting him off from the Source. Alanna's face is pale, while Bilal is trembling slightly and at the edge of her seat. In contrast, both Leane and Siuan's faces remain calm and composed.

The door bursts open admitting Ihvon and Owein, both of them with weapons drawn and casting their eyes rapidly about for possible hostiles. Seeing none, they turn to look at the four Aes Sedai with obvious question in their eyes.

"Stand outside the door. Admit no one. No one is to come close." Siuan orders them. The two of them glance at their Aes Sedai, and seeing Alanna them give a curt nod, they obey and leave the room, shutting the door behind them.

Once the room is secured once more, Siuan turns back to regard the young man who has suddenly become a very possible threat to all of them. The glow of Saidar fills all four women; it serves as a very distinct beacon to anyone with the spark had she not had the foresight to Ward the room beforehand. Right now, however, she readies several weaves in preparation to immediately bind the young man to the wall by all four limbs should he even make a single hostile twitch in any of their directions, and she can see similar preparations being made by her Daughters.

Confident that the young man will be rendered completely helpless should he prove to be hostile, Siuan Sanche questions him with an even and deadly serious tone. "Are you a male channeller, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Amazingly enough, the young man simply deadpans at them, an action that brings a twitch to her eyelid and a tiny smirk to Leane's face before it is hurriedly stifled. "Whatever that is, I'm pretty sure I'm not it. Also, don't you find your reaction somewhat... excessive?"

"If you knew what male channellers can do, then you would not find this excessive," Siuan coolly replies then she asks the question pertinent to all of them. "If you are not a male channeller, why then did you ask about males with power?"

The young man has the temerity to shrug at her. "Where I'm from, all warriors - both male and female - are trained to harness their internal energies. We call it Reiryoku, the Power of Soul."

"Ray... re-oh... coo?" Siuan stumbles over the unfamiliar word, a distant part of her mind blanching at the thought of a place that continues to train both male and female Aes Sedai despite the taint of Saidin, before firmly telling herself to get all the details before jumping to any conclusions. To her side, she already hears Bilal scratching down some new observations in her notebook; though what exactly these are she cannot say. "Explain yourself Ichigo Kurosaki. What is this 'Power of Soul', and who are you exactly?"

He simply shrugs again; then gives them a serious look. "Perhaps it's best that I just show you."

Any attempt by Siuan or the other Aes Sedai to give him a warning is cut off when the young man raises a hand, allowing a light blue glow to suffuse it. Reflexively, the Amyrlin Seat checks that yes, her shield on him is still intact, and no, she is not feeling any attempt to break through it. Similar expressions of bewilderment appear on the usually composed faces of the other Aes Sedai as they come to the same conclusion that she did, and she cannot help herself from giving in to her curiosity.

"So... this is the 'Power of Soul' that you speak of?" She asks, carefully pushing forward with a tendril of Spirit. His eyes flicker to her as she does so, clearly sensing her actions with the One Power, but he makes no move to stop her. She doesn't know whether to feel worried or disappointed when her weave fails to make contact with anything, instead feeling like it had just been bathed in warm sunlight.

"How remarkable..." Bilal is apparently of like mind, and the Brown Sister is fervently scribbling down more observations in her notebook as she weaves Air and Water around Ichigo's hand.

While Leane contents herself with watching the others experiment using the One Power and keeping an eye on Ichigo, Alanna's reaction surprises them all. The Green Ajah had backed off slightly when Ichigo was suspected to be a male channeller, but now she tentatively reaches out towards Ichigo's glowing hand with her own. The moment she makes contact she lets out a small gasp, only to have her hand pulled back immediately by an annoyed Siuan Sanche.

"Foolish girl." The Amyrlin Seat reprimands her with a slight frown. "Have you no sense? We still do not know what this 'Power of Soul' does or whether it's safe to come in physical contact with..."

"It's safe." Ichigo responds drily as all eyes flicker to him once more. "I hope that little bit helps your unease about whether or not I'm this 'male channeller' that you think I am, Siuan-san? As you can see, my power is pretty much different from whatever you guys are using."

Settling themselves back in their seats once more, the Aes Sedai regard Ichigo with significantly less wariness in their expressions as he dismisses the glow around his hand. Bilal continues to write in her notebook, while Alanna absently rubs her fingers, feeling the tingle of warmth that had shot through them when she had made contact with Ichigo's hand still persisting. Both Leane and Siuan exchange looks, a silent conversation being shared between them, before they turn back to face Ichigo once again.

"Very well, Ichigo. I will believe that you are not a male channeller for the moment. Do not give me any reason to think otherwise." Siuan half expects the young man to protest her lack of apology or trust, but to her somewhat pleased surprise he simply nods in understanding.

"I understand that you're still wary of my abilities, and you are just doing what is necessary to protect your people from me in case I'm a threat." He shrugs self-depreciatingly. "Not the first time, really... I did mention that my superiors kept me monitored because my predecessor was a traitor remember?"

A frown comes unbidden to the faces of all four Aes Sedai at this not-so subtle reminder. Siuan's eyes dart over to the 'combat badge' lying on the tray that, if the young man is to be believed, doubles as a monitoring device for his superiors. A sudden thought comes to her mind and she speaks up. "Ichigo, are you still being monitored through this device?"

Ichigo glances over at his combat badge before shaking his head. "As far as I know, I'm not being monitored anymore after I proved myself trustworthy and achieved the rank of Captain. Although... whether or not I can still be monitored through my combat badge is something I'm honestly ain't so sure about."

Siuan exchanges another look with Leane. The possibility of Ichigo's location being traced to the White Tower by his superiors is somewhat disconcerting, especially since it seems that his 'Power of Soul' is unaffected by Saidar. Her eyes glance over to the 'communications device' that Ichigo is still holding in his other hand, then back to Ichigo. The young man is leaning back relaxedly against the pillows, having made no move to defend himself despite their earlier brief altercation. A small part of her is impressed at his composure - not many males can remain calm while facing four Aes Sedai and being accused of being a male channeller after all - but a larger part of her is annoyed that the young man hadn't so much as twitched when Alanna's Gaidin burst into the room.

What did that say about his abilities, or his experience?

"Ichigo, perhaps you could tell us more about where you came from?" The question was asked by Alanna, seeing that none of the other Aes Sedai were asking him any questions. "How did you end up in the Northarbor?"

Seeing the four women turn their attention fully on him, Ichigo's face scrunches up in a slight frown. "Okay, this is gonna be somewhat hard to explain seeing that I'm not too sure of what happened myself. I'll do my best to explain, so ask if you are confused about anything I'm saying, but save the detailed questions for later okay?"

Siuan raises an eyebrow at this request, delivered in a casual, almost irreverent tone to four Aes Sedai - one of them being the Amyrlin Seat no less! - but it's something she can't help but come to expect of the young man before them. In any case, his request is reasonable enough... she does have to suppress a small smirk at Bilal's huff, knowing the Brown Sister would likely have badgered him with questions during his explanation.

With the Aes Sedai having nodded their assent, Ichigo settles himself comfortably before speaking. "Okay, let me start off by giving you a brief introduction. The three main territories of my... homeland are known as the 'Living Realm', 'Soul Society', and 'Hueco Mundo'." Siuan notes the slight hesitation at the word 'homeland', but Ichigo presses on after a brief pause to gather his thoughts. "The Living Realm is where the majority of civilians and non-combatants live. They don't really interact with members of the other two territories much. On the other hand, Soul Society is where the warriors live. They are ruled by the Soul King and divided into thirteen squads, each squad with their own specialties. The warriors of Soul Society are collectively known as 'Soul Reapers' and usually patrol in squads of up to four, our job is mainly to protect Soul Society and the Living Realm from hostile incursions by Hueco Mundo."

Ichigo's face darkens slightly. "Finally, we have Hueco Mundo. Hueco Mundo is an endless desert of white sand and night sky; it is also inhabited by creatures that we call 'Hollows'. These Hollows are bestial-looking creatures driven by hunger and instinct, and will often attempt to sneak into the Living Realm to attack the civilians. Do you have anything like that here?"

