Chapter 1: Beyond the Tresses of Time and Space

Hey everyone!

I know that I said this story would be up much earlier, but between the end of the semester and focusing on my other stories, I have certainly been busy. Now then, let me make several things clear about this rewrite…

First of all, the time in which it is taking place will no longer be after the Thousand Year Blood War Arc; instead, it will be shortly after the end of the Fullbring Arc. This means that this story will replace everything that happens afterward.

Secondly, after rereading the original version of this story, I was appalled at how poor my knowledge of Bleach really was. Since that time, I have reread the actual manga as well as rewatched the anime, so I hope my understanding will be much better. I also did research whenever it was needed.

Finally, in addition to Ichigo and the main adult MHA cast, I will also be including a character from a third series. Her portrayal in this story will be…noticeably different…than in canon, but it is essential to the overall plot. Trust me, you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.

Right then, sorry for the long Author's Note. I hope you all enjoy!

AlucardsBro OUT!

Sunlight streamed through his window, which immediately assaulted his bleary eyes.

Grumbling under his breath, Ichigo Kurosaki brought a hand up to his face and rubbed the last remnants of sleep from his features. He had slept surprisingly well last night, but that was most likely due to the simple fact that Kon, or 'Bostov' as Yuzu called him, had been abducted and forced to spend the night in his sisters' room.

The orange-head held no sympathy for the damn little pervert.

Sitting up and stretching his arms over his head until a satisfying 'pop' was heard, Ichigo threw his sheets aside and moved over to his closet to prepare for the day. Pulling out a pair of jeans and a plain white shirt, his mind began to wander as he switched out his sleepwear for the more appropriate articles of clothing.

It had been nearly three weeks since the altercation with Xcution, and despite the fact that he had assured Rukia and Renji that he was fit to return to duty, they had both forbidden him from doing anything too strenuous for a while. Apparently, they were worried that he might be suffering from a sensory overload after not being able to detect Spiritual Energy for such a long time. He had to admit that suddenly being able to do so after nearly two whole years had been a tad overwhelming at first, but he had been able to slide back into the swing of things quickly enough.

Looking in his mirror, and deeming himself presentable enough for the day, Ichigo walked over to open his bedroom door. However, just as he grasped the handle, his inherent battle instincts began screaming at him. Letting out a sigh, he opened the door and stepped to the side just in time to avoid the six-foot-tall missile that careened through the doorframe and into the room.

Isshin Kurosaki impacted the far wall with a heavy thud, before slowly and comically sliding back down to the floor. However, the former Soul Reaper Captain remained undeterred, and quickly hopped back up to his feet.

"Why would you dodge such an attack, my son?!" Isshin shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the deadpanning orange-head. "Surely you should have known that doing so would cause your poor dear father bodily harm!"

"Shut up Goat-Chin…" Ichigo snorted, prompting his father to squawk in indignation. "Maybe a hard enough blow to that fat head of yours will finally get you to start acting your age." Facing away from the bearded man, the Substitute moved to finally join his sisters downstairs in the kitchen.

He should have known that taking his attention off of his idiot other was always a bad idea…

Isshin's arm wrapped around Ichigo's neck, trapping him in a headlock. "How dare you speak to me that way Ichigo! You should know that its only proper to treat your elders with respect!" With that declaration, the former Captain dug his knuckles into the younger man's scalp.

"Yeah?! Well maybe if you stopped acting like a ten-year-old, I'd finally take you seriously!" the orange-head shouted back. Gathering every ounce of strength he could muster, Ichigo bunched upon the muscles in his legs before vaulting both himself and his father into the nearest wall. Of course, with Isshin being behind him, the older man was the one who took most of the impact.

"Is that so, you little punk?! Well maybe if you stopped acting so broody all the time, I wouldn't be forced to make up for all of the negativity around here!" the dark-haired man barked, retaliating by pushing off of the wall with his feet, sending both of the Kurosaki men careening through Ichigo's bedroom door.

They rolled through the hallway, exchanging a myriad of punches, kicks, and insults that would make the likes of even Rangiku Matsumoto blush like a schoolgirl. Finally, they tumbled down the stairs in a tangle of limbs until eventually collapsing into a heap in the living room.

Finally managing to plant a foot in his father's stomach, Ichigo vaulted the rambunctious man nearly halfway across the room, where he collided with the couch and knocked it onto its back. Letting out an annoyed snort, the orange-head rose to his feet and limped over to the table, where Karin and Yuzu were already waiting patiently.

"You two really shouldn't fight like that," Yuzu scolded. "Dad is getting up there in age, you know. You might accidentally hurt him one of these days."

