The amount of unadulterated joy that coursed through his body was almost too much to contain. Dressed in the familiar black of the Soul Reaper uniform, Kurosaki Ichigo moved through the town within his Mindscape. The smile on his face as he danced across the rooftops with Shunpo made his eyes shine. Not once in the past three years had he been as happy as he was now. Not even his graduation had instilled such euphoria within him.

A comforting, yet unfamiliar weight hung from his obi. The asauchi Yoruichi had snatched from Soul Society had been an unexpected gift. The katana was a near-exact replica of the first zanpakutō he'd wielded. The only difference being, this was a normal-size sword and not some botched monstrosity.

Regaining his powers was a gift from the heavens, in Ichigo opinion. In reality, it had been Urahara who had made it possible. Using the knowledge he'd gained from when Isshin used the technique, Kisuke made some adjustments to Ichigo's body while the teen was in Hueco Mundo. Just in case the use of the Final Getsuga Tenshō became inevitable. They had predicted that, should he regain his powers, it would take at least half a decade.

Honestly, they should have known by now. Ichigo rarely - if ever - adhered to expectations. So here he was, two years early, using Shunpo in his Inner World, having the time of his life.

As he travelled through the Inner World, Ichigo noticed it had changed again. The world still resembled Karakura Town but there were some buildings scattered around he didn't recognise. On closer inspection, these structures appeared to be smaller versions of the skyscrapers that used to make up the world.

I wonder if they will grow back to their old size, Ichigo pondered.

The water level seemed to have lowered as well. Ichigo vaguely remembered it reaching quite high. As in, during his training in the Dangai, he had never breached the surface after initially falling in. It still was some ways above the tallest building. However, it looked like the town would eventually emerge from the ocean it had been sunk in.

I suppose they will be happy about that. Speaking of, Ichigo spotted one of the two spirits a few ways ahead. Standing tall on the roof of the hospital was the Old Man. Strange, I thought they were together. Even though he hadn't actively used his senses to determine their location, Ichigo could have sworn the two spirits were near one another when he came down here. Oh, well. I can always ask where he went.

'Old Man!'

The spirit looked over his shoulder, blue eyes peering over the rim of orange sunglasses. The man didn't show it but he was surprised. He had sensed Ichigo coming down to his Inner World but had a difficult time keeping track of him. With the teen standing across of him, the spirit focussed on the other's spiritual-pressure. To his surprise, Ichigo was - seemingly unknowingly - suppressing his energy. 'You have grown more skilled'.

'Uh...thanks, I guess?' Ichigo said, not quite sure what the spirit was referring to. 'I kinda lack strength at the moment, though'.

'Give it time'.

'I will', Ichigo promised with a nod. 'While I am itching for a fight, I am nowhere near as strong as before. I need to train before I go out on patrol again'.

'A wise decision'. The spirit was brimming with pride at his charge. In the near three years apart, Ichigo had grown up. The time spent with his family and friends had changed him for the better.

It was clear Ichigo wanted nothing more than jump into the fray. He was addicted to the thrill of battle. Yet, he knew he needed to take his time. He would have to adjust to having his powers back. Powers that are still recovering and nowhere near as strong as he had been used to. For Ichigo to realise this and make the decision to withhold himself from returning to his former duties, showed a level of self-control he didn't have before.

Ichigo gave the faintest of smiles in appreciation. While it was nice the Old Man agreed with him, there was another spirit in this world. 'Hey, where is the other guy? I thought he was nearby'.

'He left. He thought his presence would ruin your first time back here'.

Ichigo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. 'I told him- nevermind, do you know where he is now?'

The Old Man closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment. 'He is quite far. If you continue your way in that direction, you should find him eventually', the spirit told, gesturing to his left.

'I guess will go hunt him down, then', Ichigo said. 'Thanks, Old Man. It was nice talking to you'.

'Likewise'.

#

Since there wasn't a megalomaniac roaming the streets of his hometown, Ichigo took his time travelling the mindscape. With a casual Shunpo, he hopped from one roof to the next, his eyes and senses on the look-out for his white doubleganger.

The Old Man had not been joking when he'd said his other half was far off. Even after a good ten minutes, Ichigo had yet to come across the vaguest trace of hollow spiritual-pressure. This is getting ridiculous. Spotting a relatively tall building, Ichigo headed over. The high vantage point gave him a decent overview of the area, yet there was no sign of the bleached-white spirit.