Unsurprisingly, it is Bilal who speaks up to answer his question. "Yes, we do. The two most well known are the 'Trollocs' and the 'Myrddraal', both of which are extremely foul, loathsome creatures."

"Trollocs? Myrddraal..?" Ichigo's head tilts slightly in thought. "Would these be... a large, ugly-looking creature with tusks and a pig snout, and a maggot-faced eyeless creature that is tall and wields a sword?"

The Brown Sister's eyes light up. "Yes, indeed. The brutish one you speak of is a Trolloc, while the sword-wielding creature is a Myrddraal. Myrddraal are also commonly referred to as Fades, Halfmen, Eyeless, Shadowmen, Lurks, Fetches..." A dry cough interrupts her spiel, and she flushes slightly. "Oh, forgive me Mother. I didn't mean to interrupt... I do tend to ramble on a bit..."

As the Brown Sister trails off, Siuan redirects their attention back to Ichigo. "Ichigo, did you encounter Trollocs and Myrddraal somewhere? Are these Hollows you speak of the same thing?" Left unasked is the question: 'Are they the reason you ended up here in that condition?'

Ichigo answers with a small shake of his head. "No, Siuan-san, Hollows are very different creatures. Their defining characteristics are their skull-like bone masks, huge hulking bodies, voracious appetites, and the ability to hide from the senses of those without a strong connection to the soul." At their startled looks, he hastens to reassure them. "Don't worry... Hollows only prey on those with a significant amount of Reiryoku, so if you have never heard of it before then it's highly unlikely that Hollows have visited here in the past."

Seeing them nod in understanding, Ichigo continues. "In response to the Hollow threat, those of us with strong spiritual connections banded together and came up with ways to harness the power of our souls. The largest and most well-established of these groups are the 'Soul Reapers'; we are based in 'Soul Society', and we harness our Reiryoku through 'Kidō'... that is, 'Spirit Arts'."

Again, Siuan notes Ichigo's slight hesitation at saying 'Spirit Arts', but doesn't detect any lie from him; the reason for that is made clear with Ichigo's next sentence.

"...'Kidō' can also be translated as 'Demon Arts', but that's really more for intimidation purposes than any demonic origin." The young man gives them a rather sheepish look.

Bilal, whose mouth had opened at the mention of 'Demon Arts', closes her mouth and frowns slightly. "'Soul Reapers' and 'Demon Arts'... it does make sense if the names are meant to be intimidating. Tell me Ichigo, are the Soul Reapers a militant society?"

Looking somewhat surprised at this question, Ichigo nods towards her. "Yes Bilal-san. Soul Society is essentially a militarized zone, and once we finish Combat Academy we are drafted into one of the Gotei Thirteen - the 'Thirteen Court Guard Squads', to be trained for more specific duties such as healing or research..."

Alanna had been looking somewhat uncomfortable ever since the mention of 'Demon Arts', but this statement causes her to perk up. "Healing? Do you mean that this 'Kidō' can be used to heal?"

The Aes Sedai all look interested at this revelation, and Ichigo nods in affirmative. "Yes, Kidō can be used to heal. Healing techniques fall under the subcategory of 'Kaidō' - the 'Way of Reverting'. The other two subcategories are 'Bakudō' - the 'Way of Binding', and 'Hadō' - the 'Way of Destruction'."

Seeing them about to continue asking questions, Ichigo quickly holds up a hand. "Please hold your questions about Kidō, or I'll never be able to finish." He waits for a moment, and when none of the Aes Sedai say anything, he gives them a half-smirk. "Thank you. As I was saying, Reapers developed Kidō to counter the threat of the Hollows, and Kidō harnesses Reiryoku, the power of our souls. All people from my homeland can learn to harness Reiryoku, but how good they are and what affinities they gain depend mostly on their natural reserves and their training."

"Take me, for example. I'm pretty good at enhancing my body using Reiryoku, so I can move faster, hit harder and take more damage than most. On the other hand, I was pretty bad at using Kidō, and it took me years to learn how to use Kidō effectively; before then, my friends would run away, worried it would blow up in my face every time I try." He gives a small chuckle at the memory as he finishes speaking.

Siuan and Leane exchange another look. While Kidō sounds rather similar to what they can do with the One Power, none of the Aes Sedai had ever considered channeling Saidar through their body simply to enhance their base abilities. Copious scribbling sounds from Bilal's direction suggest that tests on that idea will very likely be carried out in short order.

Turning back to Ichigo, Siuan asks a question that had just occurred to her. "How many Soul Reapers are there actually, Ichigo? If all of your people are able to use this 'Reiryoku', won't there be far more Reapers than actual civilians?"

Ichigo sinks into his thoughts for a long moment before finally answering her. "At last count, there were between two or three thousand or so Reapers give or take a couple dozen. We of course gain new recruits constantly from the Academy so our number is growing; so long as another war does not break out we shouldn't be experiencing any significant losses." Before any of them can question him about the war, he presses on. "Furthermore, while all of my people can learn to use Reiryoku, most of them spend their lives unaware that it exists and lead perfectly normal civilian lives within the Living Realm. Our Academy mainly recruits civilians living within Soul Society who are already aware of Reiryoku; while there are cases of people from the Living Realm developing their own methods of using Reiryoku, let's just say that those are special cases."

He fixes all of them with a serious look. "The main point I'm trying to bring up with this is that all of my people - regardless of gender - have the ability to use Reiryoku, and our techniques are taught to all our warriors who go through the Academy. I'm not sure what it's like around here, but males with abilities are fairly common in Soul Society."

Siuan nods slowly in understanding. "Essentially, you are telling us that what you are capable of using is an ability that is native to your homeland, this 'Reiryoku'; that both males and females are trained in your homeland to use this Reiryoku, and that you yourself belong to a militant organization based in a territory known as 'Soul Society' that makes use of Reiryoku to perform 'Kidō' in defense of Soul Society and the Living Realm when they come under attack by 'Hollows' from 'Hueco Mundo'?"

"Yep, that just about sums it up." There is a brief silence after Ichigo's statement, broken only by the sound of Bilal writing down that summary.

Siuan slowly folds her arms across her chest with deliberate grace and stares the young man firmly in the eye. "I can tell you very frankly, Ichigo Kurosaki, that I have never before heard of any of these things or places that you speak of." She inwardly frowns when yet again; Ichigo shows no sign of fear or agitation, instead nodding calmly in acceptance. She decides then that there is no point in needling him further. "However, based on the display of Reiryoku and the unfamiliar items that we found on you, I'm willing to accept the possibility that you come from a place that we've never heard of before and possess abilities that we do not know." She pauses. "What I want to know, however, is this: how did you end up floating into the Northarbor with grievous injuries, when the place you claim to be from is not one that is found on any of our maps?"

To their surprise, Ichigo slumps back on his pillows with a tired sigh. "To be equally frank with you, I don't really know either. What I do remember is this." He straightens up again and fixes them with a haunted look. "I was en route to the Living Realm from Soul Society using the Dangai, a corridor that operates outside of standard time and space, when I heard the sound of trumpets. Next thing I know, I'm running from a bright light, then just as suddenly I'm falling through a hole in the floor and being bombarded by all kinds of visions and voices for an unknown amount of time, then I find myself falling through yet another hole and slamming face-first into a river or something before blacking out. I honestly couldn't tell you how exactly I ended up here, wherever here is."

If grace and dignity hadn't been beaten into the Aes Sedai while they were still Novices and Accepted, all four women would now be gaping wide-eyed at Ichigo after his absolutely ridiculous statement. Siuan in particular resists the urge to rub the throbbing vein in her temple. A corridor operating outside of time and space? Falling through a hole in that corridor into, what sounds like the river leading into the Northarbor, and breaking almost every bone in his body with the impact? She is aware of some references in ancient texts to a weave that slices open two holes in reality, allowing the channeller to traverse the void between them at a much more rapid pace, but none of the current Sisters have ever seen this weave in use before, or even attempted to recreate it. Out of morbid curiosity, she decides to mention this to Ichigo.

