1/9/2014 – 1/15/2014

People keep saying that even if I don't have reviews I shouldn't be discouraged and I should keep going until I do, ect, ect.

Discouragement is not my problem, although it is a factor. My biggest difficulty is motivation.

In light of this, nag me all the heck you want! If I had any inkling about what you people are like in real life I would probably even give you my cell phone number just so you could more effectively nag me! It only helps me actually do something! (Unless you're my mom, in that case it has the opposite effect.)

Now, on to the story!

~..~

Take Two

Chapter 1: Twist and Turn

~..~

In a darkened room, three figures stared quietly at the static that had taken over the large observation screen that had, only moments before, connected them to some of their camera flies in Karakura.

The light from the screen flickered and danced as Aizen glanced down at another instrument in the lab's console.

The nearest functioning camera fly to the Kurosaki boy's location was almost a mile away.

No matter.

Though it was disappointing that he wouldn't be able to observe the rest of Rukia's retrieval for himself, he could read the reports.

As for the boy, he would survive with the help Aizen was sure Urahara would give him or he wouldn't, but Aizen would still get what he wanted. It had been an… interesting experiment if it was over, but that is all it was, Aizen thought to himself, smiling benignly.

~..~

It was a little after eleven o-clock when all the appropriate parties had been assembled into the back room of Urahara's shop, and the shop sealed to prevent any of Aizen's surviving camera flies from getting a peek inside.

Gathered together around a low table were the residents of the Urahara Shoten; Urahara Kisuke, Tessai Tsukabishi, Jinta and Ururu, as well as a changed Kurosaki Ichigo, his three spiritually able friends; Sado Yasutora, Inoue Orihime, and Ishida Uryuu, and a certain black cat who lounged languidly atop the table itself.

All of them were staring at Ichigo.

Granted the last time they had seen him a mere few hours before he had, had short brilliantly orange hair, very brown eyes and was a few inches shorter than his currently garnet-eyed, thigh-length ebony-haired, self.

"Time-travel, Kurosaki-kun?" Urahara began, fan fluttering before his face.

His improbable theory didn't help avert the stares either.

Ichigo grimaced, one hand coming up to tangle into the hair at the back of his neck. "I guess so." he finally said, scanning the other occupants of the room, and his friends in particular before turning back to face Urahara directly. "I was fighting Aizen," he began gravely, "he had fused himself to the Hogyoku and was trying to make an Ouken to overthrow the Spirit King... whatever the hell that all means. He was going to use Karakura to make it, so I stopped him."

Ishida huffed impatiently from his place at the table, sliding his glasses further up his nose in irritation, "That's all well and good Kurosaki, but who is Aizen?"

A strange look fluttered over Ichigo's face as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked around again as if he was realizing where he was all over again.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue asked, looking worriedly at him, her usually bubbly personality pushed aside in favor of her concern and the late hour.

Beside her, Sado, more commonly known as Chad, was looking at Ichigo with the same unspoken concern, but when Ichigo turned to look at him with uncomfortable uncertainty, as if wondering if he should really tell anyone and get them involved in whatever he himself was involved in, Chad's worry burned into determination and a faith in his friend that showed in his eyes.

Seeing Chad's determination to follow him as he had into every situation, Inoue's firm desire to know what was troubling him, and Ishida's interest in whatever trouble they would inevitably be facing together with or without the former substitute shinigami's agreement, Ichigo relaxed, a grin twitching at the edges of his usual scowl.

"Rukia was taken back to Seireitei where she will be sentenced to eradication for giving me shinigami powers; this was all setup by the captain of the Fifth Division, a traitor named Aizen Sousuke…" Ichigo stated, and so began a long night of explanations that would turn into a planning session and go until early in the morning at which point most of them would crash in Urahara's guest room.

~..~

On the porch of the Urahara Shoten sat the time traveling teen, leaning back against his arms as he watched the sun's assent into the sky, now lighting up in subtle colors of pink and gold and light blue.

The clack of wood against wood alerted him to Urahara's approach before the man lowered himself down onto the bit of porch beside Ichigo.

They sat there in silence together for some time, Ichigo contemplating, and Urahara observing him out of the corner of his eye as the sky continued to change colors.