For a moment, Ichigo considered calling out his name but dismissed it. While sound appeared to travel well underwater here, if he couldn't see the person, chances were, they wouldn't hear him. Besides, they would think I mean the Old Man. Ruffling his own hair, Ichigo thought about his options.

He could continue searching, but there was no way of telling how long it would take. For all he knew, the spirit was avoiding him. If that were the case, Ichigo had no hope of finding him by happenstance. Another option was to call it quits and try again tomorrow. By then, the Old Man would have told his other half that Ichigo wanted to speak to him. This seemed the best course of action, but it felt as if he were admitting defeat and Ichigo was a sore loser.

If only I had a way of knowing where he is. Ichigo thought for a moment, had he not dealt with a similar situation in the past? Wait, with the bird!

Closing his eyes, Ichigo attempted a technique he had performed only once before. Focusing on the energy around him, he slowly attuned to the feel of the world, causing any other flow of energy to jump out. When he opened his eyes again, a victorious grin stretched across his face. Two spirit-ribbons had materialised before him. One was a pale blue which originated from the direction Ichigo had come from. The other was coloured black and red. Gotcha.

Setting off once more, Ichigo followed the bi-coloured ribbon. Within a couple minutes, a white silhouette was distinguishable on one of the roofs. Dismissing the ribbons, Ichigo took the last few steps of Shunpo necessary to reach the building. As he neared, Ichigo could see the spirit looked different from the last time he had seen him. His hair was short once more, reflecting Ichigo's hair as it had before the Dangai. The spirit also wore his white version of the standard soul-reaper uniform.

When his sock-clad foot touched the roof, the spirit spoke up. 'If I'd known you wanted to see me, I would've saved you the trouble'.

'Well, you should've. I promised, didn't I?'

The spirit looked over his shoulder with one eyebrow raised. 'I thought you were talking to the other guy'.

'I was talking to both of you'.

'How was I supposed to know? It's not like I'd a reason to assume you were also talking to me'.

To his rapidly growing frustration, Ichigo couldn't argue with that. Their interactions have never been friendly. The one time Ichigo had faced the spirit without feeling resentment was during his fight with Kenpachi. Though, whether that one counts is up for debate. Ichigo had been under the impression the spirit was a manifestation created by the Old Man, a tool to be used to teach him a lesson, not a being with a mind of his own.

'Fair enough', Ichigo admitted.

The spirit shifted his position on the ledge. Turning around to face Ichigo so he wouldn't have to look over his shoulder. 'But, you didn't seek me out to start an argument. What do you want to talk about?'

That was a good question. While Ichigo hadn't come here to talk, per se. If the spirit was offering, he wasn't going to let the opportunity slide. After their last face-to-face, Ichigo had a lot of questions he wanted answers to. One, in particular, had bothered him for years.

'Why did you pretend to be an Inner Hollow?'

'Because I am', the spirit replied with a raised eyebrow.

'But that's not all you are', Ichigo pressed. 'Why didn't I meet you in the Scattered Shaft? Why did the Old Man pretend to be you?'

Whatever mood the spirit had been in soured instantly. His tone of voice when he spoke was annoyed, though Ichigo couldn't tell if it was directed at him or not. 'Blame Kisuke for that. You might not recall but you hollowfied in the Shattered Shaft'.

'I do but what does that have to do with anything?'

The spirit pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing an exaggerated breath from his lips. It was strange to see a habit of his own reflected by someone who could pass as his twin. 'I'm the manifestation of both your Soul Reaper and Hollow powers. What do you think happens to me when you hollowfy?'

'You hollowfy as well?' Ichigo guessed, crossing his arms defensively at the patronising tone.

'As you might imagine, hollowfication - especially when unintentional - messes with your head. I couldn't function as your zanpakutō at the time. That is why the other guy took my place', Zangetsu explained.

'Still, why didn't you tell me later?'

'By the time I recovered enough, you had to train for Bankai. The Old Man didn't think it wise to tell you mid-training, which I agreed with'.

Can't argue with that. If they had switched, I wouldn't have been able to achieve Bankai in time. 'But, you could've still told me afterwards', Ichigo argued. 'You didn't have to act like an Inner Hollow just because I thought you were. You could've explained it to me'.

'Why would I?'

That reply threw Ichigo for a loop, 'Huh?'

'The Other Guy was already helping you grow stronger via support', Zangetsu told, waving one hand dismissively. 'So, I thought, why not pressure you into growing more powerful by instilling fear'.