"Huh, that sounds almost like a Garganta." He muses, and Siuan has to hide her shock that the young man is actually aware of a similar weave - no, a similar technique. "Hollows use it the same way we use the Dangai - to travel great distances rapidly, though from what I've seen both are completely different. The Dangai is an actual corridor with walls, floor and ceiling that connects two fixed points but bends time and space to shorten the distance; the Garganta on the other hand tears open a hole in reality and allows the user to travel through the void in between two locations of the user's choice. It's pretty interesting that you Aes Sedai have a similar technique though."

Again, no sound is heard other than the scribbling of quill on paper as Bilal continues to record down the conversation. Finally, Leane decides to pose a question of her own. "Ichigo, you mentioned hearing voices and seeing visions when you were... falling through the hole? What did you hear and see? Is this related to when you had that seizure earlier this week?"

His face blanches as he and his Zanpakutō feel the phantom remnants of their journey through the void, something that each of them agrees they would rather forget if at all possible. "The best way to describe what I saw and heard is best described as trying to grasp the rainbow in the wind. You saw it, you know it was there, it was all around you, but the details just faded away. Though whenever I hear or see certain things, the memories pop back into my head, or at least the parts that are similar, and I immediately understand what I am seeing or hearing. In short, I was given visions of this realm, but most of it is beyond my ability to recall at the moment." He gives them all a sheepish look. "Sorry I can't tell you more Leane Sedai; like I said, things are still fuzzy. Which reminds me, where exactly am I?"

Leane gracefully stands and moves towards the bureau in the back of the room, picking up a large rolled parchment left on top of the wooden dresser. Moving back towards the bed, she again notices Ichigo watching her movements appraisingly, but without any of the same kind of perversion she had witnessed or been subject to from visiting foreigners while growing up in Arad Doman. Settling back gracefully in her seat nearest to him, she unrolls the parchment – revealing a large map – which she spreads over his legs while holding one corner, with him automatically taking hold of the opposite corner from her hand.

Pointing to a spot well west of her former homeland, her finger indicates a very small spot near to the middle of the map. "We are here Ichigo. We are on the island of Tar Valon, named for the city of Tar Valon. The island is situated in the middle of the River Erinin, which completely surrounds us on all sides."

As Leane speaks, Ichigo studies the map intently, immediately taking notice that all the civilized lands from his memories seem to be locked between mountains to the North and West, and by the seas or oceans to the South and East. Seeing several dotted lines, he has to assume they are the known or acknowledged borders for the nations of this world. Unsurprisingly, little is mapped beyond the Aiel Wastes or the lands to the North simply indicated as The Blight.

"Encouraging names they got going there King." Zangetsu muses as he shares Ichigo's consciousness, his ability to analyze things a pleasant surprise when Ichigo first learn of that ability.

"Tell me about it. You notice haven't you?' The Shinigami mentally whispers to his Zanpakutō.

An image of two shaking heads is sent back to him. "Yeah, we noticed we 'conveniently' know the history of each of these places somehow. Like I said to Yhwach, someone brought us here for you to fix their mess, and they didn't even fucking do us the favor of asking first."

Agreeing, he continues listening to Leane with half an ear while sharing his thoughts with his spirits. Occasionally Yhwach or Zangetsu would have him ask a question about a city or nation that wouldn't seem too out of place, but to someone trained by Yoruichi Shihōin and Suì-Fēng, they would have immediately known that Ichigo was ferreting out pertinent information that told of the political or military standing of those nations and their leaders. He is fairly certain that the two men guarding the door - the Gaidin - would have caught on to the relevance of his questions quickly enough, but if the Aes Sedai were aware, they were certainly doing a remarkable job of feigning ignorance about it.

His mood rapidly plummets when he mentally runs into the equivalent of a brick wall as the nation of Amador becomes the point of discussion, however.

"You can't be serious Leane?" Ichigo's tone is one of disbelief, his face beginning to turn red in rage upon hearing that the so-called 'Children of the Light' have tried and, worse, have actually succeeded in assassinating Aes Sedai when the chances arose, not for any actual crime, but for simply being Aes Sedai.

It is the first time the Aes Sedai get to truly feel Ichigo's power as his control over his Reiatsu momentarily slips in his anger, the unwelcome influx of memories regarding the atrocities committed by the so-called Children of Light only fueling his rage further.

"Ichigo stop!" Leane grabs his hand in desperation when it is apparent he is no longer seeing or hearing them; she has to grab his hand physically to gain his attention again, none of her words reaching the ears of the young Captain.

Snapping back to the present, he sees the distress on Leane's face and realizes the other women in the room are also having difficulty breathing, each of them tensed and gripping the edges of their chairs in a vain attempt to keep from being crushed by the monstrous pressure of his Reiatsu. Immediately reining his Reiryoku back under his control, he immediately bows to them, avoiding their gaze as he mutters an apology.

"Sorry, the thought of killing a woman because…because they think you're evil, simply because you can channel... it pisses me off." Inside, he and his spirits have reached an agreement: if they catch a Whitecloak trying to kill an Aes Sedai, then all bets are off.

"Ichigo…" The Domini woman attempts to grab his hand in comfort, only to retract her hand when his hand grips the sheets tightly.

"Don't Leane Sedai, just don't." Slowly looking up towards her, she sees a look of pained anguish on his face. "It touches upon something close to my heart, something very unforgivable to me."

As the silence grows uncomfortable, Ichigo finally breaks it again. "Sorry, I'm feeling tired. Can we pick this up again tomorrow Siuan-san?" He sinks back onto his pillows with weariness visible on every inch of his body, before turning away from the women and closing his eyes with a sigh.

Bilal stands first and looks towards the Amyrlin. "Perhaps tomorrow would be a better time Mother. I have enough information to work with for now."

Siuan is the next to rise, but when Leane doesn't move she places a firm and gentle hand on her Keeper's shoulder. "Alanna Sedai can keep watch over him Leane. Come, I believe we have much to discuss."

Nodding, the Domini woman rises to her feet and takes a very long look at the now still and silent young man before leaving with the Amyrlin Seat. Once they're gone, Alana settles herself more comfortably in her seat as she continues to watch over the young man.

All of them are unaware that his mind is no longer here with his hosts.

XXXX

Rotating his dislocated shoulder stiffly, the Vasto Lorde Zangetsu smirks when he sees several trails of blood seeping through numerous holes punctured in the side of the younger version of Yhwach, but it is the sight of the white wings stretched out from behind the other young man that has the Hollowfied Zanpakutō remembering the events of that day. The day that he, Ichigo and Yhwach had truly merged in order to give Ishida Uryū the perfect blend of Reiatsu before the Emperor ripped him and his Quincy partner from Ichigo, stealing what Masaki had passed on to her only son. The young Quincy heir had quickly used it to form the ingenious Heilig Pfeil developed by his grandfather, Ishida Sōken, so that in the event when all other options were exhausted, his grandson would have the means to destroy the Emperor's ability to steal power from the Quincy while allowing Yhwach's own power to be consumed by the Holy Arrow.

The Hollowfied Zanpakutō begins to laugh uncontrollably as the face of the bastard that had caused his King so much pain and suffering filled his mind. Yhwach's look of utter disbelief and surprise that his own successor and a 'bastard hybrid' had done the impossible, stopped him; and worse, defeated him before his plans to annihilate the world could come to fruition. Oh, how he wanted to see the bastard dissolved by a pure Quincy Heilig Pfeil, but Uryū's attack had a consequence that the four-eye bastard neglected to tell Ichigo: that the Hollow Reiatsu in the arrow would poison his body and he would soon die. Zangetsu's laughter abruptly cuts off as those days replay in his mind, the five days that the best of Soul Society and the World of the Living worked ceaselessly to save Uryū. Five days of agonized waiting where the sky threatened to break open and deluge their Inner-World, five days that Ichigo vented his anger and frustration during their spars at facing the real possibility of losing yet another member of his family to the Quincy Emperor. Five days of preparing for the worst that in the end proved to be needless. Ishida Uryū turned out to be just as stubborn as Ichigo when it came to refusing to die; he wasn't yet ready to leave the world behind.