Finally Ichigo broke the silence with a sigh, "My father…" he stopped, not knowing how to continue.

"Hm?" Urahara's gaze sharpened on his companion, fan coming up to cover the parts of his face that weren't shaded by his hat.

Ichigo pursed his lips for a moment before he spoke again. "When are you gonna tell him what happened, Geta-Boushi?"

Urahara didn't answer for a moment, "What makes you think I was going to tell your father what happened Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo scoffed and sent Urahara a look of sarcastic 'do you really think I'm stupid?' disbelief that only a teenager could pull off convincingly and sprawled onto his back to stare upwards with his arms cushioning his head, "I know you've been telling him everything that's been going on Geta-Boushi, when is he gonna find out that I've come from the future?", 'and know what he is' was left unspoken in the air between them.

Urahara fanned himself silently for another moment before responding in a singsong tone, "What makes you think I haven't already told him Kurosaki-kun?"

In the distance the sound of rapid footsteps preceded the yell of "GOOD MORNING ICHIGO~!"

The teen in question deadpanned at the 'humble shop keeper', "Figures."

~..~

Omake:

'Damn it' Ichigo grimaced at his ally's disbelief of who he was. 'I wish someone was here that could confirm my identity, stupid drastically appearance altering techniques!'

Still clutched in his hand, the Hogyoku glowed purple and in a sparkly flash a rather startled Aizen appeared before them, complete with shimmering purple bands at his neck, wrists and ankles that had also materialized on an equally startled Ichigo.

"What the Hell?!"

Within his mind the Hogyoku gave an enthusiastic reply that seemed to incense the teen even further.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen began placidly before the tangerine haired young man could yell some more, "Though it seems you have brought us back in time, you will still not be able to-"

He was abruptly cut off when Ichigo began his own diatribe, "THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL I WANT TO BE CONNECTED TO THIS- *BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*"

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"-AS IF WE'RE A PAIR OF PRESCHOOLERS WHO CAN'T -static- GET ALONG!" the teen screamed before turning on his heel and stalking off.

Briefly stunned, Aizen did not react before the glimmering bands tugged him after the departing time traveler.

It just didn't pay to be a megalomaniac… or a quadri-breed teen with enough determination to protect everyone that he ascended to levels beyond the comprehension of an incomprehensible being.

There probably wasn't enough money in the world anyway.

Omake End

My brother said something to this effect happening and I thought it was entertaining so… *shrugs* feel free to use it if it spawns a plot bunny, I thought it was a rather funny idea, but it didn't really fit in with the vague plot ideas that had already poked themselves into my brain.

And someone requested no pairings in this and if I added that it would probably turn into a pairing or they would just become so close that they might as well be paired.

Author's Note:

I've edited the prologue, mostly just some minor formatting stuff because I didn't realized they didn't take my line break thingies, so if you got confused about anything, please go back and glance over it to see if that clears it up for you, and if you're still confused, please review and I will try to clear things up for you. I really don't want anyone to be confused when I'm not trying to confuse, it makes me feel bad.

Which brings me to a question that was asked about something kind of unrelated to formatting issues;

hornet07 asked: How did Urahara suddenly know to wipe their memories and how were they fooled when Ichigo was gone from the ground?

The answer to the first question is as follows; There was a scene skip. Because I was lazy, and didn't have any idea how Rukia, Renji, and Byakuya should act/react. I will in all likelihood go into the moments between Ichigo's arrival in the past and Rukia, Renji, and Byakuya's departure to Seireitei at a later time, in fact my mind is already coming up with that scene like the annoying contraption it is, so… you will see.

As for the second question… well. That is a bit harder. I want to start off by stating that the brain is a very complex organ that we have hardly scratched the surface of understanding and which controls the whole of our minds and bodies voluntary and involuntary functions. In theory, if you can fool someone's brain, you can control them.

That being said, because Urahara replaced the memories that Rukia, Renji, and Byakuya had from the point of timeline divergence with the help of Ichigo and the Hogyoku, and 'wrote' the rest of the aborted scene into their minds, there was no need to fool them in any other way, because they had no need to look any further than their contrived memories up to the point of them stepping through the Senkaimon.