Both Ichigo and Karin shared a dry look, while pointedly ignoring Isshin's cry of protest from the other side of the room. The dark-haired girl shook her head and picked up a croquette with her chopsticks. "Goat-Chin is thick-headed enough to survive a nuclear explosion; I doubt a little roughhousing will be enough to knock his brain back into place…"

"Masaki, do you see how our children treat me?!" the Kurosaki patriarch wailed, while pathetically crawling towards the enormous poster of his wife he had hanging on the wall.

Ichigo let out a sigh. "Shut up, and come eat your damn breakfast."

Within a fraction of a second, Isshin appeared to teleport clear across the room and into his chair at the table. Now, a normal person might have been baffled by the seemingly impossible action that the man just executed, but the younger residents of the Kurosaki household had long-since become accustomed to the goofy man's baffling behavior. "You should watch your language around your sisters, Ichigo," the former Captain reprimanded. "I would have to beat you black and blue if I learned that you corrupted my two sweet princesses with your vulgar mannerisms."

Yuzu blushed, and squirmed awkwardly in her seat, while Karin's brow merely twitched in annoyance.

"I'd be more worried about inadvertently teaching them that it's okay to physically assault your children," the orange-head retorted dryly.

"I have done no such thing," Isshin replied innocently, digging into his rice. "All I have done is try to teach a young delinquent how to become a proper man."

"A young delinquent, huh?"

"That's right."

Both Kurosaki men fixed each other with fierce glares, while the twins merely sighed in reluctant acceptance and continued eating their breakfast.

After breakfast concluded, Ichigo announced that he would be heading out for a while. Grabbing his wallet, phone, and a light jacket, the Substitute gave himself one last look in the mirror before heading to the front door. However, just as he was about to leave, a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him from stepping outside.

Looking over his shoulder, already knowing that it was his father, the orange-head prepared to deliver some kind of snarky comment. However, the serious expression on Isshin's face gave him a moment of pause.

"How are you doing, Ichigo?"

"Um, fine. Why do you ask?"

The former Captain snorted and leaned against the doorframe. "Don't give me that crap. Whether you've noticed it or not, you have been doing nothing but sulking for the past two years. Ikumi noticed it, Tatsuki noticed it, your sisters have noticed it, and you can be damn well sure that I have as well. Now though, you have your powers back, but you haven't been acting any different. So, I'll ask again…how are you doing?"

Ichigo frowned, and took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I…I guess I've just become kind of used to the idea that I'd never get my powers back. But now that I have them, it seems really surreal. I think it'll just take time to get used to it again."

Isshin' expression remained firm, yet he nodded in understanding. "I take it that you're heading to that big 'Welcome Back' party your friends from Soul Society are throwing?"

The orange-head blinked in surprise. "How do you know about that?"

"Oh please, I'm your father. If I'm not meddling in your personal business, then I'm not doing my job as a parent correctly," the older man replied with a small grin.

"Yeah, like that isn't creepy at all…"

"Hey! When you have kids, you'll understand."

Ichigo snorted and turned away, waving his father off. "Yeah well, if I ever do end up having kids, it'll be a hell of a long time from now. And I sure as hell hope I won't be the kind of dad who puts them through surprise combat training in the middle of the night."

Grumbling under his breath, Isshin watched as his son walked further down the street in the direction of Urahara Shop.

"Damn ungrateful brat…"

The walk to Kisuke's place was, in a word, rather peaceful.

If anything, it provided Ichigo with a bit of time to be alone with his thoughts. Had he really been acting all mopey for the past two years? If he had, he certainly hadn't been aware of the fact…

Sure, he would admit that he had been a bit depressed for a while after initially losing his powers during the fight against Aizen, but he had eventually come to terms with his ordinary life. And, odd as it might sound, he enjoyed the simple moments of hanging out with Keigo, Mizuiro, and Tatsuki again. Even Chizuru's company had been appreciated in the aftermath of the Winter War.

It was nice to once again spend time with his friends who weren't actively involved in any supernatural business. Ichigo would even admit to feeling guilty about not spending as much time with them as he should have ever since initially gaining his Substitute Soul Reaper powers.

That being said, none of them had ever pointed out that he'd been acting any differently. Had they simply been trying to help him through his grief without even speaking up?

If so, then now he really felt like an ass…

How irritating must it have been for them to listen and watch as he did nothing but feel sorry for himself? At least now that he was aware of how he'd been acting, he could actively do something to improve himself.

Breaking himself from his internal musings, Ichigo looked around and idly noticed that there were hardly any people out and about this morning. It wasn't really too unusual, considering that it was getting close to Christmas. Most people had probably already finished their gift shopping, and were now spending time with their families.