Of course, the celebrations were held off until Uryū could attend as the new Emperor of the surviving Quincy and one of the Heroes who had fought hopefully the last war between the Shinigami and Quincy. Before he could get to the best part of their shared memories of that week long indulgence, however, he is brought back to the spar at hand by a vicious punch to his sternum that rudely reminds him that he should be kicking Ichigo's ass and not daydreaming, followed by an equally vicious kick to the chest that sends him flying.

"Oi dipshit! We gonna fight or are you going to keep acting like a drunken monk?" Ichigo seethes as he dashes after his Hollowfied Zanpakutō in his hybrid form.

Flipping himself in mid-air and forcing his wielder back with a barrage of Ceros, Zangetsu lands and puts up his hand to stop the fight. "We need a break King. Besides I think you ran your course; if ya hadn't noticed, the skies have cleared up already."

Looking upwards, Ichigo huffs out as he has no choice but to agree with his white doppelganger. The cloudy, stormy sky has now cleared and sunlight is now shining through. Hoisting the larger blade back to its normal position on his back, he easily slides the smaller blade through his obi and stretches his body. Taking that as indicator that the spar is over, Zangetsu and Yhwach both revert to their sealed forms and walk to join their wielder as he drops into a seiza position, with both Zanpakutō mimicking his form in front of him, and soon a small table appears between the three sitting warriors, a saucer of sake at each of their places to mark the end of their fight.

"You done getting it out of your system King?" Zangetsu asks when they finish drinking their first round of sake.

A gruff nod is Ichigo's answer.

"Ichigo, we know why you lost control. We also agree with your opinion regarding these 'Children of the Light'; if and when the time arises, we will deal with it appropriately." The stately half of the Zanpakutō pair remarks candidly.

After the second saucer of sake is consumed, Yhwach continues speaking. "I have managed to recover some of the images that were infused into your mind Ichigo. I believe for now we are in safe hands, but caution must be taken. A glimpse of one has shown me that there are those who serve the entity known only as the 'Great Lord of the Dark'. He has a true name, but it is not spoken as it is said to bring misfortune to those that do by drawing his attention to them. Until we know more, perhaps it would be prudent for us not to speak his true name even if we do find out."

Pausing to take another sip, the Quincy spirit renews speaking. "As for our current situation, it would not hurt to seek some sort of allowance to explore the grounds of Tar Valon. We will accept an 'escort' during our time outside so as to ease their worry. It would also be an opportunity to test this Gigai thoroughly so we know if what the Shouten Owner said was true or not with regards to its abilities."

Ichigo and Zangetsu both snort in agreement as they remember Kisuke's claims, but Yhwach did bring up a legitimate point about the Gigai. Ichigo hadn't had the time to test it in Soul Society since he was supposed to test it in the Living Realm, and then he did get sidetracked on his way to his family and friends, so wandering the grounds would help him establish a base line for testing his own powers while in the faux body.

"Anything else you two want to go over?" The Shinigami asks.

"Remember to keep things vague Ichigo. You know how Central Forty Six has reacted in the past to those of the Living Realm knowing of our existence." Yhwach cautiously reminds his wielder.

A frown forms on Ichigo's face as he nods before fading from their sights.

"You know how he'll get if he finds out he likes these people. It won't be pretty." The Hollowfied Zanpakutō remarks as he leans back on his hands.

Closing his eyes and imitating his wielder, Yhwach pinches the bridge of his nose to ward off the possibility of developing a migraine. "Please don't remind me. He was already at odds with those few remaining hardliners and if he does come to like this world, then you and I both know what will happen."

"Yeap, they'd be in for a very rude surprise."

XXXX

Ichigo almost goes back to see why his more vicious Zanpakutō is laughing like a maniac, but since he senses nothing out of the ordinary from his other half, he figures that nothing is wrong and Zangetsu is just being Zangetsu. Slowly opening his eyes, he finds the same Green Sister, Alanna still watching over him. However, it is what she is doing that causes him no small amount of surprise. Sitting in her chair and seemingly oblivious to Ichigo's awakened state, Alanna Mosvani hums what sounds like a hymn as she works her needles and yarn with deft clicking motions. It is while watching the woman, the Aes Sedai knit that Ichigo is suddenly reminded of why he hates politics. Even after Yoruichi, Byakuya and his own Clan had taught him what he needed to know, it still took only one noble gathering for him to instantly dislike the privileges the nobles were being afforded.

Not to mention they were the very same people in charge of Central Forty Six.

"I am surprised that scowl hasn't permanently taken root on your face Ichigo Kurosaki." Alanna remarks as she continues to knit. "It has me wondering about the thoughts you must be having that has you in such a state."

Lifting himself into a seated position proves easier for the young captain this time, and much to his relief he still has a shirt on. Nodding to the two Warders who are guarding the door, the Shinigami wraps his arms around his knees and finds the woman's eyes searching his inquisitively.

"I'm thinking about home actually. Things I'd rather forget about to be honest." He offers as an answer to the Green Sister.

Placing her knitting down, the Green Sister gracefully gets to her feet and heads for the door. Opening it, Ichigo hears her instructing someone waiting outside to bring a fresh meal for everyone, and an unknown woman's voice answering in return. Watching as Alanna returns to her seat once more, he waits until she is seated before he speaks.

"Can I ask a few questions Alanna-san?"

"Of course Ichigo. What do you wish to ask about?" The black-haired woman asks him in return.

Suddenly feeling awkward, Ichigo rubs the back of his head and looks at the woman sheepishly. "Any chance of me getting to see outside today?"

Her smile and answer surprises him. "You may. However, I must insist you eat first, and I will send word to Mother that we will be escorting you out onto the Tower grounds."

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he gives her a polite shake of his head. "Fair enough. Can I ask about the Tower itself? Places I shouldn't be and the places I can visit freely while I'm here?" He inquires of his newly self-appointed escort.

Alanna hums in thought. "There are several areas that most men are forbidden to enter. Some Ajahs will allow only their Warders to enter their living areas, and the quarters of the Reds are most certainly off limits to you. It could prove rather eventful should you mistakenly wander into their quarters, and I can assure you that the rumor of their hatred for men…is well founded. Other than that, you can visit the libraries, and we have a few areas were the Warders train themselves as well as those young men who wish to be trained by the best. All in all, men of all statures of life are welcomed to our grounds so long as they behave themselves." She tilts her head when a subtle knock is heard from the wooden door.

"Enter."

Ichigo can hear Zangetsu laughing again in his mind as he sees a young woman with a scowl on her face enter the room while carrying his tray of food. Her skin tone reminds him of a bit of Yoruichi, but that is about as far as the resemblance goes. The young woman has dark curly hair that frames a slightly round face with light blue eyes and a pouty set of lips. Despite her unfriendly appearance, she properly lays the tray across his legs and gives a curtsy to Alanna before leaving the room. Picking up his utensils, he shakes his head as he digs in, the knowledge of the white dress and the significance of the seven bands lining the bottom of the dress flashing to the forefront of his mind.

'I guess being an Accepted sucks…' By now Ichigo has grown so used to random information entering his mind that he barely pauses at this newest bit of information. 'I don't really know what to think of the Aes Sedai discipline methods either...'.

His thoughts are interrupted by Alanna, who is watching him eat. "Since you asked a question may I ask one in return Ichigo?"

Seeing him give her an absent nod, the Arafellin woman causes him to choke with her next inquiry. "Do you have a lover or perhaps a wife you left behind?"

A hard slap to the middle of Ichigo's back dislodges the piece of bread he had just choked on. Taking a deep breath of relief, Ichigo gratefully looks to Owein who is standing by his bedside and giving him a slight grin. Giving the man a quick nod of thanks, he turns to the woman in question and…

"Are you out of you mind!? Who asks a question like that to a man trying to eat!?"

Surprisingly enough, neither of her Warders react to his outburst with any form of hostility. Owein lounges back against the wall with that same grin still on his face, and he even hears Ihvon stifle a chuckle. Feeling somewhat confused at their reactions, Ichigo meets the gaze of the Aes Sedai... and when he sees the look in her eyes, he hears both of his Zanpakutō spirits immediately warning him about asking questions he isn't going to like the answers for. Her answer proves them right.

"An Aes Sedai who might be looking to take on another Warder someday."