'What?'

'Don't be so surprised, it's only logical. It is under duress that souls increase their strength the fastest, after all'.

'You mean, you threatened to take over my body, to hurt those I love with my own hands just so I would grow stronger?!' Ichigo summarised with growing anger.

'In a nutshell, yes'.

'How can you not realise this was not okay?!'

'You don't have to like the method. It's the result that matters', Zangetsu stated.

'The nightmares I got nearly drove me into depression!'

'Don't try to guilt me with morals, that won't work. I did what I had to do to make you strong enough to survive'.

'Even if that meant giving up your name and me hating you?'

'My job is to keep you alive and help you become the strongest you can be. Nothing else matters to me'.

'Is that because if I die, you die?' Ichigo spat.

Zangetsu's eyes lost their sterling shine, turning them a molten gold. Red flushed his face as rage broke his composure. 'I taught you Mugetsu, didn't I?! The one thing I swore I would never teach you but I did anyway. You know why? So you could live!'

Ichigo flinched at the outburst. He hadn't expected the spirit to get genuinely upset by his accusation. Before he could attempt to apologise, Zangetsu turned his back to him.

'Get out of my face'.

'But I-!' Ichigo tried but the spirit wasn't having any of it.

'I said, fuck off!'

With a strong mental push, Ichigo was forced from the Inner World. With his wielder gone, Zangetsu was left to fume in solitude. How dare he insinuate what my intentions are. He doesn't know shit about me.

'You know he will come back'.

Zangetsu did not have to turn around to know who had spoken. With a huff, he crossed his arms, keeping his back to the other. 'I do. I just had enough of him'.

'If you want this partnership to work, you'll need to control your temper'.

'If he wants this partnership to work, he needs to stop seeing me as a hollow', Zangetsu snapped.

'Which is a direct result of your own actions'.

Like I don't know that. 'Still. He pissed me off'.

'And you angered him'.

'Not on purpose', Zangetsu muttered. 'I am just telling him how it is. It's not my fault he can't handle it'.

The Old Man felt bad for the other. He knew Zangetsu since the beginning and even he has moments in which he cursed the other to hell.

To clarify, the problem did lay with Zangetsu. However, the spirit could hardly be held accountable for it. After all, how can you be sympathetic if you can't experience feelings like guilt, empathy or regret? Zangetsu might not be "heartless" in a literal sense but he was very much so figuratively.

'He will learn', the Old Man assured.

As he said this, fluffy clouds blocked out the sun. While they weren't rainclouds, the temperature did drop, leaving no trace of the near-perfect weather from a mere hour ago.

'You think?' Zangetsu asked with scepticism.

'He wants to use this second chance to start over. Meaning with you as his zanpakutō, Zangetsu', the spirit informed. 'He will come to understand you but it is going to take time. You will have to be patient'.

'I am patient! You've got to be, with him as your wielder'. Zangetsu sat back down on the half-wall that acted as railing for the roof. 'I just don't understand why he can't put the past behind him. He knows who I am, he knows why we did it, so why can't he accept that and move on?'

The Old Man sighed, this was going nowhere. 'Why did you not want to teach Ichigo Mugetsu?'

Zangetsu looked at his other half with a frown. 'What does that have to do with anything? Besides, you already know why'.

'Humour me'.

The two spirits looked at one another. Blue eyes asking for cooperation, silver eyes guarded about the other's intention.

'Alright, but only because you are going somewhere with this', Zangetsu conceded. 'I didn't want to teach him because the cost is too high. I want him to be as strong as he can be and he can't when he doesn't have any powers'.

'Why did you teach him, then?'

'Because being weak is better than being dead', Zangetsu deadpanned.

'If that is so, why do you hate Mugetsu? It is a "last-resort technique" for that very reason'.

'Just because it's the right decision, doesn't mean I have to like it'. The frown on Zangetsu's face faded as he spoke, realisation drawing upon him in a sense of déjà-vu. 'Oh, so that's what Ichigo struggles with'.

The old man could only nod. He was glad the parallel he had drawn made it easier for Zangetsu to understand his wielder. However, this would only get him so far. The lack of emotional comprehension would become a loose cogwheel in their partnership and the Old Man dreaded the day it would come off. He couldn't always act as a mediator between them whenever it got messy.

It would seem that even after all the hardships they have been through, this might turn into more of a challenge than either weapon or wielder could have foreseen.

#

Bleach – Tite Kubo ®