Still though, even he would admit that it was slightly unnerving to see so few people at this time of day…

Shrugging, the orange-head merely shook his head and brought up a hand to absently scratch his chin. However, he paused briefly on feeling the coarse bristles coating his jawline. Damn, he hadn't realized how badly he needed to shave. Chuckling lightly to himself, Ichigo smiled and shoved his hands back into his pockets.

The remainder of the walk to Urahara Shop was full of much needed relaxation, and the Substitute grinned upon finally rounding the corner and seeing the familiar candy shop. Of course, that's what it only appeared to be to the untrained eye. But he, and nearly every spiritually aware person in Karakura Town, knew better.

Walking up the steps, Ichigo prepared to knock on the wooden door. Unfortunately for him though, the door suddenly opened before his knuckles could even make contact. Amber eyes and violet hair appeared in the doorway, and the orange-head felt a very cold chill creep down his spine at the coy grin that was sent his way.

"Well hello, my darling student," Yoruichi Shihouin purred.

That sound alone was enough to reduce most men to puddles of jelly, even without the knowledge of who the voice belonged to. The woman herself had been gifted with such seductive and graceful beauty that most human supermodels would spontaneously combust out of pure jealousy.

And, interestingly enough, Ichigo was one of the few men in existence, alive or otherwise, who had seen what lay beneath her usual attire. Suffice to say, those days spent training in the hot springs had been a tortuous mixture of both heaven and hell…

"Hey Yoruichi," the orange-head grunted. "Is Kisuke in?"

The ebony woman frowned marginally, and Ichigo grimaced at the challenging gleam that flashed through her eyes. "Maybe he is, but just so you know, it is very rude to casually dismiss a woman you haven't seen in nearly two years."

"Yeah, well…I'm sorry about that, but I've got somewhere that I need to be."

"Oh, I heard. It's adorable that all of your friends from Soul Society decided to throw you a welcome back party."

Coughing uncomfortably, the young man glanced off of the side when Yoruichi acknowledged his goal, yet still refused to move. His eyes followed nearly every groove in the wooden porch beneath his feet, yet he knew even without looking back up that her piercing golden eyes were still firmly locked on him. Finally, he reluctantly met her gaze. "Is there something that you needed…?"

The Flash Goddess scoffed. "Not particularly…just admiring how much you've grown since the last time I saw you. I'm digging the mini-beard."

Ichigo grinned slightly. "Don't tell me that it reminds you of Hat-n-Clogs."

"Not at all, yours is much more distinguished," she snorted.

The Substitute actually let out a laugh at that, with Yoruichi joining in a moment later.

"I have to know though," she grinned slyly. "Does the carpet match the drapes?"

Ichigo's smile was almost immediately replaced with an annoyed scowl. Gathering himself once again, he walked forward and shoved past his former mentor, who blinked in a mixture of confusion and surprise.

"It was good talking to again Yoruichi," he bit out harshly.

Frowning, the ebony woman reached out and laid a hand on the young man's shoulder before he could get too far. "Oh please Ichigo, I was only kidding."

Whirling around fast enough to actually make to older woman flinch, the orange-head snarled and stared right into her eyes. "Oh really? Somehow I sincerely doubt that."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know damn well what I mean!" Ichigo shouted, making Yoruichi shrink back in shock. "You know, I was actually happy to see you after these past two years, and I was honestly ready to sit down and talk before heading to Soul Society. But you know what? If you don't even have the common decency to treat me like a person instead of a goddamn toy, then you aren't even worth my time."

Turning back around and ignoring the shell-shocked woman completely, the irate young man prepared to walk further into the shop.

However, his anger was quickly replaced with hesitance once he felt a pair of slender arms wrap around his chest from behind. Burying her face between his shoulder blades, Yoruichi let out a heavy breath. "I-I'm sorry."

Ichigo turned his head slightly to try and look at her, but their current position made that impossible. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't believe you…"

"I mean it," she insisted. "You should know me well enough by now to know that I'm not good with all of that mushy touchy-feely bullshit. Our back and forth dynamic is what I'm used to, so I guess I was just more comfortable falling back into that. My teasing was balanced out by your prudishness."

The orange-head scowled slightly. "I'm not prudish…"

"Oh, hush child. All jokes and teasing aside, I really have missed you…"

Remaining silent for a minute, Ichigo finally let out a sigh and turned back around to face his mentor. This action was a bit difficult due to the fact that she refused to release her hold on him, but eventually he was able to return her gesture of affection. "I probably shouldn't have snapped like I did…"

"Gee, you think?" the Flash Goddess snarked.

"Quiet you. If you can forgive me for that, then I'll forgive you in return."