Ichigo stares at Alanna almost incredulously as he realizes she might not be kidding. Slowly turning to his right, he sees Owein studying him rather intently, as is his partner Ihvon. Neither men look surprised at this turn of events as they then turn to look at each other, and Ichigo almost swears they are carrying out a silent conversation.

The awkward tension is broken up when the door opens again. "Oh, you are awake Ichigo."

"Saved by the bell King." Ichigo couldn't agree more as he smiles almost gratefully at the newly arrived Bilal Sedai and the same young woman who had brought him his first tray of food from before.

"Hello Bilal Sedai. Ichigo wishes to take a tour of the Tower and the grounds outside when he finishes eating. I hope my message to Mother will be approved soon." Alanna smoothly transitions from rattling Ichigo's mental state to acting properly in front of her fellow Aes Sedai, proving herself worthy of her Green Ajah training.

The orange-haired man can only stare in astonished awe at how smoothly the woman could change her entire demeanor in a span of a second; turning back to the two Warders, he narrows his eyes suspiciously when he sees both men studiously not looking at him or their mistress.

"Bastards." Ichigo mouths silently towards the two men, then he nearly jumps out of his skin when the Green Sister turns to address him.

"What was that Ichigo?" Alanna's voice sweetly asks. "Did you ask another question?"

Both Bilal and Theodrin are perplexed by the strangely tense atmosphere of the room, then the Brown Sister apparently dismisses it and starts speaking to the Green Ajah. "Oh, no need to wait for Mother's permission Alanna Sedai. Mother gave her approval just this morning should he but ask, and as you have already volunteered, you will be his escort for the day. I came down here myself to see if he wouldn't mind spending an hour or two with me in my study."

"Yes! I mean I don't mind at all Bilal Sedai." Ichigo quickly adds on when all three women look at him with mixed expressions: surprise and slight confusion on Bilal and Theodrin's faces and barely concealed amusement on Alanna's. "I'd really like to get out and stretch my legs…"

Giving him a firm nod and smile, the Brown Sister speaks cheerfully. "Well then, I suggest you hurry up and finish your meal, and when your tour with Alanna Sedai is over she can bring you to me."

Before he can reply his thanks, Bilal leaves the room. The younger woman however remains standing there holding a bundle that is tied off with a thin piece of twine. Barely giving Ichigo a brief curtsy, she places the bundle on his bedside then turns to give the Aes Sedai a deeper curtsy. As she leaves however, Ichigo hand reaches out and lightly grabs her sleeve, causing her to spin around in surprise.

Seeing the look on her face, Ichigo quickly releases her sleeve. "Ah, just wanted to thank you for bringing these for me. I'm guessing these are clothes I can wear?"

A small grin forms on the young woman's face as she answers Ichigo. "Yes milord. Mother had them made yesterday for you…" She sees his expression change. "Is there something wrong?"

"Ah, yeah. What's this milord…stuff about?" He asks in honest confusion.

Theodrin's eyes widen as she looks first at him and then at the Aes Sedai still in the room. "Alanna Aes Sedai?"

The Green Ajah waves her off. "I will explain it to him momentarily Theodrin. Please continue on with your studies or chores."

"Yes, Alanna Aes Sedai." As the Accepted is about to leave however, she is once again stopped by Ichigo calling out to her.

"Hey, just call me Ichigo would ya? I was hoping to avoid anything to do with nobility for awhile."

Theodrin hesitates, then glances towards Alanna. Seeing her brief nod, she turns back to Ichigo. "As you wish…Ichigo." The young Accepted leaves with a backward glance over her shoulder at Ichigo before closing the door behind her.

Ichigo misses the sudden interest in Alanna's eyes after his mentioning of not having to deal with nobles.

'Is he a nobleman of his world? Or does he serve one and tried to escape from them?'

Sighing internally, Ichigo begins to untie the parcel on his lap. The first glimpse of color he sees makes him start to feel uneasy as he removes the top most folds and stops. Inside his soul he can hear thoughts similar to his.

"What in the hell…"

"I have to agree with Zangetsu, Ichigo…this is most disturbing."

Alanna's smile slowly falls as she and her two Warders see Ichigo stare down at the bundle in his lap without moving or saying a word for several minutes. Walking closer to his bedside, she peers down at the contents and then back to his face.

"Is there something wrong Ichigo?" The Green Sister asks.

"I…I…uh…" Ichigo stops; then looks up towards the hovering Aes Sedai. "I don't know what to say…"

"If they are too plain or the fabric not to your standards, we can have the tailor see you this afternoon to take your measurements and have more suitable clothing made for you." Alanna offers as she watches the young man's face.

"It's not that Alanna…Sedai." Ichigo's pause causes the three other occupants to wonder what is wrong. "I…I have to be honest and say that while I do appreciate all you have done for me, I do, would prefer simpler clothes….more along the lines of what your two Warders are wearing. Basic, something I can move easily in." Ichigo keeps his face looking downward so the Green Sister can't see the horror in his eyes as he looks at the bright yellow shirt and burgundy…

"Can they even be called pants?"

'How da fuck am I supposed to know? They do look sorta like those stupid pantaloons from those romance movies the girls make me and Renji watch with them when they use our barracks.' Ichigo and Zangetsu both shudder as they try and block out movie night with the SWA women.

Alanna's voice breaks Ichigo away from his inner dialogue when she half remarks to him. "I believe we have spare clothing similar to theirs. Are you sure Ichigo? Mother did go out of her way to have these made for you."

Seeing him lift his head in visible surprise the Aes Sedai continues speaking. "Did you really think we would allow you to walk around without something to wear Ichigo? Most of your clothes were already ruined when you were pulled out of the Erinin….What's wrong?"

Ichigo's face pales slightly. "Ah, what happened exactly after I was pulled out of the river?"

Alanna looks confused. "Well, you were brought to the Tower and the Yellows healed you Ichigo. Is something the matter?"

He shakes his head and clarifies his question. "I mean, what happened to my clothes?"

"Oh, they were cut off so you could be healed. You were covered in so much blood that they couldn't tell where the bleeding was coming from. I hope we didn't ruin something important?"

"No, no. It's just that I really liked that outfit Alanna. The shirt was a gift from my Sensei. She had it imported and altered for me when I became a Captain." Leaning back against his pillows, Alanna watches as his eyes flicker with sadness once more.

"Ichigo, we will help in any way we can to send you home." She turns to her Warders and gives them both a fond smile. "Ihvon, Owein, do you think you can find something suitable for Ichigo to wear for now? I'll speak to Mother about having a full wardrobe made later."

"Of course Alanna Sedai." The older of the two Warders responds.

Returning to her chair once more, Alanna Mosvani picks up her needles and yarn to continue knitting when Ichigo interrupts her again.

"Ah, I've been meaning to ask, but why don't I feel like I am all that dirty? I know I haven't had a shower in a month or so, so why don't I smell?"

A sly grin forms on the black-haired woman's face as she deduces that a 'shower' must mean a bath of some kind. "We have been washing you every other day Ichigo."

"Oh, okay."

She hides her smile as she patiently waits for him to process the statement.

"…?..."

"…?..."

'Did she just say…?'

Several Accepted jump away in surprise and worry when a loud, hysterical voice booms out from behind the closed wooden door they had been assigned to. "Who's been washing me!?"

XXXX

Min feels the unease growing in her stomach the longer she tries to understand why her visions have been changing so radically. With the two men she is now in the company of, at least one's future remains firm, while his younger half-brother's is no longer as clear. Looking at the red-curly-haired man who is laughing at something his brother had said, Min feels a slight pang in her heart. She had seen him smile while standing next to a smiling Egwene, but now a different person will stand next to the young man, an older woman with whom he will bond with, and she grieved momentarily for her friend's loss.

"Galad, you know how 'Elmindreda' feels about her current situation." Gawyn states seriously but his mouth twitches upwards as he looks back at the young dark-haired woman.

Snapping out of her morose thoughts, Min is about to punch the young prince at his use of that hated name when she remembers that the older brother has no idea of who she really is. Instead, she forcefully switches her persona and laughs lightly as she approaches the younger of the two brothers. Slapping Gawyn's chin hard with her fan, she meekly meets Galad's look of concern while suppressing her vindictive glee at hearing the younger prince's yelp.