Yoruichi inhaled deeply, and in a rare moment where she allowed her inner feline to shine through to the surface, nuzzled into her former student's chest. "I suppose that is acceptable."

Chuckling now that the tension had evaporated, Ichigo gently rubbed the older woman's back, running a hand along her spine.

A low, guttural sound filled the air.

Both man and woman froze, and the orange-head slowly pulled away to look down at his mentor. She absolutely refused to meet his eyes.

"D-Did you just…purr?"

"If you ever tell anyone, I will cut off your testicles and feed them to you through a straw," she said quietly. "Do you understand me, my darling student?"

Ichigo swallowed nervously, knowing that she was both capable and willing to fulfill that promise. "Yes ma'am."

Yoruichi finally looked up at him and smiled, patting his cheek firmly. "Good boy. Come on, I'll take you to Kisuke."

Neither or them pointed out how her cheeks were still a flaming shade of red.

Now that she was facing away from him, Ichigo couldn't help but smile. Heh, who knew he would ever get to see the prideful and illustrious Yoruichi Shihouin blush like a schoolgirl?

This would be a day he would remember forever.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to drop in for a visit," Kisuke drawled sarcastically, not even bothering to look up from whatever it was he was tinkering with. "Something tells me that you're only here because you want something…"

Hopping off of the insanely long ladder that led from Urahara Shop and down into the eccentric shopkeeper's subterranean training grounds, Ichigo let out a snort and followed Yoruichi up to the former Captain's position. "It's not like you have anything else I want. You should already know why I'm here."

Spinning around dramatically, the blond man placed a hand over his heart in mock-insult. "Oh Ichigo, how you wound me so. Here I am, willing to teach you about the ways of the world and how to become a proper man, yet you only treat me like a supernatural ferryman… for shame, young man."

The orange-head scoffed. "Oh please, if I wanted someone to teach me how to be a man, then I'd just ask her," he snarked back, jerking a thumb at Yoruichi.

The ebony woman's mouth fell open in unabashed shock, and Kisuke fell into a howling round of laughter.

Wiping a tear from his eye, the blond shopkeeper shook his head and walked forward to close the distance between them. "Hot damn, I never thought I'd see the day where you would be the one taking shots at her. Nice to see that you're finally growing some balls Ichigo; you even made her blush, isn't that adorable?"

A rock suddenly nailed Kisuke directly in the forehead, and Ichigo turned to see a seething Yoruichi hefting another one into her hand. "Shut up, you idiotic bastard! Don't forget who knows all about your weird little preferences; if you know what's good for you, you'll keep your mouth shut."

Tossing the rock back down into the dirt, she shot a proud smirk in Ichigo's direction. "He's right though; it's good to see that you finally got the guts to go along with the size of you Zanpakuto. I was always worried whether or not you were overcompensating for something…"

The orange-head snorted. "I assure you, I am not."

The Flash Goddess licked her lips. "Well then, once you return from Soul Society, perhaps you'll be able to prove that to me…"

Despite the brief moment of masculine bravado he'd displayed, Ichigo couldn't help but be taken aback by the ebony woman's blunt statement. A light blush dusted across his cheeks, and he looked away in embarrassment.

Letting out a laugh, Yoruichi turned and made her way back to the ladder, throwing in an extra sway to her hips. "Until next time, my darling student."

Watching completely transfixed as the violet-haired seductress climbed back up into the shop, Ichigo barely noticed Kisuke pulling himself off of the ground.

"Damn woman…" the blond grumbled halfheartedly, before letting out a resigned sigh and clapping his hands together to catch Ichigo's full attention. "Now then, if you are quite done with staring at my childhood friend's admittedly luscious derrière, I suppose we can finally get down to business."

"I wasn't staring…"

"You're a teenager; I'd be worried if you weren't."

Grumbling under his breath, Ichigo ran a hand through his hair and looked around. "So, where's the Senkaimon?"

Kisuke lashed out with his cane and whacked the younger man in the stomach. "Patience is a virtue, as is abstinence from debauchery, I might add. Anyway, before I send you along your merry little way to Soul Society, there is something I would like to do first. Do you have your Combat Pass with you?"

Fishing into his jacket pocket, the orange-head pulled out the aforementioned object and tossed it into the air a few times. "Of course I do."

Faster than the human eye could see, Kisuke snagged the medallion and turned away to observe it. Ichigo blinked at the sudden motion, before leaning forward to try and see what the older man was doing. Barely a minute later, the blond turned back around and held up the Combat Pass, grinning like an idiot. "There, all done!"

The Substitute frowned. "Done with what?"

Kisuke tossed him the medallion. "Shift into your Soul Form."

"This isn't going to blow me up, is it?"

"Stop being a brat, and do what I tell you."

Sighing, Ichigo focused his Spirit Energy into his Combat Pass, and immediately felt the familiar sensation of being ejected from his physical body. Within a fraction of a second, he stood tall and proud in his Shihakusho, with Zangetsu strapped to his back.

Kisuke's grin only served to widen. "Pick up your body."

Rolling his eyes, the orange-head turned to do as instructed, but froze upon seeing that there was nothing there. "It…It's gone!"

The shopkeeper laughed. "Incorrect! I have now modified your Combat Pass in such a way that your physical body will now be stored in a cross-dimensional subspace whenever you need to fight. This means that you will no longer need to find a place to keep your body safe during a battle, since it is technically with you at all times."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "That…That's actually really cool, but how is it even possible?"

Kisuke grinned, chest swelling with pride. "Ichigo, if inventors such as myself stayed content with what we believe to be within the realm of current possibility, then nothing new would ever come into the world. Now then, you said something about heading to Soul Society, right?"

His surprised expression quickly morphing into a grin, the Substitute let out a chuckle. "I guess you're not so bad after all, Hat-n-Clogs."

The blond snorted, walking over to a control panel built into the side of a bolder before pressing a multitude of buttons. Before long, the traditional Japanese doors that led to the realm of the dead materialized out of thin air, before sliding open and revealing a bright light shining from within. "Was there ever any doubt? Now, get in there and have your little party."

Nodding, Ichigo walked forward and crossed through the inter-dimensional gateway. Giving Kisuke a final wave, he turned and began the brief trek along the condensed path of Reishi under his feet. Smiling to himself, he couldn't help but slightly geek out at all of the exciting opportunities that his upgraded Combat Pass would provide him with. If nothing else, it would certainly make chasing Hollows much quicker and easier.

A sudden pulse of energy caught his attention, but it was small enough that Ichigo wasn't too worried.

However, that small pulse quickly became a steady shaking, and to Ichigo's utter horror, the bridge of Reishi behind him began to collapse. Focusing all of his power into his feet, the orange-head shot along the path, attempting to reach the other end of the gateway.

Unfortunately, fate seemed to once again want to give him the middle finger, and the path of Reishi beneath his feet shattered, sending him falling helplessly into the chaotic vortex of Spirit Energy below.

Bright neon light was the first thing that assaulted his senses.

Bringing a hand up to block the light, Ichigo painfully hauled himself up into a sitting position. Looking around, he immediately became aware that he was in some kind of alleyway, which most likely meant that he was still somewhere within the World of the Living. Soul Society had alleys too, but they were more noticeably rustic.

Rising to his feet and letting out a groan, the orange-head propped himself up against the nearest wall and shuffled towards the end of the alley. Emerging from between the two buildings, he was pleasantly surprised to see that it looked like he was on a regular Japanese street.

People bustled about to and fro, bundled up in heavy winter jackets. Christmas decorations lined the various shops and businesses that he could see, and the general sound of merriment buzzed in the air. Turning his head, Ichigo frowned as his eyes landed upon some rather…oddly dressed…individuals. One young woman had a pair of horns spiraling up through her hair, while another had a tail standing rigidly behind her. Another kid had scales decorating his face, while the woman that must have been his mother smiled through a mouthful of fangs.

Huh…there must have been some kind of cosplay convention in town…

Shaking his head, Ichigo walked out onto the sidewalk, fully expecting to phase completely through the crowds of people. However, to his absolute shock, he collided with a dark-haired woman just as she passed by.

"Hey, watch it asshole!" she snapped, whirling on the Substitute with such a surprising amount of ferocity that Ichigo could only look at her dumbly. "I don't care if you are a Hero, you still need to learn some fucking manners!"

"Uh…sorry?" he apologized weakly.

The young woman continued to glare at him for several more minutes, before she finally let out a huff and walked away.

His eyes still wide in shock, Ichigo turned and looked out at various passersby. Most of them returned his cautious look with friendly smiles, and one young group of children even wished him a Merry Christmas.

They…they could see him…

He was still in his Spirit Form, yet everyone on the street could see him plain as day…

Okay, so he definitely wasn't in the World of the Living, or at least his own version of it. While he wasn't necessarily the sharpest knife in the drawer, Ichigo was still a decently intelligent young man. Therefore, he was able to recall a discussion he'd had with Kisuke shortly after becoming a Substitute Soul Reaper, when he was being told the mechanics behind the Senkaimon and Gargantas. According to the eccentric shopkeeper, due to the fact that that Soul Society and Hueco Mundo were technically situated in alternate points of time and space, the concept of alternate dimensions was not necessarily beyond the realm of possibility.