"Oh, please don't worry about me Prince Galad. I shall have to make a decision soon enough. The Amyrlin has decided to settle the matter herself by sending for my two suitors, and I shall meet with them separately in two different villages at the end of two different bridges so they don't find out about each other. Then I will pick one to become my husband." Keeping her left elbow hidden while pasting a forlorn look on her face, Min jabs the quietly snickering Gawyn in the ribs the moment she hears him trying to stifle his laughter, however the older Prince still notices what had happened and frowns disapprovingly.

"Come now Gawyn, we should not be making light of Elmindreda's misfortune. It is very unbecoming." Galadedrid Damodred chastieses his younger half-brother.

Sending a wink to the inwardly-seething young woman, Gawyn turns to his older brother with a much more remorseful look on his face. "I am sorry Galad. You are right of course, I shouldn't poke fun at 'Elmindreda's' misfortune. I would think a lady such as herself would have had…better advisors to help her with such a momentous decision."

Min had just worked herself up to send Gawyn a scathing retort, but before she can deliver it, she sees his eyes widening and his body go straight as he stares past her, his hushed words barely heard by her. "It's him."

Confused, Min turns around and suddenly wishes she hadn't. If it hadn't been for Gawyn standing behind her, she knows she may have fallen backwards and gotten hurt, so great was her shock and disorientation.

'What in the Light is that!?' Her mind screams when the images begin to flood her brain the moment she catches sight of the orange-haired man walking with a Sister of the Green Ajah - Alanna Mosvani, her two Warders walking a pace behind the pair.

Her body goes rigid as the image of three figures invades her mind. One is of an older man lying on his back, his white clothing slowly turning crimson while a younger man in white stands over his body, in his hand she sees a bow made of light. But it is the third figure standing opposite of the second man in white that screams of power. His lower body is covered with a pair of pants made of flowing black cloth, while his chest and arms are wrapped in pure white bandages; in one hand is a blade of pure white and in the other a blade so black it seems to be absorbing the light from the world around it. However, it is his head that causes her mind to deny what it is seeing. Two fierce brown orbs stare out from a face that is almost covered entirely by a bone-white mask, with sharp teeth covering his mouth and framed by two elongated horns that start on opposite sides near the top of his head before angling downward and protruding forward.

The image quickly shifts and becomes that of a young man walking away from her, a young man she somehow knows is the same person as the third man from the previous vision. He is running through a dark tunnel with a slight hint of fear and exasperation clearly in his eyes before he glances back, then suddenly falls through a void that appears in front of him. Again the image switches before she can contemplate what she is seeing, past or future she wonders. The vision that fills her mind next greatly surprises her as she sees a very familiar friend standing next to the orange-haired youth, her hand grasped firmly in his and a smile on her face while a vague figure stands on the opposite side of the man taking his other hand. She knows in her gut that the blurry figure is the same woman who she had once thought she would need to share Rand with, but now might take another path; it seems she has found the other path the woman might chose.

The final image is of the same man standing before a large column of light, his rage palatable as he reaches for the back of a woman, a woman she knows all too well, his eyes blazing and his mouth opened to shout. Before the image can reveal anything further to her however, she is shaken out of her vision by two sets of hands around her.

"Elmindreda! Elmindreda! What's wrong!?" She blinks her eyes in confusion, the visions fading like morning mist before she turns to see the worry in Galad's eyes.

Feeling a second set of hands supporting her, she turns to her other side and sees the same worry in Gawyn's eyes. "Hey, are you okay?" She can tell that the usually flippant, teasing prince is genuinely concerned for her wellbeing.

"I…I am okay. I'm sorry about that." She takes a deep breath and quickly recovers her composure, but lets the two princes hold her up so as the shaking she feels in her legs don't betray her fright. "I must have had a spell."

"Perhaps we should take you to see one of the Yellow Sisters Elmindreda. You look pale and are sweating rather profusely…" Galad begins to remark, only for Min to hastily interrupt him.

"No! I'm sorry, but I think I'll be alright Milord. I just need a moment to sit." Turning discreetly, she gives Gawyn a look she hopes he understands.

"Galad, tell Hammar Gaidin I'll be there in a few moments. I'll stay with Elmindreda until she feels better." The curly-haired Prince suddenly speaks up.

Torn between staying to watch over his lady friend and leaving so that he doesn't incur the stern taskmaster's wrath, Galad finally relents. "I shall inform him then that you will be escorting Elmindreda if she still doesn't feel well, Gawyn."

"Thanks Galad." The younger Prince replies with a grateful look.

Turning to the young woman between them, the older Prince gives a bow to Min. "I do hope you feel better soon Elmindreda."

"Thank you Prince Galadedrid, I am sorry for being a burden to you and your brother after the kindness you showed me during lunch. Please don't fret over me; I am in Gawyn's capable hands after all."

With a final nod to them, Min and Gawyn watch as the older man leaves for the training grounds, going the same way that the orange-haired man and Alanna Sedai had gone moments earlier. Once he is out of sight, Min cringes when Gawyn suddenly speaks.

"Alright Min, what is going on? And don't tell me it is a secret either. Too many secrets about my sister's disappearance has me and Galad wondering if we should continue staying here any longer or maybe we should find our own way back to Andor once Elayne returns. With or without her consent." His voice is determined, but not accusatory; it is clear that he still values her friendship.

Pursing her lips together, Min looks at the worried face of Gawyn Trakand and hesitates before finally speaking.

"I honestly want to tell you, but I don't even know where to begin."

Huffing in annoyance and crossing his arms in front of his body, the young Prince frowns as he speaks. "Normally one starts at the beginning Min Farshaw; perhaps you should as well."

XXXX

Hurrying in the direction of the training grounds he had seen the young man walking with Alanna Sedai heading towards earlier, Galadedrid Damodred began to think of the stories that surrounded the mysterious young man. The man of a thousand rumors swirling around him that was the talk of the dinner tables each night. Most of them were probably inaccurate at best, especially those about him being brought to the White Tower in a near-death like state, since those rumors had almost all of the bones in his body broken and numerous scars covering his body. The Prince had discounted both upon seeing the young man easily walking on his own power, but the tingle in the back of his mind hadn't let up since he caught sight of the man walking down the side path that led towards the grounds where the Warders were training the other young men who had come far and wide to learn from these Masters.

Rapidly turning the corner, he immediately slows down so that no one notices his unusual haste. Giving a polite bow to the many Sisters who had recently come to watch the Warders and their apprentices practice, he suddenly wonders if the rumors about the strange young man were indeed true. He had dismissed them the first time his younger brother had spoken of them, but seeing that just as many of the Aes Sedai were now watching a small cluster of people, he is starting to believe that Gawyn may have been on to something.

Coming up alongside another of the young men in training, Galad speaks in a low voice. "Who is that with Alanna Aes Sedai and Hammar Gaidin, Benji?"

Not bothering to turn to face the Prince of Andor, the young man in training answers just as lowly. "I caught a name, Ee…chi…go Kuu..row…saa…key, I think that is what Alanna Sedai said when she introduced him to Hammar Gaidin. Other than that, I haven't been able to hear much Milord."

Giving a word of thanks to the helpful young man, the Andoran Prince watches as the young man with bright orange hair walks up and down the row of swords. Now and then, he would stop and pick up a sword, examining it closely before speaking to the Tower's blacksmith. The blacksmith and the stranger would then point at different parts of the blade, with the smith apparently writing what was being discussed down on a piece of parchment. An agreement appeared to have been reached when the blacksmith took two swords from the rack and began walking away towards his workshop, leaving the orange-haired man and Hammar Gaidin to look over the wooden training blades in the next rack. A short discussion later, and the strange young man picks up a pair of training swords and leaves with a Warder belonging to a Sister of the White Ajah. He wonders why they are leaving for a smaller yard until he notices the two swords strapped to the back of the tall Warder.

'Does he wield dual swords?' Galad wonders, but is torn from any further observations when Hammar Gaidin begins to round up the younger men.