However, since Soul Society wasn't exactly keen on the idea of exploring other realities, the subject had never been given any amount of credibility. Yamamoto especially disregarded the idea as nothing more than the ravings of a madman.

Walking over to a store, and gazing at himself in the window's reflection, Ichigo frowned and pondered his situation. Admittedly, the conclusion that he'd been dumped in an alternate reality would require a bit more evidence, but the fact that everyone was able to physically interact with him was most definitely contributing to the overall credibility of that assumption.

Maybe…maybe those people he had seen earlier hadn't been wearing costumes…

Turning back around to face the street, the orange-head tapped a passing man on the shoulder. "Excuse me sir, could you tell me the name of this city? I'm new in town, and I haven't really become accustomed to the area."

The man raised a brow. "You traveled to a new city without learning its name? I thought you Heroes were supposed to be sensible…"

Ichigo's patient expression morphed into a scowl. "Just humor me."

"Fine, you're in Musutafu, Japan, just outside of Tokyo." With that, the man shrugged Ichigo off and continued on his way.

Well, that cemented it…

To his knowledge, there was no city or town by that name in the version of Japan that he was familiar with. He was stranded in a world where his family and friends might not even exist, and without any clue as how to open a Senkaimon himself, it looked like he was going to be here for a while.

Most people would undoubtedly start panicking at this point, and although Ichigo was more than a little terrified, if his past experiences had taught him anything, it was to remain calm even in the most stressful of situations. Sucking in a deep breath, the orange-head discreetly ducked out of the flow of traffic and moved into an adjacent alleyway. Taking out his Combat Pass, which he had thankfully managed to hold on to, he quickly reverted back into his physical body and began going through everything he had in his pockets.

He had his wallet, which was filled with the last payment he'd received from Ikumi. However, there was no telling whether or not this version of Japan used the same type of currency as he did back home. He'd definitely have to look into that pretty soon.

He had his driver's license, but considering the possibility that there might not even be anyone named Ichigo Kurosaki in this world, he wasn't sure how much good it would do him.

Aside from that, he had his phone, and he was somehow miraculously able to get a signal. He tried calling his dad, Chad, and Tatsuki, but was always met with no response.

Staggering back against the nearest wall, the Substitute slowly slid down to the ground as the gravity of the situation finally caught up with him in full. He was stranded, possible light years away from home, without any means of getting back. He only had enough in his wallet to afford a few small meals, and although he had his phone, no one in his contact list existed in this world.

Despite his attempts to remain level-headed, Ichigo still felt several tears form in his eyes, and a lump in his throat. "Goddamn it…"

"Uh, hey man…are you okay?"

Blinking in surprise, the orange-head turned in the direction of the voice. Standing in the entrance of the alleyway was a young woman who looked to be no older than he was. Several grocery bags hung from her hands, and she was looking at him with visible concern on her face. She had slightly sun-kissed copper skin, with short black hair that barely scraped her shoulders. She looked fairly tall from where he was sitting, and would most likely come up to just under his eyeline if they were face-to-face. Like the rest of the people he had seen walking about, she was bundled up in a jacket and long pants suitable for the chilly weather.

Raising a hand to wipe his eyes, Ichigo chuckled mirthlessly. "Yeah I'm fine…just got a few pretty major things that I need to sort out."

"Like what?" the girl asked, raising a brow and cocking her head marginally to the side.

Ichigo snorted humorlessly. "Mostly where to go from here…"

"You don't know where to go?"

"I'm not exactly from around here. I don't even know if I'll ever be able to get home."

Frowning, the young woman took several steps in his direction. Ichigo was both impressed and surprised by her apparent boldness when it came to approaching a male stranger in a dimly-lit alleyway. Either she just didn't have any common sense, or she knew herself well enough that she could confidently take care of herself.

When she was only a few feet away from him, she stopped, and leaned against that wall he was sitting against. "Sooooo, you're telling me that you're alone, cold, and have nowhere to go?"

The orange-head coughed uncomfortably and nodded. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."

The woman nodded, as if coming to some sort of cosmic conclusion. "Right then, that settles it. Get your ass off that filthy concrete and come with me. You can crash at our place for a while."

Ichigo's jaw fell open. "But…you…you don't even know me!"

She snorted dismissively. "Trust me dude, I've got a nose for liars, and you don't seem to be one. Besides, you're dressed fairly well, which means you aren't too much of a bum, and I'm guessing that you came from a moderately comfortable home."

"But…"

"Are you really trying to turn down a hot meal and a warm bed?" she asked incredulously. "Either you're just a plain idiot, or you're the biggest masochist I've ever seen."