"Come on lads, this is the last session for today. It will be one on ones until only one stands undefeated again." The Warder ignores the chorus of moans and complaints that accompany his announcement.

"We all know who is going to win, so why do we bother with this Hammar Gaidin?" A young man from Tear speaks up in frustration.

The aged warrior turns upon the group and with his pipe clenched between his teeth he speaks commandingly. "It only takes one man getting lucky and victory will be his even against the best swordsman. Take the chance and learn from Lord Galadedrid about what it takes to become the best, and maybe one of you might get to be the lucky lad to defeat him once you banish the doubt in your hearts. Now begin!"

Taking his stance, Galad loses himself in the long practice. Defeating one opponent after another, he doesn't realize how much time has passed until he finds a familiar face filling his vision.

"Gawyn?" Galad asks of his younger brother who is staring back at him with a small smile.

Motioning with both his hands to the silent and expectant audience standing behind him, the younger brother speaks loudly enough with a slight amusement in his voice to be heard by all. "It seems I have been chosen to redeem the honor of us 'lesser' swordsmen, brother."

Galad is about to retort good-naturedly when that tingle suddenly flares up again. Turning to his left, he sees the orange-haired youth standing in isolation once again with Alanna Sedai, her two Warders and that dual wielding Warder from earlier. When he gazes into the depths of the twin orbs of brown watching him, however, a feeling he hasn't had in years starts forming in the middle of his chest. Exchanging a long stare with the stranger, Galad finally addresses the other man.

"Would you care to…?" Galad pauses and the implied question is understood when the other man gives him a half smirk.

"Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki. I wouldn't mind, but after getting my ass handed to me for the last half-hour or so by Simon Gaidin, I think I'd like a chance to let loose with all of my abilities. If you need to fight someone different, I'll give it to you with the understanding I don't hold back in my fights, so if you and Hammar Gaidin are fine with that, I'll give you a round or two."

Galad looks at Ichigo in confusion. "Hold back? What do you mean Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"You have been fighting strictly as a swordsman. I didn't see any variety in your attacks nor in how you defended yourself." Ichigo explains. "I've been trained to fight in a different way, and I'll show you if you're up to facing it."

For a few moments, the words spoken to him hint at several possible outcomes, none of them boding well for him, but his need to truly test his skills against an unknown and possibly skilled fighter outweighs the risks he has faced so far since coming to Tar Valon.

"If Hammar Gaidin allows it, then I will spar with you Ichigo Kurosaki." Galad declares.

Both warriors turn to the Warder for his decision, and the Warder in question is staring at the two younger men with a serious look on his face. Finally, he turns to the Green Sister standing next to the orange-haired man and speaks to her.

"Mosvani Aes Sedai, is he capable of this? I understand he has only recently been allowed to leave his sickbed." The graying Warder asks.

Simon Mulhand, the dual-wielding Warder speaks up in answer. "I think Ichigo can handle himself well enough Hammar Gaidin. After spending the last hour and half with him, he has shown me he is no stranger to wielding a blade. I say let them spar."

Ichigo turns a surprised look to the Warder next to him. "This coming from the man who spent the second half of that dropping me like a sack of potatoes and pointing out my deficiencies with a tongue of acid? That really means a lot to me Simon Gaidin."

The tall blonde-haired Warder shrugs. "I only showed you what you needed to learn Ichigo Kurosaki. While your skill with a single blade is more than a match for even most of the Heron bearers here, you yourself said you have only had a limited amount of time to truly learn how to dual wield. In my opinion, I don't think you'll need as much time as you expect considering how quickly you picked up the few suggestions I gave to you, whereas others have taken years to learn what you managed to do in our first afternoon together." He remarks candidly.

A ripple of excited murmurs and muted exclamations fill the ranks of the watching Aes Sedai, Accepted as well as the Warders and their apprentices at this level of praise given to the unknown young man. A Heron bearer was considered to be a master swordsman; for the young man to have reached their level with a single blade, and apparently is also on the way to doing so while dual-wielding is something amazing for them to hear.

Alanna Mosvani ends the debate. "It will only be a simple contest Hammar Gaidin, I'm sure the two men will stop if it gets out of hand. Right Ichigo?"

A small smirk forms on the face of the young man in question. "Sure. Whatever you say Alanna-san. So you up to this, Galadedrid Damodred?"

Galad slowly raises an eyebrow in challenge. "You know who I am, but you don't seem fearful of that knowledge Ichigo Kurosaki. I respect that and look forward to this challenge. And to answer your earlier question, I do want to see what you have to offer in terms of fighting skills, so I will accept the conditions you set forth. I, Galadedrid Damodred, absolve any harm done to my person by Ichigo Kurosaki in our fight!" His proclamation is met with hushed silence, as all witnesses look to the senior Warder for his final decision.

Hammar Gaidin looks at the two men, and seeing their determination, finally nods his agreement. "Then take your places. When each of you is ready, you may begin."

Galad swiftly turns away and moves back ten paces, before turning back to face his newest opponent who is now standing another ten paces away. Watching as Ichigo shrugs off the light jacket he has on, the Andoran feels his excitement growing when he studies those simple movements. The man standing across from him is obviously no stranger to fighting; even his act of taking off his jacket reveals he has cut out any unnecessary movements. He also notices that Ichigo is observing his own movements in the same manner as well. Chancing a glance to his side, he sees his brother standing next to a shocked-looking Elmindreda as she stares at the orange-haired fighter. Her mouth is covered as she leans towards Gawyn and whatever she is saying causes his brother to study his opponent rather intently. Wondering what is going on, he decides to push it to the back of his mind for now when he sees Hammar making his way to the center of the dueling yard.

"Lord Galad, are you ready!?" Hammar shouts.

"Ready!"

"Lord Ichi…"

"Don't call me that! Just call me Ichigo dammit!" The other man shouts with a slightly reddened face.

"I'm ready too!" Ichigo adds when Hammar gives him a perplexed look.

Shrugging off the idiosyncrasies of young lords, the Blademaster lifts his hand high, then drops it and moves away from the center of the yard. Galad warily moves forward in anticipation towards Ichigo, his blade raised in a guard, and begins to wonder what the other man is planning when he simply stands there with both blades pointed downwards towards the ground. Keeping his own blade up and facing Ichigo, Galad quickly closes the distance and stabs out with his first strike, only to be shocked as Ichigo barely bends to the side and knees him hard in the stomach.

"Gah!" He can't stop the pained cry that escapes from his lips with the blow.

He doesn't get a chance to think however when he suddenly finds his body toppling forward after another painful blow strikes the lower part of his back. Stumbling forward, he fails to maintain his balance and falls, sliding a small distance across the ground. Blinking his eyes hazily a few times, he quickly regains his wits and moves forward quickly, hearing the sound of a wooden blade striking the ground where his head just was barely a second after he moves.

"Not bad Galadedrid, not bad at all. Good reflexes and good instincts. I'll give you a chance to get to your feet." Ichigo's voice says from behind, but there is no evidence of taunting in his speech.

Rising up quickly, the Andoran prince turns to face Ichigo and sees the man has absolutely no expression on his face. Keeping his distance this time, Galad begins to slowly circle the other man; where a man confident in his superiority might mock him by not turning to guard against him as he moves, Ichigo turns with him instead and begins to close the distance of his own accord this time. When they are two paces apart, Ichigo acts first, a probing stab with one sword followed by a swifter slice to catch the unwary. Galad reacts to the first blade that comes flying from his weak side by deflecting it away, at the same time moving backwards to allow the second blade to hiss through the empty spot of air right in front of his stomach.

Galad doesn't get to enjoy his success as Ichigo suddenly steps up the pace rapidly, the young prince finding himself hard pressed to defend against two blades that move less like weapons and more like extensions of the other fighter's arms. Each deflected blade is followed by a quick dodge or a few times a roll and even a duck as the second blade strikes at him faster than he can reposition his blade to parry, the feel of air whistling past him or the sounds of a blade hitting near his body indicators of how close he is to getting hit. The few times he manages to take back the offensive, he quickly finds himself hard-pressed, even outclassed when his body gets in range of Ichigo's hands or feet. They too were weapons; kicks, punches, trips and other movements of those limbs has the older man reeling back or on the ground numerous times wondering if Ichigo's hands and feet are made of stone.

After taking another punishing barrage to his sword and to his body, Galad finds himself backing up to create some space between himself and Ichigo. His statement slips out before he realizes he has done so.

"Who taught you to fight with your hands and feet Ichigo Kurosaki?"

A smirk forms on the young man's face, and the answer given is not one the prince is expecting. "One of my oldest friends. She used to kick my ass every time we fought until we were twelve. Then I won and stopped going to our classes, I regret doing that to her every day since then. It wasn't until a few years later that I met two other women who showed me just how much my hand to hand was lacking. I never felt more like a punching bag until I began training with those two. I'm telling you this so you know that it pays to be diverse in how you fight. If you stick to only one style of fighting it won't take your enemies long to figure it out and they will destroy you because you lack diversity. I know this because I used to fight in only one way, and it nearly cost me dearly on more than one occasion."

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo begins speaking again. "But I think I am at the end of my strength for today, so how about we end this right now. One last charge to win it?"

Nodding in agreement, Galadedrid tilts his sword upwards and sees his opponent switch his form by crossing both swords in front of his body. Each takes their measure of the other, then Galad sees Ichigo stumble slightly to his left as his leg seems to give way, and he immediately lunges forward with blade raised to strike.

'No!' His eyes widen and his mind screams when the expression on the man's face suddenly changes to one of absolute confidence, dropping fully to his left knee and shooting the arm over his downed knee outwards while driving the point of the wooden sword into the ground to create a tripwire of flesh.

Knowing that he has overly-committed to this move, Galad has no choice but to try and leap over the trap while slashing at Ichigo's head, but to his shock the orange-haired man swiftly pivots on that knee, swinging both his body and his second sword past his slash and slamming the hilt of his second blade into Galad's stomach, driving the air out of his lungs even as the first blade sweeps up and tangles his feet. Not even that stops what comes next when a pain erupts in his upper back as Ichigo smoothly rises to his feet while driving an elbow into Galad's still falling body, sending it crashing unceremoniously into the ground. The finale has him feel the sharp sting of a wooden blade hitting the exposed and unprotected back of his neck lightly.

Lying face down in the dirt and trying to comprehend the last sequence of events, the Andoran Prince finds himself in a place he hasn't been in years: lying on the ground in defeat. Slowly turning to look up at the now standing Ichigo, he doesn't see the gloating or taunting face he would have expected from most of his opponents if they had defeated him; no, he finds only the calm face of a man who knows he has won. Galad can't help the small laugh that escapes his mouth as he speaks the words that none here have forced from him before.

"I yield Ichigo Kurosaki. You have won."

His opponent just gives him a brief smirk. "Good, because I wasn't lying earlier." Galad watches in mute disbelief as the young man who had just bested him falls flat on his back and his body begins to twitch uncontrollably.

"Hammar! Alanna Sedai! He's seizing!" Galad hurriedly pushes his aching body upwards and crawls the short distance to grab the other man's shoulders to keep him from moving.

A swish of green fills his eyes and Alanna Mosvani is kneeling beside them, the Andoran hearing the Arafellin woman hissing at the man who had soundly defeated him. "You damn hard-headed oxen brained fool! I told you to take it easy! Samitsu Sedai is going to have both our hides you…you fool! Not to mention Mother! How could you be so reckless!?"

Galad feels himself go slack-jawed in surprise when Ichigo just sighs. "Would you please stop yelling Alanna-san? I told you earlier this might happen until my body is finished healing itself. I just overexerted myself, nothing more. And we don't need to tell Samitsu-san or Siuan-san now do we? I think…"

"I think you will be spending tomorrow in bed Ichigo Kurosaki." All heads turn to the owner of the voice, only to see something none of them had expected.

Galad's eyes go wide when he, Ichigo and Alanna Sedai see not only Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat herself standing behind them, but Leane Sharif, the Keeper of the Chronicles standing beside Hammar, with the Amyrlin's Warder, Alric, and Anjec, her own Warder behind them. His throat suddenly feeling too dry to speak, the Andoran Prince slowly turns to see Ichigo scowling back at the most powerful woman in Tar Valon. What he hears next makes him decide that perhaps the man he is holding down might be slightly touched in his head.

"Ain't happening Siuan-san. Just because I have the shakes doesn't mean I'm weak. It actually means the opposite. I need to get out of bed and keep doing this until it passes. Trust me, this is normal for me while I am regaining my strength, I knew I might have these little episodes. Now if you give me a moment, I'd like to lie here with a bit of peace and quiet."

An old saying suddenly crosses Galad's mind upon hearing Ichigo's statement: 'Better to embrace the sun than to anger an Aes Sedai'.

No one speaks, or even breathes, until the Amyrlin turns and starts to walk away, leaving behind a comment for Ichigo. "In that case Ichigo, I will leave you in Alanna Sedai's care from now on. Alanna Sedai, I want a report on his condition every day before noon, is that clear?"

"Yes Mother." The Green Sister says with nothing but respect in her voice, but it is a very different tone that Alanna uses with Ichigo however, much to Galad's amusement. "I'm sure Ichigo and I will have much to talk about every night Mother. Don't you agree Ichigo?"

"Oh mother of god…no…"

First looking at Alanna and seeing the mischievous smile on her face, then seeing the look of true terror on Ichigo's, and finally realizing the Amyrlin had set this up in petty revenge for Ichigo's impertinence, Galadedrid Damodred stuns the gathering when he begins to laugh loudly, slowly sitting upright and pulling the other man up with him. Clapping a hand on the brash young man's shoulder, he can't help but burst out laughing again when he looks into Ichigo's stunned eyes.

"I like you Ichigo Kurosaki. I do look forward to sparring against you again very soon."

Ichigo is about to answer when his eyes snap towards a young woman who is standing next to a young man with red curly hair. Her eyes don't show the same expression as those around her; he knows that look on her face. It is the same look Orihime that had on her face when she witnessed him become a Vasto Lorde in his fight against Ulquiorra Cifer.

'Well shit, this ain't good.'

XXXX

Min finds herself unable to look away from the set of brown orbs staring back at her as the terrifying young man sits upright on the ground with the assistance of Gawyn's brother and Alanna Sedai. The moment the match began, she was bombarded with image after image of the orange-haired duelist. She has no way of understanding all of what she was seeing; one thing about her visions is known to her however and it is impossible for her to conclude otherwise, and that is what scares her. The overwhelming feeling she has when staring at the orange-haired man is of one who has death wrapped around him in a way that she just knows cannot be right. Her mind wants to deny what it is seeing, but all her visions convey the same message to her. Not only are Death and this man not strangers to one another, they are in fact very intimate with the other, almost in the way lovers are.

'Who and what are you, Ichigo Kurosaki? And why does Death embrace you so lovingly?'

XXXX

AN: Okay first things first, I am not 'nerfing' Ichigo's powers. For those of you who are familiar with Wheel of Time you will probably know the reasons already. For those that don't, you really should give the series a read. With that said, I know that a lot of the WoT fans might have a huge problem with this, but again I will state my purpose for writing: Write something different. I don't want to read the same old story time and again, if that were the case I wouldn't be here nor would you. So I am going to write this story with a lot of help to bring you a different story told from Ichigo's POV. I will brush upon certain parts of the story, but I won't delve into them too much. We've all read the books so why rewrite it again. Things will be different, how much I really don't know since the story kinda helped me break my writer's block for another of my stories. I'm winging it from here on out with this one. Although I do have an ending already taking shape in my head…

Now for those waiting for updates to my other stories, they are being worked on. I do however have to admit, I am suffering from severe writer's block with regards to Naberius Heir. I haven't found anything that I have written so far to my liking nor do I like how one particular scene was playing out. So far I think I have done more rewrites than I can remember trying to find something I like and hopefully you guys and gals will like. Other stories have a few ideas shaping for them and so they will be easier to write. So my best guess is sometime in May, Naberius should be done and I am aiming for June/July for Destiny's Path and Welcome to My World. Until then...

Cheers from Liam and regfurby.