Scowling, Ichigo slowly climbed to his feet. "Alright, fine. Need any help with those bags?"

The young woman raised a brow. "I'm a big girl; I can handle a few groceries."

The Substitute wilted slightly. "I was just trying to be polite."

Her expression slowly morphed into an easy grin. "Relax man; if you're so keen on repaying my generosity, then you can help the old man with dinner once we get home. He could probably use a few extra hands this close to the holidays."

Ichigo returned her smile, and the two of them exited the alleyway and walked down the sidewalk, side by side.

However, the orange-head suddenly realized something important that he'd forgotten. "Oh, by the way, my name is Ichigo. Thanks again for doing this…I don't want to be too much of a bother."

The young woman smirked. "Don't sweat it Berry Boy. Not all of us can be Pro Heroes, but that doesn't mean we can't help each other out now and then."

Filing away the term 'Pro Heroes' for later, Ichigo ignored the typical nickname. "So, does my Good Samaritan have a name of her own?"

"Heh, yeah. I'm Ymir, Ymir Fritz."

Despite the short amount of time it took for the two of them to reach their destination, Ichigo learned quite a few things about his rescuer.

She was loud, sarcastic, foul-mouthed, and she wasn't the least bit shy in eyeing up nearly every attractive woman that they passed. That being said, he could easily tell that she had a good heart and an honest soul; being a Substitute Soul Reaper allowed him to internally glimpse at that part.

Soon enough, they arrived at what appeared to be a rather homey café.

"Well, this is it," Ymir announced. "Home sweet home, and a well-paying job all rolled into one."

"You live here?" Ichigo asked in slight surprise.

She nodded, and motioned to the set of windows just above the café. "Yeah, there's a little apartment complex right above the shop. It's got everything you really need as far as living luxuries go, and it's all ours."

"You keep talking about 'us' and 'the old man;' just who is this guy?"

"Old Man Yoshimura," Ymir replied, smiling slightly. "In case you couldn't already tell based off of my name and my looks, I'm not a Japanese native. My father was a German, while my mother was a member of the native people of Romania. Let's just say…once they learned about a few of my preferences, they kicked me out of the house."

Ichigo grimaced. "Shit…I'm sorry."

"Don't be!" she laughed, bumping her shoulder against his own jovially. "Papa may have wanted me to marry the neighbor boy, but his older sister was just as good looking! Anyway, one of my aunts lived here in Japan, so I was given enough money to come here and live with her. But, she died a few years ago. That's when one of her longtime friends, Mister Yoshimura, offered to take me in."

"He sounds like a nice guy," the orange-head smiled, finding her enthusiasm to be more than a little infectious.

"Oh, he is," Ymir assured him. "But, he can be just a fierce when he wants to, so I'd recommend trying to stay on his good side as best you can."

Ichigo shuddered, already imagining a Yamamoto-esque figure looming just through the doorway. "Thanks for the warning."

His new acquaintance grinned, before stepping forward and opening the door to the shop. "Hey, Old Man! I'm back, and I brought a new friend!"

The sound of clinking dishes sounded off from within the kitchen just behind the counter, and soon enough, the face of an elderly man poked through the doorway. "Ah, Ymir dear. I'm glad to see that you made it back safely. Did you pick up the flour for the cake?"

Ymir hefted one of her grocery bags up proudly. "Sure did!"

Yoshimura smiled, before finally turning his attention to Ichigo. "And who might you be, young man?"

The orange-head in question opened his mouth to respond, but his new friend quickly beat him to the punch. "This is Ichigo. He ain't from around here, and he has nowhere to go. So, being the amazing and generous chick that I am, I offered him a place to crash for a while; I hope you don't mind."

The elderly man shook his head. "Certainly not; no one should be left out alone in the cold during the holidays. I must warn you though, I do not allow freeloaders to squat for nothing in return."

Ichigo nodded in understanding. "That's good sir, I was honestly going to offer to do some chores anyway. I can cook, clean, and do anything else you need me to do. I don't want to take advantage if your hospitality."

Laughing, Yoshimura stepped out from behind the counter to clap the younger man on the shoulder. "Well said! I can already tell that I'm going to like you. That being said, we don't really have anything that needs to be done at the moment, so why don't you join us upstairs for dinner?"

The Substitute smiled gratefully. "I would be honored, sir."

Nodding, Yoshimura slung one arm around Ichigo's shoulders, while doing the same to Ymir with the other. "Then what are we standing around for? Ymir here can make a mean roasted chicken!"

As it turned out, this claim was most definitely true. Ichigo dug into his meal of chicken, rice, and various other goodies like a man starved for weeks on end. Of course, he had only done this after witnessing his two new housemates doing the same thing. The amount of food Ymir could put away was a little awe-inspiring…

The trio laughed, shared stories, and basically acted like a family.

After dinner had concluded, Ichigo was quick to offer his assistance with washing the dishes, which he could tell Yoshimura greatly appreciated. While the two men did this, Ymir was tasked with vacuuming up any stray crumbs that might have fallen to the floor, which she did without so much as a single complaint.

It honestly felt good, Ichigo quickly realized, to feel useful around the house. He was honestly a little surprised with how easily he had fallen into what felt like a steady rhythm with the café's to long-time occupants. In truth, it didn't feel any different from his own home, minus his idiotic father and perverted stuffed animal of course.

The thought of his family made his heart heavy for a moment, but a quick bump to the shoulder from Ymir easily cheered him back up. It wouldn't do anyone any good for him to lapse back into depression, after all. Soul Society would most likely realize that he was missing soon enough, and between Kisuke and Captain Kurotsuchi, he was fairly confident that they would eventually find a way to reach him.

With the dishes washed, and the floor cleaned, Yoshimura announced that he was heading to bed. Ichigo and Ymir wished him a good night's sleep, before settling on the couch in front of the decently sized television.

"I hope you don't mind sleeping on the couch," the young woman said a little sheepishly. "If we had a guest room, we'd definitely offer it to you."

The orange-head waved her concern off easily. "Ah, don't worry about it; I've had to deal with much rougher conditions than this before. Right now, a couch sounds just as good as a king-sized bed."

Ymir laughed, before picking up the remote and flipping on the TV. The first thing that flashed across the screen was what appeared to be some kind of a news report.

"Worry not citizens, because I am here!"

Ichigo blinked at the brightly dressed man on the broadcast. Hell, if his outfit wasn't noticeable enough, then his ridiculous hairstyle definitely was…

Ymir, on the other hand, smiled fondly. "All Might sure is the best of the best, ya know? Wish I could've gone to a Hero Academy…"

The Substitute didn't really know quite how to respond to that without sounding too suspicious. "Yeah…me too."

His new friend shook her head and offered him a grin. "Speaking of which, what can your Quirk do?"

"M-My Quirk?"

"Yeah, your superpower. Don't tell me you're Quirkless…"

"N-No, of course not!" Ichigo laughed nervously. "I, uh…I'm really strong and fast. I can also walk on air."

Ymir's mouth fell open. "You can do all of that?!"

He shrugged. "It's not really that big of a deal."

The brunette shook her head and chuckled. "Damn, I've heard of some people with more than one ability, but you definitely take the cake. You must have inherited all of that from your parents, right?"

Ichigo laughed. She honestly wasn't too far of base with that question. "Yeah, I did. Do you have a Quirk?"

Ymir smiled cheekily. "Why Ichigo, a lady never reveals her secrets to a guy she barely knows. However, I will say that I can heal from normally fatal injuries."

Raising a brow, and realizing that there was obviously more that she wasn't telling him, the Substitute decided to let the topic go. One thing was for sure though, he needed to find a computer as soon as he possibly could and do an absolutely absurd amount of research concerning these 'Quirks' and 'Pro Heroes.'

He certainly wasn't in Karakura Town anymore…

And there we have it.

Obviously, this version of the story will go at a far slower pace than its predecessor. Ichigo won't become a teacher for quite some time, and I will be putting more effort into depicting his integration into this new world. It might seem like he is adapting far too quickly to everything that is happening to him, but I have always viewed Ichigo as someone who is able to roll with the flow when under pressure. He is most definitely having internal struggles, but he is trying not to visibly show that.

He needs to try and blend in, after all.

In regards to Ymir, I suppose her character change isn't as obvious as I might have made it sound in the beginning Author's Notes. As far as this story is concerned, she is pansexual instead of a lesbian. And, before anyone decides to give me crap for changing that part of her, keep in mind that authors do the same thing to canonically established heterosexual characterizers all of the time. She still likes girls, and I didn't want to simply make her bisexual, so this is the path that I chose to pursue in order to depict a slightly broader range of representation.

I also want to accurately depict the hardships that Ymir's sexuality would force her to endure in society, so if anyone would like to anonymously send me a PM offering advice in that regard, then please feel free to do so.

Now then, I will be posting a notice on the original version of this story to alert everyone of the updated version. After about a week or two, I will then delete the original story.

I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, and I also hope that you will stick around for the remainders.

After this, I will be updating my Ichigo/Yoruichi fic: "The Song of Our Nature."

Then, I will be moving on to "Desires of the Heart" and "Bloodstained Souls." Feel free to check them out if you feel like it.

Until next time!

AlucardsBro OUT!